Instructions for making 30″ Jessica LaRue

The following article detailing the making of this doll was submitted by Brenda Moore. If you have any questions about her instructions, you may contact her directly using the email address provided at the end if the article. Thank you for your contribution, Brenda!

READY TO SING IN THE PARLOR
By: Brenda Monroe

When I first saw Jessica LaRue I knew it was a doll I would have to do. I fell in love with it at first sight when I saw a photograph of it. I purchased the mold and clothes pattern and then started looking for fabric for the outfit. I instantly liked the colors of the fabric I chose, and started my doll.

MATERIALS:
MOLD: Jessica LaRue by “Little Reb”
Clothes Pattern and Wig available from “Little Reb”
Eyes, Eyelashes, Brushes and Cleaning Supplies available from Mini World
Shoulder Plate Connector, Porcelain Slip and China Paints: Bell Ceramics

PAINTS:
CP0193 Oriental Flesh
CP0170 Pink Pompadour Matte
CP0116 Red Hair Brown
PLUM by European Colors & More
Duncan AS953 Brush-On Sealer

DOLL SIZE: Approximately 30”

CASTING:
Clean all molds and band for pouring. Mix French Antique slip well and let sit for several hours or overnight to let all air bubbles dissipate and pour in Bell’s French Antique porcelain. Remove from molds when they are ready to open. (Molds should lift apart easily when they are dry enough. Do not force the mold open. This will most likely tear apart the casting inside.)

In leather hard stage pierce ears, open nostrils with a round toothpick if you want your doll to be a breather, and cut out eyes if you are going to insert eyes, or leave intact if you are going to do painted eyes. Let dry and clean in your preferred method. Use a 16mm Eye Sizer to size the eyes for 14mm eyes.

This doll’s legs are sculpted with a heel for making shoes or boots using the actual legs. I chose to make shoes. Take your Detail Tool and made indentations where you want the tops of the shoes to be. Go all around each foot doing this. Check for any imperfections or pin holes in your greenware and take care of it at this time. Fire to a true Cone 6.

Once you have fired all of your porcelain pieces, sand with a 220 Grit sand paper and wipe off any residue with a soft cloth. Make sure you sand in any crevices on your pieces so everything is smooth. Your paint won’t move on the porcelain if you have missed anything that should have been sanded when you start to paint.

FIRST CHINA FIRING:
Mix Pink Pompadour Matte paint to a creamy consistency. Apply mineral oil to the area of the head that you are going to paint and wipe off excess oil with a white paper towel. I prefer Bounty Paper Towels. Apply paint to cheeks, chin and forehead using a #6 or #8 Flat Brush. Use a Deerfoot Stippler to blend paint until it is smooth, and then lightly use a Large China Mop to further smooth it out. Make sure there are no harsh lines.
Using a #2 Flat Brush, apply paint to the Septum and Tear Ducts, and one light coat of Pink Pompadour paint to the lips. Smooth with a small Stippling Brush.

Using a 10/0 liner brush apply a thin application of paint to the eyelid crease, around the sides of the nostrils as well as any areas that need to be detailed and smooth all paint work with a small Stippler Brush.

Apply Mineral Oil to the entire breastplate and wipe off any excess oil with your paper towel. Apply Pink Pompadour Matte paint to the entire breastplate using your #8 Flat Brush or a Cosmetic Sponge. Use your Deerfoot Stippler Brush or Large China Mop to lightly smooth all of your paint out so no harsh lines are showing. This will look like a wash. Or you may just paint the areas of the breastplate that you wish to paint. I prefer to paint the entire breastplate.

Apply more paint to the Collar Bone area and neck. Detail any areas of the breastplate that need to have more color on them. Shoulder plates and breastplates are my favorite pieces of porcelain to paint. Once you are satisfied with all of your paint work on the breastplate it is ready to be fired.

Apply Mineral Oil to the doll’s hands and wipe off any excess oil with your paper towel. Do all detail work on the hands and fingers with a 10/0 Brush and smooth with a small Stippler brush.

Using a #2 flat brush paint a light coat of Pink Pompadour on the fingernails and make sure they are smooth. Do any blushing by applying paint with your large flat brush and working out with your Deerfoot Stippler and Large China Mop Brushes. When you are satisfied with your paint work on the hands/arms they are ready to fire.

Apply Mineral Oil to the legs and wipe off any excess oil with your paper towel. Apply Pink Pompadour to the ankles, calf and front of the leg. Smooth out all of your paint using your Deerfoot Stippler and Large China Mop. Use a small china mop on the ankles. If you are satisfied with this first painting on all of your porcelain pieces, fire to Cone 018.

SECOND FIRING
Re-oil and apply more blushing to hands, legs and breastplate if desired. Apply another coat of Pink Pompadour to the fingernails if you want them darker. If you are satisfied with your paint work from the first firing on these pieces you don’t need to do any more painting on them.

Apply Mineral Oil to the head and wipe off any excess oil with your paper towel. Apply the first eyebrows with a 20/0 Liner Brush using Red Hair Brown paint mixed to a thin consistency. We will add more Eyebrows in the next firing. If you prefer to paint the lower lashes, do so at this point.

If you are concerned about smearing the eyebrows, you may fire the head again to cone 018 before going any further. Or you may go ahead and apply Pink Pompadour to cheeks and chin at this point and smooth out with your Deerfoot Stippler and Large China Mop. Apply a second light coat of Pink Pompadour to the lips and smooth out using your small Stippler brush.

THIRD FIRING:
Apply Mineral Oil to the head and wipe off any excess oil with your paper towel. Apply more eyebrows using your 20/0 brush and Red Hair Brown paint. Apply more cheek color and smooth out using your Deerfoot Stippler and your Large China Mop.

Mix Oriental Flesh paint to a creamy consistency and using a #2 Flat Brush apply a light coat starting at the eyelid crease and up towards the brow bone. Smooth out using a Q-tip. Apply another light coat of Pink Pompadour to the lips and smooth using your small Stippler brush. Fire to Cone 018.

FOURTH FIRING:
This should be the last firing you do. Apply another light coat of paint to the cheeks, chin and forehead using your #8 Flat Brush and smooth out with your Deerfoot Stippler and your Large China Mop. You may apply another light coat of Pink Pompadour to the lips if you wish more color on them. Do any detail on the lips at this time.

You may add more eyebrow strokes to your eyebrows if desired using Red Hair Brown paint. Apply another light coat of Oriental Flesh starting at the eyelid crease and working up towards the brow bone and smooth using your Q-tip. If you are satisfied with all of your paint work re-fire to Cone 018.

SHOE PAINTING:
Paint shoes using European Colors and more Plum Colored paint. (NOTE: This is a non-firing shiny paint.) Insert leg upside down over the top of a doll stand to dry. If necessary after this coat of paint has dried apply a second coat of paint to the shoes.

ASSEMBLY:
Make the cloth body. Insert eyes with eye wax and plaster. After eyes are set clean all eye wax from eyes and apply upper and lower lashes using Tacky Glue. Attach head to shoulder plate using a neck connector.

Apply a light coat of Brush-On Sealer to the lips and allow to dry for approximately one minute, and then apply a second coat to make the lips glossy. Follow Body pattern instructions for assembly of your doll.

Dress and put wig on doll. Use your imagination and be creative when making this outfit. Glue earrings in the ears using Tacky glue and add a nice necklace. The instructions for making the fan in her hand and the tongue on the shoes are included with the pattern.

For more information regarding this project contact Brenda Monroe at: 22424 W Cheri Ann Ln., Wittmann, AZ 85361. Include a self-address, stamped envelope for a reply or email brendacharles1011@att.net.