Dollmaker's Journey CUSTOMER CONNECTION
Dream ~ Imagine ~ Create ~ Grow ~ Believe ~ Magic
At http://dollmakersjourney.com we help your creative dreams come true.
May 2011 Issue 112
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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,
This month in the United States we celebrate Mother's Day on May 8th. Here is some Mother's Day Trivia you might find interesting.
The youngest mother whose history is authenticated is Lina Medina, who delivered a 6½-pound boy by cesarean section in Lima, Peru in 1939, at an age of 5 years and 7 months. The child was raised as her brother and only discovered that Lina was his mother when he was 10.
On April 9, 2003, Satyabhama Mahapatra, a 65-year-old retired schoolteacher in India, became the world's oldest mother when she gave birth to a baby boy. Satyabhama and her husband had been married 50 years, but this is their first child. The baby was conceived through artificial insemination using eggs from the woman's 26-year-old niece, and the sperm of the niece's husband.
Bobbie McCaughey is the mother who holds the record for the most surviving children from a single birth. She gave birth to the first set of surviving septuplets - four boys and three girls -on November 19, 1997, at the University Hospital, Iowa. Conceived by in vitro fertilization, the babies were delivered after 31 weeks by caesarean in the space of 16 minutes.
Jayne Bleackley is the mother who holds the record for the shortest interval between two children born in separate confinements. She gave birth to Joseph Robert on September 3, 1999, and Annie Jessica Joyce on March 30, 2000. The babies were born 208 days apart.
Elizabeth Ann Buttle is the mother who holds the record for the longest interval between the birth of two children. She gave birth to Belinda on May 19,1956 and Joseph on November 20, 1997. The babies were born 41 years 185 days apart. The mother was 60 years old when her son Joseph was born.
Check out The Toy Society in Charity Corner, and make a fun travel book for your children, grandchildren, or those you love. Next month Mary Ann will have a special report on Artistic Figures in Cloth and the benefits of attending Doll Conventions.
Bonnie and Mary Ann
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CHARITY CORNER
Crafters who join The Toy Society are creating toys and dolls and leaving them to find a good home. Here is what their website says: "The Toy Society spreads love throughout the streets of the world. Nothing to it really - just a bunch of handmade toys looking for a nice home. What started as a small street art project in Australia is slowly spreading around the world. Should you come across a member of The Toy Society on your travels collect them up and take them home with you! But don't forget to let us know about it here. thetoysociety@gmail.com "
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MAY SALE
For our MAY SALE we are discounting our general MALE CATEGORY along with our very colorful selection of JESTERS. Be sure to enjoy the 20% savings all month long - http://dollmakersjourney.com/
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
"Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." Johann von Goethe
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APRIL ANSWER
Q: What is a Paraprosdokian? Give an example.
A: A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect, sometimes producing an anticlimax. For this reason, it is extremely popular among comedians and satirists.
Here are some fun examples sent in by our readers:
"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it." Groucho Marx
"I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather – not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car."
"The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese."
"Politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed regularly, and for the same reason."
"My daughter is a perfect angel, in my wildest dreams."
"Where there's a will, I want to be in it." OR "Where there's a will, there's a relative."
"Take my wife, please."
"You can count on the Americans to do the right thing—after they have tried everything else." Winston Churchill
"Paraprosdokian was a legendary hero. He was not a citizen of any organized nation – he was Greek."
"There but for the grace of God—goes God." Winston Churchill commenting on progressive ideas of Labor Party member Sir Stafford Cripps.
"Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car."
"He was the best, when the going was good." Alistair Cook
"The first time I played golf, I got a 56. I did better on the second hole!" (Carole Johnson writes she really did this in freshman Physical Ed in college.)
"Evening news is where they begin with 'Good evening' and then proceed to tell you why it isn't."
"Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won't expect it back."
"Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad."
"I sleep eight hours a day and at least ten at night." Bill Hicks
"If I agreed with you we'd both be wrong."
"We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public."
"How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?"
"Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand at the edge of a
pool and throw fish."
"Women will never be equal to men till they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut and still think they're sexy."
"A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory."
"You don't need a parachute to skydive, but you do need one to skydive again."
"Hospitality is making your guests feel like they're at home, even if you wish they were."
"Some cause happiness wherever they go, others whenever they go."
"Never argue with an idiot. He'll drag you down to his level and beat you with experience."
And especially for dollmakers: "The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"
Congratulations to Connie Williams from Venore, Tennessee. 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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MAY QUESTION
Q: The highest officially recorded number of children born to one mother is...? (Name the mother and how many children she had. Biblical accounts don't count!)
Everyone who emails in the correct answers by June 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 May 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
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/
July 15, 2011 – Hoffman Challenge due (new deadline – see rules below)
http://www.hoffmanchallenge.com/entry_rules.html
Learn about new category for the challenge
http://www.hoffmanchallenge.com/challenge2011.html
September 30, 2011 – Treasures of the Gypsy Challenge
Theme: The Renaissance Gypsy
To receive your challenge packet of "Gypsy" fabrics and trims, send $20 (USD) to
Pamela Armas
Treasures of the Gypsy
PO Box 748
Mountainair, NM 87036
Please make checks payable to Pamela Armas.
You will receive a packet of exotic fabrics and trims to be used in a doll or art piece of your choice. Your entry can be made from a pattern or created as an original design. All media are welcome. Use as much of the "Treasures" as you like. Additional fabrics and trims may also be used from your personal stash.
To be included in the judging and displays at the Houston International Quilt Festival, dolls must be shipped during the month of September and must be received by Laura Smith by September 30, 2011. Along with your "treasures" packet, you will receive shipping information, contact names, rules, forms, and deadline dates.
If you have questions, contact Pamela at GypsyTreasures@cs.com.
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UPCOMING EVENTS YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS
May 20-21, 2011 – Mystic of the Northcoast Mermaids of Lake Erie workshop
Ramada Inn, Elyria, Ohio
Learn to make a masked-faced mermaid with Kooki Davis
For more information contact Gloria Kellon at syloan@att.net
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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CUSTOMER COMMENTS ON NEWSLETTER
Referring to the story about the "speech impediment" (in the April Customer Connection Newsletter), I thought it was going to be one that my sister told me years ago. She lived in California at the time, and there was a little boy with a similar impediment. He went through all sorts of speech therapy, with little result. Finally, the problem was solved when his father came in for a parent-teacher meeting. Dad was from Massachusetts!!! If you have ever heard us Yankees talk, you will understand, and no matter where we live, the accent comes right out under stress!!
Thank you for that fun story, Carole Johnson.
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TRAVELING WITH KIDS
By Bonnie B. Lewis
I have an opportunity this month to visit Uganda (Africa) to pick up two of my grandsons there. I will be traveling with my pregnant daughter and granddaughter (age 2). Since we will be on planes and in airports for about 18 hours each way, I decided to create an activity book to keep the two-year-old happy on the long flights. I also made books for my grandsons (ages 14 and 16) to use on the trip back to the United States. The challenge was to create something that could pass through airport security and keep everyone occupied. Obviously scissors are a no, glue and clay could be mistaken for explosives as well as messy, and I didn't want to bring anything electronic (batteries die, some airlines prohibit their use, and they could be stolen.)
So I got on the internet and entered paper travel games in Google, and a whole new world opened. I decided to print some games on cardstock and laminate them. I found erasable markers (the eraser is built into the top), fancy dice, colorful lacing cords at Michael's, and a zippered pencil case to hold everything. I also got 1" three-ring notebooks. Here is what I put in each notebook.
For the 2-year-old:
The zipper pocket includes: 6 re-writable dry-erase markers with eraser in cap, 1 numbered dice (1-6), 12 lacing cords 36" long, 2 miniature decks playing cards (Old Maid, Matching Game), mechanical pencil.
In addition her mom will bring crayons and a bag of wooden beads with large holes for stringing.
The notebook also contains:
1. Coloring pages (many choices online – just enter printable coloring pages on Google) including Disney princesses and farm animals.
2. Because this is a doll newsletter, I just had to include some dolls. There are hundreds of free printable paper dolls online. For a 2-year-old I really liked the ones at http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/paper_dolls.htm
This site has African, Asian, and Caucasian boys and girls and 15 sets of clothes for all occasions. I printed an African boy and girl and three sets of clothes on cardstock, then laminated everything. Since scissors are prohibited I cut out all the clothes (without tabs) and placed each set in a small Ziploc bag. I placed the paper dolls into the notebook NOT cut out, and put a sheet protector pocket behind them with the three sets of clothes. At the same website they have princess paper dolls, and I did the same thing with them. To play lay the notebook flat and place the clothes on the dolls. There is also a fun website where they dress Kate Middleton, now Duchess of Cambridge, in all the Disney Princess costumes at
http://family.go.com/disney/pkg-disney-printables/article-1001999-princess-kate-paper-doll-t/
3. Next were hidden pictures. You can find some at http://www.highlightskids.com/GamesandGiggles/HiddenPics/HiddenPicsPrintable/
I got different pictures for each book, harder ones for the teenagers. These can be placed in sheet protectors (heavy duty weight) and markers can be used to find the missing objects. When done erase and repeat. This will also make it easy to replace pictures each month for a new challenge.
4. Fawn's Friendly Forest Maze was next. This was on the Tinker Bell website. I laminated it so markers can be used to trace the maze.
http://familycrafts.about.com/od/creativepaper/ig/Printable-Tinker-Bell-Crafts/
5. Also on the Disney website (#4 above) was Iridessa's Light Symbol Puzzle. This is a very basic Sudoku puzzle with only 16 squares (clues in 4). It is a little advanced for a 2-year-old, but she will figure it out as she grows. In the meantime she enjoys drawing pictures all over the puzzle with the erasable markers.
6. The next set of games comes from Pearson Education, Inc. I printed out on cardstock and laminated Tic-Tac-Toe, SOS, Dots and Boxes, Join Five, and Hangman, All you need to play is another person and an erasable marker. http://printables.familyeducation.com/travel-games/puzzles-and-games/57809.html
7. I then included a series of games that require a dice (or two or three). For a small child just learning his numbers it would be helpful to have a six-sided dice with numbers on it instead of dots. These can be found at some game stores. I laminated the game boards (on cardstock), cut them apart, and put them in a Ziploc bag inside a sheet protector. You can also draw the shapes on a piece of paper, but for a small child it is fun to trace the outline. I printed the directions on a regular sheet of paper. These games were also from Pearson Education, Inc. (see #6). They included What's Your Number? (I used the house drawing for this age), Mountain (just the mountain going up to 6), and Mouse (my granddaughter liked this one.)
8. Last in the 2-year-old book was a sheet protector with several 1 yard colored shoelaces and a lot of sewing (lacing) cards printed on cardstock and laminated. These can be removed from the notebook when using them. The problem was that most hole punches only accommodate holes 1" from the edge. In sewing cards you need to punch holes about 1" apart all around the figure. There are a few hole punches that have a 4" reach, but even they wouldn't work. I finally bought a leather punch set. I used the 9/64" (3.5 mm) punch and a leather hammer (a regular hammer will also work), placed the laminated sheet on an acrylic breadboard or cutting mat, and hammered the holes where I wanted them. Some of the cutest sewing cards for this age child are at http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/lacing_cards.htm
For teenage boys I changed the books as follows (each boy got different games, puzzles, etc.):
The zipper pocket includes: 6 re-writable dry-erase markers with eraser in cap, 2 numbered dice (1-6 and 1-12), 2 pieces of yarn or string 1 yard long, 3 miniature decks playing cards (One Traditional to play Solitaire, and several other games such as War, Rummy, Crazy Eights, and Go Fish), Directions for a Math Game using dice, and a mechanical pencil.
The notebook also contains:
1. Word search puzzles (difficult enough for an adult)
2. Hidden pictures (see #3 above) hard enough for adults
3. Tangrams were next. I printed out a page of challenging puzzle shapes from tangrams.ca/inner/tanpage.htm (they also have a solution page)
Then go to http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/tangram_puzzles.htm
Print on cardstock the colored and black/white tangram pages, laminate and cut apart and place in Ziploc bag inside sheet protector. Then print out the full-size patterns on cardstock and place in book.
4. The next set of games comes from Pearson Education, Inc. I printed out on cardstock and laminated Tic-Tac-Toe, SOS, Dots and Boxes, Join Five, and Hangman, All you need to play is another person and an erasable marker.
http://printables.familyeducation.com/travel-games/puzzles-and-games/57809.html
5. Battleship was next. I printed the directions on regular paper and printed the game board on cardstock and laminated it so you can play it over and over using the erasable markers. The directions and game boards are here: http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/battleships.htm
6. I then included a series of games that require a dice (or two or three). The dice were purchased at a local Staple store in the education/teacher section. It came with three normal dice and two 12-sided dice. I laminated the game boards (on cardstock), cut them apart, and put them in a Ziploc bag inside a sheet protector. You can also draw the shapes on a piece of paper. I printed the directions on a regular sheet of paper. They included What's Your Number? (I used the bee drawing for teenagers), Mountain (all three mountains 1-6, 1-9 and 1-12 which can use the 12 sided dice), and Mouse.
7. To finish the books I included drawings of several string figures (remember the yarn in their zipper pocket?). I printed Cat's Cradle (interactive), Introduction to Easy String Figures, and More Easy String Figures. http://alysion.org/figures
Hopefully this will be enough fun/educational/mind-bending activities to last several very long plane trips. If any readers have further suggestions to include, please email me at EnchantedR@aol.com
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SPECIAL GIFTS FOR YOU
For those of you who watched the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton last week, speculation ran high on what the bride's wedding dress would look like. Here is a website with three possible gowns and a paper doll bride and groom (none of the wedding dresses matched the actual gown.)
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/royal_wedding_paper_dolls.htm
Also search google.com under Prince William Paper Dolls for many other options.
If you crochet you may like this very nice Oprah doll pattern. It is a free pattern on the Lion Brand yarn and pattern site. Click on pattern finder; then enter Oprah Crochet Doll in search box for free directions.
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/
Bean Bag Frog by Nora Creeach
http://bluebonnetvillage.com/beanfrog.htm
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NEW PATTERNS/BOOKS/CD-ROMs/DVDs/MOLDS
We are so pleased to announce that designer SHARON MITCHELL of New Zealand is joining our Dollmakers Journey family. Her basic female body pattern "Krista" is truly lovely and is sure to be a classic. If you are looking for a doll that expresses pure joy then "Dance Like No One is Watching" is just for you. "Jessie and Jack" are a charming duo that is able to stand alone. SHARON'S pattern presentation is outstanding and we know you will be as impressed as we were. –
http://dollmakersjourney.com/mitchell.html
KAREN MUSSON has become quite the expert in replicating vintage dolls in cloth. Her latest effort is the famous "Hitty" and her use of wood filler along with gesso really achieves a great effect. Stop by and
take a look – http://dollmakersjourney.com/musson.html
Ooooooooh La La! Just wait until you see STEPHANIE NOVATSKI'S newest pattern "Ladies of the French Court!" C'est tres magnifique! She debuted these beautiful creations at the AFIC Conference last weekend and they were a huge hit. You'll get four versions of the doll and a wealth of costuming techniques to get your creative juices flowing.
Do take a look – http://dollmakersjourney.com/novatski.html
Come meet six of the most delightful bug characters you'll ever meet appearing on the wonderful new CD from SHELLEY HAWKEY called "Beautiful Bugs." Who ever knew that insects could be so whimsical!
You'll have hard time deciding which one to make first. You have to see what we mean – http://dollmakersjourney.com/hawkey.html
We love CINDEE MOYER'S "Belladonna" for its amazing visual impact and for the pure, unadulterated fun of making such a cool doll. – http://dollmakersjourney.com/moyer.html
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DESIGNER DOINGS
Many of you know designer BARB OWEN from her classic needle sculpting CD – "Creating Faces – Needle Sculpting from the Beginning" http://dollmakersjourney.com/owen.html Barb has just released a magnificent new book based on her challenging experiences care giving for her elderly parents titled "Normal Doesn't Live Here Anymore – an inspiring story of HOPE for caregivers." Barb combines insights from her life changing experience with practical advice, priceless wit and constructive exercises for both neophytes and hardened veterans alike. The result is one part parable, one part autobiography and all survival guide. To draw caregivers together into a supportive community Barb has also founded a companion website called http://HopeForCaregivers.com where you can find the book in a wide variety of formats. "Everything hinges on your ability to care for yourself and your loved one," say Barb. "This maxim is of great consequence, heed it and you will endure. Dismiss it, and you will have trouble surviving. Take care of yourself, your loved one and keep the faith, because – you're not alone." If you are currently in a care giving role or know someone who is this moving story of Barb's journey is sure to make a difference in the experience.
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CUSTOMER CREATIONS
Meet Edath Feston. She is a 55 year old arthritis sufferer working at home now. She has a store on etsy. http://www.etsy.com/shop/dollimama . She uses vintage patterns for her dolls and designs her own dolls. Little Edie is her own design. Her latest creation was an adaptation from a pattern from Long Ago. She is looking for advice on how to price her dolls. Here is her description:
This doll is 27" tall. I found the patterns at http://longago.com/MA.html . I didn't like the doll body very much so I redesigned it to have a more "human" look; i.e. her breasts look real now instead of just a bump on her chest and I redesigned her arms and hands and attached them using plastic doll joints, and I changed the legs to attach the same way. The redesigned doll had the same measurements as the original yet I still had to alter the clothing patterns to fit! They wouldn't have fit the original doll exactly either. Sometimes that happens with separate doll and clothing patterns, I've discovered.
Hand embroidered face features. Hair is Alpaca/Tussah Silk Roving felted into the cloth scalp and styled in a modified "Gibson Girl".
Bloomers, Camisole and Petticoat made with cotton batiste.
Blouson style button back blouse also cotton batiste. The high collar and sleeves are lace trimmed. The lace Jabot in the front is 'pinned' with a pretty button from my collection.
Pleated skirt and matching Jacket with polyester suiting – wool was much much too expensive for my budget although I know that's what they would have used in 1890. The jacket is fully lined and interfaced.
The hat pattern came with the suit pattern but I decorated it. I made the gloves using the hands from the doll pattern. They are made of embroidered netting with a hand crocheted trim and a pearl button at the wrist. The purse is also my crochet handiwork. Made the tassel myself too!
I had to find pictures of era-correct high button shoes on the internet and use those to design her shoes. I did all right there too, I think. Never put a heel on a doll shoe before so I learned something. The original shoe pictures showed 13 buttons down the side but I only had room for 8. They're 1/8 inch diameter teeny tiny little things that kept launching out of my grasp while I was trying to sew them in place! Now I know what button hooks were for!
I want to make more of these dolls. I bought every Victorian pattern they had plus several books of patterns that I can enlarge. I really love the style of the Victorian era and was absolutely thrilled when I saw Helena Bonham Carter wearing a bustle on the red carpet at the Oscars this year! Beautiful!
So how did I do? How much could I charge for a doll like this? That is my most difficult question right now. Any help you can provide would be much appreciated.
You can see pictures of this doll at http://dollmakersjourney.com/newsletter/Edath_Feston.html . I would say a doll this tall should sell for at least $100. If you have any input please email Bonnie Lewis at EnchantedR@aol.com
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CUSTOMER QUERIES
Q: I recently purchased ethnic material to make two dolls for my new Ethiopian grandchildren. Tewabech is 5 and Gebeyehu is 3. They both wanted new babies so I made them each a doll. Tewabech(girl) loves long hair and wants it so badly and unfortunately she has such tightly kinked hair its going to be a challenge as she grows her hair out. She also loves to comb her dolls hair so I would like to have long hair on the doll I made for her. It also needs to be combable Gebeyehu(boy) has short hair. My dilemma is what do I use for their hair. Any suggestions? I considered buying doll wigs but
A: I have made many African dolls, including some for children. I DO NOT recommend curly hair for a play doll. Even if it is needle-felted, glued, or stitched (after being fuzzed), the hair doesn't stand up to heavy play. Here are my suggestions:
1. For short hair that you can't comb, use yarn. We sell many different kinds of yarn, some with tiny loops, that would work. You can also use regular 4-ply acrylic yarn. Create loops on a hairpin lace loom (we have these at Dollmaker's Journey) adjusted to any width depending on the size of the doll by wrapping yarn repeatedly around two long rods. Straight stitch down the center of the loom between the rods, catching all yarn loops. Sew yarn to head along stitching line beginning at nape of neck, around head, across forehead, and back to beginning. Spiral yarn around head about 1" apart ending at crown until entire head is covered with curls. This will give a short curly head of hair.
2. For short hair that you can comb, use black silky fleece (found in lingerie section of fabric store) to create a wig. You can also use fake fur (tight curly lamb skin is perfect.) Follow directions in Customer Connection Newsletter #36. (http://dollmakersjourney.com/newsletter/cc36.html) Depending on the fur this may or may not be able to be combed.
3. Kidassia Goat or Tibetan Lamb (http://dollmakersjourney.com/hair.html) (or purchased doll wig) is the best bet for longer hair that can be combed. My granddaughter (age 2) is bi-racial, and has very long tightly curled black hair. It is impossible to comb it unless it is wet, when it reaches halfway down her back. When dry it is a tight curly afro look about 6" long sticking out all over her head. If we comb her hair when dry, it pulls out in clumps (very fragile). The best look for her is very tiny braids, which could be achieved with the Kidassia Goat or Tibetan Lamb. (Kidassia Goat is longer, straighter hair. Tibetan Lamb has more curl.) Because the hair is still attached to the skin, it can be combed if left unbraided.
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SUPPLIES
Many of you like to use coarser weave OSNABURG fabric for your vintage style raggedies and we are happy to report that it is now available in our Fabric Department. – http://dollmakersjourney.com/fabrics.html
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NEWS FROM THE HOME FRONT
Bonnie is still typing Pioneer Stories, writing newsletters, and making travel notebooks. They were so successful that three of her children or nieces want to make some for their children, and want to come to Bonnie's home to assemble and laminate them. That should keep her busy for a while.
Mary Ann has great news! While she and Jim were having a wonderful experience selling their wares at AFIC in Columbus, Mary Ann's home sold. They returned to deal with home inspections etc.. and everything is proceeding along nicely. Mary Ann was delighted to spend Mother's Day with her beautiful mother Marion in NJ along with her daughter Ana and her sisters and their families. This coming weekend all five of Jim's cherubs and their families will be home to joyously celebrate the Baptism of grandson Brayden Alexander Roberts of Chicago Illinois. Jim's home will go on the market on Monday and hopefully will sell as quickly as Mak's as they move one step closer to getting their dream house.
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WEBSITES:
Mary Diaz created a doll for her son-in-law. It's in the last 5 seconds of this music video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qqgl7DFSMI&feature=share
Small flexible push molds suitable for pindolls (includes hands and feet and videos on how to use)
http://www.weefolk.com/molds_list.htm
(For larger faces check out the molds at http://dollmakersjourney.com. Click on pattern category, then molds and resin faces to see many more options.)
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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, 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!
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