Lisa's Blog

Hi doll makers - here's a new blog site for you called Stray Threads about dolls, quilts, and other things.  Drop on in when you have time to stop and drool. Lisa, the creator of Stray Threads Blog just attended Susan Fosnot's   ( http://www.susanfosnotdolls.com/doll )  class in Woodstock, Ill.  for a black boy doll.  Click on the title of this post or go to http://quilltr.blogspot.com/ to get to Lisa's blog.

Also - I wanted to tell you about the Timbertown Dollology Club of Saginaw 39th Annual Doll Show and Competition. It's Sunday, May 2, 2010 from 10AM to 4PM at Carrolton Middle Shcool, 3211 Carla Drive in Saginaw, MI. Admission is $4.00 and no strollers please. They will have appraisals & doll restringing in the PM.   http://www.timbertowndollclub.com/

Have some doll fun today - Julie

Paper Minis Project

ooooh!  There is a very cute freebie in the newsletter for the paperminis club this month.  Signing up for the free newsletter is easy: just send an email to ann-vanture@paperminis.com requesting it and then you get sent an email with the newsletter and link to the free paper mini project. You have a choice of a couple different scales to print and then cut and assemble.  There are tutorials on how to make paper items in miniature to get you thru the process. There are also items you can buy in kit form or even already made up if you don't want to give it a whirl.  Just make sure your dolls aren't looking over your shoulder when you go to her site at http://www.paperminis.com/  or you'll hear "I want that, and that, and that too! Oh Please!"  My feedsack boy is holding his pinwheel from a previous free project.

To help your doll hold their item, you can use those invisible hair holders - they usually come in 3 different sizes and won't show on the doll.

Have some doll fun today at paper minis! - Julie

Dixie Redmond's Izannah Workshop

Hi doll makers! Are you ready to try something new?  Dixie Redmond will repeat her Izannah Walker workshop in the fall.  This is an indepth online class that covers how to make a realistic Izannah Walker doll.  For details, visit her website at: http://izannahwalkerworkshop.blogspot.com/  or click on the title of this post. 

Izannah Walker was the first woman to get a US patent in the 1870's.   Dixie's website - The Izannah Chronicles - has some wonderful pictures of these rare dolls. Even if you don't take the online class, be sure to visit her website and view the dolls. 

Also - one more note about the green bottle Turoinoid - after asking around, it has come to my attention that this product is a brush cleaner and should not be used as a painting medium. However, the Turpinoid in the blue bottle is a painting medium and can be used on dolls. 

Now enjoy this wonderful spring day and have some doll fun this week!  Thanks for stopping by - Julie

Not all turpinoid is created equal

Well, we found out and interesting chracteristic about the "green" turpinoid last Thursday at doll class. It seems this kind of Turpinoid that comes in the green tin or bottle negates the quick drying feature of the alkyd oil paints.  I have the turpinoid in the blue tin and bottles and when I paint with alkyd oils, it dries quickly, in 3-4 hours to a tacky touch and very dry overnight.  The dolls that were painted days in advance in class with the green bottle of turpinoid were still tacky at class time.  Has any one else had this experience?

 So beware if you are starting an adventure into painting with alkyd oils that you get the turpinoid in the blue bottle and not the green one if you are looking for a quick dry time. 

Happy Easter! 

Easter bonnets? or Opals and rubies?

Around this time of year, girl dolls start thinking about Easter bonnets, or just dressing up in general. How about a little doll treasure?  Opal Lapo and Ruby Ybur, who sit on the bedroom dresser both feel a bit more "decked out" than the rest of the dolls. They have their very own semi precious rings!  Here is a picture of the opal ring:

Ruby's ring is pretty much the same except she has a small ruby.  So where do you find such a tiny treasure?  Well, funny story - imagine an older-ish woman with a doll tucked under her arm walking thru the mall into a jewelry store.  But no, we need to go back further.  These two dolls are the New York Dolls from Gail Wilson's online class. The original doll that these dolls are a reproduction of has a real ring of her own, so of course my dolls made their desire known for each of them to have a ring.  After they were finished  - including clothing - (you can't take a naked doll in the mall, she'll get arrested for indecent exposure), off we went to the jewelry store to look for a ring.  And the nice gentleman behind the counter didn't even crack a smile when we told him of our  request.  We were able to find a 14K jump ring that fit perfectly (1/4 inch) and the little elves in the back room of the store were able to take a small stud earring, pop off the setting and affix it to the jump ring.  Voila,  doll rings!

Happy Easter - Julie