Art Dolls by Du Buh Du Designs

~Carta Amore~Isabelle de Borchgrave's Paper Dresses

Latest (ongoing) exhibition by Isabelle de Borchgrave

For those of you who have a life long love of paper like me, you probably fall in love all over again when you see something as spectacular as the latest work by designer and paper artist Isabelle De Borchgrave. Her most recent exhibition (currently being held at the Musées d’Art et d’Histoire du Cinquantenaire in her native Brussels) is based on the clothing of the famed Medici family and looks stunning. I can only imagine how exquisite the clothing must be in person. I'm crossing my fingers that she will exhibit her work here (on the West Coast) in the future..enjoy~

photos copyrighted by Andreas von Einsidel and Isabelle de Borchgrave

above: A short interview with the artist

above: An eight minute video showing her atelier, assistants and their process

I've been slow to get back into my work as I am still feeling not feeling myself but I am getting to them ~I'm finding lots of sources of inspiration lately which I'm taking as a tap on the shoulder about the direction my dolls might go. Thanks for bearing with me..

I'll be back tomorrow evening with the winner of the One World, One Heart Giveaway~

 

 

Shop Update Part One: Art Doll Ornaments~"The Wind's Daughters"

~Art Dolls~

(click images to enlarge)

Greetings! I'm running a bit behind on listing the doll images for tomorrow's shop update but I thought I'd go ahead and post the ornaments tonight. As you can see I have just three that will be available (I ran out of time to finish the rest but I may have them available in Feb. as Valentine ornaments). These three are approx. 8" (from head to toe) and 5" wide from the widest part of their paper skirts. They were fashioned after my Doll "Brighid the Wind's Bride" that I made this past summer including the same decorative embossed paper that I used for her dress. They are not as elaborately decorated but do include tiny cutouts of butterflies, dragonflies, and leaves. I added crystal glitter to the bodice, head dress and accents on the dolls so that they give off just the right amount shimmer in the evening light, perfect for the Christmas tree. And their black slippers are coated in ultra fine black glitter (photos taken during the daytime so it's hard to see).

Each is holding a cotton ribbon (coffee stained and starched to hold it's shape) with the same quote by R. Tagore:

"Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky". Each doll hangs by a 4"ribbon that reads "Joyeuses fêtes 2009" (Happy Holidays in French), Du Buh Du Designs .

 

 

I'll be back Sunday morning with the dolls that will be in my shop update which starts at 1pm Pacific. Sorry for the delay but whenever it gets really cold here my hands do a number on me by splitting really bad. My hands look like I attacked a throny rose bush and the bush won. I have to wear gloves and go a bit slower..not very practical when working with silk, paper, a camera and a self imposed deadline :)

Hope you're having a great weekend ~ I'll see you Sunday~

 

above photographed at night under Christmas lights

Art Dolls Only Challenge: The Four Elements

"Brighid, the Wind's Bride" is wearing a veil of paper dragonflies and a dress made of embossed decorative paper embellished with paper dragonflies, butterflies, leaves and blossoms 

 

Welcome! As part of the Art Doll Elements Challenge, I chose to create "Brighid the Wind's bride" representing the element of air . I decided to make her the object of affection of the wind, as if the wind were an "entity" itself, unseen but whose presence could be felt as it wraps around her.

Brighid's body is made of polymer clay and her wavy bobbed hair is made of dark brown mohair. Her dress is made entirely of an embossed decorative paper (sewn and glued on) with off white and cream colored blossoms, butterflies, leaves and dragonflies adorning her dress. Her veil of dragonflies and bouquet are made from water color paper and are embellished with tiny swarovski crystals and silver dipped head pins. I added the tiniest bit of ultra fine crystal glitter to each of the dragonflies wings her veil (unfortunately you can't really see it in the photos). I still have plans to add onto her dress and when she is finished she will be making her way into a shadow box /alter piece for display purposes :)

 

 
Mixed media Art Doll~ Image Image © Christine Alvarado, 2009
 

 

 

In my sky at twilight you  are like a cloud
and your form and color are the way I love them.
 You are  mine, mine, woman with sweet lips
and in your life my infinite dreams live..

~R.Tagore
 

 

 

 

 
Floral bouquet with two streams of cascading butterflies


 Mixed media Art Doll~ Image Image © Christine Alvarado, 2009

 

"Brighid, the Wind's Bride" Art Doll, 2009