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, I finished my Alabama Baby-inspired doll yesterday and took her official photo. She'll be going to New Orleans with me this summer for the ODACA Day luncheon and sales room. Viola Ruth stands about 16 inches tall. Her clothing is removable. I chose to use a one-step crackle product and antique wash on her painted surfaces to give her an aged look. I'm always nervous about crackling because you never know how it will turn out. Viola Ruth, upright with the use of a doll stand (she...
Hello Reader, It's been a week since my last newsletter - I'm on a roll! I've been budgeting my time, working in the studio a couple hours per day. It's been a nice change to work on one doll at a time, as opposed to an assembly line workflow. My current project is from one of my earlier patterns - one I haven't made in a LONG time (2017)! I'd forgotten how many steps this doll requires, including baking and drying times. This is Viola Ruth, my interpretation of an Alabama Baby, using modern...
Hello Reader, Now that we're well into 2026, it's time to get a wiggle on and start making dolls for ODACA Day this summer. I'm looking forward to visiting New Orleans again, and will be taking a couple girlfriends with me, one of whom will be arranging our various excursions (music venues, walking tour, swamp/boat adventure, cemetery visits...) In the past week I made a new doll - partly because I was procrastinating getting a start on my luncheon centerpiece steampunk doll (daunting), and I...