Design Team Throwdown #8 Entry- Old and Grey

Hi everyone, welcome back to my blog! I'm so excited to be posting the Smeared Ink Team entry for the 8th Design Team Throwdown Challenge. In case you didn't know yet, the Design Team Challenge has moved from the Smeared and Smudged Forum to its own BLOG. Hopefully this will make it easier for more Design Teams to join in the fun! 

Voting for this challenge begins Wednesday, August 28th, so please be sure to swing by the new blog and cast your vote for your fave team projects after you check out all the amazingness presented by the participants. Of course, we'd LOVE if you choose us, but we encourage you to vote for the projects (team) that you think are the best :)

This time around the theme was brought to us by our Challenge #7 Champs, Quoth The Raven. They challenged us to make something "Old and Grey", and they left it up to us to interpret that how we wanted. I'm excited that I got to play again on the Smeared Ink Team, and you'll see my project last (it's heavy on the pictures once again). Here are the entries for the Smeared Ink Team:

#1 Our first entry comes to you from Shell.

She created an awesomely beautiful piece featuring Smeared Ink's Man digi stamp from the Specimen Jar set. Be sure to visit her BLOG to get all of the details on her amazing work.

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#2 Our second entry is from Lady Brayton.

She rocked out a vintage pinball machine using various Smeared Ink rubber, including images from Morte and As Death, both available exclusively as past club offerings through our Smeared Ink Rubber Club. For more information and an video on LB's wicked pinball machine, please visit her BLOG.

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 (backing)

(with cover in place)

#3 Our final entry is from Terra (me)

For my "Old and Grey" project I though I would make an art doll. It's made from scratch and the face features one of the three new Smeared Ink digi singles from our artist Alexandria S. The image is called Within and is available in our shop today, along with Beyond and Behind.

Here's my doll, she's about 14" tall. More detail pics are included below my description.

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I started by molding my doll body and head from air dry ceramic clay. I molded just the basic form, added pins to the head, and let it dry for about a day and a half. Then I came back with an x-acto knife and carved out my torso "hole" and bones. Needless to say, it took a while. You'll see in some close-up pics that the bones are actually 3-D and protrude from the hole. Then I let my body dry completely.

While it was drying, I worked on my base. I used an old candle holder, a wooden dowel, and plaster. I poured the plaster into the middle of the holder and inserted the dowel, then let that set up. Then it got a coat (or several) of paint. I forgot to mention, while the clay was drying I had to keep putting it over the dowel to make sure it still fit, and on the last day I left it to dry on the stand because the clay actually shrinks almost 10% when it dries. I didn't want it to not fit over the dowel, so if you try something like this please remember that tip.

Anyways, then I got to work with my paint on the body and head. It took a few coats, then a few more, to get the cracked and aged look I wanted. While that dried, I worked on the wings which are made of tissue paper and wire with paint and seed bead embellishments. Then I sewed, distressed, and burned the layers of the skirt; under the skirt I attached a swirled wire "petticoat". Then I added my face to the head, which is a tissue paper transfer of my digi image.

To finish off, I made the arms, which are wire and little salvage-metal pieces (they look like tiny washers) that I've had for a long time. I also attached my heart shaped wish box to her chest, added the bead embellishments and chain to the skirt, and finished by adding her hair and attaching her wings. 

Whew! That was a mouthful. Okay, now I'll let the pictures show what I've been blabbering about. These pictures were taken outside so you can see a truer color.

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I know there are alot of pictures and information, but I was trying to show and tell all the details :)

Overall I'm pretty happy with it, and I think I may eventually make her some sisters. For now, she's a permanent fixture in our living room, at least until after Halloween and then we'll see where she goes.

I hope you've enjoyed my project, and the projects of my teamies! Be sure to swing by all the blogs for details, and please come over to the Design Team Throwdown blog and vote on the 28th. Thanks for visiting!