Happy-2013

This is my cousin Mary's little granddaughter, Jania. She's at that age where she still likes to play paper dolls w/ her GrandMa, Mary. I remade Mary from her black and white kid photo below. I found retro sets of cut-outs with a few outfits that fit them both, so I cut and pasted them into photoshop in the hopes that they'll work. I excluded tabs on this set since Jania likes magnetic paper dolls best. Bobby pins, the ones we used back in the 50's, hold the clothes on just fine, too. I've been using small dots of paper putty on my own tabless outfits for the dolls and it works pretty good. I'm not sure a little kid could remove it easily, but if you have Mom, Grandma or big sister around, try Fun Tac, a blue paper putty used to hang posters and it can be reused over and over.

Dossie Bubble - 21

I used a photo to add a new personalized face to this doll. I found some original clothes from the doll and recolored them, and then I continued making more of my own designs. I know my old hand is so wobbly, but hopefully they are playable. I had a ball drawing them.

The black and white set of clothes have no tabs. Either print them out on magnetic sheets, or use a bobby pin to hold the clothing on. I am experimenting with a paper putty, putting little dots on the back of the clothing. It is re-useable so so far so good. I'll talk more about this when I've completed my own experiment.

Have fun coloring, or cutting and if you think you'd like to give your own designs a try, please do. You'll be glad you did. It is a fun hobby and growing in popularity all the time. From vintage to modern day self-made dolls and designs, this is an inexpensive hobby with so many facets to it. Enjoy!  ~DJH

Sophie

 I used another paper doll to model for my 8 year old granddaughter, Sophie.  She is a talented girl and does all kinds of art and crafts. She dreams of having her own studio someday. I know she will be a success in whatever she does. I am so blessed to know her!!!

Oddie is Sophie's favorite Moshi Monster. I haven't made up my mind yet. I think I like the little white and magenta pink pony four rows over and four rows down. I don't know her name. perhaps Sophie will tell me. Her brother, Kai, my also very talented grandson, age 5, probably has a favorite but all I know is that he loves Legos and I love him.

Addy

Here is an Adirondack trio of boys, Addy, Ron, and Dack. They're  ready to go play on the trail. Of course, Puppa Yuppa must go with Addy. He loves dogs, and so does his brothers. I wonder what adventure you can dream up for them? They love climbing your Christmas tree or any tree for that matter.

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.

Dossie Bubble - Age 5

Dossie Bubble was born today, sort of. I think of Dossie as the little ever-girl within me and other females of all ages who are in touch with their own inner bubble of little girlness.

I've been making my own cut-outs since forever. A female is born a Chick, becomes a Maiden, becomes a Mother, and Grandma, she's then a Crone. Well, that's me, Crone. Now that I am so far along this circle of life, I know how even more important it is to be in contact with my Dossie Bubble. Find yours, and come and play with me. Don't worry, I won't tell, or you can just blame the old Crone on-line living her 2, or 3rd childhood via paper! At my age, who cares!!!! It is freeing. Plus, no laundry, no ironing and folding, just cut out. Looking at it that way, if you can draw, a set of colored pencils and a pad is like owning Jo-Ann Fabrics.

I just started drawing a new set of paper dolls for my blog, a mix of boys and girls. I just drew a kind of generic version of us all. So Dossie is me, my daughter, Jade, my Granddaughters, Sophia and Rowan, and my two daughter-in-laws, Ann and Lisa. The boys? All mine at one age or another.
                                   Have fun, I sure am!!!!

Dossie Bubble - Age 8

Dossie Bubble-age 8                              

Here she is, Dossie Bubble. I drew her last night and even though she is a bit rough, she'll improve along the way. I will include better, more detailed clothing, friends, coloring and stories as we go along. I hope you have fun, I did. Use your own ideas and make her some new things and share here, too, if you like.