My First Art Dolls

Bright Light Fae
A Patti Culea
pattern

      When I look back at my first few Art Dolls ..I just smile ..I remember why or who I made them for .

      I have been an artist and a crafter my whole life ..when I was a young I spent the summers with my grandparents splitting my time between Newark ,Westwood and Lk Hopatcong .. Lk Hopatcong was by far my favorite summer playground ..picking berries for breakfast .swimming in the lake and Bertram's Island ...But the very best thing Was hanging with My Uncle Sid and His wife ..because It Was all about The ART ! learning about color and sketching and if I was really lucky we would paint  with oil paints , I still love the way Oil Paints smell all the linseed oil and turpentine...

A gift for Sharon
My 2nd Patti Culea
pattern

     At about the age of  6 my Mom  introduced me to the sewing machine, Her prized black Singer with the gold decals ..as it turns out I used it for 20 yrs Making Doll clothes and even clothes for my self

      You name a Craft and I have tryed it...... tye dyeing .painting plaster , glazing Green wear , embroidery .quilting , crocheting  wreath making . jewelry making ,scrap booking , weaving . teddy bear making , candle making . I even built a beautiful Victorian doll house. Most recently I have been enjoying the exploration of Polymer clay.

       Lets get back to the Dolls .About 4 yrs ago I had hand surgery  and was in hand therapy ...the therapist told me to find something to do that would use fine motor skills... just about then I thought " I need to create something new to learn something new"...So on my home I popped into the book store and headed for the Magazine rack ..AHA  I found  a copy of ADQ ...I was blown away at the dolls inside .  I thought ,there must be some books on doll making , Well that day I found only one ...Patti Culeas's " Creative Cloth Doll Making"  I bought it  ...  and I went home and opened  My craft closet and pulled a piece of white cotton fabric out and

began making Patti's Patterns from the book . I made 2 dolls right away , Painting the skin and faces was lots of fun .  then I found a beautiful peachy pink flesh fabric at a local quilt show Dyed by Bunny Goode . I love the color an it is my go to cotton body fabric., I now have all of Patti's books and refer to them often. For a couple yrs I was alone in my adventure into the Art Doll world.. Then one day I stumbled on to a fantastic website "Cloth doll Artistry"  I once again was blown away by the fantastic Dolls ! On this Site I met Judy Skeel . She was so kind to give me a list of contacts she had from NJ . as a result I now belong to a cloth Doll club and a mixed media Doll club .The last year I have been blessed with wonderful and generous new friends in the Art Doll  community hear in NJ and all over the world too .....  I am Having the time of my life !!!