Nutcracker 2011

Here is Drew's nutcracker for this year. I will try to surprise him. I don't think he visits my blog so hopefully he won't see this for the next few days. I am very slow getting down to work on dolls these days. Hope I can start again with enthusiam soon.

Steampunk doll

Here is my interpretation of Anneal, Steampunk doll we made in class with Barbara Schoenoff last week-end. Can't wait to see what variety we will see of this doll from all the dollmakers who were there. I didn't even know what a steampunk doll was but think I produced a good example.

Happy Halloween Paper Dolls

These are crete paper Halloween paper dolls. No two are alike. Here are two of several I have made.

NIADA workshop 2011 Denver

Enjoyed Deborah Pope's wet felting class and enjoyed the talented students who took the class. There were very nice animal heads created...I learned the technique and my cat head was not up to my standards but now I will try to make another one at home and maybe even a rabbit head. Deborah's felting art would be a better investment than the stock market. She is published all over the place and recently even went to Russia to teach.

Cindee Moyer, Street Fair

This was really an interesting class from Adele S. site. It is called Street Fair and has different technique for hair, head, Ballon. It took me some time to get hair that I liked and finally settled for the peacock green. Never again tho' this color since it looked like grass! Thus, the hat to overcome that look....Cindee's dolls are fabulous I think and she does so many different things with this basic looking doll.

Street Scene Cindee Moyer

I love Cindee's dolls. Something new all the time. I will do the legs differently next time however. I will make an opening in the thigh to stuff through unstead fo the foot. I think Cindee is a genius with simple tricks. Her dolls are well designed and easily made. This is an online class Stree Scene thru Adele's site.

Magpie quartet

Magpie quartet. Note the microphone. Pattern Karen Shifton. Fun and easy to make

Antique picture for restoration

I'm getting this antique oil painting restored. I have had it for years (bought at an estate sale) It is way over a hundred years old and signed (can't however make out who the artist is) but it is sooo cute.

Lately did a couple of counted crossstitch pictures of birds. We needed some pictures and I needed a change from dollmaking.

Hoffman doll 2011, House of Fairy Children

The Hoffman Challenge is a fabric challenge due July 15th for quilt, doll and accessories....The dolls must use a piece of Hoffman fabric in the making of the doll. The "houses" and wings are the Hoffman fabric on my doll. The dolls are judged and may be selected to travel in trunks to quilt shows around the US and Canada. It is always kind of stressful to come up with a concept for a doll or you can adapt patterns from designers or just do a certain pattern from a designer you like....I have adapted, Cindee Moyer, Gloria Bradford, and Salley Mavor's Wee Folk. The hat was from a Diane Evdokimoff's Dweedle the Clown. I have used my laser printed to put pictures in the window's and doors from old postcards.
Well the doll has been sent and was not selected for travel because the base was 8 1/2 inches instead of 7 inches....a disappointment but I can enjoy the doll here for the next year.

Charity Dolls

Our Dolling Dames project is to make charity dolls for give away to needy children...this is from a pattern on free charity patterns from Dollmaker's Journey.

Paper Dolls

In the Cloth Doll Artistry book by Barbara Willis, she shows pictures of how to make this paper doll. It the doll is a print copy on fabric from the book and the clothing is cloth.

What I've been up to

Really fun to make are these Ornamental Victorian Paper Dolls. They are beautiful on a Christmas tree...

Retreat Western Hills

Here is the Cindee Moyer pattern doll, Belladonna...Belladonna is shown with hands out to imply holding strings of the marionettes..Started at the Retreat of the Dolling Dames this past week-end at Western Hills......It was fun getting together to sew and talk!

Flat Emily

My great niece Emily has a school project which she ask me to participate in....it is based on the book Flat Stanley. We took Flat Emily to different places and she played in our recent snow fall....we really enjoyed Flat Emily while she was here...

Two new dolls

Cindee Moyer was here to teach the Raven and gave all of us a free pattern. This is Treesa and she is really easy to make.

Pattern from Kiza Matthews

I did this doll a year ago and am just now taking a picture....It is a Liza Mattew's pattern and very easy to make....her patterns are very hard to find but occasionally they have one on Doll Net.

Lady Bug

This Lady Bug wall hanging is from a Back Porch Pickins pattern.....a really wonderful pattern. Her head was gesso'ed and painted...the dress was painted and have lady bug dots on the top and sleeves and the arms and legs were painted with watered down acrylic pain....the flower & it's leaves are painted cloth and the stick is a real stick picked up at the park....she had painted lady bug wings with black dots as are her shoes.

Teepee

Christmas teepee I made for Tommy and Alex.....2010.

Phidias

Meet Phidias the elf from the Sherwood forest....this pattern by Allison Marano.
He's a pleasant little fellow, don't you think? He's 11 inches tall. Cloth and his shirt is cheese cloth strips.