Did Somebody Say 'Wonky Dolls?'

Creative Crafty Friends on Facebook is doing a collage swap I thought I could easily do since I haven't crafted in months. Literally months. I am trying to get my mojo back as it were. This particular swap called for two collaged wonky paper dolls that include the use of magazine pictures. I began by pulling items from my collage pile that I thought could be useful. 

I never buy magazines. The closest thing I have to magazines is when the AARP monthly shows up. Hahahaha! I cut a few heads out awhile back and threw them into my collage drawer. I figured I could use them for this swap. The other items are bits I have from Art By Marlene and Dina Wakley's Collage Collective. The next step was to run all the pieces through my sticker machine. Those magazine photos are really thin. You can see the reverse side right through the paper. Ugh. 

I began by cutting out all the pieces. Here is how I envisioned my first wonky doll to turn out. I wasn't entirely sure about those glasses, though. They were pretty big. I liked everything else. 

If you have never used a sticker machine before - you should if you get the chance. It literally turns everything into a sticker! Just peel off the backing and pop into place! I knew that magazine head was going to be a problem because it was so thin. I needed a way to build this doll so the person I am sending it to would receive it in one piece. So. I began by putting my mermaid base on a piece of card stock. I figured that would give her a strong base and keep all her pieces glued together. I used those little bubbles like decorations on her fin and just trimmed the edges away before I stuck her in place. 

I ran into my first problem almost immediately. My magazine head. So thin.  When I removed the sticker backing - which I did very carefully - the paper rolled over and stuck to itself. And I could not unroll it to save my life. There was a red graphic on the back side at the top of the head. When it rolled over and stuck it left red glue right across her face.

I picked and scraped as gently as I could so I wouldn't tear the paper. Even those huge glasses wouldn't cover up all the red.

This was as cleaned up as I could get the face. And the top of her hair was torn as well. I needed a rescue plan. And I thought what would a teenager with red splotches on her face do? 

Hahahaha! I pulled out some face powder and started dabbing it over the red. And it seemed to help so I kept working in layers, a little at a time. 

This was the best I could do. Hahaha!

To fix the hair I just gave her a bit of a haircut and stuck a starfish barrette in place. Since she was built on top of card stock, I just trimmed all the way around my little wonky mermaid.

And just like that my little mermaid was complete and ready to ship to her new home. 

My second wonky doll started with a piece from Dina Wakley's Collage Collective book. 

My process was the same. I did better with the head on this doll, but not so much when it came to the hand with the red glove. Those little fingers just wanted to look weird no matter what I did to them. But they did ask for 'wonky' so I guess this fits. Hahahaha! 

And here they are together. I think they turned out just fine. I've mailed them out already and they should arrive today. So I feel pretty safe in making this post. 

Interested in some art journal/ collage type swaps? Check out Creative Crafty Friends on Facebook by clicking here. It's loads of fun!