cloth doll group

Well, today was AGM for the Fabric of Society doll group here in South Australia.
I put my hand up to do the newsletter, which may well take up more time than I thought, but I need to start to be more interactive with other dollmakers. Doll making and design can be very solitary work. It is actually good to socialise with like minded people who can encourage and inspire you. The doll group has been in a bit of a rut lately. Not many members bring in show and tell and there seems to be a move toward other crafts like beading and mixed media techniques. Being a mixed media artist I accept that those skills are what can make a doll wow - but it is really the doll that is the star - not the amount of stuff you can stick on it. I just want to see some enthusiasm for dolls and all the different types of dolls that can be made. That is just my two cents worth today. In the meantime I am psyching myself up to do a workshop in my home studio. I have a lot of work to do between now and Xmas and start planning for next year. I need to come out of the shadows and show my work, because I think I have found my style and medium, but if no-one sees it why do it? I think dolls can give a lot of pleasure and many times my dolls have made me smile with their quirky personalities. Even just holding a dolly in your arms is a comfort thing that must take you back to childhood days............ I love dolls. I plan to make lots more..............