Doll of the Month: Ami

Happy February!  I know that for most February is a time of love and romantic goodness, but for me it is one of the busiest times of the year.  Not only is it midterm season, but the holiday Hina Matsuri is quickly approaching and stocking up before then is a challenge.  I recently picked up some new papers that I am anxious to show off, but until then I wanted to feature a doll that uses paper I no longer have in stock.  She is available exclusively through Zibbet, and her name is Ami.

I named her "Ami" (亜美) which translates into "beauty of Asia" in Japanese (A big thank you to Emi who helped clarify my translation!).  I chose that name because I really felt like the floral motifs found on her clothing and her gold and red coloring captured the image of "Asia" in the Western imagination.  Her haori jacket features primarily gold floral design with green, white, and rust orange accents, while her kimono paper is a deep fire engine red with stylized Japanese clouds, fans, and sakura (cherry blossom) motifs. But the colors red and gold also have meaning in China, and since I have been assisting with a Chinese art class recently, I have been reflecting on these types of themes (and how Chinese themes get translated into Japanese culture).  Red and gold help capture happiness, wealth, and prosperity in China, and with the Chinese New Year recently past, I thought that no other colors could be appropriate for this month!  Xin nian kuai le  (新年快乐)!

I have about three or four of these dolls left, but once they sell they are gone permanently unless I can locate more of this paper.  I rarely make dolls with a haori jacket because it takes a lot more time and it is not often when I have paper that I can cut into the right size. I hope you enjoyed this doll of the month!

Custom Order Madness

So as a few of you may have noticed from my twitter, I am down with some kind of nasty cold/flu-like bug.  Usually I am the last person to get sick, but when I do it ends up being a doozy!  J. has been wonderful about taking care of me and Ame the cat is currently at the foot of the bed.  Needless to say, I am pretty much confined to my bed which is not really conducive to getting any sort of work done.  So I am writing this blog with my head propped up by a billion pillows and the lingering taste of Robitussin in my mouth (eew). 

Earlier this week I finished another custom order!  I absolutely love doing them because it gives me a chance to experiment with something new.  This time, the order was for 10 origami dolls from urssika.  (Check out her shop -- her jewelry is to die for!  Also please read this wonderful feature on urssika by Sassmowth Designs)  She plans on using the dolls as tags on some of her jewelry!  I think it is a wonderful idea and I am absolutely thrilled to see them travel to a new international location where other people will be able to see my work.  I was able to use some of the paper that I only had one or two sheets of, so many of these dolls are unique and cannot be receated.  It was a fun project and I am looking forward to working with her in the future!

Since this order, however, I have been contacted by several people about setting up their own custom creations!  It looks like I am going to be one busy bee after I get rid of this cold once and for all.