Finally, New Paper Dolls for my Etsy Shop!

Yay! I just finished a whole lot of mermaid paper dolls for my Etsy shop, Rock Paper Tekla, and I am not done making more! I told myself that for all of March I will continue to make as many paper dolls as possible until the very end. My Etsy shop has been empty for about 8 months and I hope to never do that again. 

So take a sneak peek at my first bunch of mermaid paper dolls! I plan to hopefully make more mermaid paper dolls, Bebe paper dolls, and Menagerie paper dolls before the month is up! However, I will start listing my paper dolls in my Etsy shop either at the end of this week or the beginning of next week. I will keep you posted and, as usual, I will blog about each paper doll and their inspirations!

My latest mermaid paper dolls dressed to the nines!

My Latest Paper Dolls

A great way to start off the New Year is by making new mermaid paper dolls! Here are my latest mermaids and their inspirations.

My Mermaid Paper Doll No. 75 "Toledo Gold" is inspired by a couple of my favorite jewelry pieces made using the "Damascene Technique". Damascening is a process where precious metal, like gold or silver, is applied in a decorative pattern over the top of a non-precious metal, like iron or steel. Toledo, Spain is the world's largest center of production of Damascene. With my finished mermaid, I wanted her to have a very dramatic look, high in contrast and pattern, just like many damascene designs.

Mermaid Paper Doll 75 - Toledo Gold

My vintage pair of damascene jewelry, "bird & flowers"and "bull" pins.

Carlos's damascene bolo tie from his family trip to Toledo, Spain in 1990. Bolo ties first became fashionably popular in the 1950s then had a big comeback in the 1980s. Just a random side note: the loveable Duckie Dale rocked these "shoestring ties" throughout the '80s movie "Pretty In Pink" (see below). Maybe someday I'll get Carlos to wear a bolo tie in some form of fashion!

Jon Cryer's Duckie Dale sporting the bolo tie.

Mermaid Paper Doll No. 76 "Suvannamaccha" or  "Golden Mermaid" is based on the mermaid princess in the Cambodian and Thai versions of Ramayana, a timeless and enchanting epic of India. My Golden Mermaid is a modern take of the mermaid princess. She is, of course, adorn with her golden jewels yet fashionably fitted with beautiful patterns & rich colors reminiscent of Thai silk fabric.

Mermaid Paper Doll 76 - Suvannamaccha (Golden Mermaid)

Suvannamaccha the mermaid princess. (Source: fckyeahcambodia)

Thai Silk Fabric (Photo: Greg Vaughn Photography)

Mermaid Paper Doll No. 77 "My Sweet Sushi" is derived from a couple of influences: Kawaii and Sushi. Kawaii means "loveable" or "cute" in the Japanese culture and I wanted No.77 to carry a bit of that sweetness to her look...soft colors, hearts, flowers, and butterflies. In addition, some of my favorite Kawaii drawings are that of Sushi characters shown as cute animals or just plain sushi with simple faces. So to carry over that concept of Sushi into my mermaid, I gave her custom-fitted gown the look of being wrapped in seaweed. Although her seaweed (wrapped around her waist and above her tail) is more of a teal green color rather than black!

 Mermaid Paper Doll 77 - My Sweet Sushi

Cute Sushi Animal Characters (Source: A Little Kitty Deviant Art)

Another Kawaii Sushi illustration (Source: Meowza)

Mermaid Sushi. (Source: Honey and Tea)


Seaweed wrapped Spam Musubi (Source: Cooking Hawaiian Style)

Valentine Heart Sushi (Photo: Isriya)

Mermaid Paper Doll No. 78 "Golden Sparkles" is inspired from the flowing fins of the Siamese fighting fish also known as a Betta fish. My boys recently got a pet betta fish (named "Sparkly") for their new aquarium. We were all impressed by Sparkly's beautiful colors (ranges from purple to blue to red) and his large, flowing fins. I thought it would be neat to make a mermaid based on Sparkly. I imagined for this mermaid that she would have hints of golden sparkle as well as the dramatic appearance of swimming eloquently through the ocean waters draped in a flowy gown. 

 Mermaid Paper Doll 78 - Golden Sparkles

A golden-yellow Siamese Fighting Fish similar to our purple Twin Tail Halfmoon betta, Sparkly. (Source: fnzas.org.nz)

Mermaid Paper Doll No. 79 "Shanghai Sea" is my version of a 1920s Shanghai Calendar girl wearing the traditional Cheongsam dress. The cheongsam dress was first created in Shanghai, China in the 1920s.

 Mermaid Paper Doll 79 - Shanghai Sea

Vintage Shanghai posters of Chinese calendar girls (called yufenpai) circa 1920s - 40s. (Source: Sleevey Wonders Blog)

Mermaid Paper Doll No. 80 "Embroidered Hand Fan" is largely inspired by my love of Spanish culture. For this mermaid I fashioned her in a gown reminiscent of a traditional Spanish hand fan with delicate cloth webbing. I also gave her a hair ornament similar to the decorative Spanish hair comb known as a peineta . A peineta is usually worn under a mantilla, a lace veil worn over the head and shoulders.

Mermaid Paper Doll 80 - Embroidered Hand Fan

Spanish Fabric and Lace Hand Fan (Source: Lands Faraway)

A Spanish Peineta. (Source: Lands Faraway)

Spanish Basque painter Ignacio Zuloaga y Zabeleta's (1870-1945) portrait of aristocrat and socialite María del Rosario de Silva, Duchess of Alba. She is wearing the Spanish mantilla and peineta (comb) and holding an embroidered hand fan. (Source: porcelainsandpeacocks)

I hope you enjoyed this in-depth look at my latest paper dolls! Also, I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to their New Year! Cheers!!

Mermaid Love

"I must be a mermaid...I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living" 

- Anaïs Nin

I really do love mermaids. These intangible, mercurial creatures are my muses when making my paper doll art. There are no rules and no limits to my imagination when designing my mermaids.

I was once asked in an interview on the blog "I Am a Mermaid" what the appeal of mermaids was to me and I simply stated,

"I am forever drawn to the ocean. I find the ocean mesmerizing, dangerous, and calming at the same time. Maybe it's the vast unknown that is attractive. So to me, mermaids embody the ocean and all its mystery, danger, and beauty. There's something about mermaids that is devastatingly romantic and elusive".

So when I sit down to make my paper dolls I mix a little of my hopeless romantic side with a bit of my love for haute couture fashion and the end result is always something different.

My latest mermaid paper dolls are my holiday-inspired creations. 

Mermaid Paper Doll 70 - "Chrysanthemum Joy"

 Mermaid Paper Doll 71  - "Blue Swan"

 Mermaid Paper Doll 72 - "Ghostly Sea Dragon"

 Mermaid Paper Doll 73 - "Red Barnacles"

Mermaid Paper Doll 74 - "Sweet Plum"

And that's my mermaid rap! Thanks for stopping by and go live deeply!

My Latest Paper Dolls

It has been months since I last made new paper dolls. With my kids on summer vacation and Carlos busy training for his first triathlon, I haven't had much time to sit down and make my paper dolls. However, with a couple of late nights (Carlos and our kids are asleep) I decided to take the opportunity to do the one craft I really love doing...make paper dolls! 

I thought it would be neat to not only show my latest dolls but to also talk about the inspiration in creating each doll. 

My Mermaid Paper Doll No. 65 "Sun-Bleached" was inspired by my favorite beach finds, white sun-bleached seashells and driftwood branches. I imagined this sun-bleached look is how a pretty mermaid bride would want her summer wedding dress to look like.

Part of my personal beach find collection.

Mermaid Paper Doll No. 65 "Sun-Bleached" from my Etsy Shop, Rock Paper Tekla.

The next paper doll is Mermaid Paper Doll No. 66 "Chinoiserie". Chinoiserie is a french term signifying a style in art reflecting Chinese qualities. In fashion, chinoiserie clothing tends to mix Eastern and Western stylistic elements in both decoration and shape. I wanted my "Chinoiserie" Doll to embody the structured silhouette of the Chinese dress, Cheongsam, and the look of chinoiserie embroidery.

Paul Poiret Coat, ca. 1919. Metropolitan Museum of Art.  "The cylindrical silhouette and standing collar suggest inspiration from Chinese or Near Eastern robes and coats".

Zac Posen Gown http://www.fashionologie.com/. Posen's Fall Runway 2012 collection is Asian-inspired with gowns and dresses transformed with "origami folds, chinoiserie embroidery, and kimono-draping.

Mermaid Paper Doll No. 66 "Chinoiserie".

These next two paper dolls are part of my new collection called Menagerie Paper Dolls. They are my odds and ends assortment of craft + art paper dolls using mainly stamps made by Catherine Moore and Kimberly Crick. I absolutely love their stamps especially the detail made from each stamp. They are both Angel Companies which allow you to use their stamps to create your own art and sell them.

My first Menagerie doll is called "Watercolor Waves". I love Claude Monet's painting "Reflections of Clouds on Water Lily Pond" and I was reminded of it when I saw these gorgeous craft papers at a local paper shop. I knew I had to make a doll that captured the serene beauty of Monet's painting.

Claude Monet's Reflections of Clouds on Water Lily Pond at Museum of Modern Art, New York (Photo: Wikipedia)

Menagerie Paper Doll "Watercolor Waves".

The second paper doll from my Menagerie collection is "Birds, Buttons, and Bows". Inspired by antique French flea market finds, she is what I imagine I might stumble upon when shopping in a little village in the south of France. She is nothing short of charming!

Page from Sebastian Siraudeau's book Vintage French Interiors. 

The book is about finding antique flea market finds.

Menagerie Paper Doll "Birds, Buttons, and Bows".

I am always amazed by how even the smallest inspiration or bit of passion for something can metamorphose into a whole other passion, which for me, are my paper dolls. I really hope this evolution of passions continues for as long as my mind can keep rethinking and recreating.  

Thanks for reading! Enjoy your day!