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.