Homework

Yesterday I began making Verity sample dolls for an upcoming class in Arlington, Washington. I decided to make four bodies, to demonstrate various steps in making the doll.Today, I'll apply Messy Mix to all but one of the dolls. That one will remain as-is (the doll on the left), in order to demonstrate the needle sculpting. The doll on the right will be finished up to the facial features, which will be done in class.

I hope two long days will be enough to complete most of the dolls in class. The last class was a bit pressed for time, as the days were only about six hours long - not quite enough time.

Now I'm off to find a small jar with a tight-fitting lit...

Addendum, 6/1/09: Check out this blog link for information about Helen Pringle's Messy Mix:

http://sympletymes.blogspot.com/2009/01/izannah-walker-dolls-helen-pringle.html

One Doll Down

One doll down, eight or so to go! This doll is from my "Cecelia" pattern. She's made of craft velour, and stands just over 12 inches tall. Her natural wool locks are needle-felted in place. She was made for a doll luncheon in June.

This girl turned out a little somber, I think. But the good news is that she was one of my unfinished projects seen HERE.

The next doll on my list is my Hoffman Challenge doll. But first I feel a cat nap coming on...

Collecting, Part 1

I guess I'm officially a collector of cloth dolls, though there's really no rhyme or reason to my collection. I just buy the dolls I like that don't cost an arm or leg (just a digit or two). Tonight I took some photos for an upcoming article in the ODACA newsletter, and thought I'd post them here. Most of these dolls I've purchased on eBay. Maybe one of you can tell me something about the mystery dolls in my collection...

This doll is one I know quite a bit about. He's an older Martha Chase doll, and the first vintage cloth doll I acquired. Chase dolls are connected to the history of the nursing profession - precursors of the Resusci-Annie training mannequins used today.Then there are the molded face dolls. The doll on the left is an Ella Smith Alabama Baby. The one on the right is a Philadelphia Baby. This one's obviously not in the best shape, but I love her anyway.Next are the felt dolls. The only one I know anything about is the Lenci doll in the middle. I love his pouty face. I hope to find a replacement leather shoe some day. I know nothing about the two dolls flanking him, but believe them to be from the same era.This one is a Bruckner Topsy Turvy doll. The teeth on the black doll are a little scary.And last is a group of little dolls. I think the one in the middle is a Lenci Mascotte doll. The seated girl in the green lounging jammies is an Italian doll, labelled Magis. The doll on the far right has a tag that says "Munecas MARY Madrid."
Let me know if you can identify some of these dolls. I still have a few dolls to photograph, and will get those added eventually.

Goodbye, Key West

It's hard to believe a whole week has gone by. There's still so many fun things to do and see in Key West. We've already been discussing next year's trip. Next time, I'm packing lighter!

Kayaking

Today we kayaked along and through the mangroves, a very calm and peaceful two-hour tour.

Our guide would occasionally stop and dip her net into the water, pulling out a creature for us to view, touch, photograph. This is an upside-down jelly fish.Here's a self-photo. Didn't know my hat was on so goofy.

Parasailing

Today we went parasailing. Two of our group are missing in this photo (Brenda's mom Susan and Michelle's mother-in-law Mary were lounging at the pool.) From left to right are Brenda, me, Tammy, Wendy, Michelle and Barb. Our crew is in the background. Tanned young men. Too bad, huh?Looks like fun, doesn't it? I don't know what I thought parasailing was, but this was not only a blast, but so easy. Four of us decided to do it, and Barb and Michelle went out on the boat to watch. Below are sisters Tammy and Wendy, just taking off.

And here Brenda and I are just taking off. The crew was great, and while the captain was in charge of the boat, his comrade strapped us in and took photos. Toward the end of each flight, they dunked us in the water. It took much of the day for my pants to dry out, but I'd only worn them to protect my sunburned thighs. I think I'm immune to sunscreen.

Having Fun

Today's Sunday, and I'm finally taking a moment to get on the computer. It's been a full two days here in Key West, and we're all having a blast.

Friday we rented scooters for the week. I was really anxious about riding one, but after the first few miles, felt much more comfortable. The scooters are everywhere around here, and I'm glad I didn't rent a bicycle instead - the wind here is brisk, and bicycling would have been less fun because of it.

Yesterday (Saturday) we spend the day at Fort Zachary, where we had a lovely picnic for Brenda's birthday. The water was reportedly 77 degrees, and a gorgeous shade of blue-green. There were quite a few people at the beach, as cruise ships to Mexico had been diverted...

Last night we had Cuban food for dinner, then enjoyed karaoke. Today we're going parasailing.

Oh, for all the people at Columbia Memorial Hospital (where we all work), Brenda says "sucks to be you." And to Pat, we sang "Hotel California" last night at karaoke and dedicated it to you...