primitive folk art

Just who makes all those perfectly prim toys for Christmas?

I bet this little girl might have an inkling.

Meet Eloise & Annie. They’re my original designs & have been made of muslin & stuffed with fiberfill . Eloise measures 26″ tall from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet. Annie measures just over 12″ tall. Eloise’s lower torso is rag-stuffed & bean-filled so that she sits nicely. She’s been painted & sanded many times, giving her a lovely, aged patina. She has been sealed with a combination of matte & glossy sealers so that she may be beautifully preserved. Annie can sit with assistance. Both dolls have knees which have been sewn through, making them perfect shelf sitters. Eloise’s arms are lightly wired allowing them to be gently posed.

Eloise’s face has been painted with a variety of media. Her bottom lip & nose have been needle-sculpted by hand.

Eloise’s fingers have been needle-sculpted as well. She sports brown gloves. She also sports pretty brown boots complete with tan socks & red detailed laces.

Eloise’s pointy ears have been attached separately by hand.

The apron dress she wears is made from 100% cotton prints in festive holiday colors. Eloise’s blouse has been made of taupe osanburg & features a big, vintage, mother of pearl button at the neckline. It also features hand-gathered sleeves. All exposed hems have been hand-stitched on both Eloise & Annie’s dresses. There is also hand-stitching at the back of their blouses & along the back seams.

Annie’s dress features a white pearl bead at the neckline & two vintage mother of pearl buttons. Her hair is 100% red mohair & has been lightly glued then stitched & needle-felted into place. Her pigtails are tied with green embroidery thread.

Eloise’s hair is honey blonde 100% mohair. I’ve applied it with light glue & needle-felting. It is tied into a side pony with chocolate ribbon.

Eloise & Annie will be available on eBay Nov. 23 at 9:15 PM EST. They will end Sunday, Nov. 30th at 9:15 PM EST. Click here to bring these little gals home with you.

A Primitive Sea Maiden in shades of Blue & Green

This special little girl is Miranda. Miranda is my original design, inspired by my recent vacation to the beach & all the ‘mermaid money’ we found! She measures 15″ from head to tail. She’s been made of muslin, stuffed with fiberfill & hand-painted & sanded, top to bottom many times. Miranda has a rich, deeply-aged patina, reminiscent of antique dolls. She has a hemp loop attached to her back making her suitable for hanging.

Miranda’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 sealers so that she may be lightly dusted after display.

Miranda has needle-sculpted fingers. She has delicate pink fingernails. She is highly detailed & even features knuckles & a tiny belly button.

Miranda’s tail is painted in varying hues of blue & green with highlights added to give the illusion of sparkling scales.

Miranda is carrying seven sand dollars which range in size from 1-2 inches. They’ve been made of muslin, stuffed & hand-painted & sanded several times. Each piece of ‘mermaid money’ has been strung to a piece of hemp twine & loosely tied to Miranda’s arm.

Her hair is brown 100% mohair. I have lightly glued, then carefully needle-felted it to her head. It is parted & hangs loosely upon her chest. Extra care has been taken (and must be taken) while handling this long mohair as it is fragile & separates easily. Minimum handling is recommended.

Miranda (named after my little cousin who had curly long brown hair just like this) will be available on eBay July 20th at 9PM EST. She will end July 27th at 9PM EST. If you’d like to look at this little girl or even, perhaps, have her swim to your house, click here.