A Very Flapper Halloween - New Paper Doll Book!

 Just a quick post today! I'm wrapping up some projects and hopefully that'll open up a little time for the ol' blog. I do have a tiny thing planned for October so watch for that at the very least.

Speaking of October...

My newest book is available for preorder! You can grab it here. And if you're thinking, wait a minute...that looks really familiar... YES! I created a smaller version of this last October. Sometimes I fall in love with a project and just expand on it until it feels really & truly complete. This was one of those. It started as a paper cut project for the 2024 paper doll convention, then it became a mini series on the blog, and now, it's a book! I really enjoyed putting together a Halloween costume book that was more than just traditional costumes. And bright colors were important as well. 

Anyway, I hope you all love it as much as I do. All the thanks to Jenny Taliadoros who is the PERFECT person for collaboration.  

Emma McKay Everday Paperdoll Book

Just a quick update this week! The teens just finished school so we're having a low-key transition to summer. My youngest had his braces removed (YAY!!!) so he's eating all the candy he can find. My oldest started a summer job and that's been great. And I'm transitioning to Summer Mom, sleeping in and planning fun times :)

 If you're looking for something fun to do this summer, either for yourself or kiddos, check out Emma McKay! If this looks familiar, it's because this was my 2025 calendar but now it's in book form! 

I loved this project so much that I really wanted to see it in book form, too. Paperdoll Review books are just always terrific! The calendar is great, of course, but having it in a book is just so much more convenient! Grab a copy today and if you cut it our, I'd love to see it!
 

Everything Eighties Paper Doll

Things have been nuts around here!! The kids are having a great time at school so that's good. My mother just had her second total knee replacement and I've been helping her through that. It went really well, thankfully.

Aside from that, I have another new book out at Paperdoll Review - Everything Eighties! 

If this looks familiar it's because I used my holiday paper doll from last year. I loved that doll so much that I just HAD to expand her into a whole book. This one had some of my favorite things - denim, glitter, and over-the-top patterns. 

Most of my work has been in Procreate which defaults to recording each file so now I have these neat videos of my projects! I took the video of one page (Prairie Style) and sped it up about 7 times so that I could get it under a minute. It's kinda fun to go back and see what I did! 

I'm also going to share a couple of Halloween themed things later in the month, so watch for that!

Current Projects and Updates

 I don't really mean to go months in between posts! There are a few reasons. First, posting here requires time & effort that I just haven't had lately. Summer is always a challenge for me. The kids are home (which I love) but that takes a lot of time. It's amazing how many meals a tween boy and a teen boy can eat in a summer day!! I have always been very aware of the fact that my time with my kids is short, so I prioritize it. We go to museums, swimming at the lake, visiting friends & family, and we almost always take a vacation at the end of August. This year, we went to Paris. It was amazing! 

Look at my adorable little family at the Louvre! 

 

The second thing that has happened is that my paper doll world has gone from mostly virtual to mostly IRL. I have so many virtual paper doll friends that I've met in real life (Rachel and Melissa among them!!) and that's been great. I started attending paper doll parties in 2018, starting with my local group, and then Morgantown in 2019. That first Morgantown was a blast and I met Jenny Taliadoros - the amazing, wonderful, terrific person behind Paperdoll Review. We've been working closely together ever since. And I COULD NOT be happier! So I have my hands in a lot of projects and sometimes I forget to share them here. I try to share them on Instagram but I'll admit, social media is not something I really focus on.  I have a couple of books coming out soon and I try to have art in every issue of Paperdoll Review Magazine. I'll try to get better about sharing things like that.

This is one of the books I have coming out. "Sisters at Heart" is a tribute to real-life friends Sharry & Laura. It's a lovely book that I'm very proud of - every time I see it, I forget that I made it!! It looks too good to be mine! You can order a copy here.  

I also have a submission in the Spooky issue of Paperdoll Review. Here's a preview - see if you can figure out what I sent in!

Another reason I'm posting less is because I'm trying to find time to improve my art. I've been watching tutorials, drawing more, and just plain practicing! Also, my youngest son and I have been attending a local drawing workshop a couple of times a month. We have the option of drawing a clothed figure or a still-life. I've been encouraging him to draw more, so we usually draw the still-life together. We're both LOVING it! 

Mile's still-life. He knows I shared this and he's fine with it :)

My still-life. It's been great putting pencil to paper again! 

Finally, I've become more wary of posting my art online. Some of it is that I don't want to feed the AI my art. That's not all of it, but I do think about it. I've also had my art stolen over the years (who hasn't at this point?!) and it's frustrating. Stealing art & scraping art for the algorithms devalues the work that I do AND the work of all creatives. I'd rather focus my time and effort on books for Jenny or other physical products. I don't think I'll ever completely stop posting online despite the frustrations.

The blog isn't going away. I just can't promise that I'll post four times a month anytime soon!

Books! Books! Books!

It's been a looooong time between posts! Pandemics, remote learning, etc, have definitely cut into art time. I'm not posting here as much as I'd like but I AM keeping busy! I have two new books available and I wanted to share them here.

First up, Fun with Mom. 

I wanted to create a vintage style mom & daughter book wit modern themes. It went through A LOT of sketches and edits! 

The covers were especially tough for me. I've worked on a bunch of covers and layouts for other artists, but found my own challenging. I reached out for help & the absolutely wonderful David Wolfe cooked up a vintage inspired idea.

I'm really happy with how it all came together! You can grab a copy here.

Next up is Rose & Ivy.
 

This started as a 100 day project way back in April of 2019. I decided to pick & chose among the 20 pages I created for that project and added a few new new pieces, too. For this, the cover was designed before the doll was even colored! I had some clip art that I just loved and based the color scheme on that as well. Once I colored the dolls in pink and green, that's when I came up with Rose and Ivy. This book was almost exclusively colored in Autodesk Sketchbook Pro - it's a natural media program and it's free for just about every platform. You can download it here if you're interested.The outfits are loosely based on the Victorian era. And it's all skirts and dresses! Grab your copy here. 

I'm hoping to share a few more projects before the end of the year. I'm on Instagram with more regular updates!

Eight is Great!

I know I don't write much anymore. Truthfully, caregiving for two generations and homeschooling during a pandemic has been a been overwhelming. And though I don't draw as much as I'd like, I'm still busy in the world of paper dolls.

Today is the eight year anniversary of the ol' blog and I didn't want it to go unmentioned. In a lot of ways, this blog is closely tied to my kiddos.

Without explicitly saying it at the time, I started this to help me deal with post-partum depression and being overwhelmed as a stay-at-home mom to two boys. What started out as something to keep me sane became something bigger. My digital world of paper dolls became a real world of paper dolls. I am forever grateful for that! If you can, meet real live paper doll people. They are the BEST people. After the pandemic, of course!!

I want to say that the blog isn't going anywhere. I don't write as much as I once did but that's because of all the "real world" stuff. I've had oodles of fun paper doll projects in the works and today I want to share a few of them.

Aprons by Judy M Johnson

First up is a vintage inspired paper doll book by Judy M Johnson.  I was lucky enough to do a bit of editing and page & cover design for this one. There are so many cool things about this book! My favorite, though, is the back cover. I was lucky enough to create the kitchen illustration on the back & I'm pretty happy with how it came out! The whole book is just retro fantastic!

The Champions by Marilyn Henry

This was another really cool project to work on! Marilyn Henry painted these images a while ago and I was able to edit the scans as well as work on page layouts and covers. It's such lovely art and it was a real joy helping to bring in into book form.

Victorian Sports by Brenda Sneathen Mattox

Choosing a favorite paper doll artist is like choosing a favorite child - I couldn't possibly! However, if I had to, Brenda Sneathen Mattox would be at the top! I love her beautiful watercolors and this book is no exception. Every illustration is just exquisite. This one, too, I worked on some editing and page & cover design. On a technical level, I'm incredibly proud of the way the two illustrations are blended together on the front cover. Masks...love layer masks in Photoshop!!

Choosing the perfect font or illustration to compliment a book is immensely satisfying. I love collaborating with Jenny Taliadoros on this. It's been a privilege to be a part of her very talented paper doll team. All because I took the leap and went to Morgantown! Although it seems like all of 2020 is cancelled, paper dolls aren't cancelled. In fact, it's a great time to start or add to a collection! I know I am! So check in occasionally - I'll write when I can. Thanks for sticking with me so far and happy paperdolling!

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!

New Project in the Works

It's been ages since I posted! Not for lack of projects, rather, it's been a lack of time! I never knew how much time school aged kids & senior care could eat up!! My boys are absolutely in love with soccer - we have practices Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday and games on Saturday & Sunday.  Regardless, I've been up to all kinds of paper doll fun!

For anyone who hasn't already heard, I've been helping out with both the Paperdoll Review and Paper Doll Studio magazine! Sometimes it's minor art editing in Photoshop, sometimes it's creating a graphic header for an article... No matter what it is, I love the variety of projects!

My biggest project at the moment is a collaboration with David Wolfe!! You can read David's take on the project here and see some in-process samples from the forthcoming book.  It was such an honor to be asked and it's been a thrill to work on it! The basic outline is this: David created two paper dolls, drew all of the outfits for the dolls, and I colored them in Autodesk Sketchbook Pro.

Because it can be hard to explain exactly how I work, I've put together a little video of my technique.

That video condenses down 45 minutes or so into a brisk speedpaint.  There's editing to be done after all of that, but it's a good run-through of what I did on most pages.

So why Sketchbook Pro?

I've known about Sketchbook Pro for a while but as of May 2018, it became a free program so I thought I'd check it out again. For the Stripes book, I really wanted a hand-made feeling but with all of the advantages of digital art.  Sketchbook Pro is easily the best natural media simulator I've ever used: it's lightweight so it starts up quickly and there's no lag time drawing, it's intuitive and easy to just jump right into, there's a built-in Copic color palette, and so many more features that I just haven't had the chance to try yet! I really love it.  And it only took me a couple of hours to pick up. I like ArtRage and will continue to use it, but for this project Sketchbook Pro was just the better choice.

I chose to work vertically in Sketchbook.  I usually work horizontally and zoom & pan as needed, but Sketchbook feels so natural that it just made sense to turn my computer.  Here's the basic work station - it can all be customized! At the top, there's a menu bar. On the left side, a tools palette and the Copic colors as well as one of the two brush pucks for adjusting brushes on the fly.  To the right, my layers palette. Sketchbook is designed for touch based surfaces and runs on pretty much everything.  I highly suggest checking it out!

That's about it for the moment. I have some Stripes edits to work on and I'll post this month's collaboration paper doll outfit next week. And soccer. Ugh. At least they love it!

Beautiful Angel - A Paper Doll Book

Remember that angel paper doll I made for December? Remember how I said I'd make it into a book? Well, I finally got around to it!

Here's the front cover. Order your copy here! 

For this project, I expanded on the December set by adding 6 new outfits exclusive to the book. This is also one of the largest books I've ever put together.  There's a total of 36 full-color wardrobe pages!

These are the six new costumes.  There isn't any real logic to them, much like the December project.  I wanted to expand upon some themes (historical, African textile) and try a couple of new things (flower, nature).

As a way of celebrating another paper doll book, ALL of my paper dolls on on sale right now! Beautiful Angel is 20% off and all other books are 15% off.  Good time to grab a book or three, if you ask me!!

New Paper Doll Book!

I'm probably not the only person who does this, but I set "age" goals.  Like, I'll be married and have kids by 30 (which I mostly did, so hooray for that!)....that sort of thing.  Some of them are ridiculous.  When I was a kid, I wanted to learn 5 languages by 21. It was ambitious, to say the least! I've continued the habit as an adult, with slightly less lofty goals!

One of those goals is to get a paper doll book published with a "real" publisher.  I set myself an arbitrary goal of sending images to Dover by the time I was 35.

And I did send something.....

...a little over a year ago.  With no word since.

After reading Rachel's interview, I realized that 1) paper dolls are incredibly niche 2) print publishing is a tough business in general (especially for niche interests) and 3) Dover has a remarkable quantity of amazing talent to draw from already. All of these things make me feel a little less personally invested in this arbitrary goal of a real publisher, and more interested in just doing what I love.  And I LOVE creating art of all sorts.

So after waiting a little over a year, I decided to put the book together myself. And I got the proof copy this week!

The photos are not great.  I took them with my phone, in bad light, on my couch.  Still, I think the print book is an almost perfect match for my original art.

Here's a blurry image of the title page.  I've been trying to create more appealing title pages instead of the black & white text versions of the past.

A close-up from the title page.

And three pages of dresses.  Those are shadows, not creases, because I took awful pictures!

The back cover with the two dolls.

The idea for this book was a mix & match Victorian set.  I came across something on Pinterest called a robe a transformation: a transformation dress.  Apparently every dress Charles Frederick Worth created fell in this category, and this book could have easily just been a Worth themed book.  Instead, I found lots of different transformation dresses -- I even included a list of references in the back of the book! I haven't done a full-blown Victorian set before and I wanted to push the limits of my Photoshop "painting" techniques.  This paper doll (like almost all of them) started as pencil sketches.  I scanned & "painted" them in Photoshop.

Here's a preview of the entire book.  I loved making it, start to finish.  It was the kind of project that was just effortless and amazing and satisfying.

Hopefully, you like it, too.

Grab your copy here for now.  It'll be on Amazon, Barnes & Noble Online, etc, soon.

Akinyi and Friends Paper Doll Book

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Masquerade paper doll project.  It came out great and I would LOVE to do another collaboration!

On Halloween, I got a treat of my own -- my proof copy of Akinyi and Friends: A Mix and Match Paper Doll Book.   I learned my lesson with the last paper doll book debacle and ordered a proof copy immediately after creating the book! 

Here are the front and back covers.  I really liked the watercolor background and wanted to include it here.  The dolls are slightly smaller than the ones I posted on the blog.  They needed to fit better on an 8.5 by 11 page.

 

I also included a preview on the title page.  I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner...!  The preview includes some of the new wardrobe I developed specifically for the book.

For this book edition, I included  4 new full-color wardrobe pages and 3 coloring pages.  The book came out great!  Here are a couple of pictures of my copy.

I'm really excited with the way this book came out.  I may revisit these dolls in another book at some point. Creating a mix and match wardrobe with a limited color palette was a challenge and I'm really glad I did it.

You can grab your copy here and it'll will be on Amazon.com soon, too.  So will the Fairy Tale and Ghoulish Girls books.

For the month of November, I'll be posting black & white toddler dolls to color.  And I need to get started on the December doll....! Check back Friday for the toddlers!!