Dollmaker's Journey CUSTOMER CONNECTION
April 2001 Issue One

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Copyright ©2001 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 our companion website:
http://www.DollmakersJourney.com
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Dear dollmaker friends,

Welcome to the first issue of our Dollmaker's Journey Customer
Connection newsletter. Each month we'll keep in touch via e-
mail, letting you know about the new patterns and things on our
website, offer some tips, some free patterns, and introduce you to
new pattern designers.

In case you've wondered, here's a little bit about us. Dollmaker's
Journey was born in the summer of 1998 when we collaborated
to write our first book *Creating Fabulous Footwear for
Fantastic Dolls.* As we searched for ways to market our book,
we thought we might as well sell Mary Ann's CACHET patterns
and the patterns of several of our doll making friends. One thing
led to another and in August 1999, with the help of webmaster
extraordinaire Paul Phalen, we opened
www.DollmakersJourney.com, our online pattern shop. From
the outset we decided that we wanted to provide an opportunity
for up-and-coming designers to market their patterns. We also
wanted to focus on the types of patterns that were not readily
available through the more established pattern catalogs.

Our goal is to provide you with an exciting array of patterns,
books and specialized supplies that will stimulate and challenge
your creative spirit, furthering your own personal Dollmaker's
Journey.

Please know how much we value your support.

Mary Ann and Bonnie

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TIP - For ease in opening lids on glue, gesso, etc., slip a piece of
plastic (like a sandwich bag) between the lid and the jar. You
can also use petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to coat the screw area of
the jar.

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Our roster of talented designers continues to grow. Since
March we have been joined by:

SHARI LUTZ
Well known for her Izannah Walker style dolls, her "Serenity
Rose" is an exquisite all-cloth version of this historical doll.
This week Shari released 5 more remarkable patterns in her
collection: "Elizabeth Jayne Amerika," "Heritage Ragg Baby,"
"Topsy-Turvy," "Sewing Potholder" and a pair of charming
rabbits made from old wool -- "Carrot Stu & Esther, Too! "
http://dollmakersjourney.com/lutz.html


ORINDA SPENCE
The queen of silk ribbon embroidery treats us to 2 wonderful
patterns that expertly guide us into the world of silk ribbon
embellishment--"Tiny Tude" and a cleverly designed 2-faced
mermaid "Lorelei."
http://dollmakersjourney.com/friends.html

We are constantly on the lookout for innovative techniques to
enhance our doll making skills. Designer Kathy Hays has
developed an amazing sculptural needle felting class called
"Noggins" soon to start at Crafty College. The class filled up
immediately but you might want to check out the details and see
the wonderful pictures at
http://craftycollege.com/academics/dollclasses.html
to get on the list for the next class.

To support Kathy in her efforts we are offering an assortment of
the 3 sizes of needles she uses in her course. The package
includes 4 of each size needle and an instruction sheet called
"Wefting Doll Hair With Felting Needles." Kathy's clever
method of matting the edges of the fibers together results in a
wefting process which can then be applied to ANY doll's head by
sewing or gluing. This method of wefting eliminates getting the
fibers caught in your sewing machine and having to pick the
endless bits of paper out of the hair when you're finished.
http://dollmakersjourney.com/supplies.html

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TIP - You can use Therm-O Web Heat 'n Bond Iron-On
Flexible Clear Vinyl (found in fabric stores) on any fabric. It
creates a high shine and is great for boots, rain gear, etc. It
also stiffens flimsy fabric and makes it suitable for shoes. We tried
it on Lurex (a silky knit fabric similar to Lamé) and it worked
great! You need to use longer stitches when working with this
material.

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Many of the designers who have been with us since the
beginning continue to release an incredible array of patterns. We
know that it is not uncommon to want ALL of a favorite
designer's patterns! To keep you up to date, here are the new
patterns we've added since March:

LYNNE BUTCHER is at it again with two terrific new
patterns! You are just going to love her rascally "Couch
Potato"--the perfect gift for any "Over The Hill" party and the
delightfully easy "Fairy Bread."
http://dollmakersjourney.com/butcher.html

KATHLEEN CHRISMAN delights us with "Flora," a delicate
little fairy with glorious beaded hair.
http://dollmakersjourney.com/chrisman.html

MEO FEROY treats us to her newest pattern "Gypsy George."
Go wild embellishing this charming 11" stump doll with so much
character!
http://dollmakersjourney.com/stuffedmagic.html

KAREN SHIFTON brings us another one of her extraordinary
animals--"Sydney"--a fully armatured chimp. Her lovely, full
figured "Gypsy Fairy" has exquisite machine embroidered wings
and she delights us with her magical 20" "Crystal Dragon."
http://dollmakersjourney.com/shifton.html

KELLY LYNN SMITH has really been on a roll releasing 5 new
patterns in the last few weeks:
"Charade"--an elegantly dressed masked beauty
"Mitsukai Batafurai"--a graceful Geisha
"Nettonya"-- an enchanting mermaid with a beaded tail
"The Web Mistress"-- a sultry femme fatale
"Bubble Breakers"-- a whimsical duo
http://dollmakersjourney.com/smith.html

SYLVIA SCHORR released 3 extraordinary patterns in her Alice
in Wonderland Collection--"The Queen of Hearts," "Murray the
Mad Hatter" and "The Rabbit."
http://dollmakersjourney.com/schorr.html

UTE VASINA treats us to another one of her Enchanting
Delights--her oh-so-funky and fun "Troll To Go Bag."
http://dollmakersjourney.com/vasina.html

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SUPPLY NEWS from Dollmaker's Journey

At this time we are keeping our site focused primarily on
patterns and books. We do, however, offer a limited selection of
specialty supplies that pertain to the patterns and books we
carry.

Everyone needs a good stuffing tool and there are none better
than Barbara Willis' Regular and Mini Stuffing Forks.

Many of you have ventured into the exciting world of press mold
mask making as taught by Sherry Goshon. Sherry and her
husband Jeff have developed the perfect companion tool for
Sherry's popular facemask molds. The Press Mold Companion
Kit is a rolling pin/container that rolls the clay to the perfect
thickness. Inside you 'll find a knife, sandpaper and 2 brass
sculpting tools.

As we mentioned before we are delighted to bring you Assorted
Felting Needles. The package contains 4 each of sizes #36, the
#38 Starblade and size #40 and an instruction sheet for
"Wefting Doll Hair With Felting Needles." http://dollmakersjourney.com/supplies.html

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OTHER SITES TO SEE

**For a tremendous selection of general doll making supplies
visit our dear friend Diane Lewis at
http://www.sistersanddaughters.com

**One of our favorite supplies is 3D CRYSTAL LACQUER, a
substance used by rubber stampers to create dimension on paper,
but which also has a myriad of uses in doll making. We have to
thank Barb Keeling for introducing this terrific product to
dollmakers.
http://keelingscrafts.com

**Barb Spencer offers a variety of supplies, patterns, etc. on her
website, including cloth collector dolls such as Hitty, Victorians
and Raggedys.
http://barbspencerdolls.com

**Quilters and Sewists:
Keep Up To Date on Kaye Wood's Site. Free weekly e-mail
newsletter lets you in on special sales just for subscribers, new
products, hints and tips, and free quilting and sewing projects. To
sign up simply reply to this email with "subscribe" in the subject
line or go to
http://www.kayewood.com

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FREE PATTERN!
MAKE A WRISTWATCH FOR YOUR DOLL

Here's how you can make a truly realistic looking wristwatch for
any doll, no matter what the size or composition:

Mini Wristwatch

Supplies needed:
• A picture of a watch face(s) cut out from a magazine or
catalog in a size appropriate for your doll
• Index card or scrap of cardstock
• Glue stick
• scissors
• 3D Crystal Lacquer (available on our website at
http://dollmakersjourney.com/supplies.html)
• scrap of gold or silver metallic poster board

Note: It is a good idea to do several watch faces at a time.

1. Roughly cut out around photo(s) of watch face.
2. Glue to index card or cardstock.
3. Coat selected watch faces with 3D Crystal Lacquer. Let dry
and apply several more coats to create a watch crystal.
4. Put metallic poster board scrap underneath watch face,
wrong side of paper together and cut out selected face and
backing together.
5. Create a watchband with narrow trim, ribbon, strip of leather
or ultrasuede, beading - -whatever you desire. 6. Sandwich the center of the strap between the watch face and
the poster board backing.
7. Glue some tiny trim or braid around the watch face with
appropriate glue.

You can see this wristwatch on Mary Ann's doll "Savoring the
Moment" in our Showcase.
http://dollmakersjourney.com/scsavor.jpg


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TIP - To determine how wide a bow should be, measure the
width of the ribbon. The finished length of the bow (across both
loops) should be at least three times the width of the ribbon used.
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NEWS FROM THE HOME FRONT

As always, it's a busy time for us. Mary Ann is moving into a
new house at the end of May where she'll be able to have an
actual Dollmaker's Journey office. Her husband Mel is thrilled
beyond words that he'll no longer have to wade through several
thousand patterns, books and files in the kitchen! Not only
that, she'll have an ENTIRE BASEMENT as a studio. YEE HAH!!!
There will be NO DISRUPTION in Dollmaker's Journey
service.

Bonnie has been in serious rehearsal mode in preparation for her
role as Sr. Sophia in a local Mormon Church production of *The
Sound of Music* produced by Bonnie's daughter Dawn. Much
to Mary Ann's amusement she has been called upon on several
occasions for Catholic technical advice! Another of Bonnie's
daughters, Caralee, expects to produce grandchild #9 at the end
of the month. Her twin sister Melodie will deliver #10 a little
later in the year.

We've been working on three more articles for Soft Dolls and
Animals (http://softdollsandanimals.com) on hat-making this
time. We've developed a lot of exciting new material since
publishing our book *Creating Heavenly Hats for
Discriminating Dolls.* We are also working on four separate
hat-making courses for Crafty College. Watch for more details
in the near future!

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

Contact the editor 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. 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 ©2001 Dollmaker's Journey