Wendy my first Waldorf doll. Notice the black hair has been replaced with wool |
It has been a busy start to the year and so January
I like the concept, but somehow they are restrictive. There are a lot of rules around waldorfs.
The body fabric should be high quality low pill cotton stretch, in fact all the materials should be natural fibres. The filling must be wool. The facial features are minimal to encourage imaginative play. They must be child safe, no buttons, small beds or anything that a small child can swallow. They should be washable.............
If you have googled Waldorf or Steiner dolls, you will have found that there are some doll makers who make these dolls as collectable items. They are therefore very expensive. They can be quite beautiful and the higher end dolls look like children. They have freckles and messy hair and eyebrows. Some of the faces have needlefelting to create a more realistic face. That is why I wanted to try my hand at making this style. But mine seem to have a heavy chin - even with needle felting, I have not mastered the face shaping.
I try so hard to keep making dolls in the spare time I have and when I am not exhausted from work and family committments. I dream of the day I will have a special studio that I can let my creativity grow naturally. I feel like I have missed the boat. Many, many dollmakers are selling on Etsy and they are on facebook, instagram, twitter and Youtube. I am a babyboomer and I cannot justify spending so much time on social media. I just want to sell my dolls. I have an etsy shop, but am in holiday mode while I decide what to do. I have not had one sale. I know it is because I have like 24 friends on facebook and 15 on instagram. I do not have the inclination to post photos every day. I am shy to contact other dollmakers as their creativity overwhelms me. I feel like a small fish in a big pond. I am putting this out there because maybe someone has been in my position and has some advice. The reality is, I am still finding my niche and until I do, I will not be noticed. Let's see where this journey is taking me. I feel like time is a wastin'...............Maybe I need a mentor???