Flossie Flirt

As mentioned in previous posts I enjoy restoring old dolls when I get the time. So I thought I would share another group of photos of a doll I restored about a year ago. This dolls name is Flossie Flirt. She is from approx. the 1920's , made by Ideal  Toy Co. and the thing that I love about her is she has these sweet little tin  eyes that roll from side to side. 

  

When I purchased her she was in such a disarray I felt so bad for her. Chiped paint all over the compostion and dirty. She was dressed in some kind of a German outfit which was totally inappropriate for her. As is with most of these dolls the clothing is tattered and usually not the original style that the doll was dressed in. I really try to dress them as closely as possible to the original style. I am always scouring antique shops and the internet for special dresses.

She did have her original shoes and socks which was nice but she was in terrible shape on her legs. Someone had used bandaging tape to hold her little legs together. Poor thing!  ;-(

Her hair was a mess but still the original wig which I was happy about so I gave her a new do. and  after much sanding, repairing and airbrushing I think I accomplished what I had set out to do. A friend gave me her little dress which looks so much cuter than the awful little thing she had on. A tiny cotton print with soft yellow flowers. I made her a new hair bow with a handmade silk ribbon flower that I made especially for her. I am looking for a little pin to place on the bodice of her dress. I think that would top it off very nicely.

Her dress was a little too long in the above picture and the style for this era was fairly short...showing their little bloomers so I hemmed the dress a little shorter to look more appropriate.

I know some people frown on doll restorations and yes in some instances the are not acceptable but I feel that if the doll so bad that they are not appealing to look at anymore and that further time is only going to damage them  more I believe that is the time to do something to preserve them. Anyway...here are her before and after pictures.  I hope you like them!

P.S. I also have a new OOAK doll that I will be showing real soon called "Polly and Tweets" a sweet little thing just in time for spring. Here is a snippet of one of Polly's friends and some pretty little singing bird music to get you in the mood for her new pictures. Come back real soon!!!   ;-)

Odelle's Opera Dreams

My first new piece for 2010.

This piece incorporates many techniques all of which I enjoyed working with.

The doll is made of polymer clay and has been painstakingly dressed in a lined gorgeous red rose brocade with matching shoes. This fabric is exquisite! I love brocade fabrics and try to incorporate them into my work whenever I can. The shimmer on the dress adds such a statement to the whole of the piece.

Beautiful blue glass paperweight eyes and auburn tibetan hair.

Hat was made from an antique french doll pattern.

She sits upon a little stool inside of a shadow box which I lined with flocked, glittered paper and vintage images. I wanted the feel of a Opera Theater but also the feel of Paris back in the late 1800's early 1900's
I found some wonderful images which I thought captured those times. Some of the images are from The Graphics Fairy a wonderful source for vintage graphics. "Thank you Karen' ;-)   A postcard to her dear love, a special evening in Paris, the performance of a lifetime perhaps....The images portray what this young lady could be dreaming about and leaves it up to you the viewer to decide what they mean.

Vintage Rhinestone Broaches, Red Tulle and French Ribbons accent the box.

Detail of the rose brocade fabric.

Program taken from an actual vintage opera program.

Tiny matching brocade shoes.

She is available for purchase here.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/53442869/odelles-opera-dream-a-one-of-a-kind-fine

Thank you for stopping by!

Sneak Peek

It is hard to believe it is 2010. This year has flown by. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

I have been working on several new projects which I will be showing in the next couple of weeks.
The first piece is called "Odelle's Opera Dreams"
I am giving you a glimpse as I am putting the finishing touches on her today. It was a large piece... but a fun piece to work on. I should have more detailed photos in a couple of days.
I have also included some of my favorite opera singers for your listening enjoyment and to set the mood for this new piece. Be back real soon!!!