People seeing my dolls at art fairs often ask "What are they for?" I guess I thought it was "so obvious" that I never spelled it out for myself, and I assumed the someone asking this wasn't sympathetic enough with the dolls or me to be a genuine buyer. I would laugh off the question with a glib answer - "Oh they're just pretties". However increasingly I believe that I am selling myself short, and diminishing the importance and impact these "pretties" have for my true customers - the people that love my dolls - or my potential true customers. I need to be able to elucidate the answer. So what are they for? Well they ARE pretties, but not "just" pretties. They are decorative objects to beautify your environment and inspire loving thoughts.   Living with beauty, living with things that give you the pleasant tingle of aesthetic appreciation, enhances your whole life. Does food taste better from a n...

 Today I took three art dolls to The Word Is Art gallery in Culver City for their upcoming Art Dolls exhibition. I have pulled "Journey" the bead head doll, "Hope" the 14 inch Dream Doll, and "Winged Victory" altered Barbie from sale to make them available through the gallery until the end of April.   The gallery is a nice space with lots of art doll artists in the cooperative. I really enjoyed looking around today. As soon as I have more information about the exhibit I will post here and at Dolls: Crafting and Collecting .   Work-in-progress. I will also be teaching a workshop during the exhibition, although I'm not sure what. The gallery offers some pretty sweet classes already including a cool mixed media vintage tin doll figure class . It's almost impossible to go wrong with those great looking tins.  

I will be participating in this all handmade craft fair, on the most romantic day of the year - Ground Hog Day, 2013 will also be my 16th Wedding anniversary. I will be selling Art Dolls, Either Way dolls, Wish Dolls and some sweet Valentine themed mixed media gifts at the Topanga Community House . Very busy sewing and beading. I hope to see you there. It is a fund raiser for the Topanga Community Club park .

People at craft fairs like to pick up and examine my art dolls. They have questions, some serious and others odd. 1/ Do you do this all yourself? Yes, although I usually use existing fabrics. I hand paint the faces, do the beading and make the charms and paper beads. My daughter helps me by choosing the yarn hair for some of them, but I stitch it on. They are also my own paper pattern. 2/ How long does it take to make one? That's a good question, and in truth I haven't timed a single doll from start to finish. I usually work in batches up to a point. I paint a bunch of faces over a couple of hours which I later match to the doll bodies. I sew a bunch of doll bodies, then I sit and trim them and turn them, another several hours. Once the faces are on, I tend to like to stuff the bodies in a batch as well. Then I start working on each as an individual, beading, dressing, embellishing and adding hair and charms. I've tried making charms beforehand, but I'm rarel...

I'm very honored to be included a blue themed art doll treasury . There are some absolutely gorgeous dolls here that I hope you will check out. Thanks Lisa.

Well, after two days at the Uptown Village Market, I have come home with one commission (yay), a small amount of cash, but all the art dolls I took with me other than the big seller, Wish Dolls. I stayed up late last night (Friday) making a second batch, and I'm glad I did because they all went. My stall, Roya's spot and Sacred Waters Soaps (sorry about the blurry) The organizers are to be commended for keeping their promises. The vendors actually were all wonderful artisans and higher end local crafters. There were no mass market imports or factory made items amongst the sellers, and a quite a few fine artists selling prints and originals. I count myself in that group of fine artists. They gave us tickets for drinks both days, and lunch on Saturday. The organizers promised a mix of products, limiting the number of each type of offering. While it is true that there were plenty of jewelry makers from which to make a selection, they were all of different styles, and the fai...

I have decided to offer a pair of very special Dream Star Dolls for sale this weekend at Uptown Village Market . This pair of one of a kind dolls were made for a contest and show, with the theme of Art Nouveau. I based the designs on the beautiful figurative sculptures and costume & fashion illustrations of Erte . My mother had a collection of illustrated plates with his designs that she treasured. Both dolls are heavily encrusted with beading, and have custom made beaded skirts. The fabrics are reclaimed vintage and the faces are of course individually hand painted. One is white and gold with a beautiful swirled beading and swoosh shaped skirts. The other is a darker foliage inspired with exotically shaped petals and hanging beads. Both have yarn hair and paper beads. I'm pricing them at $60 and $70 respectively. I should add that the dolls did win blue ribbons for artistry.

...for your viewing pleasure. Three more beautiful one of a kind in a series Dream Star Dolls that will be available at the Uptown Village Market in a mere 2 days. Cost for a unique and gorgeous gift: $50 (+ tax). Here is Believe Zodiac, with beautiful silver charms and lively zodiac print fabric. She looks out serenely on the world with azure eyes. Her hair is adorned with blue paper beads wrapped in cording - lots of fun. Follow Your Heart Paisley wears rose petals and ribbon roses on her skirt. Her body is made from a vintage wool blend paisley twill that I love. Her wavy edged paper beads, wrapped in cording, remind me of cork (but they aren't!). Her charm reads "Follow Your Heart", and offers the good advice to "Love Life, Live Life" on the other. Homespun Gingham is made from this wonderful black and brown woven gingham that I found in my late mother's stash. She is full of love and hearts - sequinned and felt. Her charms include mor...

Here is the first batch of Dream Star Art Dolls for the Uptown Village Market. Each is one-of-a-kind in a series. Green Batik My beautiful beaded 8 1/2 inch Dream Star Dolls appeal to people on an emotional level. Somehow, magically, you will be drawn to one. I can't predict which doll you will like - it just happens. You will just feel called to her. You will pick her up, turn her over in your hands and enjoy the soft hair, the little surprises of the paper beads or the charms. Sometimes the words on some of the charms will be the clincher. I never know which will be claimed first. But somehow they all eventually go out into the world to inspire dreams of beauty. Bright Batik Some people keep them on their mantels, others by their bedside. Lots of people tell me they keep theirs beside their computer. Maybe you will tell her your troubles, or just feel grateful that there are beautiful things and beautiful people all around you. Orange Lady Charms Maybe you will see...

Here are the two gorgeous Asian themed Dream Dolls (14") with Kabuki mask faces. The first is a Kimono doll with charms and flowers ornamenting her dressed hair. She is made from a selection of new Asian printed quilters cottons, while her obi is silk from a reclaimed vintage kimono. Her kimono is lined with vintage silk. Her friend is wearing Shinto inspired wrap pants of a linen blend and a Shinto style headdress - a wrapped pony tail with flowered headband. I was so happy with the beading, which includes mother of pearl shell beads. Despite the vividness of their face paint, I get quite a serene feeling when I look at these two girls. I rather love them, and I hope they will inspire dreamy thoughts . I'd love to see them go to their new home as a pair - but destiny will determine that. The Asian Inspired lovelies will be presented at Uptown Village Market for $90.00 (+ tax) each.

Happy news! I have been accepted into juried Arts and Crafts show, Uptown Village Market, Fri-Sat, December 2-3rd, in Long Beach, CA. I'll post the dolls for the show as I complete them. A wonderful opportunity to buy locally handmade genuine art for the holidays! Map follows soon.

The only sewing I took with me to Good Vibrations was the Dream dolls that I'm beading. They are based on Kabuki or Noh masks. One, which was pretty much done before, is going to have a kimono type of garment with an obi sash. The other will be dressed in Shinto pleated wrap pants. I've decided the encrusted beading is too pretty to cover. And I did the back the same - sequins, beads and mother of pearl shells pieces. I haven't been paying too much attention to these dolls recently. But I think they will be very pretty once they are done. Hand. Foot.

Here is my work so far on two Kabuki Dream Dolls. These are definitely one of a kind, in a very short series. Their faces, which I painted, are not any particular mask - I wouldn't presume - but more of a general rendering of the style . The fabrics were bought new for a change, from a specialty quilt store. But a few years ago. As you can probably tell the Floral Kabuki Dream Doll is a little further along than the Black and White. I plan to dress them in wrap style Japanese pants (Hakama) or perhaps a skirt, and removable short kimono  style jackets. Expect more beading, couching, applique and some embroidery. I'm still thinking hard about their hair. Being Dream Dolls they are about 14 inches tall, with an internal wire armature for support. I don't know whether The Gallery 9 will want them for their store, or whether they will be on my Etsy . I recently received some vintage and distressed wooden beads that may be part of the final result. They will include a d...