The Art of Managing an Online Creative Business

When I started Scarlet Elfcup two years ago, I dived headlong into it not knowing one thing about doll making or running an online creative business. The only thing I knew was that I had the chance to try something absolutely new and different from anything I've ever done or dreamed of doing. And so, I propelled forward and took a leap of faith with the following quote by Tim Ferris inspiring me:

"Conditions are never perfect. 'Someday' is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you. If it's important to you and you want to do it 'eventually', just do it and correct the course along the way."

So, began the journey.

It has been an incredible journey. But, like all journeys, the incredible is defined as much by the beautiful moments as it is by the hard and challenging times. Running an online creative business takes a whole lot of heart and courage. If I had asked myself the question, "What could I possibly have to offer that would be any different from the thousands upon thousands of other blogs, doll makers or fiber artists out there?", I wouldn't be here having the time of my life. That's a question I'm happy I didn't ask myself when I started this journey.

Running an online creative business is an art...the art of the balancing act...a skill I've never been able to achieve. Nonetheless, it's worth a try over and over again. Living, learning and keeping up with the times is only a small part of what it takes to thrive in this world filled with creative geniuses.

Starting and maintaining a creative business is hard work. It takes:

• Working evenings and weekends: There isn't enough time in a day to accomplish or create everything I'm dreaming about. In Scarlet Elfcup creations as well as anything I've ever done in my past life, I enjoy making things that I've never tried before or tweaking existing things into perfection. Hence, as you can imagine, each project brings an entirely different pattern or design to be dreamt up and created. Copious amounts of time are put into designing and creating patterns, organizing photo shoots, gathering thoughts for the blog posts, researching different materials, tools and resources, learning new skills and techniques, writing meaningful blog posts with clear intentions.
• Staying up to date: I try to keep track of my favorite blogs and fiber artists and interact with readers and followers on my own blog and social media sites and respond on a daily basis. I also make it a point to go through emails and respond to those who have contacted me for any form of comments or inquiries. Staying up to date, without over-running on 'making' time requires a whole lot of discipline and time management. It's impossible to keep up with all of my favorite blogs and fiber artists without eating into my own time to make and create.
• Maintaining social media interaction: I am a pretty private person. You're hard pressed to find my face anywhere on the internet. In my personal life, I don't use social media. I check email sparingly. And I'm on the phone even less. I'm a here and now 'present-right-before-you' kind of person. So, when I started Scarlet Elfcup, I was forced to 'get with the times'...enter the world of Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and much more. The technical aspects of blogging and dealing with an online world that is ever-changing challenges and inspires me. I'm still learning the ins and outs of social media. I'll continue to study other blogs, ask questions and try out things for myself. And it'll all lead me to do the thing that inspired me to start Scarlet Elfcup in the first place...try something different, learn something new. 

This leads me to today's "live and learn" moment...my exploration into the world of Tumblr...the online photo blogging place. So, if you're there...help Scarlet Elfcup through it. If you're not, and you're interested in trying something new, then, let's go together and learn it together.

Follow Scarlet Elfcup on Tumblr...just for the fun of it...or for the chance to win today's giveaway...

A set of 3 Rainbabies

The Rainbaby was Scarlet Elfcup's very first and original creation. Scarlet Elfcup's Rainbaby was inspired by California's drought. They were called the Rainbabies in Hibernation.

At the time that they were created, California had been in severe drought for several years and there had been little to no snow on many California mountains. Those of us who live here felt it in the air. So, it was no wonder that rain was on my mind a lot and therefore I wanted to bring the whimsical idea of rain into the world...it was perhaps just a piece of hope...a dream, a wish for water from the heavens.

These Rainbabies are amongst hundreds and thousands of Rainbabies still in hibernation...in a deep deep slumber they slept. The question was, "When will they rise and shine to shower California with much needed water?" Sweet little slumbering ones, they were.

Well, today, we can all sigh a brief sigh of relief that the rains finally came to California. This year was the first year in many long years that California enjoyed a most wonderful gift from nature...rain! And so, the Rainbabies finally stirred and graced us with their waking sleepyheads. As such, I felt that I really wanted to make some of these sweet babies again. The last time my fingers enjoyed the sweetness of their tiny and super soft bodies was back in early 2014. It is time they came back into the world.

These precious palm-sized (3.5") Rainbabies are handmade from pre-washed, re-purposed, 100% cashmere and stuffed with clean carded wool. Their doll skin is made with 100% cotton jersey. Their facial features are made of 100% cotton embroidery floss. They come in 100% cotton muslin bags hand embroidered by me with a design that I created and drew myself...the word 'baby' with the Rainbaby emblem. 

The Rainbabies are perfect for baby shower favors. They can be given to a special someone as a gift or gift tag attached to a gift box.

The Rainbaby can also be given to a loved  one to carry around in the pocket. Or they can be hung as an ornament for any holiday, any time of the year.

If you are interested in entering your name into the drawing to take these Rainbabies home for FREE simply follow Scarlet Elfcup on Tumblr, like the blog post and reblog the post. 

Entries will close on Sunday, March 27, 2016 at 12:00 AM (PST). The winner will be notified via the Scarlet Elfcup blog.

Celebrating Two Years in the Making!!

Today, on the 20th of March, Scarlet Elfcup is proud to celebrate two years in the making! The fact that today marks the official start of Spring and the Vernal Equinox is no coincidence. Spring is all about change and new beginnings.  As such, today seemed appropriate to open Scarlet Elfcup to the world. And so, she was introduced on this day, two years past.

The fact that Scarlet Elfcup still exists today is a gift that I do not take for granted. She has come far and it is not without a lot of hard work, passion, and commitment. But, this part is only the half of it. The rest come from the support of those who appreciate handmade, natural fiber arts. Without this support, we would not be here. So, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I want to take time throughout the course of this coming week to express my gratitude to all the people who've made it possible for Scarlet Elfcup to continue to thrive and exist.

Come! I invite you to join in celebrating Scarlet Elfcup's two-year birthday! Starting from tomorrow, Monday, March 21st, Scarlet Elfcup will be giving away one handmade creation a day for 5 days!!! Simply check in, here, on the blog to find out how to win the giveaways. I hope to see you around for the celebration this week!

With All My Gratitude -

Young, maker and creator of Scarlet Elfcup

The Making of a Rag Doll

In December 2015 I started on a project to make a couple dolls for a good friend's daughter's 7th birthday and one for my own daughter's birthday. I wanted to make something different than what I normally create, which are the Waldorf-style dolls. In early 2015, I picked up a book by a local doll artist, Jess Brown. Jess Brown is from Petaluma, CA and her dolls are renowned worldwide and can be found in specialty shops across the Bay Area and the US. I always admired these dolls when I saw them in shops...their sophisticated look, their unique star eyes, their simple construction, their heart shaped lips...all signatures of a Jess Brown doll. When Jess Brown released her published book in August 2014, I couldn't wait to get my hands on one and give a go at making a Jess Brown rag doll. It wasn't until the end of 2015 that I found some time to begin this project and it's in thanks to two little girls' birthdays.

So, here's to sharing my experience in making the Jess Brown rag doll.

The construction of the Jess Brown rag doll is a simple one made from muslin cotton, which can be bought at a very affordable price from any local craft or fabric shop. For the ones I made, I chose to use a cotton fabric from India that I tea-dyed to give a bit of color to the skin.

Jess Brown prefers corn fiber stuffing, which I've not yet had the experience of working with, but hope to one day. Instead of the corn fiber stuffing, I used what I have on hand...100% clean carded wool.

One of the best and most beautiful features of Jess Brown's dolls is the construction of the hair. Jess Brown dolls have hair that is typically made from cashmere and sewn directly onto the head. It can come in neutral tones or wildly colorful and beautiful bright tones. It can be styled in many different ways depending on how it's sewn. The fun and imagination is really up to the individual and is truly endless.

For the ones I made, I chose to stay with neutral tones. For one I made the hair from a wool-blended yarn and made it long for more styling fun. For the other I went with the classic Jess Brown look and used 100% cashmere. Both were extremely fun to work with and especially exciting to see the final look on the doll.

You know a Jess Brown doll face when you see one...the unique star eyes, the lack of a nose, the felt heart-shaped lips.

Instead of this signature look, I took to my own looks. For the eyes, I made round embroidered eyes. For one I added a tiny fleck of color simply for the sake of trying something different. For the nose...a dash of embroidery thread. On one I tried the Jess Brown look with the felt heart shape and on the other I embroidered the lips. Both turned out fun and beautiful. For the cheeks, rosy red beeswax was added for color.

Now, the truly endless fun bit...the clothing. Jess Brown's book includes patterns for an entire wardrobe...

Knickers...make as many as you like in as many colors and patterns as you like. Use as much or as little trim as you want. 

Sundress...oh!, the infinite array of ways that you can make this dress and oh the fun you'll have. Jess Brown's sundress lends itself to so many styles and designs you can form from one pattern. Use beautiful delicate trim to your heart's delight and make it as creative as you want by using it for shoulder straps, sleeves, on the dress, at the bottom of the dress, behind the dress. You could probably make the entire dress from trim if you so desired. Such a versatile, simple and fun design.

On the sundress, one thing I did change and make different from Jess Brown's design was to make the back fully open and close with two snap buttons. The pattern provided in the book has the back completely sewn and the dress worn by pulling it up the doll's body from the feet. I found this to be too tight for my liking and I felt that for the girls, having a dress that fully opens up on the back would make it much easier to handle. 

Tote bag...what a stylish and perfect accessory. Every dolly needs a bag to carry little treasures or even goods from the farmer's market. Jess Brown's tote bag is designed to give the maker an opportunity to play with small swatches of fabric for a truly unique result.

As I did for the sundress, I also altered the design of the tote bag to my liking. Jess Brown's tote bag is a very simple design that gives a vintage and unfinished look. For the tote bags, I wanted to give a sturdier and more finished look. So, I adjusted a few minor things on the tote bags and made them so that they are lined on the inside with a pretty fabric and embellished on the outside with beautiful trim.

Overcoat...sew in linen or any type of fabric you desire, add trim, use different details for the drawstring.

Quilt...have scraps of beautiful fabrics laying around that you don't have the heart to toss? Here's your chance to use those scraps up for a beautiful creation...a doll quilt.

Drawstring dress...all little dolls need a special occasion dress. Jess Brown's drawstring dress gives the opportunity to use your most lovely fabric pieces to create a dress that can be worn on special events. And we know all dolls have special events they attend...birthday parties, ballet outings, playdates.

Use buttons and trim to your heart's content.

Sweater scrap hat...take those old sweaters that you love but just don't wear anymore, wash them and cut them up for this doll's hat. Make lots and make many in different shapes and colors. Add beautiful pieces of ribbon to embellish.

Apron...we all love having a friend to cook with. So, surely, your doll will need an apron for those cooking festivities. For the aprons I made for our Jess Brown rag dolls, I loved using some French vintage fabrics that I had laying around. I played around a bit with using trim for the pocket.

Accessories you can add out of your own resources and creativity...for our dolls I created a few simple accessories...

...a birthday crown for the birthday girl...made from 100% Belgian wool felt, embroidered #7 with a metallic colored embroidery thread, and embellished with a royal blue trim.

...a necklace made from embroidery thread fed through several balls of wool felt.

...a couple of simple scarves cut from a ruffly trim to grace the necks of these fine dolls.

Truly, the opportunities for creativity are endless. There are so many other accessories that you can add for Jess Brown's rag doll. It's just a matter of creativity, time and resources.

So, there we have it...two natural fiber, homemade, handmade beautiful Jess Brown rag dolls created uniquely for the children in my life.

I hope this inspires you to try for your very own making of a Jess Brown rag doll. Jess Brown's "The Making of a Rag Doll" can be found on Amazon or from Jess Brown's on-line shop.  If you do get around to making your very own Jess Brown doll, I would love to see how yours turned out and how you made it uniquely your style. 

Enjoy and thank you for visiting the blog.

Words of Wisdom

The beginning of a new year offers the opportunity for possibilities and also for responsibilities. In the creative business, it means there are many administrative hum-drums to be taken care of...the duller, less colorful side of things, you might say. It also means the opportunity to make adjustments, fine tune or even eliminate some things that either worked or didn't work in the past year....improve on a pattern or design or create altogether an entirely different pattern or design, build upon current skill sets or learn completely new ones. It's all an adventure really!

So, with great pleasure, I begin on a custom creation that not only puts to work the imagination and creativity, but is also offering me a chance to reflect and contemplate on some thoughts and ideas...particularly, the direction in which I would like to balance my personal life with my creative life in 2016, both of which I love and enjoy deeply.

In the process of gathering thoughts and ideas for not only this next custom creation but also for Scarlet Elfcup's direction in 2016, I've been digesting some words of wisdom offered by a small young owl who is about to come to life soon.

First and foremost....

Max Ehrmann's Desiderata is among one of my favorite poems of all time. There is a history, a sentimental attachment to these words....a very deeply personal one. In these words resonate a personal story that echoes the sound of a love found and lost, of persons and memories that exist in my mind today only as haunting voices and images. So, yes, this poem holds a very dear, very tender and very special place in my heart. Perhaps one day, I will be able to designate a creation wholesomely on this poem and then I will be able to tell you it's full story. But, until I am courageous enough to bring that story back to life, these words are mere letters that sit nearby and flutter in the wind of life, waiting for it's turn to be set free into the air.

So, I take them for no more or no less than what they are today...words of wisdom..."Be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars....In the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul." Isn't this all worth striving for starting from today and forever more?

"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do." I've strived from the start to make this Scarlet Elfcup's purpose. Scarlet Elfcup exists not because I'm an artist or have brilliant talent or skills, but because I wanted to take all the beauty that I've had in life...the things of the past, the things of the present and even the things of the unknown and turn them into something tangible, truly to bring them to life...to make them immortal in a sense. Perhaps this is because I have a hard time letting go of things and in my mind, if I can make these things tangible to me and for others who might hold a doll, a creature, a something that I made with my hands that was inspired by the beauty that I experienced....perhaps, I keep thinking, that will make these beautiful things that I've experienced, am experiencing, might experience....perhaps it will make it so that they don't slip away into nothingness. I know it's a silly thought....to try and make sentimental things become tangible and even immortal, but still, it makes me happy to think that I might have a tangible version of it exist somewhere in the world and then if the story about this beauty is shared, then perhaps somewhere in another place of the world....someone else might know of this beauty and then it makes them happy. Then, to me...it's not such a silly thought after all.

"Sew your little heart out...have tea...collage...go make art...make something that you like...don't worry if it's not perfect...make something amazing for someone you love." The difference between a personal life and a creative life is a thin, fine and very gray line. Sometimes, I ask, isn't it one and the same if this is what one loves? But, no...not really...it's not one and the same. I think it's a slippery slope and a dangerous idea to make oneself be one's passion or one's work...it really is not the same. So, this year, I want to make a goal of balancing these two things that may seem to be one in the same sometimes....the personal life and the creative life. I want to sew and make for myself and for my dearly loved ones as much as I make for Scarlet Elfcup. And I think that in doing this, I'm going to be able to make Scarlet Elfcup be more of who she is and me be more of who I am and in the end, they will each balance each other out in a beautiful way. And I wish for you the same...go make something amazing for yourself and for someone you love...don't worry if it's not perfect....just MAKE.

With these three thoughts to start me on my next creation, I want little boy owl's mama to know that these words are spoken to her, for her and not just for her, but also for her little boy who has grown so quickly and whose image is reflected in this little boy owl. This creation, the sentiments in the words that will be attached to this creation, mean so much more than what it seems...represents so much more than what appears on the surface. This creation represents all the sentiments I expressed above...the whole thing about making something tangible, turning sentiments into something immortal so that we may always have it's presence in our hands and near to us...for this creation, it represents a mother's wish to hold on so tightly to her little boy's fleeting childhood memories...the ones of the past, the present and the unknown. It is a sentiment that I understand so well and so whole heartedly as I watch my very own little boy of 3 years grow and grow fast and grow faster and faster. It's a heartache to see the speed of light work itself within a child. No wonder we desire the need for sentiments to become tangible and even immortalized. No body knows how to let go of those we love the most....no body.

Now, on a lighter note, let's play a bit with some colors and textures. Back in October, Winston came to life. And oh, did I love this owl, as did so many others. He was a wise little owl who carried these words of wisdom on his wings and in his hat...to be taken out and given for a day when the blues might come or for days when things feel harder than usual...he was a pick-me-upper kind of guy.

He was just that kind of guy who knows just the right thing to say and when to say it, to make a person feel better right away. So, you can't blame me for wishing that I could clone him...make a large assembly line of little Winstons and hand them out for all who need his words of wisdom on a grey day...kinda like the manufacturing of the moon in the book "When the Moon Forgot" by Jimmy Liao. It really wouldn't be the same...Winston or the moon. But, that goes for all Scarlet Elfcup creations. I like for each creation to be unique unto itself...unique in it's inspiration and unique in the process of creation, so that truly, each making that comes to life is one-of-a-kind and inspired by something one-of-a-kind. As such, a mama and her little boy have inspired the making of another wise owl...but, don't be mistaken...this is not the mini-me of Winston. This little man is his own.

This is the moment of "imagination" and "playfulness" in Scarlet Elfcup's motto "Dreams, Imagination, Adventure and Playfulness"....for all ages....that includes me. Here's where creativity goes to play. 

For his coat...a neutral color that is not screaming and gleaming with brilliance, but that conveys gentle and quiet words of wisdom. Will all grey work? Or perhaps a mix of grey and cream with some beautiful trim added? If grey is not for today...how about the neutral of cream, but with a different texture scheme...a soft, all wool pinstriped fabric type? 

For his eyes, this has been decided...a green to match the eyes of a very loved boy. Here are the shades of green from which to toy.

As for his locks, shall we go with loopy boucle or brushed mohair? Whichever one you dare to flair, make sure to choose the shade for which "he" will be most portrayed.

Before I leave you to your day, to ponder on these thoughts, let these words be imparted to you....

Go do something that you've been holding back on...

Go be YOU...

Remember...YOU are enough!

Go find love....then give it all away....

To all the blessings in your life....

And finally....most of all....

To our little wise owl....can't wait to see your little face shine through soon!

Aoife and Mochta

Once upon the earth lived a variety of deer so large they stand at nearly twice the height of a human. Their antlers spanning more than twice the height of man. They were known as Megaloceros, the giant Irish Elk. Today, they are no more.

But, legend has it that one giant male still roams the planet. He walks alongside his master and protector, the Princess Aoife, a mythical being from the woodlands.

During the time of year when the sun favors the Southern hemisphere, it is said that they can be sighted roaming the woodlands in various parts of the southern world. But, when the time comes for the sun to move toward the Northern hemisphere, the duo return to the tundra where they prefer to live.

It is only during the northern summer that they desire a brief relief from that place where winds and wolves howl, permafrost and chilling snowdrifts occupy all the days of the year, bright white snow and cold dark skies prevail. This is a place where no man can survive for long, only legends can exist. The chills are relentless and the winds merciless. For Aoife, life with Mochta can be harsh and gruesome. But, she wouldn't have it any other way because her sole responsibility is to protect Mochta, the last great giant, from going into extinction.

And so, legend has it that the earth is still graced with one single, remarkable giant Megaloceros and his guardian, the Princess Aoife.

Aoife and Mochta represent the essence of this time of year, when the Northern hemisphere is adorned with flurry white and frozen air gifted by Father Winter. There is nothing more magical than this.

If you were around for the blog post titled "A Woodland Warrior Princess," you know the story and inspiration behind the creation of Mochta. Mochta and Aoife are a dream come true thanks to my mama who requested a custom involving a reindeer. From this idea, the great Irish Elk and his protector evolved. And how happy and thrilled I am that they came to life. But, they have been through a long journey and their creation has been nothing short of adventurous and full of lessons learned. I enjoyed every step of the process, so thank you, thank you A.K. for giving me the chance to play and experiment and bring this beautiful duo into the world.

AOIFE (pronounced Ee-fa)

The name Aoife is derived from the Gaelic aoibh, which means "beauty" or "radiance." Aoife is a Wee-Bee Mini Elfcup doll. She stands less than 6" (15 cm) tall. She is made with all natural materials. Her doll skin is made with premium quality cotton interlock milled in the USA. She is firmly stuffed with bio-wool also made in the USA.  Her seams are sewn twice for reinforcement.  She has embroidered facial features and the most beautiful emerald green eyes I've ever seen. Her facial structure is sculpted giving her a sweet little heart-shaped face with an itty-bitty chin, round chubby cheeks, deeper set eyes. Her cheeks, nose and various body parts are blushed with red beeswax.  She is a sitting doll with sewn joints that are made flexible for easy movement and changing of clothes.  But, with some posing she is able to stand on her own. She also has a belly button and a bum.

Aoife's luxurious locks are made of a fine wefted suri alpaca crocheted into a wig.  It is so lovely and fun to style into a number of coiffures. Just use your imagination and the possibilities are endless. Note: Her locks can be styled gently to your heart's content, but take heed and do not comb or brush that magnificent mane. Suri alpaca can get very static-ky if handled too much and it can felt if not handled gently and lightly.   

Aoife comes with two sets of clothes made fit only for a Princess.

Her wintry wear consists of a warm white cap and a shoulder wrap, both hand knit with brushed suri, a yarn blended of baby suri, merino wool and bamboo. They are extra fluffy and warm, much needed in the tundra. Her shoulder wrap is reversible. Her purple dress is made from 100% cotton and decorated at the hem by a beautiful embroidery motif of flowers. The dress opens fully on the back with two nickel-plated snap buttons. She comes wearing a pair of tiny undies made from 100% cotton. Her lacy legwarmers are hand knit with a fine 100% alpaca yarn. Her winter boots are made from 100% Belgian wool felt.

Aoife's princess wear consists of a hand tatted crown made with cotton floss and embellished with tiny gold beads and a gold flower adorning the front of the crown. As a princess she is cloaked with a beautiful golden brown lace capelet hand knit with a Japanese yarn blended of kid mohair and silk. Her dress is made of 100% cotton, hand embroidered at the front with a pretty doodle motif and strapped with a delicate 100% swiss cotton trim. The dress opens fully on the back with two nickel-plated snap buttons. Her second pair of boots are made with a 100% wool fabric and hand crocheted trim made of a kid mohair and silk blended yarn from Japan.

MOCHTA (pronounced Much-ta)

Mochta's name is derived from Irish gaelic and it means "great." Indeed, he is a great one! The making of Mochta was a magnificent learning process for me and I had a blast at it. Here's what this great creature is made of.

Mochta's enormous Megaloceros skin is made of 100% cotton linen and a 100% wool fabric. He is very firmly stuffed with 100% bio-wool made in the USA. His magnificent antlers are made with the same cotton linen used on his body and lined on the backside with 100% Belgian wool felt. It is detailed with a beautiful motif of pine needles drawn and hand embroidered by me. It is supported by a network of cloth covered floral wires and this allows the antlers to have the ability to be shaped and bent slightly. His ears are made of 100% cotton linen on one side and lined with 100% Belgian wool felt on the other side. His face is embroidered with cotton floss. His bottom side is graced with a sweet tail made of a 100% wool fabric and lined on the underside with a hand knitted piece made from a yarn blended of baby suri, merino and bamboo. His legs are supported internally with silver wire extended through the foot. The hoofs are wrapped securely with floral tape and a 100% cotton linen fabric. Because his legs are supported by the internal wires, they have the ability to be gently and slightly bent.

Mochta comes with a warm wrap around his neck and chest (the tundra is very cold, you know). The wrap is hand knit with a Japanese yarn blended of baby suri, merino wool and bamboo. The wrap is secured with a functional button wrapped with a 100% cotton crocheted cover. Mochta has reins made from crocheted chains of 100% cotton floss.

There we have it...an introduction and welcoming of Aoife and Mochta into the world...may they never go into extinction.

The Making of a Great Irish Elk - Adventures in the Art of Soft Sculptures

The love and intrigue I have for the art of soft sculptures grow more and more deep with each creation. It began with a simple banana leaf created for Varsa Nabhas at the beginning of this year and it continues today with the creation of the great Irish elk by the name of Mochta (pronounced Much-ta).

I love combining the art of doll making with the art of soft sculpturing. They are not so different, really. There are many facets around soft sculptures that draw me closer and closer with each creation. I love the process of making things from scratch. I love that I can find inspiration from an idea, doodle with the idea on paper and then go through the challenge of cutting a pattern from this and turning it into a three dimensional concept using a variety of mediums.

For me, the creative process often begins with something I've experienced in my personal life that I want to recreate with fibers. Varsa Nabhas and her banana leaf umbrella were inspired by my love for rain, my time spent living in Kenya and my time traveling in India.

Benja and her great big clock were stimulated by my love for gears as my background is in mechanical engineering and math and physics education. I also have an obsession with time, which leads me to marvel at one of the greatest modern time keepers in the history of humankind, the Big Ben clock at the Palace of Westminster in London...hence the inspiration behind the making of Benja's great big clock.

Cicindela and her firefly were spurred by my twice-charmed encounters with the magic of fireflies...once when I lived in the midwestern United States and another time during my two years of living in Kenya.

Piper and the beautiful hummingbird, Scout, were inspired by a customer's chance encounter with the amazing tiny birds that linger here in California and coincidentally are one of my favorite birds of all time. No matter how often I see them, whether they are buzzing high overhead or a few feet before the eyes, they never cease to stop me in my tracks and take my breathe away. This tiny, true-to-life-sized hummingbird is the most favorite of all the soft sculpture projects I've tinkered with.

Now, I introduce the latest exploration in my soft sculpture adventures...Mochta, the great Irish elk. In August of this year, while hiking the beautiful coast of California at Point Reyes National Seashore, we had the great luck of encountering a herd of Tule Elk, endemic only in California. We saw them early in the morning on our hike in, while they were feeding and battling in the distant hill behind a curtain of fog. I've lived in California for eight years and this was the first time for me to discover Tule Elk nearby. I will tell you that they are the most magnificent and majestic creatures to encounter. When they walk, they are graceful, enormous and profoundly enchanting with their chest and head held high and proud. When they are in battle, antlers locked and clicking with one another, they appear gentle and slow yet their head-to-head tug and dance is anything but gentle for the power behind each head lock is fierce, aggressive and much too intimidating to view except from a distance.

Since that hike, I have been yearning for the chance to bring an elk to life. So, when this current custom request came in turn and I was asked to make a doll with a companion reindeer, I could not help but bring forth my elk encounter as the inspiration for my making.

The chance to see these creatures in person was nothing short of entrancing, enchanting, beautiful, magical and majestic. And so, this moved me to bring to life a creation filled with all of this...enchantment, beauty, magic. But, I also wanted to take it one step further and make something even more majestic and mystical and that once was but can never be found again....and that is an extinct species of deer, called Megaloceros, otherwise known as the giant Irish elk. These enormous, prehistoric deer species were the largest of the deer ancestors and walked the earth so long ago. Can you imagine? 

And though, the vision and the end product of a soft sculpture creation will have the elements of enchantment, beauty and magic, the process of making them can be anything but this. As delightful, thrilling and challenging (which is an element that drives me) as it is to draft a new pattern, the work in progress can sometimes be frustrating, tedious and consumes a lot of time.

First, there must be something that moves me deeply. The encounter with the elk herd at Point Reyes was indeed the inspiration for this creation.

Then, there must be the vision of how this inspiration can be molded from fibers. So, there has to be a sketch, a picture in mind. I am not an artist and my sketches are limited to basic lines and curves. Vintage illustrations of nature and wildlife are a consistent source of information and inspiration for the drafting of my patterns. I use library books, old books or vintage artwork to gather ideas on how to draft proportions, stances and shapes.

From here I can begin to make the basic sketch for my patterns. Version 1 is always the most comical to me. They never come out the way I think or want them to come out. And it is only from drafting and then mocking up the pattern, meaning I cut the fabric and sew it together as a mock-up, can I truly realize that things are not what I intended.

It doesn't get better with Version 2 of the pattern. A second iteration of the pattern make-up can sometimes go very wrong....like this one. An idea on paper may seem very nice until it is pieced together in fiber and then....the realization that weight has a large bearing on the end result.

So, back to the drawing board for adjustments. By round #3, I begin to learn a few things and my mistakes make me a little bit more knowledgeable each time, which is the part that feels very rewarding.

Version 4 arrives after many hours, sometimes days (if I take a lot of breaks) of sketching, moving sketch lines, curving some, sharpening others, adding markings, making the pieces fit together, working asymmetrical pieces with symmetrical parts, lengthening and shortening parts of the pattern. And luckily, this time around, I am satisfied with Version 4. 

The fun part comes when the final pattern is done and the final fibers are to be chosen. I like to use the best and most natural materials I can get my hands on and these don't come cheap. So, when the time comes for planning out the fiber selection, I like to be prepared and efficient with material selection in order not to let any go to waste by first planning out notations on my sketch what textures, colors and materials will be needed. This is an extremely satisfying step in the making.

Alas, the time comes to bring together the tools and materials and fashion the creature.

But, the process doesn't end there. Having the right proportion in pattern-making is the key element that hones the aesthetics of the final product. In the case of this majestic Irish elk, I went a little far with his antlers the first time around and even the second time around...too large and too stuffed, making this Megaloceros not only odd looking but also bound to keel over from the weight on his head.

In Version 3 of the antlers, I am satisfied with the size as it is now proportioned more appropriately with the size of the elk. I have also reconsidered the design so that it is much lighter and created so that they can be shaped to mock the real form of the Irish elk's headgear. The detailed embroidery on the antlers are to represent the beauty and magic of the creature. Without the embroidery and further adornments, I think Mochta will come to life much less majestic and he must be given a life with nothing less than magnificence, nobility, and resplendence. 

But beauty, nobility and resplendence comes at a price, called time and detail. So, time and detail are put forth to add to the "majestic" nature of his highness' headdress....5 solid hours of hundreds of small embroidery stitches on two magnificent antlers supported by a network of wires sandwiched between linen and wool in order to provide structural integrity and the ability to be shaped and curved.

For me, each step of the creation involves an intentional decision making.

A lace capelet requires a decision on the appropriate lace pattern or color, weight and texture of yarn that will look dainty, elegant and majestic but not too over-powering, loud or ornate.

A crown that is proportioned correctly for the size of the doll...something involving the likeness of royalty and fairy tales but not too sparkly or gaudy.

A head cap and shoulder wrap that give the impression of extra warmth and coziness but still offers a rugged sense of nature and life in the woodlands.

A dress and pair of footwear fitting for a woodland princess would involve simple colors but adorned with beautiful hand embroidery, the most delicate vintage swiss cotton lace, neatly designed fine textured fabric and detailed hand crocheted trim.

As such is the way that I work, the final details of this Irish elk will also unfold with each step of the process involving an intentional decision making.

So, slowly, but surely, the Princess Aoife (pronounced Ee-fa) and her great giant elk, Mochta have manifested themselves. And soon, very soon they will be ready to greet the world. 

Often Times...

...it takes a lot for dreams to come to realization.

It begins with a concept.

You put down on paper your idea. You sketch. You scratch. You try again. You draw some lines. You erase. You add some marks. You take away others. You keep on repeating this pattern until you're satisfied with transferring what was in your head onto a space that makes it more concrete, more visible.

And even then, somehow, in the dreams it was always more beautiful, more elegant, more fantastical. Such are dreams...they are never perfect in realization. You know this.

But, still, it's worth striving for.

Once the floating thoughts are put into concrete lines in a place where you can see and adjust things, you get to put on paper ALL the visions that you had. There are no limits...in ideology, that is.

Drafts are fun because you get to see what you want...

and then you get to make decisions about some things...how to incorporate structural support where needed, how to sew more creatively, how to change proportions so that things look the way you envisioned, how to attach parts...essentially the beginnings of a puzzle piecing.

Sketches are also so much fun because you get to color. How often do YOU color? If your answer is never...I encourage you to give it a try some time. It's really quite relaxing and meditative. No wonder Tibetan buddhist monks spend countless hours laboring with infinite detail over sand mandalas.

When you color a sketch, it helps give an idea whether the colors and prints you wanted to use will work or not. In some cases, what you had in mind may come out looking better than you thought and sometimes it may come out looking all wrong.

Sometimes, you dwell on the ideas for so long that you're just ready to go...grab the jacket and hat and just head out the door and jump with a leap of faith.

And even then, patience holds fast and you just have to sit on the idea and dwell a little longer...maybe the stash of fabric you had in mind is not the right dash of colors, maybe you need to give more thought on that structural support, maybe you need to work out some more details, maybe you need to spend more time learning a sewing skill that you don't have so that you can make certain parts of your idea come to life...maybe, maybe, maybe, what if, what if, what if....it can go on forever.

At some point you must decide that it's time to jump the plane, free fall and let the adventure begin.

So, here's to bringing this dream to realization.....A Boy and His Gypsy Moth....COMING SOON!

A Microscopic Doll

(Sung to the tune of the children's song "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.")

"Head and shoulders knees and toes. Knees and toes.

Feet and belly, arms and two tiny legs.

Add eyes, ears, mouth and nose.

Where will all these body parts go-o?"

Where will they go, these micro-doll parts? This is the first....and maybe last (ha) time I am making a doll on this teenie-tiny scale. The fun is all in the experimentation. This may work out or it may not. We'll see. Wish this doll luck that she comes to life for her mama (also a doll). A doll for a doll's doll....will the fun ever end?