Hanukkah Paper Dolls: The Third Night

Download Black and White PDF | The Other Days of the Hanukkah Series

I was heavily inspired by folk art when I was designing these Hanukkah paper dolls. I love traditional folk art designs. I always have. There’s still a lot of Russian and Ukrainian cultural influence in Alaska, so I got exposed to to Khokhloma painting at a young age and never really stopped loving it. So, that was what I was thinking of when I was designing the motifs on the trimming of these dresses.

One of the things I wanted for this whole paper doll series was for it to feel old fashioned without feeling like it came from any specific period of history.

One of the Hanukkah traditions I haven’t mentioned yet is giving gifts. This wasn’t originally part of Hanukkah, but in the USA, thanks to the proximity to Christmas, gift giving has become a big part of the tradition for many families. In my family, we usually piled up the gifts on the mantle by the fireplace and each person got to pick out one gift from the pile per night until the last night when all remaining gifts were opened.

I remember as a child thinking Hanukkah was much cooler than Christmas, because we got gifts for 8 nights!

This seemed a much better deal to me as a 2nd grader.

Hanukkah Paper dolls: The Second Night

A Hanukkah coloring page with a dreidel and menorah. Two dresses for paper dolls are in the center of the image.

Download Black and White PDF | The Other Days of the Hanukkah Series

Happy second night of Hanukkah!

My niece is getting really into coloring, so I made these paper dolls a Hanukkah coloring page style thing. (Very precise language there.) I also wanted them to be easy to cut out and not too detailed, but still have enough detail to be fun to color. I hope I got that balance right.

Today, our paper dolls each get a dress and have a dreidel to play with. The dreidel is a four sided top which you use to play a gambling game that is entirely luck and which inevitably ends up with someone crying. I was always told that the Seleucid King outlawed studying the torah, so Jewish scholars would pretend to be playing a gambling game to cover for the fact that they were gathered to read and study torah.

I’m pretty darn certain this is not true, but dreidels were an important part of Hanukkah for my family. Besides, what fun are the holidays if there isn’t some drama about something minor? And the game of dreidel always seems to bring that.

Need some dolls to wear these dresses? Get them from the first post.

Hanukkah Paper Dolls: The First Night

A Hanukkah printable paper doll coloring page of featuring two dolls based on rag dolls, a menorah and other decorative elements.

Download Black and White PDF | The Other Days of the Hanukkah Series

For those of you who don’t know, Hanukkah is the celebration of a historical military battle and the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabees led a rebellion and forced the Seleucid’s (Syrian-Greeks) out of the city. when it came time to rededicate the Second Temple, which had been defiled by order of the Seleucid King, there was a problem. Very little holy oil remained to light the menorah (candelabrum) in the Temple. The menorah was supposed never go out, but there was only enough oil to burn for one day. It would take eight days to make more oil.

According to the Talmud (written about 600 years after these events, so this might be legend), the oil burned for the whole week that was needed to make more oil. This is the miracle that Hanukkah celebrates.

My Jewish holiday paper dolls are very dear to me, because I didn’t have these sorts of paper dolls when I was a child. Given the current rise in antisemitism, it seemed especially important to create Hanukkah paper dolls this year.

So, the plan is that there are two dolls today and then I’ll do clothing for the next few posts, along with some Hanukkah accessories including latkes and a dreidel. I might try to draw gelt, but I’m not sure how to do that… I digress. The paper dolls are inspired by rag dolls. In my head, the smaller doll is the doll of the larger doll, but you can have your own ideas on that one.

One the last night, the 14th, I’ll post a PDF with all 8 pages for easy printing.

Stardust Styles: Cute Alien Paper Doll

Download Black and White PDF | Download Color PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Ensemble Eclectica Series

This is the first of a series of cute alien paper dolls that I have created.

The idea that art materializes in isolation is a pretty common misconception. Art is intrinsically tied to the world around us, shaped by our experiences, cultures, and surroundings. Everything is influenced by something. There’s this myth of the lone artist just creating out of nothing, but that’s really not the process. So, let me talk a little about how I ended up with a pastel alien paper doll today.

When I was in the Lower 48, I started noticing the Rainbow High dolls and I saw one called Zooey Electra. Her hair was a major influence on today’s paper doll. I read this review of that doll and it reminded me about the Novi Stars dolls which were fashionable alien dolls. Super fun and super creative, but the line didn’t take off. So, with those two things in mind (and my whole cyberpunk and retro futurism Pinterest boards to look at), I started doodling a set of cute retro inspired little alien paper dolls.

Back on the 19th of October, I showed a preview of these ladies. Back then, I wasn’t sure which order I would finish them in or what clothing I would pair with which doll. I’m still not 100% sure about some of the final touches. I’ve finished two and am struggling with color schemes for some of the other ones.

The point is that this is the first cute alien paper doll, but not the last cute alien paper doll. There will be more! There’s four at the moment. There might be a fifth… I haven’t decided yet.

In the meantime, enjoy this little pastel paper doll and I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. I went down to visit family and just returned, a little tired to my home.

Bright Boho With Summer Styles

Download Black and White PDF | Download Color PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Ensemble Eclectica Series

I wanted to draw a sort of trendy paper doll. Two trends inspired this paper doll, one from Summer 2023 (boho) and one from fall 2023 (red). However, while I try to keep my paper dolls up to date (as best as I can), the fact is that there’s a bit of lag between when I draw a paper doll and when I actually finish a paper doll. Things move fast in the fashion world.

Fashion is a world that is pretty alien to me, as I live in Alaska and mostly wear hiking boots, cardigans, and hoodies, though the resurgence of grudge means I am marginally in style these days. It’s very weird. I’m not used to that at all.

Most of the paper dolls that I say were inspired by previous work, I think it’s kinda obvious. This one is a little more subtle, because it really took a very different turn than the original set. Wings and Petals, a paper doll set from 2010, inspired this set.

African dutch wax print patterns inspired the colors of today’s trendy paper doll. If you’ve never checked them out, I love dutch wax print fabric. I just adore the color combinations.

Bright Geometric Paper Doll Dress Up

Download Black and White PDF | Download Color PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Ensemble Eclectica Series

So, I wanted to try drawing patterns in Procreate and practice using some of the shape tools. Today’s paper doll dress-up brings the geometric patterns and some 1980s flare. She can dress-up in circles, squares, or triangles. Not literally… that would be a totally different paper doll dress-up experience.

(My concussion on shapes in procreate- I miss my plastic stencil. It was MUCH easier to use.)

Personally, I think today’s paper doll has a kinda 1980s vibe. Not super 1980s, just in the patterns. I was not very old in the 1980s, plus we were living in rural Alaska, so fashion wasn’t exactly making its way to me. However, when I think of the 1980s, I tend to think of really bold colors and graphic lines and geometric patterns. (Also big hair, shoulder pads, and excess, but that’s not really visible on this paper doll.)

By the way, have you seen Julie’s new 1980s paper doll? It’s great. (And I’m not just saying that because I think Julie is great, though I do.)

The older paper doll that inspired this paper was Candy Coated Couture which is a good name for a paper doll set, if I do say so myself. Normally, I stick with 4 to 5 colors for a single paper doll set, but this one is stretching that rule of thumb. I wanted a sporty vibe, so I did sneakers for the shoes.

I’ve been drawing more crop tops. I was in high school during the “belly-shirt” fad of the early 2000s. And therefore for years I’ve been staunchly anti-crop top; however, I’ve been sort of impressed by the newer high-rise pants and shorter tops. So, I am more open minded about it.

Happy Halloween: Here’s a Little Gothic Fashionista

Download Black and White PDF | Download Color PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Ensemble Eclectica Series

I created today’s gothic themed paper doll for Halloween. So, I hope you enjoy this little paper Halloween dress up doll. Clearly, I’ve been digging into drawing skulls which I did here. One of the wonderful things about digital drawing is that it is so easy to work with reference images and you can resize them with much more ease, so the skulls are a big part of that.

One thing I’ve noticed about most alt fashion scenes is that there are endless nuances. It seems to me that there’s often “formal” alt-fashion and then also sort of street level alt-fashion. Things people wear and then also go onto the train, rather than just get photographed posing beautifully next to a headstone.

Last week’s three Ensemble Eclectica: Gothic Glamor Collection paper dolls were all more over the top and this paper doll is more street level fashion. While I know very little about where someone buys gothic fashion, The brand Fantasmagoria inspired both the paper doll’s cropped red corset top and also her hairstyle. The brand Heavy Red inspired the corset over the t-shirt look

Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this little foray into paper dolls and has a safe, happy, slightly spooky Halloween! Or Samhain or Día de Muertos or anything else that’s happening around this time of year.

Vintage Vamp: Gothic Fashion with Retro Flair Paper Doll

Download Black and White PDF | Download Color PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Ensemble Eclectica Series

Today’s creation is a retro gothic fashion printable paper doll with a mix and match wardrobe. Her purple hair is rolled up in some slightly over the top victory rolls. Her wardrobe is a little more colorful than a lot of the other gothic paper dolls I created. I really wanted to expand to other colors that I tend to fall into with gothic clothing. Plus, I can only draw so much black clothing before I get bored.

All of the Ensemble Eclectica: Gothic Glamor Collection clothing works together, as do all of the dolls. You could easily borrow the short skirt from Haunting Couture and pair it with today’s lavender top or grab one of the tops from Dark Demigoddess and match it with the skirts in this set.

Vampira is one iconic figure who seamlessly embodies the ways in which gothic fashion is always a little retro. Vampira, famously portrayed by Maila Nurmi in the 1950s, epitomized the dark allure of gothic aesthetics with her dramatic black gowns, cinched waistlines, and bold makeup. Her macabre elegance and haunting glamour had a absurdist humor edge. There’s a wink and a nod going on, always. I only recently learned about Vampira, because the Addams family movies of the 1990s are what I grew up on.

Morticia who inspired Vampira which in turn inspired Elvira are all the reigning ladies of gothic for me. Of course, Mortica is ruling queen. I’m fascinated by the ways different eras interpret her distinct black gown. As you may have noticed, the first three of the Gothic Glamor Collection‘s contain a lot of mermaid skirt silhouettes all owing something to Morticia Addams.

Next Tuesday’s addition is a little different, so stay tuned for that one.

Haunting Couture: A Foray into Gothic Fashion

Download Black and White PDF | Download Color PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Ensemble Eclectica Series

Today’s paper doll with her gothic wardrobe was inspired by a lot of different things from my my gothic fashion pinterest board, including this corset, this top and this dress. I really wanted to do a take on Morticia Addam’s famous dress, but I added a bit of a puff sleeve, as those are very popular right now. Of course, Morticia Addams is timeless, but I didn’t want to copy the gown in all the details, in part, because I don’t love the bottom of the skirt. It reminds me a little too much of tentacles (true to the comic, but still.)

(Speaking of Morticia Addams, Julie Matthew’s did a nice write up about her paper doll of Morticia Addams.)

Lastly, I wanted to make a gothic baby doll dress which was 65% just a chance to play around with lace and a new procreate brush set. My first plan was to do see through lace sleeves, but then I couldn’t seem to get a version of that which I liked, so I ended up abandoning that idea. I did keep the lace around the neckline with the openings for some detail.

I can’t claim that I meticulously assembled my gothic wardrobe paper doll, because really this was not that organized (am I ever that organized?). I do think of all the pieces of the Ensemble Eclectica: Gothic Glamor Collection as sort of. mixing and matching together. I think the ruffled skirt from Dark Demigoddess, for example, would go well with any of the tops in this collection.

Anyway, stay tuned for more gothic paper doll fun Friday and Tuesday of next week.