Friends and Family Cut-Out Creating

The year, 1978 , Dor and Gar married and a few years later we gave birth to our own little Bubble of Joy, Jade.......

 I think we made a wonderful combination and having 2 boys of my own to share with Gar, we stopped at three. She is our baby. Our baby is now the proud Mama of her own little Boy-Bubble, Eko. He is walking now and I have some good poses to use for Eko Cut-Outs.

I have been going through family and friend pictures looking for good shots to make more personal cut-outs and paper dolls. It's fun!!!!!!!!
I have lots to work with.

I'm starting with one of Dossie's first little cousin-Bubbles. Cut-outs kept me and my two cousins, Val and Lorraine, busy for hours. They are some of my happiest memories of my mid-century childhood.
I also had a younger cousin. My Baby-Cousin, Mary Ellen, on the left, is adorable and now a Grandma, too. Her little Jania, on the right, plays with cut-outs like most of the girls in my growing-up-time family did.

Jania likes magnetic paper dolls and I'm getting some magnetic sheets to  print on to see what they are like. It sounds wonderful, but like the Kindle is to the book, paper dolls just feel so right in my hands and much easier to draw by hand than with all my art tools and programs on-line. There is an essence that gets lost, a sensation that goes with paper dolls and cut outs that diminish the enjoyment. But, hey! I am old, old school. I applaud modern techno when it makes it easier for little girls to enjoy playing with and manipulating the dolls and clothes.           You go Bubbles!!!! 

Mary Ellen and Jania

 

Here is my paper doll version of my cousin, Mary Ellen, when she was just a little Bubble.  I think she does look like Mar....and I see Jania looks like Mary, too. I will put her on the list for family cut-out dolls. First

I used the computer to draw a few sample outfits for little Mary Ellen. My favorite way to color paper dolls is with a good quality colored pencils like Verithin. Crayons are fun, too. Markers usually work great for clothing but not skin. I want to try some water color paint to paint the printed out clothes. The lines are so mechanical and lose the soft flow I get when I use pencil by hand, but she's still fun to color and play with...I hope :D

This Dossie is all colored with a few details in marker before I scanned it. The huge head is a style of paper doll very popular in the 1960's and still seems to be in style in Spain and Mexico. She's quite cartoony, but hey, so am I.

Here is my daughter, Jade, when she was just about 4 years old. I made us Mom and Daughter dresses. You have to do it when they are too little to protest, and really think dressing up like Mom is a great idea! It is a very short window of time so do it quick if you have a little one. I think this Dossie Bubble Jr. is just right to pose for some paper dolls. If you have a child you'd like to see as a doll here, (or if you want to be one) email me your photos.

Well, I am off to see how the world is doing out there. I see the sun is shinning. May the 'long-time-sun' shine upon you.