DENISE CLARKE from Tampa, Florida 2005 Second Annual ALL DOLLED UP: BEADED ART DOLL COMPETITION Theme: Over The Rainbow Return to the web-page displaying all 3 semi-finalists and overall results

Doll named Leap of Faith [Please be patient - These pages are graphics intensive and will load slowly] See the overall Results When voting closes 1/15/06, voting logs will be reviewed for any duplicate or otherwise illegitimate votes (for example, those from the same IP or email address), and these will be deleted. The on-line votes will be tallied and used to adjust the original votes of the Panel of Judges at CBJA, in the selection of a winner. The public's votes will weigh towards 25% of the final tally in selecting the Winner and Runner-Up.

Frontal Image

Leap of Faith

Once upon a time, in a land far away, there, Over The Rainbow, I discovered you, embellished with a kind of light and charm, mystery and magic, that one finds only in this special place. Whether it was Fate or Luck, we met again, my Beaded Art Doll, and I renamed you appropriately enough, Leap of Faith.

Her pose is permanently fixed, because for her as with each of us, every day is a Leap of Faith. One leg is stretched out behind, the other bent, both just clearing the obstacles of today, yesterday's hindrances left safely behind. Her legs are covered with hosiery made of crystal clear inside rainbow seed beads which let the vast experiences, memories of the past and knowledge of brighter days to come all held within shine through.


1. Her Legs

The expression on her face, molded by life's experiences, shows her willfulness and sheer determination, reflective of the rainbow of experiences each day has brought, yet glowing with individuality, poise and grace. Her chin is thrust ever forward in defiance of whatever life, love, or fate throws her way; daring them to try to make her falter. Her skin is smooth and silky, so far untouched by the ravages of time, this she accredits to her Mother who, upon her passing, had nary a wrinkle at the age of 58.

2. Her Face and Hair

Her lack of hands or arms is of no consequence; for if any of us should fall from our daily leap of faith, we cannot stop it; or prevent what is in store for us. Fate rushes in and each person is swept along on the tides of their life, until such time as Fate chooses to allow you to scramble up once more gaining a foot hold in self confidence and enabling us to resume the endless leaping required by each day's happenstance.

3. Her Lack of Arms

Her skirt is a combination of stitches each held to the other with the weaving of the common thread of life; because no matter how well laid our plans; Fate has its own ideas of what should take place. Free form peyote wraps her waist, as free form as the movement of time itself. Moving down it changes into more orderly chevron stitches and finally vertical netting. All of the stitches in her skirt are intertwined, as each life is; there are the occasional flowers of love, peace or happiness. As well the unavoidable black leaves or grey beads of missed chances, lost loves or family members. The inside rainbow colored beads of this garment were chosen to represent the rainbow of life, a higher power, fate or luck, whatever you may perceive as your guiding light. They contain the colors of her particular rainbow, for the coloration of each person's rainbow is unique; reflective of all of their life experiences.

4. Her Skirt

The colors of her skirt were taken from the fabric design of her life itself, from the hem up. Beginning with the darkness of a childhood and youth filled with abuse, and pain, but as you can see that was not all fate and life had in store. Here and there you will see colorful shiny beads within the darkness, flecks of hope, and rays of sunshine are intermixed with droplets of rain; for there must be rain to make a rainbow. As you move up through the years of her life, the darkness fades into the rainbow containing all of the promise of goodness and light that life should be. Oh yes, here and there you will still see some grey and shades of black, these are the sad times of later years. A child lost forever represented by the one black leaf falling onto a grey patch still on her hip where she would have carried this infant through his childhood. Still securely attached forever a part of her, lost but never forgotten, always there in her heart, mind and soul. This black leaf of mourning is surrounded by the grey of illness, sadness passed but still part of the ever-changing rainbow of her life. Still, further up, a little later in life the bright colorful rainbow of her skirt changes quickly into the clear, true whites of security, marriage, home, a closer tie family; a strong healthy child and still later her grandchildren, [the very light of her life] Peace Security and Contentment. When those little faces look up at her at times she cannot help but to envision her own child that was lost. However, she quickly banishes those thoughts and then is glad for their strength, health and well being and focuses once again on the here, today and tomorrow. She would, without thought or pause, put her self in danger for her family. She would gladly face any unknown and be grateful for the chance to protect them; she would shield them with herself.

5. Black Leaf of Mourning

Her hair is a golden reddish color with the rainbow glowing from within. Each strand of hair was stitched on with a combination of bead embroidery and fringe technique. The ends of some strands of hair are tipped with the same pearls of wisdom that surround her glowing face. Each pearl gained with the effort of an experience, a lesson learned, and some small bit of wisdom gained from the activities of daily life.

Her bodice is a freeform bead embroidery confection that has been appliqued onto her torso by the stitches of life, which attempts to embroider each of us with its joy, and happiness if we would just let it. A mixture of beads collected over a few years, each kind was a favorite squirreled away for some special purpose, not knowing just yet what that purpose might be. They were finally brought out of hiding to be part of this expression of the designer's life experiences.

6. Her Bodice

If you look closely in the back hidden in the folds of the skirt, there is still room for what ever tomorrow's Leap of Faith will bring. She will be ready to add those beads to herself, whether they are the result of being fearful, sorrowful, cheerful, joyful or just the product of some sheer happiness brought to her by Fate.

Side Image

Back Image

Detailed Image

Leap of Faith
(rotation)

List of Materials
and Techniques Employed

Dimensions:
Leap of Faith is 15 1/2 inches tall. She is 3 inches wide at the hip and 2 1/2 inches deep, at the bust she is 2 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches deep.

Construction Techniques:
Leap of Faith's body was created from Egyptian cotton cloth sewn by machine and by hand. Her face is polymer clay finished with nail polish. Her bustier is made of beaded embroidery sewn on to stiff interfacing and appliqued by hand sewing onto her body. Her skirt waist is freeform peyote with rows of chevron then moves into vertical net which was then handsewn on to the body at the waist. Her face is attached with hot glue and then two drop peyote was done around joining it to the head. Her hair is fringe. Her legs are attached with hot glue and sewing, both the legs and the torso are covered with seed beads that were strung on thread and couched onto the fabric. Her panties area is covered with netting, freeform in places to adjust the fit.

Materials List:
Seed beads of various colors, mostly inside rainbow [all over]

Crystals of assorted shapes, sizes and colors [in skirt and bustier]

Pressed glass flowers and leaves [in skirt and bustier]

Bugle beads [in skirt and bustier]

Delica [two drop peyote around face]

Pearl drop beads [around face and ends of hair]

Polymer clay face, finished with nail polish

Form: Egyptian cotton body stuffed with polyfil

Techniques:
Couched strung beads; legs and torso
Various bead embroidery stitches; bustier
Vertical Netting; skirt
Free Form Peyote; skirt/waist
Chevron Stitch; skirt
Fringing; hair
Free Form Netting: panties
Two Drop Peyote: around face

DENISE CLARKE
from Tampa, Florida

Doll named
Leap of Faith
[Please be patient - These pages are graphics intensive and will load slowly]

See the overall Results


When voting closes 1/15/06, voting logs will be reviewed for any duplicate or otherwise illegitimate votes (for example, those from the same IP or email address), and these will be deleted. The on-line votes will be tallied and used to adjust the original votes of the Panel of Judges at CBJA, in the selection of a winner. The public's votes will weigh towards 25% of the final tally in selecting the Winner and Runner-Up.