Miss Valencia - May Arts Design Team Challenge

***This is my second post today...don't forget to check out my card for Sketch Tuesday below!***

I am excited to share a DOLL tutorial with all of you today for the May Arts Design Team challenge!  Her name is Valencia, as she is quite a fan of oranges and cream, you see.  She loves all things sweet!  And not only am I going to share her with you, but I am going to show you how to create her!



Isn't she just a beauty? She was inspired by that bottle she is sitting beside - Yup...orange and cream!

To create a doll like her you will need a variety of materials including some basic muslin, stuffing of some kind, a small wooden dowel, foil, paper clay, paints and pigments, gesso, and several different May Arts ribbons and fibers.



These are the ribbons I chose, however, you can choose other colors and such depending on your own inspiration. The crinkle ribbons are very helpful for the skirt and I found the velvet ribbon with the satin edge to be perfect for the bodice. Also, a bit of wired string and burlap string are excellent for structure and texture on this project.

Begin by creating your body by free form stitching a torso and stuffing with cut up plastic bags or fiber fill.

Then you want to insert the small dowel (you can cut it to the appropriate size as you determine what that may be) into the torso to for a structure for the neck. You will then build the foil up around this for your armature.


Sculpt the paper clay around the foil to form the shoulders, neck, and head being sure to smooth the clay over the fabric. Then sculpt the legs and arms.

Allow those to dry completely (overnight) and then coat the entire piece and the limbs with gesso.

Once the gesso has dried paint the doll as you wish. I used acrylic paints and Smooch metallic paint. You can also use watercolor crayons/pencils, oil pastels, chalk, markers, or whatever else you may have on hand! Just don't forget the eye brows...for some reason it is REALLY easy to forget the eye brows. Wait...maybe that's just me....Well...it's a good reminder, if nothing else, right? Right. K.. Moving on....


Once the paint has dried you will want to use small bits of wire or thread to attach the legs to the bottom of the torso. I just push the wire right through the painted fabric and through the holes in the legs and then twist it to secure it in place.

Now you get to create her skirt!!! This was so wicked crazy fun. FOR REALS you guys! I love this skirt and I will be doing this style again, FOR SURE! You need at least two widths of the crinkle ribbon cut into double lengths. Fold the ribbon and loop the loose ends through the folded end while keeping a length of the wired string between to attach the loop the the wire string. The wire string will serve as the waist. Alternate Crinkle Ribbon widths and colors until you are satisfied with the fullness of the skirt. Then add any burlap string to give extra texture to the skirt.


Wrap the torso in the satin and velvet ribbon, one strip at a time and adhere with a strong adhesive.

Then wrap a small piece of the velvet/satin ribbon around the top portion of each arm and stick a pin through and attach to the torso. (Yes...a pin will push right into the dried paper clay! Yay!)

Wrap the skirt around the waist of your doll and secure with the wire string. A bit of adhesive around the waist will help keep it in place if you wish.

Add her necklace and any other accessories you wish to add and VOILA! She is complete!

Meet...Valencia...the Princess of Oranges and Cream!




I hope you love her as much as I do!!!!