The Magic Bean

Off the Top of My Head

Judi at Doll Street suggested that when I offer the Soul Whisperer as an online cloth doll class, I should offer a small free pattern for people who sign up by a certain date.  I had something in mind and started to do the pattern, but then the idea for these came to mind.  I'm so much in love with these little cloth doll pencil toppers.  Sometimes the best ideas come off the top of your head.

First there is Beryl.

Beryl is a graduate student in creative writing.  Her father thinks her degree is a waste of time.  Not a day goes by that he doesn't tell Beryl to get the lead out and finish with school.  But Beryl isn't ready to write off academia yet, after all she works as a supermodel and that more that pays for her tuition. However, Beryl's mother worries that she is thin as a pencil.  Only Beryl's grandmother is as proud of her degree as she is of her modelling career and brags that Beryl is 'such a sharp girl'.

Leda is one of Beryl's model friends.  Leda loves designer labels and luxury items. But Leda only wears fake fur as she is the face of PETA (Pencils for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).

And this is Tracey.

Tracey loves modelling the bridal wear at the end of the catwalk shows.  She fancies herself a bit of a comedian but as her memory is a bit sketchy she tends to forget the punch lines, so her jokes go down like a lead balloon.  Bless.

I had so much fun making these.  I hope you like them!

A Grumpy Muse

My muse has been rather grumpy of late.  She doesn't want to co-operate.  So it has taken me for ever to test my Soul Whisperer pattern, but I did finally get my second version of the Soul Whisperer finished.

I've used quite a different colour scheme, just for fun really.

But still the same funky shoes.

Gotta have those shoes.

So now the class is all ready, but Judi at Doll Street has suggested that I do a free pattern for people who sign up early, so I've got to sort that out before posting the ad for the class with Doll Street.  But I've got something in mind.  Maybe, just maybe I'll share that with you soon.  I'm such a tease. 

Freebie Friday - Free Printables and Graphics

If you ever sell your dolls having some swanky tags can really add to your street cred.  Or maybe you might want to make your blog or website more snazzy.  Maybe these links to some sites offering free graphics and printables will help up the snaz-factor!

I used Prim Doodles for my Christmas gift tags.  Martha eat your heart out.  Click here to see tags, bookmarks, recipe cards and more.

This site has lots of interesting free printables, so Alenka's Printables was probably a good title for that site then (assuming someone named Alenka owns it).

If you just can't keep away from doll's for 2 minutes than here is a site full of free printable paper dolls, check it out.

Heartland graphics provides some free banners to be used on blogs and website, check out the downloadable fun here.

Hattie's Workshop has some great graphics for your blog, especially if you want to advertise that you are on ebay, click here to see.

Check out the Crafts Beautiful site for printable patterned papers, motifs, and even verses.

Don't you feel snazzy now? Knew you would!

   

It's April, really it is...

In my last post I declared that spring was sprung...methinks I spoke too soon.

Freebie Friday - Spring Fling

As my dad would say:

"Spring is sprung, the grass is riz, wonder where the birdies is?"

Here's a round-up of spring patterns to get you in the mood.

Here is a great project sheet from Tilda full of cute projects such as fabric flowers and boats.

Here is a sweet bloom inspired fairy by Judy Wellnitz.

With the warmer weather unfortunately comes the bugs.  Here is a super cute pattern for the Bridgewater Bed Bug by Kelly Lyn Smith.  Hopefully you'll just have bugs in your garden this spring and not in your bed.

Click here to see Ute Vasina's butterfly pin doll. 

Click here for a spring wreath adorned by little sprites.

Check out the cute potted fabric flower here.

So with those patterns under your belt do you feel ready to fling yourself into spring?

Freebie Friday - Happy Snaps

My hubby got a shiny new camera for Christmas (from a little elf called Moi) and has been happily snapping pics of oh, pretty much anything.  Like this:

And this:

And this:

And I think you'll agree that Himself is catching on fast.  And he even did a great job photographing my latest doll, the Soul Whisperer, but we felt that our back drops weren't the best and we struggled to get decent lighting.

   

There was a discussion on my online doll club Doll Street's distribution list regarding lighting for photographing dolls and a bunch of the Street's illustrious members came up with some great links to free tutorials.  I found them really helpful, so here they are in all their glory for your edification.  May they be your guiding light or should that be your guide to light?

This article gives some good basics for photographing art and craft pieces.  The focus of the article is taking pictures of gourds, but the tips apply equally to doll making.

If you need help to know what cameras to buy and how to get close-ups, try this article to start with.

Here's a great article that covers the basics from Mimi Winer.  However this does not seem to cover digital photography.

The secret of photographing doll's well seems to be a light tent.  No, you don't camp in it, but you place the doll in it so that it photographs well (I know, I was disappointed too, I thought there would be Smores). Here is a tutorial on how to make your own inexpensive light tent.  And here is another tutorial on how to make a light tent.

Not sure what to do with that light tent?  Here is a video about using a light tent to photograph small objects.  The video is obviously aimed at selling a certain brand of collapsible light tent, but it does give beginners a good idea of how a light tent is used.

Personally, I'm tempted to buy another brand of tent recommended by several Doll Street members, the EZ Cube.  It certainly isn't free, but it is collapsible and I certainly don't have room in my shoebox, I mean flat, to store a regular light tent.  I'll have to put it on my list of 'Gotta Have Its' and in the meantime I'm draping fabric over my kitchen counter to snap photos of my dolls.  Sigh...

Freebie Friday - Doll Jointing

Today you get a two-fer!  That is, you get some Freebie Friday action, combined with an update on Rainbow Dolls.  I demo-ed for the group on doll jointing.  I focussed on moveable joints, primary button jointing, bead jointing and commercial plastic jointing.  It rurned out that a few members have been dabbling, or in the case of Karen been mastering, teddy bear making and so didn't need much help with plastic joints. 

Mavis made this gorgeous teddy, who is still in progress, if you can believe it:

And Stella had a go with crocheting a tiny mini teddy:

Karen, whose forte is teddies brought her cute "in progress" elf from Janet Clarke's course:

So that lot didn't need much help with commercial joints, but in case you do, check out Mimi Winer's tips on using commercial joints here. The only thing that I'd add to this, is that I find it helpful to interface the area with a lighweight fusible interfacing before snipping the holes for the joints.  And adding a little fray check to the snipped area too, for extra insurance.

We focussed more on button joints and beaded joints.  I showed Barbara Willis' method that I've learned from both her patterns and her classes (with her permission, of course). And Judi Ward's method.  Judi kindly also gave her permission to share her fabulous technique. I then moved on to bead jointing.  Download this free tutorial that I shared at the meeting, made up of all these great methods for doll jointing.  Download doll_jointing_tutorial.pdf.  If that wasn't quite enough info, check out this free tutorial with great visuals for Judi's doll jointing method as presented by Mimi Kirchner.

Well, the members always esem to put to use whatever info is passed on, so no doubt we'll see some fabulous doll joints in the near future.

After all, here's what Stella's been working on using the doll armature demo I gave a while back.  Go Stella!

   

Ups and Downs

My poor hubby.  Himself has had to suffer through putting up with me this week.  I've been grumpy.  No real reason.  Just a big old grumpy pants.  Yesterday I got bummd out cause the gallery that has been selling my dolls decided not to sell them anymore.  They have sold some of them, but what sells are these tiny fairy's I used to make and frankly I'm not interested in cranking out endless identical fairies just for the sake of sales.  And I'm not hurt about the fact that they've told me they're not interested anymore.  I know that what is selling there is kids craft kits.  Finished crafts aren't a big hit for the shop.  And I have no issue with that.  But due to the fact that I'm generally grumpy, I started thinking 'What do I make all these dolls for?'.  I know the answer - I make them for me.  I don't really want to have the finished product for ever, I just love the process of designing and making them.  People ask which is my favourite doll and it is always the one I'm working on.  Granted, I care that the finished product is beautiful and well made, but it is not why I do it.  Himself said it's like when you are really enjoying a book and you rush to get to the end because you need to know what happens, but when you finish you are devastated that it is over and you are no longer part of that world.  And that's it.  The crux of it.

Plus.  I live in a shoe box.  Not literally, but my flat is very small.  London small (as opposed to North America small) which is really small.  Did I mention that it's small?  So there isn't the room to store a large collection of dolls.   I could sell them on Ebay or Etsy.  But then I'd have to regularly meet my nemesis - the post office!  I hate posting things.  I have issues.    So I'm undecided as to what to do with these dolls. 

But in the cheerful department, one of my students from my online class for Bea in her Bonnet , Louise Bergeron from Quebec, sent me some pictures of her finished doll and she is a stunner!

Louise even crocheted the hat herself.  Fab, huh?  I love that each student interprets the pattern differently.  Louise really went for a garden theme with the little shovel and mossy socks.  So this answers my question too - What do I make dolls for?  I make them for this.  Seeing other people get joy out of what I've designed.  Man, I'm welling up.  And now Louise has gone and signed up for Water Lily.  Sniff, sniff, don't mind me.      

Freebie Friday - Bunnies and Chicks and Geese, Oh my!

I am lucky enough to have some very fine Easter memories.  Sitting at the table poking holes in either end of an egg and blowing the yolk into a bowl until my cheeks hurt.  Getting a pogo ball as a gift one year and bouncing around the dining room table with glee.  That time the Easter Bunny made a trail of jelly beans to our chocolate.  Ah good times... now I'm mostly just happy to sleep in.

But I still do appreciate a good bunny pattern.  And a good set of legs on a chick.  So check out these free Easter themed patterns.

Here is a very cute but simple bunny pattern from Wee Wonderfuls.

I think this little ballerina bunny is a scream.

Here is  bunny in a jester's get up.

Now this next pattern is a bit of a cheaters pattern because it is a bunny pot, but it tells you to use a pre-made bunny.  I think we could make our own, don't you?  But here it is anyway because it is a cute idea.

Here is cute bunny wabbit pin pattern from Jacque Uetz.

This next pattern has got to be one of my favourite free patterns that I've seen lately, here's an Easter Chick that you'll want to have come home to roost.

If you fall a bit fowl of chicks how about goose?  Click here to see a really cute pattern for Lucy Goosey.

I've run amok with the puns again.  It's just cause Easter makes me so egg-static. 

Freebie Friday - Oh the Generosity

We are very fortunate in the soft doll community to have so many doll makers who are so giving and generous with their talents.  This Friday, I'm focusing on a few designers who really out do themselves with their generous free patterns and tutorials.

First off, Judi Ward.  Judi has so many free patterns and lessons on her website and picture trail.  Click here for Judi's Bluette manikin's.   These are full sized dolls folks!  And another full size doll, Peaches Ballerina here, a great pattern for beginners.  Plus, a very well photographed doll hand tutorial here and  tutorial on how Judi makes a baby doll here (I especially like the bit on how to measure Tibetan lamb hair for a wig to fit the doll).  Judi also has a pattern for a very simple baby doll for free here.

Rivkah Rosenfeld has several interesting freebies on her blog.  First, click here for a full size pattern for a fairy doll pattern and click here for a unique torso pattern and technique.  Rivkah also has a free fairy wings pattern here and a tutorial on making high heel shoes here. 

Antonette Cely shares her fabulous experience via several doll making tutorials here.  These cover wefting hair, making eyes, making better hands, shoe making, stuffing techniques, printing on fabric and jewellery making.  Not to mention the free videos of Antonette Cely's, I've posted those before, click here if you want to be reminded just how generous Noni Cely is.  She also provides a pattern for a simple toy doll to be made for needy children here.

Know anyone else who has a wealth of free patterns or tutorials available for cloth doll making on the net?  Tell us about them.  We love free!