Double click on the picture to enlarge.  Right click to print.

...........  This is the Trunk I made from a tissue box and here are the construction notes that you can copy and paste to your computer and make them big enough to read, if you want to make one for yourself.  It's all illusion ......the trunk does not open, purely decorative!  Copy some images online of hunges and a clasp, and soem travel labels.  BAck the hinges and clasp with leather or thick card to make it stand out and look like a real one.  Paint the whole things with Mod Podge for a good effect.  I guess if you want it to look really old you could use some of that crackle paint! 

Most of all - have fun!

This is Biscuit!  He is a free pattern for you to use, but please give me the credit for designing him.

Requirements for making "Biscuit"!

Knitted short nap fur fabric - a must for this look!

Prismacolour pencil - black

Three black beads 5mm for eyes and 6mm for nose

Scrap of fabric or ribbed ribbon for collar & leash.  Small buckle for collar.

This is the pattern.  Double click to enlarge.  Right click to print.  In Properties, set to landscape. I made it so it was seven inches tall standing.

Because I am a novice at soft toy making fabrics, this dog was a happy accident!  If I’d tried to make it like this, it wouldn’t have turned out so well.  This is how I made it!

Construction notes.

v Place the pattern pieces on the fabric.  Because it’s knitted, and depending what size stitch you use, the nap is liable to move.  Pin it as much as possible, but little stretches in the fabric will give the fabric a twist, causing the pieces to be an un-uniform fit.  This is what gives the curl in the tail, or the turn of the dogs head and the limbs to look like they are moving.

v Stuff the pieces and put together in whatever pose you wish – or can!

v Using Prismacolour pencil black, mark in the eyes, creating shadows.  Also the nose and mouth.  If  the marks need darkening, wet the pencil and rub into the fabric.  Do the same on the back and the tips of the ears and possibly tail.

v Using the smaller beads, stitch back and forth to create the indent for the eyes and bridge of the nose.

v The larger bead in the nose – or you can be more creative than I about that!

v I stitched the ears on, and then bent them forward, anchoring them with thread. 

v Make a collar.

v All done – make a pair!  There are two different forelegs for this one!
Save this to your computer and enlarge to your requirements.

Haven't managed to get a good enough picture for the cover yet - still working on that.  Got to get the angle and the light right. 

The trunk is just a tissue box which I boxed up in Balsa wood, with pieces over the top to hold the shape.  Wrapped in brown paper, painted it with Gesso to firm it up.  Top coated it with acrylic paint, using black, yellow and a hint of red.  Had some green leather, cut it in strips, wet and stretched it over the edges and pinned it in place.  Squeezed the corners and snipped them.  They just stayed there and set in place as they dried out!  Marked a lid in felt pen, found some travel labels online and stuck them on. Found some hinges and a fastener and stuck them on leather, cut out and stuck them in place. Mod podge'd it all and it was done! It could probably do with some straps and buckles around it, which I have here. Needless to say, it doesn't open - and still has some tissues inside!  LOL!  Actually, it would make a novel tissue box cover! 

The other round thing is a very unrealistic looking hatbox, which will have to be replaces with something better.

The dog I designed ages ago, but it looks ok in this setting - gives her something to be doing!

Olive treated us to the sight of her lovely Embroidered quilt she is making for her mother - lovely!

Raylene decided to make a really difficult face for her first attempt at doll making!  It's the Black and white one - Patty culea pattern and Arley Berryhills rendition of it.  Talk about complicated!  I had to take the pattern home and learn how to make it myself before I could teach her!  It's been interesting - they laughed at the tutor having homework!  LOL!

Here's Jean hiding behind her doll in the pink bathers.  My new doll is in the green on the table.  Not far from completion now and it will be a bnew pattern, so watch this space!

Olive coming to grips with a new doll, while her other doll looks on!  Jean meantime has turned her doll around so we can glimps her face!  She's going to be a cracker!  Jean has great plans for this doll.

Raelene keeping an eye on the quilt, with Olive's doll making a clean sweep of things! Olive wants to reffle her doll at the Trillium Club she belongs to.  She's a keen gardener too!
 We had fun tonight!

This is Olive's doll Edith.  She's just come from church and is sweeping the leaves form the path in the garden before she goes inside to finish cooking the Sunday roast!

She's listening to the fantails twittering in the apple tree!

Now she's heading back inside and thinking about puttting the spuds in the roasting dish!


This pattern is Jill Maas' "Maid Aggie" pattern.  Isn't she sweet?  She's so practical!  The outfit  and story was Olive's idea.

At last I have actually made a new pattern!  I have so many unfinished patterns on my computer, but I have followed through with this one - perhaps because it's so uncomplicated, and the more I made of them, the  better they got, so I didn't have to think too hard about the process!

So here it is - the Baby Buntings!

The good thing about these babies is that they are five inches tall and fit in the palm of your hand!  They don't take long to make and no-one can resist them! 

They'd make a great gift for a new mum, put wings on them and they are baby angels, make a wee bed and blanket and they are a toy for a tot, a comfort for an elderly person or just for yourself!  They are a pleasure to make and you can almost hear them gurgling!  Make boys and girls, twins or one offs.

What do you think?  

I'm off to Timaru today - having a day off from work to help my friend Mary Horn set up her painting Exhibition.  I'm quite excitied about it.  I can learn a lot from this exercise, as I want tp have an exhibition myself one day - it's on my list!  Who else has got a list?  Mary's Blog is down the dside of my page here, so check out her paintings!

I just had to make this little bookworm too!  Terrible photo, but the dog.......you know?  The tassle on the camera was too much for her and the temptation of the bookworm had her squirming on the floor beside me while I was holding her down and taking a photo at the same time!  Then I had to take her for a walk so this is what I've got!  At least I feel like I've made something this weekend!

I've been making babies!  I call them 'Baby Buntings' of course! Sometimes I just have to make something small when big things seem too hard.  I was drawn by some fluffy fabric I had, so had to experiment.  It was successful so I went and bought more! 

These little cuties don't take long to make and would be nice as a a gift for a mum of a newborn!  I happened to have two little baskets and made them very comfortable, so they have been cooing and sleeping all afternoon!  Even my dog Pips liked them, but I had to whisk them away from her in a hurry!

I am making a pattern for them.  Their little faces are slightly sculpted to make them interesting.
  

These are collages of Jeanne - the Innkeepers Wife made by some of my students and others who have used my pattern.  Aren't they amazingly all different!  You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.

I've put the bodies in because it shows the results you get from using different fabrics.  Some with two way stretch, some with ine way stretch and some with very little stretch.  It's good to have such an example to compare what results you want ot have. I have thoroughly enjoyed my involvement with all the dollmakers who have contacted me and shown me their creative works of art!  Thank you all!

For those who haven't yet tried my class, I hope you will consider doing so! 

It gives me great pleasure to present Jeanne Kalcevic's interpretation of my pattern Jeanne - the Innkeepers Wife!  Jeanne worked hard on this doll and persevered by makeing several heads to get it to a satisfying likeness.  she said she really enjoyed making it and now is waiting for me to make her counterpart - The Innkeeper!  Jeanne was the instigator for me making this pattern at all, so I dedicated the pattern to her for keeping me motivated!  I am so lucky to have such an online friend!  Thanks a million Jeanne! 



Sprite for May 2011

Inspired by the fabric - given by a friend, and made for another friend who will finish her with beading.  This is a fun doll to make - Patti Culea pattern of course.  The hair was a scrunchie!  Lends itself well to something a little wild!



Belle & Rita



Snail Races

In a far away time in the Dingly Dell,

Lived a magical fairy by the name of Belle.

With sparkling eyes and hair all afire,

winning a race was her fervent desire!

Her favourite mount was a snail named Rita,

the fastest in fairyland, no snail could beat her!

When race day came round, wee Belle was ready,

saddled up nicely, snail polished and steady!

The starter yelled GO! They set off for the race,

and Rita soon slithered at her fastest snail’s pace!

The time flew by, it seemed like hours,

As they slimed over rocks and slid past flowers.

Belle gurgled and laughed the whole day long,

And the Dingley Dell rang out with bird song!

The flowers in joy, gave their pollen and scent

as the bees bumbled throughout this happy event!

At the end of the day the fairies all cheered

as Belle and Rita, the home stretch they neared!

They passed the tall Iris beside the flat stone

and Belle giggled out loud as they snailed towards home!

Just another two inches, Blue Ribbon in sight,
Belle urged her mount Rita to show all her might....
They crossed it, they won it, the fairies went crazy,
they accepted the prize standing on a white daisy!

Belle bowed to the crowd and the cheering went up,
They won the Blue Ribbon and a dewed butter cup!
As dusk settles down the party will start
And Rita will munch on a whole lettuce heart!
Shan & Tree 2011

This is a fairy doll pattern by Sherry Goshon that I actually made in 2008.  Just found a doll challenge by her and didn't read it properly. Composed the poem, then read it was for 2007!  So I'm a wee bit out of date!  Not to worry, it was a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon!

Olive is making great progress with her doll.  There is more, but we have to preserve modesty just now!  Olive can get on with making her clothes now, so hopefully in the next few weeks.........  Meantime Jean's breaking from tradition and working on more than one doll at a time!  That's progress!  So nothing much to show this week, though I have been working on other things in the background.

This is a better photo of Ruby!  I'm happier with her hair now.

I've been modifying my Jessie & Jack pattern to make the sculpting sequence more easy to follow.  When I first made it, I thought people who bought it would be experienced in sculpting - how naive I  was!  Now I know that anyone who is attracted to a pattern will buy it on looks alone!  Luckily, someone asked me for help and I really looked at it and found I could do it better, so now I have!  This little face is the result and I have made several sculpting secuence drawings to enable even a novice to make it - easier I hope!  My big trouble is - I never follow the same sequence twice!  I guess I just intuitively do it. This little face doesn't know what it will end up being yet!  LOL!

Saloon Girl!



  Well balanced back view!



Here is my second Saloon Girl, modelled on Bette Midler!  She's a real dame, bolche and larger than life!  An old tart with just a little glitz and glam! 

 This is actually Jill Mass's Dancing Doris with a few little modifications!  I love how her  dolls can be exagerated and so quirky! This one stands balanced on three points, though I don;t know how she'd do in an earthquake!  She shows to best advantage if she's lower down, with her head thrust up so high - showing off! 

Here they all are for want of storage space!



Cute lacy knickers!



You won't recognise this next time you see her!  Well for a start she'll have clothes on! 

She looks a lot different now with her face drawn in.  Olive has great plans for the rest of her.  I love this doll pattern by Jill Maas.  I think she has such great potential!  So quirky!

This is my latest doll 'Saucy Sue' , showing off her garter!  She's looking forward to travelling to Benson - near Tombstone, to entertain shoppers in a new shop due to open soon!  She'll have two other friends to join her - whenI get some free time! She's a fun doll to make with a very narrow waist and an embellishers dream!

Hands can be quite lovely!  They look a little odd here, but when they are posed on the doll I'm making  they'll look great!.  I find that dollmaking is about about illusion, suggestion.  If you put in too much detail the overall effect can get lost.