A New Season: My Latest Paper Dolls

March has been a good month to catch up on making paper dolls for my Etsy shop! I was able to make a handful of Mermaid Paper Dolls, a couple of Bebe Paper Dolls, and several Menagerie Paper Dolls for this latest group. Each and every paper doll was a pleasure to create and as always I wish I could keep them all!

I have also decided that all paper doll sales through the month of June will go towards my husband's latest fundraising efforts with Team-In-Training (TNT) for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Carlos is currently training with TNT for the 2015 San Diego International Triathlon and, in addition to training, he will be raising funds to help find cures and better treatments for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's Disease, and myeloma. Also, if you would like to make a personal donation in support of Carlos's efforts with TNT, please follow the link below (all donations are 100% tax deductible and any amount is very much appreciated!):

http://pages.teamintraining.org/sd/sdtri15/cbacalski#My-Fundraising-Page

And here are my latest paper dolls and their inspirations! Enjoy!

BEBE PAPER DOLLS

Bebe Paper Doll #29 - Baby Doll

Bebe Paper Doll #29 "Baby Doll" is an ode to the vintage paper doll cut-outs. I thought it would be fun to create a Bebe Paper Doll inspired by the cutesy, Golden Age paper dolls of the 1950s - think of Mad Men's little Sally Draper lovingly playing with her paper dolls just as her mother, Betty, had before her!

Bebe Paper Doll #30 - Selfie

Bebe Paper Doll #30 "Selfie" is actually based on me! I've always wanted to be this fantastic artist and paint a fantastic self-portrait but I'm not a very a good painter! I do, however, think I am a pretty good paper doll artist and decided why not make a paper doll self-portrait?!? I happen to love jumpsuits (one of my favorites is this blue jumpsuit, above) and have a deep fondness for wearing animal headwear (my latest wolf hat/scarf, above)! So this Bebe doll is also wearing a jumpsuit complete with eyeglasses, strappy sandals, and funky animal accessories (bunny barrette and deer bag). Oh, I also had this Bebe doll sporting a wrist watch because in reality I should wear one more often!

MERMAID PAPER DOLLS

Mermaid Paper Doll #111 - Lupita in Calvin Klein

After seeing actress Lupita Nyong'o wearing her gorgeous custom pearl gown at the 2015 Academy Awards, I knew I had to create a mermaid paper doll version. Even Lupita herself, said she wanted this pearl dress to be "an homage to the sea"! Mermaid Paper Doll #111, is my third Lupita-inspired mermaid doll and this one is multi-jointed at the arms and her mermaid tail.

Mermaid Paper Doll #112 - Lupita in Giambattista Valli

I couldn't resist making another Lupita-inspired mermaid paper doll! This next mermaid doll is based on her 2015 Golden Globes lilac-hued gown by Giambattista Valli. I loved how the dress flowed like a waterfall made from purple flower petals!

Mermaid Paper Doll #113 - Fleur de Papier

Mermaid Paper Doll #113 "Fleur de Papier" or "Paper Flower" was inspired by the French outdoor flower shops. Also, I wanted to make a mermaid paper doll that felt like Springtime and flowers always reminds me of this new season. 

Mermaid Paper Doll #114 - Madame M

My "Madame M" (M stands for Mermaid!) mermaid paper doll is a tribute to John Singer Sargent's painting "Portrait of Madame X". Sargent's portrait of a young socialite named Virginie Gautreau has always been a memorable painting from my youth with Madame X's pale skin contrasted against her dark colored dress. This painting was actually quite scandalous back in its days in France.

Mermaid Paper Doll #115 - Mermaid in Blue Floral Dress

Mermaid Paper Doll #115 "Mermaid in Blue Floral Dress" is inspired by my love of the color indigo and blue denim.

Mermaid Paper Doll #116 - Raven

Mermaid Paper Doll #116 "Raven" is based on the intriguing bird, the raven. With its striking black plumage, the raven gives off such a dark and romantic presence, and I wanted my mermaid paper doll to have a similar look as well! In addition, I wanted her to appear  like she was gliding or flying through the waters as effortlessly as birds appear in the sky.

Mermaid Paper Doll #117 - Art Deco

Mermaid Paper Doll #117 "Art Deco" is influenced by the Art Deco movement of the 1920s and 1930s. Art Deco is not only an architectural style (e.g. San Diego City and County Administration Building in pink hue built in 1938, above; Cincinnati Union Terminal rail station with emerald green water fountain built in 1933, above), but an overall design aesthetic found in jewelry, clothing, furniture, and handicrafts. I wanted my "Art Deco" mermaid doll to reflect this influential visual arts design style with its geometry, color, energy, and ornamentation.

MENAGERIE PAPER DOLLS

Menagerie Paper Doll - Vida y Muerte

Menagerie Paper Doll "Vida y Muerte" or "Life and Death" represents this union of opposites and just how life and death are beautifully intertwined. Death is a part of life even for mermaids!

Menagerie Paper Doll - Steampunk Ariel

Menagerie Paper Doll "Steampunk Ariel" is my version of Ariel the Mermaid dressed in her best Steampunk wardrobe. Above are a couple of other artists' versions of Steampunk Ariel (one by Mecanique Fairy and the other by Steam Ingenious). I liked to think my Steampunk Ariel would sport a more modern hair style with her short bob and still fiery red hair!

Menagerie Paper Doll - Sea Maiden & her Sea Horse

Menagerie Paper Doll "Sea Maiden & her Sea Horse" is my version of a mermaid riding a seahorse. Of course, this concept is not a new one but I thought I would make my seahorse with a real horse head and all dressed up and ready to hit the underwater scene!

I hope you enjoyed my latest paper dolls! I will be taking a break from making paper dolls for the month of April and starting sometime in May, I will begin making my paper dolls for the San Diego Comic Con Art Show in early July. The majority of my paper dolls for the Art Show will be fangirl-based so if anyone has any suggestions on who I could possibly make, I'd love to hear them!

Thanks for being here!

A Late Winter: My Latest Paper Dolls

I finally found a weekend late this winter to make more paper dolls for my Etsy Shop. I can't believe I haven't made any new paper dolls since last October. It has been a busy last few months mostly due to the hustle and bustle of family life and all the holidays that happened along the way. 

But I am thankful for that open weekend and getting back to what I love to do! Once I got started on the first paper doll I couldn't stop making them and I still have many more brewing inside my head that I hope to make on my next available weekend!

And here they are my latest paper dolls and their inspirations! Enjoy!

MERMAID PAPER DOLLS

Mermaid Paper Doll #95 - Green Anemone

Mermaid Paper Doll #95 was inspired by another underwater beauty, the Giant Green Anemone. I love how stunning sea anemones look with their many layers and mix of colors.

Mermaid Paper Doll #96 - Abyss

'Abyss' was clearly influenced by the deep ocean known as the abyssal zone. I imagined her  masked in a dark grey camouflage with hints of opaqueness like the creatures that live in this vast depth of watery darkness.

 Mermaid Paper Doll #97 - Vintage Romance

'Vintage Romance' Mermaid Paper Doll was mainly influenced by the rich colors of Art Nouveau. Elegant muted earth tones and delicate jewel-like tones of this mermaid paper doll highlight such colors in the Art Nouveau style. 

These next three mermaids (#98 - #100) are tributes to three characters from the outstanding cartoon series "Avatar: The Last Airbender".

Mermaid Paper Doll #98 - Fire (An Ode to Azula)

Mermaid Paper Doll #98 "Fire" is my interpretation of the character Azula, Princess of the Fire Nation. Azula is the key adversary to the heroes of "Avatar: The Last Airbender". She was a fire bending prodigy, very cunning, narcissistic and crazy as hell!

Mermaid Paper Doll #99 - Water (An Ode to Katara)

Mermaid Paper Doll #99 "Water" is my ode to Katara, the waterbending master, of the Southern Water Tribe. She was characterized as spiritual, resourceful, compassionate, and an incredibly fierce and talented waterbender.

Mermaid Paper Doll #100 - Earth (An Ode to Toph Beifong)

Mermaid Paper Doll #100 "Earth" is my tribute to Toph Beifong, earthbending master from the Earth Kingdom. Toph was by far one of the most powerful of earthbenders of her time and she was also the discoverer of metalbending. She is one of my favorite characters from the Avatar series. 

Born blind, Toph had a unique style to her earthbending that made her both unpredictable and unconventional. She loved battling and took great pride in her earthbending skills. Toph was characterized as independent, confident, tomboyish,  stubborn and very direct.  Mermaid #100, adorned with green armor like scales with hints of silver metal, is ready for any battle!

Mermaid Paper Doll #101 - Lupita in Miu Miu

Mermaid Paper Doll #101 is based on the talented and gorgeous actress Lupita Nyong'o.  The Miu Miu dress that she wore to the Los Angeles premiere of "12 Years a Slave" was one of my favorites! Even though her dress was a pale pink hue, I opted to show her mermaid version in white. I imagined as a mermaid, she made her dress from aged white whale bones and ocean flora!

Lupita has been my favorite style icon on the Red Carpet this past award season. She just looks smashing in everything she wears and I can tell you this won't be the last Mermaid Paper Doll inspired by her.

MENAGERIE PAPER DOLLS

Hipster Rock Merman & Boho Tekla Centaur

My newest Menagerie Paper Dolls are dedicated to my Mom and Dad. I used personalized rubber stamps made of my parents faces on their wedding day by the talented Etsy artist Kozue. I originally had them made two years ago for their 50th Wedding Anniversary but didn't get a chance to use them.

I thought since my Dad was a sailor in the Navy it would be fun to show him as a merman. And not just any merman, a hipster one because my Dad to this day has always been pretty fashionably hip even with his handlebar mustache from the 1970s through the 1980s. My Mom was never a fan of sailing on a large Navy Ship (which she has) and felt to me she should be more a land-based creature! Strong, protective, and motherly, my Mom has been the anchor to her large herd of kids and now grandkids at our family homestead. 

'Rock' is my Mom's nickname for my Dad and 'Tekla' is my Dad's nickname for my Mom, and of course are the inspiration for my Etsy Shop name. I really enjoyed making these two paper dolls and put in a lot of small details to personalize their looks from the nautical themed t-shirt of my Dad's merman to the bouquet of seaweed and coral and to the deer antlers that adorn my Mom's centaur's headpiece. These two paper dolls are definitely one of my favorites of all time!

I hope you enjoyed my latest paper dolls and I hope to continue making more dolls more often! Also, I signed up for this summer's San Diego Comic Con Art Show again which I am so excited about! Last year's Art Show was so fun and I can't wait to return and make more fantasy and fandom paper dolls for everyone at the Con to see!

Thanks for stopping by!