Witchtober - Merchant, Travel, and Wrap-up

 First up, happy Halloween! I totally, absolutely LOVE Halloween. My kids do, too. What's more fun than dressing up, going out at night, and getting candy with your friends?! Nothing, that's what! 

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Grab the PDF of the whole set here

It was tough fitting both of these on one page! My merchant witch is a sort of Venetian style costume. I wasn't sure how to represent shopping or selling or whatever a merchant does. I settled on bag on a belt and hanging potions. The travel witch, too, was a bit tough. I thought a steampunk inspired/early automobile outfit might work. Anyway.... It's been a fun series to work on! Make sure to check out Rachel's, too, over at Paper Thin Personas. It's always a blast working on paper dolls with her! 

Witchtober - Winter and 18th Century Witch

Week 4 of our Witchtober project! Next week will be the last week and we'll post on Halloween. This has been loads of fun...and hard to keep up with! Sometimes I look through my old projects and I wonder how I ever had the time! That 2018 doodle-a-day? WOW! There were 63 sheets in that collection with 4 different dolls. 

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I got a little carried away with the winter set! I'm learning more and more about Procreate every day. One thing I'm working on is custom brushes. The holly is a brush I made. Still tinkering.... The 18th century dress is a little slim but I knew I was running out of space on the page. I made a pumpkin brush for that pattern, too, and I'm not sure how I feel about that one. If I color these, I'll probably approach both of those differently.

 Rachel is on track to post hers a little late this week. Watch her blog for it.  I know I'm looking forward to seeing it!

Witchtober - Sea and Kitchen Witch

 I know my post went up a little bit late today. I got a bit caught up drawing all of the Rococo inspired goodness on my Sea Witch!! 

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I didn't set out to make a Rococo gown. After looking for inspiration, I found a seashell crown that I liked so that inspired the hat. And as I was drawing the hat, I liked the idea of those tube curl things on powdered wigs.  That lead to a corset style front...and things just got out of hand from there. (TANGENT: My family and I are Marvel fans. In Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, one of the characters says "Things just got out of hand". It's Benedict Cumberbatch with a glorious evil voice and we say this exact phase around my house all the time!)

So anyway... After the Sea Witch, I tackled the Kitchen Witch. When I hear that phrase, I think of things like Practical Magic (wonderful book - go read the whole series - and an excellent movie) and "ordinary" witchy folks, not your goth leaning folks. I love a good goth aesthetic, but not all witchy folks are goth. So I went with a sort of retro cardigan, foliage patterned skirt, and an apron with a wooden spoon and herbs.

You can add to your growing Witchtober collection by grabbing Rachel's set here.

My Witchtober Day 1 and Doll

My Witchtober Day 2

Witchtober - Bone and Bird Witch

 I'll admit, things never seem to settle down in my house! I've been helping my mother with her knee surgery. My boys are both in middle school now (!!!!!!) - one is having a tough transition but we're working on it. I feel like I have a million things going on any given day. 

I wouldn't trade it for anything. Ok, maybe for just a tiny bit of quiet. 

Today's Witchtober set is a Bone Witch and a Bird Witch. I was partially inspired by a pearl ribcage jewelry thing for the Bone Witch. And some rad shoes with spines for heels. The Bird Witch is all me. I had this idea of a one-shoulder swoopy kind of thing. I'm not completely happy with how the skirt turned out but I can live with it. Take a look at Rachel's interpretation here!

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The boys have today off, like many of us in the States. We're going on a bike riding adventure. 

If you have the day off, too, have fun coloring the Witchtober witches! Make sure you grab the first one here :)

Spooky Month and a Halloween Paper Doll

 My youngest son is totally into Halloween this year! We all are big Halloween fans most years, but this year, he is REALLY into it! We drew monsters together over the weekend.

Today, however, is a paper doll kind of day! 

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Rachel and I decided to embark on another Halloween paper doll project. We're tackling a few of the themes from this Witchtober list we found here: https://juanjoltaire.tumblr.com/  I know nothing about the artist but this list is great.

Today's paper doll is the base doll and a random outfit. It's sort of based on a vintage Halloween dress that I saw, so it isn't part of the theme list. 

Rachel and I are going to tackle the same themes and post on Mondays through Halloween. It's going to be fun to see how we interpret the same ideas differently! Check in every Monday through Halloween to see what we're up to!

Happy Halloween!

 I found time to make a Halloween paper doll! Typically, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. This year, instead of running wild around town, we're going to see my parents. We're having a pinata, a movie, and that's about it.  Small, manageable, but fun.

 The main reason why I managed to get a Halloween paper doll together is because I used an old sketch! 

This sketch is at least five years old, maybe more. Somewhere along the way I stopped signing and dating sketches. I might be able to figure out a more precise date if I dig... Anyway, it's been languishing for a while. I always loved the doll on the left and decided to go for it. 

 

My favorite program right now is Autodesk Sketchbook Pro. It's free, easy to use, and I LOVE it. And it's available for pretty much every platform. I took my scribble into Sketchbook and tinkered. Once I was happy, I "inked" it, colored it, and added textures & patterns.  It took most of the week. Considering the kids are remote learning, "the week" is like three hours a day!! 

 

And here she is! I'm posting it in color and black & white. Feel free to download and play with it. And happy haunting on Halloween!
 

DAY 100!!!!

....and that's a wrap!

I managed to complete the 100 Days of Paper Dolls! It wasn't 100 consecutive days but I'm ok with that.   The point is this: I started it, I finished it, and I'm proud of that.  It's TOUGH and I very nearly did not complete it.  Honestly, I'm amazed by anyone who completes a 100 day challenge, etc. Even finishing half of it is a job well done in my opinion.

A special thanks to everyone who had words of encouragement. It really does make a difference!! At some point I'll color these and arrange them into something.  Just not sure what yet.

So Happy New Year from me to all of you out there! I'll have more posts & projects in January.  Not sure what or when, but it's coming.  See you in 2020!

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Day 95

One more page...one more page... I'm really hoping to get that last page finished.  You'd think that vacation would be the ideal time to wrap this up. Nope! Honestly, though, my husband is home for the same days as the kids and we've been doing stuff together. Paper dolls can wait!

Days 91-95 are on this sheet. 

Maybe I'll get up before everyone tomorrow and get that last sheet done. Maybe. And I do plan on finishing the collaboration pages.  That will probably be early January.  I just ran out of hours!

One more page...just one more...!!!!

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Day 90

Wow day 90! Didn't think it would EVER happen but I'm glad I went back to it. Sometimes taking a break is a good thing!

The reason these last two sets were posted so close together is because I drew them back-to-back. I posted one, decided to keep drawing, and managed to pull together today's sheet in about two hours.  That was very speedy for sure!

Today's sheet coordinates with this sheet. Somewhere along the way my numbering and posting got a bit tangled up.  That's fine. It all worked out!

Because my previous sheet had kind of a '40s vibe, I did that with this one, too. Two more sheets to go and then it's on to coloring these!

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Day 85

THREE TO GO!! Ok, I'm pretty excited at the prospect of finishing this up.  Unfinished projects annoy me....!

This set is very weather appropriate - we've had a few snowstorms this year.  It's a nice change over last year where we had almost nothing.  Although there's some debate in my house about that...my husband (who usually clears the driveway!) is not exactly a fan of the snow!

Fur is so fun to draw! And I love all things embroidered.  This set is meant to coordinate with this one from May. It'll be fun to see them all together at the end of this. 

Ok, back to the drawing board.  Three sheets to go!!

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Day 80

Any one else looking at their calendars and asking where December went?! I met up with a friend this week who said she hadn't seen me in ages. And I laughed because it's true!! From Thanksgiving until New Year's, my calendar is so jam-packed with doctor's appointments, school activities, parent-teacher conferences, and two birthdays ON TOP OF Christmas that I feel like I hardly have time to sleep! I know I'm not the only one, either.  It's a nutty time of year but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  Ok, maybe more coffee....

Today I have Day 80 of the 100 Days of Paper Dolls.

There isn't a whole lot to say about this one. I love ruffles, of course.  And I'm starting to get excited about coloring all of these pages. The end is in sight!

Speaking of color.... The ol' blog has been black & white all of this year! I didn't really mean to do that and I DO plan on having some color posts for next year! Gotta figure out what to do for next year.....!

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Days 66-75

As promised. I have two sheets for the second doll in the 100 Days project. My wrist is fine - it felt terrible most of Tuesday but I rested & here we are.

I've been trying to match the previous doll.  These two sheets are based on this one and this one. When I create a "matching" set like the back half of this 100 Days project, I try not to make an exact match.  Rather, I try to take details and broad ideas from one set and apply it to the second. In the 66-70 sheet, I wanted to repeat the angular yoke, stirrup leggings, ruffles, and vest of the previous set.  With the 71-75 sheet, I wanted to repeat the lace, ruffles, hairpiece, and jacket.  Some of these are more successful than others and that's ok. I'm not crazy about the ruffled skirt on the left...but then again, I wasn't crazy about the one it's based on so that makes sense.  I don't think of this as final, either.  I like to tinker!

By my estimation, there are 4 more sheets to come.  So watch for those!

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Day 65

It's almost Thanksgiving here in the US! The kiddos have a short week (2 and a half days) and then it's off to see family.  We're planning on seeing the new Frozen movie so that'll be fun. I'm also hoping to work on the next installment of this project. We'll see how that goes!

I'm really enjoying this return to the 100 day project. Revisiting the previous doll has been fun (and nerve wracking - sometimes I want to redraw all the things!!) Today's set coordinates with this set here.  Truthfully, I couldn't draw the truly complicated folds that I wanted to this time because I messed up my back. Apparently I'm at the age where sitting can cause injury. Who knew?! As a result, my desk chair & I have not been getting along well....

If you didn't know this already, I love drawing ringlets.  There was a method I hit upon a while back and, as a result,  I draw them all the time! And ruffles. Same thing happened with ruffles. Just goes to show how important it is to always be open to learning. 

That's it for today! I'm going to stay out of my chair, rest my back, and try to get the next post up Saturday.  Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate!

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Day 60

Anyone else having a super busy November?! Trick question - everyone is!

Last weekend was a busy one for me.  A few people from my local paper doll group (if you're in New England and interested, PLEASE reach out to me - we have so much fun!) went into Boston for a visit with the delightful artist Ralph Hodgdon.  It's always a thrill seeing another artist' studio.  I was too enthralled to take any pictures.  We all had a lovely time! After that, two of us popped over to the Hynes Convention Center for the Boston Book Fair.  We listed to the curator of the Kay Nielsen exhibition at the MFA and then wandered around the fair.  Again, I didn't take any pictures. Sometimes you just need to be in the moment!! Anyway, it was terrific! I was lucky enough to tour with an incredibly knowledgeable collector and saw some unbelievable paper dolls. I'll definitely go again!

Today I have another sheet in the 100 Days of Paper Dolls series.

This page is meant to coordinate with the second sheet for the first doll. Lots of ruffles, tabs, and buttons on this one! And it looks like the next page should be ready on Tuesday, so look for that!


AND since it's that time of year already, if you're looking to buy paper dolls (mine or anyone else's of course) for the holidays, hop over to Paperdoll Review. There's some really great stuff there....!

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Day 55

As promised, I have the first full wardrobe sheet for the second paper doll in the 100 Days of Paper Dolls project.

I want these two dolls to "speak" to each other.  The wardrobe for the second doll is based on the wardrobe for the first doll.  Here's the first page of the first doll for comparison.

Because I simply can't leave well enough alone, I'll probably go back and tinker with BOTH of these paper dolls once the project wraps up.  The next page should be up on Thursday (give or take a day or two!!) so watch for that!    

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Day 51

The year is quickly wrapping up! I decided to go back and finish up the 100 Days of Paper Dolls project.  I'll post the last 50 days from now until the end of the year. My plan is to post a full sheet every 5 days. This will be instead of a big December project but I think it's a nice way to finish out the year.

Also, everything I posted this year was black & white! I absolutely did not plan that! I do want to start thinking about next year and the next phase of this little ol' blog.  What would YOU like to see? Any thoughts are always appreciated!

There's a lot of real-world stuff going on.  First, I have THREE books coming out from Paper Studio Press.  Two are perfected versions of earlier projects so they may look familiar.  One is a collaboration with the extraordinary David Wolfe.

First up is Josephine's Wardrobe.  This set has always been a favorite of mine! She got a little jazzed up and there are some completely new items in here. I got my copies recently - they are beautiful!

Second is Victorian Mix & Match. This set was one that I meticulously researched! Every outfit is based on a real one.  I went through and cleaned up every single item in this edition.  It's the definitive version and, again, beautifully printed.

Third, is Stripes! It's the most unique project I've ever done. I've mentioned it previously but in short, it's a collaboration project.  David Wolfe came up with the concept and drawings while I digitally colored them.  It's gorgeous!

 I've been keeping busy and loving every minute of it!

Today I have Day 51 of the 100 Days of Paper Dolls. I'll post Day 55 (the first full sheet) on Saturday and a full sheet every five days after that.

You can find the first doll in the set here.  The main difference between the first and the second dolls is medium.  For the first, I used ArtRage.  For the second, I'm using Sketchbook Pro.  Both are great for drawing with a stylus on screen. Can you tell the difference? IS there a difference?!

Check back in for more on Saturday!

Paper Doll Collaboration - Witches

I'm pretty sure it's no secret that I live in Massachusetts. I've lived in New England for just about my whole life (there were a couple of fantastic years in Pittsburgh and I would gladly go back).  As such, I've been to Salem numerous times. If you go, the Peabody Essex is an amazing museum and I highly recommend it! There's a rule in my house though - no Salem in October.  If you can stand the chaos & the crowds, Salem is a wonderful place in October. There are events and costumes and all kinds of fun to be had.  If, like me, you can't stand chaos and crowds, then stay away.  Salem becomes the Halloween capitol of the world in October. Though it's like that most of the year anyway...

So this month's Witches theme hit pretty close to home for me! Instead of going with cute witches or neo-Victorian witches, I went with a sort of lighthearted Goth theme.

It was tough fitting everything on one page but I managed it! I'm pretty sure the hat will fit over both hairstyles but I'm not totally certain.

For more outfits in the series, check out Paper Thin Personas and Miss Missy's Paper Dolls!!

Paper Doll Collaboration 2019 - Patterns

Here's another installment of the collaboration paper doll series! I'm not sure where everyone else is in the process - I know my schedule has been full lately - but I wrapped mine so I figured I'd post it.

This month the theme is patterns.  If you've spent any time on this little ol' blog at all, you'll see just how much I LOVE patterns! So this was a blast to put together! The challenge was black & white.  Most of the patterns I use are color but I had some cool monochrome ones and that's what I used here.

I went with a fall feel to this set even though fall hasn't completely set in here in New England. There's a chunky sweater, patterned skirt, jean leggings, plaid jacket, blouse, and patterned pants to mix and match.

Check out Paper Thin Personas and Miss Missy for more of this project!

Paper Doll Collaboration 2019 - Royalty

Another summer has come & gone! This summer felt both excessively long and exceedingly short, somehow.  There were days that I thought my boys would NEVER get along....and there were days that were far too much fun to be so short. My grandmother was sick at both the start and finish of the summer so that also presented some challenges....

Now that everyone is back in school (and, surprisingly happy about it!!), I should be able to get back into creating more. Today is the next installment of the 2019 Paper Doll Collaboration. You can see Miss Missy and Paper Thin Personas for more.

The theme this month is royalty. I'm not much of a royal watcher. Just never appealed to me. Princess Di was a big deal when I was a kid and I'm about the same age as her sons.  Aside from that, I don't have any real feelings on the matter. I do, however, love historical dramas.  Somehow I convinced my husband to watch The Crown, Poldark, and Victoria. And he loves all of those as much as I do! So for the royalty page, I chose a couple of costumes from Victoria.  One is a military outfit and the other a gown from an episode where she's holding court.  Both feature a sash and royal insignia.  I don't remember which episode either of these were from.... Definitely watch it, though. It's great! 

I'm off to see what Miss Missy and Paper Thin Personas drew for this month! You should too!

Paper Doll Collaboration 2019 - Beachwear and Dance

I missed the June collaboration post.... I felt awful about it and thought about rushing to post something, but then decided to wait.  Summer is tough for me.  The boys are home and I want to spend time with them AND work on my projects but sometimes there aren't enough hours in the day for everything.

So today I'm posting the June and July pages! Rachel & Melissa got there June posts up so you should absolutely check those out.

First up is beachwear for June.  I LOVE patterns but I found the black & white format of this dolls a bit tough for patterns.  Instead of going super elaborate, I went simple with a little strip accent on all the sets.  I'm a big fan of rash guard/shorts as a bathing suit. I spend my summers chasing two boys so practicality is high on my list of needs for a bathing suit!

The theme for July is "dance/ballet".  I love belly dancer costumes (I might make an entire book of them!!) so I wanted to have that.  I figured I'd add ballet in, too. I don't feel strongly about ballet.  In fact, I'm not much of a theater person in general. And most classical music is just not for me. But I took a crack at it anyway.  The tutus are meant to be worn over the bodysuit and the little top layers over it, too.

I will endeavor to (1) write here more and (2) post August on time! As I said, summer is just not a good time for me to work.  The boys are only little once and I want to enjoy it.  Anyway....Check out the other paper dolls in the series!!