I have finished dressing the Izannah Walker inspired doll.
As I said before her dress is a blue print and a solid blue. The overskirt is solid blue.
There are yards of cotton lace on her underclothing and dress. All the lace was hand stitched into place.
The bonnet is lined with buckram and has a faux pearl decoration on the sides.
All her clothing is lightly stained with coffee to give it an aged appearance.

Black Doll Update
The black doll is coming along, I have decided to go ahead and paint the body also. I have only done one coat of paint on the lips and have started the eyes. There is still a bit of painting left to do on him. He will have mohair hair that is felted into place.

Mystery Doll
The needle sculpting on the Halloween mystery doll is finished (I think) Any guesses on what it is going to turn out to be? If you scroll through my last few posts you can see photos of the the legs and arms. Any guesses?

Other projects
I have cut out several dolls to sew. Including a couple of dolls in a smaller size that are similar to the most recent black doll I am working on. A few new Pet dolls (those with their names across their chest's like the old pet china dolls.) And a couple of others the same size that are similar to the black doll above.

Thanks for stopping in and visiting the Doll*Shoppe!
Have a great weekend!

Dolly Update!

This has been a short week! In the time that I have had to work on the dolls
this is what I have accomplished.
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The Izannah Walker inspired doll now has all her underclothes. A camisole, split drawers and a slip. I put double rows of cotton lace on each piece. The camisole has pearl beads and loop closures up the back, and the front has lace and a row of pearl beads. The split drawers and the slip both have a cotton draw string at the waist.

I have begun working on her dress, the bodice is blue floral, pleated all the way around. She will have puffed sleeves made of a solid blue with cuffs out of the floral. The dress skirt will be in the floral pattern, but the over-skirt will be the solid blue with lace on it.
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NEW DOLL DESIGN
The black doll is my new design. I am really happy the way it is turning out. It will definitely be another character.

The shoulder head, lower arms and lower legs will be painted, the body will be stained with tea and coffee.

It has it's second coat of paint now I am ready to paint the flesh color. Most of my black dolls are done in a deep umber color, I am not sure that I want to go that dark on this one, I may lighten it a shade or two.

This size of this doll is about 22-23".

I really like the body design, I think I will also be making some dolls with this body design in a smaller size.
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I don't have any new photo's of the mystery doll this time, hopefully I will be able to work on it some this weekend and post some photo's next week.

Have a great holiday weekend.
Thanks for stopping by the Doll*Shoppe!

This Week At The Doll*Shoppe

I was finally able to get the old fashioned primitive pet doll - Ophelia listed on eBay.

I have some new idea's brewing for some other primitive dolls. I'll get to work on them this week. I also need to get to work making some more Victorian style bunnies as the last one of those has been sold.

I NEED to make some clothes for the Izannah Walker inspired doll this week. She will be dressed in shades of blue to match her eyes.

The part of the mystery doll I have shown you today is the arms. It has l-o-n-g wicked fingers. I am going to be doing quite a bit of needle sculpting on this one. Since I am not planning on having it finished until the end of September, I will have plenty of time to add a lot of details. Any guesses what this mystery Halloween doll is is going to be?
Thanks for stopping in - please come back again!

More Old Fashioned Pet Dolls

This is Mary and Emma.
Both of these sweet girls are part of the Old Fashioned Pet Dolls series, inspired by the pet china dolls of the late 1800's.

Mary is approximately 23" tall.

Emma is a petite 12" tall.

Both girls have a painted shoulder head, lower arms and lower legs. The paint is applied in layers and sanded between each layer, then stained. This gives the doll a lovely antique look. This process also makes the painted parts have a feel to them that is much like the feel of leather. Their clothing is aged by sanding. patching and staining with coffee.

If you would like to see more photo's of them and a more in depth description please visit My Marketplace Store or my Photo Gallery later this evening.

The newest of the Little Patriot Series is still in the making. He is a little different than the Little Patriots that have come before him. This one has straight legs instead of those that are bent at the knee. He is a drummer boy so he is carrying his drum instead of a flag. I will have him finished, and pictures will be posted by the end of the week.

Other exciting news this week, I finally purchased THE sewing machine that I have wanted for years. It's a 1940's model Singer Featherweight. If you are a doll or quilt maker, you know the machine I am talking about, everyone wants one! I have a 1963 featherweight that I use consistently to make my dolls but I have drooled over the earlier versions of the Featherweight for the last 25 years. Unfortunately the average price for one in the shops is between $600.00 - $700.00. More than a little over my budget.

I got this one from a fellow who was moving and just wanted to sell his Granny's old machine that had been stored for years int he attic. He gave me a great deal on it, (a FANTASTIC deal) - so I am the proud owner of a awesome old Singer Featherweight, and it runs like a dream and is in perfect condition.

More dollies are in the making! I am going to start another Annie doll (maybe 2) this week, sew some clothing for one of my Izannah Walker inspired dolls, and hopefully get around to working on some other's that I have been thinking of for a while now.

Have a great evening and thanks for stopping by!

Wow - I haven't posted on here in days!
Sometimes life gets busy, that's o.k. - it's all good.

I will have at least 4 days this week where I will be working on my primitive dolls.

There are 4 in the making right now. I also have another of the Izannah walker inspired dolls that I need to get dressed. I have picked out a blue homespun material, like Thaddeus Monroe's suit was made out of, and a contrasting floral cotton that matches the weave of the blue pretty well.
If this week goes as planned (keep your fingers crossed.) I will be able to post pictures of them by the end of the week.

I have new ideas! I have been sketching some new dolls today. I will try to get some of them cut out this week, while finishing the others.

Have a great week!
Check back in for updates.

Thanks for stopping by!

Oh, and stop by my Doll_Shoppe _Prims Gallery to see photo's of the latest dolls all in one place!

Meet Thaddeus Monroe

Thaddeus Monroe is for the most part dressed, the only thing he is missing right now are his shoe strings.

I have been calling him "my lad Thad."

Thaddeus Monroe will be listed on ebay next Thursday, May 22, 2008.

This doll style that I make was inspired by many great doll artist's of the past including Izannah Walker. His face and boots are needle sculpted. I painted his eyes blue and his hair in shades of brown.

He is jointed with slightly rusted tin buttons at the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees.

Thaddeus has been painted in layers, and sanded between each layer and stained to give him a primitive antique look of an old toy.
He is wearing a button up the front undershirt made of muslin, under drawers, also made of muslin that button at the waist.

His shirt is made of a off-white/tan cotton gauze fabric.

His tunic suit is made of a dusty blue homespun. I dyed all the clothing with coffee to give it an aged look. As a result the dusty blue color has darkened and has some streaks of coffee stain that makes it look as though it has been around a long while. The pants are short pants with a button fly and buttons on the side of the knee. The jacket is modeled after the Norfolk jacket style that became popular in the 1800's, it has buttons up the front and matching belt that buttons in the front.

I am working on some new larger sawdust filled dolls. I'll be giving you an update on them soon. I think they will be going to my site at the Olde Primitive Sisters Marketplace when they are finished. Be sure to visit me there, and take a look around while you are there, we are a group of primitive artist's uniting together to bring you the best of our prim world.

Thanks for stopping by, come back soon!

April 27,2008 Update

Hello All,

This last week has been a whirl wind. I can't believe how fast time goes by.

I have not listed anything on ebay this week.

The Izannah Walker Inspired boy doll is at the ready to paint stage. He will be about 19" tall. His little boots have square toes and are needle sculpted. I can't wait until he gets to the stage where his personality really comes out, which is usually in the painting. I also have another girl and her doll in the making.

I have a beautiful piece of dusty blue homespun material that I will be making his clothes out of.

I still have not got to play in the clay yet. Hopefully this week I will have time for that.

Am going to open my spot up at the Old Primitive Sisters Marketplace by May 1st. So I am trying to get a couple of things done to list on there for sale.

I will be posting photo's mid week of the works in progress. Please check back in and see what's happening.

Meet Aunt Eula and Her Pesky Pet Crows

I finished the black doll and have listed her on ebay. Her name is Aunt Eula and she is a gardener.

Her favorite flowers are sunflowers so I made her a basket full of them. There are 6 sunflowers made of muslin with stems of wire wrapped in cotton floss. She has 2 pesky pet crows that have taken up residence on her hat brim and built a nest there.

At first I had her dressed in a simple cotton dress that was light green with polka dots and a yoke of small pink flowers - but it just didn't have enough personality for this lady. So I found a piece of material in my stash that had crows and sunflowers on it, and made her a new outfit. Then I methodically "ruined it" LOL - I sanded it thin, dyed it with coffee and patched it. It looks and feels like a very old comfortable gardening dress.

The 2 little crows are made of muslin too, I thought about sculpting them or carving them out of wood but decided if the flowers were made of muslin the crows should be too. They turned out really cute.

The Izannah Walker inspired doll was purchased by someone from New York, so she will go live there soon.

I am thinking of making a boy along the same lines as the Izannah Walker inspired girl dolls. I don't see many old fashioned boy dolls being made and I think it would be a fun project. So that is on my list for the near future. I will probably start on him this week. I can see him now in a fancy little boys Victorian outfit with cotton lace looking so proper and well behaved.

I am really itching to sculpt something or someone. It has been months since I sculpted anything. Sometimes I just wanna play in clay. So I am thinking I will start sculpting something this week.

I would like to thank all of those who have recently visited my blog and those who have emailed or left nice compliments on my dolls. THANK YOU so much!

Izannah Walker Inspired Dolls Have Been Listed On ebay

Hello All,

I just listed the 2 Izannah Walker inspired dolls on ebay.
They turned out nice.

I am going to miss them when they sell. You get kind of attached to them after a while.

I didn't do the pleated dresses that I had contemplated before, Instead they are dressed in cotton and homespun, in a style that was popular in the mid 1800's. Both dresses have been trimmed with cotton lace and stained with coffee to make them look old.

I put a lot of work into these 2. I named the bigger one Louisa May and the small one Polly.

I dressed them in split drawers, a camisole that has faux pearl and loop closures and a skirt slip - all these are made of muslin and trimmed with cotton lace.

I gave Louisa May a high brimmed bonnet and Polly a runched bonnet.

I also added faux pearls to Louisa May's boots.

Louisa May also has a over skirt that attaches to the dress with 2 pearl shank buttons.

After I finished making these outfits I found my Godey's Lady Book of Styles, that is where I had seen the picture of the pleated dress, no doubt I will have to make another one of these dolls someday so I can make a dress like that!

I seriously thought of making the pleated dress from memory, then decided against it - so this time I just I found a picture of a dress from the mid 1800's on line to make Louisa May's dress from. I really like the runched sleeves, and the buttons that close with loops instead of button holes.

Time for me to kick back for the evening - Tomorrow I start all over again, LOL. I think I will finish the black doll this week.

The Dolls are Ready To Dress

Due to unforeseen happenings I have had many delays this week in my doll making and artistic adventures.

I have the dolls ready to dress, I had planned on having them finished by now, but hey, life happens!

The one inspired by the Izannah Walker dolls is ready to dress, I have been pondering the style that would suit her best. I have pulled out my fashion books and looked over the styles of the mid to late 1800's but as of yet have not decided on one style. I want her dressed in something not too fancy but stylish and historically correct. Her underclothes will consist of a camisole, petticoat and split drawers.

As you can see in the photo's she is multi-jointed, so that she can be easily posed. Her joints are held together with lightly rusted tin buttons. This body style is not like the original Izannah dolls, in fact very little of her is like a original Izannah Walker doll. She is not a reproduction, she was only inspired by her dolls.

The black doll is a hoot. I like her upward side glancing eyes it makes her look at though she has been up too some kind of mischief or that she is just thankful for all that she has. She has old grandma style slipper shoes with big flowers on the toes.
I am not decided but am leaning towards giving her black mohair hair with a bandanna to tie it up with. At this point she still seems like a gardener to me. I think I will dress her in light green, and maybe, a muslin apron of some sort. We'll see how she turns out.

Thank you all for checking in.

Dollies in Progress 3/27

So far this week this is what has been accomplished. The Izannah Walker inspired doll is coming along. She will be 18 or 19 inches tall. I have needle sculpted her little old fashioned boots. I think she will turn out nicely. I imagine her (at this point) with brown spiral curls and brown eyes. Of course that could change as she comes out in the making. As to how she will be dressed I haven't decided yet, possibly - maybe something with tucks in the bodice and a sash that ties in the back.

She will have a dolly of her own. I needle sculpted little ears and fingers on her - she is about 7"-8" tall and will be button jointed at the shoulders and hips.

The character doll is funny, I still don't know who she is. I sculpted her shoes on her feet. And put a decoration on the shoe toes. I have made her so she will hold something cradled in one arm.

The Uncle Sam is sewn in red striped ticking, blue cotton and muslin fabric. I still have to sculpt his face and paint the face and hands. He also needs cuffs and collar added to the jacket and, of course I will have to make him a top hat.

I still want to make the primitive Annie that I have in mind. She will be a unique and unusual primitive doll, made of muslin and dyed with tea and coffee. Hopefully I will have time to do her up before next week starts.

I want to tell you all that the OPSG (Old Primitive Sisters Group) has their website up and running are selling their primitive creations. Please take a look there and see what this talented group of artist's have to offer. OLD PRIMITIVE SISTERS ONLINE MARKET PLACE

As of now, joining in this market place is still on my list of things to do.

Well, back to work for me. Have a great day!

This Weeks Auctions

I listed on ebay today the Raggedy Annie Doll, The Camel With Wrinkled Knees and the Yankee Doodle Dandy Boy.

I am already missing the poor old camel. LOL - he IS quite the character.

I have 4 more dolls int he making and a great idea for a primitive Raggedy Ann type doll that I want to do this week too.

The largest doll that I am currently working on will be similar to the Izannah Walker dolls. She is not made of stockinette like Izannah's were. She will be made of muslin. I have given her applied thumbs in true Izannah style though. And I will paint her face and hair similar to the old Izannah Walker dolls. She will be button jointed at the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees. She is kind of cool and I am a little excited to see her finished.

Another of the dolls I am working on is more of a character doll. I haven't yet decided what she will evolve into, but she has a very interesting needle sculpted face.

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!
and thanks for peeking in on my blog.