DT Project: Baby Bailey/Pan ornament, Marfi Bradford

Here's an amazing enchanted project created by DT Member Marfi Bradford using the Baby Bailey Unfinished Doll embellishment from Lisa Kettell Designs and other magical supplies.

Materials:

• Baby Bailey unfinished doll, Lisa Kettell Designs
• moss
• mushrooms
• toothpicks
• artificial flowers
• dark brown acrylic paint
• light brown acrylic paint
• peach acrylic paint
• acorn tops
• glitter
• Clear plastic ornament
• hot glue gun and glue sticks
  

Directions:

1. Paint baby Bailey peach and brown, let dry.
2. Cut toothpicks into fourths and glue on top of head for horns.
3. Glue moss, mushrooms, acorn and artificial flowers to the inside of ornament half.
4. Make a pan pipe out of toothpicks by gluing five toothpicks together then cutting them at an angle.
5. Attach them to baby bailey.
6. Glue baby bailey inside ornament.

How amazing is this project from Marfi? Love it. I could see a whole series of enchanted storybook ornaments, couldn't you?

More projects on their way including the launch of the new website.
xoxo
Lisa

Doll House Curiosities, Sweet Shoppe Carnival, Scrapbook Paper?

Hello Everyone,
Many of you know how much I love paper, fabric and clay. I am a paper and fabric addict, I love it, even if I don't need it, I buy it, but there are times when I'm just not satisfied with it. I go to a store and sometimes I feel un-wowed, sometimes I feel too excited, it just depends on the store or the day.

I find myself buying more on line, so many fabulous sites to choose from, so many fabulous design teams and products, it can be pure eye candy for the artful soul. This is what lead me on my newest journey, my own paper.For years artists, hobbyist, and people have bought my artworks, my books, zines, dolls and art supplies, all which I hand make or created down to every last detail, paying attention to what my customers have requested or wanted to see. After many trial and errors, finding that golden serendipity moment, I woke up one morning and said Magic Paper, paper revolving around imagination, around what is whirling around in my head, and in others imaginary worlds. So I went for it and designed my new line line of scrapbook papers broken into 2 collections:

Doll House Curiosities and Sweet Shoppe Carnival!

Both these lines reflect my love for paper, vintage, dolls, and everything in between that I refer to as: Cupcake Chic! A line which isn't afraid to speak to our imagination and reflect on our childhood playtime.
These papers also were made to coordinate with my doll parts line, the new chip board and wood transfers, handmade flowers and double stitched ribbons. This line of scrapbook papers and accessories will be available April 2010. You can purchase the line through me, in other online stores, some store fronts and more to start.
I will be un-veiling the collection at Art Opera, Red Bank, NJ April 7-11, 2010 at the orientation soiree and for sale that weekend at the vendor soiree. If you are a store who wants to carry the line, you may contact me regarding wholesale pricing and minimums. To buy visit my etsy store www.moonfaires.etsy.com and my website www.moonfairesworld.com for the complete styles and listings. Stay tuned for the list of stores carrying it, and where to review it.
Design Team has already been picked, but apps for guest designing and the 2nd half of new designers will be up mid year!

Magic and Joy,
Lisa!

The Altered Book: Art Doll Chronicles


Hello All,
On March 15, 2009, I will be teaching an altered art book class called:
The Art Doll Chronicles at the Summit Visual Arts Center from 10am-4pm, if you are interested sign up at the summit visual arts center, limit space of 15 students!
Sum Visual Arts Center, Workshop Sign Up

We are going to create vintage books with faux gilded covers, reminiscent of the most elaborate of royal opera books, each page is going to tell a story of your adventure in a secret Doll Land or Story Book Land, the pages of your book will be 3-D with handmade dolls sewn/glued to each page, or layered with dimensional silhouettes, backed by sweet distressed writing papers or piano papers. There will be an exploration into your creative mind during the whole class, with a question: What inspires you and how can that inspiration bring you into your own artful World.

I will have books from vintage opera to eye candy filled chic, romantic, doll house and my own for the class to gain inspiration from, while working. We will also embark on a mixed media/1920's doll illustration, 1920's Dennison doll making, book binding, altered art techniques, distress techniques. You will receive a template of vintage doll and storybook illustration that you can leave with and study for future projects. This turn of the century illustration had simple lines, and such cutesy attributes, so easy to duplicate and turn into your own style.

I'll be supplying most of the supplies such as papers, fabrics, images, ribbons, trims, glitter and more, along with goodie bags and some other surprises, revealed in the class. However students are encouraged to bring their own images, fave paper or fabric, stickles, glitter, etc that they could use in addition to the supplies I will be bringing.

Main techniques that will be taught:-Bookbinding
-Paper Piercing
-Rosettes: the art of folding
-Paper millinery flowers, learn to make your own
-Doll and Paper Doll making
-Altered Art and Collage Techniques
-Making your own silhouettes
-Basic Storybook illustration and Mixed Media illustration
-Vintage Art Techniques

I'm working on some various examples: Silhouettes with glitter and creamy colors against lettered writing pages and German Crepe paper doll book example, the painted version book, and the Living Opera Theater Book, etc.

Hope to see you there for some artful fun and magic!
Lisa!
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the Summit Visual Arts Center site reads:
The Altered Book: Art Doll Chronicles
Sunday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Bring your childhood dolls and storybook classics to life. Create a book with vintage tones and classic elegance with the use of basic book binding, altered art, sewing, doll making and other artful techniques. Each page will resemble a vintage story book, a doll house, and a fairytale theatre with 3D elements and miniatures. Work with designer papers, rich fabrics, vintage trims, crepe paper, tinsel, rhinestones, doll parts, images and other fun supplies.

My Artful Idol: Mary Engelbreit!

This picture was taken about 9years ago when I was much younger, early twenties, at Fao Schwartz, NYC, for her new doll line w/Robert Tonner.

The story begins, one day I was walking through an enchanting book store in Montclair, I was around age 8 or 9 years old, and I stumbled upon this greeting card, with a tall skinny, colorful mime style clown, I instantly loved it, I asked my Mom, if she would by it for me, and she did. I placed it in my room and began trying to draw that figure in this card. I had always loved drawing and coloring in my coloring books (which I still have), but this picture grabbed me, my final result, well, I was 8 or 9. But not bad for that age..As time grew on, I began to see more of this artist works on greeting cards, collecting them as I went, never writing in them, but framing them, the stickers which I put in my sticker album with Lisa Frank stickers, then a print here and there, boom, she was everywhere and I was so excited. by age 20 I had her toy dolls from Toys-R-Us, figurines, ornaments, teapots, cups, vases, my whole room was filled with Fairies, Mermaids, and this artist.

When I needed inspiration I turned to my collection of greeting cards and now her books, which filled me with so much joy, I knew then I had a passion for everything art. But didn't think I'd be able to make a living from it, so I changed my major in college from art to Political Science, with the hopes of being an FBI agent dealing in antiquities and foregin affairs, but after a major and semi cribbling accident in April of 1999, I knew that would never be, so I turned back to my art, while working in what I though was a new career in Banking/Mortgage.

When I heard this artist who I will now reveal as Mary Engelbreit was going to be at FAO Scwartz in NYC, I had to go. After one failed attempt, when I was 12years old, I ended up having ear drum surgery, so I couldn't go to her signing, I new it was over ten years and I had to go. Well I get there and a security guard decided to cut the line right on me, I was in tears, drove all this way and boom not to even meet her... Well I kept my faith and a person saw my tears ( I was still composed) and she led me to the end of the line on the other side, and led me through the red ropes, and guess what I met her, she signed my doll, and snow queen book, this picture above is the result. She was super sweet and nice, I couldn't even speak, I made her some drawing rolled them up and gave them to her, then I went on my way, happy as a fairy could be.

Now its almost another ten years later and I now have published a children's book: Star and The Milky Way Cafe, a artful set of Zines: Faerie Zine and Piddlestixs, A new about to be released art book entitled: Altered Art Circus by Quarry Books, Several online groups which promote other artists, I teach Workshops at Museums, Stores and Conventions, Invloved in Charities and working on my new product line and licensing works, within this time frame, and guess what she is still one of my idols, I have incorporated some more to my top ten,LOL, but she was my first inspiration. Now on Nov.15,2008 on MY BIRTHDAY weekend I will be vending w/goodies and a pay/play at Silver Bella in Omaha, NE, and as you guessed it Miss Mary will be the speaker at the luncheon on Nov.15, what a present that would be to once again meet the artist who set the tone of inspiration for me, all these years later, now that I'm a professional artist, we will see, I leave that to chance to my Birthday Fairy who hopefully will make that come true..I mean, on my birthday, now that is a one in a million chance, don't you agree. I get this excited over the releases of the Harry Potter Movies on my birthday and birthday week too, my fave modern day novels..I met JK Rowling, at a signing, I'll save that for another post.

Magic and Joy!

Lisa! (P.s. some people have idols like the Beatles, Elvis, Monet, Hannah Montana, mine are art idols who inspire me everyday, as are the amazing art friends I have met and know)