Slightly Christmas

I haven't been feeling any of this "Christmas spirit", so I got this little tree.

Unfortunately, I have to keep it in an elevated corner so my cat won't eat it and die. (<--clearly I worry about him going, doing and eating all sorts of things.) I'm also hoping to keep the tree alive till spring so I can take it to my family's house and plant it in the yard.

Woodland creatures, gnomes and a random Pinnochio I got in Florence.

Here's an in-progress shot of another project I'm working on. It's also a long term project that'll probably take a while but I've got a lot of hope for this one being really interesting in the end. I'm not 100% settled on things so I won't give much away but this is just the beginning.

My silk spider visiting the photo shoot and getting comfortable made me think I should include some animals in this too, maybe bugs, maybe birds (they are sorta my thing). We shall see, but a fuzzy caterpillar sounds fun.

Updates All Round

I finally broke down and did it, I made a Facebook page:

Sacrificial Rabbits - Crystal A. Suh Facebook artist page

If you're on FB (and like my work), please "like" it and spread the word to your friends! ;)



I also have a new addition to my shop, a cotton spider (not to be confused with the silk spider). The cotton spider is bigger and a little more brutish but plenty nice and would be a funny tree ornament too.

You can view the listing/ purchase here: Cotton Spider on Etsy

I also have two recent "works in progress" shots to share, here is one:

I haven't decided if I want to just work on a series of singular hoop-frame pieces or if I want to go ahead and reserve these for a grand, decorative quilt. I've been wanting to do both but of course a quilt will be a super long term project should I decide to continue with it (eep!) 

Of course if this ends up being a singular scene, it's pretty much done.

Annnd here is my clay doll,

I was working feverishly on her for a few weeks and have taken a hiatus. There is a long ways to go, including making more pieces, painting, working on the jointing, hair and dressing but I've decided not to rush it. I want it to be as successful a first try as possible.


And as an item of note, my succulent was featured in this treasury by Chastity Hubbard

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/ODg3NDg2MHwxNDc4OTc1NDYy/all-the-plants

I was pretty sure making a realistic succulent and putting it in a jar would be a fun idea but I'm blown away by how popular it is- Thanks !

Halloweeny

Happy Halloween!

Made a tiny pumpkin girl as a paint test

Besides this pumpkin girl, I haven't really been in the Halloween spirit, but I did get together some of my recent in-progress shots and I've been told, it's kind of creepy...

Messing with newly filed hands

Hands holding bones and moss

painting eyeballs- wooooo

Bulging eyeballs from my unfinished head

Not in-progress, my cat:

Almost winky, Byron with a "tangereen", I ambushed him while sleepy

Come November, I'll have a few new dolls to debut. I finished the siamese sisters, a couple of birds (from basic to fanciful) and will also have a couple of lovely little maidens to show for my time away.

Till then, have a fun Halloween everyone! (I myself am just glad it stopped snowing!)

Work In Progress: The Spider

I have some special plans for this guy (girl?),

But it's gonna take more work on some other components before it's done (never mind that I haven't fully decided upon what to do with my fish). But you can probably get an idea of where I'm going with this one by the knit under it.

It's kind of funny to be showing off a spider piece while my creamy bird with a bowtie is featured in the following spooky-style treasury, but I guess all of the birds together like that is kind of creepy in an old Victorian portrait way haha.



"Things that go bump in the night" by Skunkhollow


As my sister, Joan would say, "Whoa dang..." while I was writing this post, I was also featured in this treasury:

"Botanical and All Natural" treasury by  BungalowbyMilkshake

Gorgeous hints of green in this one.  
I love Spring- even though Spring hates my sinuses.


*Just A Reminder* 

Bird fans, don't forget there's a special Easter edition bird out on Friday!
And though I usually reserve commentary on my own pieces, I can (almost 100%) promise you'll find this one whimsical and cute.  :)

Work in Progress: more from the flock of birds

Before all the birds are fully photographed and decidedly distributed, here's a little backtrack to a growing flock:

Amusing myself while making legs

The most birds I've ever queued to date (also: see cat in window)

Thought these three looked particularly good together, like a Cream Court

Once I've photographed them all (for details and etc), it will be decided if any make it to consignment and the rest will be released incrementally, (primarily via my Etsy). I *might* end up adding a couple more to the group because after this spree, I'm going to take a break from individually sold birds (includes bird pairs) and work on some unfinished dolls and longer term projects so if anyone was interested in birds, now is the time to keep an eye out.


On another note, I was also featured in a few treasuries :)  :



"echos of nature" treasury by Ampaden


 "Birds of a Feather a pif treasury" treasury by my4sisters






"On The Bonnie Bonnie Banks" treasury by KogoShuko

In Progress: The Sisters

I finally got around to working on the Siamese twin torso I started and left so long ago. Now they have heads, and are in the pinning stage for their dress. I kind of jumped ahead (they still need legs) but I've been trying to practice/learn embroidery so I jumped on the skirt first. The skill level isn't quite where I want it to be yet but I'll just have to keep at it.

Possible pose for them, though I originally had something else specific in mind.

They have a splitting headache right now

Attempted sinking ship, still debating on whether I want to fill in the ship more

Jewelry: Details Before the Official Unveiling

I picked up this chick in Long Island, my only purchase but she was cheap ($5)

Today I took some detail shots of the jewelry I've completed thus far, I'm not officially unveiling it yet but I think you can get a good idea of the collection from these images. Not shown in whole are shoulder chains and body harnesses, those will come with the "official unveiling".

Extra Long feather necklace in gunmetal with wrapped chain stem

Detail of body harness, pyrite gems

Detail of shoulder chain/harness, real crystal gems from antique hurricane lamps

Two feather charms, one from the necklace above, the other a harness. I'm also making shoulder duster earrings from this design.

A Spot Cat, A Sad Bear And An In Progress Shot

I've been sick but also trying to get better for the Halloween festivities (saturday parties) which means overdosing on oj, sleeping and tweaking something I already had in my closet so I wouldn't have to go out/ spend money. I'm feeling a lot better but haven't been able to get halloweened out this week which is kind of disappointing.

I do have a few things to show though:

Progress on my doll-(I like the hand on the mouth- maybe I *won't* put the beak on), done mostly just before I got sick,


I found another "sad bear"...um actually well, he looks happy (and maybe dressed for the holiday) but he IS a found-bear,


And I "spotted" another cat,


It's like three posts for the price of one! I had some shots of the beautiful skies that have been around but I'll save that and my Halloween post for later.

Bone Box and "Plague" In Progress

This weekend was more about going out in the light of day than making anything (or finishing for that matter) but I did manage a few things, a lot of little hands were made and some organizing.

A box of some little pieces:


And progress on the "Plague", still pinning, still not done but with some black now:


I also went to a "Snorters" meet up (for snorting dogs) and saw a crazymazing sunset. It was so crazy and amazing, I had to make up that word.



This was at the tail end of it.

Work In Progress- Korean Doll (in mourning maybe?)

I came across another half-made doll body in my things (neck to toes, no hands and probably the last one) so I felt compelled to make it a head. It wasn't my intent to make this one Asian but the eyes and coloring lent themselves to it.


Then when I started pinning, other clothes just really weren't working- this one was made to wear hanbok (traditional Korean dress).
So far she's only wearing undergarments.



I like the striking contrast of white and am considering making her "in mourning".
White cotton hanbok is traditionally for mourners but I'd want it in silk and I don't think I want to make straw shoes (also traditional mourning attire).



I like the idea overall but there are some issues between accuracy and my aesthetics...

This Is A Skull And This Is A Mattress

This is a skull I made:


It's the beginning of another project I've wanted to work on but this is a big one and is under wraps for now. It'll probably take a long, long time and I don't have it all figured out yet but hopefully I can improve on the skull design a little because I'll need to make more than a few. (Btw, unrelated to Halloween.)

And this is a mattress:

The broken glass almost looks like a pile of jewels on that floral print.
That chair isn't looking nearly as good.

In Progress- Unpinned & Unmasked Plague

So, yesterday I posted pictures of the pinned Plague doll (probably not the best name but easier to say) and today I took out pins and began a little work on it.


I wanted to show the striking difference between an all white/ivory version from the black of yesterday. I'm kind of in love with this version too which means decisions... or two dolls.


The headpiece is a random piece I started for a separate idea- it looks kind of like a turban right now. It probably won't end up in the final version.

In Progress- Mermaid And "Plague Doctor"

I was going through some of my drawers of materials when I happened across a few started-never-finished doll bodies. There was the head and torso of an old woman, a Siamese twin torso and one random body that was too androgynous.

Out of the three, I felt inclined to give the manly one some "plastic surgery". I liked the outcome quite a bit and started on an idea I've been dying to work on for quite some time,

Love Affair with the Plague Doctor (or something like that):


As of now, only the eyes are stitched in (still need color). The mask is mostly made but everything else in pinned on. I'm still playing around with the style of hair and whether I want a big dramatic Plague Doctor hat or if it'd be too overpowering.



I've always been in love with the imagery of the plague doctor, birds, skeletons and masquerade. The cute stuff is definitely fun to make and come up with but I'm very pleased to be making a piece that's more dream-like. (Uh, like my dreams I guess. What do you want from me? I had a dream last night I was at a mall and there was a sniper there.)



And also, I put in some work on the mermaid (I know, about time!) She still needs arms (hands are a bitch to make btw).


I put small beads on the tail to sort of mimic pretty ocean debris. The back is stitching that I was going to cover but grew on me over time. I'm debating pigmenting the skin a little.

Gnomes

I ended up changing ideas for my mushroom.
I made a gnome to compliment it (I love gnomes!) and I'm very pleased with how he came out. I took him outside for a shoot and ended up doing a little play on the Amelie/ Travelocity gnome afterward. That "postcard" is one of those snapshots.

Going to animate the formal shoot I did (or re-shoot) but finally glad to be done-enough on one project to start formal shooting. :)

Work In Progress- Mario & Princess Peach Cake Topper- "It's Me, Mario!"

I must shoot this properly before I sew them down but I had just finished Mario and had so much fun posing them around that I thought I'd jump in and shoot a couple pictures.

Now that he's done, I've gotta figure out how they should be posed and what (if anything) I'd like them to stand on. I was thinking maybe a big mushroom, I'm also considering the top of a turret but it's all IFs and MAYBES right now.