ADO Travelling Doll Project Begins!

 I belong to a group of wonderful doll makers called "Art Dolls Only" (ADO).  This is the third year of the ADO Travelling Doll Project and I am participating again this year.  The first dolls shipped March 1st.  Last year the project was published in 2 issues of "Doll Collector" magazine!  Briefly, here is how it works...

• The participating doll makers are divided up into teams.
• Each team member begins the creation of a doll using any technique desired.
• Each member also creates a journal for the doll created.
• The doll and journal is mailed round-robin to each team member, who builds upon what each member has done prior to bring the doll to a completed state. 

 You can read more about ADO and the Travelling Doll Project at the links above.


All that to say...I will be sharing the journey of my doll "Margaret Indigo Grimsby" (aka "Big Maggie") as she travels across the country to 5 other wonderful doll makers.  I will be posting a link to her story on the Travelling Doll Project Blog as well as sharing other pictures here on my blog.  "Big Maggie" was shipped to Florida today to Moriah Betterly of MLB Studios, a full time artist / doll maker and instructor (working on my doll woohoo!).  I can wait to see what Moriah adds to "Big Maggie".


Meet "Big Maggie" saying good-bye to her "prim" friend, "Annie" and a few pictures of her paper bag journal.

See how carefully she is holding those hands...she's pretty proud of them!  I learned how to make Maggie's hands in a workshop called "Handling Hands" taught by Judy Skeel at Joggles.com.  This workshop was EXCELLENT!!!  The class is being offered again on March 16 at an extremely affordable price which includes patterns for 2 types of hands and tips on how to fix some of the issues that articulated hands present (e.g. busted seams). But honestly, I followed the instructions and my hands came out PERFECT the first time!!! (Click on images to enlarge.)

Watch for more information on Maggie's travels!


Stay Creative!


Lezlei

Sometimes the Yarn Calls Me

I learned crochet, knitting, sewing, quilting, gardening, and cooking at the feet of my Great Grandmother, Sally Brown.  What a blessing it was to have "Mama" until my junior year of high school!  When she passed away in 1971, the sewing that she had taught me had blossomed into designing and sewing all but a few pieces of my clothing for school.  I would always save my "lunch money" to buy pieces of fabric.  Back then, fabric was very affordable and sewing your clothing was a very economical alternative to purchasing ready-made items. 

There were many days that I would come home with an "idea" of an outfit that I wanted to wear to school the next day.  I would quickly finish my homework and maybe dinner for the family and start to sew.  I would design the pattern pieces, cut and sew the fabric sometimes waking early in the morning to finish a hem or any handwork.  There were many nights my mother would come in and send me to bed...I would wake u even earlier and finish my outfit and be off to school before she arose for the morning!

But I digress...we are talking about the yarn today!  Crochet and knitting are both so relaxing.  There is not a lot of set up required like some of the other hobbies I enjoy...it's just you, the yarn, the crochet or knitting needles, and maybe a pattern. No clean-up...just tuck your project back into the yarn basket when you're done for the day. 

I always have an abundant supply of beautiful yarns (and fabric).  Often when I am shopping for other items, a beautiful yarn (or fabric...smiles) will beckon me, jump into my shopping basket and make its way to my home and into my yarn stash with all the other beautiful yarns.

I have been making hats and scarfs (some skinny) and fingerless gloves...some patterns work up very quickly.  Most recently, this beautiful "Neapolitan" colored yarn beckoned me.  It was so relaxing working on this beautiful hat and skinny scarf.  It is worked with a combination of a modified "puff" stitch with single crochet borders on the hat and skinny scarf.  I have placed the Neapolitan set in my etsy shop here.

My next project...get all the items placed in my etsy shop to make room for the next call of the yarn...smiles.

Stay Creative!


Lezlei

The OWOH Joy Continues!

Look what was in the mail today!

I am still enjoying the "overflow" of the One World One Heart blog hop and giveaway.  I am spending time revisiting the many blogs that I didn't have time during the event to explore in detail.  I won a few giveaways and met some wonderful new online friends!  Here are the wonderful giveaways that arrived from my new artistic blog buddies.

A beautiful print entitled "Watch Over My Humble House" by Jenny Wentworth of Creativity is Happiness

A beautiful owl pendant from Leila West of Artsy Creations

Another beautiful print entitled "Braver, Stronger, Smarter" by Erin Leigh of Art by Erin Leigh

Some "royal" mail from the UK with a package full of angels from Kate at http://noseycritters.blogspot.com/

A gorgeous heart pendant and fairy pin from Lind Pflum of Charmed Victorian

The cutest fairy door from Laura Medeiros of Pithy Art Blog

Aren't these gifts absolutely wonderful!  I have included links to the blogs of these wonderful artists.  Please stop by their blogs and experience more of their wonderful art!

Stay Creative!

Lezlei