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!

Fashion Doll - Bold Florals for March, Page 4

How is it APRIL next week?! Can't even handle it... 

My husband was traveling for work last week and I thought FOR SURE I'd get loads of things done. No. No, I did not. I lost one whole day to a headache and a lot of afternoons were spent shuttling the teens to and fro. Some smaller things did get wrapped up, so that's good, but I still have entire books to make and haven't gotten to it yet.

In the spirit of "getting things done", I've wrapped up this bold florals paper doll series. I like this doll and the patterns - I may revisit this in the future. The doll is here, the second page is here, and the third is here. 

Click on the image for full resolution. Feel free to download and print.

 

I'm really trying to make more time to draw and work on the blog. For reference, this post marks 13 for this year - as much as I posted ALL of last year. It's hard to build back a habit but I'm trying. 

 

I'm not sure what's next up on the blog. April might be a bit tricky because my calendar is already filling up. Gotta stop procrastinating and start producing....!  

Fashion Doll - Bold Florals for March, Page 3

Things are getting so much more spring-like here and I love it. The days are a bit longer, mornings are a bit brighter, and we're even getting some green shoots in the backyard. It's been a bit hectic this week - my husband is traveling for work so the kids & I are on our own. Having a second adult makes life SO much easier! I'll have to make sure to tell him that when he gets back....!

I'm keeping with the bold florals again this week and next week. I'm honestly not sure if I'll get anything together for April. I have some deadlines I need to hit and the Morgantown paper doll party is coming up. (Are you going? You can register here or print a form here. I'll be there!) 

I also just bought the newest version of Clip Studio Pro. I'd like to learn a few other programs besides the Adobe suite and share what I learn. I bought a version of Clip Studio Pro ages ago but never really played around with it enough. Gotta make some time to do that! 

Click on the image for full resolution. Feel free to download and print.

While working on this set, I tested the mix & match capabilities with the previous two sets and I'm pretty happy with it. The color scheme is an interesting mix and I like the bold flowers in a variety of shapes and sizes. You can grab the doll page here and the second page here. Let me know what you think of the series!

Updates to Josephine

I rarely go back and look at older work. Partly, it's the cringe factor and partly it's because any time I'm looking back, I'm not moving forward. I probably should once in a while just to make sure I am, in fact, moving forward! This time, I'm looking back through my Josephine files because of a special request to make them more printable.

First, it was fun to re-open all of those files and update the most egregious errors, mostly my terrible tabs! Second, I was working on a Surface Pro at the time, learning how to use that and Photoshop while now I mostly work on an iPad in Procreate. My skill level has definitely improved with more practice AND better equipment! And finally, skimming over the text of each blog post was a bit nostalgic. These were created in 2017, a year that began a really monumental shift in my life. I didn't know it then and that shows in the writing. I'm not sure why I stopped creating for Josephine. Likely the shift in my life or maybe I got bored. Or both. 

Each Josephine post now includes both the original art and the updated pages with a white background. If you'd like it in book form, it's available here with some outfits that are exclusive to the book.  I don't plan on going back through the 13 years of this blog and updating things - it's very time consuming!! Maybe once in a while but this was a very special project at a very interesting point in my life.

Josephine Page 1

Josephine Page 2

Josephine Page 3

Josephine Page 4

Josephine Page 5

Josephine Page 6

Josephine Page 7

Josephine Page 8

Josephine Page 9

Josephine Page 10

Josephine Page 11

Josephine Page 12

Josephine Special Edition

Josephine Page 13

Josephine Page 14

Josephine Page 15

Josephine Page 16

Josephine Page 17

Josephine Page 18

Josephine Page 19

 

 

Fashion Doll - Bold Florals for March, Page 2

I have another page of bold mix and match florals for today. This set is becoming sort of vaguely 60s-ish. That wasn't the intention - there was no real intention - but that's where it's heading. I'm hoping to keep this up for the rest of the month. Not sure what's next after this. You can grab the doll here and everything should mix and match perfectly!

Click on the image for full resolution. Feel free to download and print.

Sometimes I have a plan but I'm finding myself a little less organized lately. Maybe it's the spontaneity of the teens. Lots of last minute rides to outings and such. I do have things in the works: several book ideas, a couple of commissions, etc. I haven't made time for drawing workshops lately, either, because things have just been too hectic. I'm hoping to cook up a series of something for April. There are already jury duty dates and doctor's appointments on the books so we'll see.

 

I'm also getting organized for Morgantown in May! It should be a great time and I and very much looking forward to it.

Fashion Doll - Bold Florals for March

It is somehow the longest and fastest year ever simultaneously. Somehow, it's already March! I now have two teens in my house - my youngest son turned 13 over the weekend. I started this blog just a few months after he was born as a way to keep myself grounded in a sense of not-mom. Now, thirteen years later, I have two teens who are starting to have their own lives, leaving me with a whole different identity crisis! Who am I after kids? How do I fill this time that I suddenly have? Don't worry - I absolutely manage to fill it! 

One of my goals for this year is to post more sets on the blog. These one-page sets or short series help me practice and refine my technique. I have loads of programs I'd like to test out both on the iPad and on my desktop. I've also had questions about workflow and publishing: can I complete the whole process on an iPad, can I complete it all in Procreate, what other apps, etc... So I want to continue experimenting.

Can a paper doll be completed start to finish in Procreate? For me it's a no. I find the selection and move tools to be utterly useless in Procreate. The app simply isn't able to rotate without a serious loss of crispness. It's always pixelated and blurry when I try. I also used vector shapes to create tabs and I just don't think tabs would be as sharp in Procreate.

 

Click on the image for full resolution. Feel free to download and print.

 

Procreate automatically records a time-lapse unless it's toggled off and I thought it would be fun to include that here. My oldest son is taking film at the high school and he's teaching me how to use Premier Pro! In the video you'll see that I used a hair color chart. I grabbed that on Pinterest via DeviantArt.

I really liked the Jester paper doll from last week and I didn't feel like starting over completely. Instead, I changed a few things. I work in layers (a LOT of layers) and that makes changes easy. I kept the pose, the skin color, the shoes, and face pretty much the same. I drew new hair, made the base outfit a mini dress, and changed the eye color using the hue/saturation adjustment tool. All total, it took less than 4 hours to turn this whole doll around, from editing to sketching to coloring to layout. And that includes preparing the patterns in Photoshop for use in Procreate. 

The patterns are from Nadia Grapes and the now defunct Design Cuts site. I think of patterns like this like fabric - sure I COULD design it myself but there are so many beautiful patterns out by artists with much stronger skills than mine for me to buy. And I have TONS and TONS of patterns and brushes and fonts just sitting on my hard drive, begging to be used. 

For the clothing, I let the patterns sort of inform the design. I did, however, come across this fabulous sewing pattern cover and LOVED the pants and short sleeved blouse. 

Anyway, my plan for this month it to add a sheet each week to go with this set. I couldn't come up with a clever title. Maybe you have one to share! Look for another page next week!