Found Object Doll and the Midnight Sun

 I've had the elements of this doll on my work table for over a year now. It seems like with found object assemblages there is always the dilemma of how to connect the pieces. The materials aren't consistent enough from piece to piece and may not behave properly when you're trying to nail, staple or screw pieces together. A piece of very dried out wood that may have loads of character might just simply splinter as you're nailing or screwing into it. Or it turns out that your substrate really is a fiberboard that turns to dust and "wallers" out rendering your efforts useless. The familiarity of tried and true materials definitely make for less frustrating work. Such is the challenge of  art using thrift shop and found pieces.

She's no Candace-

 but the creation is all mine except for the polymer clay cabochon face.

I'm open to suggestions for a name  for this one.

 Her head is a polymer clay face glued to amber glued to a large vintage button and wired and fastened to the round piece of wood that I found at a dump site. I picked up the broken mirror and latch nearby. I had been trying to sell these rather dull vintage buttons as a set and they presented themselves to me on my worktable as viable arms. One leg is a metal bit that I picked up on the street and the  measuring tape is a garage sale find from a broken windup tape.

I took a picture of our favorite gal lounging in the wild irises  this weekend at 9:30 PM close to Solstice.

The ribbon that Corrine from Dosfishes adorned her cape matches perfectly!

Here she is at almost midnight among the black spruce trees at my friend Heather's place.

We'll be hearing about her adventures with Heather soon.

Alternative to the Dollar Store

Wouldn't you trade cashmere and suede for these?

The Dolls of St. David

Dollar Store Dream

Ah, the dollar store. It promises too much. I hadn't run across them being isolated in Alaska where they haven't yet overrun. I think they tried a $1.50 store in Fairbanks but that kind of loses it's luster in it's disclosure. I remember being quite excited my first visit to a dollar store in the States but quickly have become disenchanted with the offerings. I'm wondering, do Europeans have Euro Stores now?

What I'd really like to talk about is my fantasy Dollar Store. I do believe I've found places that you can actually get a good deal for a dollar. I was perusing an antique store in Bisbee, Arizona and found a box or two in the dusty basement chock full of ephemera for a buck a piece. I practically needed a drool bucket nearby so as not to drench the precious papers. I allotted myself $30 or so. There were a few pieces that were less than pristine, wonderfully dog-eared actually so I took it upon myself to ask the owner if he would consider 50 cents a piece on some of them. To my delight he added up the whole bunch and gave them all to me for that!

Then the other day on our way to Tucson for a shopping trip we stopped in St. David, a quaint little Mormon town along the way. This is the shop that I found porcelain doll parts of different

sorts. Some quite patinated with dirt but others in fairly good shape. The clear glass head was definitely one of the best scores. the lady behind the counter wished that she had seen it first!

Also they had Lea & Perrins Worcestershire glass stoppers, some with a delicate dichroic patina and iridescence. Imagine, 3 for a dollar!

My other good score of the week was when a friend had given me a pile of clothes to go through. My friend Rosalie gifted me suede jackets and cashmere sweaters in abundance.

She told me that any I didn't want could go to the local thrift store for a credit exchange for future purchases. I held on to several pieces that might upgrade my wardrobe to the dressier standard that I expect to experience on our upcoming Spain trip. I kept the black suede jacket and several other cashmere pieces. I subscribe to a very informal, casual (maybe even ratty) Alaskan standard of dressing which means my dressing up translates to just a bit shabby by international standards. I mean I've seen gals in spike heels trotting about on cobblestone in places like Estonia, Latvia and Cuba. I'm flat-foot Crocs and Chaco sandals all the way.

Unfortunately I couldn't abide the fuchsia suede coat or the neon peachy cashmere sweater ( it brought out an awful tone of my skin) I marched down to Penny Lane thrift store here in Warren and traded for the most lovely old distressed door locks and door plates.

Now you're beginning to see where my priorities lie. Trading in suede and cashmere for vintage thingamajiggies!