Okay, so Abagail (doll #4 as she was referred to yesterday), has always called to me. I agree with John that #4 was the way to go.

I took Morena’s advice and decided to block out all of the other miniature ladies that are calling to me and concentrate on her alone. Even her arms were already decided from the very beginning and I handsculpted some 2 tone porcelain arms with white gloves and bare flesh shoulders. These may end up being covered up from above the elbow (or more).

I wanted to do a more “casually” dressed victorian or Edwardian lady, perhaps off to have tea or something. Even when these ladies were not going to a ball they still were so well dressed.

As you can see I am already positioning her. As I have mentioned in the past, this is a very imortant step in achieving a more lifelike doll rather than a stiff doll. Right now her sway in her ack looks exaggerated, but that is because her body hasn’t been wrapped yet.

Here is another angle where you can see the sway in the back, the chest up, etc.  She will get fancy shoes before she is costumed.  Thank you for the emails letting me know your thoughts on my creative conundrum!

 Have you ever been in a Creative Conundrum?  I seem to have so many ideas and so many special, painted doll kits set aside to costume that I can’t seem to decide which one to dress or which costume to do, etc.  It must sound silly to some, but I always make 1 or 2, one of a kind ladies when I am working on my doll kit orders.  I have 6 pretty gals just begging for me to costume them.  I have been working on them for many months already just to get them to this point. Sigh, I don’t know which little lady to create first.  Alas, the poor dears have been banished to solitary confinement and can only dream of stepping out in a new world all dressed and ready for a new adventure.  Does this ever happen to anyone?  You have the most wonderful doll, fabrics, etc. but just can’t seem to settle on what to do with her?  Arrrgh!  It will be fun to see which lady wins!  I think #4 from the left is calling out to me.  Her name is Abigail. Stay tuned…..

I am happy to report that I met with my mold maker yesterday and my molds are now in production.  It should be another 1 – 1/2 weeks and they will be in stock.  If you placed a paid pre order your molds will go out first.  I ordered a few exra sets but I am sure they will go fast.  If you want any molds, you can place a pre-order on the Miniature Doll Molds page.

Hugs,

Gina

Hi All,

I have recently been in touch with my mold maker. He has graciously agreed to make my molds for me again. He will be doing this part time from his regular job. I am so excited about this.

I am meeting with him next week to get everything set up. If you are interested, please go to my mold page and you can pre-order your molds.

 I am not sure of the exact delivery date yet as it will depend how quickly he can make them for me.

 They will be shipped out first come , first served.

 Hugs,

Gina

Hello to all,
I had over 70 entries for the fan contest. Thank you so much.
Congratulations goes to…….

? Loly Rodriguez ! ?

Please contact me at : gbellous@gmail.com so I can send out your fan prize package!

I just love this ad for ROGERS & THOMPSON silk samples, New York City, 1910.  Look at the way the bottom of her skirt/train is unrolling from a bolt of silk fabric. Such a clever ad campaign.

She would make a terrific doll, don’t you think?

Okay, finally we have come to 200 followers! Thank you so much. I will put all of the names of those of you who commented on my blog asking to be in the give away in a bowl and pull the lucky winner. You have until midnight tonight to still enter the fan contest and then I will draw the lucky winner tomorrow.

 Later this coming week I will start a new give away for the Katelyn blank (not painted) doll kit.

Gig Hugs,

Gina

Hi All,

Oh my, we only need 3 more followers to the blog until there are 200. 

Once there are 200 followers, I will have another contest, as I promised, for a free blank (unpainted) doll kit of Katelyn, my teen doll. 

She is about 4 1/2 ” tall (she can be made taller or shorter to suit your needs), she is very versatile and can be either a young girl or a young woman.

As you can see she can have very different looks.  You can use your creativity and imagination to paint her and costume her any way you like.

To enter the 200 followers give away for a miniature handcrafted doll fan, miniature crystals, tiny glass beads and paper roses please go here: http://miniaturedolls.blogspot.com/2012/05/new-prize-give-away.html  and click on “follow” at left side of page, then leave a comment letting me know you want to be entered in the contest!

As Summer has now blown in with a gentle breeze and my children have flown off in different directions like the seeds of a dandelion delicately drifting towards their destinations I have found myself wanting to rekindle lost friendships and reacquaint myself with me.

I want to find myself again now that my permanent job as keeper of dreams, nurse of scraped knees, doctor of tummy aches, cook, storyteller, money tree, & chauffeur to all places big and small has taken a back seat.  I sometimes feel like I spent my whole life so wrapped up in being a mother that suddenly being laid off from some of those  jobs has left me wondering…now what? 

My children will always need me, this much I know, but now is a time for reinvention.  I recently called a good friend of mine who I had lost touch with.  It was like no time had gone by.  We were talking at a bubbling speed trying to catch up on all of the years.  She reminded me of a doll that I made for her daughter way back when I first started in the business.  She told me she had put it away all of these years for fear that her daughter would get rid of it in her teen years.  I haven’t seen it , but it made me really look back and see how my passion for dolls started and how much my work has transformed thoughout the years. 

I remember just sort of throwing myself into dollmaking after seeing the most beautiful miniature doll I had ever seen in a miniatures shop.  I was spell bound, as I held her tiny form in my hand. I had to make my own doll. This was over 23 years ago.

Do you remember when your love of dolls first hit you?  When you felt you just had to make dolls?  What was your passion?  Please leave your comments.

Big Hugs,

Gina

I want to thank everyone for their continued support.

I hope to be able to post some doll related messages here soon. 

I am adding some more items to my “Fan” give away! We only need 9 more followers to have the contest. http://miniaturedolls.blogspot.com/2012/06/new-items-added-to-give-away.html

I have added some lovely paper roses, tiny glass beads & antique “amethyst” crystals (24 pcs.)