Vintage & Thrift Store Finds

My sister Julie and I spent Saturday doing what we love best, antique and thrift store shopping. Who doesn't love a great deal?!  I found a set of 6 vintage shot glasses for $5.95 each individually named - "Big Shot", "Shot To Hell", "Poor Shot", "Double Shot", "Short Shot" and "Gun Shot". I must say a they are a nice little addition to our home bar!

We also found great vintage prints and a pair of 1960's painted canvases. All were calling to me to "please take us home and update our look!" I gotta put my who doo action to work!

Later at Good Will, I found this steal of a deal of a beautifully hand beaded red linen skirt with fun tassels along the hem for only $4.59. And then the shoes! They are sooo adorable for only $4.39!! Gotta love thrift store shopping.

Sock Monkey Gone Awry

My first doll I can remember making was from a kit. Sock Monkey was created back in 2002 during my summer vacation. I spend a week every summer on Star Island with my husband and daughter at a Unitarian Universalist family conference called All Star I.  We meet each year with the same family and friends.  We have close, lifelong friends we only see once a year. It's a very special place filled with love and LOTS of laughter.


It was during one of these weeks, rocking on the hotel front porch, that I attempted to make a simple sock monkey using an easy to follow kit. You see, my friends all have hand crafts they do on the front porch; lots of knitting, beading, sketching and did I mention knitting?  Karen, one of my BFFs, every year would patiently teach me to knit. I would knit a lonnnngg scarf and then promptly forget how to knit until the next year. I would usually just sit and tell funny family stories and entertain everyone while they worked.


The year of the Sock Monkey I decided to participate by making something more "me". But I didn't realize how hard it would be to read directions, sew, stuff, AND tell funny family stories. Each day, something was wrong with what I had sewn. And being a crafter, I would think to myself I can fix that later or that's ok it gives it character.  Needless to say all of my women friends gathered everyday to work with me so they could laugh at the mistakes I truly innocently made! They weren't laughing at me they were definitely laughing with me. I would recheck the instructions and realize I'd made yet another mistake! Sock Monkey still brings back so many good memories of me and my friends laughing ourselves into tears.

So here's my Sock Monkey. I love her. Looking back, I used vintage buttons for eyes, appliquéd a heart and didn't follow directions but did my own thing. It took me nearly 10 more years to revisit doll making, but look how far I have come!

Where Do My Dolls Come From?

I just finished three new dolls and added them to my shop.  As I am photographing them, I realize I have developed crazy stories in my head for each one while I was making them. Believe it or not, this is a new revelation for me. Being crazy is not.

The process of creating dolls is still fairly new to me in my life of crafting. I use to only craft or paint when I would get inspired to make something I saw I liked but couldn't afford or thought I can do that, why pay for it? I think I have made maybe two dolls my entire life.

Who Doo dolls came about when I wanted to create items to sell with my husband, Dave Cook, at his conventions and festivals.  He is a pretty well-known artist in Atlanta for his tongue-in-cheek horror art, roller girl poster art and zombie portraits. You can see his cool stuff at his I Draw Monsters website. 

I first did some research on voodoo dolls, which totally freaked me out!  I'm not crazy superstitious or anything, but thinking others might use my dolls for ill will or good for that matter I didn't like.  I knew I wanted to make dolls  out of old items of my grandmothers, my childhood, personal old clothing and jewelry, antique finds and thrift store items. So who knew what all that may bring with the world of voodoo.  Playing with words to not be voodoo but still a little creepy, Who Doo was born. As I create a doll I ask it, who doo you want to be? Call me crazy, but it slowly emerges to me with a complete personality! (I know, I just creeped out on voodoo makers and hear I'm telling you my dolls have complete personalities. I told you I was a little crazy!)

I usually start with a pile of items I like. Such as this vintage "hair wrap" which I bought at an antique shop. It is still in the box intact.  I hold on to things until I work out the idea in my head. Then I take it out and look at for a couple of days. A mummy wrapped with his ribcage (maybe a sliced seashell) exposed...

Or I also like the idea of someone, like Betty Page, becoming a doll so I gather items I think may go: pleather pants, netting, lace, chains, a pin I was making...

I've been thinking of old hippies that have passed on as inspiration and came up with this pile of goodies. Don't know if it will all gel in my mind into a doll but it's a beginning.

So the dolls slowly arrive out of my imagination, usually a little demented, crazy or strange. I have done the "mainstream" art all my life, but the "dark side" of creativeness is pretty dang fun!

Making Skull Flowers This Valentine's Day

I just completed an array of new Skull Flowers and added them to my big cartel shop.  They were so much fun to create, I thought I would show you how I make them.

First, I make lightweight clay heads and hand paint with acrylics.

I then paint wooden dowels for the stems.

After attaching the skulls to the stems, I cut the petals from old book pages.

I then choose bottles from my antique collection and hand paint with enamel.

Cute paired together!

In our powder room..

One with metal petals
in our office.

These look awesome anywhere in your house any time of the year! Great conversation starters for that unsuspecting visitor...

Creepy But Cute Burlesque Hat

I made this creepy, but cute burlesque hat to wear last halloween. Creepy - because the cupid baby doll's eyelids open and close as you move your head around. Cute - because it IS a vintage baby doll with a striking rhinestone enhanced bow. Ok I admit, she's a bit more creepy than cute.

Last fall I saw a cheap version of a burlesque hat made for halloween.  I looked at how it was made and said to myself, "I can make something like that." So I took a picture with my phone, studied the shape, how it was made and went home to look through my stash of goods to see how I could construct a cool hat.


I loved the results!  But now that I did it, I am on to something else...

Vintage Poster Gets Who Doo

A friend of mine Jennifer Belgard of diamond*star*halo asked me to put my who doo on an old vintage poster she has had since she was 17.  It is a very cool print but a little freaky with a big eyed girl sitting on a staircase in space. It has some scratches and the colors have faded some through the years.  Maybe a "Highway to Heaven" theme? Who knows. The poster is big, 36"w x 28"h. Sorry the original photo is so tiny but I forgot to take a beginning photo. I got so excited to get started!


Jennifer gave me free reign and my only question to her was, "Do you like glitter?" And she replied, "Of course! Everything's better with glitter!"  With her blessings, I believe I brought a tired little girl back to life - so to speak...

I added trees with silver dots to the foreground, glitter to the stairs, stars and moon, and added my who doo to the girl.  Thanks Jennifer! I had so much fun painting this and I hope you enjoy your "new" poster! 

Moss Took Over My Morning

So I was reading Martha Stewart's LIVING this morning and reading at an article that mentioned using moss in the winter to help plants maintain their moisture.  My plants need that!!  I love my houseplants.  Especially in the winter when there is not much greenery around. PLUS my backyard is full of moss! We get ALOT of shade in the summer and in Georgia, heat, moisture and shade equals moss.


I was planning on watering my plants today anyway, so what's a couple of hours of "plant" work instead of "studio" work.  My plants inspire me, so maybe this trick will inspire you to baby your plants today or buy some plants to baby! Also, we are to get a little ice and snow tonight so I better do this today! Right?


First, I went in the backyard and dug (or actually "lifted") moss pieces in sheets.

Here are a few before and after photos of my plants:

This spider plant is at least 15+ years old. It hung on my grandmama's carport for so many years I can't even remember not seeing it there.  When both of my grandparents passed away, I inherited the plant.  It stays inside during the winter.  My granddaddy told me to give it a little glassful of water every day and it will live forever.  I can't say I water it every day, but once a week.  Hopefully it will like the moss!

I bought these coleus last summer and they have lasted all winter in front of a window, by the heat vent.  Hopefully the moss will help with the frequent watering. Coleus are so easy to root too! Just pinch off a stem and place in water until it roots and then pot. 

OK!  So now down to my studio to work!!!!!  I promise...you know I could paint a few funky plant stakes...

Gotta Love My Studio!

I know I love seeing artists' studios. Love seeing where all the "magic" happens, so here's mine to show you.  It is in my basement in the suburbs of Atlanta.  I know I am lucky to have such a big space where I can leave it messy and go upstairs and close the door!  Plus, I am also fortunate to have a daylight basement, where in the last afternoon, beautiful sunlight streams in.  We took the confining ceiling tiles out a couple of years ago.  The gigantic workstation with flat files and drawers was custom built by my dad back in 1992.  It has moved from office to studio to home with us through the years. It is a heavy beast and filled to the gills!  That's my corgi, Dexter, posing so politely by my chair.

I am a collector of many things, letters, bias tapes, zippers, old dolls, creepy photos, books, little figures, string, LOTS of little things inspire me. So storage is everywhere!

I love old picnic baskets for storage. And old boxes. And jars. This is an antique doctor's file cabinet that I store paints, glues a the top and the rest with fabrics.

I use wire shelves to display work and items I have ready to alter into more art.  Hope you have enjoyed a glimpse into my studio and where I need to go right now!!  

Who Doo First Post

Welcome to my brand spanking new blogspot!  I love to create, collect, decorate, rummage, procrastinate with art, laugh, share stories about my life and TALK! I have to see how typing instead of talking goes.  Some of my friends have suggested video blogging, but I will give this a whirl first.  At least I can remain in my "go-to" outfit as I blog! (Light purple long johns I spent a whole whoppin' $7 on!)  Comfort is important to me.  I am working on launching my blogspot and Big Cartel shop today.  My husband Dave is not too thrilled helping on Super Bowl Sunday but he's tired of me saying, "When I get my blogspot and shop..."  Now I have to put my money where my mouth is. Here it goes!


I started creating dolls this past year after leaving a stressful job. Art has always been where I could de-stress. Relax. Breathe.  My first two dolls were inspired by my husband and me. Who Doo doll #1 was named DC and doll #2 was named Suzi. 

They both sold at my first show at DragonCon 2010.  I rode on my husband's coat tails and put my dolls in his booth. I got a lot of good feedback and encouragement from fellow vendors and convention fans. I decided instead of getting another "real job" I would try my hand at being a full-time artist. I still produce a few graphic projects on the side, but I want to dedicate most of my time to art. I plan on sharing what inspires me, projects in progress, other artists, and my evolving studio. Hope you enjoy my site. Come back again real soon!