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Caroline, A Little Red Wonder

June 2, 2008 By Rebecca Leave a Comment

This little girl is Caroline. She is my original design and is guaranteed one of a kind! Caroline is 19″ tall with a 10″ wingspan. She has been made of muslin & stuffed with fiberfill. She has been hand-painted & sanded, top to bottom many, many times. She has been treated to a series of paint washes, giving her a rich, deeply-aged patina. Caroline’s arms are lightly wired allowing them to be slightly posed. She has a hemp loop attached to her back for hanging or she can sit, if propped. Her knees are sewn through, making her a wonderful ‘shelf sitter’.

Caroline’s face has been needle-sculpted by hand and hand-painted. Her bottom lip ‘pouts’ while her top lip is simply painted. She has been painted with various mediums & has been sealed top to bottom with a combination of glossy & matte acrylic sealer so that she may be lightly dusted after display & kept a lifetime.

Caroline’s fingers have been needle-sculpted by hand. She sports tan painted gloves. She sports painted brown boots with tan socks. Her boots are highly detailed right down to her perfectly red laces!

Caroline’s underskirt is made from a striped 100% cotton print. Her over skirt is white muslin. I hand-painted red poppies onto the white muslin before constructing her skirt. I’m so happy with the way it turned out. Caroline’s blouse is made of white muslin & features hand-gathered sleeves. Her collar is finished with a red, vintage button. Both the dress & blouse feature tons of hand-stitching! All visible hems have been hand-stitched (dress, sleeves, collar), as well as the back of the blouse. Caroline’s clothing has been washed in a coffee & lavender bud bath. All pieces were then hand-wash & pressed with linen water.

Caroline’s poppies feature olive green stems & golden centers. Her wings have been made of muslin, stuffed with fiberfill & are hand-quilted. They’ve been painted & sanded many times and have been stained & sealed for protection.

Caroline’s hair is 100% mohair in a pretty, honey-blonde color. She has pale blonde highlights! It was lightly glued then carefully needle felted to her head. Caroline’s hair is parted & styled into low, messy buns.

Caroline can sit in the positions show below when propped. (In the 2nd photo she is propped against a small, antique cheese box.)

Caroline was such a FUN doll to make! She will be available on eBay beginning June 1st at 9:15 PM EST & will end June 8th at 9:15 PM EST. Click here to view or bid on this little darling! She’s sure to make your home smile!

(Caroline was made especially for a Prim & Whimsy Girl challenge titled ‘Art in Bloom. Click here to see the wonderful items fellow Prim & Whimsy Girls have to offer or search PWGL FLOWERS in your eBay search bar.)

Filed Under: Dolls Tagged With: angel, appalachian folk art, hand-painted doll, handmade doll, kentucky folk art, muslin doll, primitive doll, self-taught artist, wings

Marigold, a Primitive Angel of Charity & Hope

May 31, 2008 By Rebecca Leave a Comment

This little lady is Marigold. Marigold was made especially for an American Cancer Society Relay for Life auction, hosted tonight at Rogers Elementary School in Wolfe County, KY. She was won by Ada & Drew Spencer of Rogers.

Marigold is 19 inches tall with a wingspan of 11.5 inches.

If you would like to find Relay for Life events near you please visit this site or to donate to the American Cancer Society, please visit here.

Filed Under: Dolls Tagged With: angel, charity doll, gift, relay for life

Rosalie, a Primitive Girl in Pale Green.

May 26, 2008 By Rebecca 3 Comments

I’m so happy to introduce to you, Rosalie. She is my original design and is guaranteed one of a kind art! Rosalie is 20″ tall. She has been made of muslin & stuffed with fiberfill. Rosalie has been hand-painted & sanded, top to bottom many, many times. She has been treated to a series of paint washes, giving her a rich, deeply-aged patina. She has a hemp loop attached to her back making her suitable for wall display or she can sit upright when propped. Her knees are jointed.

Sweet Rosalie’s face has been needle-sculpted by hand and hand-painted. Her bottom lip ‘pouts’ while her top lip is simply painted. She has been painted with various mediums & has been sealed top to bottom with a combination of glossy & matte acrylic sealer so that she may be lightly dusted after display & kept a lifetime.

Rosalie’s fingers have been needle-sculpted by hand. She sports buttery, yellow painted gloves & painted brown boots with buttery, yellow socks. Her boots are highly detailed right down to the laces!

Rosa’s underskirt is a 100% cotton page green floral print. Her over skirt is nubby taupe osnaburg which has such a fabulous texture. Rosalie’s blouse is made of white muslin & features hand-gathered sleeves & taupe beads. Both the dress & blouse feature tons of hand-stitching! All visible hems have been hand-stitched (dress, sleeves, collar), as well as the back of the blouse.

Rosa carries a sweet paper rose posy. It has been wrapped in chartreuse satin ribbon & finished off with a hemp bow. It is fastened to Rosalie’s hand with two hemp loops. She can be posed without it.

Rosalie’s hair is black 100% mohair. I’ve lightly glued, then carefully needle-felted it to her head. Her hair is parted & styled into two side buns & twists.

Rosalie will be available on Ebay Sunday May 25th beginning at 9:15 PM EST. She will end Sunday evening, June 1st at 9:15 PM EST. Click here to view or bid on this pretty little lady!!

Filed Under: Dolls Tagged With: black doll, primitive doll

Look What’s Coming…

May 21, 2008 By Rebecca Leave a Comment

A brand new PWGL eBay challenge! Make sure to search PWGL on eBay JUNE 1st – 7th to see all the fabulous art we’ve made! You won’t be disappointed!

Filed Under: Announcements

Henny, a primitive Hummingbird in shades of Green

May 19, 2008 By Rebecca 2 Comments

This little hummingbird is Henny. She is my original design and is guaranteed one of a kind art! Henny is 21″ tall with a wingspan of 12″. She has been made of muslin & stuffed with fiberfill. Henny has been hand-painted & sanded, top to bottom many, many times. She has been treated to a series of paint washes, giving her a rich, deeply-aged patina. Henny’s arms are lightly wired allowing them to be slightly posed. She has a hemp loop attached to her back for hanging or can sit if propped. Henny’s knees are jointed.

Henny’s face has been needle-sculpted by hand and hand-painted. Her bottom lip ‘pouts’ while her top lip is simply painted. She has been painted with various mediums & has been sealed top to bottom with a combination of glossy & matte acrylic sealer so that she may be lightly dusted after display & kept a lifetime.

Henny’s little fingers have been needle-sculpted by hand. She sports brown painted gloves & the cutest brown boots with striped socks in shades of green. Henny’s boots are highly detailed right down to the laces!

Henny’s apron dress is made from two super cute 100% cotton prints, polka dot prints. Her blouse has been made of white muslin & features hand-gathered sleeves & a vintage button at the neckline. Both Henny’s dress & blouse feature tons of hand-stitching! All visible hems have been hand-stitched (dress, sleeves, collar), as well as the back of the blouse. Henny’s clothing has been treated to a coffee bath, adding to it’s aged appearance. Her clothing was then hand-washed & pressed with linen water.

Henny’s wings have been made of muslin & hand-quilted. They are highly detailed & are attached with a large vintage button & several strands of heavy duty thread.

Henny’s hair is red 100% mohair. (A little more subtle than in these photos.) I’ve lightly glued, then carefully needle-felted it to her head. Her hair is styled into two low messy buns.

Henny will be available Sunday May 18th at 9:15 PM EST. She will end Sunday, May 25th at 9:15 PM EST. Click here to view or bid!!!

Filed Under: Dolls Tagged With: bird, hummingbird

Hey There Little Red Riding Hood…

May 12, 2008 By Rebecca 5 Comments

This little girl needs no introduction!! Little Red Riding Hood & her pet Wolfie have been so much fun this week! This doll set is my original design and is guaranteed one of a kind art! Little Red is 30″ tall. Her little wolf cub is 10″ wide (excluding tail) & 10.5″ tall. Both art dolls have been made of muslin & stuffed with fiberfill. Red’s lower torso has been rag-stuffed & bean filled, weighting her little bottom, so that she sits nicely. Both dolls have been hand-painted & sanded, top to bottom many, many times & have been treated to paint washes, giving them rich, deeply-aged patinas. Red’s arms are lightly wired allowing her to be slightly posed.

Red’s face has been needle-sculpted by hand and hand-painted. Her bottom lip ‘pouts’ while her top lip is simply painted. She has been painted with various mediums & She has been sealed top to bottom with a combination of glossy & matte acrylic sealer so that she may be lightly dusted after display & kept a lifetime.

Red’s fingers have been needle-sculpted by hand. She sports buttery, yellow painted gloves. She sports painted brown boots & buttery, yellow socks with Red laces, truly fitting for this little girl!

Red’s cape has been made of corduroy & lined with a sweet red floral print. It features hand-stitching around the hood & ties at the neck with two chocolate ribbons. Her blouse is made of white muslin & features hand-gathered sleeves & sweet a collar finished with an off white glass pearl. Red’s apron dress is made from a tan, twig & berry 100& cotton print. Both the dress & blouse feature tons of hand-stitching! All visible hems have been hand-stitched (dress, sleeves), as well as the back of the blouse.

Red’s sweet little wolf cub has been made from nine separate pieces. His legs are attached with vintage buttons as is his tail. His face has been needle-sculpted by hand. He is highly detailed & features blue eyes. He can sit on his own.

Red’s hair is wavy brown 100% mohair. I’ve lightly glued, then carefully needle-felted it to her head. It has been twisted to the side then fashioned into a low side pony tied with chocolate ribbon.

(All week I’ve gone through the house singing “Hey there little red riding hood….” & Hungry Like a Wolf! Thanks, David Cook! Hmmm, what will I sing around the house this week? )

Little Red Riding Hood & Wolf are available on eBay Sunday May 11th at 9:15 PM EST & will run through Sunday May 18th at 9:15 PM EST. Click here to view or bid on this darling set!

Filed Under: Dolls, Fairytale Tagged With: big bad wolf, Fairy Tale, little red riding hood, primitive dolls

Searching for Morel Mushrooms in Kentucky’s Woods

May 6, 2008 By Rebecca 42 Comments

For my family, in Kentucky, springtime means two things–trout fishing & mushroom hunting. Often referred to as dry land fish (because of the shape when viewed from the side), morel mushrooms begin popping up mid-late April & end early May. I’ve been hunting them since childhood, when my dad would announce that mushrooms were probably up & it was time to go dry land fishing. We would take to the woods–a group of adults & lots of little ones. Dad would remind us to watch where we stepped, lead us to poplar trees & when he bent down & plucked something from the earth, we all came running, too excited to remember to watch where our feet landed. Many times I stood, in the middle of the woods, thinking ‘God, why can’t they be purple or blue?’. My eyes could not see them & I had not yet developed the patience to search for the elusive morel.

My how things change.

Over the years, I kept going mushroom hunting with Dad. He taught me how to identify a poplar tree, took me to his secret mushroom spots, places where he had found oodles in the past. We discovered new spots together & still every time he bent down to pluck one from the earth, I had to resist the urge to break into a full run to see what he had found. The most important thing I’ve learned from my Dad about searching for the morel is that you can’t be in a hurry. I’ve learned a wealth of other important information, too: Look near sycamore trees & poplars. Search old apple orchards. Begin searching in mid-late April after a rain & then a few warm days in a row. Never eat a morel with a ‘cottony’ stem (This is the ‘False Morel’, which is poisonous. ‘True Morels’ have hollow stems.) Pinch mushrooms off at the bottom. Conceal your mushroom bag until you get in the woods! And never reveal your good mushroom spots. But most importantly, take your time, look in a spot two or three times. Move slowly & cautiously. Enjoy the hunt as well as the finding. And if you find a lot, share them with someone you love!

Last night’s findings–My husband & I found 106! We were ecstatic.

Mushroom tip: Always carry your mushrooms in a mesh bag so the spores can fall as you walk! A couple of years down the road, you’ll be happy you did!

Filed Under: My Appalachia Tagged With: appalachia, dry land fish, kentucky, morel mushrooms

Clara Belle: A Primitive Doll & her Hummingbird

May 5, 2008 By Rebecca Leave a Comment

I’m so happy to introduce to you, Clara Belle. She is my original design and is guaranteed one of a kind art! Clara is 28″ tall. She has been made of muslin & stuffed with fiberfill. Her lower torso has been rag-stuffed & bean filled, weighting her little bottom, so that she sits nicely. Clara has been hand-painted & sanded, top to bottom many, many times. She has been treated to a series of paint washes, giving her a rich, deeply-aged patina. Clara’s arms are lightly wired allowing her to be slightly posed.

Clara’s face has been needle-sculpted by hand and hand-painted. Her bottom lip ‘pouts’ while her top lip is simply painted. She has been painted with various mediums. She has been sealed top to bottom with a combination of glossy & matte acrylic sealer so that she may be lightly dusted after display & kept a lifetime.

Clara Belle’s fingers have been needle-sculpted by hand. She sports buttery, yellow painted gloves. She sports painted brown boots & buttery, yellow socks. Her boots are highly detailed right down to the laces!

Clara’s apron dress is made from two super cute 100% cotton prints. Her underskirt is a yellow Moda print featuring dark peach berries. Her over skirt is a cute dark brown fabric with creme polka dots. Clara’s blouse is made of taupe osnaburg & features hand-gathered sleeves. Her collar is finished with a vintage button. Both the dress & blouse feature tons of hand-stitching! All visible hems have been hand-stitched (dress, sleeves, collar), as well as the back of the blouse.

Clara’s little ruby-throated hummingbird is made of 4 separate pieces. It is my original design. It has been hand-painted, sanded, color-washed & sanded again. The wings & tail are attached with clear buttons & several strands of heavy duty button thread. It is 7″ from head to tail. The wings can be posed.

This sweet little bird is highly detailed. It will not sit up on it’s own, but can be propped upon Clara’s lap or propped against her hand as shown.

Clara’s hair is straight blonde 100% mohair. ( Notice her highlights! ) I’ve lightly glued, then carefully needle-felted it to her head. Her hair is styled into low messy pincurls.

Clara Belle is available on eBay beginning May 4th at 9:15 PM EST. She will end May 11th at 9:15 EST. Click here to view or bid!

Filed Under: Dolls Tagged With: birds, hummingbird, primitive doll

My First Wedding Anniversary

April 28, 2008 By Rebecca 11 Comments

One year ago today I was swept up in a very long ‘to-do’ list & preparing to marry the love of my life.

I thought I would share some pictures of that day & our sweet little country wedding in a barn next to our house. (It was a complete DIY wedding, with the help of our family.) (Click the thumbnails to see a larger version of each picture.)

Hand-painted wedding sign!

The scenery:

My ‘His’ & ‘Hers’ Ring Bearers.

We really didn’t want a stuffy wedding. We wanted our day full of family, friends, laughter, great food, meaningful music & the feeling of a truly beautiful, down home shindig.

My bridal party walked in to “In my Time of Need” by Ryan Adams, which will forever be one of my favorite songs. My Dad & I walked in to “Come Away with Me” by Nora Jones. Our recessional was “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” by The Jayhawks. (Fun!)

It was a such a memorable day on the banks of Grassy Creek.

Filed Under: My Appalachia, Wedding Tagged With: appalachia, barn wedding, country wedding, DIY bride, kentucky, outdoor wedding, primitive wedding, primitive wedding photos

A Primitive Black Veined Butterfly with Rose Bouquet

April 28, 2008 By Rebecca 2 Comments

This charmer is Loretta. She will be my last butterfly for a little while. Loretta is 19" tall with a wingspan of 15". She has been made of muslin & stuffed with fiberfill. Loretta has been hand-painted & sanded, top to bottom many, many times. She has been treated to a series of paint washes, giving her a rich, aged patina. Loretta has a loop attached to her back for hanging or she can sit (if propped).

Loretta’s face has been needle-sculpted by hand and hand-painted. Her bottom lip ‘pouts’ while her top lip is simply painted. She is heavily detailed & features big brown eyes, rosy cheeks & rosy lips. She has been painted with various mediums. She has been sealed top to bottom with a combination of glossy & matte acrylic sealer so that she may be lightly dusted after display & kept a lifetime.

Loretta’s fingers have been needle-sculpted by hand. She sports taupe painted gloves. She also sports painted brown boots and striped socks in shades of cream and taupe.

Loretta’s apron dress is made from two super cute 100% cotton prints. Her underskirt is a pale, pale sage green floral print. Her over skirt is a striped creme fabric. The skirt straps are finished with two vintage mother of pearl buttons in the front. Loretta’s blouse is made of muslin & features hand-gathered sleeves. Both the dress & blouse feature tons of hand-stitching! All visible hems have been hand-stitched (dress & sleeves), as well as the back of the blouse & collar.

Loretta’s wings have been made of muslin, machine-quilted around the edges & then hand-painted. They were inspired by the Black Veined White butterfly. They are lightly wired on top & can be very gently bent. They’re attached to Loretta with a large vintage, green button & several strands of heavy duty thread.

Loretta carries a single rose posy. The rose is a freeze-dried purple passion rose. The rose head has been attached securely to wire, then wrapped in a burlap "cuff" & tied with chocolate ribbon. Loretta holds it by two hemp loops.Loretta’s hair is curly brown 100% mohair. I’ve lightly glued, then carefully needle-felted it to her head. Her hair is styled into a low side pony.

She is available on eBay April 27th – May 4th. Her auction will end at 9:15 PM EST on Sunday, the 4th. Click here to view or bid on this little gal!

Filed Under: Dolls, Spring Tagged With: Butterfly