Creepy Critter Messenger Bag

I had this little canvas messenger bag, useful but very plain. I also had some sketches of a creepy critter in my art journal, inspired by something I had seen in an art magazine some time ago. Creepy Critter plus messenger bag = New Favorite Bag.

As usual, I neglected to photograph the bag "before", but here is the "after".

Creepy Critter Bag - front

Creepy Critter Bag - back

Creepy Baby

Here's one of the babies in my Creepy Baby series ... she's not one of the creepiest, but she IS kind of weird! Her name is Circus Baby, and she is a beaded 4-1/2" antique bisque doll. She came into my possession without her original arms, so I created some happy circus arms for her.



And here she is from the back, so you can see her little bonnet:

Some people have asked if the beads are glued on. No, they are peyote-stitched around her body and head with size 15 seed beads, creating a little attached bonnet. My friend Larkin Van Horn (http://www.larkinart.com/) taught me how to peyote-stitch around a solid object, such as a bottle, and I translated the technique to the doll.

Her arms are stuffed, stitched fabric, beaded at the ends and wound around with some gorgeous silk waste yarn donated by a friend (thank you, Jo!)