Monday, October 15, 2012

ABOUT THE WITCHES...

This year the WITCHES are not your ordinary "garden variety!"  Sitting on my desk in a the tiny area I call, "my office",  is a pile of papers that comprise the original manuscript for a fantasy I am writing.  For most of my career, I have been in both the visual and performing arts and have had the great pleasure of being submerged in my passions.

The  collection of headwear pieces called,  The WITCHES, are all inspired this year by my story.   When I am not lost in sewing, I am the choreographer for a performing dance company.  Most of my pieces are story telling dances about, "Things that go Bump in the Night" and other intoxicating subjects! So very often my choreography's inspire my designs and vise versa.   Last year when I sat down to design the witches, I was inspired to create the "good" side of a witch!  I mean after all,  isn't that what makes them so much fun!

This summer I spent a lot of time in an area called Silent Valley, located just below Idyllwild.  It was a heavily forested area and many of the paths were suspicious at best!  It was a great environment to write....and so I continued to develop a new type of WITCH!

This years designs are inspired by characters who will appear in my story.  There is a place I write about called, GOBLINS BEND.  Herein lives the witches, goblins, trolls and fairies that are all part of a magical adventure centered around....A Magic Hat.

About the hat I called ABSINTHE,...(SOLD)
This glamorous over sized hat, made from a beautiful emerald green velvet material, is the witches crowning glory!  It has an unusually large brim, to shade her face from the light and to allow birds and butterflies to rest upon it. Under the brim there is shade for the  small fairy creatures who fly about.  The hat is covered with vintage flowers that resemble wild foliage found in the deepest part of the forest and secret gardens.  Green dyed wheat, hand made green organza rose buds, tiny green and brown feathers make this, the quintessential  "good witch" hat.  It honors all things green, a crown to be worn by only the most revered witch in the forest!

If you are not on my preview mailing list, you can begin to see all the witches in my etsy store starting this week.  Please contact me personally regarding the "WITCH with GREEN HAIR" or would like your name added to the viewing list.  ENJOY!

Thursday, October 11, 2012

The WITCHES!...Welcome Ladies.

The WITCHES! From top to bottom they are:
Absinthe, Turkendrella, The Witch with Green Hair, Barkaboo, Bethenbark and Radilla






This is one of my favorite collections of the year.  This year, all the designs were inspired by a story I am writing about GOBLINS BEND.  The names are inspired by characters I have created and the places where you can find them!  I will  be listing additional pictures on my facebook page and in my Etsy store and please feel free to contact me if you should like to ask questions or chat about them.  Besides one traditional shape that we associate with witches, you will find that each hat is uniquely made to fit a particular character that you can read more about.  If you are not on my mailing list and would like to be, just contact me on my facebook or leave me a message in the comment section.  There is lots to know about these little pretties!

They will be available in my etsy store by next week and yes, you can contact me if you see one you just can't resist!

Please visit my website where you can link to my facebook and etsy store, or e-mail me:
www.susanlakedesigns.comwww.susanlakedesigns.com

Friday, October 5, 2012

Susan Lake Designs: Susan Lake Designs: The WITCHES...Are Coming!

Susan Lake Designs: Susan Lake Designs: The WITCHES...Are Coming!: Susan Lake Designs: The WITCHES...Are Coming!

Susan Lake Designs: The WITCHES...Are Coming!

Susan Lake Designs: The WITCHES...Are Coming!

The WITCHES...Are Coming!

Next week I will be putting the finishing touches on one of my favorite collections, THE WITCHES.  I will photograph them and then, they get posted and they fly away!

This year I have spent many hours designing and creating them.  My Designers Pick for this year? "The WITCH with Green Hair!"  As with all the WITCHES, it is completely hand sewn and each intricate design element, was carefully selected and attached.  This particular one is my pick this Season, because it is completely magical.  It's base is black parisisol straw, which I spent many hours shaping and sewing into place.  Then the fun begins!  I used a green synthetic yarn to create a "Rapunzel" like dramatic road of hair that trails down the front and is piled up on top, where you will find lots of goodies!

No additional wig is needed with the head piece, as the green hair is meant to be the focal point.  It attaches to the back of the dolls head with a black elastic which does fit wonderfully.  Although this particular piece looks like it would weigh a ton...it's actually very light.

I use my beautiful Soudoll-Zenith, Agnetha, as my muse for all my designs, and I must say...she looks very "withchy" in this one!

There are seven hats in all this year, each one is entirely different. I wanted to make each hat be the "crowning glory" for that special night!  You see...witches are not all bad, not all good, not all scary and not all nice!  The photo I am showing you this week is "AGNES", she is from THE WITCHES 2011 Collection.  She has long since "Flown the Coop!"

Look for my blog and the "debut" of THE WITCHES next week....