Spell Book Volume 4

The Spell Book Volume 4, October 2018

Halloween

Assembly of

Doll Makers

Welcome to the

Assembly We gather here to create dolls through ritual and practical magic.

Doll makers from all over the globe contribute to this community by sharing tutorials, advice, photographs and works in progress to our online Assembly.

Several times a year, we publish a catalogue of our creations in a Spell Book to share our magic with others.

This Spell Book celebrates the work of artists in our collective in response to the theme of ‘Halloween’.

You can find us on Facebook if you would like to join our Assembly.

Jane Boyd

Tattermedallion Dolls Granny Ogg’s Cook Book.

Inspired by Boyd’s favourite witch from the Discworld novels.

Monica Rodriguez

Jazzy Little Needle Vamp Life.

This vampire was hand sculpted with Sculpey, painted with acrylic paints and sealed with varnish. The hair is made of yarn and the clothes were hand sewn. It is one of a kind.

Claudia Twede

Dreadful Darlings

Veronica the Snake Venom Witch.

Claudia repurposed one of her old sweaters for her to wear.

Anna Northrop-Smith

Elegant Embellishment Fingernail Tutorial

Draw the fingernail shape with a brown micro marker (as you get more experienced you can do this freehand).

Paint on 1 coat of Mod Podge. Let them dry. Repeat.

Then using Crystal Glaze or Diamond Lacquer (personally I use 3D Crystal Glaze), paint on as you would nail varnish. Let dry.

The next step is the trickier part..... after another coat of the glaze, if you wait less time so that it has not dried hard, you can use your thumb and forefinger to kind of 'pull' from the base of the 'nail' and it will come forward and form a nail shape. Let that dry hard and then repeat. It is a matter of practice and just getting used to doing it, to know how long to leave it til you try the pulling. If it sticks to your hand, it is too wet.

Sometimes I lick my fingers so that they slide forward more easily over the part dry glaze.

Eventually you end up with lovely fingernails that do stand forward of the fingers, but don't sit proud on top like false nails do!

I usually make just quite short nails this way, so don't know exactly how long you can go with this method!

The Kids.

Based on a Susan Barmore pattern but with a lot of changes.....paperclay spooky toys and lots of handmade details, like their shoes and boots.

Beth Anne Darr

Wymplewary Agatha.

Agatha enjoys eerily moaning while roaming the autumn fields, gossiping with crows, and fatally flirting with farmhands.

Bea Abraham

Individual Attention Dolls I’ve Put a Spell On You.

Gioconda Pieracci

Pupillae Art Dolls

Astrid.

She’s a little paper clay vampire, painted by hand, she lays in a little coffin with her favourite book.

Allison Jackson

Honey Pot Dolls Star.

A cloth art doll vampire, hand painted and stitched.

Kerryanne Boulton

Poison Palette Meet the king of the pumpkins ready for his fall ball, dressed and ready to go with his bag of gooddies: candy corns and munchkin pumpkins, but be careful he still carries his Skull staff, to keep his subjects from getting mischievous.

He’s a mixed media sculpted art doll, made with textile sculpture, wood and a little of imagination.

Bethany Handfield

Doll Happy

Mr Friendly Mr Friendly is a very sweet guy, but people get a little spooked by him.

Being the son of a gargoyle and ghostly spector can do that to a person. He really just wants to cuddle and snack on candy.

Maybe you’d like to go trick or treating with him?

Funfur Tip

When working with funfur, I find it easiest to always cut from the back to help cut down on so many “bits� going everywhere. I use a rotary cutter on bigger pieces and an x-acto blade on smaller pieces - trying to just cut the backing and not through to the fur itself.

Funfur is very forgiving and can hide a multitude of sins so is really great if you are starting out or have lots of embellishments to hide sticking on.

It also works great as hair and comes in a wide range of fur types, lengths, and colours.

Jay Stelling

Jay Stelling Design Halloween in Whistle-Stop Thistle.

Jay’s miniature town has been decked out for the Halloween season. She has been participating in Drawlloween, posting an image of her dolls in spooky dioramas each day all through the month of October.

Stephanie McMillen

Stephanie McMillen Trick or Treat in Old Red Tennies.

A little child ghost trying to get in on the trick or treating, white sheeting over metal frame, baby hat, and well worn baby tennies, face simple with marker

Charisse Davis Artist

Cyd’s Heritage Dolls and Thangs With Tootie the Witch and her cat Ghost...

Barbie Makeover.

Veronica Rosado

From Fairyland Halloween Bugs.

Has the halloween bug bitten you yet?

Looks like I’ve been bitten not once, but twice! Wow! Once they bite you I can assure that you’ll be in halloween mood all day long, all year round.

Made with epoxy and painted with acrylics, some of the white markings glow in the dark.

Zoe Thomas

Curious Boudoir Dolls Aura: the baby vampire bat.

Aura is a baby vampire bat, she is made of paper clay and is made to hang on the wall.

She measure about 8 x 6 inches.

Boo: the baby vampire bat ghost.

Boo is a baby vampire ghost, she is made of paper clay and is made to hang on the wall.

She measure about 8 x 6 inches.

Thank you for reading and supporting our work!