Doll Artist and Teacher: Preserving the art of making dolls and Artist Member of the Original Doll Artist Council of America (ODACA).
Dolls, Record Keeping, and Santa
Hello Reader,
Do you sign and date your dolls? Do you keep a record of your creations? How do you do it?
From my very first doll (with the exception of a few I made early on), my dolls have all been signed, dated, numbered and recorded in binders. I don't know why I decided to do this, but I did.
Each log entry includes a description, name, the pattern used, size, etc. Once the doll is sold or given away, the entry is highlighted yellow.
In about 2004 I saw a similar journal once belonging to Edith Flack Ackley, up for auction on eBay. She was quite prolific during her lifetime, so I imagine she had more than one. And with each journal entry she included a little snippet of the fabrics she used for each doll's costume. I thought that was a great idea, and started adding fabric to mine as well.
Edith was a writer and doll maker, and her doll books are quite collectible. I have these two books, and (yikes!) I'd better hang onto them as they're becoming more valuable.
| Edith Flack Ackley |
Speaking of marionettes, that's always something I wanted to try making. In fact, that would make a great group challenge! What do you think?
It's just a few short weeks before the Christmas holiday, and every year I promise myself to get started on my projects early. Now I hear there's a Holiday Bazaar on December 7 at the hospital where I work.
I'm hoping to make a few Santa ornies, but even the simple projects take time.
If you're stressing like I am and looking for a holiday craft, I'm sharing my Quick Nick e-pattern at a discount (save $2), now through the end of December 2022. This is a perfect project for an assembly line workflow if you're pressed for time. I have two other Santa patterns on my website, but those are a bit more time-consuming.
Deanna Hogan
www.blueherondolls.com
deanna@blueherondolls.com
Deanna Hogan, Blue Heron Dolls
Doll Artist and Teacher: Preserving the art of making dolls and Artist Member of the Original Doll Artist Council of America (ODACA).
Hello Reader, April: the last time I published a newsletter! I haven't been idle, though. During these past few months I've been working in bulk, getting a start on the second half of the Big Project: souvenir dolls for a UFDC luncheon. While I can't share what the dolls will look like, I will share my progress. I'm not giving anything away by sharing these, but just want to convey how many man-hours (months!) have been devoted to this endeavor. Yesterday I opened another 10 pound bag of...
Hello Reader, I finished a doll yesterday, and it felt good. When I started her I thought she'd be a good one to take to Virginia for this summer's ODACA Day. But as life has a way of getting in the way, I had to make the decision to cancel the trip. My only regret will be missing all my doll friends. So here's "Averill." I'd forgotten how time-consuming she is to make but I didn't feel rushed as I made her, working a little bit on her each day. She has buried bead joints in her elbows,...
Hello Reader, It's finally spring, which means we're due for weather that beats down my beautiful daffodils. It never fails. Yesterday I started sewing a new doll. This is exciting and refreshing for me because while working on my Big Project (secret souvenir dolls for 2027) and Christmas creations, all my other doll undertakings were on hold. But which doll to make? I went through my patterns and picked one. I chose "Averill," a doll I haven't made in a long time (the last one was a OOAK...