From My Doll's House to Yours
Many years ago as a child I was shown how to make a jointed Teddy Bear by a lady who made them for charity and I was hooked. I began by making items for myself but soon found that others too loved my work.
After education, marriage and children I began to use my artistic talent again. It started with Bunnies and Hedgehogs all made in my front room which I sold on a market stall and they all went in the same day. This was fantastic and made me want to discover other items that would make people smile. So, I began with the Waldorf doll otherwise known as the Steiner doll. Rudolf Steiner believed in the Holistic approach, simplistic. He believed in dolls with little or no facial features or expression for a child so that the child could project it's own feelings on the doll. If the child was happy the doll could be happy and if sad then visa versa. They are made using natural fibres such as wool batting and cottons. My dolls were born. Using this technique I made the dolls, their outfits, their hair from mohair and the facial features were just the eyes. No nose and no mouth. I took these to market as a market trader and they were soon gone.
I needed to explore other areas and expand my knowledge of doll making. It began when I started to crochet [self taught] and made lovely items such as blankets & cardigans. However for me that was too boring I needed a challenge and discovered Amigurumi. The Japanese art of crocheting dolls in the round thereby leaving no seam. The more I crocheted the more capable I became and a whole new era opened up for me. I could crochet almost anything for anybody which opened up bespoke doll making from photographs.
My dolls were technical and took 5 to 6 weeks to make fully dressed and I loved each moment but especially when it was coming to the end and I could see this mini person come to life. They were admired so much and others appreciated the work that went into them particularly other crocheters. So, one day when I was marketing them on a stall I was approached by a shop owner to market them in her shop, which I did. Some of my doll's are in her shop but as it is quite small I took on a new challenge of opening a shop in Etsy.
This is where I am at the moment having created a brand new range of dolls using all the techniques I have learned over the years from Amigurumi and Waldorf, so they are crocheted in the round and have simplistic facial features made in my house for your house.
After education, marriage and children I began to use my artistic talent again. It started with Bunnies and Hedgehogs all made in my front room which I sold on a market stall and they all went in the same day. This was fantastic and made me want to discover other items that would make people smile. So, I began with the Waldorf doll otherwise known as the Steiner doll. Rudolf Steiner believed in the Holistic approach, simplistic. He believed in dolls with little or no facial features or expression for a child so that the child could project it's own feelings on the doll. If the child was happy the doll could be happy and if sad then visa versa. They are made using natural fibres such as wool batting and cottons. My dolls were born. Using this technique I made the dolls, their outfits, their hair from mohair and the facial features were just the eyes. No nose and no mouth. I took these to market as a market trader and they were soon gone.
I needed to explore other areas and expand my knowledge of doll making. It began when I started to crochet [self taught] and made lovely items such as blankets & cardigans. However for me that was too boring I needed a challenge and discovered Amigurumi. The Japanese art of crocheting dolls in the round thereby leaving no seam. The more I crocheted the more capable I became and a whole new era opened up for me. I could crochet almost anything for anybody which opened up bespoke doll making from photographs.
My dolls were technical and took 5 to 6 weeks to make fully dressed and I loved each moment but especially when it was coming to the end and I could see this mini person come to life. They were admired so much and others appreciated the work that went into them particularly other crocheters. So, one day when I was marketing them on a stall I was approached by a shop owner to market them in her shop, which I did. Some of my doll's are in her shop but as it is quite small I took on a new challenge of opening a shop in Etsy.
This is where I am at the moment having created a brand new range of dolls using all the techniques I have learned over the years from Amigurumi and Waldorf, so they are crocheted in the round and have simplistic facial features made in my house for your house.