A Walk Down Memory Lane

“The doll making journey begins decades before you even know it, by 
gathering a lifetime of seemingly unrelated skills, which one day collide, causing complete and total harmony!” 
― Gayle Wray

Good night blog friends. I received an email a few days ago from a fellow doll club member (thank you Kathy M.). She forwarded pictures of dolls that were made by some of the past/present members of our doll club, L.I. Cloth Doll Links. It brought happy memories and also some sadness as so many of our members have either passed away, relocated, picked up other hobbies or due to age and or illness are no longer able to make dolls. As a young and inexperienced doll member I was so honored to have known these ladies before they retired or took a hiatus from doll making. I recalled my first doll.  In truth, my very first doll looked like an over sized stuffed potato with arms, legs and a head, but you wouldn't know it the way the doll club members made such a big, encouraging, "to do" of it.  They always offered kind critiques while also encouraging me to continue along my doll making journey. lol.  The ballerina doll was probably the third doll that I made.  I was pleased that it actually looked more like a doll.  I took a 2-3 year hiatus from doll making but started again in 2012 as a way to resolve the grief I was feeling when my mother passed in 2012. That year I made only one doll, The Mad Hatter.  In 2013 I only completed three dolls. By 2014 I had gotten my "Doljo"  back and began doll making more regularly. I can see how much I have improved along the way and hope to grow in this craft even more. It is true, in order to get better at something one must continue to keep working at it. 

These are dolls that I made for the doll club's annual charity for children in a Eastern Long Island Shelter.

This is a jar fairy that I made some years ago.

Fast forward to 2012 to my first published doll, The Mad Hatter. He was published in the Autumn 2012 issue of PRIMs magazine.

A doll I made from a Sherry Goshon pattern. I named the doll "Molly." She was gifted to a special young lady friend of my one of my son's.

Hope you enjoyed looking at the pictures of  my first dolls. Happy doll making to you all!

What I am working on now.

Good night dear readers. I have not been feeling the best the past two days but last night managed to put some finishing touches on a new dolly's dress. I originally had in mind to make my rendition of Goldilocks and the three bears. I am still trying to figure out what I will do with the bears. I have created three basic patterns for the bears but am still in the deciding phase as far as that goes. In the meantime, I will continue to work on the doll. I have begun to get into the habit of making two doll heads/faces when making cloth dolls.  I have also sometimes made extra body parts (legs and arms) as you never know what can happen when drawing a doll face or what will happen in the process of turning some of the smaller dolls once the sewing is finished. I have also had painting mishaps, like the time I spilled paint all over the finished, painted shoe of a doll.
For this doll I used a pattern of one of my most favorite pattern makers, Sherry Goshen. I hope to one day meet her in person as her books, patterns and dolls have really inspired me to make and create dolls and to try my hand at pattern making as well. I will post progress pictures and of course the finished doll.

Great News!

Happy Sunday! I wanted to share some great news that I received via email. My artwork "Momma', Millie and Michele" will be featured in an article in an upcoming issue of Prims! I am so excited and cannot wait to see them staged, photographed and published. Please stay tuned for update of which issue the dolls will be in. This means so much to me as my grandmother passed in 2004 and my mom passed in 2012. I have always wanted to do something artistically to commemorate them as well as the love/bond we shared.  I miss them and will always be grateful for the love and lessons they imparted to me during this life journey. 

Finally Getting Started

Hello everyone. Welcome to my blog. Today is my first blog entry, finally. I hope that through my blog I can share my art journey with you in writings, photos and as I progress, video clips.  I am a registered nurse by profession and an artist by inspiration. I work with the following mediums: cloth, fiber, clay, paints and music. I look forward to sharing my creations and thoughts on my creations with you. Have a fabulous Friday!