Done and Dusted!

The class at Bear Essence at Tooradin went really well - those gals did a great job on their dolls! (And I have a feeling that some of them may be "turning"  - from bear-makers into doll-makers!) I forgot to take my camera so you'll have to look at the Bear Essence blog to see pictures when they are uploaded.
I finished the "demo doll" when I got home yesterday, because I really wanted to see how this little knitted and crocheted outfit would look..........yay! I LIKE how it looks! This wild little red-head is called "Bettina". And no, I can't claim the bear as my work - my older sister, Jan, made it for my birthday a year ago.

What Would You Call This?

A bevy? A brace? A clutch?
These are some of the blank heads I have made for my class in Tooradin (near Melbourne) next week.
I like the look of the very similar pristine heads all together - they look a bit like eggs, so I guess this is a clutch! They were made using my "Young Child" face mould. I made up foil armatures which I covered with celluclay. The faces were adhered onto the front and then a layer of paperclay was smoothed on...........and ears added. Bit of sanding.....and voila!
Most of the gals in the class, I think, are bear-makers, so this might take them a little out of their comfort zone, (but not too far, I hope!) The body construction for this doll is actually quite teddybear-like, only not furry!

With a bit of doll-making magic they will be transformed into something like these:

What To Wear?

I have just finished the "historically referenced" doll that was the subject of my new face-painting PDF (available here) but now she is confronted with the eternal female dilemma - what to wear?
I have pulled out some suitable fabrics from my stash (did you know that doll-makers have ENORMOUS fabric stashes?) that might suit her and also have the relevant "old" feel. Actually, I would love at some time, to make a doll with a trunk and fill the trunk with a complete wardrobe and accessories. It won't be this doll, though - I don't have enough time to be so indulgent!
No doubt she will let me know at some stage how she would like to be dressed...........meanwhile, here she is in the altogether, and nestled with some of the chosen fabrics.

I'm also busy preparing for a class in Victoria next week at Bear Essence in Tooradin, which means I have to pre-make a number of doll heads ready for the students to work on in the class.

This is what they will be working on:

Funny Food?

Well.......these might look for all the world, like a tray of funny cookies, but they are actually face-masks to be used in the "Zozie" class I am teaching tomorrow. These are made from paperclay and they will be popped into a low oven for a few hours to dry out.

And look! It hasn't been particularly cold yet, but Autumn is definitely on the way.

More Eating Fresh!

Here's what I harvested and cooked for myself last night, continuing my mini-challenge to only eat what is in the garden...........well, OK, I cheated a little with the dessert - I didn't grow the watermelon, but it was already in the 'frig, so it seemed wasteful to let it spoil and have to throw it out. BTW, the blackberries and raspberries with the watermelon drizzled with lemon juice and a sprinkling of sugar were divine!  The main course consisted of oven roasted potatoes (pink firs), beetroot and parsnips - they were roasted in fabulous olive oil from a local grower (Lentara Olives) along with carrots with parsley and creamed spinach with garlic. It was very tasty!

For those of you who live locally, I will be teaching a one-day "Making Zozie" workshop on March 26th at Calico Crossroads here in Exeter a couple of weeks before I leave for an overseas teaching trip. (More about that in a future post.) Contact Pauline for details - I think there is room for a couple more. This workshop is great fun and you will end up with a unique little doll to keep or give away as a gift to someone special.

Yoka's Doll

As some of you know, I recently returned from a wonderful trip to the USA, where I conducted a number of workshops. I love to teach and to help others improve their skills in sculpting and dollmaking in any way that I can, but often I move on before the class dolls are quite finished. I don't often get to see the results, so it is always a thrill when someone sends me pictures of their finished work. Yoka was in my class in Albuquerque and I was delighted today to receive some pictures of the doll she made in class. She calls her doll "Mackey" (after ME I think!). Yoka did a wonderful job on this doll - it is a great interpretation of my pattern. I love the colouring, the face-painting and everything about it - even the sassy pose Yoka has photographed her in. If you want to see more of Yoka's great dolls, go to www.picturetrail.com/yokaroosdolls.

A Busy Week!

I have just arrived home from a busy week in Adelaide. I was there to teach a class for the S.A. Cloth Doll Guild. I ended up with 13 in the class, which was a perfect number, and they were all great workers! The class was instruction in making my 'Moxie' doll, with a couple in the class also requesting instruction in sculpting a doll head. Here is a picture of some of the class hard at work.....(note the wonderful workspace - it is a large classroom at the back of 'Hetties Patch" a quilt shop on Port Road........I was a little worried about the beautiful quilts on display with paint and stuff flying around, but we managed not to get any on them!)

I stayed in the Adelaide Hills with Peta Stuart and her husband, Greg - if there were more like these wonderful people, then there would be a lot less strife in this world. My heartfelt thanks to them both for looking after me so well.

Peta and I worked at night after class (as you tend to when you stay with another dollmaker) and I managed to get some of my own work done - these two zoziedolls and this head.

Peta took me to Strathalbyn on Saturday to visit Lorell Lehman who makes original dolls and fabulous fantasy pieces. She works from a tiny studio attached to an equally tiny gallery - small but perfect. Do yourself a favour and visit http://web.mac.com/lorelllehman

Moxie Update

I have been busy preparing to go to Adelaide on December 3 to teach. The students will be using my "Moxie" pattern, so I thought I'd better make an example of the doll dressed as a little girl - the original was a fairy. Here she is. The wig is made from a piece of fur fabric....what a bed-head!