| Dollmaker’s Journey CUSTOMER CONNECTION
Dream ~ Imagine ~ Create ~ Grow ~ Believe ~ Magic
at http://dollmakersjourney.com we help your creative dreams come true.
November 2004 Issue 38
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Copyright 2004 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 dollmaker friends,
We have several new fun challenges for you. The one from Di McDonald must be entered by November 20, with the doll due in January. This may become part of a future book, so check it out and enter quickly. She will give you a free pattern to use for the challenge. You can find more of Di’s patterns at http://dollmakersjourney.com/dimcdonald.html
The winner from Through the Looking Glass Doll Challenge will be featured in a Fairfield advertisement, so if you want to see your picture in all the major craft and doll magazines, this one is for you!
The Beaded Art Doll Challenge for 2005 has a theme “Over the Rainbow.” Check out these and other challenges below.
Mary Ann and Bonnie
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DESIGNERS OF THE MONTH
Don’t forget that our November Designers of the Month are none other than BARBARA WILLIS http://dollmakersjourney.com/willis.html and MARCIA ACKER-MISSALL http://dollmakersjourney.com/marcia.html and you know what that means 20% off all of their wonderful patterns all month long.
(P.S. Wait until you see the designer of the month for December – You’ll LOVE IT!)
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CHARITY PROJECT
We are still updating our Charity Corner. We will soon have more pictures, plus directions for making many different ethnic faces, along with directions for teaching these dolls to large groups. Keep checking for updates.
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CHALLENGES
NEW – DI McDONALD WOMAN2 CHALLENGE
Deadline for entry: November 20, 2004
Rules:
1: I will design a simple doll and put the pattern on a special page on my website - just for people who sign up for the challenge.
2: The pattern will have no instructions.
3: You may use the pattern pieces however you like in the doll...however you must use all of them and may NOT alter them in any way...except you may resize them if you wish (you can make the doll whatever size you wish.)
4: There will be a choice of theme and you must decorate and embellish your doll however you personally interpret the theme. You may use any media you choose, including metal, wood, clay, threads, beads, paper, wire, buttons, household junk etc. - the wilder the better!
5: All dolls must be photographed and the pictures sent to me via email as a .jpg. All doll pictures MUST arrive with a 1/2 page of writing about how you interpreted the Theme and any personal stories about your personal journey that you would like to share.
6: If the picture is not clear and usable I have the right to not use the doll in any work that I may publish.
7: You get to KEEP the doll..........All pictures and writing needs to be in to me by January 4, 2005...8 weeks away
8: I want to keep this challenge personal for the ladies who sign up for it. It’s about YOUR JOURNEY. We, as women are such nurturers of others, but it’s rare that we nurture ourselves......so this is what this challenge is about ..YOU!!
The Themes are......"My Dreams", "Who am I?", Freedom", or " My Journey". So
in creating your doll you could answer the following questions......using color, media, or whatever.
Who am I really?
What do I want?
What do I wish for secretly??
If I am on my own...who am I then?
What is freedom to me?
What colors would I choose to signify who I am?
What do I love about me?
What would I change if I could?
What have I learnt? etc etc.
9: As long as we get a good number of people entering the challenge, I will award non prize places.
10: You must sign up by 20th November to be in the challenge and please tell your friends as we want as many as possible in this one. To sign up send an email to me at di@dyzee.com, stating your full name and full snail mailing address, including COUNTRY.....and also including your email addy please. You will be notified when the pattern is up on the website........this will be before 20th November! Love, Di
OUTSIDE THE BOX Doll Challenge
To be displayed at the Creative Festival January 27-29, 2005
Denver Merchandise Mart, Colorado
For rules and entry form check out our September 2004 Customer Connection Newsletter.
CC23 CostumeCon Doll Costume Competition 2005
Convention dates: April 29 – May 2, 2005 in Ogden, Utah
For general information about CostumeCon visit their website at:
http://www.costume-con.org
For information about the doll competition, go to: http://www.crossroadsutah.org/doll.html
Color Challenge dolls MUST pre-register. They will give you two colors to use in costuming your doll.
Challenges In Time: Japonism
Deadline: June 30, 2005
For details go to: http://kukulla.tripod.com/cit2004/japonism.htm
Second Annual, 2005
ALL DOLLED UP: 2005 BEADED ART DOLL COMPETITION
Theme: Over the Rainbow
Submission Deadline: August 15, 2005
More information at: www.landofodds.com/store/alldolledup.htm
View 2004 First Annual Results:
Cast Your Vote between 10/15/04 and 1/15/05
www.landofodds.com/store/alldolledupcontest.htm
Through the Looking Glass Doll Challenge (Fairfield Poly-fil Challenge)
Deadline: December 31, 2005
For details and entry form, go to: http://www.poly-fil.com/contests.asp
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NEW DESIGNERS
Many of you know FOCD member ORICE KLAAS and the very whimsical characters she creates. We’re delighted to welcome ORICE to our family of designers and we have four of her patterns including the world famous nun “Sister LooAnn” right along with the “Bodacious Babe.” Why not treat yourself to one of these fun projects. http://dollmakersjourney.com/klaas.html
We’re pleased as punch to welcome new designer DIANE EVDOKIMOFF and love her colorful fantasy clown “Dweedle”. Diane’s pattern presentation is just fantastic and we’re looking forward to having more of her wonderful designs. http://dollmakersjourney.com/friends.html#evdokimoff
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GIFT IDEAS FOR THE HOLIDAYS
If you are looking for imaginative gifts to make be sure to check out the following categories in our search engine: Amulets, Beaded, Holiday, Miniature/Pindolls, Pincushions and Specialty for a wealth of ideas to spark your creative fancy. http://dollmakersjourney.com/
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UPCOMING EVENTS YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS
November 20, 2004 - The 13th Annual Dolls of Color on Parade
Ramada Inn, 8500 Annapolis Road, New Carrollton, Maryland
http://www.dollsofcoloronparade.com
January 14-17, 2005 – Southern Doll Conference
Daytona Beach, Florida
http://www.kringlecreek.com
April 28 – May 1, 2005 - Santa Fe International Figurative Art
1875 Brandon Drive, Los Lunas, New Mexico 87031
http://www.sfifa.com
April 28 – May 1, 2005 - 6th Annual Canadian Doll Artists Association Conference
Holiday Inn, Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada
Call 519-539-7598 or visit their website at: http://www.dollartists.ca
April 28 - May 1, 2005 – Artistic Figures in Cloth (AFIC)
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.cyndysdolls.com/AFIC/AFIC.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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SPECIAL GIFTS FOR YOU
Free historical patterns are designed to fit people, but with a little effort they can also be sized to fit dolls. These are used for re-enactors and SCA, but if you are doing historical dolls, here is a good place to begin. http://www.tudorlinks.com/treasury/freepatterns/index.html
This website has a beautiful fairy with a great tutorial on how to make wings: http://www.cynthiahoweminiatures.com/fairies.htm
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OUTDOOR DOLLS
By Bonnie B. Lewis
Every once in a while we get a customer query that makes you stop and think. Here is one I received a few weeks ago:
Q: I would like to use one of your Flamingo Patterns to make a Flamingo for our yard. But I am having trouble thinking about the rain! Do you have any suggestion for materials that would be water repellent or water proof? I’m referring to both the stuffing and outer fabrics. Anne
A: We do have one flamingo pattern that is life size. Using the techniques below, you could also use other patterns for a sturdy outdoor yard sculpture (I am thinking dragons here. <smile>) It really depends on where you live and how sheltered the sculpture would be. (For example, here in West Virginia where it rains every other day, I think I would keep anything I made on the porch. Just some off-the-wall ideas for a yard flamingo:
Make it of a sturdy fabric – canvas, muslin, twill, or duck fabric. Heavier fabrics work well for larger figures, but I would hate to try turning canvas right side out on a small doll. I have also made gargoyles out of polyester double knit. (Nothing kills this fabric!) Color doesn't matter, since it will be painted when you are through.
Stuff it firmly, and use an armature. Otherwise heat from the sun and other weather will gradually make your figure slump. If you use wire, make sure it is galvanized so it won't rust. PVC pipe would be perfect. You might want to consider using pea gravel (available at any hardware store) in the feet, depending on the size of the finished flamingo, to add weight and help it stand. If the flamingo is sitting, put pea gravel in the seated area. I usually enclose the pea gravel in a plastic bag so it won't abrade the fabric.
As for waterproofing, stuff it with polyester Fiberfil around the armature. Then paint the entire flamingo with Gesso (found in the art department). Give it several coats. This will waterproof it. Make sure the Gesso covers all seams and openings. Then paint the flamingo using acrylic paint. You can also use exterior house paint. Then seal the entire flamingo with polyurethane, giving it several coats.
You need a way to anchor the flamingo so it won't blow away in a wind storm. I would recommend enclosing heavy gauge wire in the legs, letting it extend beyond the feet. Then put tent pegs in the ground, and attach the wire to the pegs. If the flamingo is seated, tie it to the bench.
If anyone out there has experience in making outdoor sculptures, please share your ideas and successes with the rest of us. Email Bonnie at EnchantedR@aol.com and I will share your comments in the next newsletter.
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NEW PATTERNS
The holidays are right around the corner and PATTI CULEA’S very colorful “Very Merry Santa Claus” would be a perfect addition to anyone’s holiday décor. With “Hip Hattie and her Fairie Frannie” you’ll get 2 sensational full figured doll patterns for the price of one. See them both at: http://dollmakersjourney.com/culea.html
MARY TRESSLER’S “Mikweh” is a sensational muscled male body with a graceful pose. Definitely a pattern with many possibilities. http://dollmakersjourney.com/tressler.html
Straight from winning First Prize at the 2004 South Australia Doll Show we have BRENDA COULTER’S amazing “Contessa.” You have to take a peek at this very cleverly designed feline character. http://dollmakersjourney.com/coulter.html
From LORRIE UHEREK we have an enchanting beading project called “Lady Christine” that will teach how to bead a stuffed body as well as make a wire beaded hat to attach. Lorrie uses lots of color photos to guide you through every step of the project. http://dollmakersjourney.com/friends.html#uherek
VALARIE GARBER delights us with her “Queen Bee” that will teach you how to make clay hands and a beautifully needle sculpted face. Treat yourself to a peek at this terrific project! http://dollmakersjourney.com/garber.html
WONDERFUL NEW NEWSLETTER
The first issue of the new Association for People Who Play With Dolls Newsletter is hot off the presses! Elinor peace bailey published this newsletter for ten years and has asked designer Judy Skeel (http://dollmakersjourney.com/skeel.html) to take over. She has surely made epb proud – the newsletter is absolutely jam packed with informative articles and exciting tidbits for cloth doll makers everywhere. The APWPWD newsletter will maintain the purpose of "getting more dolls into inappropriate places" and will include club news, doll photographs, reviews on doll books and patterns, list current challenges and events and report on the events you may have missed! A whole new look at the same price epb charged - only $15 for 4 quarterly issues.
To renew or begin your subscription please complete the info below and send $15* for four issues to:
Judy L. Skeel (614) 899-9128
6881 Tussic St. Rd.
Westerville, Ohio 43082
*Available out of the USA with postage rate adjusted accordingly
$20US Canada and $30US Australia
Name: _______________________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________
City: _____________________ State:_________ Zip: _________
Phone: (_____) ________________________________________
Email: _______________________________________________
Name of your local doll club: ______________________________
Web Sites: ____________________________________________
Contributions are essential to report on what is happening in the world of making dolls. Please send club newsletters, photos and news. Your events, dolls and new patterns are what everyone wants to know about! Email and snail mail welcome. Skeelhaven1@yahoo.com http://www.skeelhaven.com
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CUSTOMER QUERIES
Q: I have not been able to find a source to purchase dread lock doll hair. Can you help?
A: I have found very thin dreadlocks at Sally's Beauty Supply stores across the United States. You can also make your own by buying hair extensions at any beauty supply store and braid your own. You can order them at http://www.sallybeauty.com
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THE BEST GIFT by Linda Crawford
The best gift I ever made for someone - there are 2. The first one was for a co-worker. Kathy was a redhead and had 4 redheaded children. She brought a picture of her little boy to work and pinned it on the bulletin board over her desk. She never noticed that it was gone. (I borrowed it.) I took it to a laser store and had a iron on decal made of the face. Then I put her picture back. She collects Santa Claus stuff so I made a little Santa doll and put her little boy’s picture on its face. The inspiration for the doll was a Norman Rockwell picture I remembered from a cover of The Saturday Evening Post. It was a little
red-headed boy with a Santa suit on and a pillow sticking out from under the jacket and his beard sort of hanging down from his face. The best part was watching Kathy examine the doll. It was so funny when she realized that her little boy’s picture was the face.
The second best was a gift I made for my son-in-law. He is about 6'5", head full of silver hair that he wears in a short ponytail and the front is sort of wings swooped from a center part. He has a mustache and an "imperial" which is a little patch of whiskers between the lip and chin crease. He has this rubber chicken that he takes to parties. I was in Joann's Fabric Store one day and there was a box of suckers on the counter. The handle of the sucker was a rubber chicken!!!
I bought a couple of them and thought I would try to think of something to make for Jim. I puzzled over this for a couple of years. I had a doll body left over from some project or other and decided to make it up for Jim. I gave the doll blue eyes, mustache, imperial, and grey ponytail. Then I made him a jester suit, harlequin checked legs and curled toe shoes and a fancy velvet magician hat. I set him on a little stump of wood with his hand
wrapped around the chicken’s legs and a sign in the other hand. The sign said, "Wanna play with my chicken?" The doll looked remarkably like my SIL. He was very surprised. He said, "This has to be the best Christmas ever!!!" My daughter said, "Even better than the reel I bought you?" He puzzled for a few minutes and said, "Yes." He won a blue ribbon at the fair that year.
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NEWS FROM THE HOME FRONT
Bonnie is teaching the charity dolls to several other church groups in the next several months. The outpouring of love for those less fortunate has been overwhelming. Now is a time to remember friends and family, a time for thanksgiving, charity and love. We want to thank all of you for making our world a better place.
Mary Ann’s son Michael has just moved to Murrieta, CA to be the Director of Guest Development at the Pala Resort and Casino. She can’t wait to go out and visit and hopes to time it with an IOLCC Doll Club meeting in San Diego.
We’re delighted to report that the doctor’s were able to remove all of our accountant Gerry’s cancer and he is well on the mend. Many thanks for all the prayers!
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OTHER SITES TO SEE
Our thanks to Lynda Williams and Mia Svensson for these doll name generators:
Fairy Name: http://www.emmadavies.net/fairy/
More Fairy Names: http://www.efairies.com/fairy_lore.htm
Silly Name: http://www.javascriptworld.com/scripts/chap16/script03.html
Baby Names and Meanings: http://www.baby-names-meanings.com/
Authentic Indian name: http://www.aspalta.cbc.ca/deaddog_asp/aininfo.asp
Hieroglyphs: http://www.guardians.net/egypt/hieronom.htm
Pirate name: http://www.fidius.org/quiz/pirate.php
Middle-Earth name http://www.barrowdowns.com/middleearthname.asp
Hobbit name: http://www.chriswetherell.com/hobbit/default.asp
Pagan name: http://www.fjordstone.com/fjo/generator.html
Viking name: http://www.thequarter.org/Media/VikingName.php
African: http://www.fadetoblack.com/namegenerator/
Japanese: http://rumandmonkey.com/widgets/toys/namegen/969/
Smurf name: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mule/smurfgen.html
Vampire: http://www.emmadavies.net/vampire/
Chinese: http://www.mandarintools.com/chinesename.html
Irish name: http://www.namenerds.com/uucn/randomirish.html
Make a doll mask with Susanna Oroyan: http://www.diynet.com/diy/
Click on crafts, then dolls, then doll mask for article by Susanna Oroyan
DOLL MASK from DIY Crafts episode DIC-138
Great free booklet on belly dancing costumes – wonderful ideas for dolls
http://www.davina.org/publications/hintsandtips.html
Click on internet version PDF and print out this free 15-page book.
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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.
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 © 2004 Dollmaker’s Journey
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