When did you start making dolls? Why did you start making dolls?
About 7 years ago my daughter fell in love with a small cloth faerie doll a friend's daughter had. I found out where it was purchased and got her one. She was soo in love I decided to get her the series for her birthday, but alas it was being discontinued. I decided to try making one for her. The first ones were pretty rudimentary, long tubes for arms and legs and a bigger tube for the body. As I started researching how to make the heads more dimensional I realized that those long ago figure drawing classes might come in handy after all. I can't read sewing patterns, they might as well be in Greek, but I can draw, so I started making my own pattern, by then I was hooked!
Who or what influences you? Inspires you?
The work of Brian and Wendy Froud are a great source of inspiration, but I can find the seed of an idea almost anywhere. Taking a walk with my kids I may see a seed pod or a cloud formation that starts a new idea in my head. Wandering through the fabric or art supply store often inspires a new project, that really amazing new fabric, or bead/charm seems to say I'm part of your next doll and suddenly I'm standing in line to buy that item. Fantasy movies, like The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, or Spirited Away, and the paintings of James Christensen set my mind spinning and make my fingers itch to start making things.
Tell us a little about your dolls and your process for making them. Materials, preliminary sketches, inspiration, etc.
The process starts with my sketchbook. When an idea strikes I'll make thumbnail sketches so I don't lose track of it. I have small blank books everywhere, in every purse, next to my bed, in my studio... From the sketch I will move to creating a pattern, on card stock or plastic sheet. I used to just make them on 8.5x11" copy paper and trace the lines onto the fabric by holding it onto a window or a light box. Some old patterns I still do that way. But for the shapes I use the most I have cut out shapes so I can lay them on the fabric so I can line up the body part with the part of the fabric I want on that color/shape. Sometimes I just lay the parts out to maximize how many parts I can get from a scrap of fabric. I've managed to get an entire doll out of one left over 9" quilting square a friend gave me. Once I've got my patterns drawn (in pencil) on my fabric I sew them (until about a year ago I was hand sewing EVERY STITCH, but now I have made friends with my sewing machine and most seams are done on the machine.
I like to work in batches, it seems more efficient, and it seems to create families of dolls as well as some very individual characters. In general I use quilter's cotton fabrics for the "skin" and some of the doll's clothing. My wings are usually made with a combination of Angelina film and fibers with some sequins and other embellishments added. I've recently discovered the fun of distressing the wings with my embossing heat gun and have some Goth Fae in mind. I needle felt their hair on, depending on the doll the hair is either a funky combination of eyelash yarns or Yadeno mohair.
Do you have a favorite doll? It can be handmade by you, handmade by someone else, or even (gasp) mass production.
My kids are constantly asking me what my "favorite" is. I don't usually have a favorite, depending on my mood I will have a temporary preference towards something but it often changes as my frame of mind shifts. If I have to choose, at the moment a Gypsy doll that I made for the Gypsy Challenge a few years ago but never submitted is occupying a lot of space in my head. She's one of those dolls who I dressed fully, and her attire took me ages to complete. Her skirt has over 250 tiny bells sewn onto the hem, along with some teeny gold sequins (meant to look like those brass coins on gypsy skirts). I made her some zills (finger cymbals) from more small gold sequins.
Besides making dolls, what do you do? Job, other creative pursuits, hobbies, etc.
Currently my full time gig is being a mom and an artist. In addition to making dolls, I am a scribe in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronisms - a medieval recreation group) which means I reproduce the styles of medieval calligraphers and manuscript painters. I also make jewelry and occasionally dabble in collage. In the summers I teach mixed media art classes for kids from 6 to17 years old.
What are some of your favorite: movies, books, websites, magazines, foods, tv shows? (Any or all!)
In addition to the fantasy movies listed above, I also have a strong inclination towards movies based on Jane Austen's work. Again favorites is a "mood thing" for me but in general I seem to be drawn to romantic comedies and historical themed movies (medieval or Renaissance, or Regency periods).
As for books I'll aim at authors to keep the list from becoming its own book: Jane Austen, JRR Tolkien, William Shakespeare, JK Rowling, Ellis Peters, Neil Gaimen, Charlotte Bronte, Douglas Adams, W. Somerset Maughm, Rosamund Pilcher, Phillip Pullman, Lewis Carroll.
I spend a lot of time on the Etsy web site, the forums and chat rooms are a fun online community.
Magazines don't figure largely in my life, but I do get Art Doll Quarterly, and occasionally I pick up a copy of Faerie Magazine.
Foods ... I love "ethnic" foods: Indian, Japanese, Mexican or really TexMex, Middle Eastern foods all excite my attention. Foods I love to cook - baked goods mostly, cookies, brownies and sourdough breads, and the occasional cake are the things I bake the most often.
TV - I don't watch much by choice (I won't count keeping my kids company while they watch their stuff) When I get to influence the TV choices I tend towards things like MythBusters, Dirty Jobs and Time Warp. If the TV is on and the kids are not around I usually watch movies while I hand sew.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Scotland, it's where my mother grew up. I've visited a few times and it is sooo beautiful. And of course it has all the magic of a place you've had a holiday and never had to work. The lush greens of fields in the summer the crash of waves as they beat on rocky coast lines, the lack of 90 degree days in the summer. What's not to love. My second choice would be coastal Maine, for similar reasons.
Where do you see yourself in one year? Five years? Ten years?
I'm not good at predicting the future. Whenever I've given these kinds of predictions much thought (writing business plans or just for fun) there have been some unexpected turns in the road. Some of those turnings have been wondrous magical and delightful changes (like getting married and having kids). In one year I will probably be an over eager band parent (my daughter just started high school marching band). Beyond that I expect I'll be making more and different dolls, jewelry, painting, collages and who knows what else? I hope to be selling things on more regular basis. In my dreams I will be featured in ADQ and Faerie Magazine, and come to the attention of some rich doll collectors.
Where can we find you on the internet? (blog, website, Etsy shop, eBay, et al.)
I don't have a huge web presence (yet) but you can find my work at:
http://www.toadstoolsntreestump.etsy.com/
and my blog is
http://toadstoolsntreestump.blogspot.com/
Yve from Freaky Little Dolls reminded me of Bagpuss ~ A popular Children's TV series made in the UK. The first episode of thirteen, was first aired on 12 February 1974. The programme shifted from sepia to colour stop motion film, and was about a little girl called Emily who owned a shop, which never sold anything (bit like my Etsy shop! LOL)
Henry IV of France wrote in 1600 to Marie de Medici. ““You desire patterns of our fashions in dress. I send you therefore some model dolls.”
Meet Alta, the mother of Connie from Lilies & Dolls. She was born in 1923. Connie thinks this photo was taken when Alta was about 20 years old. Isn't she beautiful? Check out Connie's blog for more information about Alta.
Claire Windsor shown here, personified the sophisticated society girl in many of her movie roles. She was known for her style and became a 1920's trendsetter! when Lenci dolls were all the rage, she became an avid collector.
The caption under this photo from a 1926 Magazine reads: "A DEVOTEE OF DOLLS: CLAIRE WINDSOR Has Never Lost Her Childhood Love of Them and Her Greatest Pride Is in Her Large Collection, Which She Is Trying to Make the Most Complete in the World"
A Lenci dolls Ad in 1923 Playthings shows a Lenci lady doll with a smaller child doll.
This gorgeous Lenci Pierette from the Farago collection is the same model seen in the Claire Windsor collection.
For more information on Lenci dolls, visit The Lenci Doll Collector.
This is the first of the 'inspirational' images for the current ADO challenge, Halloween. As it's only August, I couldn't quite bring myself to black and orange and scarey stuff, so this is going to be a gentle journey into the dark side of life, I prefer to stay away from!
"There is no way we will allow these dolls on the market...these toys constitute a serious threat to the smooth formation and development of the child's personality and mental health."
jump in the pool 
VA VA VOOM MERMAID
Margie 
Fish boy
Bikini Legend
frog
Purple People Eater
