Primitive Folk Art Dolls

This last month and this month have gone by in a whirl wind and it doesn't seem to be slowing down much.

I thought it was past time that I gave you a update, so here it is.

These photos are of some of the dolls I've been working on, there are several more in various stages that are being made that aren't pictured at this time.

The first girl is Ruby and her Dolly. The second girl is Daisy and her Dolly. Ruby and Daisy are 2 of my favorite black dolls that I have made to date(I think) They turned out beautifully. Their big brown eyes seem to hold a bit of that childhood innocence. They look as thought they are going to have a tea party with their dollies. They are bout 23" tall and their dolls are about 8" tall. Both Ruby and Daisy have wire in their arms so they can hold their dollies.

The next little fellow is a Halloween character doll. I named him Pumpkin Head. He has his own jack-o-lantern. His arms are bent so that he can hold it too. His face is needle sculpted. He was inspired by the old Halloween decorations of the 20's and 30's. He is a unique character for sure. He is approximately 14" tall.

Next is a Raggedy Annie and her Baby. Raggedy Ann dolls never go out of style, do they? She looks like the perfect mother, Her needle sculpted face has so much personality she will definitely win your heart. Annie is about 13" tall and Baby is about 8" tall.

Last but not least is Booker and his Pup. Every boy needs a pup and Booker loves holding this little one. The pup is button jointed. Booker has wire in his arms so that he can hang on the that squirmy little pup too. Booker is about 23" tall, Pup is about 8" long. He has the cutest stubby tail too!

If you want to see more photo's of these dolls 0r to read a better description please visit the Doll_Shoppe_Prims Photo Gallery.

Booker Daisy and Ruby are sold (I think, I am waiting for confirmation on that.) It is possible that the Annie doll is sold too.

There are several more dolls in the making. Including, the Fairy - Her wings are all painted now! A Older woman, possibly a church lady or a farm lady, we'll have to see how she turns out. More elves, another version of the Pumpkin Head doll, a brother for my Belindy dolls, and more. Yes, I have been very busy!

I have a busy weekend ahead of me, will be leaving tomorrow and be back Sunday evening. Then back to work on those dollies!

Thanks for stopping by.
Please don't forget to visit my Doll_Shoppe_Prims Gallery.

More Elves and Fairy Progress

Just finished up 4 more elves.
They all turned out really cute.

Candy Cane Elf is all done up in red and off white stripes. He had on mittens that have a candy canes painted on them, his shoes also have candy canes onnd Settings\Administrator\Desktop\Fairy Progress\Fairy Progress1.jpg them. He has jingle bells sewn to his hat and on his shoe laces. His shirt, shirt cuffs and pant cuffs are laced with green embroidery thread. He has pretty green eyes that seem to look up at you.

Jingles Elf is done up in the traditional colors of red and green. He had jingle bells sewn down the front of his shirt instead of buttons. He has jingle bells on his shirt cuffs and pant cuffs and on his hat. He is holding a big jingle bell ornament. With all those bells what else could I call him but Jingle. His name is painted on the brim of his hat.

Holly Elf is adorable! He is winking. He was a little more time consuming to paint than the others because he has holly leaves painted on his hat cuff, shirt cuffs, pant cuffs and belt. He also has a holly leaf collar that has a jingle bell at the center front.

The Snowman Elf is the 4th one. He is wearing overalls with a snow man painted on the front bib. He has Snowmen on his hat and shoes too!

They are all a little over 17" with their hats on, without them they are about 13" or 14" tall.

Instead of rusted buttons at the joints I used pewter buttons.

Like I said they are all so cute!

More photo's of them can be seen at the Doll_Shoppe_Prims photo gallery

THE FAIRY - Update.......
The fairy is coming along, I made 4 pairs of wings before I was satisfied with how they turned out.
The wings in the picture still need to painted some, I need to line all the colors with black.
I struggled with deciding what type of head to put on her. I thought of making her more realistic looking with beautiful human features but decided she was going to more of a character doll. She has an impish, happy face. She will be funny, cute and sweet when she is finished.

Other News
The rest of today I will be re-organizing my work room. I have acquired a 1893 Singer Sphinx Treadle Machine. It is wonderful! It is made with such a good quality to be 116 years old and still working like a dream.
I learned to sew on old treadle - it brings back good memories.

I will be working on the fairy in between working on filling orders. I'll keep you all updated on her progress.

Thanks for stopping by! Come back again

Primitive Folk Art Fairies - The Body Designs

The Primitive Folk Art Garden Fairy Dolls are coming together.

I have designed the bodies for both the medium sized fairies and the Fairy Queen.
The Medium sized body is similar to that of the Patriot Dolls but thinner and with a bit of a waist line. The arms and legs are thin with delicate ankles and wrist's. They will have little shoes that are turned up at the toes.
I haven't yet decided on what kind of head to put on her, I will be thinking of that today and making that tomorrow.

The Fairy Queen Doll has a much more adult style body. She will be approximately 22" - 24" when finished.

I haven't yet decided on what type of wings to put on them, I think the medium sized garden fairies will have colorful butterfly style wings.

Today I am taking the little ones to the zoo, tomorrow back to work.
Thanks for stopping by, Please come back again!

The Newest Primitive Patriot Dolls

Just finished up these 4 dolls today. I was getting bored with the plain faces so I spiced them up a bit.

The Town Crier Patriot Doll has a rusty bell with a wooden handle. He is approximately 14" tall.
I painted his mouth in a open position, after all a town cryer is not a quiet fellow.

The Winker Patriot Doll is so cute. He is winking of course. He is wearing a green shirt and his eye that is open is green. His hair is a reddish color and he has the cutest little freckles sprinkled across his cheeks. He looks like he could be a mischievous little fellow. He is carrying a Gadsden Flag. He is also approximately 14" tall. I have attached his arms and legs with pewter buttons instead of the rusty tin ones.

The Blond Patriot Doll is carrying a 13 star American Flag. He has blue eyes and is wearing a reddish/brown colored shirt. I really like the way his shirt color turned out. He is approximately 14" tall.

The Uncle Sam has got to be the cutest Uncle Sam I have made to date. He is approximately 14" tall with out his hat. His hat is about 4" tall and when he has it on he is about 16" tall. He is wearing the tradional red white and blue colors. His hat band has 13 stars painted around it. He is carrying a 13 star American Flag in one hand and a Gadsden flag in the other. His boots are painted and laced with heavy waxed thread.

You can see more pictures of the new dolls at my Doll Shoppe Prims Gallery

The Belindy dolls that I had listed in my store have sold.

I had to raise the postage fees on the dolls listed in my store to reflect post office's raised rates. Remember at the new store the postage cost is figured into the dolls price.
There is only one doll listed there now. Doll Shoppe Primitive and Collectibles at the Olde Primitive Sisters Marketplace.

I will be leaving for 12 days on Thursday the 21st. Hopefully I will have one more update before I go.

Thanks for stopping in at the Doll Shoppe. Come back again.

The Belindy Primitive Dolls Are Finished

Three of the new Belindy dolls are finished.
And finally I had a nice day to take photos of them.

They are all approximately 14" tall. They are made of muslin and painted in layers, sanding between each layer and given a final coat of stain to give them a primitive look. Their clothing is also distressed, aged, sanded and patched.

All of these have mohair hair that is lightly glued and needle felted into place.

There are a lot more photo's of each doll in my Doll Shoppe Prims Photo Gallery. Check them out.

If you recall, I did have 4 that I was working on. I ran out of mohair and had to order it for the 4th doll, so she is sitting in my work room bald as a newly hatched blue-jay waiting patiently for her hair.

One of these Belindy dolls has been spoken for. As soon as Rose picks which one she wants the other 2 will be listed in my store at the Olde Primitive Sisters MarketPlace.

The cost for a primitive Belindy doll is $50.00 + 7.50 shipping to the lower 48 United States. If you live elsewhere please email me and I will figure the shipping price for you.

Now I must get to work on the Patriots. I know the ones who ordered them are looking forward to seeing them finished.

Thanks for stopping by The Doll Shoppe!

What's New? More Primitive dolls !

It's been a while - a long while since I've updated. Guess it's about time!

I've been working steadily lately to fill orders for primitive dolls that have came in.


The first photo is of Elf dolls in progress, is it ever to early to think of Christmas? These are a different version than the 2008 Elf Dolls. These will be button jointed at the shoulders and hips.

The 2nd photo is of Belindy dolls. Everyone seems to love Belindy. These 4 dolls are in various stages of painting. The other doll that is in with the Belindy's will probably have a paper clay face added to her. I am not sure what I want her to be yet, I am thinking of making her into an old fashioned style doll of the 40's - you know, with the side glancing eyes and cute little nose.


The 3rd photo is of 4 Patriots, 1 Mammy and one Snowman that are in the making. I do the patriots are already all spoken for.
The Mammy will have a paper clay sculpted face, I haven't yet decided if her hair will be sculpted or if it will be rooted mohair.
The snowman, I think, will be really cute when he is done.


The Olde Primitive Sisters site has moved, and my Doll*Shoppe has moved along with it! Please visit me at:Doll*Shoppe Primitives and Collectibles I only have 2 dolls for sale in there now, but am working on more so please visit often.

Thanks, and Have a GREAT DAY!!!

Primitive Christmas Elves on ebay

Primitive Christmas Elves On eBay

I just listed a couple of Christmas Elves on eBay.
I haven't listed there in a while and thought maybe some of you would like a chance to bid them.

There are only 2 more that I have left to finish. So if you're in the market for elves - now's your chance.

All of the others that were pictured on here a while back have been made and sent to their new homes.

These two are a boy and a girl. They make a cute brother and sister elf set, and would be so cute peeking out from under a Christmas tree.

They measure about 16" tall and have whimsical 3-D needle sculpted faces.

They have been painted in layers and sanded between each layer and stained to give them the appearance of an antique toy.

Their clothing is all cotton and has been lightly stained with coffee to give it an aged look.

They have wire in their arms, so that they can be posed or they can hold items such as small gift, or maybe a candy dish.

Their socks and boots are painted on. The boy's boots have cotton laces with jingle bells. The girls boots are an old fashioned style and have buttons up the sides.

They both have mischievous green eyes.

This was the last of my reindeer print material. I really liked how well the pattern fit in with a primitive theme.

Like I said earlier, I only have 2 more elves to finish and then, I will be done making them for 2008. It's a good thing, I'm about elfed-out for this year.



I already have visions of new primitive dolls and animals for 2009 in my head.

Thanks for stopping by the Doll*Shoppe !

Lucy And Ella

Lucy and Ella are my 2 newest Pet dolls.

These 2 sweet girls are up for sale in my store at: Doll*Shoppe Primitives and Collectibles which is located at The Olde Primitive Sisters MarketPlace.

They are approximately 23" tall. These 2 are made from my own original patterns.

They have a painted shoulder head, lower arms and lower legs. They are painted in layers, sanded between each layer and stained. This process gives them the look of an antique toy.

Both of these girls turned out very nice, with such sweet faces.

Ella is the first black Pet doll that I have made, She is very pretty and I think I will be making more black pet dolls in the future. After all, she would get lonely without sisters, wouldn't she?

Thanks for checking in at the Doll*Shoppe.
Happy Holidays!

A Busy Time Of Year - More Elves and Pet Dolls

I am so far behind - it seems as if I may never catch up!
I've been dealing with some on going health issues that have slowed me down a bit. But I'm still making dollies! Just at a slower pace these days.

These Christmas Elves and Pet Dolls are pending the approval of one of my great customers.

The Elf Family

They turned out cute! I really like the Granny and Grandpa. I put little spectacles on the Granny. It adds so much to her personality.

I dressed the old couple in a nice flannel that is a deep burgundy wine color and trimmed their outfits in green and off white checked homespun fabric. Granny doesn't get a hat, it would mess up her hair - don't ya know.
The younger ones are dressed in sage green print and burgundy and off white homespun fabric.
They are all such characters with their impish smiles and glancing eyes.

NEW PET DOLLS

I finally finished my black Pet Doll. I named her Ella. She has a sweet face, I really like the way she turned out.

The other 2 Pet Dolls, Lucy and Olivia are also very nice. I gave them a light color skin tone and brown eyes. That combination with the dark black hair gives the wonderful impression of an old antique china doll.

Back to work for me ........................... gotta get those orders filled!

Thanks for stopping in at the Doll*Shoppe - please come back again!

Another Dolly Update

I have been busy sewing.

Everyone who has ordered dolls be assured they are in the making.

The ones in the photo are a mixture of Elves, patriots, pet dolls and Christmas dolls. There should be 22 dolls in the photo and I have 10 more that are in various stages of completion.

I will be so glad when these are finished as I am bursting with fresh new ideas for dolls and animals that I would like to make.

There is a new design on some of the elves that I am making, they will be jointed at the shoulders and hips with lightly rusted metal buttons.

Thanks for checking in, I hope to have better photo's and another update for you all soon.

Have a great week!

Elf Update and Other Happenings

The past 2 weeks have been very busy around here.

4 More Elves Finished.

I improved the body a bit compared to the last one. The armature in the arms is more stable, and they are able to hold things better than before.
And I made the collars differently by making petals of fabric and overlapping them. I think it looks very old fashioned elfish. I also made 3 of them with pointed elf shoes instead of the rounded toes.

A Papa Elf with gray whiskers and a balding head. He is approximately 23" tall. He has blue eyes.

The large Girl Elf is also approximately 23" tall. She has red hair done up in puppy tails and tied with green embroidery floss. Like most red heads she has green eyes.

The Snow Girl Elf in shades of blue with snowflake print on it is approximately 16" tall she has blond hair. Her blue eyes match her outfit.

The Boy Elf is also approximately 16" tall, his hair is a light blond. He has green impish eyes and a cute little smile.

All the elves have rooted mohair hair. The hair is lightly glued and needle felted into place. Their features are painted, as are the shoes and stockings. The clothing is lightly stained with coffee to give the appearance of a vintage piece.

There are more pictures of them in my Doll_Shoppe_Prims Gallery

Other News and Why I haven't been around to update my blog.

My Great Great Niece decided she wanted to enter into this world early. She came October 29, 2008 weighing in at 3 Lbs 2 Oz. She is 16 1/4" long.
What a cutie, perfect in every way - like a tiny little doll.
She is healthy and will be going home from the hospital next week.


Happy Halloween Everyone!

The Christmas Elf and a More

The Christmas Elf
The Christmas Elf is finished and will be on his way to his new home tomorrow. He is such a whimsical little fellow, full of personality.
New Items In My Store
I have updated and added new items to my store Doll*Shoppe Primitives at The Olde Primitive Sisters Marketplace. I added 2 more Belindy dolls and Chloe and her own Little Belindy Doll. I will be adding more to it in the near future so check back everyonce and while to see what is new.

Notice to All the Doll Makers and Crafters
A Great Place to Sell your Creations !
The Olde Primitive Sisters Marketplace is a fantastic web based mall to sell your wares.
I'm excited to be able to share this with all my fellow doll makers and crafters ! They are now accepting new vendors.

So if you have thought about setting up a web site or store on line this is a great opportunity for you. The cost is very affordable, cheaper than most places by far!

The owner does quite a bit of advertising so there are a lot of visitors coming and going to check out the products available.

Support is available through the owner or other members.

No, I'm not getting paid to post this - selling my creations through the Olde Primitive Sisters Marketplace works great for me and I just thought if you were looking for a way to sell your creations you might want to give it a try. For the small monthly fee you get a world wide audience to introduce your art too. It's much cheaper and easier than trying to do craft shows.

If you want more information just click on this link and check it out. The Olde Primitive Sisters Marketplace

What I'm Working On.
More elves! May be a girl elf or 2 , and I think one will become and old gray haired elf. These are so cool! Just making them makes me laugh when I look at their little funny elfy faces!

I also have a couple of Pet dolls that I am painting. I think this time I will make one into a black doll. I love the classic look of these old time dolls.

Back to work for me. Hope you all have a great weekend and come back soon to see what's new at the Doll*Shoppe!

Primitive Black Dolls and Folk Art Dolls - In The Making

The 2 Primitive Black Dolls
The black dolls that I was working on are coming along great.

They are both ready to be dressed and have some hair put on them.

They are approximately 22 1/2" tall now - without hair.

The little girl will be dressed in a red and white dress with a bow tied in the back. I think I will give her puppy tails tied with white bows. She is a real cutie. Her name is Chloe.

And the handsome little boy will be dressed in blue homespun pants and a green checked shirt. I have decided to name him Booker. He is a real heart stealer with those big brown eyes.

Both of these dolls have wire in their arms so that they can hold something. I will be making a doll for the girl, I am not sure yet what Booker will hold.

The Christmas Elf

This little guy is adorable. He is so funny, I laugh everytime I look at the profile of his little face. He is approximately 16" tall. His shoes and socks are painted in traditional Christmas colors.
He has very pretty green eyes that seem to be full of mischief. I will give mohair hair, I haven't yet decided if it will be dark brown or blonde. His arms are also wired to hold something. I haven't named him yet but I am sure by the time he is dressed I will know just who he is.

Other Folk Art Dolls in The Making
The 2 sawdust filled dolls that I was working on are only on their second coat of paint. I hope to have them finished (or close to it) by the end of the week.


The Halloween Mystery Doll - A Devil

The Halloween mystery doll I have been working on is not a mystery anymore. You can tell by the photo that he is a devil. I really like the way he looks so far.

This week I hope to finish up most of these, and I need to start on some others that are special orders.
That's all for now, have a great day and THANKS for stopping by!

Meet Abbey - a Black Folk Art Primitive Doll

Meet Abbey,
she is the newest black primitive doll. I just finished her this evening.

Isn't she cute?

Abbey is the doll I was previously working on. I had planned on making a man doll but she emerged instead. And that's o.k. - sometimes you just don't know who will come out in the end when you start making a doll.

Abbey is approximately 22 1/2 " tall. Her little doll that she holds is just a little over 8 1/2" tall.

She has mohair hair that is kind of wild, I was going to style it differently but I really liked the untamed look on her.

Her face is needle sculpted. She has big brown eyes, and blushed cheeks.

Her dress is made of cotton fabrics, the bodice is checked green and off white as are the cuffs on the sleeves. The dress skirt is a double skirt that is made of a off white cotton gauze fabric. The bow in her hair is of fabric that matches the skirt. Her pantaloons are made of muslin trimmed with checked fabric that matches the dress bodice.
Abbey's socks and shoes are painted on. I attached brass buttons to her shoes.
All of her clothing is lightly stained with coffee to give it an aged appearance.

Abbey's little doll is made of muslin, like Abbey. I painted on the shirt and bloomers and sewed the skirt on to her. The skirt is not hemmed.

I think I will put Abbey and her little doll up for sale on eBay this coming Sunday.

Dolls in The Making
The group of unfinished dolls is what I am currently working on. The bigger ones have the same basic body design as what Abbey has, but I have made some improvements. I have put wire in the arms so that they can hold things better and made the feet larger. There are also some that are like these only a smaller size, approximately 15-16 inches. One of these smaller ones will be a Christmas elf. Also in the group photo there are 2 sawdust filled pet dolls.

That's about it for now, I need to get busy on the others, and work some more on my Halloween Mystery doll.

Thanks for stopping by. Please come again.