Doll house

 'Doll houses'.. 

I've no time to tell the story of these girls today, I'll let them do the talking, that's if they want to of course.

Motherly love - New work

Sailing away.........

...To live in the USA.

~ Have fun my little 'Hide and Seek' ~

New 'Art dolls'

'Mothers'

Uses for an egg box..

How many I wonder...?

Wyrd heads... Waiting...

We are off to a wedding tomorrow.... A little sunshine wouldn't go a miss... I have my fingers and toes crossed.

Have a good weekend everyone,

Thank you all so much

I have been fortunate to have been included in four Etsy showcases recently, and I would just like to say a big thank you to those that have included my work, I am thrilled.

I would have loved show you the showcases, but I don't know how... The numpty that I am, so I have added  their Etsy shop addresses... I make my apology's to all of you and I hope that this is OK...

http://etsy.com/shop/Floralworld chose my dry point etching 'Fish'

Harem6, FarStudios and mimiMatlot chose one of my Sailboats and Theatricals - 'Stargazers'.

http://etsy.com/shop/Harem6
http://etsy.com/shop/FarStudios
http://etsy.com/shop/mimiMatelot

Thank you once again, I am thrilled to have been included in each of your showcases.

Note to myself*  Learn how to download/transfer/copy/paste... etsy showcases and links! ...Does anyone know how to do this that could give me a clue where to start???

Raffle prize

 

'Audrey'

This is 'Audrey' she is one of my 'Sail boats and Theatricals' series. She is of the three raffle prizes to be given away on the 9th July.   

Audry loves dressing up in her cat hat and scarf it makes her feel safe when she is feeling a little worried... May be it's the thought of sailing... I'll have to ask her.

She is wearing a little mauve dress that has a white peter-pan collar.  Her artist has given her a sweet little pink cardigan which has a pocket with painted flowers, she has done up her cardi with three buttons. Audrey is carrying a little doll.

Audry is made from quilters calico, paperclay, filling and acrylic paint.

Her little sail boat is made from papier mache and has been finished with vintage map waves and button.  Both Audry and her little sail boat have my unique label which has her name and has been signed by me, then sealed with matt varnish.

..To enter my Grand Raffle...

On the 9th of July I have been blogging for exactly one year, so to celebrate I am having a 1st birthday raffle... Anyone can to join in, just link me to your blog/website and hey presto...LEAVE YOUR NAME ETC. ON THIS POST (or my other Raffle Prize post)

Please leave your name and contact address... or how else will I find you?
The cut off time is midnight on the 8th July 2010 GMT. Any later than that and your entry will not be entered.

The other two prizes are:-

 'Hand painted bunting'

'Alice and the White Rabbit'

 Wishing you all good luck  ~ Julie

My name is ...

'Miette'

 

Update: Miette has been SOLD - Thank you

"My artist has finally given me a name which apparently means ...small sweet thing or little one, quite appropriate as I'm not very tall... she thinks that I look French?  May be I do..."

This little art doll is just 4"tall and 2" wide, made of cloth and clay filled with sand and wadding, finished with vintage buttons to keep her balanced.

"Look at my wheels"

"Buttons........that is how I get around" said the little fellow.

My installation is set up at the Firstsite gallery.. Hurrah!!

My blurb.......

A COMMON THREAD

This work evolved in an involuntary way. It begun as a simple pattern made from a cereal box laid out onto calico that was stitched and in turn become a sitter doll, which lead to another and ended up becoming an installation of over 100 pieces.  The process was cathartic dealing with great sadness and loss but ended up as a self exploratory piece looking at all types of scars, bereavement, injury, worries that we all carry around with us.

 

Firstsite

Today I delivered my girls to the 'Firstsite' gallery in Colchester.

They will be exhibited from Wednesday onwards...

'A Common Thread' by Julie Howe

This work started out with a cereal packet and an idea for one doll. There are now over 100 dolls, in the final setting up of the installation I shall add a red thread.

It's a bit wibbly wobbly..

What can you do with an old cereal packet and some wire..... ?

 

At the moment it looks like a demented tree and the beginnings of a moomin or one of the clangers..or maybe a flump?? (vintage children's TV ) 

I'm off on my courses again today, maybe I'll be inspired....?

Sail Boats and Theatricals...Stargazers..

"Look to the right ..."

"Now look up..."

 

".....And face the front...."

 

"...Jump in your boat... Sail to the left.."

 

OK! OK! OK!  that's enough of that.... I'm singing to myself... 

Loosing the plot a little more each day...

These are the 'Stargazers', three men in a boat looking at the sky the largest is holding the 'Stargazer's Illustrated' in one hand and a golden star in the other, the next has a library under his jerkin and is holding 'Planet Weekly' and the smallest has a wand with a star...

(I don't know if these magazines exist or not ..

I just made them up to suit my little fellows)

The 'Stargazers' are sitter dolls, they are all made of cloth and clay, filled with silver sand and wadding finished with artists acrylic paints and sealed with matt varnish.   I made them from scratch with a cereal packet pattern in one hand and hope/luck in the other.  

Their little sail boat is made from a cereal box and papier mache. They all have one of my labels on their bottoms..

Stargazers..Eyes to the right

Stargazer's turn around please!!

Grace... an update

'Grace' 

Slow progress... I keep getting distracted with the veggie garden....

'Audrey'

 

 'Audrey'

Audrey has her own little sailing boat to take her on exciting journey's she has put on he new dress and little pink cardigan and of course her cat hat and scarf.

She was a little bit scared of sailing her boat so decided to take her doll with her.

Audrey is a sitter doll made with quilters calico and paperclay, filled with silver sand and stuffing. She sails in her little papier mache boat, which has part of a map on her boat so that she won't get lost....

SAIL BOATS AND THEATRICALS

Phantom

Jester

Bohemian

I'm off of a new adventure".....

"Little fish... I have loved living in the cupboard with you and all my fishy friends. I have enjoyed watching the human one's come and go and do the most stupid things..... 'What is that kissing and hugging thing they do'?

......... I even had fun teasing my artist sometimes... but now I have to say goodbye to you all for I am off to live in Santa Fe with my new family......... so wish me luck my little friend"... Said the Harlequin fish trying to hold back the tears.

The little fish looked up at her friend with her big blue eyes and said...............After a long pause............ "Sniff......... Perhaps we could try that kissing and hugging thing...............?"

'Take care my little friend I shall miss you'

Well here come the rest of the girls...All of them

Here go's......Artist takes a deep breath. This is going to be a very long post, so make yourself comfortable and I shall begin.......

"Hello, It's my turn to introduce the next fishy lady". Said the fish posing on the theatre stage, smiling at the camera, hoping to get noticed by a film producer no doubt. "I don't want to be photographed." Said the sweet fish peeping from behind the theatre. "Come on it's your turn, you must be photographed otherwise how will everyone know about you, and want to buy you?" "I don't want to live anywhere else.......... and what does buy mean?

The fish turned tail and carefully walked on her shell feet, I just caught a shot of her before she disappeared.

Oh my.......what has changed your mind, my fishy lady? "Well." Said the fish. "I didn't understand, but now it's been explained, I should like to live somewhere else with a new family, it could be fun". We'll there's a turn around, you have changed your mind quite quickly, what did the other fish say?........ "I'm not telling you artist, it's too embarrassing." ....... 'Go on, do tell?'.... Asked the artist.

"There might be other fish in the new pond!" With her cheeks turning pink, the little lady posed for her photographs, turning this way and that, showing her shells and her brickwork, her little blue blanket and her apron's ribbons being gently blown in the breeze.

"I'll blow you a kiss if you like." Said the fish....... Now that's a bit much. Said the artist I didn't make my girls to be so, she paused 'forthcoming', you know.

"The stowaways said that I might get a boyfriend if I blow some kisses". Said the little fish. The artist didn't know what to say... speechless.

*********************
***********************
*****************

"It's your turn, go on hurry up," She said nudging the next fish into line. "I must get back to the cupboard to tell everyone about my news 'I'm going to get a boyfriend....I'm going to get a boyfriend....I'm going to get a boyfriend.........." And off she went happily singing away to herself.

"What's going on. What is happening? Who is that singing?" The stowaways were quite worried by all the noise. "Can we get out now?" Asked the youngest one.
"I'm not sure we'll just have to wait and see if the coast is clear".

"What's the time? Can anyone tell me the time please, I have trouble looking at my watch, can anyone help?..........

The seagulls just swept past on the sea breeze and said nothing.

'It's a minute or two before 5 pm'. Said the artist. "I can't hear you...... What time did you say......What are you saying artist... Repeat yourself please?" Asked the fish.
The artist smiled as she took her photographs, she had put flowers in the fishes ears, because she kept complaining of the noise while being painted, the artist had had her radio was on rather loudly.

'Have you calmed down now fish? Despite your grumpiness I have managed to take some lovely photographs of you this morning'. The artist spoke to the fish in a loud but soft voice, she told her the time again, this time she could hear. 'It's a couple of minutes to 5pm according to your watch.' "Thank you so much my dear, I must be getting a little deaf..... Have you shown my feathery fins and the painting of my home ...... and the beautiful beach?"

Yes said the artist and your little boots look fantastic too.

*********************
***********************
*****************

"I'm on top of the World.............. Well on top of the artists theatre anyway"

"It's your turn now fish... now don't go waving your flag too much, you'll fall off of that theater roof." The fish was so worried. "Will you get her down artist?" Yes of course I will.... the artist gently lifted the fish off of the roof and put her on the stage.

"That's right, get up on the stage, it is so much safer than the roof..... you stay there now..... and I'll make my way back to the cupboard". The fish left worrying in case the girl with the flag was going up to the roof again.

"This isn't any fun! I want to be up on the roof to wave my flag.... I'm the last fish to be photographed and I want to celebrate."

Now, now my flag waving friend we need to take your photographs, I want to get a picture of your beautiful quilt and your planking looks good 'Is your patch holding out OK? Asked the artist. "Yes I'm quite water tight the waves just lap around my hull, I'm quite dry".

Now a couple from above I think, stand still, I want everyone to see your flag and the little had that I made for you, a tribute to one of your famous presidents, as I know that you have connections across the pond......

'Now just one of your stern please'. Asked the artist. "Show everyone the Liberty flame and my sweetheart"......... You look amazing my fishy friend and you being the last of my girls get the last smile of the day.

No, not that one, your hardly dressed in that photograph, come on young lady let's stop mucking about.

'Just perfect'... Said the artist. 'You look beautiful'.

Well every one I apologise for such a long post, that's all of my girls...There is just 9 of them in this shoal, they are one of a kind, never to be copied or repeated, they are all made of cloth and clay. I make them all from start to finish.........the initial drawings and patterns to the last coat of varnish.

If anyone is interested in purchasing any of them please drop me a line on my email.