Bree, The Bird Lady

My plaster doll has certainly been a challenge, I didn't want her to look like she had when I attempted her painting in high school. I've looked at many portraits to decide how I was going to proceed. I took my time while in the quiet of the day.

She is forming personality, one of which I'm happy with.

I glued half beads for the pupils, I think it works for adding a depth to her eyes. Two coats of varnish.

A few more curls on the side of her face and, ta-da! Another project off the list.

Here she is with just the clothing.

From the back....I made her coat with a flair to conceal those hips! Next time I'm going to indent the upper legs so this won't happen.

Remember I said I wanted a bag lady type doll? Well, off we went to make a satchel. To carry what, I don't know, I never know.

Some accessories, some jewelry,

A cute brooch. She didn't look like the bag lady on the street,

but, I felt she had a eccentric way about her.

I knew she had to look as if she were shopping and taking some kind of pet with her. I have several animals stowed in my stash, birds.....birds would be right up her alley.

Some glass birds glued in her wild hair-doo! She doesn't know they are there.


I call her Bree, The Bird Lady....

Now, to find a permanent spot for her.

She is moving....I'm afraid her birds will take flight from here and I'll never see her again. C&G Design

Plaster doll-clothing

I was just dying to get into my woolen tote to find some vintage fabric to outfit my plaster doll in. I didn't exactly find wool, I found something better. Look at this custom made gown. It's a heavy paisley on top and a lined linen for the skirt. I'd purchased some vintage wear with a cardboard box full of wool and although I hate like heck to take apart a beautifully made dress, the orange has light staining on it.

Someone, who was very talented, worked for a while on this gown. I wonder if it was a bridesmaid dress?

Anyway, I thought the paisley would make up into a wonderful blazer like coat.

Here is the right side of the fabric,

and here it is with cuffed sleeves and waist darts. As one can assume, I've decided to make the pants out of the complimenting orange. I found a perfect silver tank top for the undershirt. I hope she doesn't look too seventies.

I thought, as with every doll, I'd put panties on her. Gee, she is just a little hippy for anything to fit! C&G Design.

Plaster doll-socks and shoes

I have sought to the deepest parts of me to decide what to do with my plaster doll, I finally settled on a thought.....shabby, bag lady, art doll. But what is that? Well, I thought the best thing to do was to just start. A downsized version of Diane Keaton in "Annie" or a image of the unknown "Aunt". You know, the one that pinches cheeks and wears to bright red of lipstick!? I decided the latter will be the target. And baggy knee-hi stockings came to my mind.

What would be the right shoes for her? Something not to fancy but something not to plain. I don't think the idea of a slipper type shoe is working.....not in leather at least.

They aren't to bad when viewed from the side AND they will have a closure at the top of the shoe.....I guess the problem is....I made her foot with a hi-heel.
That's it! Tomorrow we will work on felt Mary Jane pumps. HA! C&G Design

Plaster doll-assemblage

My doll is ready to be painted and ready to be put together. I had taken her limbs off the copper wire sooo many times the newspaper was beginning to shift! Making it that much harder to place the leg or arm in the right socket.

I really was nervous about manipulating the copper wire in a loop that was acceptable to me. What would happen if the wire snapped? If anything, I knew the joints needed padding, otherwise the friction of plaster against plaster would cause crumbling. I used felt disc.

I MADE the permanent fixture of the limbs as painless as I could, it was nothing fancy and nothing that took a lot of time. I use the two pliers pictured to get the loop I wanted and the third tool to cut the excess copper. It took five minutes.

I think she is assuming a character of her own. I'll trim the felt so it is functional yet invisible. I need to touch her up and varnish her quickly, she took a header off the table and chipped her toes! Hopefully a hardening agent will help prevent that.

I think the outfit will be next. C&G Design

Plaster Doll-Arms and Legs

My plaster doll is slowly moving from a WIP to a actual sculpture, and I'm starting to be pleased with it although I still have a ways to go. You can see how the premise of the limbs work with being anchored by the copper wire.

The legs were a little more difficult than the arms. I want to have a "sitting" position from my doll so instead of creating a straight, immobile limb,

I crafted a joint, it's comprised of 4 copper loops. One on the end of the upper leg and then the lower leg. Of course, I still have my outlet holes for joining to legs to the doll. (You can tell spring is springing, sorry about the picture, the bright sun through my skylight prevented my flash from going off!)

Ah, a better photo. Anyway, I had to do some weird positions with the plaster tape, because the tough thing is getting the joints joined while adhering a loop in position to the leg. I still have to glue them in place because while they are in, it won't last the swinging of the doll leg.

Stay tune, more sanding and plaster coating. C&G Design.

Plaster Doll-Torso

What to do with my plaster doll? I've already decided she is going to have full limbs with fingers, not sure about the toes though. I really had to think about her torso, you can't really joint full sets of limbs by simply thread and a button. I figured wire plastered in the arms then twisted together in a cloth body before it's stuffed. Well, then I got to thinking.....and as always, I never know what I'm doing for a project until it's finished. I decided on a plaster body, the complete doll will be plaster.

I put some shape on her as I think she has a mature quality to her even though her face isn't painted yet. I had the copper wire run through the body and I'll make accommodations for it to got through the limbs, out the other side and I'll loop it , bending the loop downward and flush with the limbs.

I really LOVE this media, here is a close-up of the fist coat of straight plaster. It is so forgiving and fills the dips quite well.

She is starting to be hefty and it very, very cold to touch. It reminds me of porcelain.

A profile shot. C&G Design.

Vintage? Plaster Doll

Okay....I'm embarrassed to say this but....clearing a lot of boxes out of my craft room can conjure up many surprises, this being one of them....I made this poor lady in high school! Good God. I got to playing around with her and quickly made a copper hair comb for her....I forgot to take a picture with her hair all wild and about, trust me...it wasn't pretty. See her tub she spent all these many years in? She's a UFO, unfinished object.

Her complexion isn't the greatest so I re coated her with straight plaster. My doll is made with the plaster mesh they use to use for casts, I gave up on her because I wasn't happy with my results but I think I should finish her now. Plaster is one of my favorite mediums because is hardens quickly while remaining semi soft and workable, least with a little water! She's a WIP now. Work in progress.

Soooo, much better! Except......she resembles someone else......

Odd......my work hasn't changed that much.

Especially with 27 years between them. C&G Design