Dollmaker’s Journey CUSTOMER CONNECTION
April 2002 Issue Ten

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Copyright 2002 by Dollmaker’s Journey

Dollmaker’s Journey Customer Connection newsletter is a free e-mail newsletter. Tell your friends, family and fellow dollmakers about us, and feel free to forward this newsletter to those who might be interested. Visit out companion website: http://www.dollmakersjourney.com/

** New! **
You can now read all the past issues online. Go to:
http://dollmakersjourney.com/newsletter/archives.html
The archives include an easy to follow index to all the past
issues.

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Dear dollmaker friends,

The Olympic Challenge is over and the votes are counted. The winners are announced below. We have just completed a new catalog, 44 pages long, which we will be including free with customer orders over $5.00. Of course, you can also purchase it for $2.00. We designed the catalog so dollmakers who don’t have Internet access can still see some of the things we have available. However, our website is updated so frequently that for our complete line, as well as the latest designs, supplies and books you need to go to http://dollmakersjourney.com We also have TWO free projects this month, variations on patterns we carry created by their designers, for your creative pleasure. We would like to thank all of you who make our Dollmaker’s Journey possible.

Mary Ann and Bonnie

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AND THE WINNER IS……

The Olympic Challenge is over. The votes are tallied, and over 270 people chose their favorite contestants. Here are the results:

Our Grand Prize Winners (chosen by you) are:

Gold – Chere Fleischer - “Merrow” (#2) – Long Distance Swimming

Chere will receive a gold medal and $50 gift certificate to Dollmaker’s Journey

Silver – Nancy Laverick - “Maude” (#14) – Curling

Nancy will receive a silver medal and $35 gift certificate to Dollmaker’s Journey

Bronze – Kathy Nelson - “Stanley” (#1) – Lighting the Torch

Kathy will receive a bronze medal and $20 gift certificate to Dollmaker’s Journey

The judges also selected winners in four other categories.

First place winners will receive a gold medal and $15 gift certificate

Second place winners will receive a silver medal and $10 gift certificate

Third place winners will receive a bronze medal and $5 gift certificate

Fantasy Events

Gold – Michelle Havenga - “Forget-Me-Not & Lily” (#3) – Synchronized DaydreamingSilver – Bonnie Morgan – “Navajo Sister” (#9) – Fairy DancingBronze – Claire Ellen –“Moondoo” (#11) – Intergalactic Flight

Racing Events

Gold – Catherine Scott - “Annie” (#4) – Egg and Spoon Race
Silver – Annette Swafford – “Ava Marie” (#12) – Peace Relay
Bronze – Cathy Montgomery – “Cassandra” (#5) – Dragonfly Race

Miscellaneous Events

Gold – Doris Talbot – “Shell-Sea” (#7) – Sailor Teasing
Silver – Sandra Juneby – “Jorja” (#13) – Gymnastics
Bronze – Edward Winslow – “Big Mary” (#15) – Figure Skating

Non-Competing Events

Gold –Jeannette Nelson – “French Judge” (#10) –Woman’s Skating Judge
Silver – Judy Colpack – “Black and White in Harmony” (#6) – After Hours Entertainment
Bronze – Jody Kieffer – “Jennie Rose” (#8) – Opening Ceremony

We wish to thank everyone who entered our contest, as well as all the people who took the time to vote. Each winner will receive an Olympic medal and gift certificate from Dollmaker’s Journey. You can see the winners at http://dollmakersjourney.com/olympics.html

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NEW DESIGNERS

You asked, and we are pleased to announce that PRISCILLA McDONALD from Australia now has patterns on our website. Go see two wonderful dolls in the Partners in Time series, "The Gentleman" and "The Gypsy". Check out her Historical Cloth Series, where you will meet a Russian Ballerina, Matador, Court Jester, Art Deco Doll, and a Bavarian Doll from 1815. Just for fun we also carry four patterns with a little extra: "Millennium Women" includes a matching pin doll, along with a knitted and beaded treasure bag. "Marina Spirit of the Sea and Protector of Little Seahorses" holds three tiny seahorses (pattern included.) "Izzie Lizzie and Fergus Feline" is a button-jointed girl who holds a 6" cat. And "Bush Nymph and Autumn Spirit" has patterns for two nymphs and one Marmalade cat. http://dollmakersjourney.com/mcdonald.html

JUDI WARD has designed dolls for many years, and we are delighted to have her join our Dollmaker’s Journey family. We now carry some of her most popular patterns, including “Judsi and Yopu”, two charming felt trolls from the land of Phantasy, “Melody Mermaid”, "Abigail" and "Andrew", "Cindy Lynn" and "Carl Lawrence", "Major Domo", "Serena", "Savannah" and "Clarice Candlestick." You're sure to enjoy Judi's very classic doll designs. http://dollmakersjourney.com/ward.html

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TWO SPECIAL GIFTS FOR YOU

Just for fun, MEO FEROY has transformed her "Gypsy George" into the outrageous "Bunnyman" and we have the extra pattern pieces and directions for you to download for FREE. http://dollmakersjourney.com/bunnyman/index.html

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TIP

While working on a Gainsborough hat for one of our upcoming Hatmaking classes at Crafty College, Bonnie used a Perfect Pleater (available at Clotilde http://www.clotilde.com)

to create a pleated silk under brim and pleated silk rosette. This pleater is designed to create 1/4"pleats by sliding fabric into accordion pleats with a credit card. However, you can even get smaller pleats using a miniature pleater from Doll Artist’s Workshop (http://www.minidolls.com/home.shtml) They carry 1/16", 1/8", and 1/4" pleaters. These are terrific for pleating doll hair (viscose fiber works great) to create wavy or crimped looking hair. They also work for pleating ribbons, lace, and fabric for miniature dolls.

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Painting Felt Faces

By Judi Ward

“Judsi and Yopu” (http://dollmakersjourney.com/ward.html) are my newest troll pattern with the cutest "buns" you ever saw. They are designed to be made from felt - either the cheap polyester stuff or the 12-ounce weight wool/rayon kind. Felt is a very forgiving and freeing fabric for dollmaking.

Some complain about the fuzz, but for face painting that is easily solved. Just make the dolls face and head up to the painting part. Before painting, spray and smooth clear acrylic spray over the face and head. Rub your hands across it, stroking towards the back. This flattens the surface. Let dry, and apply a second coat, repeating the flattening strokes. You can very lightly sand the surface to get rid of almost all of the fuzz this way.

I used to do this years ago with spray starch! I found that it yellows over time though. It is also water soluble, so isn't permanent. Good old Krylon or most any brand of clear acrylic spray has sooooo many uses in cloth dollmaking. Don't worry about the brand. Just the stuff from the hardware dept. is fine. You can get it for less than $3.00 a can.

I also use it to fix hairstyles, seal faces, seal hands before using Crystal Lacquer for fingernails, and many other uses.

BONNIE’S 2 CENTS

I also have made dolls from felt, and have found that if you want to keep the soft, fuzzy feeling on the doll’s face, you can coat the lips and eyes with clear gesso or Createx before painting the eyes and lips. However, I LOVE Judi’s suggestion and will have to try it on my next felt doll.

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DESIGNER UPDATES

VALARIE GARBER has created a butterfly fairy called "Papilio", which is the scientific name for butterfly. New techniques include cloth over clay hands and silk painted wings with detailed color photos. http://dollmakersjourney.com/garber.html

LI HERTZI introduces a Kachina doll called "Kookopolo", with patterns for both a wall doll to serenade you and a dancer with movable legs. http://dollmakersjourney.com/hertzi.html

CYNTHIA SIEVING designed a delightful "Milton the Bookworm" that Bonnie Lewis' grandchildren liked so much she made a fluorescent version. http://dollmakersjourney.com/sieving.html

KATHRYN NELSON’s "Rejoice!" wears a dress covered with beaded silk flower petals.
http://dollmakersjourney.com/friends.html#nelson

SYLVIA SCHORR has released several terrific new patterns, including "Vega Supreme!”, "Camie Love, Movie Star", "Mary Had A Little Lamb", and "The Tiny Pink Jester”. We only have 3 copies left of the limited edition "Miss Galaxy". Get yours now before they're gone. http://dollmakersjourney.com/schorr.html

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TIP

We have had several inquiries as to whether or not the fabric we carry is suitable for needle-sculpted dolls. The ethnic hand-dyed fabric we sell on our website is Southern Belle muslin, which is WOVEN, 100% cotton with 220 threads per square inch. (http://dollmakersjourney.com/fabrics.html) If you want to try needle sculpting, you probably want KNIT fabric, such as doll face, velour, or Ponte, which has one or two-way stretch. Lycra also works, but is very elastic and shiny, unless you can find cotton lycra, which dyes well. I have also used single knit 100% cotton men's T-shirts (Hanes’s brand), which you can dye. Nylon stockings also work (double or triple thickness). You can find lots of different dollmaking fabrics at http://crscrafts.com/ (CR's Crafts) or http://sistersanddaughters.com/ (Sisters and Daughters). They even have limited ethnic colors. Our fabric can handle simple needle sculpting such as nose and eyes and mouth, and works best if the face is cut on the bias.

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SUPPLY NEWS

For dragonfly lovers, check out these enameled dragonflies and other great buttons at Waechter’s Silk Shop on the internet.

http://www.fabricsandbuttons.com/buttonsmetal.html

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NEWS FROM THE HOME FRONT

Our biggest news is that our new catalog is finally finished, thanks to help from Jodi Kieffer. Mary Ann drew the pictures, Bonnie wrote the descriptions, and Jodi organized everything in a professional manner. However, there is no rest for the weary. Now we are working on a series of five Internet Hatmaking classes, which will be taught at Crafty College (http://CraftyCollege.com) beginning in May. Bonnie is busy taking lots of photographs, and Mary Ann is organizing all the material. We are creating detailed projects that aren’t in our book, “Creating Heavenly Hats for Discriminating Dolls”, and we are really excited as we see each course unfold. Our first course, “Hat Making Fun-damentals”, will be FREE, and is a pre-requisite for taking the other classes.

Bonnie just finished taking an Internet class from Pearl Red Moon, an Australian teacher who makes the most fabulous shoes. Her beaded “Ancient Icons” excite a lot of comment as they sit on her mantle in her family room. Currently she is working on a Juliet bridal cap, a showgirl hat, and a series of dolls we hope to premier at We Folk in 2004. It pays to think ahead! Hmmm. Guess who was at the post office at 11:35 p.m. on April 15th with her husband mailing their income taxes? Well, at least when it comes to dolls she is organized!

Mary Ann is enjoying a visit from her 27 year old son who lives in Las Vegas where he is responsible for the computer system that operates the slot machines for one of the major gaming companies. This was no help at all to Mary Ann the last time she visited Vegas as the machines ate every last one of her quarters! As Dollmaker's Journey continues to grow, personal dollmaking time is more difficult to come by. Mary Ann just completed an "Illuminata" for a dear friend battling kidney cancer. Soon it will be time to start the drawings for all the new items taken on since the printing of the latest catalog.

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BONNIE’S FAVORITE WEBSITES

Jim’s Printable Minis – You won’t believe what you can print out for dolls! http://www.printmini.com/printables/

This to that glue advice – Have you ever wondered what type of glue to use for different projects. This site has all the answers.

http://www.thistothat.com/

Doll eyes – If you have trouble drawing eyes, check out the free step-by-step art lessons.
http://www.art-wow.com/Lessons/eyes/eyesIntro.html

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We’d love to hear your thoughts about our Customer
Connection newsletter.

Contact the editor Bonnie B. Lewis at
enchantedR@aol.com with any comments, suggestions, address changes, etc.

Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to any of your
friends. Help us spread the word about Dollmaker’s
Journey! All we ask is that you forward it intact, with all
the subscription information included.

You can also read all the past issues online at:
http://dollmakersjourney.com/newsletter/archives.html
Included is an index to all the past issues.

Thanks! (By the way, you might want to print this out and put it into a
binder to keep for reference….)

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Copyright © 2002 Dollmaker’s Journey