Sunday, January 25, 2015

How Can You Not Love Beautiful Flowers?


A beautiful surprise from hubby. How can you not love mother nature at her finest?

Saturday, January 17, 2015

No Sooner Was The Rocking Doggie In The Door .........


I couldn't wait to bring Penelope home. She was a beautiful wooden rocking dog that my brother had made for me. He had made one for our new grand nephew and I had loved it so much I, of course, wanted one.

When I told my brother this hubby gave me a look of "you've got to be kidding. Where are we going to put that?" I, of course, gave him a look of " I have someplace in mind. You'll see."

So, baby brother made me one and we were bringing Penelope home today.

We had just gotten home and hubby had just brought Penelope into the house and placed her in the dining room when I heard the cabinet doors opening and closing - followed by someone running.


I knew it wasn't hubby as he was outside and I was the only one in the house. Who was opening and closing the cabinets doors then? Worse, who was running? A burgular? YIKES! I hoped not.


So I went and looked. One of the cabinet doors was slightly ajar so I knew the "dollies" were up to something - but what? It wasn't a burglar. It was one of the "dollies."


When I went back into the dining room this is what I found....Adrienne was sitting on top of the doggie.

I guess she had decided Penelope was a present for her. It wasn't, but she looked so adorable and so happy sitting on Penelope I didn't have the heart to put her back in the cabinet. She was just beaming.


So, I told her she could stay there. She was so happy she started rocking back and forth. I don't know how she was able to do this as her legs were really too short for the foot pedals. But, she was rocking back and forth anyway.

Leave it to the "dollies" when they want to accomplish something they usually do.


It was then that I heard the cabinets doors opening and shutting again. What the..... What were the "dollies" up to now?

Once again I found the cabinet doors slightly ajar.

As I was returning to the dining room I heard giggling. At first it was like "tee-hee" laughter and then it was full blown out raucous laughter. Then CRASH! What the......


So, I went into the dining room and here's what I found. Toni and Timi had pulled the wooden chair I had bought for Adrienne and little red wagon my sister had given me over to the fireplace area and were sitting there just laughing and laughing.

Toni was pushing Timi back and forth in the little red wagon. She pushed him so hard Timi had actually fallen out and the wagon had overturned. That was what had caused the CRASH!

Of course, when they saw me they gave me that "just caught - oops look" that children always give you and then the "I'm sorry pleading look."

Even Penelope gave me that look. She didn't need to as I knew it wasn't her fault.

To be fair I hadn't told her how persuasive and demanding the "dollies" were and how they usually got their way. When they asked if they could play with her she had readily agreed.

She loved having fun and loved it when children wanted to play with her. I didn't have the heart to tell her these were not children - they were "dollies." They might think and act like they're human, but they're not.


Timi, being the little wise guy that he was, told me that he thought Penelope should be called "Pete" as the rocking doggie was male. I told him the rocking doggie was female and was named Penelope.

He disagreed and fired back, "That's not what your brother said. He said the rocking doggie was a "he" named Pete."

Since when was he talking to my brother? Hmmmm...

I gave him a look that immediately shut him up. He knew that if he wanted to stay where he was he'd better agree with me. OOPS......  Sorry......


When I looked at them again they were both laughing. They would start giggling, then Adrienne would start giggling to the point where they were laughing so hard they were crying.

They all looked so happy together I didn't have the heart to tell Toni and Timi they couldn't stay there. So, I told them they could stay, but that was it. No more "dollies" in the dining room.

All three shook their heads and readily agreed.


Of course, they really couldn't speak for the other "dollies" who had minds of their own. I knew full well that all the "dollies" would want to try the rocking "doggie" but that wasn't going to happen. I would just have to come up with another reason as to why 3 "dollies" in the living room scene was enough.

My only saving grace was I was hoping Adrienne wouldn't give up her seat. She was just too content sitting right where she was. We'll see.........


Thursday, January 01, 2015

It's Me, Ginny! E-Pattern - Free Easter Bunny E-Pattern



If you're looking for a cute little terra cotta bunny crafts you'll love my "It's Me, Ginny" free e-pattern. She is really easy to create and just the cutest little thing.


To view and download my free e-pattern please CLICK HERE. You'll be brought to Google Drive where you can view our free e-pattern in a compressed picture mode. Then just download our free .pdf e-pattern from the File menu in the upper left hand corner. The pictures will be downloaded in full resolution.

For more information on all my free e-patterns, e-printables and e-books please CLICK HERE.

Please respect My Terms of Use:  All patterns, e-patterns, printables, e-printables, e-books, graphics, tutorials, how-to's, articles and other e-products © 2004-2023 Linda Walsh Originals-Designs by Linda Walsh. All rights reserved. Commercial selling or reselling by any means prohibited without the written consent of Linda Walsh.

Patterns, e-patterns, printables, e-printables, e-books, graphics, tutorials, how-to's, articles and other e-products are for personal use only. You may not modify, photocopy, download, upload, post, transmit, display, perform, publish, license, reprint, create derivative works from, mass duplicate, re-sell, digitize, and reproduce in any other form (print, digital or electric) or commercially apply, embed, share, Email, or redistribution in any other means. Use of any of the above is prohibited without the written permission of Linda Walsh.

However, you may link to my website(s)/blog(s) and the individual page(s)/blog post(s) (including 1 picture) but do not copy, reprint or duplicate my website(s)/blog(s) or individual page(s)/post(s ) without my permission.

Items made from Linda Walsh Originals E-Patterns are intended for personal use for fun or small scale personal and business profit as long as you credit us with the design. Large scale commercial use (i.e. mass production) of items made from Linda Walsh Originals E-Patterns are by permission only.

Please see my Terms and Conditions for additional information.

Copyright © 2004 - 2023 - All Rights Reserved - Written By Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals and Linda's Blog. Linda is a doll maker and doll pattern designer.

Needle Felting How-To's


Four years ago my love of crafts expanded even more when my sister and her husband became alpaca farmers and started Rock Garden Alpacas. At the time neither they nor I had no idea what a big impact that would have on my art doll making and craft designs.  

With the alpacas came Rock Garden Alpacas Fiber for selling all their alpaca fiber products, including roving, raw fiber, carded batts, handspun yarn, hand dyed roving, doll hair fibers, knit scarves, and handmade nuno felted scarves. With this came my desire to create needle felted art dolls and other crafts using their products.

My sister and I began our needle felting and roving crafting adventures in October 2012 during my sister's visit.  Over the years we've dabbled a little learning needle felting and creating and dyeing roving.  My sister has also learned how to spin and dye her own yarn.

While we were learning I decided to write a few posts and how-to's.  I hope you enjoy them.



 
For more information on all my free e-patterns, e-printables and e-books please CLICK HERE.

Please respect My Terms of Use:  All patterns, e-patterns, printables, e-printables, e-books, tutorials, how-to's, articles and other e-products © 2004-2023 Linda Walsh Originals-Designs by Linda Walsh. All rights reserved. Commercial selling or reselling by any means prohibited without the written consent of Linda Walsh.

However, you may link to my website(s)/blog(s) and the individual page(s)/blog post(s) (including 1 picture) but do not copy, reprint or duplicate my website(s)/blog(s) or individual page(s)/post(s) without my permission.

Items made from Linda Walsh Originals Products are intended for personal use for fun or small scale personal and business profit as long as you credit us with the design. Large scale commercial use (i.e. mass production) of items made from Linda Walsh Originals products are by permission only.

Please see my Terms and Conditions for additional information.

Copyright © 2004 - 2023 - All Rights Reserved - Written By Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals and Linda's Blog. Linda is a doll maker and doll pattern designer.

A Little More Information on Making Goddess, Spirit and Healing Dolls Of Your Own



Since I had just finished my goddess dolls after being on the back burner for seven years I decided to see if there was any more information out there on them now.


If you've been following along on my blog you know that I love goddess dolls and have been wanting to create some of my own since February 2009 when I bought several mixed media goddess doll bodies and which I finally finished in 2014 - Update To My Goddess Doll Adventure - After Seven Years They Finally Came Into Being.

In February 2015 I updated some of the goddess information in an article on my Victorian Dolls, Victorian Traditions, The Victorian Era and Me Blog entitled The History Of Faceless Dolls - Updated February 2015 - Part VII - Goddess and Spirit Dolls.

This time I wanted to see what information was available so you could create a goddess doll of your own. Here's what I found:

Joanna Powell Colbert who, according to her about page, is "an artist, author, teacher, and retreat leader who inspires and helps lovers of Mama Gaia to lead wholehearted, creative, and soulful lives" created a wonderful free "How To Make A Spirit Doll" PDF which can be downloaded here.

If you would like to learn more about Joanna please visit her her Gaian Soul website.


Lyn Belisle is an amazing artist, teacher and author who teaches several online classes, including ones at Artful Gathering, showing how to make goddess and spirit dolls.  If you would like to read her Shards blog please click here.

She also offers and amazing amount of free video's, like the ones shown below, on her Lyn Belisle YouTube channel showing some of her spirit doll workshops and the creations made.

 

 

 

 

If you would like to learn more about Lyn's online classes, workshops, and dvd's please click here.


The Healing and Tranformative Dolls website provides information on e-classes and e-books by art doll artists who create healing dolls such as: Barb Kobe, Pamela Hastings, Erika Cleveland, Joy A. Kirkwood, and Anne Reeder Heck.

They also have a wonderful blog index that provides amazing pictures of healing dolls created by some astonishing healing doll artists as well as links to other information about them. Click here for the "The Art of Healing Dolls Healing Dolls and Healing Stories by Dollmaker Barb Kobe and Other Healing Dollmakers" blog. If you're looking for inspiration this is a great place to start.


Gretchen Lima is an award winning art doll artist who teaches workshops on creating her healing and spirit dolls.  Her Gretchen Lima website also offers a store gallery of her own spirit dolls for sale, information on her workshops, and kits and supplies for spirit doll making.


Silver RavenWolf has a tutorial on her Silver RavenWolf blog entitled "How To Make A Spirit Doll — The Journey of Magickal Design" which shows you how to make the cloth spirit dolls shown above. 


Crafting a Magical Life: Manifesting Your Heart's Desire Through Creative Projects by Carol Holaday published in 2009 by Findhorn Press, Scotland is a book about magic, creativity, and finding your own creative process through the powers of your mind.

According to Carol, "Whatever it is you want to create first begins with your thought. By investing your energy in your creation, you are giving life to your creation through a huge concentration of power born of that desire."

Also, according to Carol, "Goddess dolls were created primarily for magical purposes, to honor the energy of the Goddess and to serve as a repository for that energy."

In Chapter 11 Carol talks about her own Goddess doll adventures and provides instructions and a template for creating your own goddess doll, like the one shown in the picture above.



If you love to crochet there is a free Goddess Doll pattern by Catriona Allen-Bryce on Ravelry for making the crocheted goddess doll shown above.


There is a wonderful Spirit Doll tutorial by Chris Flynn on the Redwood Mountain Musings blog showing how to make the beautiful spirit doll in the picture above.

 

Chris Flynn is an artist who make the most beautiful spirit dolls. She also offers the video, shown above, on her Chris FlynnYouTube Channel showing how her Sacred Sisters Spirit Dolls are made.


If you want to make paper art doll goddesses Kimberly Crick has three printable templates for making paper goddess dolls, one of which is shown above, on her The Enchanted Gallery website. Click here for her instructions, templates and terms of use.


Creativity-Portal has a how-to for making the spirit doll shown above.  Click here for the Creative Spirit Doll Pattern by Violette.


Marcia Acker-Missall, who is an artist and art teacher, has a pattern for sale on her The Potted Frog website to make the Spa Goddess shown in the picture above. Here's what Marcia had to say about her, "Spa Goddess was published in Belle Armoire magazine and by special invitation she was on display at Houston Market 2002 in the special exhibit “In Celebration of the Doll.” .

Marcia also has a free Healing Goddess Pin Doll pattern on the Doll Street Dreamers website.

I also found several books that include inspirational pictures of goddess dolls made by mixed media and textul artists as well as some instructions for making goddess dolls of your own.

    
  

Art Dolls (Twenty to Make) and Wild Women: Stitched Art Brooches (Twenty to Make), both written by Sarah Lawrence include several references to goddess dolls.


Art Faces in Clay: Dolls, Altered Art and More! (Design Originals) includes how-to's and inspiration for making goddess dolls using Maureen Carlson's designer push molds.


Art Doll Adventures by Lisa Li Hertzi is a delightful book that explores art dolls and cultural traditions around the world.  According to Lisa, "Making dolls with the help of culturl icons brings instant meaning into your work.  Your creative flair is of the twenty-first century, but the ideas are primitive and musty with the smell of the eart and they are not just yours, they are everyone's.  They are in our blood and they connect us."


Lisa also has an Angel Goddess Doll pattern for sale on the Doll Street Dreamers website that makes 3 different versions of her angel goddess doll shown in the pictures above.


Making Gourd Dolls & Spirit Figures by Ginger Summit is a wonderful book filled with pictures of beautiful gourd creations from 100 gourd artists as well as original projects to make gourd dolls and spirit figures of your own.  Check out the Spirit of Spring, Spirit of Summer, Autumn Spirit In The Tree, and Spirit of Winter projects for projects to inspire you.


Soul Mate Dolls by Noreen Crone-Findlay offers inspiration and instructions for making 3 dozen different healing dolls.  According to the description, "The author shows you how to open doors to creativity, healing, and wholeness by making dolls that express their feelings, desires and ideas."

No matter what type of goddess, spirit or healing doll you choose to make they all promote aspects of femininity, humanity, spirituality, compassion, humility, healing power, beauty, love, wisdom, peace, passion, truth, strength, intuition, fulfillment and empowerment. The goddess is seen embracing all aspects of life, all seasons, and all natural elements and goddess dolls represent all of her various aspects.

Today's "goddess dolls" are there to share your hopes, dreams, and listen to your fears. They provide comfort and solace in your time of need. They provide you with the strength you need to face the challengers in your life and empower you to succeed. To release your own "inner goddess." They are lovingly made and given out of heartfelt love from one human being to another. They offer nothing more than love, compassion, understanding, and peace.