All Dolls Are Art Convention

Announcing the inaugural ADAA convention in Austin, TX July 28-31, 2011. The theme is Toys in the Attic.

Registration will open on the website December 3rd, but the outlines of the workshops are already up, and my conference experience says don't wait to book your hotel room.

Pictured is one of the dolls Lisa Renner will be teaching, "Reliquary".

Not Carved in Stone

Edwina Sutherland has just opened her new Etsy store for her beautiful needle felted figures. She also carries patterns for her cloth dolls and needle felting supplies.

Let's all buy handmade for the holidays!

That's Someone's Face

Thanks to reader Mary Shummer for finding this site, That's My Face, where you can have a custom head made for 12 inch, and some smaller, action figures. Apparently they will use full face and profile photos to create a computer model and custom mold of your face to fit a variety of doll necks. They can also do age ups and other mods, and create other custom products like masks and origami faces.

For some entertainment, check out the list of available celebrity heads which include the familiar, like Barack Obama, and a bunch of political guys I don't know, but probably should. Not that Bruce Schneier instantly makes you think "action hero doll". I guess I should be keeping up so that I would recognize Neel Kashkari in a plaid shirt.

AFIC artist profiles

I know I have posted previously about Artistic Figures in Cloth, the fabulous semi-annual convention next happening April 28 through May 1, 2011 in Columbus, OH.

However organizer Cyndy Sieving has started posting on the event blog illuminating interviews and profiles of the amazing artists who will be featured workshop presenters at the event. The most recent, just in time for Halloween, is Susan Barmore.

All Hallows Eve approaches

Halloween is a wonderful time of year for doll makers. Zan Asha of Vagabond Creations is celebrating with a month long Halloween blog carnival. Also check out the doll swap she is organizing. (But be quick).
When you visit, keep your sound turned on to enhance the mystical trippiness. I enjoy the soundtrack choices.

Beadie Give Away

Here's a giveaway from doll beader extraordinaire Dot Llewellyn. To win one of her cute Pocket Monsters comment to her via email by October 15.
And while you at her blog, be sure to browse around for more of her work and philosophy. It will surely lighten your heart.

Autumn Equinox

Autumn equinox is fast approaching. I like an excuse to showcase some dolls, so here is a little round up of some timely Etsy offerings.

Griselda has a lovely Autumn Tarot/Spirit doll amongst others that fit the theme.

My doll friend Kats in the Belfry (who also found that Equinox site) has her cute little pagan people.

Over at Painting Pixies you'll find a whole forest full of sweet felted mushroom people.

Bonnesinging is Ready for Fall .

From Brussels, Mademoisell G has some beautiful painted cloth dolls bundled up for chilly weather like Agathe.

For your dollies' Mabon celebration, here is some miniature bounty (pictured) by Afterdarkafterall.

Ankie Daanen in Albuquerque

Received today from Ankie Daanen:

*****************************************

Dear Dollfriends.


I am happy to let you know that I will teach a FOUR DAY DOLLMAKING CLASS in Albuquerque, NM.

This class will take place in February 2011 from Thursday Febr. 3 through Sunday Febr. 6.

Classhours will be from 9.00am until 5.00pm.


This class will take place in the SANDIA COURTYARD and CONVENTION CENTER and the roomrate is $49,- plus taxes.

The class fee will be $500,- per student plus a $25,- kitfee.


Attached on this message you will find some dollpictures.[see below]

If you are interrested in this class you can make a choise: What do you want to make?

1: A ´Big Belly Boy´, made out of Darwi stoneclay and paperclay.

2: A ´Heartbreaker´, made out of Darwi Stoneclay.

But!!!...You have to make a choise, and most votes win.

So, it will be OR a ´Big Belly Boy´, OR a ´Heartbreaker´ in the end.

For the ´Heartbreaker´ you need to purchase a costume ($65,-), or you have to make one yourself after classhours.

You will go home with a completely finished doll.

If you are interrested in this class, or if you have any questions, please let me know and I come back to you with more information!

Warm regards, Ankie Daanen

*********************************************

More info on Darwi here.

Fun for Toy Collectors

Afficianados of vinyl toys and other toys too will enjoy Rotocasted, self described online library for toy collectors. Members can upload images of their collectibles and anyone can browse the over 8000 images currently stored. The images are not only of commercial vinyl toys but also of mods, repaints and stuffies. Joining is free.

Incidentally, I found this site travelling circuitous path along twitter that started with a google search of Dylan and Cole Sprouse (Disney's Zack and Cody). Dylan is an artist and vinyl doll designer. His first collectible vinyl toy (William and Shady pictured below in brown) is in release through his design company, Sprousearts.

Margi

Get ready to giggle, or certainly smile with a sense of knowing, when you peruse the textile and mixed media dolls of Margi Hennen. They embody a whimsical feminism, and charming humor as well as a freedom in execution that I really enjoy. They seem to me to be living in the same strange universe as the wee people that populate Australian cartoonist Michael Leunig's art, or at least next door.

Dabida

I was only going to post once today, but I'm a bit too excited. From Esther's site I followed her link to Dabida - the Dutch and Belgian Institute of Doll Artists.

If you can't find enough beauty and inspiration to keep you busy for a couple of hours, visiting the 23 members' picture heavy pages, then I'm...I'm a catfish. Such variety and some familiar names too.

BTW scroll down each page for the info thereon repeated in English.

Van Essie

I love this website and the work of Esther Verschoor. She makes spooky, mysterious and intriguing mixed media art dolls, sometimes starting with found objects like bird skulls. Her site is a visually rich rabbit hole. Click, click and click again to get to the deatiled info about each of her intricate vignettes. Her links page is a feast as well.

Art Dolls in Gallery 9

Another cheeky post about myself. My Dream Star Dolls have been invited to be in the store at Gallery 9, in Culver City in conjunction with The Peace Project juried exhibit starting September 25. I'll also be donating a beautiful Dream Doll for a gala auction to benefit victims of the war in Sierra Leone.

Pictured is Best in Show "Look Within" by Kelly Drew

More info on The Peace Project and Sierra Leone on my blog.

Free the Girls

Want to help end human trafficking and get rid of some old bras at the same time?

OK it's not exactly dolls, but it is textiles.


Here's all the info from Free The Girls - with a nice double meaning.

Thanks, Lucretia for the heads up.

Doll and Teddy Bear Convention upcoming

Susan and Terry Quinlan are creating an Artist Doll and Teddy Bear Convention. The event will be held May 12-14, 2011 at the Ramada in Philiadelphia, PA. The convention will honor doll artist and NIADA co-founder Helen Bullard and bear creator Beverly Matteson Port. The sooner you register, the more you will save.

Susan and Terry run the beautiful Doll and Teddy Bear Museum & Library in Santa Barbara. Susan is passionate about promoting dolls and bears as fine art.

Beautiful Patterns

Textile artist Kathie Briggs has posted some lovely new cloth doll patterns for sale on her blog. Both blog and website are worth perusing for the beautiful quilt art.

Call for Submissions

If you live in the San Francisco Bay area, here is an opportunity to submit your work to an art gallery. ArcStudios and Gallery is creating a Dolls and Dollhouses themed exhibit to run December through January.

"Artists are invited to liberally interpret their concept of ‘dolls’ and ‘dollhouses,’ and bring to life a creature or world from your wildest imaginings".

But hurry - the deadline to apply is October 31, 2010.

Indiana

Here's the vibrant blog of Indy Cloth Dollmakers, a doll club in Indiana. There are felt and cloth items, mixed media, challenge results and lots of pretty pictures of the members' work. It seems like they welcome travelling visitors.

New ADO about awesomeness

Our new Art Dolls Only website is up and it is beautiful. Aside the opportunity to browse and delight in the scrumptious artistry, the site itself is also exemplary in its design and layout. Very clear and easy to navigate, easy for collectors to find ways to purchase. Brava to the organizers. I love the featured artist and new member spotlights. Dolls by Constance Dillon pictured.

New Artistic Figures Blog

Cyndy Sieving, wonderful doll and fiber artist and creator of the Artistic Figures in Cloth Convention, has started a beautiful new blog where she intends to profile other wonderful doll artists with in depth interviews and photo essays. The first featured artist is Liz Siebold, member of the Guilded Lilies club. I urge followers here to visit and follow that blog too.