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

 

 

Josephine Out in the World

Every once and a while, I get a request for paper dolls.  Sometimes it's a custom order (which you can do on the Etsy site).  Sometimes it's a suggestion for a theme or a doll or something of that sort.  And I only do those if I'm feeling up to it.  Not every theme is for me and, well, this blog is my pet project and I do what I want with it!!

I really love requests with an education angle.  Some of the Kawaii Kids were used by a school a few years ago. And I created a custom order for a school teacher with paper dolls in business wardrobes.  I loved that one! Today, I'm sharing some images from an event which utilized Josephine.

I was contacted about using Josephine as part of a women's ministry activity.  And the pictures are great! Lola Lewis of the Lincoln Park Community Baptist Church out in Columbus, Ohio made the request & then was kind enough to share some pictures from the event.  These are just a few.

Ms. Lewis sent me just the sweetest email about the event! The ladies had a wonderful time cutting out & dressing Josephine and even introduced some of the teens there to the "lost" art of paper dolls.  A great time was had by all & I'm so happy to have had a small part in that.

As a random side-note, Josephine is ranked in the top million books on Amazon so feel free to grab a copy and bump that number up!!

So thank you again for sharing these fantastic images! And if anyone has images they'd like to share of my paper dolls past & present, I'd love to see them!

The Eclectic Wardrobe of Josephine - Page 19

First, can you believe that this is the 19th (actually, 21st, if you count the Paper Doll Studio pages) Josephine?! I'm just about finished with a book of Josephine's contemporary fashions so there will be more on that soon.  And then I want to do a fantasy book, maybe a historical fashion book.... we'll see.

Second, happy August! How did it get to be August?!  We have lots going on in August so I already did most of the back to school shopping for the boys.  We have a soon-to-be Kindergartner and I am very exited about that!

Right-click to download and print

I saw an off-shoulder top and crazy print pants on Pinterest, so that was the inspiration for most of today's set.  I really want to print and cut all of Josephine's sheets & see what the mix and match options are! Autumn aspirations :)

The Eclectic Wardrobe of Josephine - Page 18

Today's another installment of Josephine.  I'd like to say I have some grand inspiration for this set. I don't.  There was a stash of fabric swatches on my computer that I had forgotten about & that was the inspiration for this set.

Right-click to download and print

 

My other inspiration was the apple set from a while back.  In putting the Josephine book together, I'm trying to add more mix and match options.  Some pages have been easy, others have not.  I have one more page to add and then I'm going to print the book & see how it looks.  I'm also still picking away at the At the Beach companion book.  It's slow going....

The Ecclectic Wardrobe of Josephine - Page 17

Anyone else watch Game of Thrones?  My husband and I watch it (so do my parents).  I read the first few books and encouraged my husband to watch it. Took a couple of tries, but now he's hooked, too.

Today's set is not specifically a Game of Thrones set but definitely inspired by it.  I'm totally on Team Daenerys :) The costume designers for Game of Thrones are amazing, but the costumes for Daenerys and her inner circle are far and away my favorite.  In the season premiere, Daenerys and her translator/friend/etc Missandei are gorgeous AND practical!! (You can see some images here -- I didn't check for spoilers, so enter at your own risk.)

Right-click to download and print

 

So Josephine isn't Daenerys.  But she'd fit in just fine!

Another influence for this week is the new Wonder Woman movie.  I enjoyed it; my husband did not.  I do have to agree with him that it was a bit over-hyped, and yet there's something about it that I really loved.  She's a super hero with heart, which sounds really trite and condescending and that's not what I mean at all. She cares.  It's about resolving conflict not seeking glory and I loved that.

Anyway, today's Josephine is all practical armor.  And I thought rose gold would be a nice change from shiny silver.

Let me know what you think! This one was fun -- it also took WAY longer than I anticipated so it's going up a little late today.  Look for more on Friday!

The Eclectic Wardrobe of Josephine - Page 16

First up, I did not mean to be absent all of last week! Over the fourth of July holiday, my husband, my father, and I built a deck on the house.  It was more labor intensive than I was expecting!! So basically, I didn't anything last week because I was too sore to draw or write or pretty much function.

And then I got a cold.  Talking has been...challenging.

And then I had a root canal Monday.  Which is exactly as much fun as it sounds.

Not that any of that is an excuse.  I really should get ahead on my drawing!!

Today I have another Josephine sheet.  This one is a bit futuristic but also something that I think could be worn today.  The colors are really bright!  I think the blue-green top from sheet 13 might mix with this set, though I confess, I haven't tried it.

Right-click to download and print

 

It feels a bit like it's out of the 5th Element.  That's a crazy, fun movie that still holds up well, I think.

I will endeavor to stay on schedule now! That root canal is getting a crown in about ten days, so there might be a little lull around that.

More paper dolls on Friday!

The Eclectic Wardrobe of Josephine - Coloring Sheet 5

We're settling into our summer routine now... We had a super busy first week of vacation and now things are starting to quiet down.  I'll get some new material up next week.

Hopefully summer (or winter, as the case may be!!) is as pleasant where you are as it is here.  So far, it's been mild, which is just the way I like it.  And my first ever garden is thriving! I have zucchini and pumpkin plants that are just massive.

Anyway...here's Josephine.

Right-click to download and print

The Eclectic Wardrobe of Josephine - Coloring Sheet 4

There are a few things I would like to share today.  One is a new coloring sheet for Josephine.  Another is a new project.  And third, I'm celebrating an anniversary.

Let's tackle that last one first.

It occurred to me over the weekend that this little blog is five years old! You can see the first post here and take a stroll down memory lane.  I'd love to throw some statistics at you, but that isn't my strong suit.  I will say that I have written about 580 posts, sold 188 paper doll books (a big thank you for that!!), and I've created so many paper dolls that I don't actually have an accurate count.  I really should do that sometime.

A few more random things.  My most popular post ever is this one about the basics of anatomy.  To this day, I'm not sure why.  I'm not really good at tracking, marketing, etc.  My most popular paper doll is the wedding set that I set to Paper Doll Studio Magazine as my first ever submission to, well, anything.  Although I will say that the Josephine set has been steadily gaining popularity, and the December angel paper doll series ranks relatively high on the list, too.

I started this blog to keep myself busy while home with my sons.  I know that sounds like a silly thing, but honestly, being home with kids can be very isolating.  There aren't any people home in my neighborhood, all of my friends work, and I'm not very outgoing.  Playdates are pretty much my living nightmare.  This blog helped save my sanity & encourage me to do at least one thing that was just for me. So thank you to all of you who keep encouraging me to keep creating!

Next up, here's what I'm working on! It's a companion paper doll book to go with the At the Beach book.  I might take these two dolls and expand them into a whole series.  Not sure yet.  It's fun making a companion set, though.  I'll keep you posted as I keep working on it.

And finally, here's a Josephine coloring sheet.

Right-click to download and print

I'm close to finishing up a Josephine book.  This one will focus on contemporary fashion.  I'd like to create a fantasy book next.  I've already got a steampunk set, whatever this is, a Renaissance/harem mash-up, and a goth set.  What other crazy themes can I tackle for the book? Suggestions?

Another black and white coloring sheet for the tweens on Friday!

The Eclectic Wardrobe of Josephine - Coloring Sheet 3

This is going up a little late today because oh my goodness, the end of school is crazy busy!

My oldest son had an adorable assembly yesterday.  It's always nice to go to the school & see him with his friends.  He has a really good group of kids in his grade!  Aside from that, he has a field day/fun day, a field trip to Boston, a "stepping up" day, and a Cub Scouts end-of-the-year party. We also have a t-ball end-of-the-year party.

So yeah.  It's been busy.

Also, all of you working parents deserve so much credit!! I could not imagine balanced all of the kid stuff AND work full-time.

Anyway...

Today we have another Josephine coloring sheet.

Right-click to download and print

I thought the retro set would make a nice coloring sheet.  I love the lines on the skirt! And that hair is adorable!

I'll have another coloring sheet up on Friday.  Hopefully everyone else can get through the end of the school year, too!!

The Eclectic Wardrobe of Josephine - Coloring Sheet 2

Josephine gets some more coloring sheets today. I'm sticking with the contemporary fashion sheets at the moment.  For the most part, it's been fairly straightforward creating coloring sheets from my colored files.  There are a few challenges here & there, but overall, not a big deal.

Right-click to download and print

The earrings on this sheet are still technically in color, but since they were a light silverish color, I just let it go.  It honestly wasn't worth the hassle of trying to change it!!

Friday I'll have another tween coloring sheet!

The Eclectic Wardrobe of Josephine - Coloring Sheet 1

I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend (if you were in the US).  We had a super busy weekend - my husband, father, and I all worked on some house projects.  We decided to bunk the boys & they wanted a Minecraft themed bedroom to share.  So there was much painting, organizing, and building of bunk beds.  The boys spent the weekend with my mother and it sounds like everyone had a good time!

Summer is almost here & as I look at my schedule, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.  The kids and I have a lot of fun activities planned for the summer.  Some of them are starting even before school gets at! And so I thought, how can I free up my schedule and bit and not totally neglect the blog?

My solution? June is black and white coloring sheet month! I know it isn't actually June yet, but it's close enough! I'm going to have Josephine and tween paper dolls in black and white all month.  It's not terribly taxing for me and fun for you (I hope!)

Right-click to download and print

If you decide to color Josephine, feel free to share! I'd love to see other iterations of Josephine's wardrobe.

So tomorrow I'll have the collaboration set posted and on Friday, there will be a black and white tween coloring sheet, so look for that!!

The Eclectic Wardrobe of Josephine - Page 15

Today's Josephine was inspired by a comment on the last Josephine set.  It was suggested (among other ideas!!) that Josephine needed a goth wardrobe.  Now, I'm not much of a goth.  Like, at all. But, I was a teen in the heyday of goth. It was the kind of thing I wish I had been cool enough to pull off but definitely wasn't!!

Right-click to download and print

 

This is almost a goth-meets-beatnik kind of wardrobe.  I wanted something a little bit grown-up.  Except the purple hair.  That was another thing - I didn't want all black.  Dark purple felt like a nice compromise.

Any more ideas for Josephine?  I'll try to get to some of the other suggestions, too, as I find the time.    

The Eclectic Wardrobe of Josephine - Page 14

Today's Josephine was inspired by a pattern set I had in my stash.  It's a retro rocket set in these great greens & yellows.  I loved everything about it! In the spirit of this pattern set, I made a retro wardrobe for Josephine.

Right-click to download and print

 

The plate got a little crowded this week.... I started with two tops & it looked like I could fit one more, so I made the sweater, too. The grey top with the skirt should fit to look like a one-piece dress when it's work under the skirt.  And the yellowish top looks best under the pants & skirt.

Not sure what's next for Miss Josephine... Thoughts?

The Eclectic Wardrobe of Josephine - Page 13

Despite the grey skies and rain this week, I wanted a bright summer Josephine set today! Something almost tie-dyed.  So today we've got some bright purples & blues!

Right-click to download and print

 

Looking back, it looks like I really, really like this bright aqua blue color for Josephine! Not much to say about this set really but there IS something else I want to share....

....A mini book!

I'm testing out a new format for my paper dolls & I just got my proof in the mail.  I took the beach paper doll and created a 6 inch by 9 inch book for it.  That sounded really small, but honestly was bigger than I anticipated.

Grab the book here

Here's the back and front cover.  It's a saddle stitched paper back with glossy covers and a full-color interior. I expanded the set so there's two tops for every bottom as well as additional sets.

My photos came out a little dark, but the set is bright & beautiful! Along with 10 full-color pages I included 4 coloring pages for a 14 plate book.

I'm thinking about making this a series of mini books.  They're a nice, portable size and a book this size is $10.  It's available exclusively through my Lulu shop -- it isn't available on Amazon or anywhere else at the moment.


So go check it out.  I'm happy with how it printed!

More tweens for Friday :)

The Eclectic Wardrobe of Josephine - Special Edition

For those of you who subscribe to Paper Doll Studio Magazine (and if you don't, check it out here), you've already seen this set.  For those of you who haven't, here's a new Josephine!

The theme for the current Paper Doll Studio magazine was Project Paper Doll, featuring original designs by paper doll artists as well as a dress-a-doll.  Both were really fun to work on!

I knew when I saw the theme that I wanted to adapt Josephine to the theme.  At the time, Josephine was a very new project & I just HAD to make more!

Right click to download and print each image

 

 

I had just acquired some beautiful digital papers and wanted to use those.  I chose a soft pink & brown pattern collection because I loved the colors.  These aren't the most elaborate or original fashions & I'm ok with that.

So all of the clothes here will fit the other Josephine paper doll, and all of those outfits will fit this one (with the exception of the crop tops from page 11 - they just wouldn't look right!).

It's getting to the point where I could collect Josephine into a book.  I'm trying to decide the best way to do that.  I might go with multiple volumes - one of contemporary clothing like these, one of fantasy clothing like the Steampunk set, maybe one of formal wear.... Thoughts?

The Eclectic Wardrobe of Josephine - Page 12

Back to normal this week.  My son had last week off for April vacation & we kept busy! I have a membership to a local zoo and one for the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, so we used those last week.  As a parent, memberships are my favorite things! I basically pre-pay for my fun and we can just go when we want.  The boys love it. I love it. Everyone wins. (If you happen to be near Boston, go see the Matisse exhibit.  It's great! Botticelli was nice, too, but seeing the objects Matisse actually owned & painting was wonderful!)

Today I have some mix & match gowns for Josephine.  I'd like to say I had some inspiration to create elaborate gowns. I didn't.  I bought some glitter & shiny textures and wanted to use them. That was pretty much the only inspiration!

Right click to download and print

 

These are designed so that the tops go over the skirt and look like a one-piece gown when they're layered. I can't say I really chose any specific reference images -- just random fancy dresses.  I love how shiny it is!!

Friday we'll have the April collaboration, so look for that!

The Eclectic Wardrobe of Josephine - Page 11

....And we're back to Josephine this week! I loved created the beach paper doll -- and the awesome folks at ArtRage were nice enough to comment on it. How cool is that?!  I also found more outfits for the beach doll that I forgot I drew.  Might try making a mini book out of that set.

Did everyone enjoy Miss Bunny? You can grab the pdf from the link in the Outfit 4 post. This is another set I'd like to expand.  Maybe more animal paper dolls? Miss Bunny needs some friends.

Right-click to download and print

 

Today's Josephine is totally random! I found a Renaissance inspired fantasy gown and that inspired the set on the left.  My skirt is more narrow than the example I found.  Once I got the colors blocked in, I thought it looked kind of Moroccan or vaguely Arabian in a totally non-historical way.  I've never drawn harem pants before and decided to go for it on the second set.  And I decided the second top was pretty cool, so I made an alternate patterned version of it! Also, I'm really happy with both hairstyles.  They were both challenging in different ways & they came out exactly the way I wanted!

Josephine's wardrobe is definitely varied! Not sure what's on the table for next week but it should be interesting!

The Eclectic Wardrobe of Josephine - Page 10

Today is another Josephine post and I can't believe I'm already up to 10 pages! This is one of my favorite projects ever, I think, and I'll keep doing it as long as it's fun.

There are some things in this world that I love & would love to know more about.  Embroidery is one of them.  My grandmother liked to cross stitch before her sight weakened and I'm trying my hand at that right now.  It's not difficult, but it's a skill that takes time & patience.  Today's outfits are based on an embroidered jacket I found on Pinterest.

Right-click to download and print

Yeah, I know it's spring and this is more of a fall set.  The jacket I based this set on was these beautiful fall colors & I just loved it.  I'm really excited about how the applique embroidery came out! Once I drew it and colored it, I just fiddled with Photoshop layer styles til I liked it.

So this week is another collaboration week - come back Friday & check that out!!

The Eclectic Wardrobe of Josephine - Page 9

Finally. The calendar says it's spring.  The weather says it's spring.  My husband got me some gardening stuff for Christmas so I guess it's time to get those seeds started!

Today's Josephine is a pretty simple one.  I wanted to add some more neutral pieces to the ever-expanding wardrobe.  I'm also thinking I'll print some of these out & cut them for fun sometime soon. I don't do that nearly enough!

Right-click to download and print

The mustard-ish colored bases aren't exactly what I had in mind but it's ok.  I wanted bright but fairly neutral.  The skirt and pants should mix with a fair bit.  The tops maybe a little less....

Any suggestions for Josephine? In case it isn't apparent, I'm all over the place with this project.  It's an anything-goes, experimental set.  I'm not sure what's up next but it should be interesting!

The Eclectic Wardrobe of Josephine - Page 8

I was feeling a bit inspired this weekend and made a new Josephine sheet.  My first thought was to make a sheet of basics to mix & match with the existing sheets, like jeans, etc.  And then I ended up on Pinterest.

In wandering around Pinterest, I found some gorgeous doll clothing.  I also happened to find two outfits by the same doll designer! (There's also a really interesting interview here with a photo of her super-tidy studio...and I am very envious.)  My dress for Josephine is very, very vaguely based on two outfits (here and here).  I loved the idea of a flower covered 18th century inspired gown and fitted jacket.

Right-click to download and print

I thought about coloring this set in soft pastels and then found bright patterns in my collection that I liked better.  The blue pattern and the pink-yellow pattern really had nothing in common, so I created the striped border in order to join them together.

The flowers were a problem.  I tried using photorealistic flowers and it looked wrong.  Then I tried flat shapes and that looked wrong.  So then I did what I should have done in the first place: I drew my own flowers!! And wouldn't you know it...they were exactly what I wanted.

To finish things off, I created a powdered wig and modified an earlier headwrap with some flowers.

The jacket fits over the dress and the bodice is meant to fit over the dress as well.  It was a tight fit getting everything on one sheet!

If you're looking for the Josephine doll, it's here. And you can find other wardrobe sheets with the "Josephine" tag.