Copper Jointed Doll

This jointed copper doll is the winner of the Domino Art Yahoo Group mascot contest for 2004/2005--"Dominique". You can use your own doll template or buy the many doll stamps on the market. The images on the inset dominos were created using my Inkjet Image Transfer technique.

Materials

• Personal jointed doll pattern, or doll rubber stamps
• Copper tooling foil (MUST be pure copper--not copper colored aluminum)
• Blow torch/butane torch or heat gun
• Rubber stamps (I used Stamper's Anonymous U1-667 Anonymous Collage, Stampington Claudine Hellmuth C8207 Print Blocks)
• Permanent/archival black stamp pad (Memories, Staz-On, Ranger 213)
• Anywhere hole punch, hammer and eyelet setter
• Eyelets of various colors, heart eyelet
• Tweezers
• Scissors
• Jewelry findings and charms
• Glass beads
• Waxed linen thread or 28 gauge copper wire
• Power drill or Dremmel hand tool
• Bowl of water
• Craft knife
• Copper tubing and tube cutter (found in plubming supply area of hardware store)
• Sandpaper
• Necklace cording and findings
• Super glue

How To

1. Stamp the doll parts onto the copper using permanent black ink or trace your template onto the copper with a permanent ink pen. Let dry. Cut out INSIDE the black lines. Alternatively, you can use non-waterproof ink and stamp, cut out and wipe off the lines.
2. Stamp images onto the parts using permanet black ink. Heat set. Stamp and heat set both sides of the copper.
3. Select a doll part and hold with tweezers. Heat with torch or heat gun until the color changes to desired color. Be careful--if you reach the "silver" stage, you've overheated the copper. It will progress from red to orange/red to purple to blue to silver VERY quickly. Immediately dunk into water to stop the heating process.
4. Trace domino shape onto doll torso and cut out with a craft knife. Reserve cut copper piece.
5. Punch holes using anywhere punch. I placed a heart eyelet in the center of the heart image using the anywhere punch to cut the hole. Make sure that you use the appropriate punch size for your eyelets.
6. Set eyelets. Use a light touch if you want the joints to move, or set tightly if you want to "freeze" the doll into a specific position.
7. Drill holes into torso domino from front to back--two on top two on each side, and two on the bottom. Drill two holes on the bottom of the head domino. Punch small holes in the copper torso piece to correspond to the holes in the dominos. Use waxed linen thread to secure domino into torso. Cover back of domino with reserved torso piece. Used waxed linen thread to secure domino onto neck of torso.
8. Cut a piece of copper tubing. Sand ends to ensure that they don't cut the necklace cording. Super glue onto head domino. String necklace cording through and attach closure findings.
9. Add beads, charms and jewelry findings as desired. Enjoy!

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