Recent New Doll Publications

Sherry Goshon has just completed her book covering the basics of cloth doll making, including patterns - "So You Want to Make Cloth Dolls". 50 pages, spiral bound, on her Etsy store.

Pamela Hastings has produced her most recent "Hot Flash: A Celebration"  (pictured) available from her website. This joins her other doll making books and kits featured there.

Also the latest Winter edition of Adele Sciortino's Costuming and Trim newsletter is out. Honestly, are any of you not subscribers to this beautiful FREE publication by now? Really? Adele is part of a new online art teaching venue that looks rather special. A for Artisitic currently has a bunch of doll making classes, including a "Finishing the Doll" series zeroing in on specific skills, as well as a journal making class and accessories. There is a free doll wig tutorial there also.

Finally, not a doll publication per se, but I am being included in a new E-book by Instructables. My Wavy Edged Paper Beads - which I use as doll embellishments - are one of the featured projects in Jewelry Making edited by Scoochmaroo.

Look Alike Doll contest

Via Twitter:
Join Paradise Galleries on Facebook and upload your photo to win a free doll, which winners select. You have only until January 10th to submit your photos that show which doll and you look alike. Then viewers will vote. The three with the most votes win.
Paradise Galleries is an online doll store featuring commercial collectible dolls. One of the newest fashion dolls that looks quite nice is royal fiancee, future princess Kate Middleton. This limited edition 17 inch portrait doll comes with a reproduction of the "the" ring. I hope she has better luck and a happier life with hers than the last bearer. It seems so - at least this happy couple is of the same generation and have known each other a while.
Here's a prediction - I bet Paradise Galleries will do a bride version when the time comes, since they already have the face mold.

Retreats

There are very few spots left for Sherry Goshon and Jean Bernard's popular Iowa Retreat to be held in September, 2011. There is also a New York retreat on Staten Island in July and waiting list for the sold out Reno retreat. For a very reasonable fee you get to make a cage doll figure under the guidance of two doll artist teachers, as well as commune with other artists in an intimate studio setting.

Want to move to Blue Hill?

First post of the new year! With new work, time got away from me over the holidays, so I missed doing my usual holiday Etsy round up. Sorry about that. I'll do one in honor of Winter in the next few days.

In the mean time I hope you will enjoy the whimsical mixed media figurative sculptures of Laura Balombini. She uses kiln fired porcelain, polymer clay, wire and wood, and creates surface interest with glass and ceramic mosaics. Many figures are animated. Small birds are a repeating motif.

Ms. Balombini is currently selling her home and studio in Maine. It looks like a beautiful spot. As an urban apartment dweller I am very envious of a separate studio space as well as all the green.

Get Dolled Up

Making Ends Meet is holding an online doll auction to benefit breast cancer research. All the dolls have been donated by the artists, and are in a friendly competition by viewer vote for a nice gift certificate to MEM. You do not have to bid in order to vote for your favorite. Patti Medea Cularis has a doll in the group (pictured), as does 11 year old Jessica Baillee Carter-Collins, whose doll is currently the front runner.

Marwencol

                                  
"Marwencol" is the imaginary town that Mark Hogancamp has invented and populated with incredibly detailed 12 inch (1/6th scale) dolls and action figures who portray characters in his ongoing WWII photographic saga. Using Barbies, GI Joe and other highly posable figures, along with custom made accessories and a mix of made and purchased clothing, he is creating allegories as therapy following his horrible experience of being beaten by thugs, to the point that he lost all memory of his past.

Documentary filmmaker, Jeff Malmberg has already won a passel of awards for his feature film about Mr. Hogancamp and his art. It has just opened in Los Angeles. Both film and the photographs look extraordinary and fascinating. I'm thinking Oscar (R) buzz.

Textile workshop at CAFAM

My friend and homeschooling mother, Talitha, is holding her Family Tree Tapestry workshop at CAFAM again this Sunday, Nov 14. All the work is fusing, so no special sewing skills are needed. If you live in the Los Angeles area, or know people that do, please pass this on! It could be a beautiful and meaningful addition to your holiday decorations.

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.