Vacation...and Ball Joint doll is coming along nicely!

Good day everyone! Well it is monday again and about a day and a half away from our annual trip down south to Louisiana to see my husband's family. This will be the first time we drive instead of fly and I am looking forward to it...we are going to take our time and sight-see and do some antiquing! I am finishing up on laundry and packing today...
But, tonight... I will be back sculpting on my new ball joint doll! If I have time today or tonight I will post some WIP pics...I am pleased...it is coming together easily! I have to do some parts sanding and cleaning. So far all I have done is the torso. I usually sculpt all my dolls with the head first...but for this type of doll I am creating the body first to ensure all parts fit well together and move well. I will be sure and post pictures of my progress...after tonight though no sculpting until I return around mid-May!

New doll being sculpted today!!

I am starting new work today...finally! I have a lot to do before July... Starting today I am working on a fully sculpted original ball-jointed doll. This will be a first ball joint doll for me. Although I have been in the process for months sculpting a rather large 22" stone clay ball-joint doll...which needs a lot more time to complete. This new one is bound to get finished sooner...as it will be considerably smaller ( I am still working out the dimensions of the final piece)...somewhere around 10 1/2". I can not wait to get started on the actual sculpting...preliminary sketches of working out the design details is done, so now the fun part starts! I will post pics as I go...stay tuned!!

A new direction!

I decided yesterday, not to start my civil war era child doll just yet...I decided I will go another direction. I am very excited to make this new doll and will post pictures as I go...
I discovered long ago that I really need to get excited about the project in order to get a nice finishd piece. I kind of lost my momentum in making another doll the same size, scale and style as the last one...so I decided to go a totally new direction. I still need to finish two new dolls for ODACA days and the UFDC convention...I also need to make more for the sale table. I don't want to confuse the ODACA judges in the final round of judging by making something totally new..so I am not sure if this new piece will be one of the ones shown in the final judging round. Stay tuned...this new doll I am making is totally out of my "norm"... I am so exited...however, before I start today I need a quick trip to the hardware store! ;-)--Kori

Great News!!!

Hello everyone!
I got some wonderful news this morning! As many of you know I have been in the process of applying for membership to ODACA (Original doll artist council of America) http://www.odaca.org/index.php . I found out this morning that I have made it through the second round of judging and will be going to Chicago in July for the final round of judging, the interview process. I will need to bring "Marie Therese" and two other new dolls to the convention...as well as a few more for the sales room (if I make it through final round)...I am very exited! It is an honor to get this far in the process and it will be fun to attend the show and convention...I have never been to a large doll show or to Chicago for that matter! Well, I now have a lot of work to do...so I better get to it! Stay tuned for Work in Progress photos!--Kori

Need to clean the studio today...contemplating a new sculpt!

I finally got my blog all set up...now I need to clean my studio mess from my last doll and put away all my new supplies! Tonight I will start my next new doll! I have decided she will be the same size and scale as my last doll...Marie Therese (about 13"). This time I have decided she will be from the 1860's...I ordered some reproduction civil war fabric (and just got it in)...and have been studying period photographs and clothing designs from the period (the photos at left are a couple of my reference photos). I have also ordered a mourning brooch from the period in her size and have decided to make a "holding doll" in the Izannah Walker style. I recently signed up for an Izannah Walker online class, that I was too busy to really take part in because I had to finish several commission pieces as well as working on dolls for an ODACA (Original Doll Artist Council of America) review. Marie Therese, was sculpted for the second round of judging. I will know sometime in April how I did. I am being optomistic, and have decided to get an early start on the final two dolls for the third and final round of judging which will take place in July at the ODACA convention. Crossing my fingers I will make it that far!! ;-) --Kori

New to blogging...but here goes!

Hi Everyone!
Welcome to my blog page! My name is Kori Leppart-Butts and I am a professional Doll Artist as well as a sculptor and teacher. After a lot of encouragement from friends and customers I am finally starting to blog! This page is dedicated to my sculpture and my original art dolls. Turtle Child Studio is named in honor of my first born, my son, who changed my life completely...he was slow to come into my life...I didn't have him until I was 37 years old, hence the "Turtle Child". Both of my children ( I now also have a daughter) are a continual inspiration for my work. I love children and children's stories, such as fairy tales and folklore. You will see most of my Art Dolls are children, although I do make adult sculptures from time to time.

I plan on using this blog to communicate closer with my customers, fans and students. I will post work in progress photos as well as some tutorials for the beginning OOAK (One of a kind) artist. I hope you enjoy my work as much as I enjoy sharing it with you!! To view more of my work visit www.turtlechild.com , or to register for a class visit www.thatcreativeplace.com .