Izzy Dresses, Nice Ladies, and A Great Time Had By All.

I'm back, and mostly unpacked and recovered.  Funny how empty the house looked with all the dolls packed away.  But they're all in their places with bright shining faces again.

The doll show was awesome.  I made more than enough to make it worth all the work and had a wonderful time while I was at it.  I met two really great ladies...okay I met lots of nice ladies, but these two were my booth mates to the right of me.  They buy, refurbish and dress vintage Barbies and such.  We shared body parts jokes (they boil whereas I paint) and so many laughs through the day.  They were a joy to be around.

As I promised Martha and Judy, I took pictures of the Izzies I finally made dresses for.  Good thing too, because two of them found new homes.  One of the ladies wanted me to switch dresses--I generally don't like to do that, but this was the sixth doll this lady has bought from me at shows.  So, for her I did it.  She wanted the blue-eyed Izzie in yellow, but she wanted the fluffy white dress.  Funny...I was wondering if that white dress would go over well.  The doll in the pink dress sold as well, to a lady up in Austin who runs the annual doll show there.  It felt good, the response I was getting from established "Doll People" this time.  It's as if they've decided that I'm here to stay.  This was the first anniversary of my first show.  I wonder how the twentieth will feel?  :~)   Dorothy, who runs this one, referred a customer to me for a commission to make TEN DOLLS.  So I'll be more than a little busy over the next couple of months--especially with Austin coming up in a month!

Blue eyed Izzie

Now this one wears the yellow dress, but it fits her fine.

She's only as far as Austin, so I can still visit her. 

I also got a picture of Joseph--he's not new but he had a great seat in the antique carriage I found online.  I never got around to making new seat and covers for it.  I put a doily on the seat, but someday I'll make covers for it.  I finally got the Bawdy Smoker dressed...it will be hard to see her go since I've gotten so fond of her. 

Joseph

She's such a sophisticate!

My set up is getting better.  Still not entirely happy with it, but it's getting there.  For the last year, I've been collecting old crocheted table clothes and doilies, etc.  Trying to unify the color scheme a little because with all those dolls and their chairs, etc., it gets looking so busy.  It must be working; people stopped to take pictures of my booth.  (They asked permission first.  Doll People are generally polite.)

One lady suggested I remove the hoods and bonnets from the Izzie dolls--or let their bonnets rest back on their shoulders.  Said seeing their little heads made them look more Izzie-like.  I had to agree, but with mixed feelings.  They look so cute with their bonnets on! 

New developments...I know I have tried to limit myself to three shows, but I was invited to participate in a show about a day's drive east of me, and I think I'm going to have to give it a try.  This really is so fun. 

Boudoir Dolls: Four dressed and two more to go.

One's dress is finished, but she seems unhappy with it, so there will be alterations.  I'll show you which one, and you'll see by her expression she's very serious when she doesn't get what she wants.  The others range from dreamy to vampish to bawdy to bohemian, but they're almost finished.  I'll sew a brown slacks suit tomorrow for the bawdy flapper with a brown bowler (I'm on an alliterative kick, can you tell?) and fix Betty D.'s gown, but otherwise, I'm done.  Then on to the Izzy dresses.  Nothing like waiting til the last minute, eh?

I haven't named them, and photographs range from poor to worse, but I promise to do better.

She wears natural linen & black lace lounging pj's...

and has a mask for Halloween (she may already be spoken for...)

Bohemian Smoker...I think her name is Ilsa.

In person she reminds me of a certain pop singer but I can't think who...

Lilac chiffon, and dreamy blue eyes.

I think I was channeling "The English Patient" when I made her.

I don't know what to think of this one.  She just showed up.

She pretended to be innocent until it was time for her wardrobe.

The Queen is Not Amused. I think of her as Betty D., but her eyes aren't buggy enough.

This one has a great sense of humor, and wants a pants suit with a short bolero jacket. I think she's my favorite, but don't tell the others.

Boudoir Dolls

We've had quite a week here at Chez Conwell...the AC went out last Wednesday night, so I spent Thursday and Friday in a house where the first morning's 78 was the all time low.  By Friday night, it was a whopping 100 in the house...even the candles on the shelves were melting.  But they fixed it finally, and we now have a much better appreciation of modern air conditioning.

Since I was stuck in the house because of repair men present, I figured I may as well make some progress on dolls--it actually did help to divert my attention from the sweltering pity-party.  I'd been studying Boudoir Dolls (also called Bed Dolls or Flapper Dolls) for months, inspired by the history behind them.  So I designed a body pattern, sculpted some heads a few weeks back, and have been working on six new creations (and dressing the last three Izzy dolls too) for the show in two weeks. 

The boudoir / bed dolls I'm working on are quite a bit smaller than antique ones...mine average 18" tall, whereas the old ones were anywhere from 24" to 36" tall!  One of these days I'd like to make one that is authentic in that detail, but for now mine are more like my version of a bed doll, rather than a reproduction.

Here are some photos of antiques.  There is a wide variance in styles over the decades these dolls were produced--1920's to the 1940's.  In a day or two, I'll have pictures of mine up.  Promise.  :~)

Have a great week!