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

June 2012 Issue 121

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Copyright 2012 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,

In the August 2004 Customer Connection Newsletter we gave a website for a pattern by Mia Svensson from Sweden. The pattern is no longer available at the website we mentioned. Cookie, one of our readers, would like a copy of this pattern (which was free). Does anyone know if it is still on the Internet? If so, please email Cookie at cincygirl2028@bellsouth.net
We love it when you share your photos of dolls made from the products we sell on our site! Check out our updated SHOWCASE to see the extraordinary dolls our customers are creating - http://dollmakersjourney.com/showcase.html
This is what the Customer Connection is all about – caring and sharing. With this issue we are beginning a new series of articles which we call Healing Hands. Read some stories which our friend Julie Booth shared with us recently. If you have any stories to share of how your creations helped heal or help someone else, please send them to Bonnie Lewis at EnchantedR@aol.com We look forward to hearing from you.
Bonnie and Mary Ann

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2012 UFO CHALLENGE FROM DOLLMAKER'S JOURNEY

The goal is to spend 2012 minutes this year clearing the decks for new projects and challenges. Recently there has been a discussion on FOCD about ways to focus on one project at a time, and clearing out all the UFOs (unfinished objects) in your life.

So the challenge remains. Work 45 minutes a week, 6 minutes a day, or 2012 minutes this year finishing your UFOs. How are you doing?

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JUNE SALE

We are winding up on JUNE SALE on the EXOTIC/FANTASY patterns so hurry on down to get your 20% discount on this great selection of patterns. - http://dollmakersjourney.com/index.html

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

"When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun.
And when you have a lot of fun, you can do amazing things" -Joe Namath

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MAY ANSWER

Q: What two world-famous authors died on the same DATE (month/day/year) but not the same DAY? Why?

A: William Shakespeare died on his birthday April 23rd the same day as Miguel Cervantes (author of Don Quixote) in 1616. Coincidently this is also the date (in different years) on which William Wordsworth (1850) and Rupert Brooke died. UNESCO later declared April 23 "World Book and Copyright Day." As April 23 is also the generally accepted date of Shakespeare's birth (based on baptismal records), the day is even more momentous. The reason they died on the same date (April 23) but not the same day is because two different calendars were used. England used the old Julian calendar while Spain used the Gregorian calendar which was eleven days out of step with the English calendar.

Other noteable deaths include: C.S. Lewis and Aldous Huxley, who both died on the same day that President Kennedy was assassinated. Nov 22nd 1963. Several of you mentioned that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on July 4, 1826, 50 years to the day from the birth of the country they founded.

Congratulations to Marianne Tucker from Abington, Pennsylvania. 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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JUNE QUESTION

Q: In golf, where did the term 'Caddie' come from?

Everyone who emails in the correct answers by July 15th 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 June 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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CREATE A CUTTING TABLE by Judi Ward

I want to tell you all about the wonderful table raisers for the banquet tables some of us have for our studios. At Sewing By The Sea (thank you Sandy) they used 15" long pieces of 2" PVC pipe which the legs of the tables were set down into. This made a wonderful higher table for pinning quilts or laying them out, etc. When no longer needed as a high table, the pipes are just removed. The PVC pipe risers are just lengths of the PVC pipe, with the table legs set inside. The size of the pipes may be different for different banquet table legs. The banquet table legs also have to have a bend in them to keep the legs from going all the way into the pipes and not raise the table at all.

My banquet tables are old too. The fake Formica top kind and they are so marred up I keep them covered with brown paper. A few years ago I decoupaged doll pictures onto them thinking that would be nice, but it is too distracting. I put 2 of my tables up and put them side by side yesterday, and am going to do another today because I am making a queen sized quilt and it is HUGE!!!! Even if one has just one banquet table that can be put up and down it would make a cutting table for doll cutting and then lower it for a sewing table.

(Note from Bonnie: Lightweight tables are available from Costco, Sam's Club, and most office supply stores here in the United States. They are 6 feet long, about 2-1/2 feet wide, and quickly fold up when not in use. Best of all, they aren't too expensive! If you have back trouble, raising the table helps a lot.)

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CHALLENGES

See the winners of the Cloth Baby Doll Challenge here:
http://clothdollbabies.com/challenge2012/

July 20, 2012 – Hoffman Challenge
Entry forms available at http://www.hoffmanchallenge.com
You must use a recognizable piece of their challenge fabric. To see past Hoffman challenge doll entries and this year's fabric go to: http://www.blueherondolls.com/Hoffman%20Challenge.htm

September 2012 - Treasures of the Gypsy Challenge 2012
Dolls due last week of September 2012 for Houston Quilt Festival
You must purchase packet of materials to be used in your doll from Pamela Armas. The cost, which includes entry fee and shipping, is $20.00. The theme is: The Charmed and Mystical Gypsy
For more information go to: http://www.creationsinfiberinc.com/Gypsy-Challenge.html
Or contact Pamela at GypsyTreasures@cs.com

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UPCOMING EVENTS YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS

July 22-25, 2012 – National Doll Festival
Hilton Riverside Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana
(Shuttle provided to other doll conventions in New Orleans)
More information at: http://www.az-ps.com/dollshowusa/natldoll/index.html

July 23, 2012 – ODACA Luncheon and Sale (Original Doll Artists Council of America)
Sheraton Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana
More information at: http://www.odaca.org/

July 24-27, 2012 – UFDC (United Federation of Doll Clubs)
Sheraton Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana
More information at: http://ufdc.org/

July 26-29, 2012 – All Dolls Are Art Conference 2012
Wyndham Garden Inn, Austin, Texas
Classes with Arley Berryhill, Annie Hesse, Marilynn Huston, Angela Jarecki, Fran Parrigan-Meehan, Theresa May, Lisa Renner, and Christine Shively.
For more information, visit our website: http://www.alldollart.com or send $5.00 for brochure to:
AnLiNa Designs, PO Box 514, Round Rock, TX 78680-0514

July 27-29, 2012 – RenoIowa Retreat
Staten Island, New York
Classes from Sherry Goshon and Jean Bernard
For information go to: http://www.RenoIowaRetreat.com or contact Sherry Goshon at innerchildslg@yahoo.com or Jean Bernard at Jean@JeanBernardArt.com

September 21-23, 2012 – RenoIowa Retreat
Marshalltown, Iowa
Classes from Sherry Goshon and Jean Bernard
For information go to: http://www.RenoIowaRetreat.com or contact Sherry Goshon at innerchildslg@yahoo.com or Jean Bernard at Jean@JeanBernardArt.com

September 27-30, 2012 – NIADA (National Institute of American Doll Artists)
Stamford, Connecticut
More information about the convention at: http://www.niada.org/index2.html

October 1-3, 2012 – NIADA Dollmaking School
Stamford, Connecticut
Class registration is now open for the NIADA 2012 Dollmaking School
http://www.niada.org/dollschool.html

October, 2012 – Doll and Teddy Bear Expo
Information coming soon at: http://www.dollandteddyexpo.com/

October 14 -16 and 17-19, 2012 – "Jack Out of the Box"
Ottawa, Canada
Take a class from Marlaine Verhelst and Ankie Daanen, NIADA Doll Artists from the Netherlands.
Fee Including Kit - $500.00 Deposit of $250.00 to Hold Your Spot. The sculpted bases and bodies will be prepared by Ankie and Marlaine. All students will sculpt and paint their own head and hands and make hair, hats, collars and embellishments for the costume.
For more information go to: www.alldolledupottawa.com

January 2013 – IDEX
More information coming at: http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=942999

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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HEALING HANDS - A LITTLE BIT OF HEALING MAGIC by Julie Booth

Yesterday, while working at Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery, some magical things happened.

I was training a new member who is originally from Korea. At some point while we were talking, I decided to show her my mom's 80th birthday hamsa. She was really intrigued by it and told me that it reminded her of Korean shamanic symbols. I wanted to know more. I was surprised to find out that Shamans in Korea are women that this title and role in the community often passes from mother to daughter. But on occasion, there will be a woman who is not of shamanic lineage...she is called to this duty by a natural ability to communicate with the spirits of the ancestors...

Later in the day, a young woman came into the gallery. Although somewhat hesitant, she wanted to ask a question. Did I know of someone who might be willing to make a memorial quilt for her? Her husband, a member of the military, had recently died in action. She had his uniform and some of his clothes and could not bear the thought of giving or throwing them away.

I immediately thought of the wonderful quilting couple, Sue and Gene, who had just taken my weekend workshop. The words that best describe these two are warm and generous. They work together to create commemorative quilts and what I can best describe as healing quilts. I was most moved by the quilts they make for very young terminally ill children. These are always butterfly quilts which comfort the children and later comfort the parents.

I sent them an email last night with the young woman's information. This morning, I received an email that they looked forward to getting in touch with the young widow.

All I can say is that perhaps a bit of shamanic magic was involved...or at least a little bit of healing magic.
See pictures from this blog (including a picture of a hamsa) and other stories about healing that Julie has written at the following links:
http://www.threadbornblog.com/2012/06/little-bit-of-healing-magic.html
http://www.threadbornblog.com/2012/04/hamsa-for-my-friend.html
http://www.threadbornblog.com/2012/04/finished-hamsa.html

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SPECIAL GIFTS FOR YOU

Summer in the Northern Hemisphere is here and KAT LEES has graciously donated her "Salina – The Little Mermaid" pattern to our FREE PROJECTS section. Be sure to stop by and download this great project and get a taste of the wonderful way KAT presents her work.
http://dollmakersjourney.com/freepatterns.html

Gloria "Mimi" Winer has a new free video, "Anatomy: Scale and Proportion for the Dollmaker." To see it go to Mimidolls.Com/NewMimidolls (this is her new website, and it is awesome!)

Jorge has shared his collection of websites with his favorite free tutorials here: http://morezmore.com/myblog/ooaktutorials/

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COMING SOON!

Over the 14 years we've been in business the most often requested feature has been the posting of the supply lists for each pattern. We have finally figured out a way to do this. When you click on the photo of a pattern to see it larger you will also see the Supply List. Now you can order items you might need along with the pattern and have time to collect the other supplies before your pattern arrives in the mail Given that we have a selection of nearly 1700 patterns it is going to take us awhile to accomplish this great task. We are starting with the newest items and will then do the upcoming sale category and then keep going. Working with all of these lists has helped us to see what other products we could add to the site to provide more of what you need. So, please be patient with us as we get this project going. We'd also LOVE your product suggestions! Just drop an email to info@DollmakersJourney.com and let her know what else you would like to see on the site.

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

DEANNA HOGAN has just released her beautiful "Suffragette Sally Body and Pressmold." As always, DEANNA'S instructions are filled with great photos, drawings and clear direction. This project is sure to be a creative treat. – http://dollmakersjourney.com/hogan.html

We are delighted to introduce you to a talented new designer from Canada - CHERYL SMITH of Magpie Artworks. CHERYL specializes in bright, colorful jesters and we have three amazing patterns for you to choose from. Stop by and see "Sheilagh," "Silas" and "Agatha." - http://dollmakersjourney.com/smith.html

CAROLINE ERBSLAND has often been asked if she could include faces in her patterns and now she has done just that. Her newest pattern "Little Red Riding Hood CD" has three beautiful faces (all the same) that can be printed out on your own fabric using an easy freezer paper method. As always, the pattern includes wonderful costuming details and embellishments. You are going to love this beautiful storybook doll! - http://dollmakersjourney.com/erbsland.html

CINDEE MOYER has just released two more amazing patterns. "The Gift of the Magi" is a striking representation of the wife in the beloved O. Henry story and you'll see how a doll can be eerily beautiful with her "Mummy Dearest." - http://dollmakersjourney.com/moyer.html

If you are looking for something patriotic to make for the upcoming July 4th Celebrations then MAUREEN MILLS' quick and easy "Hooray for the USA" is just the ticket. Stop by and take a look. - http://dollmakersjourney.com/mills.html

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SUPPLIES

BACK IN STOCK!!! - The long awaited shipment of TIBETAN LAMB has arrived. We now have every color available except Dark Auburn. Be sure to stock up on this gorgeous fiber! - http://dollmakersjourney.com/hair.html

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DESIGNER DOINGS

Sarah, one of our readers, writes: "I just bought Victoria DiPietro's new CD – How to Create a Portrait-Style Child Doll in Cloth and Paperclay. Talk about precise instructions!!!! She has not left anything to "guessing". The pictures are beautifully photographed, the instructions precise, clear with nothing left to guess about. It is a CD must have for your library. I have been looking for Child doll patterns that look like a child and not a minimized adult. And the pictures show exactly what I was looking for a long time. I want the doll to look like a "lifelike" child and I think Victoria's CD has done it for me." (You can buy Victoria's CD at http://dollmakersjourney.com/dipietro.html)

Victoria DiPietro has a wonderful new pattern coming soon that will be available through Dollmaker's Journey. She writes: "The costuming CD is coming. All of the garments and shoes have been designed and sewn. There are some lovely crochet pieces designed by my co-designer, Beth Webber, and the instructions will be on the CD, too. There's right - around 40 different garments for the costuming CD, for both girl and boy dolls. I'm going to put the whole collection into one CD offering and hope to have it available for purchase mid-summer (approximately 5 to 6 weeks from now).

(We look forward to seeing this amazing new CD. Keep reading the newsletter for updates.)

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COPYRIGHT INFORMATION ON PATTERNS

Judi Ward writes: "Simply put one can sell anything they have purchased, book, pattern, magazine, paintings, etc. What you cannot do is make copies of those items and sell them. Very simple."

For more detailed information on copyrights, myths and facts, go to:
http://www.tabberone.com/Trademarks/CopyrightLaw/Patterns.shtml

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NEWS FROM THE HOME FRONT

Bonnie finally got to meet her Ugandan grandsons (ages 15 and 17). They arrived several weeks ago, and are staying with Bonnie during the day while their father works in the pharmacy. Teenage boys are so delightful! She is having a wonderful time helping them adjust to America, getting them enrolled in college, taking classes for a driver's license (in Uganda they drive on the other side of the road), learning to eat strange foods they have never seen like strawberries, and sharing her extensive movie collection with them. Her husband's brother visited from Utah, and his business partner and family came for several days from Alaska. Sorry this newsletter is a little late, but life has been very busy here.

Meanwhile Mary Ann has decided it is time to reinvigorate DollmakersJourney.com and she has been working hard on a variety of business expansion ideas that will be appearing on the website in the coming days. Last weekend her daughter Ana helped her film a video that explains all the different fabrics we carry for making cloth doll bodies that will be on the website shortly and she has a list of other topics in the works for product and technique demonstrations. Stay tuned!

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WEBSITES:

One Man Barbershop Quartet "How Great Thou Art" by Vance Perry
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=dxCRIF0m79w&feature=related

Here is a delightful children's illustrator website with lots of tutorials, ways to use your computer for graphic illustrations, and good advice. http://danidraws.com/
I especially liked her 101 projects for artists and illustrators.
http://danidraws.com/2007/02/21/101-projects-for-artists-and-illustrators/

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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!