Exuberant Doll Making- Wild Things!
June 12, 2009 by Noreen Crone-Findlay
Filed under crochet, doll and dolls and dollmaking, weaving and handweaving and looms, yarn
People have been exploring the human form since the beginning of time.
Wild art doll by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright
I believe that we are hardwired to be fascinated by the shape of human beings.
I think that this is what has lead to the creation of dolls- people ask themselves:
‘How can I take a handful of interesting bits and pieces and put them together so they express something about being human?’
I say: ‘Go for it! Gather up the ephemera of your life, and play with it!’
You’ll see , paper beads, tatting, buttons, dice, incense tiles, beads, charms, bottle tops and more in the dolls in the pictures below.
Do you have some yarnie gadgets that you’d like to experiment with, but don’t know what you’d do with the resulting thingies that you’ll be making? Well, get them out, and play with color and texture with them!
The hair on the doll below was made with tiny pom pom makers. You can also use the flowers from flower looms as hair, too….
Wild art doll by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright
Because crochet is both painterly AND sculptural, it is the most wonderful medium to use in the doll making process.
one of a kind art doll by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright
You can add all kinds of other techniques to embellish the wild dolls. If you are a woodworker, add wooden elements!
One of a kind art doll by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright
Love working with wire? I do…. so I build wire armatures as the leaping off point for many of my dolls.
One of a kind art doll by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright
It’s important to constantly look at the world in new ways.
Using the doll making process as a way of expressing your creativity will certainly ignite your imagination and fire up your creativity.
One of a kind art doll by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright
That’s what I do on a regular basis: I combine crochet, weaving, tatting, woodworking, wire work, knitting and all manner of found and created objects (I have a passion for making unusual shoes for my dolls. What can I say?) and then make all kinds of wild and wooly dolls that are a voyage of discovery and delight!
And, how about you?
How do you put things together in interesting ways?
Have you tried wild andwooly doll making?
I invite you to drop some of your inhibitions, and just play……… joy awaits!
Noreen: Do you ever sleep? You constantly amaze me with the beautiful things you come up with. Your dolls have inspired me (again!) – I have yarn flowers that I loomed, bits and pieces of ribbon and lace that I just can’t part with, you know the deal!
I showed my son-in-law the squares I’ve been weaving on the potholder loom to make a blanket for my new grandson. His daddy was amazed that you could do more than use loops on the loom. I told him you gave me the idea, then showed him all the other stuff I’ve got going on, inspired by you. He’s one of the few men in my family that truly appreciates handmade things (he’s a cabinetmaker by trade). He’s a gem, and I constantly remind my daughter she did good!
Ah, Tammy, you are so kind! Thank you so much! I am so pleased that my work has triggered your creativity! Hurrah! That gives me so much joy!
Your son-in-law sounds like a true delight- how wonderful! Mine is a keeper, too…. aren’t we lucky?
Hello, just a note to tell anyone who loves the paper bead.
Mzuribeads have been individually hand rolling beads from recycled paper to make unique beads and jewellery from the village of Ndejje in Uganda for over three years. I would like everyone interested in the art of rolling paper beads to visit our website, where you can locate a stockist near you or goto our online shop to buy our loose paper beads and paper bead jewellery. http://www.mzuribeads.com Thank you, Kirstie
These are wonderful – my husband has recently started weaving again – creative bags – and I’m looking at incorporating weaving, crochet, knitting into my jewelry. I’d never thought how free and expressive these techniques could be.
Here in the Caribbean SO many women crochet but it’s all following patterns – I’d love to introduce these much more creative and expressive techniques to them too.
But first I have to learn to knit and crochet a bit! Oh what an adventure…if anyone is ever down this way on holiday (Barbados or St. Lucia) let me know – maybe we can arrange a workshop!