by Karen Ryan on 01/01/2012
There have been a number of dollmakers who really miss being able to share their ideas with others by submitting articles to their favorite doll magazines, and to reap the benefits of other doll makers’ experience through the same media. We all hope to see more and more articles by grassroots doll makers in both Dolls Beautiful and International Doll Artist in the near future, but in the mean time I’ve been asked if I had any interest in posting some of their articles here.
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by Karen Ryan on 12/12/2011
I’m sure we’ve all had the experience of getting a pattern that’s supposed to fit a certain doll, and after carefully selecting the perfect material, cutting it out and sewing it up, it doesn’t fit at all. This is frustrating, and if you’re like me, by this time you’re ready to toss the whole project out and try to find some ready-made to buy that comes even a little close to the image we had in our mind when we started making the doll in the first place. Or we stash the doll in the cupboard where it remains undressed forever.
Why does this happen? You’d think that a pattern especially made for a doll the same size of the one you’re making would fit, but dolls, like kids, come in all shapes and sizes. All three year olds aren’t the same size. Some are taller or shorter, thinner or fatter than the one you want to sew for, so you’ve figured out that you have to make adjustments in a pattern to fit your child.
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by Karen Ryan on 12/12/2011
Does anyone know where one can buy the Treasure Bear Molds? If so, please email Carolyn Robbins at crobbins56@comcast.net and let her know.
by Karen Ryan on 12/10/2011
I recently received the following information from Linda Plaskett about doll supplies for sale at great prices. Do follow the link to her site and take a good look at her merchandise. She has a lot of quality stuff for doll makers! And those of you who are searching for something in particular, contact her and see if she has it but hasn’t listed it yet. You never know! Her email address is included below.
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by Karen Ryan on 12/05/2011
I guess most of us are busy with Christmas Cards, shopping, and plans for the holidays, which include New Years, and sometime in there we’ll be transferring all of our important dates to our new 2012 calendars. Being known as the member of our family who never remembers anything, including my own birthday, I know how important this can be. And I learned long ago not to depend on doing this on my computer — all it took were several computer crashes that lost it all. Yes, I know I should have remembered to keep everything backed up, but what can I tell you … I forgot!
Anyway, however you do it, where ever you do it, be sure to transfer those important doll dates so you have time to make plans to grab a bunch of your friends and make sure you get there! And here is another function you won’t want to miss – click here to see the brochure for the 2012 International Doll Festival in Houston, Texas.
by Karen Ryan on 12/05/2011
I frequently get emails from doll makers asking if I have any idea where they can find this or that needed for a doll they are working on. Hopefully I can find the answer for them, but I do want to encourage you to take the time to browse through the Suppliers Directory on Yakkity Yak Dolls to acquaint yourselves with the wide variety of items still available out there. I’ve spent hours and hours compiling the lists of suppliers and placing their information in different categories to try to make it easier to find the proper source. I may have missed a few categories when listing someone, so if you know they had shoe making stuff, for instance, and don’t find them there, look under Complete Doll Making Supplies. If you can’t get a link to a site to work, please let me know and I’ll try to fix it, and if you have some favorite suppliers who are aren’t listed at all, let me know that as well. Have fun!
by Karen Ryan on 12/05/2011
Some of faithful followers have been emailing to find out why I haven’t been posting so much lately, and are wondering if I’m letting the business go, so I thought I’d give you all an update.
I mentioned before that we were planning on going full time in our RV, wandering around the country as weather and whim dictate. Well, that’s what we are doing now. Our house didn’t sell within timeframe we set, so instead we are doing a Lease-to-Own with a really great family. Yes, a direct sale would have been the best, but it just didn’t happen, and given the fact that we’ve seen younger days, we decided we couldn’t continue to waste time waiting around any longer.
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by Karen Ryan on 11/19/2011
This is mostly a blog about things related to porcelain doll making, but I find that most doll makers develop a deep interest in the art of making original dolls as well, so I am posting this flyer about the Artist Doll & Teddy Bear Convention in 2012. This is a big shindig and well worth your time and money. There is much more information in the twenty pages that I received then I can post, so please do follow the link to the Quinlan Museum and read about all the fabulous workshops and other attractions that they have to offer. I don’t think I could even choose which workshops to sign up for – I’d like to take them all, even the one about learning to carve wooden dolls! There’s even one about making a light tent to provide proper lighting for photographing your dolls and bears! If you can get to Philadelphia make this show a must. Mark your calendar today!
Click here to read the brochure for the Doll and Teddy Bear Convention.
by Karen Ryan on 11/19/2011
We just received an email from Ann Merlo, the President of Global Dolls Corporation informing us that they have relocated to Surprise, Arizona! What a surprise! Anyway, you’ll want to change your contact information to reflect her new address and email:
Ann Merlo
Global Doll Corporation
13366 N. 153rd Avenue
Surprise, Arizona 85379
Phone: 623-398-4202
E-mail: annmerlo@live.com
by Karen Ryan on 11/19/2011
Thanksgiving is almost here and we all knows what comes after that! Many of us are busy with our holiday projects and are already planning and making our gifts, not to mention all of you who are working on your inventory for Holiday Bazaars, so now is a good time to stock up on supplies, and most especially when they are on sale! THE PORCELAIN PLACE is having a nice one day sale on China paints including Shimmer Metalic Kits and Shimmer Mate Glitter Kits. Check out the sales flyer below and see if there is anything there that you can use.
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