Dollmaker’s Journey CUSTOMER CONNECTION
Dream ~ Imagine ~ Create ~ Grow ~ Believe ~ Magic
At http://dollmakersjourney.com we help your creative dreams come true.

March 2011 Issue 110

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Copyright 2011 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.  You can visit our companion website at:
http://www.dollmakersjourney.com/

**Notice!**

You can 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 Dollmaking Friends,
Our hearts and love go out to the people of Japan. This newsletter would have been out sooner, but I have been in front of the TV mesmerized by the ongoing crisis in Japan, both the tales of heroism and survival and the tragic stories of loss. So far it seems that the best contribution we can make is donating money to purchase water and food for those hardest hit by the earthquake and tsunami. If any of our readers know of a charity looking for dolls/toys/etc. to be sent to Japan, let Bonnie know at EnchantedR@aol.com. An example of a soft toy for Japanese children was in our February newsletter. Here is the link again in case you missed it. 

Wendy Walton at Pointy Sticks had so many requests for a pattern for her Japanese Maneki Neko glove cat that she created the following tutorial. Enjoy! http://pointysticks.net/maneki-neko/

We also lost a beloved doll designer last year. Kezi Matthews passed away last November after a long fight with cancer. I made several of her dolls, include Milo and Rocky for my first grandson (little boy and rocking horse.) Paul Phalen is putting together a web page to remember her. Here is his request:

"Many of you suggested we put together a page of dolls made from Kezi's patterns as a memorial to Kezi.   I am working on a page where dollmakers from around the world can post pictures of Kezi dolls that they have made. Please send me any pictures of dolls you have made from Kezi's patterns along with your name and where you are from (short statements also welcomed).  I will use these to start the page and then put it online on the Doll Net site.

"Please send the pictures to dollnet@gmail.com .

"Kezi always loved to see what dollmakers did with her patterns and especially how the Internet made it possible for dollmakers from all over the world share her designs."

You can see the tribute page to Kezi at http://thedollnet.com/kezi/kezi_remembered.html
To learn more about Kezi go to: http://thedollnet.com/kezi/index.html

Bonnie and Mary Ann

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JUST FOR FUN

Here is a trivia fact for this year that I thought you might enjoy. 
Dates that will happen this year 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11. Now take the last 2 digits of the year you were born plus the age you will be THIS year and it WILL EQUAL...111.

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MARCH SALE

Just in time for the 3rd annual cloth baby doll challenge (which we help sponsor), we are taking 20% off all patterns in the children/babies category for the entire month of March. For more details about this challenge read the rest of the newsletter.

Remember, visit our website at http://dollmakersjourney.com at the beginning of each month to see what our new sale will be. That way you won't have to wait for a newsletter.

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WORDS TO LIVE BY

"The opposite of war is not peace. It's creation." Jonathan Larson Rent

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FEBRUARY ANSWER

Q: Why are zero scores in tennis called 'love'?

A:  There are several theories, but this is the answer I like best. In France, where tennis first became popular, a big, round zero on the scoreboard looked like an egg and was called 'l'oeuf,' which is French for 'egg.'  When tennis was introduced in the U.S., Americans pronounced it   'love.' Another theory is that the term "love" is said to come from the English phrase "neither for love nor money", indicating nothing. It can also be traced to the 17th-century expression "play for love," meaning "to play without any wager, for nothing." The proper way to describe a score of zero to zero is to say love-all.

Congratulations to Nettonya Ryane from Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Your name was selected at random from all of the correct quiz entries, and you will receive a $10 gift certificate from Dollmaker’s Journey. Watch for your name in a coming month!
 
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MARCH QUESTION

While reading a new book, Nostradamus Prophecies by Mario Reading, I found a great riddle (old but fun). See if you can figure out the answer WITHOUT checking online first.

Q:  What is greater than God? More evil than the Devil? The poor already have it. The rich want it. And if you eat it, you die. What is it?

Everyone who emails in the correct answers by April 1st (NOTE NEW DEADLINE) will be entered into a drawing for a $10 gift certificate to Dollmaker’s Journey. The winner will be announced in the next newsletter. Email your answers to Bonnie at EnchantedR@aol.com Put March Quiz in subject box. Please include your full name and where you live (state/country) in your email. NOTE: Several times in the past a winner was drawn with no name or state/country included. When that happens we have to draw again. So please, make sure you include this information with your answer.

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CHALLENGES/COMPETITIONS

See the new Hoffman Challenge fabric for 2011 here:
http://www.hoffmanchallenge.com/challenge2011.html
Get rules and entry form here:
http://www.hoffmanchallenge.com/entry_rules.html

May 15, 2011 – 3rd Annual "Holiday" Cloth Baby Doll Challenge
March is "World Baby Doll Month". In honor of that you are challenged to create a baby doll dressed for a holiday (your choice).
Details at: http://clothdollbabies.com/challenge2011/

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UPCOMING EVENTS YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS

March 2 – 20, 2011 - Lois Schklar: Thirty Years of Dolls
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
This is an opportunity to trace the journey of Schklar's doll making from 1978 until the present. Many of the dolls are on loan from private collections.  Opening reception is Saturday March 5th from 2 -5 pm. Hours are Wednesday - Sunday, 1-6pm. *new* gallery is located at  906 Queen Street West, Toronto. T: 416-588-1200. Email : lois.schklar@rogers.com
Also view her Collected Memories: Hung Out to Dry at the Ontario Crafts Council. Hours are  Tuesday to Friday 11 am - 5:00 pm, Saturday 11 am - 6:00 pm and Sunday 12-5:00 pm. The OCC is located at 990 Queen Street West, Toronto. T: 416- 925-4222. Email: info@craft.on.ca

April 16, 2011 – 2nd Annual Doll and Teddy Bear Show
Doubletree Hotel, 10100 College Blvd., Overland Park, Kansas
Hours: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.  Admission: $5.00
Vendor information contact: Sandy Rose, srose@kc.rr.com OR Pat Jones, patriciajones16@yahoo.com

April 28–May 1, 2011 – Artistic Figures in Cloth (AFIC)
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.CyndysDolls.com
Dollmakers Journey will be vendors at this fabulous event!

June 9-12, 2011 – Figurative Artists Consortium
Algonquin College, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
http://figurativeartistsconsortium.com

June 23-26, 2011 – Creations in Fiber, Inc. (CIFI)
Albuquerque, New Mexico
http://www.CreationsInFiberInc.com
Or email Diane for space availability at Olough@aol.com

July 23-27, 2011 – 24th Annual National Doll Festival (NDF)
Sheraton Park Hotel, Anaheim, California
For more information, inquiries email: DollFestival@aol.com or NatlDoll@aol.com
(831) 438-5349 phone

July 24-25 – Doll and Bear Artists Classic (DBAC - Branch of NDF)
Anaheim Plaza Hotel, Anaheim, California
Dolls, bears and miniatures sold. Theme: Phantasy to Reality
For more information go to DollFestival@aol.com or phone (831) 438-5349 phone

July 2011 – UFDC (United Federation of Doll Clubs)
Anaheim Hilton, Anaheim, California

July 2011 – ODACA (Original Doll Artists Council of America)
Anaheim Hilton, Anaheim, California

August 13, 2011 – Day With Dolls
New York, New York
Dollmaker's Journey will be at this event.
For more information contact Diane Kearney at dmkjersey@optonline.net

August 22-28, 2011 – NIADA (National Institute of American Doll Artists)
Denver, Colorado
Registration is open now for the NIADA Dollmaking School on August 22-25.
Go here for signups and descriptions.  http://www.niada.org/info.html

October 6-11, 2011 – Art Is ... You
Danbury Plaza Hotel, Danbury, Connecticut
For information check out this website:
http://www.art-is-you.com/mysitecaddy/site3/eastcoast-workshops.htm

To save yourself time and energy, get all the details on upcoming doll related events at
CLOTH DOLL CONNECTION:  http://clothdollconnection.com/

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CREATING DOLLS WITH CHILDREN (NOT for the faint-hearted!)
By Bonnie B. Lewis

Last month with seven grandchildren (age 5-13) spending the night, we decided to do a doll project. For children I love using Julie Booth's Flora and Fauna (fold and roll doll) and Jazzy (wire wrap doll). They are perfect for children and fun for any age. We decided to begin with a Jazzy doll, but since my beads were smaller than those suggested in the pattern, we got creative.

I had everyone choose a wooden bead for a head. Some had faces already painted, and some were blank. They were many different sizes. We then attacked my stash of fun and frivolous yarn which I explained would become hair. We wrapped the yarn around their hand about 12-20 times, and then folded a chenille stem around the middle of the yarn. The chenille stem was then inserted into the wooden bead with the hair sticking out of the top hole.

A few twists under the bead for a neck, another chenille stem folded in half for arms (place overlap in center, so both hands are at a bend) inserted under the neck, and some more twists for the body. The rest became legs.

I cut narrow strips of fabric which the children wrapped around the chenille stems, using a glue stick to secure ends in place. Then they wanted clothes. The girls wanted long dresses with puff sleeves, long trailing sleeves, trains, hats, scarves, and lots of trims. We ended up with a fairy, a princess, an angel and a Russian peasant girl. The boys, being a little older, finished their costumes without any help. We had a ninja complete with wire swords, flaming red hair and a hooded cape and mask, a centaur with goat hooves in front and beaded horse hooves in back, and Puddleglum, a marsh wiggle from Narnia, complete with wired frog feet.

The aftermath was not pretty. Trims, yarn, ribbons, beads, rhinestones, sequins, fabrics, glue, scissors, feathers, wire, etc. bedecked the room. It was ALMOST as fun (NOT!) putting away everything as it was getting it out.

Observations and Lessons Learned:

*I gave the children too many choices. I started out organized, with chenille stems, boxes of wooden beads, and a huge sack of yarn which immediately got dumped out and scattered. I had a glue stick for each child, but insisted I cut all the strips with my rotary cutter. (This was a good idea – safety first!) My fabric is stored in huge bins, color coded, and of course each person wanted a different color – hence lots of fabric totes all over.

*I found the boys (11-13) were pretty independent and came up with amazing creations. The girls (5-10) needed more help, with the five year old more meticulous, focused and decisive than some of the older girls.

*I discovered to make a train, just cut a long strip of fabric, angle the ends, sew up the angled ends for a back seam, gather the waist, and the angled part becomes a train. Just round the point.

*Grrrip glue in the tiny applicator bottle we sell was perfect for gluing seams, creating hems, and applying tiny jewels. The kids loved using it.

*Many of the dolls didn't have faces. For those that wanted to make one, we used fine line Sharpie markers. Some of the beads were sealed or painted and Sharpie's seemed to work well on all surfaces.

*I would highly recommend you buy Julie's pattern before starting a project like this. Our dolls were not as large as the pattern, but they were cute all the same. She has great pictures and directions that make the project easy to understand. You can see a picture of what the doll is SUPPOSED to look like at our website.
Flora and Fauna and Jazzy by Julie Booth are available at http://dollmakersjourney.com/friends.html#Booth

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MAKING PAPER YARN

One of our readers was intrigued by a link I had in our October/November 2010 newsletter which read:

Amazing paper sculptures knitted from paper strips by Viviana Santamarina
http://vivianasantamarina.blogspot.com/search/label/Paper%20Crochet

She decided to learn how to make the paper yarn used in those projects, and finally found a tutorial online:  http://greenupgrader.com/2138/handspun-recycled-newspaper-yarn/

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SPECIAL GIFTS FOR YOU

We are delighted to bring you an exciting FREE Project designed by one of our talented customers SUE DANIEL.  Wait until you see how she has transformed a simple Bendi Doll into a dynamite free standing figure. You are going to love the amazing process she created and her clearly illustrated directions.  Check it out here – http://dollmakersjourney.com/armature.html

Great free "Scribbles and Friends" pattern by Cynthia Sieving, one of our designers. Perfect for charity projects. http://www.cyndysdolls.com/scribbles.htm
See more of her fun patterns at http://dollmakersjourney.com/sieving.html

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NEW PATTERNS/BOOKS/CD-ROMs/DVDs/MOLDS

Can it be that Easter is just around the corner?  We have 2 wonderful bunny patterns that are sure to perk up your holiday.  “Bunnies Galore” is another darling MAUREEN MILLS pattern with two size options
and lots of decorative choices. – http://dollmakersjourney.com/mills.html

LESLIE MOLEN treats us to her “Hunny Bunny Hand Puppet” with a sweet vintage look.  Do take a peek – http://dollmakersjourney.com/molen.html

KAT LEES has just released the most amazing new CD Workshop  - “Painting Faces Basic Class” – filled with incredibly detailed instructions for painting entire faces with acrylic paints.  If you are ready to step your faces up to a new level of artistry, then this CD is for you! – http://dollmakersjourney.com/lees.html

“Ms. Olivia Featherstone” is a whimsical new stump doll from elinor peace bailey that gives a way to use a remarkable feather you may have in your stash.  Check her out – http://dollmakersjourney.com/epb.html

If you are in the mood for making sweet, aged raggedies then check out our two newest patterns from MICHELLE ALLEN of Raggedy Pants – “Sunflower Annie” and “Raggedy Rachel.” - http://dollmakersjourney.com/allen.html

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CUSTOMER QUERIES

Last month I asked if anyone had a source for doll chairs that are unusual or especially nice. Here are some of your responses: 
 
*I have found doll chairs at Hobby Lobby, Tuesday Morning and sometimes at Hancock Fabrics.  Walmart, too  in the craft section.

*I found metal chairs at Michaels, a lamp chair at Home Goods and wicker peacock chairs at Warehouse Craft Supplies at www.warehousecraftsupplies.com. I bought the 16" peacock chairs at $33.52/DZ.  They are very well made and are not crooked.

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SUPPLIES

The 2-3/4” Eyeglasses, the 100 box of 3mm Chenille Stems and the 25 pack of 6mm Chenille Stems are all back in stock.  http://dollmakersjourney.com/supplies.html

Check out eight more PRISMACOLOR PENCIL shades – Grass Green, Jade Green, Bronze, Dahlia Purple, Henna, Mahogany Red and True Blue and Dark Umber.  Take a look at the beautiful array of colors we have in these individually sold pencils. – http://dollmakersjourney.com/supplies.html

Over in the HAIR DEPARTMENT the Medium Blonde and Auburn Braided Wools are back in stock. http://dollmakersjourney.com/hair.html

We have three new colors of MOHAIR LOCKS- Teal, Silver and Apple Green - for your hairstyling needs and some of your favorite colors are back in stock. – http://dollmakersjourney.com/hair.html#applerose

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NEWS FROM THE HOME FRONT

Bonnie spent the month entertaining many grandchildren who were in town to attend the blessing of baby Lara, her youngest granddaughter. Her daughter, while driving four children back to Massachusetts, encountered heavy, dense fog. The only way she could tell if the road curved was to check her navigation system. She got out of the fog just in time to encounter a blizzard 15 minutes from home. When she got there her husband had left the garage door open while he went on a weekend ski trip with the boy scouts. Fortunately she got it closed before any damage was done. One side effect of everyone's visit is that Bonnie and her husband got two different kinds of flu that kept them both in bed for a while. Everything is back to normal now, and hopefully the next newsletter will be on time around April Fool's Day.

Meanwhile Mary Ann is going crazy.  The original plan was to put her home on the market in April or May and then she and Jim would look for a home to buy.  The weekend of Feb 19th Mary Ann’s sister Sharon came to visit on the spur of the moment.  After church on Sunday Mak and Jim were showing her the neighborhoods where they would be house hunting when Sharon noticed an Open House sign.  To their amazement they walked into exactly the home they hoped to find!  It has the perfect spaces for Dollmakers Journey and a fantastic workshop that could also be a sewing studio and the one thing Mary Ann hoped to have before she dies – a cool bathroom!  In order to purchase it they need to sell their current homes and they are working around the clock to accomplish their goal.  Contractors have been hard at work fixing, painting and replacing all the things Mak wishes she had done sooner so she could have enjoyed them and her statue of Saint Joseph has been ceremoniously buried upside down in the flower bed facing the house. (A Catholic Custom)  Thank God Sarah, the world’s greatest assistant and SO MUCH MORE, is keeping the orders filled every day.  The last few weeks have been a whirlwind and there is no telling how it will all work out but it’s all part of the adventure!  Stay tuned…….

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WEBSITES:

Interesting light tent system for photographing jewelry and dolls. Expensive but intriguing. My daughter is a professional photographer and recommended this website to me.
http://www.sharpics.com/3light-translucent-tent-system-with-camera-support-stand-p-61.html?cPath=21

I saw this on the news. Please view and protect your children by changing the GPS setting on your cell phones BEFORE you take and send pictures. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2vARzvWxwY

This song is great! 100 Ways to Hide Your Stash
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKiiOH5oJfs