And she came bearing gifts...!

Not only did the Cool-Aberration gals do wonderful work on Bravura and her journal, but some of them also sent tiny gift dolls home with Bravura!



Thanks (left to right) Robyn, Mary Anne, Barb, and Yvonne! Your wee dolls are living in my doll display case and are much appreciated additions to my tiny doll collection.

Bravura's Journal

Bravura's travel journal turned out as wonderful as Bravura, herself. It arrived home chock full of art and treasures right to the very last page!

When I sent it off with Bravura last June, my journal cover looked like this.


Bravura came home all purples and greens. So I decided to redecorate the journal cover to match. Mary Anne was kind enough to send me a button like those she used on Bravura's cape.



This shot shows the journal with some of the fold-out pages showing.


If you wanna take a look at all the entries in Bravura's journal, check out our project blog here.

This has been a great round robin project. We managed to stay on track and finish on schedule, and everyone did really nice work on every doll. Thanks so much to my fellow collaborators: Barb, Mary Anne, Karma, Em, Jeanne, Robin and Yvonne. I had a blast and Bravura will be cherished keepsake and reminder of the fun this has been.

More Bravura

Here's a couple shots of Bravurs's back view without her purple cape on, so you can see more of the cool 'skin' Barb gave her and the pretty fabric flower Yvonne attached. What a vain one Bravura is!

My Cool-Aberration Doll is Home!

Yep, after traveling about 7800 miles over the course of the last 12 months, Bravura Personified has returned home to NC! And boy has she evolved!

Here's what she looked like when I sent her off on her journey last June - just a raw paper mache torso, head and arms stuck in a glass vase "skirt".


And here's what she looks like after visiting seven artists throughout the US and Canada.

Isn't she wonderful?! She evolved into an old Vaudeville dame reminiscing about her glory days. She's everything I hoped she'd be and more.

Karma in SK, Canada made her air dry clay face. Em in WA beaded around it. Robyn in CA added an audacious headdress and sparkly long eyelashes. Mary Anne in ON, Canada stitched up a sparkly beaded cape to match the glittery purple and green bodice fashioned by Barb in NY. Em in WA crocheted copper wire and beads into a glimmering stole and matching hip sash.



Bravura's skirt includes a photo transfer on hand-dyed fabric from Yvonne in TX, sheer ribbon danglies from Karma, the crocheted wire sash from Em, and a boa belt and strands of beads from Barb.


Mary Anne decorated a bottle for collecting the tears of Bravura's abandoned lovers, and Yvonne sent her home with a luxurious ostrich feather.


Jeanne in OR made Bravura's hands and a cigarette and holder perfectly befitting an old Vaudeville broad. Jeanne even had Barb send some of the boa she'd used, so Bravura's feather cuffs would match her belt.


I hung the itsy bitsy book of broken hearts that Mary Anne made on the prissy lace purse that Barb made. (The book is tiny - only 1/2" wide!)


Yvonne added this beautiful fabric flower to the back of Bravura's shoulder. I haven't gotten any back view pics of Bravura yet.


Now tell me Bravura ain't an exceptional piece of collaborative work! I wish everybody could see her in person. She is so cool. She sparkles all over and you can just feel her snooty personality. She's very full of herself.

Her journal is wonderful, too - stuffed with treasures to the very last page. I'll get pics of it soon.