A few months ago I made Delphine, the first of my jointed dolls. Little did I know she would start a whole line of jointed dolls. I have become a bit addicted to making these recently. There is a certain attraction to the movement and fabrics. Today I finished my first bride and really took a trip down memory lane. Years ago I was a bridal designer. Working on this doll took me back to the few hundred fittings I was party to and all of those amazing brides. My favorite day when working with each bride was the day they came in to pick up their gown and try it on one last time before their big day. There was always so much emotion that day, each face a kaleidoscope as they turned this way and that looking at the dress they would walk down the aisle in. Always favorite memories of mine.
Today my client was smaller but just as adorable. She has been dubbed "Morrin" and I would like to share a few photos of her progress with you today. Here she is with a freshly painted face, ready for hair. I have many different colors of hair here but red seemed to fit her best. This is also my favorite part of their transformation - bald to flowing locks...
I love wild hair so I may have left her a little unruly but even the most casual bride I ever worked with had a constructed "windblown" look, so I slightly tamed her locks under a jeweled tiara.
The Griffinwyse world is all magical creatures and folklore from every culture so I try to incorporate some unique elf folktales whenever I can. In this case I started thinking of all of the luck and superstitions involved in weddings. There are so many little things brides try to do to ensure their good fortune - some who feverently believe in their power and consequences and some who are simply nodding to their cultures. Whatever the reason, I love traditions. For my little elf bride I imagined it to be good luck to pin a photo of your loved one to the bride's gown. Since elves of all kinds have such long lives, they must not jump into marriage quickly and their weddings would be few but marvelous events. I printed photos of past elves I have made to pin to her gown, plus a few photos for her book.
I have always written a few details about each elf on my site but as their numbers grow they and the world they live in becomes more clear in my mind, there seems to be more to tell. I believe any piece of art speaks to its owner and my elves all develop their own personality as I sculpt. A tilt of the head or twinkle in an eye all offer hints on what they might be or do. To give a little more insight into each doll, they are now coming with their own Griffinwyse scrapbook. Each book is also handmade and I write a few more paragraphs about each elf and include photos and handwritten notes by each character. My intention is that these will help bring them to life for each new companion who takes them home.
Morrin's gown came together easily. One of the things I really loved about bridal gowns were the lace choices. They were so beautiful and I never got tired of hand-sewing them onto the gowns. There is something magical about a wedding gown that you simply do not get in any other garment. The sentiment, the fact that it is made just for you, the detail and time that is no longer put into making garments for the majority of women. Applying lace is like the icing on a cake, so beautiful you cannot help but enjoy yourself. Here is the front of her gown with the photos attached.
Of course no bride can be complete without her engagement ring so I made sure Morrin had a lovely crystal ring.
Once the details were in place, her book finished and signed, it was time for photos.
I will be finishing commissions over the next week and my girls will be out of school until after the new year so time in my studio will be a bit harder to come by but new elves will be arriving! I am anxious to get some festive Polar Elves out before Christmas. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and I will be back to my blog after the new year!
