Cross Your Fingers!!

Wooohoooo! I'm so excited about being a nominee for Martha Stewart's American Made contest. I may be calling on all the fans to cast your vote! This would be huge! Check out my profile and PLEASE, pretty please, click the Facebook button to spread the news! Thanks!

Moo

This little doll is wearing a cow costume! She is the first in a series of animals. I decided to keep the horns and ears painted on, rather than creating them out of clay and gluing them on. This makes the dolls totally safe for little ones to play with.

Meet Louise! She Blushes.

I am so excited about Louise. She took me FOREVER and my eyes are still recovering. Remember these wooden kokeshi dolls are only about 3" tall, so to focus on the small details for that long...my eyes are really troopers. I finally figured out a way to add some more depth and character the faces with blush. I am really happy with the way she turned out! Get ready for more blushing dolls :)

Matryoshka Dolls and the Fear of the "Blank Canvas"

As a child, I LOVED matryoshka dolls, the Russian nesting dolls. In particular I loved the tiniest doll of the set. I had a set of these dolls and I carried the smallest around with me all the time. I named it Tiny Baby. I still have it!

I have had a blank set of these dolls for over 15 years but I was just too intimidated to paint anything on them. Yesterday I decided it was time. Here is the result! It was so much fun, I have ordered several more blank sets and can't wait to get started on those. It is such an interesting phenomenon, this "blank canvas" anxiety. This fear of messing up something before you even begin. My advice: just go for it! You never know what wonderful things await as a result of beginning. Another example of art as therapy.

A Whole New Look

A very exciting change is happening in the shop right now. I have been creating high end, very detailed kokeshi dolls and because they take so long to make, I have decided to give each one a name. I'm also doing some woodwork and creating new shapes for the dolls. It is so much fun to play! Take a peek in my shop to see their names and make sure to follow me on Instagram: @abbyjacetsy

Enjoy!