Reveal Number Three: Journal Girl

Well, it's my turn to post my Art Doll based on Sue Roddis' project. Thank you Jo for seriously taking me out of my comfort zone, as I had never made an Art Doll before.

I kept thinking about what Sue had said that you could make one from whatever you wanted to, and decided to make one from a tag book.It was vaguely body shaped, so I was halfway there. I decided to turn the book into a journal about the 'girls' in my life, as Jo's title 'Here come the Girls' just stuck in my head. I've written about my Mum, who introduced me to crafting, Megan my lovely daughter, Jo, Elaine and Lesley, my three blog sisters, you all have pages about you. I have written about Glenda and Lynn from Graphicus, who gave me the stamps and confidence with colour and texture in the first place. I have written about Michelle, my youngest crafting buddy, about Kay and Amanda, who taught me to make jewellery, and then there is a page devoted to the many others; Kay Carley who taught me about Coloursoft pencils, Hels Sheridan, whose blog is inspirational, Sue Roddis, Helen Chilton, and many others who inspire me on a daily basis.

I gessoed the book and painted the pages with Salmon and Lake Mist Paint Dabbers. I edged the pages with Watermelon and Mountain Rose ink pads. I used a mixture of background stamps with Stone Gray and Cherry Pink Stazon to build up backgrounds. On the front of the book I made an insert for a Tim Holtz ideology plate which reads 'It's all about the Girls'. I have made a battered heart, to which I have added a little key and stuck this on. I have made the book close by bending two Woodware swirly clips and attaching two brads and hooking them on at the front only. They can then be unhooked as necessary.

I have made arms with two thicknesses of card and inserted wire before gesoing and painting with salmon paint dabber and a baby wipe. In one hand, Dot (Cotton), as my husband has nicknamed her, is holding three metal flowers, with nails for stalks. I had to put nails in there somewhere, to be true to Sue's project! On the other hand, is perched a metal butterfly.

I have used a B-Line stamp for the face, masking the hair and jawline, so that I only inked the eyes, nose and mouth. I used Tattered Rose DI to colour the face and Inktense pencils to colour the eyes. Her head decoration reminds me of curlers, hence the name Dot Cotton. I wanted to use nails, but they were too big for the beads, so I used head pins instead, tying a piece of ribbon at the base before pushing them into the cardboard. The wings are coloured with Tattered Rose, Victorian Velvet and Weathered Wood DIs, before stamping with a very old Aspects of Design lace stamp.
Elaine's husband very kindly sourced me a vintage cotton reel label, sized perfectly for my hand made wood turned cotton reel. I have used twisted paper string to represent the cotton, and attached two more metal butterflies.

My biggest challenge has been working out how to make my ideas work; I wanted her to hold the metal flowers, and to have a metal butterfly resting on her hand. My best friend has been UHU glue, it sticks everything! I'm sorry that this post has been so long, if you have stuck with me to the end, thank you. I hope you like my very tall offering, as I mentioned on my own blog, she is 32cms tall on her cotton reel. Thanks for looking, Judith x