Audrey is ready to kick up her heels!

Now to complete Audrey all we need do is to paint a pair of boots on her legs, and when the paint is dry, paint glue on where you want the sparkle to be. While the glue is still wet, sprinkle on a generous amount of glitter over top of the wet glue. Let dry and shake off the excess glitter. I like to use 'mod podge' glue for this step as it dries slower than other glues that I've tried. Experiment. If the glue dries before you get the glitter sprinkled on then apply the glue to smaller areas and do a section at a time. You can always apply more glue right over top of the dried glue, and sprinkle the glitter on again. If you wind up with a big mess, just abandon those legs and cut a whole new pair and start over. Glitter is readily available at the dollar store. You don't have to have mod podge to complete this step. Use ordinary household white glue (wood glue) and work smaller areas at a time. A little practice goes a long way.

So now we come to the point where in my opinion you simply must purchase brads. Nothing I think, compensates for a brad. Buy them when they go on sale. I purchase mine at 40% when the go on sale for the item, or use a 50% sale certificate from the flyer when it comes around to my home. From Michaels. They are available at independent scrapbooking supply stores as well. Even if they are not on sale they are roughly five dollars for 100 pieces so that is not going to put you into the poor house. Buy brads.

Here is how I put Audrey together: I attached the arms to the neck area of the head piece, by punching a small hole into the top of the arm (use an awl or thick darning type needle) first, and then laying the arm in place. I accurately marked the headpiece by making a pencil mark onto the headpiece by going in through the hole at the top of the arm piece. Then make a small hole where marked on the headpiece. Do this for both arms. I pushed the brad through by going in through the back so that the head of the brad would be at the back of the doll. Usually the head of the brad goes through the front and can be seen. This time however, I wanted to avoid bulk at the front of this particular section of the doll. Now you have a headpiece with arms attached. You want to put the headpiece together with the heart bodice. Apply a small bead of glue at the very bottom of the headpiece on the right side of the headpiece. On top of that area, lay the bodice piece where you want it. Hold the two pieces together firmly with your fingertips until they are bonded. Avoid getting glue near the brad areas as you want the arms to move freely.

Now you want to attach the bodice to the skirt piece. Punch a hole at the bottom area of the heart point at the bottom. Don't go too too close to the edge. Leave a 3/8" margin for safety. Position the skirt piece behind the heart piece and mark the skirt piece with a pencil by going in through the hole in the heart piece. Punch a hole in the skirt and push the brad through from the front this time.

Attach the legs by measuring for placement, poking a hole in the top of each leg, marking the skirt where they attach with the brad, poking holes in the skirt where you've marked them, and attaching the legs by going from the front to the back so that the head of the brad shows at the front. Audrey is done!

You might want to glue on a fancy hair decoration to her head piece.

If you want the embellishment on the bodice. Just glue on words you like. I used love.love.love. from the original color photocopy sheet. Then over the words glue on a pebble. (I used one from a fish tank and found that it is pretty heavy looking. Next time I will use a real 'page pebble' which is available at the scrapbooking store. These lie flat and look much much nicer and more finished.)

That's our paper doll. I hope that you have had a blast if you've been making your own doll along with me. I have had fun doing this. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments section.

See the photograph above? She is made from the same plastic templates that we've made for Audrey. Her name is 'butterfly love' and she'll be swapped out to my partner is a swap that I am in.

Time to design a new shape skirt, or bodice. I think one with flaring 3/4" sleeves is next on my idea list...talk to you soon, hugs, Norma.