Chandra's Box of Stars

New Work on the EHAG Emporium Tonight!

Beginning tonight at 9pm EST new work will be offered through the members of the EHAG (Eclectic Halloween Artists Group) Emporium.  This will be my first showing with this very talented and highly juried group.  I am happy to introduce "A Mouse of Squeaky Hollow"!

  This little mouse is a OOAK sculpt in polymer clay, painted with Genesis Heat Set oil paints, and her costume consists of a needle felted wool hat topped with a ball of wool felt, specialty trims and a hand-dyed silk ribbon. Her tail is made of wire wrapped in a wool yarn (to prevent breakage), and she carries a paper clay pumpkin basket. She is four inches tall (in her hat), and her little pumpkin basket in just over half an inch wide.

Please check out my sale on Etsy here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/chandrasboxofstars

More wonderful artists can be seen here at EHAG:

http://ehagemporium.blogspot.com/ 

 
 
 

Garden Variety Goblin Ornaments

Greetings, Cyber Chums!

I thought that I would share the finished ornaments that I have been working on.  They are OOAK ornaments with heads, hands and feet sculpted in polymer clay and painted with Genesis Heat Set Paints. The bodies are wrapped with mohair yarn, and the Pumpkinheads ride wool felt critters that have been embellished with free motion embroidery stitching and hand beading. From the tip of their stems to the base of the ornaments is about five inches.

These guys are all available for sell on my Etsy site here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/chandrasboxofstars

I hope to have one more (secret project) piece to share later in the week!  
 
 
 
 


 

Stitching Lilac Kittens

Today I thought that I would post a blog about the free motion embroidery and beading that I use on my wool felt ornaments.  I generally try to explain free motion embroidery as a process in which I manipulate fabric beneath a moving sewing machine needle to literally "draw" with thread.

I think that I must have spent a small fortune on glass beads!  After the piece has been embellished with free motion embroidery, side stitched, and stuffed with batting, I turn my hand to beading.

Finally, the elf or the pumpkinhead is stitched to his ride!

 
 
 

Work in Progress of Current Projects

Howdy Folks!

Right now I'm working on a batch pumpkin and skull headed guys, and I thought I'd share a few wip pictures.

They have come a long way, but they began life as a bunch of heads sculpted out of polymer clay.

After they were cured in the oven they were given hands and feet and painted with Genesis Heat Set Paints.  Their little bodies were wrapped with specialty threads, in this case, mohair yarn.

 Unfortunately, since given bodies, the pumpkin guys have had a tendency to argue amongst themselves!

I hate to think what the crow and the skully guys will get up to, given the chance (and some feet)!

 

Greetings After a Long Hiatus!

Hello to everyone in Cyber Land, I have had a bit of a break from my blog, but I'm back too catch everyone up on recent news.  My biggest news is that I have been accepted into the Eclectic Halloween Artists Group, an online, highly juried collection of artists specializing in Hallowe'en art!

You can learn more about this fine group here: http://ehagart.blogspot.com/  I will annouce when my new Etsy account is ready, and linked to the EHAG Emporium website!

In January I wrote the cover aticle for Contemporary Doll Collector Magazine, called "Ball Jointed Dolls: Customizing the Collector's Ultimate Creation".  I interviewed people from various aspects of the BJD world, including Denver Doll Emporium owner Paula Reding, doll couturier Val Zeitler, doll photographer Corinne Skinner of Milkeye, and doll artists Anita Collins, Pat Lillich, and Paulette Goodreau.

I have been hard at work creating new product, and have a whole new batch of ornaments to send off to the Southern Highland Guild shop, Allanstand, at the Folk Art Center in Asheville, NC.  If you are in the area, please be on the lookout soon!