Sunday, June 8, 2008
At our annual EGA ,Covered Bridge Chapter Luncheon. in May 2008 ...
I was asked to bring my dolls and add a few words along with it...They all were much complimented and photographed and IF any of them been for Sale...they would not have come back home with me , but they were not....for Sale....
Doll Show at St.James Place...
....where my friend Evelyn lives. She had asked me to show my dolls to her neighbors. We met in the Community room and had coffee and tea while I talked a bit about each doll designer and anything special about the doll....then we also had dessert, a huge apple pie from an Amish bakery in nearby Lancaster County ...
We all had fun and the dolls didn't mind being the center of attention...
I was reading Stephanie's Blog when I discovered that...
fabricaddictions...in Down Under Australia was offering Stephanie's online class "Neptune's Daughters"....the mermaids I had seen in August 2007 at the Day of Dolls in NJ...so...here came my next project and I signed up for the class....but, I had to still finish my Milli before I could get into making the mermaids, three dolls using the same pattern,but each quite different. It was interesting making the "fabric" for each mermaid's tail using layers of cotton print, Angelina fibers and tulle, then machine stitching the layers and using embroidery stitches to embellish as well as keeping the layers together...
These dolls just evolved from fabrics ,lace , ribbons, wool and beads I had in my stash...
Finally, Pearl got her sea shell chair, how cool and again what a great design idea....loved building the chair and making her hand quilted luxurious scalloped seat cushion....
An e-mail arrived from Crafty College with the info that...
...Judy Ward was about to open up another online class for her French Bedroom Doll "Milli"
I had wanted to take this class for some time, but had to be on the waiting list.... I jumped at the chance and , using one of my Gift Certificates , Prizes I had won for the Wooden Doll Challenge,
signed up and entered the virtual classroom taking Seat 1, Row 1 at sign-in the same day .
I read the entire pattern instructions and gathered the fabrics , beads, ribbons I was going to use along with picking up Magic Foam and Fimo clay....hm, this was going to be an adventure...Judi uses modeling clay to form a nice facial profile and Magic Foam to sculpt neck and cleavage....interesting....so I went to work....admittedly with some compultion I created my version of Judi's Milli in less that 2 weeks....well, I got to have a life besides making dolls, right, so I do take breaks socializing with family and friends...even cooking ...and sharing "three squares",as my friend Annie would say, with my husband Tschanni...
My "Milli" is wearing an outfit for which I made the patterns and selected the fabrics and colors, her pink silk stockings came from an (old ) blouse my friend Trudy had given me to use for my doll making ...
I could not wait to create my own Le Chat from Stephanie's...
pattern and right away gathered the fabrics and accessories and got to work...This was the best body pattern of all I have used so far...I just love the curves and it was so easy to use...and such shapely ,sexy legs this cat has...too bad her dress is long....loved making the Victorian outfit and knitting her tail....making the armature..oh, what a super design, just fun fun fun to make !
Hey, just look at her, her Highness , I call "Mieze " , with her Parasol....don't you just love her? and the kicker was making her pet mouse...I sculpted the mouse I named "Pieps" using Fimo modeling clay that needed to be baked in the oven...What a picture it was...this little mouse with her one paw up....sitting there being b a k e d .... just 20 minutes it took and she was
hard as a rock....cool....I gave her a bow on her tail and a golden chain leash...Oh, Steph...keep thinking and creating , you have such good imagination.... Thanks for sharing your design by offering your pattern to us, the doll makers around the globe.....
In February 2008 Tery surprised me with an invitation...
...to Stephanie's house and workshop to learn , create and share a real good time . Together, Tery, Evelyn , Colleen and I made an excursion into Altered Arts under Stephanie's directions, we stayed up very late because we did not want to stop making our Journal or Album covers .
Stephanie had cooked a big pot of her Minestrone Soup which we enjoyed in the evening for supper together with her husband,Mom in-law and in company of the most spoiled member of the family,cute little doggie Diamond.
Steph gave us a tour of their house which kept us uuuhing and ahhhing because she has her dolls displayed throughout and what eye candies they are , each a piece of art and so precious !
A very memorable experience indeed , a real treat ... Sadly , I had to leave after breakfast in the morning , missing making the purse using various layers of fabric and fibers with machine stitched embroidery that Steph was going to teach us ..... , but I had already accepted an earlier invitation to a Valentinesday Luncheon from my friend Traudl .
In January , Steph brought her own design "Le Chat" to the Arley B. workshop . I knew right away that I would want to make her next and Arley instantly fell in love with Steph's Le Chat doll , bought her on the spot and took her home with him. So I asked to purchase this pattern from Steph and generous as she is, she gave each of us one of her pattens as a gift.Thanks,Stephi
In January 2008 our SewSewDoll Club invited Arley Berryhill to come...
Arley Berryhill with his design
Peacock Lady
My Peacock Lady
from his home in New Mexico to teach his workshop "Peacock Lady"to a group of 12 dollmakers .
Peacock Lady
My Peacock Ladyfrom his home in New Mexico to teach his workshop "Peacock Lady"to a group of 12 dollmakers .Tery, who had done all of the planning and communications with Arley, and I went to Newark ,NJ Airport to pick him up. Tery held his photo and we waited in anticipation hoping we would recognize him which we did !
The next day we all met at AnneMarie's home in NJ and spent two fun filled days creating our costumed dolls.
Arley was a lot of fun and who will ever forget his laughing?
Layering different type of fabrics, draping them and selecting colors was the main learning experience of the workshop , but being in AnneMarie's home , her huge lower level party room surrounded with a variety of collected antiques was a treat in itself...
In January 2008 I took another online class ...
from Cloth Doll Connections, to make the Ute Vasina design "Crow Mother and Troll Baby". What a fantastic idea and design pattern Ute created and the class instructions and photos were just superb.
I had such fun bending the wire for the legs ,sewing and machine embroidering and making this itsy bitsy 2 1/2 inch tiny newborn troll baby...can you amagine turning those tiny baby fingers?
Patti Culea's Tome Page patterns...
I collected the entire set of 12 and started making two double sided pages as studies of various mediums I had not worked with before, so I did the photo transfer to fabric,using Tyvec, painting plastic bags with acrylic paints and Angelina Fibers and ribbon embellishments, oh, yes and beads....
As X-mas gift exchanges I made several
Doll head Pins , Jean Bernard's design , using a face mold and Fimo modelling clay, Peacock feathers and ribbon
I had epb's St.Nikolas pattern for a year already...so
December 2007 I was stuck in the house...
...dealing with one cold after another ...so while sniffing and coughing ...I thought, hey mind over matter, get busy and I decided on making Patti Culea's design " Very Merry Santa"
Saturday, June 7, 2008
In October 2007 the SewSewDollClub met at Colleen's Studio in NJ...
and had our usual Show'nTell....Everyone had been so busy and made such wonderful dolls...
Stephanie Novatski , a newer club member showed us her doll "Coral" and explained how she made her corals....Wow ! is all I can say....Steph also demonstrated how to use embossing UTEE and we played with Colleen's Big Kick machine....hm, getting into Altered Art now...how interesting....
Colleen had made Leta's Art Dolls design " The Cat Watcher" and I was sure instantly that wanted to make this adorable cat....which I did....having been soooo greatful to Gloria for sharing with us her uses for Grrip !!! for without it, I would not have been able to turn those tiny finger paws..
My Kitty reminds me of the Musical "Cats"
Wooden Doll Reproduction photos entered in online challenge
To my surprise , I won " Second Prize " for my version of the Wooden Doll, Mother.and I won "First Prize "for the shoulder plate version of the pattern, which I reduced to make the girl doll
but I was more than surprised when I received an e-mail from Kathy H. congratulating me on winning First Price and being mentioned in the Soft Dolls & Animals Magazine- April/May 2008. I did not submit anything...so I was puzzled....and had to order this issue from the publisher, since I could not find it in any stores..
It was Paul from the Crafty College who must have submitted it the photo and text, I assume....Online Cloth Doll Challenge sponsered by Judi's Dolls...
and Doll Net Market/ FODC....
I signed up for it and ordered the pattern " Wooden Doll Reproduction "designed by Judi Ward.
Judi designed the pattern after seeing a large wooden doll in a Museum in Germany. This doll, possibly used a mannequin, was dated circa 1530 ! I was very intrigued and could not wait to get started. The result was that I decided to make a mother using one pattern version and
then reduced the second pattern version featuring a shoulder plate, for a girl child.
The process of making the wooden doll from fabric was totally amazing...using Gesso, acrylic paints, Elmers Carpenters Glue and finally brown shoe polish produced my version of the "Mother" wooden doll .
I signed up for it and ordered the pattern " Wooden Doll Reproduction "designed by Judi Ward.
Judi designed the pattern after seeing a large wooden doll in a Museum in Germany. This doll, possibly used a mannequin, was dated circa 1530 ! I was very intrigued and could not wait to get started. The result was that I decided to make a mother using one pattern version and
then reduced the second pattern version featuring a shoulder plate, for a girl child.
The process of making the wooden doll from fabric was totally amazing...using Gesso, acrylic paints, Elmers Carpenters Glue and finally brown shoe polish produced my version of the "Mother" wooden doll .
July was so hot and humid, that I decided to take ...
another online class....
No Fairies in the Garden , elinor peace bailey's first online class, featuring a study in making flat dolls ...
It was fun to do, but I did not make it as elaborate as I could have...because I got side tracked by finding an online doll challenge I wanted to participate in and start right away....
In July 2007 The SewSewDoll Club girlz met Gloria "Mimi" Weiner...
for a 2 day workshop in Colleen's Beach house in Manahawkin, NJ. What a treat it was !!! and Gloria was delightful, witty and oh , so willing to share her doll making tricks with us...hm, like the secret of using Grrip as fray check for tiny fingers....!Prior to this class we were asked to bring a bust or two with us and then we fitted a mask to the bust which was needle sculptured and finally painted...Amazing results !
< Gloria and me holding my sculptured Bust and Gloria's Adam..
In July 2007 we met Gloria "Mimi" Weiner for a ...
.....workshop in Manahawkin, NJ at Colleen's Beach house.... What a treat this was !!!
Gloria taught us cloth doll sculpting .We all had made a bust or two to bring to the class...What fun it was to be with Gloria. She is witty and oh ,so willing to pass on her doll making skills. She found very interested students in us and we all completed at least one bust including the face painting .
In July 2007 we met Gloria "Mimi"Weiner for a ....
In July 2007 we met Gloria "Mimi" Weiner for a....
In June 2007 there was another chance to attend ....
a Patti Culea workshop in New Jersey and I jumped at the chance ...
I had just finished my Mermaid and here came the next beading project...we made Viviana , the Fairy with her beaded tatoos and custom dyed lacy outfit and her fabulous wings where I used Sulky for the first time...and of cause her flower basket was lots of fun to do...I used craft foam , a thermo plastic type material, between two layers of fabric and free-style embroidery all over....zig-zag all around the edge and then it was placed in my toaster oven with a tiny empty eye cream glass jar inside the basket and wrapped tightly.... When I took it out of the oven and removed the wrapping thread, the basket had shrunk into a lovely form. Then I did picot beading all around the basket's edge and filled the basket with lots of flowers around the rim and one big flower inside
In May 2006 the SewSewDollClub was invited to...
............. take a workshop with Patti M.Culea at the home of Carol who is associated with the City Quilters in Manhattan NY. Patti was delightful and I was so exited to see her colorful dolls ...such fantastic designs !Again I purchased quite a number of patterns , it was just too tempting.
During the workshop we learned Patti's approach to face painting as she outlined it in her book and beading....which was a challenge to most of her students, but all finished their Mermaid even though the beading was quite time consuming....
My Franalizia has an angel face ...I think...
In Spring 2007 I took my first online class.....
at the Doll Net Campus of Crafty College from Kathy Hayes and learned how to use Soy fibers to make a fabric that can be embroidered and machine stitched.The process is somewhat similar to wet felting......and then I took my first online class....
Patti M Culea's Book "Creative Cloth Doll Faces....
...using paints, pastels, fibers, beading, collage and sculpting techniques "
was a surprise present from my husband on Christmas Eve 2006.
I still had the words Kathy H. from the SewSewDollClub sent my way via e-mail, guiding me gently to open my mind up to look at other cloth doll designers also....and now I was ready to jump right in and made Patti Culea's Magdalena . Oh, it was such fun and a new learning experience using acrylic paint and stamps on fabric...Wow !
...a gently push opened my mind towards....
The SewSewDollClub Challenge doll...
This is my version of our doll club challenge doll for which the basic pattern and fabric was supplied.
This Flower Doll"Margerite" was donated to be auctioned off with the proceeds going to Animal Rescue...
I bought all those great epb patterns at the workshop...
Anne of the Celtic Mist
Nudes Flash Flash
Amethyst
Chicken Shaman was made from a kit I ordered from elinor's online store
because I loved the combination of fabric prints and colors
Nudes Flash FlashAmethyst
Chicken Shaman was made from a kit I ordered from elinor's online store
because I loved the combination of fabric prints and colors
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