Santa Christmas Tree Ornie

Hi! I haven't posted in a while, sorry. But, I've been busy, as you probably all have been this close to Christmas. The other day I was thinking about what I could make to give to a friend that I was meeting for lunch. I came up with a cute Santa ornament.

This isn't the ornie I made for my friend, I modified my pattern after I made the first one.

I'd like to give one to all of you, but since that would be impossible, I figured the next best thing would be to give the pattern to any of you who would like to make one yourself.

Just copy the .jpg file below, and print it out:

The pattern should fit on an 8-1/2" x 11" sheet, and don't forget to select "landscape" before you print it.

I hope that many of you will copy this pattern, and I would LOVE to see your results. If you email them to me, I will post the pics.

Thank you all, and I hope you are having a fun week.

Maggie

Thanksgiving Greetings!

Although Thanksgiving is still several days away, I know how busy this week will be for most of you, so I just thought I'd take a few minutes to thank the lovely people who follow my blog on a regular basis, for their support, humor, and friendship. Thank you all!

I was thinking about all of the blessings, and people, that I am thankful for: My two wonderful children; my four perfect-in-every-way grandchildren; and my adorable, intelligent, handsome great-grandson! I am thankful for my two sisters, they're my best friends. And for my sweet brother-in-law, who is the brother that I always wished for when I was growing up.

Although this may sound silly or mundane, I am thankful that I still have the use of my legs, hands, and eyesight. I don't want to imagine what my life would be without them, and I hope they never give out on me.

My interest in paper mache has brought me so much joy! I thank God for the creativity that He gave me. And, for the interest in art that keeps me busy, so that I don't dwell upon any negative aspects of my life.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Warm regards,

Maggie

A Small Santa

This Santa is smaller than my other Santas. He's a hair under 8" tall. I wanted to make something small, that would fit on a shelf or mantle. He's wearing a coat painted with my favorite faded red.

He's not as detailed as many of my other Santas. He's holding a little flocked sisal wreath that has been trimmed with a bit of ribbon. His face looks almost like a child dressed up as Santa.

I used the same porcelain crackle on him as my previous Santa, but applied it in a thinner coat. It crackled less than the previous Santa. The new dark antiquing glaze brings out the little cracks, and nooks and crannies. I especially like the way his hat turned out.

I still think that there is enough detail, even though I went for a simpler figure. I love how the faded red over the darker red looks. You can see it better on the back of his coat.

Do you think he needs some glitter?

He is listed on Ebay right now.

Can you believe it? I posted two days in a row! Now I'm back to making some gingerbread boys to hang on my tree. I've been trying to make a gingerbread house, but I've made three and they've all warped so much I can't get them to fit together. I guess I give up!

Hope you are having a wonderful, creative week. Thanks for stopping by.

Catch you later,
Maggie

Faded Red Father Christmas

I love this faded red color for my Santa's coats. They look so vintage in this color.

This "Father Christmas" is carrying a tree (or two or three) in the pack on his back. He is wearing his long red coat with large pockets, for carrying treats. An Alpine green scarf around his neck brings out his eyes (so Mrs. Claus says).

I used a different type of crackle medium on him, and I haven't decided whether I like it better than the old type or not. It is a very fine porcelain crackle. And in the tiny cracks I rubbed a really dark brown, almost black, glaze. I like the look of the darker glaze. Santa looks as though he's been through many Christmas seasons.

Of course, he's made from paper mache clay. I didn't use any paper clay on his face this time, though.  Instead, I brushed on a thin coat of joint compound blended with PVA glue, to smooth out the bumps. And, like all of my Santas, he's painted and sealed with acrylics.

I will list him on Ebay later today.

I'm frustrated. Both of my sisters have a copy of the latest Art Doll Quarterly with my Santa in it, and I haven't received mine yet! Marlene picked up the last one at Michaels yesterday, and couldn't stop herself from showing my Santa off to the check-out clerk. LOL, Thank goodness I was in a different line, and didn't know it until we left the store.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a really great week!

Later,
Maggie

I Believe

Do you believe in Santa Claus? I do!

And, Santa believes in snowmen... He has been seen visiting with snowmen all over the world. ;-)

Here he is, joined by Papa and Baby Snowfolk. They are made from, you guessed it, paper mache! I mounted them on an oval wooden base. I painted Santa, the snowmen, and the base with acrylic paints and sealers.

I found a product called Jumbo Snowtex, that I spread all over the top of the base for the snow, then I sprinkled it with fine glitter. The trio and their base measure about 7" tall by 7.25" at the widest point.

Baby Snowman is just the cutest little guy! He's about 2" tall.

I haven't posted in ages... I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween. I don't get any trick or treaters since I moved here to the Christmas tree farm. I kinda miss seeing all those cute little kids in their costumes. And, of course, I have no excuse to buy Halloween candy. :-(

I sold a witch and some of my Santas on Ebay, now I have room to make some more! I'm working on a few more Santas before Christmas. Then I'll be working on a couple of art dolls I've started, but I don't expect to have them finished for a month or so.

Thanks for dropping by.
Maggie

Ebay Sale

Hi! I took advantage of eBay's free listing offer and listed a dozen of my pieces at low starting prices. I listed mostly Santas, including "Twas the Night Before Christmas" who will appear in Art Doll Quarterly next month. I also listed my first two witches of "The Witches of  Newhampton Shire" series, and the cute little Halloween clown. Hester, the first witch of the series already has one bid.

If you're interested in owning any of these pieces, now is the time to bid! The witches and Halloween clown are on a five-day auction which ends October 23rd, to allow time for shipping before Halloween. Just click on the link below to go to my auction page:

I will be adding a few more Santas before the end of October.

I hope you are all having a great week. See you soon,
Maggie

Belladonna, Third Witch in a Series of 13

Belladonna is the third witch in my series titled "The Witches of Newhampton Shire." She stand 19" tall. Her familiar, a tiny piglet named Night Shade, stands by her feet. She carries a Jack-o-Lantern.

Little Night Shade has such a cute face, and she's so happy and eager to please.

Belladonna is the youngest of the three witches to date. She still has all of her teeth and hair! I'm not sayin' that's her natural hair color, I think she colors it. She's still trying to convince everyone she's only 24 years old, but I know better.

She is seen here with Hester and Edna. They look like they're up to no good. I'm sure they're cooking up a new enchantment, or maybe they're sharing a recipe for dessert.

Belladonna is the last witch of 2011 from this series. Next year I will add five more by Halloween. Then, five more in 2013.

Talk to you later,
Maggie

Show and Tell

Do you remember this Santa? In June I submitted his photos to Art Doll Magazine. Until then, I had never submitted my work to any magazine. After submitting, I didn't hear anything for two months, and I assumed that it hadn't been accepted.

Then, I received an email from the Managing Editor of the magazine! I was thrilled to hear that my "Twas the Night After Christmas" Santa will be published in the Show and Tell: Gallery of Art Dolls section of the Winter issue. It will be in news stands November 1. I didn't want to say anything until just before the magazine is due.

I am very excited! I just wanted to share here with my friends.

Hope you are all having a great weekend.
Maggie

Holding on to the Last Leaf of Autumn

Hi there! Today I thought I'd show you something I've been working on. My stuffed fabric character is a little different than what I've shown you before. I've worked for several days to perfect my pattern.

This cute Enchanted Tree fills the bill for a Halloween or fall decoration. He would look adorable as a tabletop centerpiece.

He has poseable "arms" and branches, a crow that can perch on any of his limbs, and a leaf or two.

Depending on how his "arms" and "hands" are posed, he can look frightened, as shown here:

or friendly and nonchalant as shown below.

Here is view from the side:

I've written up the instructions, and the pattern is available as a PDF file for $6 right here on my blog (or $6.25 at my Etsy store). The instructions come with full size templates that you pin to your fabric and just sew right on the paper. Just let me know in the comments or send me an email if you want one.

He is fairly simple to make, and I can bet that you won't find another pattern out there exactly like him. When completed, you'll have a cute or scary OOAK Halloween decoration. The Enchanted Tree measures approximately 14-1/2" tall. Mr. Crow measures 4" from the tip of his beak to the tip of his tail.

I hope you've enjoyed my silly little tree. He was a lot of fun to make.

Have a great week, and thanks for dropping by.
Maggie

P.S. I forgot to mention that this little tree can be made up in other colors for spring, summer, etc. Also, the bird could be made in white for a dove. Thanks to Linda from New Mexico for reminding me!

Edna, Second in a Series

Edna is the second witch in my series titled "The Witches of  Newhampton Shire." She stand 19" tall. Her familiar, a tiny owl named Brimly, perches on her left shoulder.

She's a little happier looking than her BFF, Hester. Or maybe she's just laughing because her little owl tickled her ear with his feathers. She has the required wart or two on her face, and her jowls and extra chins show her age. I wanted to get the chin and jowls just right, so I used a mirror to check her face against mine for accuracy! If you click on the photo you can tell that her tongue is obscurring the lower teeth... or maybe there aren't any there?

Like Hester, she is made from paper mache clay, with a touch of paper clay. She holds her hand-made broom in her left hand, and has a Jack-o-Lantern at her feet.

When I envisioned the witches in this series, I wanted their faces to show more expression, and just a touch more realism than my Santas, yet with fairly simple bodies. I usually use a touch of paper clay to smooth out the faces, since the paper mache leaves them fairly rough or bumpy. Their hats are permanently attached. They have a touch of glitter paint on their hats, hems, and sleeve edges, that may not show up well in the photos. Hester's glitter is silver, and Edna's is green.

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Hester and Edna are usually seen together, laughing and sharing stories, as shown in the photo, above. Don't forget to click on the photos to see them larger.

I hope that you have enjoyed viewing my witches. Up next time is another Santa, or perhaps Belladonna, the third witch of the series.

Thank you for dropping by.

Maggie

Hester, First in a Series

I haven't posted in about three weeks. I guess I've been enjoying the weather, and of course, I have been imersed in paper mache, as usual. Also, my sis and I have been trying to get in three days a week at the pool. Now that the weather is cooling down (already), I don't know if I will be able to talk myself into going.

Meet Hester, my first paper mache witch in a series of 13 witches. This series is titled "The Witches of Newhampton Shire".

I will reveal three witches this year, before Halloween. The final 10 will be completed over the next two years, ending in October, 2013.

All of the witches will be OOAK, completely hand sculpted, from paper mache.

Hester stands 19-1/4 inches tall, from the table top to the tip of her pointy hat. Her broom was made from a rhododendron twig and dried grasses. She carries her broom, with a "lantern" tied to the handle, that she carved from a pumpkin.

Her familiar, Smoke, is standing at her feet. Smoke enjoys riding with Hester on her broomstick.

I will present the second of this series later later this week.

I hope you have enjoyed viewing Hester. Any and all comments are welcomed.

Thanks for dropping by, and I hope you are all having a great week.

Maggie

Pumpkin Head Dolls

Hi! I haven't been very active posting to my blog lately, but I'm still here, creating. I'd like to introduce you to Peter and Herkimer, my Halloween Art Dolls.

They look a little like scarecrows, except there's no straw sticking out of their clothes. Their pumpkin heads are paper clay over paper mache. They are painted in acrylic paint and sealed with a clear acrylic spray.

Herkimer might be considered the oldest of the twins, because I finished him first. Although, I can't remember which one I started on first, and I pretty much made them simultaneously. He wears a homespun plaid shirt and osnaburg drawstring pants.

Pete is wearing homespun plaid shirt and pants. He's not as style concious as Herk, and he doesn't care if he mixes plaids.

They are somewhat poseable, with pipe cleaners in their limbs. Their bodies are stuffed with shredded paper, which adds to the scarecrow look/feel.

I'm thinking about adding some rusty jingle bells somewhere on them, and stuffing some shredded raffia into their shirt sleeves and collars, what do you think?

I hope you have enjoyed viewing my Halloween OOAK dolls. I will be adding these to my Etsy store.

Happy Sunday, all. Hope to hear from you!

Maggie