Tiny voodoo doll hiding in the wood.

I am trying to incorporate driftwood and old barnwood into some of my art.
This is tiny, less than 4 inches tall. It's my personal doll, made of fabric scraps, polymer clay, copper wire, a catholic charm and my own hair. It's sitting in driftwood I found a few years back.

outsider art/handmade Creepy scary baby doll

outsider art/handmade Creepy scary baby doll
Originally uploaded by thefarmersdaughter

Re-painted baby doll head that I found in a thrift store, attached to a handsewn large doll body with handsewn dress made off vintage fabric. signed and dated on back of head. She's big. like 2 ft tall....

Been a while- hasn't it? Well, I have new stuff....

She's large- almost 2 ft if not 2 ft. She has a simple weighted bottom with a handsewn dress and felt jacket on. Her face is a handsculpted skull mask. She has no name yet.....

I have a shop on Etsy now

mostly for my vintage sales, but I did put one of my dolls on my site- it's here

The store is called Big Red Dog Vintage on Etsy. We'll see how it goes. I plan on putting up a few more dolls for sale to make room for some new ones I have in the works. I just haven't decided if I want to deal with two separate shops or if they can live together under one roof for now.

No name yet-but he needs one badly

fairies from her fingers

I have read too many Dr. Seuss books!

She's handmade, with tall, orange wool hair. Her gown is handmade from vintage ties and satin fabrics. Her head and hands are polymer clay with acrylic paints, her body-vintage linen. From her hand is a handmade metal fairy ornament.

another repaint!

after repaint- a creepy little art doll
Originally uploaded by thefarmersdaughter

This one started it's life as a cute little baby doll. Male, closed eyes and mouth.
I think it will end up with a head of human hair.
The lightbulbs are there for size comparison.

I think my muse is coming back....

this is a re paint that I just did. This started out as a regular ceramic baby doll head. Cute, sweet, you know the kind. I bought it for a quarter a yard sale thinking I could do something a little less pretty. There will be more later when I get a body for him and finish his head....

From the Chicago Field Museum.

I love going there to look at what other cultures made. It gives me lots of ideas!

Creepy voodoo art doll wearing his clothes.

Sorry for the unannounced sabatical. Lets just say it was very, very much needed and drop it at that.


I am working on my larger male doll with the wrap style head. He is wearing a suit and tie now. I either use vintage ties to make my dolls suits, or new suiting type material. This is the latter. It is a new pinstripe fabric that has a little give in it. He has a grey fabric around his neck and a small trim tie that I have tied. He still has no hair or feet, or hands. Thats next!

When I make the clothes, I just trace around the body the form of the doll and cut out the basic shape. I try to make the fabric clothes as simple as possible- they aren't going to be removed from the doll so they are often sewn on or glued in place. Suits and shirts though have set in sleeves and are hemmed and sewn and can be removed. Suits and shirts are basically a rectangle of fabric large enough to fit around the doll, then I cut some slits in the fabric where the arms would go and sew in small fabric "tube" shapes that work as sleeves. I usually iron lapels, and when I attach the arms and hands the sleeves will be folded up to the legnth that I need and glued in place.

Ignore the white one on the right (for now) it's in progress too- I don't know what it wants to be right now.

I decide what my doll is by making the face first...

After the doll body is made, I have to decide what the doll will actually look like. I make the face next.

I use polymer clay- conditioned and baked according to the directions on the back of the package. I have a dedicated oven just for the clay because it does release chemicals.

I make 3 different types of faces- whole head and neck for when the doll doesn't have a fabric head

Sorry this isn't the greatest picture- this is when it comes out of the oven- no paint applied yet....



1/2 head with or without neck (the face folds over the edges of the fabric head )



This face has turquoise beads for eyes and the rest is handsculpted. This face has been baked and painted.

and the face mask- this just goes where the face would normally go- no overlap.

I used a piece of wire to make the designs in this face cab.

I use acrylic paints when the faces are baked and cooled to show the details by shading etc....

Once the face is done (and hands and feet if you want to make those) then it's time to make the clothing. I don't attach the face, hands or feet until the doll is dressed and ready to go.

More about hands and feet later.

the boy child has been doing some art- here is some of his" finest" pieces

Creepy little voodoo art dolls in progress- stage one.

A few people have asked how I make my dolls. So, I decided to put the latest dolls on line in their various stages. This is the end of step one.

I first draw out on a piece of paper the size of doll I want, cut out of linen the outline of the doll, then stitch it together. Sometimes I make my dolls without a fabric head because I plan on putting on clay head and shoulders on them. Sometimes they get a fabric head because I just will use a clay face mask on the doll.

These are just art dolls, not voodoo dolls, and are just stuffed with fill and various fabric scraps. I sew them together, stuff them, sew them closed, then sew the limbs on the torso. I usually then use upholstery thread to reinforce the seams. If they have a fabric head I make sure that the neck is stuffed stiff so hold up the weight of the face and hair.

The next step will be to construct a face for the dolls.

A 1, 2, 3, painting challenge

The weather was horrific here the last few days, so I decided to challenge myself to a few new paintings. Here is how I normally paint....

So I decided on some challenges to spread my wings so to speak. At first the rule was to paint in a different style than normal and with a 2 hour limit. So I chose to paint in the style of Phil Frost the illustrator and artist- I call this one "angry bird"

Then I decided to up the challenge. 1 brush, 2 hours, 3 paint colors in a new style. This is kind of aboriginal in style, in blue, white and black and I used a wash brush for the entire thing. I ran out of time, so the background is all white for that reason.

"I have the key to his heart" Finished folk art doll

She's finished! Her name will be " I have the key to his heart" The dress is finished, trimmed in jet beads and velvet, the hair is full and complete, her face and hands have been handsculpted and attached to her handsewn linen body. She holds a vintage key in one hand and a black feather fan in the other. She is on a handmade, rustic, wooden stand simply painted black. She has 2 heart pins stuck in her chest.

The voodoo that I do do- with new stand!

The voodoo that I do do- with new stand!
Originally uploaded by thefarmersdaughter

Yes, this doll has been seen before. But I wanted to re post it with the new stand that the Mr. made. He is making me simple wooden stands that the dolls just perch on, and then I can embellish them with whatever fits with the dolls. This one is covered with moss and shells with a piece of driftwood as a staff.
Handmade linen body with polymer clay facemask. Real fur on head and for stole, and around cuffs. Real bones, shells and vintage key around waist.Sorry that the mink gets shiny in the pictures

latest project- yes, it's a doll!

She's no where near done. No face, her hair is a mess, her dress isn't quite done yet. But, she's handmade- her body is vintage linen from a tablecloth, her tafetta underskirt is a dark green and her black and white kimono style robe is belted with a bit of black trim. She still needs a face and hands and her dress trim done. She also needs a stand and she is currently borrowing one from another piece.

Everyday, a girls gotta make the choice

acrylic on canvas. 11x17

it's finished- fire and brimstone voodoo doll

it's finished- fire and brimstone voodoo doll
Originally uploaded by thefarmersdaughter

Grego artwork- for my kitchen.

Grego artwork- for my kitchen.
Originally uploaded by thefarmersdaughter

This poster is my brothers work- he can be seen at his website- www.mojohand.com. He has both original artwork and posters available!

just another bald woman.....

I got bored and painted this little one- it's a 5x5 inch canvas.

Wine, Women and Song pave the road to Hell. Folk Art Painting....

My latest painting- it's 11 x17- canvas with acrylics.

latest faces and heads

before they get made into dolls and figures they first have to be sculpted, fired, and painted. Here are a few in the works right now. I am dealing with 3 heads, 2 sets of hands and 3 faces.

"The sea is a harsh mistress" water spirit voodoo art doll

"The sea is a harsh mistress" water spirit voodoo art doll
Originally uploaded by thefarmersdaughter

This water spirit is handmade- her fabric body is clothed in just a handsewn skirt with shell and bead trim. Her top and arm bands are polymer clay. She wears an artist made purple earing at her neck.

Her face is handsculpted polymer clay- OOAK. She is approx. 13 inches tall. She has a large gold pin on her back to allow her to hang on the wall.

"Have you seen him" OOAK handmade art doll in progress

Here is a picture of my latest piece. It is not done (as you can tell by the lack of face, hands, feet or hair or accessories.)

She is handmade- handsewn linen body, vintage cloth dress, vintage real fur pieces (I think it's Mink), her face, hands and feet will be handsculpted of polymer clay and shaded with acrylic paints. She will have some sort of accessories that I have to decide on in the next few days.

I will post another picture of her when she is complete and ready for sale....

"repated blows to his unformed head" handmade creepy voodoo art doll in straitjacket

My Grandmother was a seamstress at the State Home for the Insane many, many years ago- and she sewed straight jackets for the inmates in addition to uniforms etc..... she never told me any stories about her years there, but when I make my dolls I remember that fact.


Handmade, OOAK doll, with a handmade linen body, handsculpted polymer clay head with glass bead eyes, neck, and feet. Jacket made of vintage linenand the pants from microsuede. No patterns used in this doll.

"The Voodoo that I Do-Do"Creepy little voodoo doll- handmade and OOAK

"The Voodoo that I Do-Do"Creepy little voodoo doll- handmade and OOAK
Originally uploaded by thefarmersdaughter

Handmade linen body with polymer clay facemask. Real fur (MInk?) on head and for stole, and around cuffs. Real bones, shells and vintage key around waist. Semi precious stones (jasper) around her neck.

No patterns used on this doll.
She is a voodoo doll. She has always been the wise old lady of the woods- someone to ask and gather wisdom from.

"Tucked, Taped, Gorgeous!" Sometimes the best looking women started out as men- Handmade spirit (voodoo) art doll

Originally uploaded by thefarmersdaughter

I don't have a name for this one yet. She was one of my "fresh heads" that I did recently. I just got her gown sewn (vintage fabrics and mens ties) and her hair attached (yarn around a cardboard tube for height) Her head and neck, and her hands are handsculpted from polymer clay. She started out as a male doll- but things never really worked out. HE wanted to be a SHE.

Sometimes you don't have as much control as you would like....
She still needs her jewelry. Maybe a hair piece-or a mirror. A mirror might be good....

"Walkabout" handmade voodoo spirit doll. SOLD

close up- creepy little voodoo lady
Originally uploaded by thefarmersdaughter

old before her time- this little voodoo lady is still waiting for her Mr. Right.

She has a handsculpted head, neck and hands. Glass beads for eyes. She is dressed in faux silks and chiffons and has a bouquet of paper flowers.

This was a special order for a birthday present. It is no longer available.

"Say Hello to Mr. Pinky" Handmade creepy schoolmaster voodoo doll

This is a Creepy schoolmaster art doll. He fell in love with a student many, many years ago and she broke his heart. Turns out that 16 year old girls think that deformed middle aged men are creepy and weird, not sexy and wonderful.

He skulks around the school halls, yelling at all the females in his path, but his heart is wounded.

This is a handmade cloth-bodied voodoo art doll, handmade by me. His head is a polymer clay sculpture with glass bead eyes and a single seed bead tooth. He is painted and shaded with acrylics. His clothes are vintage materials- mens ties and velvet. His heart is a vintage salvaged piece with heart pins through it. He is a OOAK piece. He is for sale.