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!

New Product: Paper Doll Magnetic Bookmarks

I absolutely adore those little paperclip bookmarks that I have seen all over Etsy.  However, the reason why I don't actually use paperclip bookmarks is that they usually leave indents on my pages.  As an academic, I really treasure my books and I needed something that would not harm them.  

So I have taken the best part of the paperclip bookmark (the little bulbous part that sticks out of your book) and replicated it with paper and magnets.  The result?  These little magnetic bookmark dolls.  

Their bodies fold around the page with a magnet on each side to make sure your doll won't go anywhere when marking your page.  You know it is on secure when you feel the little magnetic "click"!  I am having a blast making these.  The are only 1/2 inch thick at the body and I have been using strips of chiyogami and washi paper to decorate them in the same way that I would an actual doll--obi, butterfly and all!  The hair is made from crepe paper.  I have not treated the paper with any varnish because it would warp the paper and take away from the appearance of the paper.  However, as long as they don't go swimming in the rain, these bookmarks should hold up nicely.  I have been using one in my book for the past week and she looks great.

I know not everyone is a fan of dolls, but love the appearance of chiyogami paper, so I have also made some "faceless" bookmarks to list.  Both types are coming in a variety of colors and be sure to keep your eye open for them in our Zibbet and Etsy shops!

New Hair Colors for Chiyogami Dolls!

Well, everyone... If you have been to our shop recently, you might notice two little dolls who are quite out of the ordinary!  Based on some of your feedback, I decided to start adding additional hair colors to our origami dolls.  Right now there is only Blonde (Marielle) and Redhead (Sherona), but this will also include our first Brunette as soon as the brown crepe paper gets here...   They are both in the hinasama style with chiyogami kimonos.  I sat down and thought long and hard about who my buyers were and why they would be interested in our dolls in the first place.

If purchasing for a project, why not have a doll that looks like you?  I do not think I will ever have the time to offer personally customizable dolls for everyone, but I want to offer enough of a variety that people do not feel limited by the doll's appearance.  I have no doubt that our traditional black-haired models will continue to dominate both my production and my sales, but options never hurt anyone!

I am currently on the market for different color cardboards for different skin tones.  I am really picky about what paper I use and I have yet to find something thick enough and pretty enough to get the job done.  I am also playing with wire to try my hand and making little glasses for dolls to wear.  Eventually, I want to be able to make a "Christina" doll that looks like me!

If you are interested in buying, you can purchase the dolls on Etsy or on Zibbet.

New Product: Origami Doll Bookmarks (Shiori Ningyo)

Here is another photo of my new bookmarks that I finally listed! (Sora, Tamiko, Yuuna)!  I was so pleased how they came out that I took a trip to Michaels a few days ago and picked up more cardstock and ribbon to make more!  The stack I bought was "Far East" inspired, and although I hate how Asian countries are often lumped into one amorphous entity when these kinds of products are sold, the paper was textured and quite pretty so I could not resist.  I guess this is one area where my ideological leanings show, but it bothers me when all Asian countries are treated as the "same" when there are a lot of signicant differences between them.

Anyhow, most of the paper is inspired by Chinese designs so I have decided to take the sheets that are more China-specific and create bookmarks with origami floral arrangements.  For those papers that are more abstract and ambiguous, I want to use them for the Japanese Shiori Ningyo (Bookmark dolls).  I think I can offer three bookmarks together as sets for $11.00 a piece and still make out okay on costs and time.  When I get some of the new designs finished, I will post some photos!

Building an Army of Paper Dolls!

Well... I posted that first batch of six dolls and I am incredibly pleased to say that five of them have already found happy homes!  This is the largest measure of success I have had on Etsy by far!  So with that, I decided to create more dolls in more colors and styles... and now I present you with the little army who lives in a plastic box on my coffee table.

I went from having dolls in kimono and dolls with kimono and haori jackets to including smaller ones in a style called "hinasama" and then bookmark style "shiori ningyo."  Since I had so much success with the first kit I tried, I bought a different kit to learn how to make the bookmarks that you can purchase here: Amazon.  The instructions are in English and Japanese for those who cannot read Japanese, and it comes with all the supplies you will need to make four bookmarks.  You can see two of the ones I made from the kit in the image above, and I have been applying the diagram to all sorts of paper to make bookmarks in vibrant colors and styles!  The good thing about this is that you can be creative with your background, or add die cuts and all sorts of scrapbooking embellishments to personalize your bookmark.

I have been having a blast folding these between teaching, grading, and researching!  It is such a therapeutic and relaxing process and each one has his or her own little personality. I've even taken to naming each one... Such a geek!