Playing with Dolls

One of my favorite things to do when I was growing up was to play with paper dolls. We didn't even have to get the
store bought ones as any old catalog would do. My sisters and I would delight in the fact that it was another year when we could Claim the Sears and Pennys catalogs. We would cut to our hearts content for hours trying to find that just
right paper doll that was full bodied. The ones with the legs cut off got to be the clothing. (or at least the blouse or dress) We would match up outfits for each of them and have the dolls all lined up with their wardrobes. Then we would have the task of grouping the dolls into families and make up conversations. Making up the names was the fun part. I would have Kelly, Jennifer and Debbie, etc... Well now that I am older, I seemed yearn to hang onto youth and childhood. I still play in groups, but this time not with my sisters, but my cyber friends. I'm getting ready to do a flat doll trade. I'm facinated by faeries and mermaids and settled on doing mermaids as my first set in the trade. I set off looking for women in magazines for their body positions and then added my interpretation of how the tail and their hair should be underwater. Their inside structure I had used pelltex and fused on flesh colored fabric. I drew and cut out each piece, painted the hair and tails with set a color in a pearl finish and some lumiere. Each were given a personality,some shading and highlights, embellished and finally added a coat of glitter to really make them shine. Their dimensional tails were a result of adding a piece of wire wrapped ribbon. I had initially thought of adding sea shells to finish of their tops but had none that were somewhat of the same size. I had purchased some beaded wire some time back and started playing with it and was pleased with the results despite their time consuming efforts at that in putting it together. I want to make another set for the trade but think that I would like to work on another style so I shall do some new sketches and jump on the next ones as soon as I finish with the @#%@ taxes!