Diana Frey Mata Hari Doll Workshop

 This is the class sample for the workshop i took with Diana Frey at Art is You Petaluma.  So beautiful.  Can't wait to get started.  We were told to bring a thrift store doll and some accessories - let's see how it's done....

 Here is the instructions for the class.  I always appreciate the extra nice touches.

 Here is my doll - clothes and hair removed.

 First step - cover all the cloth body with Slug and Snail Copper Tape.  Apparently no longer sold at home Depot because it is cruel to the snails.... oops.

 Burnish well.  but a few wrinkles are ok.  like on my face.

 Next apply solder to the copper tape.  i may be talented and crafty, but i totally suck at soldering.  Seriously.  all that dark goop is burnt flux.  yuck.

 Luckily they make a product  to remove yucky burnt flux.  spray it on and  wipe it off.

 yay - shiny solder!

 Next apply black antiquing magic liquid to the doll.  it starts out clear and turns black on contact.  also turns you hands black.  and your cheek where you touched it with your black hands.

 Next wipe off the excess.  

(wouldn't it be nice if  we could lose weight that way?  

you know, by "wiping off the excess"??)

 Next buff with the special included buffing square until shiny.  like an iron maiden, only not nearly as scary and tortuous.

 While we are on the subject of torture devices, we made a cage skirt out of brass strips and little brads.  two of us in class had ex's named brad, but that is a whole other story....

 

Next paint the porcelain doll parts with white gesso.  two coats.

 Here is a random shot of the class all holding their alien looking silver and white creatures, like some kind of galactic assembly line....

 Next the teacher showed us how to paint the face.  lovely eyes - Diana makes it look so easy.....

 but isn't easy.  it is hard.  i did mine over and over and never had the patience to let them  dry so i kept smearing the irises.  they are all janky but somehow still look cute somehow.  I also went a little overboard on eyelashes, and her mouth is a bit too large.

 Homework assignment: bring home cage skirt and cover it with 7000 yards of priceless vintage seam binding.  then add little sprigs of ribbon, lace and tattered chiffon tied onto the skirt with more priceless vintage seam binding in an artistic manner.

 The next day the teacher let us get an hour in before her other class started.  She showed us how to decorate the headdress for the doll.  mine isn't finished.  there will also be some further embellishment around the bodice and neckline, and painted boots
.

I do love how her face turned out.  A final coat of extra thick glaze gives it a glossy professional effect.  and manages  to hide all the flaws.

Here is another teacher's sample.  a beautiful painted doll head on a vintage bottle.
really lovely  - we must try this!

Here are some more of Diana Frey's whimsical dolls.  I really enjoyed our workshop.  it was sadly just a tad too much to accomplish in one day,