Indian Doll

Even as a child I remember wanting an Indian doll dressed in a saree (saree is a traditional garment for women in India and is usually 5 yards long and is draped beautifully around the body). I did have some dolls back then but they were "baby" dolls. When I was 6 my friend Sita's grandma taught me to make dolls with palm tree leaves. (one long section of a leaf can be used to make one doll). I guess that I must have made at least 2 of them each week. To dress them in "saree" and the blouse I used pieces of my mother's old sarees. I used black thread for hair and my mom's eyebrow pencil for her eyes. Those dolls were so beautiful- I do remember.

On a subconscious level I think my venture into making dolls the second time around is to actually duplicate that level of happiness and satisfaction with my creations. I am not so sure if I can ever get there- aah such sweet sweet childhood.

My friend Purna's mom visited me a couple of weekends ago and brought me this beautiful doll from India. This doll has a wire armature wrapped up in cotton batting and a layer of pink yarn. The face is cloth over some kind of mask. I love the face painting and the hair is beautiful. Don't you love the ornaments? They are all custom made for her! Nice.......

Henna in the Library

After a henna workshop in the local library I decided to experiment again. I love the color and have not had such a dark stain on my palm before. I have to get me more henna.

Beach Babe

Here is the final version of my Beach Babe. I picked the red hair and gave her matching nail polish. She was auctioned off at the doll club last night and she went home with my friend Nancy.

What Says Thou?

I decided to take it easy today. I have to pick up my kid around noon but until then I am FREE! I actually have time this morning to experiment with my hair color. Oops did I say mine? I meant my doll hair. I am making Jane Coughlan's Beach Babe for a Silent Auction at my doll club tomorrow. I could not decide on a hair color last night so I tried them both today. I like the red one. What do you say?

Happy Halloween Everybody!!

Lizzie Doll Close Up Picture

The doll was designed by Patti Culea and her name for the doll is Glorya. I had a fun time making her and am working on a second doll from the same pattern. I have not picked fabrics for the clothes yet but will surely post pictures soon.

Lizzie Doll

I have heard of people buying a jacket because they like the button on it. And have you seen an ad on the TV where a woman brings a faucet to the architect to build a house to match the faucet? Well I made the doll because I love her shoes so. I made 4 different pairs of shoes and then picked the green ones for Lizzie. (I have never done that even for myself!)

Lizzie wears my friend Liz' grandma's antique linen for her apron and a piece of Liz' scarf for her hair ribbon.

Doll 2, Take 2

Well, I tried putting the second picture in yesterday but could not because I think there was some glitch with Blogger. So here I go ....

Doll No. 2 Valandrial of Green Elves

Here is my second doll from Patti Culea's class. I had stopped working on her since I did not have the Ultra Solvy to make her shoes and top. I finally got to work on her last week since I was in a somber mood and wanted to do some repetitive work.

Valandrial now insists on having a tiara but I haven't had the time to make it. I had made a crown for the last one and I want to do something different and something new for this one. Maybe one of these days................

Found Objects Doll

My doll club had a "Found Objects" challenge last month. Here is my entry. I call her "Nita's Bag Doll" since I found all the components including the measuring spoons in one of Nita's bags. Nita is almost 5 and is an avid collector. Of what you ask? Well.. everything actually. The other day I opened her box of Hotwheels cars and found a couple of my bangles, 5 little pebbles, 2 beads, few marbles and of course 25 little cars. Need I say more?

The head is one of my little dolls. I had been searching for it for quite some time now and it was in Nita's bag . I used a green monster finger puppet which she must have collected from her brother's goody bag for the doll's hair. The body is a chocolate box which my husband brought from a trip to Sweden. (The chocolate was yummy!) The base of the doll is a toy plastic hamburger. Nita is patiently waiting for me to give the play hamburger back to her so she can add it to her restaurant menu. She loves to play "restaurant" with Daddy. The shiny "armor" is a controller for a spider robot which does not work. The spoons worked very well as arms.

It was a fun project and next time I won't think or worry too much about finding objects and head straight for Nita or one of her bags.