Desert dolls: bring life to your handmade papers

Expression, Jan-Feb, 2005 by Vesta Abel

Stuck inside because it's 20 below outside? Dreaming of the days when the sun was shining on your back? Enter Desert Dolls. These incredibly easy dolls made with handmade papers and polymer clay will help to bring the long forgotten sunshine back into your life. And maybe even keep you warm during the cold, winter months.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

INSTRUCTIONS

Doll Faces 1. Break off a small piece of Black Sculpey clay and roll and knead until softened. 2. Form a ball and press firmly into one of the smaller doll faces on the mold. 3. Carefully peel up clay to see if a face has been formed. 4. Keep some of the excess clay around the top of the head (see larger doll). 5. Form another small ball of clay and cut in half. Press the flat side of the ball on the back of the face to create a rounded head. 6. Cut a cotton swab about 1/2 inch from the tip. 7. Push the stick end of the swab into the bottom center of the clay head. 8. Using the paintbrush that comes with the Interference Perfect Pearls, dip into one color at a time and dust onto face creating a raku look. Add a bit of copper and dust off excess. 9. Bake as directed by manufacturer.

Dresses 1. Place a dinner plate facedown on the lettered paper and trace around the edge with a ballpoint pen. 2. Repeat using a saucer on the burnt tobacco paper. 3. Cut circles out and fold in half, creating a crease. 4. Cut pieces in half on fold line. 5. On the burnt tobacco paper, stamp the Southwest Border design around the curved end with black permanent ink. Fold paper around forming a cone shape with a tiny opening at the top to insert the cotton tip end of head. 6. Squeeze some of the Tacky Glue on the cotton end and press into the top of the cone. 7. Hold for a few minutes until glue sets. 8. Cut tiny fringe on the edge of folded cone. 9. Glue the fringed edge closed using Glue Dots. 10. Cut a 4-inch length of the 2mm raku glass beads leaving a loop at each end. 11. Cut a 3-inch length of the turquoise beads. 12. Join ends of each necklace with a tiny jump ring. 13. Place necklaces on each doll. 14. In a small bowl, add about 1/4 cup of water. 15. Squeeze a few drops of Eggplant Adirondack reinkers into the water. Stir to blend. 16. Tear off a sheet of paper toweling and place in the inked water. 17. Repeat steps 13-15 with Espresso Adirondack reinkers for the smaller doll. 18. Squeeze excess water out of dyed paper and carefully open. 19. Squeeze a bit of Tacky Glue on the top of the head. 20. Place the wet paper on top of the doll's head, forming a shawl. 21. Tear off a ragged edge to form the bottom of the shawl. 22. Squeeze a few dots of glue to adhere the shawl to the body. 23. Heat-set the shawl with a heat tool to speed up drying time. 24. Cut tiny fringe on the bottoms of shawls and skirts. Feed a few small purple beads onto some of the vertical fringe on the gray skirt. 25. Press tiny Copper Diamond Dots on the center of each Southwest Border stamping on burnt tobacco skirt. 26. Squeeze a small amount of Copper Decor it ink onto a paper plate. Dip into ink with a makeup sponge and lightly rub on the scarves and dresses to add a gilded touch.

RELATED ARTICLE: MATERIALS

HANDMADE PAPERS (I used Burnt Tobacco and Gray Lettered paper.)

PLAIN WHITE PAPER TOWELS (I used the thick absorbent type.)

PREMO! SCULPEY CLAY--BLACK

SCULPEY FLEXIBLE PUSH MOLD--DOLL MOLDS

PERFECT PEARLS--INTERFERENCE SET, COPPER

ADIRONDACK REINKERS--EGGPLANT, ESPRESSO

DECOR IT INK--COPPER

PERMANENT INK--BLACK

COTTON SWAB

ALEENE'S TACKY GLUE

GLUE DOTS--MINI

GLASS BEAD NECKLACES--2MM RAKU, TURQUOISE

SMALL PURPLE BEADS

SMALL JUMP RINGS

NEEDLE-NOSE PLIERS

WIRE CUTTER

DIAMOND DOTS--COPPER

SCISSORS

HEAT TOOL

DINNER PLATE AND SAUCER

SMALL BOWL

BALLPOINT PEN

MAKEUP SPONGE

STAMP--TM-61 JEWELRY SET (ARTSEEDS.COM)