Surprise Surprise Surprise

Well, quite a while back I started working on a doll for a challenge in our doll club.

see On My Table

Well I made this!!

She is meant to be steampunk, but I had a lot of trouble finding steampunky things, so she is just a bit turn of the century.

And it seems I finished the Barbara Willis fairy................

The doll face on this fairy is a circle of stretch cotton fabric, needle sculpted nose and mouth with tiny black beads for the pupils.  This is a very tricky technique, it is very easy to make an ugly kind of big nosed crosseyed face.  But I think I managed a pretty face.  I prefer pretty.  A lot of people like the ugly, unusual, quirky looking faces..............but I do pretty.......










And finally, my doll with the knitted outfit, that I have not seen for 2 years.  She has been travelling around town with some other dolls showing her style to select groups.  I have to say, she has been very well looked after.  As have my other dolls.  Thankyou Christine for looking after my girls so well.

The week that was

So I decided to open my Etsy shop, and I had a Saturday craft market at Port Elliot, and the Hahndorf doll and bear show was on this weekend.

Follow this link if you would like to see some gallery pics of past shows

http://www.adelaidehillsdollguild.org.au/doll-bear-show/

I actually enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the markets.  I always take projects to work on , I am always stitching a teddy bear or embroidering a dolly jacket in between customers.  People have such kind comments and there is no pressure to reach a sales target.  If they love it they buy it, if they do not, they move on.  Admittedly, my prices are very low. I assume (perhaps incorrectly) that people don't expect to pay a lot at the markets, but they really appreciate a bargain!  I factor in that the materials at the moment have cost me nothing and it is just my time and incidental costs that I want to cover,  At the moment, I guess you would say I am not making anything from my sales.  (I just spent my income at the doll and bear show).  But it is more about having my work acknowledged and appreciated so I know I can make a business from my craft, part of the future plan.
Aliyah (pictured)  has found a new home with a lovely customer and I had to  take down my doll for sale on Etsy because she sold at the market.

I also had a big surprise today because the Cloth Doll Club returned a couple of dolls I had lent them for display.  There is the little one in the foreground of the picture below, and two others.  You cannot imagine my surprise when I saw the dolls I had made and forgotten about!  Tomorrow I will show you pics of these girls.  If you scroll down to the post made in 2013, you will see the makings of a doll which was to be part of a challenge.  Wait till you see what I made. I am still in shock!

Till tomorrow then ......

What a difference a day makes.

Well, it has been many many days since I updated this blog.  And I have missed it.
But I was forced to focus on full time work and none of that complicated doll making stuff.
I was happy enough to dabble with the occasional quilt and knitting.  I love knitting.
And in the past couple of years, we sold our house, relocated to a small country town, closed down the business that was sapping our finances and souls, became proud grandparents and decided to focus on considering semi retirement.
Now, it is not really retirement, it is just getting back to an easier pace of life.  I love our little township.  The locals are so friendly.  Everyone you speak to loves where they live too, and I am slowly integrating into the community.  I am not going to work in the rat race anymore, so I decided to make a commitment to sell my craft. More about that tomorrow.  For now, lets just say this is a whole new start for me.  I was going to shut down the Art Doll Designs blog, but making the changes will just strengthen my plan to move in this new direction. Hey I even set up a market stall!  I will be at the Port Elliot market Saturday and the Goolwa market Sunday.  Just putting it out there........