~ Alice ~

Over the years I've revisited the the story of Alice in Wonderland and have done my best to capture the spirit of the book in my artistic style at the time. Here is an interesting look at how my style has changed the past 15 years. With each period I have learned something new and evolved as an artist.

I created this depiction of the "Mad Tea Party" at the time I was making miniature dolls. My intention was to pay homage to Tenniel's original illustrations. I made this set around 2005. I wasn't doing much illustration at the time, my focus was on sculpting. The clothing is hand sewn by me.

In the 90's I was into the Tim Burton style. My style was a bit darker and more frenetic. This is a mixed media illustration I did in water color, ink and color pencil.

Shortly after I created the illustration above I made these working marionettes out of polymer clay. I checked out a vintage book from the library and learned how to make marionettes. I couldn't even sew at the time. A friend made the clothing for me. I have since taught myself how to sew.

Finally in my current kawaii style I have combined my illustration and sculpting skills to make this vibrant depiction of Alice and the characters she meets in Wonderland. I have gone back to my original illustration roots when my drawings were sweet and simple. More details of this playset will be revealed in a few days.

Fantastic Toys Brand New Website!!!

I'm over the moon with my much improved website! I fell instantly in love with Goodsie! The name - so cute! The format so simple, clean and modern. Goodsie allows you to make your own branded shop online. Plus, the fact that it accepts digital content with instant downloads, I was head over heels. Goodsies integration with Fetch allows me to send my PDF printables immediately upon purchase. No more waiting for printables! I have been waiting years for this. Finally a professional website with a cart! I can't recommend Goodsie enough. Here are some of the benefits of having a shop with Goodsie.

� Fun and easy to use!
� Create your OWN custom website.
� Use your own custom domain.
� Great price with unlimited products. $15.00 only!
� Accepts digital downloads including PDFs.
� Embed portfolio or videos.
� Paypal and 3 other ways for your customer to pay.
� A shop on your Facebook page!
� Great customer service!!!

I was also able to combine my blog seamlessly with my shop. My blog as you may know has cute crafty tutorials. In a mad dash to find storage for my free PDFs I discovered Google Docs. My tutorial documents can now be previewed before printing. How convenient is that!

In addition to shopping at my website, Goodsie has a Facebook app. That's right an app that allows the customer to shop directly on my Facebook page. How cool is that!

Walker Art Center Shop!!!

I have to say I was beyond thrilled and a little emotional when I was invited to sell my toys at the Walker Art Center Shop. It had been a goal for me for to have my work there and now my fawns will be available in the gift shop starting November 17. 

As part of a collaboration with mnartists.org a handful of local artists were selected to sell there art at the Walker Shop and website shop. Mnartists.marketplace will be an ongoing event and I'm proud to be part of the launch for this curated series.

I love the direction the Walker is taking and accepting the local handmade community into the world of fine art. As someone who likes to browse gift shops, the Walker Shop is one of my favorites!

Amazing Works of Art!

Artist Devorah Sperber has the ability to take common craft objects such as thread spools and pipe cleaners and turn them into works of art fit for galleries. Check out her website to see her take on The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa made with thousands of thread spools. Its no surprise that some of her work is funded by Coats and Clark.

You may need to step back from your computer screen or squint your eyes for this iconic image made with pipe cleaners to come into focus.