Joints!!!!!!!!

If you are following me , you must be *tired* by now from hearing about my troubles with porcelain. I am tired myself!
So much work , I do plan to post a picture (with Isabella in the center) surrounded by all the PARTS that I was NOT happy with.
The Joints for the elbows turned out great and they fit her perfectly , but the joints for the knees were too small. I need to find a middle between my first joints and the last ones.
Well I , once again, modified the prototype and made another set of joints. I KNOW these will work out because I placed leather on my prototype doll legs and the new joints fits very nicely. A set of molds were made today.
I will have to wait about a week and start pouring again. I have all the other parts ready ... just need this last mold to work and then I will be able to make Isabella for sale.
It has been a long time and waiting but I don't make porcelain dolls only and I never intend to be a doll maker solo. I LOVE dolls and making Isabella was a challenge but I loved all the steps, even the difficulties, because I have learned how to make molds and make porcelain BJDS.
I always hear people saying that they make one porcelain doll at a time .... I wonder about that ... I honestly have to make at least 3 to get one doll perfect. For those that do not know ... when the porcelain is poured into the mold and even after a soft fire , the doll still VERY fragile. Sometimes I am sanding and I THINK I am just about done , then bang!! I see an imperfection... such as a little hole , a line or anything that will show up after I fire to the mature stage ... that leg is no good to me.
I broke several pieces during the learning process and I fired several pieces that I will never use on any of my dolls. Measuring the amount of work and time consuming , when my molds will be ready for doll making , they will be limited for 10 to 12 dolls a year.
Meanwhile, ( and I know this sounds crazy, because I have not finished Isabella yet) , I have sculpted a new doll - Sophia!

Just a little longer

Isabella new joints molds are ready for pouring. If all work out well , I will be posting pictures next week . The molds looks great and I am so excited to see how it will fit her ... I know it will be perfect ...grin...but lets see....

Isabella is waiting....

When I first made Isabella prototype , I had an idea in mind. My first mold ( see the brown eyes doll ) had the joints permantely attached to the legs and arms. I did not like it because I found limitations to movements.

I worked out new joints , separated for the legs and arms, in which meant that I had to make new molds for the legs and arms a well.

Nothing ever has come to me easily...sigh... I know better that good things requires time and effort.*grin*

After I re-did all I was very excited however I found out as I added the leather to the joints that the joints were now *showing*. I don't want that at all!

Tomorrow, I will start a new mold for the joints.... it is alright because all I have to do is to use the ones I have to make a new mold. Porcelain shrinks and that is all I need.

I should have the dolls ready in 10 days maximum.

I am a perfectionist... being a professional ballerina in my early years has thaught me a lot. I will confess to you that a full kiln allows me 7 complete dolls however because I have to choose the best parts for my final dolls I will be happy when I consider 3 dolls for sale!

I know the pictures are not the best but I want you to see Isabella and my wood shop where I make my molds and furniture.

I spent 6 straigth hours painting Isabella... I was only able to paint few parts.. still have all her legs, arms and joints to do. She will be fired 6 times to allow a beautiful and everlasting finish. China paint fired properly will NEVER fade . The many layers between fire, allows the piece to have a stunning and smooth result.

Time to be with my family.....

Snow in March????

last night I loaded my kiln. It was early evening when I started the fire. Around 1:am, the power goes off... I looked outside to find the ground covered with snow and my thoughts went immediatly to my kiln. I have the kiln in my shop , not too far from the house
The power was still off , so I figured would be better if I turn off the breakers. I knew the klin must had reached over 1000 degrees and because this never happened to me before I got nervous .... would the kiln just slowly cool and I would only have to start the fire again later on?
I left the shop , crossed the snowed path and could not go back to bed.
About 10 minutes , the power came back. Again , back to the shop . I switched the breakers and saw an error message.Then reset it and everything looked good. Obviously, I am *assuming* everything is fine but I won't know for sure until tomorrow when I will be able to open the kiln. I have 7 dolls there.... I don't think I will ever do so many at the same time, just in case of lost.... it took me months of casting, sanding , to make all that ....

Almost there....

I have been sanding the dolls a little at time.It not only takes time, one needs to make sure there is nothing that will be showing after firing porcelain ( cone 6) . If I miss any bumps . I won't be able to use the part so i have to double, triple check as I sand.
I have the hands and feet left to do. I have been busy sculpting miniature animals and oh, how I love it.
Okay , back to work!

Sanding the doll...

Today i will be sanding the doll's parts...well I will do a lot but it will take me a good 4 to 5 hours to sand one doll. I do sand dry prior the first firing ... that cuts the sanding job in half. sanding is *not* my favorite thing to do but I get very excited at this point because I know that soon I will be firing to mature and then ... my favorite part comes next - China paint!

Here are couple pictures that I took just before I start to sand.