I have just spent 4 days doing the newsletter for our doll group. It is more time consuming than I remember, but I am very fussy about the format and layout, so it takes ages to get it just right. It seems to satisfy a creative mental need whereas dolls satisfy my physical need. I haven't posted a picture of my Impossible Princess so here she is.............

She is a mask face doll. I intend to do a workshop on her in the new year. It is such a busy time at the moment and with Nathan's wedding just weeks away, not many dolls will be made. I have so many things on the go right now - I was going to release the Princess (and frog) pattern ,

while I am still designing the trapunto face and body for the Fairy Godmother - all of these to be patterns.

Then I think, well maybe I should just make dolls and sell them on Ebay, it would be so much easier. I am going away for the weekend so it mayhit me as to what I really want to do. Design and sell patterns, sculpt fairies, do clay over cloth, sell at craft fairs, sell on ebay, teach workshops................ oh boy...................I can do this - I just am not sure what this is!

Patti Culea

In my last post I hinted that we had a special guest at our doll group meeting. It was Patti Culea! She was able to offer a couple of workshops while visiting our part of the country. I was not able to attend the doll making workshop and because it was Father's Day on the next workshop I could only stay a short while (my boys wanted to have a BBQ with their dad).

I would have liked to have made the paper doll the girls embellished on the day. I LOVED paper dolls when I was little and am still fascinated with them. Patti's was the prettiest fairy which could be embellished with tyvek, angelina and embroidery tecniques. I have the pattern, so when I have time I will try to make her, she is such a sweet fairy.

Anyway........Patti was the sweetest lady. She is tiny, probably 4' nothing (Australian expression......) and was just so nice to talk to. She made time to mingle with the ladies and talked about the dolls and was genuinely interested in what we could do. Her comments were very kind, she said our dolls were better than some she had seen at the Houston Shows. We did excel ourselves with our display, and there were a lot of entusiatic dollmakers who brought a doll for Patti to judge. I do not know who won because I left early - not me had to take my doll and run...............but I will find out shortly.

Now Suzette tells me I am such a groupie and I am a bit for rubbing shoulders with famous faces, so I took my Patti Culea books for her to sign and she graciously put in a personal messge in both. I was so pleased, little things like that mean a lot to me, becuase when I am 99 and can't do stuff anymore at least I can sit and look at all my stuff and see I did meet some great people and had a great time learning from some very talented artists. Well that's my plan anyway, I still have lots of artists to meet!

Leslie Molen - The Gossip

I recently sent away for the CD to make "The Gossips" by Leslie Molen. I learn so much from doll makers, each pattern or even photo I see gives me so much to work with.

I admire the giving nature of doll makers and I will share a pattern on this site very soon. I am still getting used to adding information and finding free space. I will be expanding my picturetrail so that may be my best option.

In the meantime take a look at this lady. I actually made her some bread and a cheese to go in her basket after I took this shot. she came with me to meet a famous doll maker who has been visiting Adelaide......................I'll tell you about that tomorrow!