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You may recall the problem many of us were having getting our molds to release a few months ago and the concern by some that it was related to using the relative thin Ultra Chic porcelain. I had the same problem, frequently pouring in the morning and having to leave the casting in the mold over night before it would release. However, I tried using some left over Seeley’s and Bell’s porcelain as well to see if that made any difference, and it didn’t, so I decided that my molds were just too damp due to the rainy weather.
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My mother-in-law greeted me one day with the remark, “I’ve got a doll I want you to dress!” I cringed. I hate dressing someone else’s dolls and began planning ways to try to get out of it without hurting her feelings too much while my husband was sent off upstairs to find it and bring it down. “She was dressed in a kind of a prairie type dress and a sunbonnet when I got her, but the great grandkids ruined her clothes playing in them,” she continued, “but it shouldn’t be too hard for you to figure out how to make her some new clothes.”
Great. There are times that I dearly regret learning to sew. I’d just like time to work on my own dolls instead of being overwhelmed with all the requests to replace broken limbs, reset eyes that have dropped out, or whip out an outfit for someone else’s naked doll. I have trouble making myself replace broken pieces on my own dolls, and even though I do like dressing my dolls, I usually have a few setting around in their “altogether” because I just haven’t had the time to get them dressed. It’s gotten so bad that I refuse to fix dolls for anyone, but Vancene just can’t seem to get it through her head that that includes her dolls and those of her friends from her old doll making days. Does that sound mean? Trust me, it’s just self preservation! I was wishing we’d decided to stay home.
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The only problem with a blog is that I’m never sure if I’m wasting your time and mine, or if some of the information posted is really useful. If I was talking to each of you face to face, I’d be able to tell if we were on the same page, but as things are, I’m often not sure what you’re thinking. But I’m so pleased to say that I’ve had email from several of you in the past few days that has been most encouraging.
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Some time back Steve at Mystic Molds was doing a bit of housekeeping and decided to sell off the last of some discontinued molds. The first molds were a set of three sisters, and I was a bit too slow so they were sold out before I decided I could afford them. I asked Steve to be sure and tell me when he wanted to sell any more, and eventually he let me know that he had a set of molds for a 31” doll by the name of Derri. He was unable to locate a picture to go with the molds, but someone who was familiar with the set from days gone by assured me that Derri is a very pretty doll, and since the price was right, I went ahead and ordered one of the very last sets.
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Dollmakers and French Fashion Doll Lovers! Here’s the function you won’t want to miss! The Midwest Doll Business Associates (MDBA) have teamed up with the Doll Costumers Guild – Chapter 3, better known as “The Trousseauers”, to bring you a three day, fun filled Festival with workshops mostly dedicated to making fabulous accessories for your French Fashion dolls and giving you the “ultimate doll show experience”! Sounds great, huh? And if anyone can do it, these two groups can. I hadn’t known this, but the Trousseauers are the Brookfield, Wisconsin area chapter of the Doll Costumers Guild and their focus and expertise is in the area of historically correct costuming, its techniques and execution, so they really know all about what accessories are appropriate for your dolls and how to make them.
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Workshops & Doll Show at Historic Sauder Village, Ohio!
We’ve all seen the beautiful dolls painted by Dianna Effner and admired their totally life-like eyes. Some of you have had the opportunity to attend her classes to learn her technique for painting those expressive eyes, and others are just waiting for the chance to attend one of her seminars. Well, this may be your opportunity! Dianna is going to be teaching a three day workshop on DEEP Technique plus some other basic doll artistry just prior to the 27th Annual Doll & Teddy Bear Show & Sale at beautiful Sauder Village in Northwest Ohio. Go to http://www.saudervillage.org/Creativity/DS_Teddy.asp for more details about this great workshop which will be held from 10am-5pm on Wednesday and Thursday, August 4th & 5th, and from 9am-3pm on Friday, August 6th. The class is limited to 12 students, and there is still room available, but it will fill up soon, so get your registration form filled out ASAP! You can do an online version at this link: http://www.saudervillage.org/Creativity/DS_Forms.asp.
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Most of you have read about Dorothy Drake in my articles, and know that she is a well known doll show promoter here in the Northwest, and chances are that you’ve attended one or more of her Crossroads Doll & Teddy Bear Show & Sales, maybe even the June 26th show in Puyallup, Washington. A glance at her schedule of shows for this year indicates that she has thirteen shows planned in Washington, Oregon, California, and Utah, so she’s definitely keeping busy!
We attended that recent Puyallup show and were pleased to see a number of vendors there who were first timers and they were offering quality products. And not only does she seek out these new folks and encourage them to be there, but she is great to work with to get interesting events scheduled during show times as well. It’s always more fun when we can spend a good part of a day poking around the sales floor seeing what we can find for our doll projects, and then, when we need to sit awhile, hooking up with our friends to enjoy these events together. This time Jean Nordquist was present with a good supply of her doll accessory kits, and conducted a FREE make n’ take. A bit later, Deb Marstellar conducted a seminar on vintage Barbie, and Deana Ellis got people started on needle felting. Bev Smith and Robin Jones sponsored a Jr. Collector punch and cookie break, and Bearzabout added to the fun by providing a free gift bag to the first 200 customers!
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When is it and where do we find it? The theme of this year’s eagerly anticipated convention is “My Favorite Things”, and it will be held from July 18th – 23rd at the Hyatt regency in Chicago, Illinois, and people are busy making their travel arrangements at this very moment! Run, don’t walk to your computer and click on this link – http://www.ufdc.org/Convention2010.htm – to see if you can still make hotel reservations! The tentative schedule that can be printed out at the link is 36 pages long, so that should give you some idea about how many fun things have been planned! And workshops? There are 28 fantastic workshops to choose from led by some of our most talented doll makers! Take a minute to look at the pictures of the items to make. All the information you need is to be found at the link above. I think you’ll be overwhelmed trying to choose between the workshops offered! If you’ve attended one of these conventions before, I’m sure you have your reservations in hand and are all ready to go, and if you’ve never been to one, make this your first. You’ll be glad you did!
“Remembrance of Love” will be the theme for this year’s IDMA Convention which will take place July 28th – 31st at the Doubletree Paradise valley Resort located at 5401 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, Arizona 85250.
Joyce Murch will be leading a Specialty Workshop on Lady Olympia as a bridal doll. Joyce is well known all over the world for her pioneer work in doll making. She has taught doll making, sculpting and antique doll restoration, and written many articles and booklets to help other doll makers improve their skills. There are a couple of options for this class. Students may paint their own heads and complete the Bridal Costume for $325, or may purchase a head painted by Joyce and just make the costume for a total of $400. This class is limited to fifteen students and workshops are open to registered guests only. See pictures of the completed doll and find registration forms at https://idmadolls.com/workshop_pages/specialtyws.html.
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Have you seen the announcement from Doll Crafter stating that the October 2010 issue will be the last one? I guess I’m not too surprised after that pitifully small last issue, but I do admit that I’m extremely disappointed. It seems to me that the magazine’s decline started when it began to broaden its scope to include other types of doll making. Many porcelain doll makers said that they felt deserted when articles that pertained to their interests became fewer and farther between and many began to look elsewhere to find something that was more satisfying for the money.
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