Our wine theme meeting in June

Our June meeting of Reining Dolls and Bears was held at Roxanne's house and winery. WRoxanne extended her home and hospitality to all of us, and what a beautiful home and grounds she has! A view from every window in her lovely hisside home overlooking Hillsboro, Oregon. We were wined and dined and got a tour of the winery by her very accomodating hubby Ed. The wine theme dolls and IW dolls were displayed around the large dining room where we were served lunch ala Roxanne. Her upstaris studio is so organized and clutter free, with natural light and ample space to display her dolls.

We also brought our Izannah Walker style dolls that we are working on for a project. Some of us had finished dolls, others brought their DIPs to share.

My wine theme doll pictures did not turn out well as there was a large window lighting the background, and my camera did not like that at all. but Idid get some winery pics, lol, and some of the IW dolls and DIPs.

Altered Astrid stump doll workshop

In May I held a one on one workshop here at my studio in Rainier, Oregon. rosie was an RV traveler from San Diego area who was going to be coming up the Oregon coast, so we scheduled a class for her. We had a fun filled 3 days where we covered a variety of technques including making and painting the mask, using an armature and making tiny articulated hands, wire wrapping, use of Apoxy sculpt on art dolls, pryo enhanced techniqes for embellishing, free motion embroidery, and more! Rosie left with a completed doll she was very happy with!

Lorna Mae, a doll club project

This is Lorna Mae and she is a project for our doll club, Reining Dolls and Bears where we are to create and Izannah Walker inspired Early American style doll.

I used Sherry Lutz's techniques from the Fall 1998 issue of the now defunct cloth Doll Magazine. I really miss that magazine, it was the one that featured my very first design and cover doll, Dixie Belle.

This doll has a clay sculpt mask over cloth , and cloth skin added which is hardened with modeling paste. It is then painted with acrylics. I used the modeling paste for her applied hair as well. I aged the face a bit and sealed head hands and legs with gel medium, with a final brown paper bag buff.

I am thinking that her head is too round and hands need to be reduced, so this first attempt is just learning some of the techniques.

Jester Tyme

Our doll club Reining Dolls and Bears has a bag of fabrics and goodies that is donted by a member for each meeting. We draw names to see who will take it home with the challenge of creating a doll from the contents. Last time I won and so Jester Tyme came into being. There was also a little plastic scarecrow in the bag that did not make the cut so was not used, as Jester Tyme took her own direction as our dolls often do.

since I got caught holding the bag last time, I am to bring the bag of fabrics to the next meeting for the next lucky recepient whose name will be drawn. the little scarecrow thingy went back into the bag. lol

Annies Kittens

In the fall of 2007 a stray female tabby came in through the cat door. She was emancipated and obviously starving. I fed her and she eventually adopted us and thrived. We named her Annie after the character in Little Orphan Annie. Annie repaid our kindness by becoming pregnant thus solving the question whether or not she had been spayed. lol

I have two adult female spayed cats and have not had the experience of kittens in about 15 years, so I decided to document them here in my blog.

Earth Bound

For our March meeting of our doll club Reining Dolls and Bears, we are to create a doll that represents our muse. I have a variety of interests and several muses so this was not to be an easy tassk forme. but as I wqs cleaning up from recent storm activity on our 5 acres, I started collecting some natural items such as wood, bark, acorns, pine cones and moss. So Earthbound started to evolve and depicts my love of the natural world. she has a cloth over clay mask, fabric body and paverpol accents. she is quite different from anything I have done.

Christmas Cards

Some of you have requested the pattern for the Santa Clause ornament, so here it is and enjoy!
I have received quite a few emails requesting the pattern so here it is. enjoy! its never to early to start on next season's ornaments!
SANTA CLAUS ORNAMENT
By Patti Lavalley
Trace body and face onto freezer paper to make templates and cut out. Iron the body template onto wrong side of a 9”X7” fabric rectangle, folded lengthwise with right sides together. Iron face template onto right side of small piece of flesh colored cotton fabric and fuse Wunder Under onto wrong side. Set aside for now. Sew around the Santa body, trim closely and slit one side only to turn and stuff. Turn right side out; define points with end of paintbrush. Iron the piece and then iron the face onto front of Santa, fused side down. Use feature guide to draw face with fine point black micron pen. Use fine paintbrush to paint eye corners white, iris blue and then use pin head to paint a black pupil. Use other rend of pin to add a tiny dollop of white for pupil highlight. Blush cheeks and seal with matte finish acrylic spray sealer. Stuff firmly and close. Paint the tips of hands flesh, and the tips of feet black. Loop white yarn around two fingers to make beard loops and wrap yarn around 1 finger to make hairloops. Sew onto doll’s face where indicated. Glue trim around sides of face, glue micro beads. Add beaded or other trim around top of hat and sew tiny bell to tip. Sew a loop of cord for hanging at top of head back. Sew tiny buttons to the front, add glitter. This cute little 4” ornament makes a great gift for make several for yourself. You can insert the Santa into the chimney of homemade card as well! Enjoy!













This year my annual ornament making sessions have doubled as cards. Each 4" Santa Claus i ornament is removable from it's chimney.

Play Day!

When I find myself in a slump I likce to create art dolls just for fun. I use a simple body shape so I am freed from design issues to experiment and play. These have a basic triangular bodys with seperate arms. A surface design is created on the fabric with free motion embroidery. Faces can be stamped or drawn, or use an art doll clay mask. Allowing yourself to play can really unlock your creative muse.

Sarah Jean

Sarah Jean is a doll I made refering to the article by Deanna Hogan in the December Doll crafter & Costuming magazine, called Alabama cover-Up. She has a cloth over polymer head and is painted with acrylics.
The pattern for the body is my own and the head mold came from a porcelain doll head. It was a very difficult project and I could not get the top of head seam looking nice so I ceated applied hair with paperclay medium. I learned alot from this doll and will attempt to make another without the flaws. lol

Fabric leaves

Today I was raking leaves and the thought occured to me that some of the leaves would make interesting shapes for fabric leaves. I made freezer paper templates and cut them out from fabric, added some snippets of contrasting fabric and used orange thread to create the veins with free motion embroidery. I cut out some shapes in the fabric leaves to suggest decomposing areas of the leaves.

Now what to do with these! I may just have to make a fall theme doll and incorporate these into the dolls costume. Stay tuned to see what materializes!