My Travelling Doll Returns Home

 

D'Sil and Olin have reached the end of their journey and what tales they have to tell. My travelling doll started out as just a head, hands and feet attached to a wire armature, only wrapped in polyfil and Olin just a pair of feet.  

The journal that I sent along to record the story, a small one, only a 4 x 5" notebook with an experimental cover and a magical story or a disallusioned wizard and the vague tale of a companion he meets along the way.

The returned to me quite different from what I expected but no less grand or than my tale. I couldn't be happier! Of course I got to see his progress along the way as the dolls in the travelling doll project were regularly posted on the ADO Travelling doll blog. If this is your first time reading about it, you must go read the stories of all 28 dolls that made this journey to multiple countries and talented doll artists.

The journal is now full to bursting with stories, pictures and trinkets collected along the way.

D'Sil fell in love and got married in Texas, his wife Vaudeville left him to journey to Germany and his companion showed it's true self. They travelled on to Iowa where he met Marie, they soared across the heartland and found themselves in the foothills in California where they caught gold fever and panned for gold and jewels, back in Iowa they were chased by squirrels and they ate home cooked meals, and in England they spent some time with another magician to learn magic that made people laugh. They went on a treasure hunt to find more magical things and great medallion. Scotland, Stonehenge and even to see King Arthur and the Lady of Shallot and finally finding a great copper medallion before they flew home to me.

Along the journey he acquired more clothing trinkets added to his costume. Olin got some wings and funky tail and mane.

 I am truly honored to have met some wonderful people, fellow doll artists and to have had a chance to work on their dolls. All were very different and had their own unique stories that developed. It was a lot of work, some of it very time consuming. I learned new things about my city as I involved the doll in it's history, or in Ruby's case shopping! I explored new techniques, made lots of shoes and underwear for the dolls that came my way. I had a blast.

Here are the dolls I got a chance to work on when they were with me and a final peek at how they turned out in the end.
First Sally's doll, Satinka. She didn't even have a name when I first got her, just the impression that she loved Native American and the Painted Dessert. I made her some rawhide boots.

 Then Paula's doll Lady Wisteria Asquith Jones. I made her some lovely knickers.



Then a visit with Lisa's doll Wild Thing who took me on a crazy ride through the sixties.  While with me Wild Thing got some new go-go boots and a tie-dyed dress.

 

Then I received Cindee's Chloe. A button-eyed wonderful doll who got a pair of lacy, beribboned stocking and silk flats while visiting me.

and finally Abi's doll Ruby who also got a pair of knickers, a silk purse and silky lace up sandles from me and coaxed me into taking her shopping in Yorkville and to a posh resort in Muskoka before she journeyed home to Texas.

NEW Puppet Pattern Now available on Etsy

I've been asked so many times for a copy of my puppet pattern so I finally made one!
This is developed from the puppet workshop I did at the office. Originally developed as instructions on a power point presentation the instructions are easy to follow and have wonderful colour step by step photos of the process.

Available as a PDF for almost instant gratification. You still have to buy the supplies, but they are easy to find in your area! Check it out here!

Watch for a puppet kit coming soon!!

Art doll only's Traveling Doll Project: Team Bambola D'sil & Olin in the UK. Final Stop be...

Art doll only's Traveling Doll Project: Team Bambola D'sil & Olin in the UK. Final Stop be...: "'I'm getting far too old for all this travelling Olin old son' D'sil said wearily to Olin as they arrived in the UK. 'Hope we can rest soon ..."

Meet Tabitha

Tabitha is a little shy, she's ascared of meeting new people and hides behind people until she feels comfortable.
She has a very small voice and only speaks up when she is gets to know you a little better. By then you'll get tired of hearing her constant questions "Why?, Whas that? whacha doin? She does have a great giggle though!

Tabitha was a gift for a co-worker who is having a new baby, won't she be great for storytime!

Travelling Doll Ruby

Ruby, the last of the travelling dolls, arrived from England last week. She's really gorgeous!
It's kind of sad that she is the last travelling doll I will receive before I get my own back. She is gorgeous! She didn’t do so well on her travels though. Broke her ankle and is in a cast, and then developed a rather serious crack in her neck so she also wears a rather stunning neck brace. Pretty though isn’t she?

I made her some silk knickers, pink silk lace up sandals (I know another pair of shoes!) and a pink silk purse. I still have to work on her journal before I can ship her. I’ve made shoes for all the dolls but one I think. I don’t even like making shoes.

I had so much fun and it was so wonderful to work with some of my favourite doll artists. I can't beleive it's nearly over!

Eco-friendly Puppet Experiment

I had a co-worker ask if I could make some eco-friendly children's toys. His brother just had a baby and they were very much trying to keep their eco-foot print to a minimum. So the search began for fabrics. I wanted to do a puppet and as I prefer to work with fleece I wanted something with a similar weight and texture. Unless I wanted to take a garment apart I found I wasn't going to get what I was looking for.

I stopped again at a different Fabricland and asked the same question I'd been asking at every fabric store for the past few weeks. Do you have any eco-friendly fabrics, cottons, bamboo? Only this time I found an employee who knew her stuff. While they didn't have any fabrics, when I suggested perhaps towels, drapery, blankets. ah-ha, light went on. I found some fabulous bamboo throws that were perfect and colourful! Price tag... gasp... $90 for less than two meters. But wouldn't you know they were marked down!!

A whopping 60% off made this project suddenly doable. So I bought several colours! YAY I also found felt made from recycled water bottles and stuffing made of the same stuff (it's slightly green in colour). Perfect for handwashable puppets. The puppets are machine and hand-sewn, eyes are soft rather than plastic and are oh so soft!

Meet the two I made so far. Emmett the fly-fishing frog and Edgar. I sold both but will be making more to sell on my etsy site. I just love making puppets!