Guest Post! Mutant Goldfish Designs MGD

Today I'd like to introduce you to a great friend and fellow doll fashion creator, the uber talented Kelsie from MGD!  Kelsie is recently coming back to fashion creation for 16" dolls after a bit of a break to spend some quality time raising her youngest daughter.  But she's back and has a style that I LOVE! 

Welcome Kelsie!

Hi, I am Kelsie of Mutant Goldfish Designs (MGD)...I am a mum, wife, wanna be hobby farmer, artist and doll fashion designer....Oh and most recently Blog Junkie :)...I started my doll designing journey back in 2001 when I went looking for a Mermaid Barbie doll for my personal collection...What I discovered on eBay was OOAK Barbie Art...Well being a formally trained artist I thought "I can do that, and better"...So I did...A little here and there selling a few along the way...The Mermaid thing and an old joke about a "Mutant Goldfish" doodle is how I got the name...The doodle became my logo and for the first 2yrs I made nothing but mermaids.

In 2004 I got serious and instead of doing all the work by hand, I purchased a cheap Singer sewing machine for $59 and started the journey from OOAK dolls to specializing in fashions...First for Silkstones, then Fashion Royalty until I finally made the leap to the 16inch dolls...and what can I say... I LOVE THE BIG GALS...Especially my Sybarite Trapeze...

In 2005 or 2006 (memory is hazy) I launched my website
www.mutantgoldfishdesigns.com
Most of my designs from 2008 and 2009 are featured in the gallery.

In 2007 I upgraded my machine to a the Brother LE Project Runway Ed...I use the word upgrade loosely here as my singer is keep in reserve for the real hard work and heavy fabrics...This one looks pretty and has a wonderful selection of stitches but is only good for light work...and though I work with doll scale, I can be a little tough when patch working and scrapping together fabrics to create my unique designs...Oh FYI...I am a BRAVO junkie and love Project Runway Seasons 1-5...and ADORE the stylings of Rachel Zoe...Both big influences on my design aesthetic..

Which brings me to my inspiration wall...I love love LOVE layers...I love fabrics and combining them in different ways...and OMG DO NOT get me started on ribbons and trims and buttons...I have a thing for buttons this year...and pink...and sparkly...Ok so I am going thru a girlie girl stage right now...I am in the middle of decorating our home and creating cottage and fairy gardens, this is definately influencing where my designs are going in 2011...The hearts are my favorite, they have buttons and ribbon and lace glued to them by my 2yr old...she loves making things like this...

This is my Super Frock gas mask...I paid thru the nose for it...hehe pun...But totally dig it...It is my all time favorite company produced piece for dolls...though none of my dolls ever wear it...

Here is my work space...Tyler gets to live on the desk as she is my standard size gal and my "go-to" model at the beginning of each design...That btw is a nice way to say she is my fitting dummy...The studio it's self is a work in progress, I want to paint the desk and create curtains for around the cutting table...Make it a pretty work space..

The reduced display case...Much of my collection has not been unpacked since we moved and will more than likely get sold or given away...

The photo studio...

Ok, ok, light box in the corner...the drawers hold my backgrounds and photo props...The artwork above is again by my 2yr old...Her freedom of expression thru any medium put infront of her reminds me we all need to just
LET GO AND CREATE...

My favorite gal Trapeze wearing the first fashion of 2011 "Vintage Romance"...I am not going to promise big numbers of fashions this year, life still keeps me really busy, but I am excited to be able to get back in the studio and create again...

I will be running some give-aways over the next few months thru my Facebook page...If you would like to stop by and become a MGD liker, I would love to have ya...New fashions will also be announced on Facebook along with any auction links.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mutant-Goldfish-Designs/136905133043344

I hope I did not bore you to much with my ramblings...

Blessings Kelsie - MGD

You can find Kelsie's website here:

http://www.mutantgoldfishdesigns.com/

and her eBay auctions here:

http://myworld.ebay.com/mutantgoldfish/?_trksid=p4340.l2559

Kelsie also has a facebook page for her fashions here:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Mutant-Goldfish-Designs/136905133043344