Nostalgia, Paper Dolls, Plastic, and Toilet Paper

What kind of title is that?! Toilet paper???? 

This is a convoluted story and it will all make sense by the end. I promise. 

I've been in a bit of a creative funk lately. Everything feels much more difficult than it should. I'm having a lot of imposter syndrome where I just don't feel like I'm good at anything anymore, especially drawing. And that's ok. Feelings like this come and go. Things around here have been rather hectic. Taking a break is perfectly fine. So I decided to take a paper doll off of my shelf and play with it.

These are TOYS, after all!

This is the Star Originals Designer Set published in 1991 by Western Publishing. There are other ones in this series, including a bride. I had this one as a kid, forgot about it, and then saw it at the Philadelphia party in 2023. (I never wrote about that party for some reason....2023 was a VERY slim year for writing on the ol' blog. I'm not sure why!) My reaction to seeing this was pure "core memory unlocked" as my dear teens would say. One minute, I had no clue that this was a thing and then next, BOOM, I'm 11 again playing with it. 

The kit consists of a large doll - about 13 inches from head to shoes - stickers, tissue paper, a full sheet of color clothing, a clear crayon, and an instructions sheet with templates and clothing to color. 

Take a close look at those images - the fashions are amazing late 80s/early 90s concoctions! Really wild stuff...

So today I thought it would be fun to craft some clothing for my doll without using the things in the kit. I want to leave most of the kit as-is, and really, all I need is the doll. 

And paper. Toilet paper.

Here's the next part of my silly story....

I've been trying to reduce my plastic use. This isn't something totally new. I've tried for years to move away from single-use items but plastic specifically. I'm not here to preach about plastic usage - it's something that's bothering me and I'm making small changes where I can. The first room on my hit list is the bathroom. I'm testing out shampoo and conditioner in aluminum bottles. I've made the switch to soap bars instead of body wash and face scrubs. And we're experimenting with bamboo toothbrushes. I'm trying to be mindful and more aware, not perfect. The kids think I'm nuts but they're on board with the understanding that everything is a discussion not an edict.

That's where the toilet paper comes in. 

I'm trying out a brand that comes wrapped in awesome printed papers.  (Disclaimer bits: I'm not paid to share this. This is definitely not an ad! They don't know that I even exist!! This is just something I'm trying out on my own.) The paper has such a rad 80s vibe to it that I started saving it so that I could use it with my equally rad plastic paper doll.

See? Full circle story! 

I used the doll as a stencil on some light card stock. The kit has instructions for making clothing but I wanted something more "paper doll" and not glued or taped directly to the doll. Because the toilet paper wrapper is thin, I glued it to the light card stock.

I gave myself about an hour to do this. It was so much fun that I kept going! I really had to pull myself away and have lunch! 

I ended up with two dresses, a pair of shorts, and two tops. I dipped into my paper stash to round out the collection.

This dress took me the longest. I combined three papers and some sparkly washi tape that matches the shoes. I struggled with folding the paper ore than I'd like to admit!

A bit of shiny gold paper left over from a previous project. It's boring but also a good base.
 

And then two tops - one accented with more washi tape and the other has some sticker gemstones. 

Is this the best project I've ever worked on? NOPE! Was it super fun? YUP! It's great to actually work with my hands because so much of what I do is digital. The best way to learn how to create a paper doll is with paper and scissors. Really get in there and PLAY. 

Maybe I'll bring this set out from time to time and just play! 

If anyone out there is playing with their paper dolls, I'd love to see it!

Dear Ralph, Dearly Missed

 

 The art form I love is a sort of ephemera, something that is here for a moment and then lost. I suppose people are, too, even if those people are lucky enough to see most of a century.

Ralph Hodgdon died yesterday, on April 1st, at the age of 90. He’d probably have a scathing quip about both the age and the day! “Don’t tell them your age, dahling!”, he said to me on more than one occasion. Age doesn’t bother me. I think you have to have an old soul to love paper dolls.

Ralph was the first paper doll artist I ever met, and I remember the day I met him. Laura Cushing had tracked down my landline phone number, the one I turned on specifically for my grandmother who was living with us at the time. I didn’t know it then, but Laura brought me into the paper doll world at exactly the time I needed it the most. This isn’t that story even though that’s a great story, and I’ve told it many, many times.

Laura invited me to a local paper doll party. I was a bit nervous, so I grabbed my mother and we made the drive to Plymouth. I’m one of those extroverted introverts – I’m a talker, for sure, but my preference is to be alone. I’m not great at joining groups or being a part of a community. I’m still working on it. But I went anyway. It was the day Megan Markle married Prince Harry – May 19th, 2018. I remember this because it was running on the TV in the background during our meet-up! Everyone was very welcoming and I really had nothing to be nervous about. Paper doll people are the best people. I remember Ralph was kind to me and he held court that day in his usual way. Cheerful, boisterous, witty, and charming.

After that, I attended other local parties. At one of them, I gave a demonstration on digital art, drawing on my computer and projecting to a screen for everyone to watch while I explained a bit of what I was doing. Ralph later said to me, “Dahling, I don’t understand how you do it, but you do it beautifully!”.

Everyone was “dahling” to Ralph.

I didn’t know him as long or as closely as other folks did. I had no idea what a pillar he was in the Boston art scene and gay community until long after I met him. To me, he was a great artist and inspiration. He always had a kind word for my art. I saw him at parties and conventions, and even had the privilege of visiting his home twice, which was a shrine to the things he adored.

He loved to tell stories, especially celebrity stories. They didn’t mean a whole lot to me. I’m not really into movies all that much but he had a passion for the classics! It was hard not to be a little bit in love with Vivian Leigh or Marlene Dietrich after a day with Ralph.

Ralph loved this niche art form and he loved the people who make it, collect it, and cherish it. His sharp wit, glamorous tales, and beautiful art will be greatly missed. Thank you for being so kind to me, Ralph. I’m a better artist because I was lucky enough to know you, however briefly. Rest easy, dahling!