The Etsy shop update will be Tuesday afternoon- 3pm edt.  I will post a group photo later today or tomorrow- I have to get to work on that!  I had fun making this man mosaic on Flickr yesterday.

Old style bathing suit. I believe these suits were knitted of wool. Now that makes ya think!

I have really been enjoying doing the man faces. I never felt confident drawing mens faces until I started doing all these guys. I would try to draw a man but usually I thought the faces looked feminine. But, practice, practice! I get better!

I put 2 more (different) photos of this doll in my Flickr photostream.

Today is the last day to enter the 2nd Annual Softie Awards. I entered this year- I had to. They had a category for Embroidery!

I didn’t realize how funny the pointing finger looked until I was working on the photos!

I love this toile.  Before dyeing, it is  brown on cream.  I had originally rejected it because of the scale and the brown print.  Now I think it’s perfect!

Check out this vintage Doll Man comic- so funny!

starting now.  Getting going on these has not been a smooth process.  First, I misplaced some of the toile that I’d bought especially… well I did finally find it.  Isn’t it great?  The Hawaiian theme?

And I’ve been having trouble dyeing flesh tones that I like- I am no expert with the dyes.  As a result, it is difficult to reproduce colors that I’ve been satisfied with before. (Reminder to self- take more notes!)  Also, all the scrap toiles I’ve been using take the dye differently.  Arg.  I have a crafting mantra- limit your variables… that’s the problem here- too many variables.

So- here is the first to be finished-  on the left.  I looked and thought and brought him to show off at doll club, but his skin was just too, too pink for me.  I HAD to change it, but was afraid I’d ruin him…  in the end, I knew I had to do something.  I mixed up a wash of Burnt Umber acrylic paint and brushed it over him to tone down the color.  Thank Goodness, he survived the operation!  Phew!  So, now we present Mr. Tattoo Man #1 in the next series!

I’m not sure you can even tell from the photos, but trust me, it’s better.

I sewed up 4 dolls.  One, I managed to spill ink on- ink that does not come out …  I told you I was having a rocky time with these.  I have another one finished which I will post later.  One more that I decided needed a color wash.  We will see if he survives his treatment.

My plan is that when I have 5 or so finished, I will put them into my Etsy shop in a bunch.  I will post and notify people who have written to me, when that will happen.