WIP: Amethyst Faerie

I finally gave my poor little Amethyst Faerie doll some hair! I actually made her several months ago, started her last November, I believe. But, between injuries, classes, holiday stuff and trying to get my Etsy store going, it just seems like I never get to finish her. So I'm happy that she at least has hair now. And I do have a general idea for what I'd like to do for her dress, so I can start working on it between other projects. 

As always, she is made of Japanese glass seed beads, organic cotton thread & fiber fill. Her ball joints are made of real amethyst beads. In my imagination, Amethyst Faerie is actually made entirely of amethyst! But, realistically, that isn't possible, so I'm happy that I can at least incorporate some real amethyst into making her - I will probably put some small ones on her dress too. So, enough of that, here she is:

WIP Spinel Faerie

I am finally ready to show you the first pictures of my new doll! She is Spinel Faerie (I haven't decided on her name yet, aside from this title), the first in a series of Gemstone Faeries. All the colors used for this doll represent colors that spinel is found in naturally. Her dress, which I am now making, will represent red spinel, and will have real pieces of black spinel on it. The black spinel I'm using is pictured with the doll below ^_^

Spinel Faerie is about 9.25 inches tall. She is made of Japanese glass seed beads, Swarovski pearls, and organic cotton thread & fiber fill. She is ball jointed, and has 13 points of articulation.

Deer Woman!

I finally finished my Deer Woman doll yesterday! I think she is so cute ^_^ Before I share pictures of her, though, I'd like to tell you about the inspiration behind her...

Deer Woman is a spirit being in Native American folklore - there are stories about her from many different tribes and areas, but many of them seem to come from the Eastern Woodlands and Central Plains tribes. She is said to appear sometimes as a deer, sometimes as half-woman half-deer, sometimes as an old woman. Other times, she appears as a beautiful young woman, with large brown eyes like a deer, and the hooves of a deer as well. This last depiction is the one I used as a basis for my doll. Deer Woman is related to love and fertility. She is sometimes said to help women, particularly with conception and childbirth. Sometimes she attends dances. She is said to seduce men, usually those who are known womanizers, or adulterous. She flirts with them and lures them into the forest, where she either stomps them to death, or leaves them, lost and pining away for her. If the man notices in time that she has the hooves of a deer, and is not really human, he can save himself, but this rarely happens - Deer Woman is so beautiful of face and form that few men ever notice her feet. All in all, I see her as a helper and protector of women.

Now, a few things about my doll. She is approximately 7 inches tall. She is made of Japanese glass seed beads, organic cotton thread and organic cotton fiber fill. Her dress and hairstyle are loosely based on that of a Potowatomi maiden (they seem to have a lot of stories about Deer Woman). Her dress is actually made using a beadweaving stitch called the Potowatomi Stitch. It was inspired by the intricate bead embroidery of the Potowatomi people, which usually depicted abstract floral designs. I think it's the perfect stitch for Deer Woman's dress, a pretty dress made of flowers that she could wear to a dance!

One more thing, before the pictures - I have been thinking of a name for my little beaded dolls, to make them easier to find, and to possibly offer them for adoption in the future. I have decided to call them "Faerie Dust Dolls", because the beads sparkle like faerie dust, and because most of them are inspired by folklore :) And now, pictures!

WIP: Deer Woman Beaded Art Doll

I have been working on a new beaded doll recently. She is inspired by Deer Woman - in Native American folklore, Deer Woman is a spirit creature who lives in the forest. She sometimes appears as a beautiful young woman who has deer hooves instead of feet (which was kind of tricky to make, but I think they turned out okay). I will write more about her in the future, when the doll is complete ^_^ For now, I just want to share a few photos of my Suksi Kwe (Deer Woman, in Potowatomi language):

WIP "Esmeralda" Beaded BJD

I have been working on a special project lately -- a beaded BJD! I wasn't sure if I could do it, but I have, and I am quite pleased with the results ^_^ I have named her Esmeralda, she is a faerie. She is about 9 inches tall. She's made of Japanese glass seed beads, organic cotton thread & stuffing, and has Swarovski pearl joints. She has 13 points of articulation, and is my own design and pattern. She kind of reminds me of a marionette for some reason. I think she turned out really cute. I still need to make her clothes, shoes & accessories, but I want to share some photos of her now anyways. I hope you will like her too!