A Happy Hoarder: Box Opening from shopgoodwill.com

A Happy Hoarder: Thrift Store Shopping Finds!

A Happy Hoarder: Box Marked Fragile Rattles!

Creating my Gothic Girls and Other Zombies to Cuddle

I usually find them perched on higher shelves just out of reach of small children and above the eye level shelves usually reserved for more desirable items. Some steadied in an upright position clipped to white metal stands but many I can only see the bottom of their shoes where those less fortunate to have stands of their own lie in repose.

I'm speaking of porcelain dolls donated to one of my favorite thrift stores, Rolling Hills Ministry, where I started my collection of previously adored dollies.

Stretched out elastic, missing shoes, chipped or broken appendages, or hair in disarray have turned these once "collectible" dolls in to garage sale fodder and thrift shop wares. I grab up as many as I can!

I didn't start the Zombie/Gothic doll craze by any means, but I did just on that wagon as soon as I could get my materials together.

I started three years ago in honor of "The Walking Dead" series and the character, Michonne.

But you can find out more about her HERE!

Originally, the inexpensive plastic doll was a sweet girl with 2 ponytails whose voice box said a little prayer, but when I found her, the run down battery gave only enough energy for her to emit a creepy sound. How perfect.

I took down her ponytail and styled her hair in twists that resembled Michonne's hair. I replaced her sleepy brown eyes with clear glass marbles and added visible decay with the use of a primer for plastic, a glue gun, acrylic paint, and a sealer formulated to work on plastic.

I kept her for about a year where she hung out with me in my studio but ended up selling her on eBay.

Then came my Zombie Baby whom I enjoyed taking on an outing Halloween. S/He is great! Weighted down with reptile sand, this cutie even feels like you're holding "dead" weight!

Using a wood burning tool, I created a "Glasgow Smile" and lines around the eyes. Then I accentuated it with hot glue. Unfortunately, the hot glue only lasted three years when after being stored in a NON climate controlled storage building, the glue began separating from the vinyl.

As a result, this baby has been through a few "looks" and I'm not sure I when I will be able to settle on something permanent.

But my first attempt on porcelain/bisque was on a Dynasty Clown doll. Oh, he's worth a few bucks before his being zombiefied but I think he's so much more adorable with his new look.

Other than crafting his hat out felt and adding some remnants of faux fur for hair, his look was created with acrylic paint and a matte all purpose sealer.

I sold him on eBay shortly after I made him and I still regret letting him go.
Now, I've given you some ideas on how to create your own zombie/gothic dolls but let me take you through "a day in the life" of a zombie doll.

After admiring the work of other one of a kind zombie doll crafters and piddling around in my studio, I came up with my own version as hauntingly beautiful effigies based on the stories (true/legend/fictional) that inspired them.

I use "used" and generally mass produced dolls. Occasionally, I'll pick them up in a lot and end up with a few collectible and limited edition dolls that deserve another chance at remaining their adorable collectible selves. I put them on eBay, but it is only a matter of time before they themselves become zombies.




I start by stripping them down and because I work with several dolls at once, I toss all the clothes together so sometimes the dolls end up with different clothes.

I pull off the wigs. Some are harder than others but if you soak the top of the doll's head in hot (or boiling) water you can dissolve the glue. Even if you are going to use the wig, it is easier to paint with the wig removed. Believe me, I know...I've tried it both ways.

I've pulled a Dr. Frankenstein and swapped out broken appendages and heads with other bodies to make the dolls complete. However, some faces or limbs are unique so I patch them up the best I can but work their damage into their undead "look".

I clean the porcelain parts of the dolls with alcohol to remove oils and dirt. Then I put two coats of a multi-surface primer. I have tried a few types but I prefer the paint on versus spray. I like the rougher skin texture that the paint brush creates because it looks more like decaying skin and it holds on to the charcoal better than the smooth surface of the spray version.

I let the primer dry or "cure" for a couple of hours in the sun. Then I apply a coat of paint. I've been using "Snow White" because it is a little less stark that the regular white.

I like to the let the paint cure at least overnight if not for a few days because I'm pretty rough on the surface between using the charcoal, my fingers and/or a small stencil brush for smearing the charcoal.

I also use a wet brush with a stick of charcoal to get into some of the tighter areas that the pencil can't reach. Using water on charcoal sticks is much like the old  paint tins you used a child. Actually, I still use old paint tins for small projects and sketching.

Then I spray the pieces with an multi-surface sealer.

If I need to do any white touch ups, I do it after I spray. If I need to do any charcoal touch ups, then I use a paint called "Charcoal" because the charcoal sticks won't adhere to the sealer.

I have read the raves and reviews on "Mr. Super Clear" and purchased two cans; however, I find that the product is hard on my asthma. I use one of a couple of other matte sealers first and use the Mr. Super Clear occasionally as the final coat to flatten out the matte sealers that have a little bit of a satin sheen.

With the eyes, I dull them down. Now this is my preference and I've seen other artists keep the eyes glassy. I actually scratch the surface of the acrylic eyes to make them dull but I do add a finish that is considered gloss, but is still rather flat. I like the look of the charcoal around the inner eye and the more "dead" look in the eyes.

On some, I've added new eyelashes and I had to buy a tool in order to attach them. Check out CR Crafts if you're looking for one. On some, I kept the eyelashes that were stuck on good.

When not using the synthetic wigs, I use Tibetan Lamb Hair pelts to create their hair. I read and article on creating wigs from the pelts but I have arthritis and it is rather difficult to hand stitch. So, I prefer to glue on small pieces turning the pieces in different directions (much like they do when piecing together the rugs) to give the hair more body.  Some hair I pull up, others I let go wild, but either way, in order to blend in the seams, I use charcoal sticks. I like using bits of white in honor of the bride of Frankenstein.

I dye the clothes, bloomers, socks, slips, ribbons, and veils in black Rit dye. I have used the "Gunmetal" for synthetics but I it doesn't cover as well as I had hoped.  So I re-dyed that batch in regular black. Maybe the next batch, I'll add the dyes together.

Some fabrics take the dye well, others don't which is kind of fun seeing what colors they turn in the process.

At first I rinsed my clothes but then I decided not to because I preferred the streaked and sooty look if you don't and just lay them flat so that the color will pool and eventually soak in. I feel this makes them look more Earthy and aged. The smell a little like dye and some like vinegar and dye. Hopefully, they will air out eventually.

When I dress the dolls, I usually remove the Velcro. OH, how I HATE Velcro! Then I sew the clothes on the doll. I also sew on the socks, attache the sleeved to the body and stitch up the waists of the bloomers. Since I didn't rinse or wash the clothes after dying, I usually get a little dye residue of my fingers from handling the fabric so much.

I add embellishments when needed and have even become a millenary creating little hats and fascinators. I've also put a lot of effort into giving their bears and other props more character.

I prefer black shoes so, since most of the shoes that came with these dolls are white, I paint them with a multi-surface paint and then distress them by dry brushing them with the charcoal gray paint.

I wanted to spray paint all the white, glossy stands flat black, but it is not sticking as well as I would like and tends to scratch easily. I'm still working the kinks out of that one!

Speaking of Zombies...

Guess who is going to China!

My Gothic Ghost Bride.

By FAR the CrEePiEsT doll I've crafted yet! AND...she's a night light!  The funny part...these lamps run about $100, but I could not resist!I recommend using a cool LED bulb...I just haven't remembered to pick one up at the store...so, for now, she's got a blue Christmas bulb under her skirt.I made her veil because the one she came with was just not "dark" enough.Unlike most of the other Gothic Girls, her skin has been created by sponge painting a combination of white. parchment, and a light gray giving her skin a more decayed appearance.

She looks even more ghostly with the veil.

There IS a Method to My Madness in Making and Selling Gothic Girls and Zombie Babies!

GOTHIC GIRLS and Other Fun with ZoMbIeS!

Well, it's that time of year again!

Time to get crafty with Halloween (and year round) decor.

This year, it's all about ZOMBIES and GOTHIC GIRLS!

So far...I've only partially finished two! So I've really got to get to work!

At first I was going with just a bit of hair that had escaped from her hat.

I ended up giving her more hair and no bangs.

But then I decided to go all out and give her more hair and no bangs.

I do have eyelashes I want to add.

A shot of all her hair! This is Tibetan Lambs Wool Pelt. It really makes the best hair!

I didn't have good lighting when I finished her. I'll have to do a better photoshoot when she's complete.

Her coat was originally off white. The fabric took the dye differently giving the "fur" collar a purple hue.

Before You Bid on Items on the GOODWILL Auction Site...READ THIS!

I had to admit that I'm a bit addicted to eBay and recently, I've discovered that good deals can be found on another auction site: shopgoodwill.com.

But don't get too excited!

Because there is a catch.

I won the bid on a box of beautiful dolls from the artist/collector Greta Mae Hedgcock who once lived in Tuscan where she had a shop, Greta's Doll Nook, that she opened in 1979 and in the early 1980's she started the Tuscan Doll Guild.

When I bid on the dolls, I had no idea who the artist was but I knew the minute I saw them that they were special. Well, three were obviously mass produced "collectibles" but I could tell which ones were the quality dolls.

I was very excited about the two large male figures because you don't see many adult male dolls in porcelain dolls. And since I could not see most of the dolls, I took a chance based on the two large male dolls alone!

BUT...I've had trouble with Goodwill's shipping standards before and I've had some fragile things arrive broken so, in fear this would happen again, I contacted customer service and ask that they please wrap them carefully.

Well...I guess you know where this is heading!

Have you ever seen that Moluccan Cockatoo, Pebbles? If not, take a break and watch this video!
If you have seen Pebbles, then you'll know how I reacted when I opened the box and found that these fragile porcelain dolls had NOT BEEN WRAPPED in ANYTHING. They were just tossed in a box all piled up on top of each other with some peanuts dumped over them for good measure! HA!

Well, as it turned out, FIVE of the dolls were damaged and, you guessed it, TWO of those were the large male dolls. (You might want to watch the Peaches video again!)

I hate this happened but I would put boots on him anyway.

Okay! This REALLY made me open up a can of PEACHES!

Do you realize how impossible this will be to glue back together!

That is the "socket" where her ball joint rotates.

Chipped Knee

Broken MISSING finger.

 I know...they're only dolls!

But here is my perspective on this.

Yes, it is true that MANY people donate junk that they don't want to Goodwill just to be rid of it.

Another broken finger...but we found it!

However, there are those who truly believe that by donating good quality items to places like Goodwill they are helping out their community, those less fortunate, or hope that their collections and gently used items will go to someone else who can enjoy and appreciate them.

Thankfully, where I live, we have a church run disaster relief thrift shop so we know our money and our donations are a part of something meaningful...and if you've read in the news some of the issues with Goodwill, then you know what I mean.

But I digress.

I feel it is the responsibility of these charitable organizations to treat the donated goods with some respect, not only as a sign of gratitude to those who donate, but to those willing to purchase said items.

If shopgoodwill.com wants to compete with the almighty eBay.com, then they will have to work on their customer service.

At least on eBay, there are checks and balances in place to maintain some sort of decorum, but apparently Goodwill does not appreciate the customer and since there are no repercussions save offering the buyer their money back (the offending Goodwill only offered me less than half of what I paid for the dolls), it does not offer anything in the form of damages to irreplaceable items such as these dolls.

I mean, I was so excited to get these dolls (that took the Goodwill way too long to ship! It was supposed to be 5 Days...more like 10) I was anxious to see them. Like any good work of art, you just want to look at it and study how it is done, right?

So, unboxing the damaged dolls made me SO stressed that I was up until 2 AM fretting about it.

Then, after some sleep, it dawned on me that is was not my purpose to finish or even keep these dolls.

I am a Zombie/Gothic Doll and Santa artist.

And since some of these beautiful dolls are really out of my league, I realized that it was my duty to see that these dolls go to someone who would cherish them. But not just the dolls, some history of their artist/collector as well.

I LOVE this lady!

She is wearing a toile or maybe it is her slip.

I always loved dolls as a little girl and I still do love them. I know, crazy, right?

Oh, you don't know crazy until you read this part!

I had no idea who "Greta" was, only that her name was engraved (when the porcelain was greenware) and the dates she worked on some of these dolls.

But as I "played" with each one, they revealed Greta's story to me.

I learned (having found nothing online about "Greta") from the dolls that she had died, and not recently. I also knew that these were not her only dolls, and that she had created many, many more. I knew the dolls clothing had been constructed by her as well. There really is an energy associated with each piece that she crafted, insomuch that when I picked up the Duck House, The Broadway Collection, or the other doll with the very long peach dress, I got nothing except a strong desire to turn them into zombies!

You see, when underpaid workers in China throw together mass produced dolls, there is a sense of apathy and disappointment that stays with the dolls. YOU THINK I'M KIDDING! Just look at their faces and their lifeless eyes. PURE APATHY and DISAPPOINTMENT!

But even when I get ahold of them and turn them into zombies they change and a personality develops!

Because when an ARTIST crafts a doll, they put some of themselves, usually the best of themselves, into their work and you can see it in the dolls eyes...probably because the artist sets or paints the eyes so they will look at you...but more because that is what being an artist is and that's what art is for!

Whether it is Starry Night or a rag doll sewn by my Grandmother...it's all an artistic and expression of very unique creativities.

These are from a ROMANS mold.

But I digress...again!

What I really want to share is that after photographing and "handling" this pair of her dolls, I had a feeling that I should look up where the Goodwill was that I purchased these dolls. When I found out it was in Arizona (Tuscan) I did a search under "Greta Tuscan Doll Artist" and found this wonderful article written by Kimberly Matas with the Arizona Daily Star.

Greta Mae Hedgcock: Dolls played a vital role in life of Tucson woman

I know...see! The dolls told me those things about her!

We live in a society where if one thing is good, more is better. And I honor that code as well as any hoarder! But...I am putting the majority of the dolls (along with some of my baby dolls that were too cute to zombify) on eBay in hopes they will find a home where they will be treasured.

I'm only keeping two or three of her dolls. Two boys with porcelain heads and composition bodies, because they are smaller and will fit neatly on a shelf in my studio. The larger boy is signed by Greta in 2002 and the smaller one is not signed but when I hold him in my hand, I get this feeling that he meant something to her and that he is supposed to stay with me. There is also small girl, signed by Greta, that I feel I am supposed to keep.

You know, I say I am going to "finish" them, but I have feeling they are already complete!

Thank you, Greta!

And you incompetent workers at Goodwill...well, I wonder what Pebbles would have to say about you!

Three Little Dolls Dressed in Pink

I just love these little girls but my studio (and home) are so full of projects that I don't have room to display them. :( And I don't think my husband wants them in our bedroom. Our dining room and a big cabinet in our foyer are already over run with SANTAS as it is!

Growing up, my older sister had three Madame Alexander dolls: Scarlett O'Hara, Little Miss Muffet, and Little Bo Peep. We were not allowed to play with them. They were "displayed" on our dresser and the only "handling" allowed was when we dusted.

Except that I was a rebellious child and I snuck a play ever now and then. ;)

But we cherished the little booklet that came with them and fantasized about collecting ALL of the mini dolls. Especially the Little Women sisters.

My mother reminded me the other day that my sister and I shared a full sized bed even when she was in college. You'd think we'd be closer...but right now we aren't speaking based on a "difference of opinion". Her decision, not mine. I still love her!

But I digress.

Anyway, I had a friend in high school who had a HUGE collection of Madame Alexander dolls! I asked her if she ever played with them and she, too, was instructed to not play with them because they were for display only. :(

So, when I happened upon this sweet little Amy doll at a thrift store (sans shoes) I just had to buy her to "play" with her. But really, I've only actually displayed her so now I'm putting her along with her little friends on eBay in hopes of finding them a new home and hopefully, one where Amy can be played with!

The doll on the left is all porcelain and has the sweetest face, much like that of the Madame Alexander mini dolls. She's still sort of on my "hope she doesn't sell" list because she's just SO adorable! But I don't have anywhere to display her, so...

The one on the right is a 1999 Uneeda Precious Expressions doll. Normally, these babies come with only a little bit of beads but that makes them too floppy so I modified her and added some stuffing so that she could sit up and hold her cute little head up.

I have two sons, grown now, so I never had the chance to play dolls but I can tell you a lot about Star Wars and Batman action figures!

Still, there is something about dolls that still make me smile and really want to play with them.

So, when I start posting my ZOMBIE BABIES again, I want you to remember this image, and that not all dolls are scary!