victorian inspired Archives • Page 3 of 9 • Paper Thin Personas

Marisole Monday’s Paper Doll Steampunk Outfit in Bright Colors

October 16, 2017October 16, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: My Steampunk Fashion Pinterest Board and This Photo

When I was creating today’s paper doll outfit, I was thinking about steampunk fashions. I was heavily influenced by this steampunk outfit I found on Pinterest. I particularly liked the two-tone skirt design, which I hadn’t seen before. In truth, I think I copied it a little more closely than I usually feel comfortable with, but that is neither here nor there.

I am still learning to draw top hats, so today’s steampunk paper doll outfit was good practice. I am getting better at them, but I also think hats a generally challenging for me.

Still, I will not get better if I don’t try.

When it came time to color this Marisole Monday & Friends paper doll outfit, I knew I was not going with a traditional steampunk color scheme. I just get so bored with browns and creams after a while.

Of course, if you are looking at this and going, “That is not what I want from a steampunk outfit.” Never fear!

There’s a very traditional steampunk color scheme version on the Patreon page for anyone to download. And of course, if you decide you’d like to donate to support the blog while you’re there, than I would certainly appreciate it.

As always, I’d love to hear what you think in a comment!

Need a Marisole Monday & Friends Lady Paper Doll to wear today’s outfit? Pick One Out Here.

Sprites Go Steampunk Fashion for Today

June 16, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Post Apocalyptic Fashions and Such

This is the second Steampunk set I’ve ever done for the Sprites and one of my goals has been to break away from my love of bustled skirts with steampunk sets. This doesn’t mean bustle skirts are going to go away, because my love of 1870s and 1880s fashion is extreme and will not be denied. You can not deny my love.

Thought totally unintentional these pieces really mix and match well with my last Sprite Steampunk collection that I posted on March 30th of this year. My goal was to make Sprite a focus this year and I am really proud that I have created 13 clothing set and 8 dolls for the Sprites printable paper doll series.

I confess that Sprites can be challenging, because men’s clothing just isn’t my favorite thing, but they have been growing on me and I am trying to get better at the whole male paper doll thing.

Also, I’ve clearly been on a thigh high boots for the Sprites gents kick, because the Space pirates had them too.

I hope everyone has had a great Friday. It’s Father’s Day on Sunday, so I want to give a shout out to my amazing Dad who once (I am not kidding) drew me a halibut paper doll. I love you so much, Dad.

As always, let me know what you think in a comment and have a great weekend.

Looking for some Sprite paper dolls to wear these outfits? Pick out Sprite paper dolls here.

An Elegant Fantasy Paper Doll Gown in White & Gold

December 6, 2020April 4, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: This gown from a movie entitled, Sissi

So, when you donate on Patreon to support the blog there are different tiers- 1 dollar, 5 dollars, and 10 dollars. This year I offered a custom doll and outfit to my ten dollar paper doll donors.

Yesterday, I posted the doll I created for Elizabeth and today I am sharing the paper doll ball gown I created.

Here is part of Elizabeth’s request, “Very difficult decision to decide on what to ask for but I finally picked out for dress inspiration this white and gold dress from the 1950s Empress Sissi movie series starring Romy Schneider. I really like the white and gold color scheme though a crimson and gold color scheme could be fun too.”

She also sent me photo links of this gown from a movie entitled, Sissi. It is an Austrian film from 1955 based on the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. While the film was made in 1955, Empress Elisabeth of Austria was married in the mid-1850s.

To go with her paper doll ball gown, I designed some boots in part inspired by button-up boots of the Victorian era. Her neckline is a low off the shoulder heart line. White and gold is, of course, the color scheme Elizabeth asked for. I had a lot of fun making it in white and gold, but I think a pink and green color scheme would be beautiful as well.

Feel free to color the black and white version of this paper doll gown anyway you would like.

Want to get your own custom paper doll? Support the blog through Patreon at the 10 dollar a month level, or lower if that works better for your budget.

Need a paper doll to wear today’s outfit? Pick out a Ms. Mannequin Paper Doll Here

Steampunk Fashions for the Sprites Paper Dolls

March 30, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: This Corset and These Shoes

This is a week of first, it seems. Yesterday was my first 1930s dress for the Mini-Maiden series and today is my first attempt at steampunk clothing design for the Sprites printable paper dolls.

Whenever I try my hand at steampunk designs, I worry some secret cabal of steampunk clothing design purists are going to come along and say, “That’s not steampunk enough!”

I never said it was a rational worry. Let’s be clear.

Mostly, because I’m pretty sure there isn’t such a thing as a secret cabal of steampunk clothing design purists.

(But if I’m wrong and anyone is a member, wanna put in a good word for me?)

Anyway, I know this isn’t doing to be the last time I try to my hand at steampunk clothing design for the Sprites, so I did try to establish some neutral shades that I liked. That way, in the future, I can use the same browns and things to improve the mix and match options.

And now it is sources time! So here we go… The corset is based on this one, the shoes are based on these. The gent’s clothing is much more from my imagination. His trousers are vaguely inspired by 18th century men’s pants, but that’s about it.

One quick thing- tomorrow is the last say for the Reader 2017 coupon in the Etsy store. It’s 25% off of an order of 4 dollars or more. There’s steampunk designs in the Etsy store, too, if that’s your thing.

Looking for some Sprite paper dolls to wear these outfits? Pick out Sprite paper dolls here.

Poppet Paper Dolls Play At Snow White

May 19, 2020March 20, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations:Snow White

One of my long term projects this year has been drawing fairy tale and nursery rhyme inspired Poppet paper dolls. You can find them all under the creatively named Fairy Tales and Nursery Rhyme Poppet Series. Today, there is a Snow White paper doll. Other fairy tales I have been working on are Hansel & Gretel and Little Red Ridinghood. I’ve already posted Little Bo Peep and the Princess and the Frog (though I did that one long before I started the series.)

In some fairy tales the look of the main character hardly matters, but Snow White is not one of those fairy tales. The 1857 edition of Brother’s Grimm contains the tale of Snow White and it opens like this:

“Once upon a time in midwinter, when the snowflakes were falling like feathers from heaven, a queen sat sewing at her window, which had a frame of black ebony wood. As she sewed she looked up at the snow and pricked her finger with her needle. Three drops of blood fell into the snow. The red on the white looked so beautiful that she thought to herself, “If only I had a child as white as snow, as red as blood, and as black as the wood in this frame.”

It seems somehow wrong to create a Snow White paper doll without giving her super pale skin, black hair and red lips. Her skin isn’t actually white, but it is fairer than any of the other skin tones I have ever done for the Poppets. So, she won’t be sharing shoes that show flesh with anyone.

For her dress, I wanted to show some of forest elements that are so integral to the story, hence the trees and butterflies. In the 1857 version of the tale there are three attempts on Snow White’s life.

The first is with a bodice lace (like a shoe lace but for a corset) that is laced so tight it strangles her. The second is with a poisoned comb and the third is the apple attempt. I did not draw a comb, but I did was to give my Snow White paper doll a lace up bodice to reference that first attempt.

Of course, the 1857 version also ends with Snow White and the Prince torturing the Evil Queen to death with red hot shoes. As usual, older Fairy Tales are a trifle violent and rather dark.

Meanwhile, if you want to support the blog, then think about donating through Patreon. If you’re not sure wha the behind the scenes blog posts are like here’s two I’ve opened to the public- sketchbook photos and Some Stuff about my Process.

Need a paper doll to wear today’s outfit? Pick a Poppet Paper Doll Here.

Marisole Monday & Friends Now Have an 1820s Inspired Winter Walking Dress

March 21, 2017March 17, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Pelisses from the 1820s, such as this one from 1822

First of all, Happy St. Patrick’s Day and this paper doll has nothing to do with it. 🙂

Last Friday, I shared a ballgown inspired by the late 1860s, but today I have a winter walking costume inspired by the 1820s pelisse like this one from 1822, this one from 1818 and this one from 1825. It is the companion piece to last week’s printable paper doll dress.

The pelisse from 1822 was the one that was today’s paper doll gown’s strongest influence.

I went back and forth about the color scheme for a while, but I really wanted to do something in the red family. As it happens, I super like red.

Monochrome color schemes aren’t something I do much, but maybe I should play with them more. I find I often go back to the same colors for paper doll clothing over and over again.

I was trying to get all my wintery paper doll stuff backlog taken care off before it gets too warm, but frankly the weather has been freakish.

It keeps switching between Spring, in the 70s, and Winter, in the 30s and 40s. I don’t really care which one it chooses, but I dislike having to check my phone every morning to see if I need to grab my coat.

That’s enough complaining about Alabama’s wacky spring weather.

Meanwhile, if you want to support the blog, then think about donating through Patreon. I’ve opened up two example behind the scenes blog posts one with sketchbook photos and one where I talk about how I decide what to work on, so if you like those then seeing more just costs a dollar a month.

Need a Marisole Monday & Friends Lady Paper Doll to wear today’s outfit? Pick One Out Here.

The Victorian Inspired Ballgown for Marisole Monday & Friend’s Printable Paper Dolls

March 10, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: A fashion plate I totally can’t find now

So, this is like research rule 1: Write Down Your Sources.

And normally, I am super diligent about recording everything I use in Pinterest, so I can find it again when it comes time to write one of these fascinating blog posts.

This time though? So much of the not so much. I have a distinct recollection of look at a fashion plate which I think was late 1860s (because that’s when waists when up and skirts got all conical), but now for the life of me I can’t find the plate that was my inspiration.

Clearly, I am a bad librarian.

Needless to say, I hope I can distract y’all from my poor research habits by pointing out: Hey, there’s a pretty ballgown over there.

The truth is that I never meant for this to be a historical piece. It was part of a series of dresses in this silhouette that I designed back when I was doing the same theme for a whole week. I ended up just coloring two of them and you’ll see this one today and next Friday there will be a matching winter walking costume.

While the dress was inspired by a fashion plate from the late 1860s (I think), it looks much more 1820s to me, since I narrowed the skirt quite a bit.

Meanwhile, if you love the blog, then consider following it on Facebook or donating through Patreon.

There’s still my Reader2017 coupon running in the Etsy store good for 25% off.

Need a Marisole Monday & Friends Lady Paper Doll to wear today’s outfit? Pick One Out Here.

The Sprites Paper Dolls & Their Gothic Fashions

May 13, 2017March 3, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Gothic Fashions

Sometimes, I create paper doll clothing set and then I forget about them. This happens to me with disturbing regularity. So, I could have sworn that I posted these gothic paper doll Sprites outfits back in November of 2016. As it turns out, I had them totally done, but didn’t get them formatted or saved as PDFs.

So, clearly my memory was deeply flawed. Here they are in today all their gothic paper doll fashion glory. Better late than never.

When I dabble in gothic fashion, I try to create things that are interesting and not all black. Black is a challenging color for printable paper dolls, because printers have varying sensitivities to it. So, sometimes the tones are too dark and other times they are too light. I try to find a compromise by using several different shades of black in the same outfit which keeps the outfit from feeling flat.

This is a trick I use with pretty much all my paper doll clothing, but in black pieces it is particularly important

The other big challenge of the Sprites printable paper dolls is the fact that they exist in pairs. Every lady printable paper doll outfit is accompanied by a gentlemen’s printable paper doll outfit. This symmetry is both part of the fun and part of the frustration.

In today’s gothic fashions, I gave the Lady Sprites a black and purple scheme. The Gentlemen Sprites have a black and red color scheme.

This is the last Sprites printable paper doll set from my stash. So, I have to get working on finishing some things in progress for March. The problem with a strong backlog is that it lulls me into a false sense of confidence.

Meanwhile, if you love the blog, then consider donating through Patreon.

There’s still my Reader2017 coupon running in the Etsy store and the blog has a facebook page now.

Looking for some Sprite paper dolls to wear these outfits? Pick out Sprite paper dolls here.

Marisole Monday & Friends Sunset Inspired Fantasy Ballgown

December 6, 2020February 16, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Huge Skirted Ballgowns and The Colors of the Sunset

I love big skirted ballgowns. I love crazy over the top big skirted princess paper doll ball gowns.

Obviously, I am expressing this love today.

Another love of mine, from when I was a kid, are off the shoulder dresses. Generally, I blame this on being a child of the 1980s.

This ballgown was actually part of a set of two big skirted fantasy gowns I designed back in 2015. Yes, that’s right, 2015. A long long time ago, I confess.

Anyway, I found them again and I hated one of them. This one I thought, “You know, that’s not bad.”

Now, the color scheme it had back then involved lime green and orange, so that had to go. Once I had it re-colored, I actually thought it was pretty beautiful, so it wasn’t a hard decision to repost it.

So, how do people feel about big skirted ball gowns?

And think about becoming a patron if you like the blog. Every little bit helps, plus there’s previews and sketchbook content. And, I’ve got a new facebook page, so like it and such if you want. It’s home to archives posts from the depths of the blog.

Need a Marisole Monday & Friends Lady Paper Doll to wear today’s outfit? Pick One Out Here.

A Wintertime Steampunk Costume for the Mini-Maidens Paper Dolls

May 19, 2020February 3, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: The Greta’s Trousseau Project

So, back in 2013, I started a project called Greta’s Steampunk Trousseau. The idea was to draw the extensive ladies wardrobe of the 19th century in a steampunk style. I added steampunk costumes to Greta’s Trousseau until about 2015 when I lost interest in the project and moved onto other paper doll things.

But, earlier this month, I was panicking. That the end of January was near and I didn’t have any Mini-Maiden paper doll posts ready for February. Searching for something to post, I discovered this wintertime steampunk costume which I had created for Greta’s Trousseau.

I thought to myself, “I swear I posted that.”

And then a through search of my archives informed me that I hadn’t.

So, because I am not one to waste a perfectly good paper doll outfit find and because everyone needs thigh high gaiters, I cleaned it up and here it is today.

As some of you know, I love Victorian fashion magazines. So, here’s me channeling my inner Victorian fashion magazine to describe today’s steampunk costume:

An elegant, but practical, promenade toilette for the colder months of the year. The jeacket has draped sleeves trimmed in fur, a high collar and a longer silouette with provides additional protection from the chilled air. The draped skirt is trimmed in fur. The long gaiters provide needed protection against winter mud and muck, while also being a practical alternative to high boots. The hat is a simple style and trimmed in wide ruched ribbon.

In case you doubt how old this design is, here’s the doodle it was based on from 2014.

So, should I take on another long term project like this? I have a few ideas for one which I am letting my Patrons vote on right now. So far the things that have been bouncing around in my head range from another steampunk thing (I do love me my neo-Victorian stuff) to a alien space princess. Everything is better with Alien space princesses.

Thoughts from y’all? Is another long term thing like this a good idea? Let me know in a comment.

Meanwhile, if you want to vote, then become a patron. Plus, the blog has a facebook page now which is pretty neat.

Need a Mini-Maiden paper doll to wear today’s outfit? Pick a Mini-Maiden Paper Doll Here.

Sprites Get Dickens Caroling Costumes for the Holidays

May 28, 2020December 23, 2016

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Dicken’s Christmas Carol, Vaguely Victorian Fashion and Google Image Search

I have never done a Christmas paper doll before. The way I’ve always figured it, there are plenty of Christmas paper dolls and I didn’t see much I could add to the genre. But since I have switched to a daily outfit posting schedule, I figured I might try it this year. So, today we have some Dickens caroling costumes for the Sprites printable paper dolls.

Dickens wrote the Christmas Carol on 1842, but there’s nothing historically correct about these outfits. In fact, I refused to do any historical research, though I did Google “Dickens Caroling Costumes” to get some ideas.

Some of the college students I work with would call that research, but I try not to think about that too much.

In fact, I would call these costumes and not clothing, because they aren’t historically correct in anyway. I knew I wanted the lady to have a bonnet and cape and for the guy to have a top hat. Beyond that, I just had fun.

I chose a holly pattern for the skirt, because I thought it was holiday and old fashioned without being too obvious.

Anyway, tomorrow is the first night of Hanukah and Christmas is on Sunday, so I would like to wish everyone who is celebrating either a really wonderful holiday. And for those who aren’t celebrating, I hope you have a great weekend with, or without, family.

Looking for some Sprite paper dolls to wear these outfits? Pick out Sprite paper dolls here.

B&B Get a Victorian Fantasy Ball Gown

May 28, 2020December 22, 2016

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Rosettes, Victorian Ball Gowns and Corsets

Victorian inspired madness today. Madness!

Okay, maybe not madness… but this is a pretty over the top Victorian corset ball gown creation. Still, if you spent any time with Victorian fashions, they do get pretty over the top.

And I like rosettes. They’re fun to draw. I don’t know when things get too over the top. I mean, does the ruching do it? Or the pleated details? Or the corset? I mean, at what point do you say, “Girl, that is a bit much.”

But here’s my thing, I figure the B&B series stands for Bodacious and Buxom. What is more bodacious than a ball gown covered in three types of trimming?

I did try to make things feel cohesive (something you have to do with three trims) by using a monochromatic color scheme. This is a fantasy Victorian corset ball gown, it does not need a super contrasting color scheme to go on top of all that. Unless you really want one, in which case I direct you to the black and white version and say, “You go for it!”

Meanwhile, I am going to stick with my slightly sedate (as much as this dress could be called sedate) version here. Somehow, despite the rosettes, with these colors, this dress reminds me of winter skies.

The actual “winter” themed paper doll set for the day will be up Friday. There are carolers and my first ever Christmas paper doll.

Also, am I the only person who thinks “ball gown” should be one word and not two? Seriously.

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Need to get a Bodacious & Buxom paper doll to wear these fabulous clothes? Pick one out here.

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