Elspeth

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!  It finally feels like autumn in Texas.  My favorite time of year!  It's time to take out my decorations.  I love the wall hangings.  My aunt made the larger one, and Mom made the little one.

Little witch doll made by my daughter, Allie, when she was little...and dressed by my mother.

My spooky dolls!  A new one will be joining them soon.  I need to get to work to finish her before next Thursday.

Sophie Lee and her little brother, Samuel

Two oil painted dolls.  Sophie Lee is made from the McCall's Sophie rag doll pattern.  My mother, the expert seamstress, made Sophie's pretty clothes.  I made the little boy's clothes.  His shirt is made from antique fabric, and his pants are made from a vintage linen napkin.

Sophie Lee and her little brother, Samuel.

Samuel

Sophie Lee

Dreaming in the asters.

Central Texas October

Edyth/Elaine Project Catalog

My good doll friend, Edyth O'Neill, and I have been doing a collaborative doll project for the past six months.  It began when I read on Edyth's blog that she only had one of her large Izannah Walker dolls from the era when she made them in the 1980's.  For these dolls, she made cloth face masks from an original sculpt, oil painted, designed a pattern for the body, and gave them beautiful clothing.  She sold all of them, except for the one pictured below.  However, she still had her face mold for this doll.  I asked her if she would like for me to make some more cloth pressed faces for her, so that she could paint some new large Izannahs.  She said yes!  Over the past few months, I have cranked out quite a few doll heads and torsos, made from Edyth's original sculpt and pattern.  They have been mailed back and forth between our houses as we each do our part in completing the creations.  Edyth has done most of the painting, but I have painted a few.  The dolls that were painted by Edyth are called Edyth/Elaine dolls.  The dolls that were painted by me are called Elaine/Edyth dolls.  Today, all of the dolls met up for a big playdate!  I took each one's portrait and posted it below, as a catalog for our doll project.  Here are the dolls in our project.

Doll Zero: Edyth's original Izannah doll made in the 1980's.

Doll One, Frederick.

Doll Two, Rebecca.

Doll Three, Mollie Esther

Doll Four

Doll Five

Doll Six

Doll Seven

Doll Eight, Prudence

Doll Nine, Dolly Hannah

Doll Ten

Doll Eleven

Doll Twelve, Charlotte Alice

Doll Thirteen, Permelia

Doll Fourteen, Mary Elizabeth

Here's the whole gang, posing on Edyth's couch.

Edyth taking photos of the gang.

                                                 

My Edyth/Elaine dolls loved visiting Edyth's antique dolls and toys. 

My Edyth/Elaine dolls, very happy to be playing with Edyth's things.

Here are two of the boys, playing with a wheelbarrow of old bears at Edyth's house.

Edyth's friend, Penny, came to the party too!

Edyth and I have begun a new collaborative project.  I have been sculpting Queen Anne dolls from paper clay, and she has been painting and finishing them.  The large dolls on the far left and the far right are two that have been done this way.  The others are wonderful dolls from Edyth's collection.  A fun new challenge!

Some Edyth/Elaine Collaboration Dolls

This is Charlotte Alice.  I made her cloth-pressed head using Edyth's original sculpt.  Edyth painted her sweet face.  Then I finished her limbs and dressed her.  She needed a bonnet to protect herself from the brutal Texas sun.

Charlotte Alice, resting.

Charlotte Alice, standing

Here are the latest three big collaboration dolls, enjoying each other's company.

Permelia, Charlotte Alice, and Mary Elizabeth...conversing.

Three friends

Permelia is going to rip her new dress!

Mary Elizabeth is too timid to climb trees with Permelia.