Then the light bulb came on

I traced my drawing, preparing to transfer it to my canvas with transfer paper, when I got an idea! Why not just print my drawing right on my canvas with a digital printer! Why didn't I think of that in the first place?

Here is the stapling order, which is in the video, in case it goes by too fast, or you want to click on the photo to get a bigger picture.

And here is a photo of the two tucks in the corners that you make when you do a gallery wrap, which means the staples are around the back instead of on the sides. Again, you can click on the photo to make it bigger.

So much easier!

Persian Kitten Drawing

This is my second Persian kitten drawing. This one is even smaller than the first, and I am going to try to paint in three by four inch miniature, using acrylic paint. I am still struggling with how to transfer the drawing to the canvas without creating pressure that might warp my tiny canvas. I wish I had an overhead projector, or an opaque projector, or some kind of projector!

I'm debating over filming this, the painting part, that is. I'm leaning toward filming, but I'm trying to alternate painting with sewing, which leaves little room for a tripod. I may also need to use a magnifying lamp, which might block the camera view.

"Henry the Owl" Video

Here's my second video, of me painting my second watercolor on Claybord, "Henry the Owl". I just put it up over on my YouTube channel. "Henry" is available in print form in my Etsy shop, and I'm trying him out on eBay too. He's a sweet little fellow, kind of shy :)

My owl is done!

I've still got to put my video together, but I've already printed a couple of prints of Mr Owl for my Etsy shop.


I used my Claybord tools to scratch out the whitest feathers on his head, something I would have used masking fluid for on watercolor paper. I did have a little trouble with the wash for the background because the Claybord is so absorbent and the paint dried too quickly. This will be an interesting challenge for larger paintings. I digitally "mended" some of the watercolor splash marks. I left them in the sky of my bunny painting. I think that is going to be an effect that I'll either live with or change in Photoshop in future projects. It will depend on whether I like a particular splash mark or I don't. Sometimes it gives a nice "watercolor" effect, and looks artsy, but sometimes it just doesn't happen where I might like it to happen.

Owl on the way

My owl is actually finished, but this is me painting him. This is one of the several hundred time-lapse photos I took today of myself painting. I uploaded my photos in two batches only to discover that the Roxio program I used to make my first video had taken over the numbering of my photos. It started the first batch at 001, and then started the second batch at 001-1. Without noticing that, I put both batches in the same folder, and ended up with a terrible organizational mess, with one photo from each batch alternating with one photo from the other batch, 001, 001-1, 002, 002-2, etc. I thought I was going to have to drag and drop one photo at a time onto a storyboard to make a video. Luckily, I had the second batch still on my card. So, I managed to delete that set and re-upload it into a second folder.

I still need to know how to set my preferences to have Photoshop Elements be my default photo editor again so I can have my photos numbered consecutively starting where I left off, not at 001 every time. If anyone knows how to fix that, please drop me a note!

Update: After some suggestions, some fiddling, and turning the computer off and on again, my photos seem to be coming in numbered in their old Photoshop Elements fashion. I'm not sure how it happened, but I'm glad it's working. Knock on wood. My photos are still labeled as Roxio jpgs, etc, though. So, not everything has reverted, but at least, so far today, the new photos aren't staring at 001.

Transferring my owl

I transferred my owl onto Claybord today. I even filmed myself for the video I plan to make for the painting. It was hard to get myself to do that. It takes away the whole joy of not caring what you look like when you're working at home. At least it was a short segment!

My bunny was today's featured listing in the Prim and Whimsy Girls eBay group. I was so surprised this morning to to her furry face looking out at me when I signed in. Thanks, Becky!

I joined the group just recently. You can find members' eBay listings by searching titles and descriptions on eBay for "PWGL".

I also joined the Rags to Riches Dolls eBay group recently. You can find those members' eBay listings by searching titles and descriptions on eBay for "R2RD".

Here is a close-up of my bunny's lace collar and trim. I made up some detail shots for my print ad. I'm trying it out on eBay this week, and it will continue to be available on Etsy. The lace is the part I scratched out of the Claybord with a dental pick and some of the Claybord tools. I'll be trying this technique while making my owl's feathers.

My Bunny and my video are done!

My lop-earred rabbit is painted, printed, and available in my Etsy shop! Painting on the Claybord was a little like painting on illustration board, in that the surface was more absorbent than watercolor paper usually is, but that made for some interesting effects. The detail that you can add by scratching the surface is great. I used a dental pick and some of the Claybord tools that came in the toolkit. I was able to add fine lines and textures for lace and bunny hair.

I also put together my first video for my new YouTube channel. After a couple of failed attempts using one program, I realized that the Roxio program my aunt gave us had a video-editing program included in it, VideoWave. It was an older version, but our computer is about the same vintage. So, it worked out. I had to edit out the parts of the video where I actually smiled because there were loud crunching sounds at the beginning and end of that segment when the on/off button had been pushed. I'll know to let the camera run a little longer at the start and finish next time.

My palette

Here's a shot of my watercolor palette, my brushes, and my applesauce jars full of water. I took a long time cleaning off my desk and setting up today.

I meant to include this with my video post but I can't seem to do much blog post editing from Flickr!

Reworking my work

I basically redid everything I just did, only in a 5 x 7 size instead of 4 x 5. I blew up my drawing, extended the clothing and added a border at the bottom, retraced it, and re-transferred it onto my Claybord. I didn't mask it because, frankly, I have no experience with Claybord or scratchboard of any kind. So, I don't know if that would work. I don't want a mess with masking fluid stuck in the textured surface. I might be able to look up the directions on using Claybord, but I haven't gotten to that yet. I'm just skimming their tips now...It says "don't worry about using masking fluid." I'm not sure what that means. The implication seems to be "don't use masking fluid" or "don't bother using masking fluid." I'm trying to read between the lines, I guess. I suspect the paint will wash off rather easily, but I hope not too much. After skimming, I am also wondering if I would be happier with the smooth Claybord, since I am used to hot press (it's smoother than cold press, which is rough in texture, but not as smooth as smooth Claybord) watercolor paper. We'll see.

I found I had to press quite hard with my pencil while transferring. I didn't need to lighten my lines, which came out faint even though I pressed hard. Ouch. This is a good time to mention the perils of repetitive strain injuries. Susie of boygirlparty.com did a great demo on a tip to help avoid this. If you work small or with fine detail especially, it's a good idea to read up on how to avoid injuring yourself. This is important information not only for painters, but for anyone who works with their hands. I've also heard that taking a ten minute break out of every hour is a good idea. Unfortunately, I tend to take that time to check my email! Typing definitely does not count as a break for your hands! ;)

I also got a "tool kit" for Claybord. Usually, I scrounge for everything I might already own that might work for any given task, but since I don't technically know what I am doing, I went with the recommended route. I usually wait until I am extremely frustrated before I cave in and take the recommended route. I thought I'd skip that step since I've been frustrated enough lately.

Incidentally, has anyone noticed the remarkable ability cats have to land on your things (or steal your chair) within seconds and still manage to look like they've been dozing there for hours? How do they do that?

Masking

I got my masking done on my little watercolor. Masking at its best is still like painting with thin rubber cement, and here I was trying to "paint" a lace collar with masking fluid, which was quite difficult. I can do this, I know, but I may take a departure here. The handout on the Claybord I recently bought says you can scratch the surface with a wire brush to make hairs. I might experiment and see if there is a way to scratch lace onto it. I think it might make an interesting effect, if it works.

In "Window Box with Pansies", above, I used masking fluid to paint the lace. Then I painted the watercolor over it. The masking was removed with some dried rubber cement. You can make your own eraser out of rubber cement by pouring some into a cap and letting it dry. You pry it out when it's dry and wad it up into a ball. It works very well for removing masking fluid. You press and lift, and the masking fluid comes up with it.

Masking has its challenges aside from being somewhat "gunky" to work with. First there is the issue of your brush getting ruined. You can put plain soap on your brush (I wipe it on a bar of Ivory soap) as you paint with the masking fluid to protect your brush. Rinse your brush with water, wipe it on a paper towel, and re-soap your brush frequently before dunking it into the masking fluid. This will keep your brush hairs from getting glued together. Then there is the problem of not being able to see the masking fluid well on your paper. It used to be easier to find gray masking fluid, but now most of what you run into is yellow or white, which means you can't be sure what you are painting as you paint. Then there is the issue of your watercolor shying away from the masking. Watercolor doesn't always like masking fluid and doesn't always stay right up against your masked lines. All in all, it's a bit hit and miss.

"The Frost Angel", above, was done without masking, by working "dry brush" in sections. This means the whole background wasn't wet to begin with. You work on dry paper. This gives you more control, but it isn't feasible in some situations, like when you want a larger, fluid, or blended background, as you would with a sky. The masking fluid protects areas where you can't stop to control everything. Also, working out the details and having to be conscious of where you are going in a painting like "The Frost Angel" is like being lost in a maze sometimes. You have to remember what you want to be light and dark at all times, and not mix them up.

Watercolor purists use the white of the paper for their whites, and they avoid using opaque paint, which is, technically, referred to as gouache. I was taught to be a purist. Why this is important, I cannot tell you. I think some of us embrace the sheer difficulty of doing this. I do love a challenge, but I have also done this, and I know I can do this, already. Right now I am curious to see what else I can do, and I am thinking I want to scale this drawing up to fit my Claybord and give it a whirl. I'm interested to see if I can scratch lace into a painted area...just to see if I can.

Expanding my choices

Even though I've already transferred my drawing, I continue to have other ideas about how I feel like painting, in general. I went on a run to pick up some masking fluid today, and an extra kneaded eraser. I hung out in the art supply store for a while, seeing if anything might intrigue me. I picked up a couple of different painting surfaces, held onto them for a while, and put them back. I finally settled on some Claybord/Aquabord that is meant for use with watercolor. I keep looking for a one-size-fits-all painting surface solution since I keep feeling frustrated. This sounded like a good potential compromise, if it works well. I've never tried it, and so it will be interesting to see what effects it gives. It will also be interesting to see if I try it, considering all the wavering I've been doing :)

This surface is also available in a cradled format, which gives it that deep profile which is popular as of late. Personally, I do not feel all that contemporary, and prefer frames to that more modern look. I like to have the option to put a painting in a frame, and your framing options all but disappear when your painting has a thick profile like that. I feel like I'm butting heads a lot lately with what I perceive to be popular, and I'm getting unnecessarily confused over it.

I'm also feeling drawn more toward fantasy art, angels in particular. Something is brewing inside and I'm not sure what it is yet. A sense of dissatisfaction, some nervousness, perhaps a desire for comfort. I don't know. I feel like I'm having some growing pains.

I suppose the sane thing is to stay the course with the four small drawings I've already done, and do them on the watercolor paper I've already cut and marked. I'll see how I feel about it as I go.

Forging ahead in the face of uncertainty...Transferring

Moving on...This a quick rundown on transferring a drawing to watercolor paper (or a surface of your choice). The first step is to cut a piece of tracing paper slightly larger than your original drawing, and tape it over the original drawing. I'm using Scotch 3M Safe-Release tape (the white kind you find in art and craft stores) so it won't disturb the surface of my sketchbook when I remove the tracing paper. There are different kinds of artist tapes, that don't leave residue, for different surfaces. I use a mechanical pencil to outline the main areas of my drawing onto the tracing paper. I use solid pencil lines to represent areas where I will want to paint a hard edge (like the outer edge of the head), and dotted lines where I will want to paint a soft shaded edge (like a shadow).

Once I have a tracing, I tape my watercolor paper to a firm surface, my work table in this case. I tape it down with Scotch Drafting Tape this time, for a more secure hold. I don't want it to slip. I tape my tracing in place over the watercolor paper using the Safe-Release. I can keep an eye on the tracing if it starts to move, and so it doesn't matter as much. To be more secure, you can use the drafting tape instead. I sharpen a hard pencil. I like to use a 2H. If it is too sharp or hard, it will cut the tracing paper. So experiment first for a good balance.

I slip a piece of transfer paper (I use Saral) between the tracing paper and the watercolor paper. You can use homemade graphite paper, if you wish. To make some, take a piece of tracing paper and a 2B pencil (the wide flat ones work best), and cover the paper with graphite. Once you've covered it, take a cotton ball with some rubbing alcohol on it, and rub it across the graphite-covered surface to even it. Let it dry and you've got your own transfer paper. Carefully trace your drawing with your hard pencil, avoiding leaning too hard on your drawing as you go. Putting an extra piece of paper under the ball or side of your hand is helpful so you don't make smudge marks through the papers with your hand.

When you've transferred all your lines, remove the tape from one corner of your tracing and double check that you've gotten all the lines transferred. Once everything looks fine, remove the tape and the graphite paper. Don't slide it any more than you need to. Lifting it up makes fewer smudges. You will have some smudges anyway.

Take a clean kneaded eraser and press and release the eraser on the watercolor paper, gently lifting the excess graphite off. This is how you get the smudges off, but you also want lighten your lines, if necessary, leaving only faint lines to paint by. Some watercolor colors will lock the graphite lines in place and you won't be able to erase them. So, it is best to work with the faintest lines with which you can stand to work. Knead your eraser frequently to avoid putting the smudges back onto your paper. Kneading it keeps it "clean" (at some point, it will become too full of graphite and you will need to get a new eraser).

That's about it. If you are transferring to canvas, you will want to secure your tracing to it with canvas tape (tape for use with canvas), because the others won't hold. If you have canvas on stretcher bars, you will want to put a book or some other filler under the canvas to keep it rigid while you transfer your lines.

Getting ready to paint?

After a lot of fussing over how wide I wanted my borders to be, I cut out some watercolor paper. I don't know what's gnawing at me, but something is. It may just be that nervousness you get when you are about to start a painting, or maybe it is something more. Last night, I started thinking the little animals in my recent drawings looked uncomfortable, or restricted, in their clothes, and then I started thinking that was a metaphor for my own discomfort. Or perhaps I was just reading something into the drawings based on my own feelings. Art is a tricky two-way street, of sorts. It is, in one part, contrived by the artist to create an effect, while at the same time, it often reveals things about the artist, even to the artist herself (or himself). I say this realizing it is a bit humorous since I am in a quandary over pictures of animals wearing dresses. But the weird thing is that this is always true.

So, on some level, I am feeling constricted, whether it is by painting medium, subject, marketability issues, or just in general. I'm having some trouble getting to the heart of what it is that I want to do that I'm not doing. I can't decide if I am stymied by wanting to do more things than I can possibly do all at once, or if there is something, some idea, that wants to be expressed that isn't being expressed. I could suggest many possibilies, but I just don't know which one is the answer, if there is one answer. All I can do is try different things on for size and see if any fit.

Lop-eared Bunny

I have added a lop rabbit to my sketchbook menagerie. I am trying to stay the course and make them into watercolor paintings. I have a terrible time trying to make decisions about "how" to do things. There are sooooo many options. I am always trying to come up with a one-size-fits-all solution, something everyone would like. And that's just crazy.

My current distraction has been that people seem to have a preference for paintings on canvas, at least when collecting originals, but I know that my work will be of better quality at this size if I work in watercolor. I'd like to expand my portfolio of artwork, for licensing and for printmaking, and quality is important to me. Things just get twisted up in my mind when I try to incorporate marketing everything into what I am doing. But, then, do you ever know your market? Opportunities come along that you never anticipated, and it seems that you should have been doing that other thing you came up with last year. Or someone wants that painting for which you never thought you'd find a use.

Underneath the tranquil, pretty, or whimsical exterior of all your work, lies a long sequence of risks. Maybe it's called "art" in recognition of the skill you exhibit in choosing what to let show in your work.

"Love is the Sweetest Thing" Treasury on Etsy

Deidre at dedesbeads included my "Angels' Kiss", also know as "Peace and Love", in her Etsy treasury "Love is the Sweetest Thing". Thanks Deidre!

The print is available in my Etsy shop. I imagined it as a heavenly reunion when I painted the original watercolor, and even when I've posted it as "Peace and Love" (white lilies for peace and red roses for love), I've been told it represented a heavenly reunion to someone else. It's one of those paintings that touches some people on a very personal and private level, when they have a story of their own that ties into it. So I feel, in regard to the painting, saying less is more when talking about it.

Sick Days and Ducks in the Rain

In between sketching and resting, I watched the goings-on in our backyard. This is one of the first iris of the season. I ran out and got a photo just before the rain started here. It blooms faithfully, but I cannot remember its name. I will have to look it up sometime. I took some artistic license with the color of this iris for my "Jubilee" watercolor.

"Jubilee" was one of many paintings (and other projects) that I started and finished years later. I believe I had painted the iris in the upper left, and most everything else, except for the remaining matching two iris. There was something I didn't like about the already painted iris, like the direction the light was coming in from, and so I intensified its color so I could move the shadows. The existing dark areas became the new light areas. With watercolor, you can't just paint over what you've done, and so you have to get creative when you want to change something. That's how all the iris ended up much richer in color than my model. I thought it looked quite joyous when I was done, which is why I named it "Jubilee".

Once the rain started, we got some visitors. We used to have geese wandering through, and I was sad when they disappeared. This year, we have ducks on the pond down the hill, and they wandered up in the pouring rain to nibble on our unmowed grass.

I got a little wet photographing them, and my zoom lens doesn't zoom as much as I might like. Still, they are awfully cute.

Not long after the ducks showed up, a pair of rabbits came to play leap frog, or leap bunny? I didn't manage to get a picture of them, but they were very amusing, running and leaping over each other. At one point they each anticipated a charge by the other and leapt, simultaneously, straight up in the air.

"Afternoon Delight"! That's the name of the iris. It just came to me!

And One Little Hedgehog

I drew one more animal portrait this evening, a sweet little hedgehog :)

Off to rest some more, or that's the plan anyway.

The Owl and The Pussycat

I have a cold, but I am trying to be productive while sitting in bed. These are my first two entries in my new sketchbook, an owl and a pussycat. He is a Northern Saw-whet Owl and she is a Persian kitten. Both are dressed in vintage clothing. They are tiny pencil drawings, four by five inches.

I have been scouting around for mini canvases and found some at Michaels (in their store...again, can't seem to find the same thing on their site) that are four by five. Of course after buying a couple of canvases, I'm now thinking I'll do the paintings in watercolor on paper instead. It's always a good idea not to get a bunch of things before trying one out. This time I only bought one each in two sizes, but I've made the mistake of being too sure about what I wanted to do before. Somehow, certain artwork tells you how it wants to be done as you are working on it. So, you can't always plan in advance. These just seem to want to be paler and more delicate in a way that watercolor would work best.

Etsy Daffodil Treasury

My "Laurence with Primroses and Daffodils" (above) was included in an Etsy Treasury list called "Willy Nilly, Daffy O'Dilly" by by Susan at anaddedtouch.etsy.com. Thanks, Susan!

That's him in the upper right. The original painting was done in acrylic, and a print is available in my Etsy shop.

Merry Christmas!

"Santa's Visit" by Elizabeth Ruffing

Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone! Did anyone see Santa? Isn't "Meet Me in St. Louis" on at any time today?? I should have rented it!

I've got some cookie dough to go roll out...enjoy your day!

Blue Christmas Treasury on Etsy

Kathi at Out on a Whim Studio included me in her "Blue Christmas, Have a Cool Blue Yule" treasury on Etsy! Thanks, Kathi! Those are my rabbits in the middle of all the pretty blue things :) Go check it out along with all the handmade art and crafts, and check out Kathi's shop too.

These are the greeting cards of my dancing rabbits, closer up. Cards and prints are available in my shop.

Art Nouveau-inspired Floral Prints

Here is a whole garden of iris, and some white roses. I adore iris and have a big bed of them out my back door, in a huge variety of colors. I also love Art Nouveau and William Morris' designs. With these paintings, I was exploring doing my own repeat patterns in that vein.

These are all available as mini giclée prints in my Etsy shop, all on 8.5 x 11 inch archival-quality, 100% cotton, 300 gsm weight fine art paper. They are printed with archival-quality, Epson UltraChrome pigment-based ink for longevity. Each print is signed below the image in pencil.

They are currently $22.00 plus postage, and they can be ordered through Etsy or by emailing us at Ruffing's.

New Handmade Winter-themed Holiday Cards

I've just put together a few sets of blank holiday cards for my Etsy shop. They are suitable for any winter holiday, or to be given just because. Above is "The Rabbit Dances".

This is "Snowy Night". Both images are printed on 100% cotton archival art paper, using Epson archival pigment-based ink for longevity, which means they can be saved, framed, and displayed.

I attached the images to acid-free ivory cardstock using acid-free glue to make cards that are 5 by 6 1/2 inches. They are blank inside, and they come with matching ivory envelopes.

They are available in sets of four, with a choice of four of one image, or two each of each image. They come bagged as a set and are currently priced at $8.00 per set of four, plus postage. They can be ordered on Etsy, or by emailing us at Ruffing's. Happy holidays!

Mini Giclee Art Prints, Kitties

I'm on my fourth try of a medication that doesn't agree with me, but is hopefully knocking out this infection I've had the past couple of months. So, I'll try not to say too much, lest I say something dopey, literally. I've been saying things like "bathroom" when I mean "background". Yesterday, when asked what Andy Griffith's real-life hometown was, I actually suggested, "Mayberry?" Good thing I was in the privacy of my own home. I might have gotten thrown out of North Carolina for that.

I've decided to introduce mini versions of my prints. I'm not sure how long I'll offer them, but I thought it might be a good way to gauge interest. I've been struggling a lot lately, trying to decide what to paint. That may sound odd, since I usually have too many ideas, but that is the problem. I've been too caught up in what I see is popular as well. I think, "I could do that...but I don't want to." I was trying to come up with something whimsical, cute, simple, but it just didn't suit me. In fact, it was making me quite cranky, which was the reverse of what I was hoping for.

I'm going to stick with the often-offered advice, "Paint what you like to paint." For me, that tends to be fantasy art, florals, cats, and other animals.

These cat paintings are available as mini prints in my Etsy shop, or by emailing us at Ruffing's. They are printed on nice heavy-weight, 100% cotton art paper, using archival-quality, pigment-based Epson inks, and are signed below the image in pencil. They come in a protective cello sleeve. From top to bottom, they are "The Guardian", "Laurence with Primroses and Daffodils", and "Something Stirring". They are currently available at $22.00 plus postage.

A(nother) Star is Born

"Leah", my new star baby is born! Leah is a one-of-a-kind original art doll, made from my own design and pattern. She is jointed at the hips and shoulders so she can sit or lie down. Leah's body is made from 100% cotton fabric, which is entirely hand painted with acrylic paint and sealed with matte varnish for protection.

Leah is a very friendly, good-natured, and happy baby.

She is up for adoption on eBay!

More pictures of her can be found on Flickr.

I took the colors for Leah from my "Moon and Star" watercolor painting. I have a giclée print of it available in my Etsy shop and on eBay as well. It makes a great a companion piece for Leah.

My Second Treasury List on Etsy (that I know of)

Linda Pare at Crafts from the Heart added my "Frost Angel" giclée print to her "Help me I'm hot...I'm dreaming of winter" treasury list on Etsy. Thanks, Linda!

I'm having winter fantasies myself. Making snow angels sounds very appealing in this heat.

"The Frost Angel" is available in my Etsy shop, as well as through Ruffing's.

"Greta", New Flower Baby Fairy Art Doll

"Greta", my new flower baby fairy art doll is finished. I'm still trying to figure out what sort of green flower that is on her head! Some kind of chrysanthemum perhaps. (Excuse me while I take a small detour onto Google.) Ah ha...they do exist: green chrysanthemum.

She has hidden button joints and hand-quilted wings, just like "Rosa" who left for her new home just yesterday. I managed to get a few pictures of them together before she left on her journey.

Both are hand painted with acrylic paint and weighted with Poly-Pellets so they sit nicely.

"Greta" will be going up for auction on eBay starting Friday night, June 15th, at about 9pm EST. In the meantime, you can see more photos of her on Flickr.

I also painted my plaques and mounted four reproductions of my original watercolors on them. Clockwise from the upper left they are "The Guardian", "Laurence with Primroses and Daffodils", "Iris and Foxgloves", and "The Rabbit Dances". The are all made using archival grade materials and I will be varnishing them for further protection. I'll be putting them in my Etsy shop in the coming weeks.

New Spring Floral Cat Prints

I've been editing and re-editing the digital files for these cat paintings all afternoon, fiddling with the color, comparing them to my paintings, printing, then printing them again, and again. Above is "Laurence with Primroses and Daffodils". There are some hyacinths in there too. I even sneaked some Johnny Jump-ups into the corner.

This one is "The Guardian", a champagne-colored cat overlooking a garden of magenta hollyhocks and pink cosmos. I used to have bunches of these growing in my garden. My flower beds here are already overcrowded and I need to expand them in order to fit more varieties of flowers in at all.

Both these paintings are done in acrylic on canvas. "The Guardian" was my first acrylic painting. I've printed these in miniature so I can mount them on poplar wood. I'll be rummaging through my paint tomorrow, trying out colors to coordinate with the images to paint onto the sides of the wood blocks.

Rosa the Flower Baby Original Fairy Art Doll!

She's done! Rosa is all painted and ready to go. I'll be putting her up for auction on eBay tonight starting at about 9pm EST.

Rosa has an antique reproduction baby face of papier mâché. Her head and ears are paperclay, and her body is 100% cotton cloth. Her periwinkle butterfly wings are hand quilted and she is entirely hand painted with acrylic paint. She will be sealed with matte varnish for protection.

I will be offering "The Fairy and the Dove" and "Fairies and Butterflies" as handmade mini art plaques for auction at the same time. I made them myself from archival materials and I carefully coordinated them to make a nice set of companion art pieces for Rosa.

Please pay a visit to eBay this week and bid! In the meantime, you can see more photos of Rosa on Flickr.

More progress on my fairy original art dolls

I've made some more progress on my flower baby fairies, and my Spring fairy, who may turn into a Summer fairy as time goes by. I made her a skirt today, and tried Wonder-Under for the first time to fuse fabric layers together before I cut out individual petal shapes for the skirt.