Saturday, May 31, 2008

I won!

I need to stop jumping up and down here for just long enough to post these pictures. I am so excited! (Can you tell, LOL?!) I just got the e-mail telling me that I won both First Place in the Advanced category AND Viewer's Choice in Doll Street's Dark Fairy Challenge. I love this doll so much... it's nice to know other people like her too.

Without further ado, here she is. Meet Nightshade and her little pet Arachne.






I may try photographing her again. Or at least taking a close up of Arachne. I just couldn't figure out a way to show all her details.

Her head is cloth over clay. The head began as Jean Bernard's "Mother" mold. Her body is a heavily modified version of Sherry Goshon's "Cinnamon" made of a cotton/lycra blend fabric which was then gessoed and painted with acrylics. I collaged dyed tussah silk and flash onto her body as a kind of leotard, then added a skirt, bust ruffle, and sleeve drapes made of needle-lace.

Her wings are made of china silk and wire heavily painted and embellished with microbeads. Her boots and corset (and the nightshade vine) are made of apoxie sculpt, and her hair is tibetan lamb. The nightshade berries and the spider are beaded. The instructions for this very interesting and fun-to-make spider can be found here.

Whew!

I was going to post some more photos I took with my new telephoto lens, but those will have to wait. This was much more fun!



16 comments:

Anonymous said...

She is fabulous Judi, no wonder you love her so much! Congrats on a well deserved win!!

Sherry Goshon said...

wohoo I voted for her...she is truly amazing...I MEAN AMAZING I love everything about her...WOW
love ya

Judi W. said...

Isn't it wonderful to know that all your hard work paid off and that your peers recognized it! She is just an amazing piece and I'm so happy for you! Congratulations.

Jacque Uetz said...

Congrats Judi!! Your doll is extremely beautiful, she was my vote too!! WOW!!!!!

Nita Butler said...

Judi I can see all the hard owrk that you put into this doll. It is AWESOME!!!! I REALLY REALLY like the doll and the setting in shich you placed her and her little pet!

Great Work!

Love,
Nita

Sharon-NZ said...

well deserved - she is brilliant

Liz in Kansas said...

Congratulations! Your fairy is gorgeous - er, in a dark almost scary kinda way. LOL! I don't like spiders, but Arachne looks kinda cute. By all means, post more pictures!

Sue said...

What an exquisite doll. What great vision you have! I love everything about her. Your win is well-deserved.

dingy said...

Totally blew me away, awesome! You rock...... Sandy

Bear said...

Judi A
girlfriend of mine U blow me away - you shoulda won and you dun it-Shes magnifique, glorious- absolutely outta mind insanely gorjas.
I am so pleased for ya (can U tell) if I hadda been there there woulda been 2 of us jumping up and down for joy -- you dun beautifully and DESERVE this win both of them U rock girl!!
love n hugs bear xooxoxoxoxoxxo

Linda Fleming said...

Judi, she is stunning! I am so glad you won, and a very deserving win it is!

Jennifer A. said...

Sweet.

Shashi Nayagam said...

I knew she would win as she is gorgeous and I voted for her too.
Congratulations!!!!

HElen said...

Congratulations Judi! Wonderful doll! and I voted for her as well :)

Kai said...

All I can do is sit here with my mouth wide open, thinking, "WOW!" She is GLORIOUS, Judi! Really amazing! She could be a character in a Charles de Lint book! And, being a lover of spiders, I find her pet especially wonderful! Congratulations on a well-deserved win!

Rivkah Mizrahi said...

I love this Doll! She's fabulous!
On a different note I am looking for mohair- I think I got it from you a few years ago but don't remember for sure... it was a fawn- colored suri alpaca mohair. I've held onto it for years and I need more! Was it you who sent it? Do you know where I can get more?
Thanks Judi!