Merry Christmas 2019

Christmas is almost here!  We are finally ready and I hope all of you are as well.  What a glorious time of the year.  We have so much to be thankful for, especially for the precious babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.  The One who came to save us from our sins and bring us to Heaven when the Lord calls us home.   Christmas is for celebrating the Birth of Christ.

Santa is also welcome in our home, but we know who is more important.  Santa gives us another reason to be happy.  He is a jolly example of giving from the heart, just as the Three Wise Men brought gifts to Baby Jesus.  This is why we also give gifts at Christmas.  It would be an amazing thing if every child in every corner of the world could receive gifts and know they are loved.   Sadly, there are many who go without even the very necessities of life.  Not only children, but people of all ages who need love.  Lord, please give all of us a heart that longs to give to others.   Let us never forget the gift of You.

I have enjoyed putting out festive Christmas decorations, as I always do.  It seems with every year, I cut back just a little.  I love the simple things most.

And this year, I bought myself a Christmas doll.  I normally do not do this, but I saw her and the price was too good to pass up.  She is an Izannah Walker Inspired doll made by Shari Lutz.  She is very simply made and is not made in the same manner as most Izannah Walker Inspired dolls.  In fact, only the face and hair resemble Izannah Walker.  Her face painting is like a watercolor portrait.  The simplicity of her and the peaceful, serene expression on her face is lovely. 

She is sitting in front of our Christmas tree, waiting for the big day.   She arrived December 19th.  She reminds me of "Sarah, Plain and Tall" so I have named her Sarah.  Have you seen those movies?  They are among my favorites.

I hope all of you enjoy a Beautiful Christmas with your families.  May it be Blessed and Merry!  And a Happy & Healthy New Year as well.

The Girls of Christmas

Happy December!  I hope you all had a Blessed Thanksgiving.  We did.  Anytime family can be together is wonderful.  Now we are in the process of getting ready for Christmas.  Most of the decorating is done, but there still are gifts to be wrapped, cookies to be baked, candies to be made and lots of holiday fun to be had.

As we are getting ready for Christmas, so are the dolls.  The Izannah girls are the first to be ready.

Helene got a new dress for Christmas.  She is so pleased with it and hopes that she may get more dresses soon.  Helene especially loves the holly leaves and berries on the trim.

Tibby also got a new dress for Christmas.   She is always happy to get a new dress, as most old fashioned dolls are.  Tibby loves the candy stripes on the trim of her dress.

Sybil is wearing her cranberry red Christmas dress, made just for her by her creator, Jan Conwell.  Sybil loves that her dress is her favorite color and has long sleeves to help keep her warm.  

I think they all look beautiful and ready for this very special season. 

All of this merriment and fun is wonderful, but the most important thing about Christmas is that we remember why we have Christmas.  Our Lord God sent His only Son down to earth to live among us.   A Son who loves us as much as His Father does and would eventually give His own life to cleanse us of our sins.  We are so wonderfully blessed!  

Please keep Christ in Christmas.   

Blessings to all of you!

Helene

It has been a long time since my last post.  I apologize for that, but life seems to get busier every day.   I hope all of you are happy, well and blessed.  I have many blessings to share, but want to start with this one...

This is Helene. She is a marvelous Izannah Walker Inspired doll made by the very talented Svetlana  Lukina in Russia.  I saw this sweet doll in her Etsy store and also on her facebook page and fell in love with her.  At that time, she was already spoken for.   Without going into all the details, this doll became available again and I was very blessed to be able to bring her home.   She is amazing!  Every tiny detail is perfection!  Look at her gorgeous dress and that beautiful bonnet!  All handmade by the artist.  Even her sweet little leather shoes!

                               
She is wonderfully painted as well.  See her pretty side curls?  There are more on the other side and in back.  Her face is so precious and her eyes very captivating.  She is stunning in every way.

She fits into my home very well too.   My home is primitive farmhouse style.  I love antiques and well worn things.  Helene looks so pretty no matter where I put her.  She is beautiful perfection sitting among my old things.  They compliment one another, because she is a replica of an antique doll.

Helene arrived here on September 28, 2019.   So this will be the day we celebrate her birthday each year.  As you can see, she has already been gifted a few special toys.  The little rug beater she is holding is very old.   A father from long ago made it for his special little girl to play with.  I have had it for many years.  Now it belongs to Helene.

She was given the little painted cat on the day she arrived here.  And recently the little rug beater.   The sheep & willow tree pin-keep is one I made several years ago.  The small basket is part of a miniature basket collection my sweet husband gave me for our 10th Anniversary.   We celebrated our 38th Anniversary this past June.

Tibby and Sybil have welcomed Helene with open arms, just as I have.  I love them all dearly and feel so very blessed to have them.

I am out of time so I must get busy.  Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!  Take a few moments to count your blessings and you will see just how truly blessed you are.

Until next time, be blessed!

Grace Gets an Upgrade

This is Grace, made by artist Rebecca Kerin.  I have posted about her before, as her hair was damaged when I got her.  I made paper clay hair for her.   It was better than nothing, but I always wanted to try again and see if I could improve on it.  Just for reference, the photo below is my first attempt.

If you look closely at the first photo at the top, I hope you can see the differences.  It took me two more times to make it better.  Part of the problem was that the first time I did it, the material was too thin and shapeless.  I knew that had to be changed.  It was a lot of work and a lot of drying and curing time, but I think it was well worth it.

The next photos show more of the layering and work done.  I'm so pleased with how it turned out.  I think Grace is pleased too. 

I tried to keep the same hair color as before, but changed the style a little bit.  Another change is the material I  used.  The first hair was made of creative paper clay.  This time I used apoxie sculpt.  

I think those little tendrils in the front add so much charm to the overall appearance of her new hair, if I do say so myself.  Grace is one of my most favorite dolls, especially being a big fan of Rebecca Kerin too.  

I hope life has been treating all of you well.  I always appreciate your visits and comments.

Until next time, be blessed!  

Happy Birthday Sybil!

Sybil has been here for two years already!  Time is flying right by us.  For her birthday, I bought her a sweet dress.  I bought Tibby one from the same maker a couple of weeks ago.  When I saw this dress I knew Sybil had to have it because the trim is the same fabric as Tibby's dress. 

I knew you would want to see Tibby's dress too.  It's hard to tell in my pics because the pink gingham is a small scale.  I love them both! 

Sybil has been getting all of my attention today, as it should be.  Even the weather was nice today, and that was a gift to all of us around here. 

Enjoy the rest of your day and be blessed!

Tibby

This lovely doll is Tibby, a handmade Izannah Inspired doll by Jan Conwell.  The photo is several years old.  I got Tibby back in May of 2014.   I bought her from a sweet friend and kept her almost three years.   At that time, I had so much "stuff" that I felt the need to downsize, and Tibby was adopted by the very same friend that I bought her from.

A few weeks ago, I saw on her blog that she is now downsizing and had Tibby up for adoption.  I was so happy to have a chance to get her back.  I'm thrilled to have her home with me again!  Tibby was made by the same artist (Jan Conwell) who made Sybil, so they are real sisters. 

Since she has been home, the sisters have gotten to know each other. It has been so much fun to play with them.  I have bought Tibby a few new dresses because she has only had one her entire life, that I'm aware of.  When I commissioned Sybil, I asked the artist to make her a seasonal wardrobe.  She did an amazing job on the doll and the dresses.  So now I'd like for Tibby to have a seasonal wardrobe as well.  I think she deserves to be spoiled.  The dress in the photo above would make a lovely Spring dress, but it will work for Summer too, for now.

Tibby is 21 inches tall, where Sybil is 18 inches.  Tibby is also a "Barefoot Izannah" doll, where Sybil has painted on boots.  Tibby's eyes are brown and Sybil's are blue.  So lots of subtle differences, but both beautiful girls.

I hope you enjoyed "meeting" Tibby.  I'm sure there will be more posts about her and her sister in upcoming posts.

I hope you all are happy and well. 

From all of us here to all of you....Be blessed!

Hitty Fern by Gail Wilson

I hope all of you enjoyed your Independence Day.   We have had a nice week, as hubby is on vacation.  It made our holiday even better.

I am still working on introducing my dolls.   This is Hitty Fern by Gail Wilson.  I have wanted one of these dolls for a very long time.   Earlier this year, I finally got one.  I have been enjoying her so much.  I have some other Hitty dolls that are very precious to me as well.  I got her for a great price and she came wearing my favorite "tea dress" and pink coral bead necklace.  She is signed and dated by Gail on the back of her neck.  She is one of her older ones, which makes her more dear to me.

She inspired me to do something I have always wanted to do.  I actually love primitive things and have always wanted to paint a mural in my house.  But it's a scary thing to paint something so big, so I never did it.  But Hitty Fern could have one. 

I searched for a wooden box to turn into a room for her but never found what I wanted.  So hubby said I should just make it myself.  So I did!  I think I even surprised him by actually doing it.  I went to Home Depot and bought a 12 foot by 12 inch by 1 inch board and had them cut the pieces to size for me.  I sanded them that same evening and the next day, stained the outside of the pieces.  Then I painted a mural on the back wall.   I'm not an artist by any means but it turned out just like I wanted.  Then I put it together.

 A couple of weeks ago, I covered the plain pine board floor with real miniature hardwood.  It was so fun to do and turned out pretty good.  I even added baseboards with the leftover pieces.  It definitely gives the room a more finished look.

Then I decided I wanted to make some of the kits Gail Wilson makes for her Hitty dolls.  I'm not really a builder of things, but I figured if I could make and paint the room, I could do a few of the kits.  The first one I made was the peg rack shelf.  I already had the dress form and a friend sold me some of her GW Hitty stuff that she was no longer using.  The sewing kit items are on top of the peg rack shelf.

I had a few other things that I made from GW's kits.  I made the little peg doll, her pouting chair and rope bed.  It came with a tiny quilt kit, but I put it away and have not found it again!  LOL!   The rug under the table was also from my friend as well as the splay leg chair by the wall.   The table and chairs were made by me.  I enjoyed making them for the most part, but I admit the chairs were hard.  I am so glad I didn't give up.

Every little girl needs a table for having tea parties.  The tiny tea set and candle stick with candle are very tiny miniatures made by Blue Moon Pottery. The teapot is the size of a penny!  I was so surprised that they were so tiny when I got them.  And they are actually made of real pottery.  I have no idea how they did this, but they are precious little things.  The table topper was in the kit with the table.  I decided to make it before I misplaced it like I did the little quilt.

The table and chairs come in handy when Hitty Fern wants to play with her  Hitty paper doll.  Those tiny scissors are from the sewing set and they really work!

Of course a desk is also needed for homework, letter writing,  journal entries and Bible reading.  The little chair from my friend is the perfect desk chair.  The lid lifts up on the desk for storage.  This was a fun piece to build.  The desk kit did not come with the ledge at the bottom of the lift up lid, so I made one and attached it myself.  It keeps things from sliding off.

Every girl also needs a comfy bed and a place to put her lamp and favorite books.   The bed and small bookcase are not by GW.  I found them online, as well as the bedside rug.  I already had the little lantern.  The quilt above the bed is part of the sewing set.  The ABC print is another online find, as well as the clock and Home Sweet Home sign.  The tiny printed cat is from GW.  It is so darling!  The tiny train was gift from the friend I bought the other items from.  

On the other side of the room is a hutch for storing other things.  I have had this piece for several years.  On top, she displays her sweet Hitty paper doll and box of dresses and an abacus to help her with her arithmetic lessons.  You can see the little peg doll sitting in her pouting chair and her little rope bed.  The rug hanging above the desk is another online find.  

So now you can see her entire room.  I have her dresses stored in a box just for her.  I may decide to display them later on.  I am trying not to over crowd the room.  The clock caught the flash and I didn't realize it until later.   Sorry about that.  

I'm very happy about this dolly project.  I have this sitting on the top of my desk, so I can enjoy it every day.  I hope you all have enjoyed seeing it.  I can't help but smile and sometimes I wish I was small enough to go in there and play too!

Blessings!

Winnie

I got busy and missed a week posting the next doll.  Sorry about that.  The next doll on the list of newcomers is Winnie.

Winnie is a Schoenhut model 14/105.  She is fourteen inches tall and jointed at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles.  She is made of wood and has metal springs in her joints to make her posable.  She is a carved haired doll.  She is an early model likely made between 1911-1912.  That makes her around 108 years old.

She was in bad shape when I got her.  I decided to try to fix her up a little instead of fully restoring her.  I wanted most of her genuine age to show.   It was a fun project, but work too.  I'm happy with the  results and I think Winnie is too. 

She has a happy look instead of pensive or sad.  I really like this about her.  I named her Winnie as soon as she arrived here.  Not sure why, other than liking the name and it seemed to fit.

A few weeks later, I remembered that I had this tiny artist made Winnie the Pooh bear.  I took him from the cabinet and gave him to Winnie.  Are they not perfect together?  I have been in love with Winnie the Pooh since I was big enough to watch tv.   

Winnie is very special to me and I am having fun spoiling her.  She deserves it.  

I will try to make time to keep posting at least once a week.  I have a few more dolls to introduce and some projects to show.

I hope everyone is happy and well these days.   

Blessings!  

Hannah ~ A Ludgwig Greiner Classic American Papier Mache Reproduction Doll

I love antique dolls, especially papier mache head dolls.  I'm not alone in this.  Finding a nice one is not easy, and the competition for them is tough.   One day I was browsing ebay and saw one of the reproduction Greiner Papier Mache Head dolls made by the United States Post Office.  I looked at them years ago, but at that time they were on the expensive side.

So when I found one for a good price on ebay, I decided to get it and see if I liked it in person.  She arrived and honestly, I think she is pretty nice.  One thing that was a disappointment is what looked like a reflection of light in one of her eyes was actually a scratch.  So I took a few minutes to get out my paints and mixed up a color as close to the eye color as possible and repainted that eye.  I think I did okay with it.

The second photo shows the scratched eye and the third photo shows the eye after I repainted it.  I really like this doll, even thought she is quite large.   Her complexion was borderline pasty white, so while I had my paints out, I did a faux aging technique to her face.  It seemed to make her more realistic.  I was very pleased with the results.  Her eyelash area had some slight denting, so she looks as if she has been played with long ago.  The aging technique enhances this.  It may be hard to tell much difference in the photos because of the flash, but in person, you can see the difference very well.

The photos above show some of the details about these dolls.  The papier mache head was made from the same papier mache recipe Ludwig Greiner used many years ago.  The head and body are both marked well, showing that she is a reproduction.  She is all cloth, other than the papier mache head.  She has a beautiful outfit but the shoes are a little cheap looking.  So I took a pair of well-worn genuine antique baby shoes and a pair of black socks and put them on her.  They are just a smidge too big, but look perfect on her.

I named her Hannah and put her in an adult size antique chair in my living room.

Did I mention that she is 30 inches tall?  I never buy big dolls because of the lack of space, but I made an exception for Hannah.  The chair she sits in has been a place for various teddy bears to sit in over the years.  Since bears can sit in lots of places and fit in smaller chairs, this one belongs to Hannah now.  

I smile every time I walk into our living room.  I hope you enjoyed seeing her and hearing about her.

Have a great week and be blessed!