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Dollmaker's Journey CUSTOMER CONNECTION
March 2003 Issue Twenty
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Copyright 2003 by Dollmaker's Journey
Dollmaker's Journey Customer Connection newsletter
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Visit out companion website:
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** Notice! **
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,
With the outbreak of war, it is sometimes nice to dwell
on less troubled times. We recently saw a new Disney
movie, Tuck Everlasting, which makes you really think
about life, death, and what would happen if you could
live forever. Gail Wilson was asked to design a doll
for this movie. Here is an article on what she did:
http://www.boston.com/globe/magazine/2002/1110/artisan.htm
We watched the movie three times before
we noticed her doll, in the bedroom scene where Winnie
Foster is going to bed for the first time in the Tuck's
home. There are two brief glimpses of it. Gail has
the pattern she created for sale on her website (http://www.gailwilsondesigns.com/), if anyone would like
to try making an antique looking doll. She made the
doll several times, once new looking, and each successive
doll was aged until it looked over 100 years old. This
movie is now available on video and DVD, and is delightful
for all ages.
Mary Ann and Bonnie
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CHALLENGE
One of our designers, Kerry Seymour, has a cute Easter
Bunny pin pattern (it's free) and Easter Challenge on
her website. Check out the details at: http://www.atticrosecreations.com/Eastereggbunny.html
You can see her other patterns at: http://dollmakersjourney.com/seymour.html
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CHARITY PROJECT
Donna Gari, Area Coordinator for the
non-profit charity Warming Families, has received a
request for doll clothes (all sizes) for the children
staying at the shelters. If anyone has patterns or
doll clothes they could donate to this cause, you can
send them to:
Donna Gari, Warming Families, 4500
Maxwell Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525
dgari_2@yahoo.com
http://www.geocities.com/dgari_2/
http://www.warmingfamilies.com/
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NEW BOOKS BY YOUR FAVORITE DESIGNERS
We're delighted to bring you two extraordinary
new books by three of your favorite designers. NOREEN
CRONE-FINDLAY and elinor peace bailey have combined
their creative talents to create cloth, paper and woven
dolls to tell the story of Jack and the Beanstalk in
their wonderful book "Storytelling With Dolls."
Their imaginative projects are just perfect for storytellers,
doll makers, troop leaders, librarians, teachers and
parents. http://dollmakersjourney.com/books.html
In "Creative Cloth Doll Making"
embellishment queen PATTI MEDARIS CULEA presents new
approaches for using fibers, beads, dyes and other exciting
techniques. You will see how other renowned doll makers
have interpreted 3 simple patterns provided in the book.
Crisp text, detailed illustrations and color photos
will take you step-by-step through the creative process.
This book is an absolute MUST HAVE for every dollmaker's
reference library.
http://dollmakersjourney.com/books.html
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UPCOMING EVENTS YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS
April
5, 2003 - East Coast Tea Party
West Deptford, New
Jersey
April 25-27, 2003 - Calgary
Doll Club's 25th Anniversary Celebration
Calgary, Canada
Contact Carol Baker
at: carolbzz@yahoo.com
For more information check out: http://clothdollconnection.com/
May
1-4, 2003 - Artistic Figures In Cloth
Columbus, Ohio
To view the brochure/application
visit: http://www.cyndysdolls.com/
May 1-4, 2003 - Canadian Doll Artists Association
Conference
Niagara Falls, Ontario
For complete information go to: http://www.dollartists.ca/home.html
May
9-12, 2003 - Baja Doll Fiesta
Ensenada, Mexico
For more information
go to: http://www.picturetrail.com/bajacarole
July
10-14, 2003 - Enchanted Freedom Conference
Albuquerque, New
Mexico
Contact Gladi Alford at: Gx2Alford@aol.com
Or visit: www.theeccentricartistsite.com
for more information
July
18-21, 2003 - NIADA
Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans,
Louisiana
NIADA Artist's Show & Sale
open to public July 20th from noon
to 8 pm
For more information: http://www.niada.org/index2.html
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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SPECIAL GIFTS FOR YOU
Here is a very nice, simple doll to
make.
http://www.ragdollroom.com/freedoll.htm
Designer Dev Vallencourt has created
a pictorial (approved by Judi Ward) showing you step
by step how to turn little cloth doll fingers. You
can see it at: http://auntiedev.com/turnfingers.html
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TIP FROM ONE OF OUR DESIGNERS
Designer Claire-Ellen shares some ideas
on sewing knit fabrics: The name "Stretch &
Sew" meant just that. Stretch the fabric slightly
while sewing. Use a Stretch or jersey needle. So-called
"stretch" stitches (zigzag, etc.) will actually
stretch the fabric out of shape. Sergers use a special
tension to avoid over stretching. If your throat plate
has a wide opening, move the needle position close to
the edge of the presser foot. Use tissue paper under
if you still have problems. I save tissue from shoeboxes.
Do not start on the edge of the fabric or it will be
pushed into the throat plate. Start with a separate
small piece of fabric placed before the main fabric
and you can have stitches from the beginning edge.
Check out Claire-Ellen's patterns at:
http://dollmakersjourney.com/claire.html
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Yarn Hair for a Child's Play Doll
By Gloria J. "Mimi" Winer
I was asked how to apply hair to a
cloth doll that is intended for child play. Here's how
I would do it:
Cut yarn of your choice into lengths
you want the hair to be. Or wind it on a hair loom
(still available from Carolee Creations, see her ads
in SD&A.) Weft it and then stitch the weft to the
dolls head in concentric circles starting at the nape
of the neck up to the ears then around the face and
continue stitching the wefts in circles to the crown.
The hair can be "combed" with a rake used
for raking very curly hair, available in beauty supply
shops and often at Wal-Mart in the hair care dept.
Here is how to weft the yarn. It will
take a yard to cover a five-inch head so make enough
to cover your doll's head. I lay the cut yarn ends evenly
onto a length of narrow twill tape available at fabric
shops in the notions dept. Then using a short stitch
and a narrow zig-zag stitch over the yarn and tape two
or three times. If you have trouble making the yarn
lay flat until you stitch it to the tape, use some removable
scotch tape, available at office supply departments.
It is called "Scotch removable magic tape"
in the blue box.
If the hair is wefted securely and
the weft is sewn securely to the doll head the child
will be able to play with it without it pulling free
and leaving a bald dolly to upset her.
If you can find Needloft yarn it is
a good choice for making doll hair. It is nylon and
comes in dozens of colors. It is a two-ply yarn and
once it is sewn to the dolls head you can spend several
hours unwinding the yarn, It then becomes a wonderful
"afro" style hairdo. The last time I saw Needloft
yarn it was in the macramé department of a large craft
store. I know it is still being made but the company
was sold about ten years ago and I do not remember who
is now manufacturing this product.
Happy dolling! Gloria J. "Mimi"
Winer mimi@mimidolls.com
Check out "Mimi's Patterns" at: http://dollmakersjourney.com/mimi.html
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NEW PATTERNS
UTE VASINA has released her newest
troll - "Fritz" - who impishly rests in a
teacup. You're going to love this little guy! http://dollmakersjourney.com/vasina.html
LYNNE BUTCHER treats us to her free-standing
"Santa on Vacation" complete with zinc oxide
on his nose. This jolly fellow will make a whimsical
addition to any holiday decor. http://dollmakersjourney.com/butcher.html
The very talented JEVNE EILTS has just released 2 more
beautiful face molds and body patterns. "Lara -
the Guardian of Baby Moonbeams" is an exquisite
17" wall doll and "Kaitlin" is a charming
13" stand-alone toddler. If you haven't tried the
cloth over clay technique, Jevne will guide you right
through it. Treat yourself to these wonderful molds/patterns
http://dollmakersjourney.com/eilts.html
PATTI LAVALLEY'S latest release "Laughing on the
Outside" was developed from a course she has taught.
24 pages of thorough instruction and color photos walk
you right through the construction of this wildly colorful
clown. Stop by and take a peek http://dollmakersjourney.com/lavalley.html
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DESIGNER DOINGS
PAMELA HASTINGS was so delighted with
the reception of her "Paper Doll Inspiration Book" (http://dollmakersjourney.com/hastings.html)
that she is busy soliciting contributions from other
artists for two new books. One is Hot Flash! a
lighter look at changing. The other one is Doll Making
as a Transformative Process. Rosie Chapman is in school
getting a master in Art Therapy, and she will collaborate
with Pamela on this book. Look for both of these books
later this year.
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SUPPLY NEWS
Beading Containers/Tools - FDJ Tool
Company has tools, storage containers and other items
associated with beading, including Euro Tool crimpers
and split ring tools. If you have a Sales Tax Certificate
you may qualify for wholesale prices. Check them out
at: http://www.fdjtool.com/about.html
Buttons - You won't believe your eyes.
More buttons than you ever dreamed! http://www.buttonsgaloreandmore.com
Doll Skin Fabric - Swiss Cotton Broadcloth
is available from Waechter's Silk Shop in Asheville,
NC. Their new phone
number is 828-252-2131.
Sculpting Tools - Terrific tools for
sculpting polymer clay are available from: http://www.sculpt.com/catalog_98/CLAYTOOLS/clayshapers.htm
Video - New "Magic Skin" doll sculpting
video by NIADA Doll Artist June Goodnow is now available.
Learn more at: http://www.junegoodnow.com/video.html
1020 Railroad
Avenue, Orland, CA
95963
Telephone: 530 865-8889
e-mail: JuneDolls@aol.com
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TIP FROM ONE OF OUR DESIGNERS
Last month we shared some tips on gluing
Fun Foam to make shoe soles. Dev Vallencourt wrote
to say she uses contact cement. "For the soles of the
flip flops, I glued layers together first and then cut
out the pattern. (Use a brand new #11 x-acto blade to
cut thru all the layers.) There are a couple of different
types, but the blue colored cement (Elmer's?) just doesn't
work
as well as
the others." You can see Dev's pattern, Right Jolly
Old Elf, at http://dollmakersjourney.com/friends.html#vallencourt
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NEWS FROM THE HOME FRONT
The snow has melted (mostly), the temperatures are
rising, and spring is in the air. Bonnie's daughter
Dawn moved back to Virginia
from Massachusetts
two weeks ago, and is looking for a job. Another daughter
Melodie, her husband and four children are temporarily
moving into a town house on Saturday, waiting for their
new home to be built (they sold their old one), and
Bonnie goes to settlement (she hopes) on her new home
the middle of April, which will mean another move.
A Laotian family with a 7 month-old baby moved in with
them last week, while they look for a job and an apartment,
and then she gets to help them move too. Her youngest
daughter, Amy, just got accepted to BYU Idaho, and they
are going to drive her out to college in June. (Amy
graduates from high school in May.) And finally, her
daughter Caralee in Boston
is expecting a baby in July, and needs mom to come help
with the other children. Bonnie doubts things will
ever get back to "normal", whatever that is. Does anyone
else out there have a hectic life like this?
Meanwhile, Mary Ann is now completely in her new home
and has closed on the old one. The two months of living
between two houses is finally over! Her focus now is
to get caught up on all the little things that have
been on hold and to get her sewing room in working order.
She hasn't made a doll in way too long and there are
several jumping around in her head.
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OTHER SITES TO SEE
Bead Fairies - A beading web link site
with lots of links to free patterns, beads, books, instructions,
tips, etc. If you love beading, bookmark this site!
http://members.cox.net/sdsantan/beadfairies.html
Photographing Dolls - This is a web
lesson on lighting for photography:
http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/
lessons/guitar/index.html
About.com has a four-part series on
doll photography under "Doll collecting".
http://collectdolls.about.com/library/weekly/aa090799.htm
is Part 4.
This is taking pictures of miniatures:
http://www.imaginate.net/miniatures/miniature_
collecting_taking_pictures_of_miniatures.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 © 2003 Dollmaker's Journey
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