The Crow

Once I dreamed about a hybrid creature, mix of a girl and a crow, her face was human, somehow I could make her features bird-like, design black clothing, even giving her wings. Also she had to be very elegant.

Una vez imagine una criatura hibrida, mezcla de una nina y un cuervo, su cara era humana y de alguna manera iba a poder hacer sus rasgos como de ave, le iba a disenar ropa negra e incluso alas. Ademas iba a ser muy elegante.

I started with a wire skeleton and epoxy-clay limbs, they became so sturdy that she was able to stand up by herself! Her head was modeled in stone clay.
Comence con un esqueleto y miembros de plastilina epoxica, estos se pusieron tan duros que la muneca fue capaz de pararse sola! Su cabeza fue modelada en arcilla.

Because the wire skeleton, she was highly bendable, I could move her arms wherever pose I wanted, this was so much fun! Her shoulders and elbows could rotate as human joints do.

Debido al esqueleto de alambre fue posible que se moviera, pude acomodar sus brazos en cualquier pose que quisiera, sus hombros y codos se comportaban como si fueran humanos.

I painted her with acrylics, then made her some black bloomers.

La pinte con acrilicos y le hice unas pantaletas largas negras. 

The doll was very complex, it took me some days to finish her, when I made her dress it was so cloudy that I had to go outside and hand sew, then took the picture with no sun at all.

La muneca era complicada, me tomo varios dias terminarla, cuando le hice su vestido estaba tan nublado que tuve que salir al patio para coserselo a mano. Despues tome la foto sin un rayo de sol.

Her dress was made out of a very nice piece of fabric, it is textured, the leaves are black velvet, the fabric was part of a fashion designer's collection whom I am glad to count among my friends.

El vestido fue hecho de una tela bastante atractiva, esta texturizada y las hojitas son terciopelo negro, esta pieza estaba en la coleccion de una disenadora de modas que cuento entre mis amigos.

Wool is my favorite for making hair, it looks very realistic. For her dress I added some ruffles of very light fabric at the neck and end of sleeves.

La lana es mi material favorito para hacer cabello, se ve muy realista. Para terminar con el vestido cosi unos detalles en tela mas ligera en las mangas y el cuello.

She does noes not need the stand, but still I made it because I wanted to print her name somewhere, the idea was to use rubber stamps and print her name in English, Spanish, and Latin, why? I don't know, I just knew that was part of the plan.

No necesita el soporte, aun asi se lo hice porque queria imprimir su nombre en algun lugar, la idea era usar sellos e imprimir su nombre en ingles, espanol y latin, por que? No se, solo se que era parte del plan.

crow - corvus corax - cuervo

I made her some wings using the quilting technique, the great part is that these wings can be detached from the doll, she uses her wings whenever she wants!

Le hice sus alas con la tecnica del acolchado, lo mejor es que las alas se le pueden quitar y las usa solo cuando uno quiere!

From the beginning I had in my mind making a couple of dolls, she is The Crow, the older sister, next time get ready to meet The Dove.

Desde el principio tuve en mente hacer dos munecas, esta es el Cuervo, la hermana mayor, la proxima vez les presentare a La Paloma. 

A new journey: Doll making

I learned to use the sewing machine and basic handcraft skills at my mother's sewing workshop. She used to have a production of 300 coats a week.
But it was very different to make dolls. It was new for me, and I decided to purchase some patterns via online; after looking for a pretty, interesting doll, I chose the designs of a very well known artist, Maureen Mills, from Sweet Meadows Farm.
I got "Too many cats" and "Ice scream, U scream!", these dolls were really wonderful, and I was just crazy for making them. There were a lot of good techniques in these patterns, since I did not have idea about coffee stained muslin, vintage buttons or the use of acrylic painting for decorating! Yes, I acted like a cave girl.

Aprendi a usar la maquina de coser y los conocimientos basicos en manualidades en el taller de costura de mi mama, quien tenia una produccion semanal de 300 chamarras.
Sin embargo iba a ser muy diferente hacer munecas, era algo nuevo para mi y decidi comprar patrones via internet, despues de buscar disenos que fueran interesantes y bonitos, me decidi por las creaciones de una artista bien conocida, Maureen Mills, de Sweet Meadows Farm.
Escogi "Too many cats" (Demasiados gatos) y "Ice scream, U scream!" (unas ninas con helados muy padres). Las munecas me parecieron encantadoras y me moria de ganas por empezarlas. Encontre bastantes tecnicas en esos patrones, la verdad es que no tenia ni idea de que se trataba manchar la muselina con cafe para dar coloracion a la "piel" de la muneca, ni de botones de estilo antiguo, ni del uso de pintura acrilica para decorar. Si, lo reconozco, actue como nina recien salida de la era de las cavernas.

I followed every step, and there you have some pictures of the process...


Segui paso a paso las instrucciones...

Painted socks and shoes, coffee stained bodies, all waiting to get dry...

Zapatos y calcetas pintadas, cuerpos manchados de cafe, todo esperando a estar seco...

It was too much fun all of the process after the pieces were dry: Arms and legs stitched to bodies, embroidered face, painted eyes.


Fue super divertido todo el proceso despues de que se secaron las piezas: Coser los brazos y piernas, bordar las caras, pintar los ojos.

These girls were big! 23 inches tall. After I sewn the legs I could not believe how much they grew. Also I discovered that painting the red and white strips is very therapeutic.

Estas ninas estaban mas grandes de lo que me imagine! 59 cm de altura. Despues de que les cosi las piernas no pude creer cuanto crecieron. Tambien descubri que pintar calcetas rayadas es muy terapeutico.





After I got to make the dresses, and I thanked my mother for all of her teaching.

Despues me puse a hacerles los vestidos, y agradeci a mi mama por todo lo que me enseno.

It was exciting to see how they were changing...

Que interesante fue ver como iban cambiando...









These girls were already big, now with the dress, underskirt, and bloomers they seemed huge... But cute.

Estas ninas de por si eran altas, ahora con el vestido, la falda y los calzones se veian enormes... Pero encantadoras.






The last step was the hair, it took me two days finish their hairdos, but at the end the whole experience it was rewarding.

I could not believe all of the details that I still had to do, in the beginning it seemed to fast, but it was like building a house, just when you think you are finished, it takes double time to get done those little details.

No podia creer todos los detalles que aun faltaban, al principio parecia que todo iba muy rapido, pero fue como construir una casa, justo cuando uno piensa que ya esta terminada, acabar con los detalles toma el doble de tiempo.

I still had to do these funny cats. My son loved to throw them all around the house.

Todavia tenia que terminar los gatos. Mi hijo estaba feliz aventandolos por toda la casa.








At the end of this new adventure of making dolls I was really pleased, and eager to make more. These are the final pictures of my first dolls.

                     SOLD

                     SOLD

            BOTH
             SOLD

SOLD

THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT, HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!