Maya, a Paperclay Doll

I've always been fascinated by the beautiful clay dolls I've seen while browsing through etsy, flickr and doll magazines.  So, while we were away on holidays, I spent a rainy afternoon playing with the paper clay I had brought along.  Maya's head was made by wrapping clay around a styrofoam ball, and I used a bamboo stick for her neck.  The pieces didn't take to long to harden with the warm weather, and when we returned home, I sanded each body part and drew on her face, then used watercolours and pencil crayons to give her colour.  Her hair is made from wefted mohair, which I cut into 1/4 inch strips and glued directly onto her head.  For her dress, I gathered a strip of wide cotton lace and glued it onto her body.  A green ribbon and a fabric flower are the finishing touches.  Little shoes were painted on, and I added narrow strips of lace above her knees - really just to hide the knots from the embroidery thread that holds the leg joints together.
Maya is my second attempt at a clay doll.  I made the first one a few weeks before we left, and as you can see in the photo below, she needed A LOT of improvement!


For my next one, I will attempt to sculpt her entire face with the clay instead of painting it on.  The first doll's nose and lips were sculpted, but more time and detail needs to be used while doing that part, they are quite tricky!

For all those who have been wanting to try Paperclay, please do!  It's super nice to work with and has a lovely consistancy.  And another bonus is it has a smooth, velvety texture once sanded. 

Just wanted to share one more pic of the newest addition to my doll collection.  Aggie was made by Sarah, who I'm sure most of you are big fans of!  She is the creator of amazing clay dolls and her work can be found at http://www.etsy.com/shop/blackeyedsuzie.
Aggie is a sweet little darling and her eyes, completely handmade by the artist, are incredibly soulful.  Please stop by her blog to see what she's up to!  http://blackeyedsuzie.typepad.com/

For additional pic's, check out my flickr site at,  http://www.flickr.com/photos/gingermelon.