Whenever I go to a fabric store,or craft store...I nearly always get asked what I am buying my items for. After all, who goes up to a cutting table and has a stack of material and asks for 1/4 yard please on all of these...maybe some, but I must be a little odd becasue I always get asked.
I usually have to go into a long explanation of what I do and how I got started...and it's interesting to see what kinds of reactions I get. I really don't even know how I got the idea to do my character creations ...it started as a seed idea and has developed over the past few years...
My mom gave my husband a dollhouse kit about 5 years back, hinting that she would like him to put it together for her. My husband loves doing that kind of thing, so in his spare time that was what he did...worked on the house. It was a large Victorian style...and it got me to looking. I looked for dolls to put in it. I started having a bit of sticker shock when I saw the priciness of dollhouse dolls...and that got me to wondering what I could do to contribute to the Victorian dollhouse. Basically after searching the net, and seeing clothespin dolls that others have made, I took off with the idea and started learning by trial and error. I actually made my mom over 50 dolls that year to go with the house Hubby made....
I shudder to think about my first dolls...I thought they were really good then, but when I look at them now it reminds me of when you look at a photo of yourself..."Did I really look like that???"
Ugh! Well, I have learned a lot since then and taught myself along the way some tricks, techniques, and things not to do when designing. It is quite gratifying when you realize you have overcome some bad ideas with some really good ones, and developed enough that you have a lot more confidence in what you do.
I truly love what I do...and it is so fun for me to feel that I can make just about any person if I give it enough thought. I used to avoid things that I thought would be too hard ....but now I make myself try it. If a few go in the trash, so be it...that's how we learn and stretch ourselves, isn't it?
Now, off I go to see what new character I can challenge myself with!
5 comments:
You do a wonderful job!
How interesting - did you have any idea then that you would end up making and selling dolls?
Hopefully you keep your business cards handy when you go into the craft store - that sounds like a great opportunity to talk about your shop.
Great post! I love to read how other people think creatively! Embrace the early dolls:). I love your work too.
Yep I get that feeling...looking back at old works and thinking "How did I ever think that was good???" But it's great to see your own progression. I think you do FAB dolls.
Lindsey said...
How interesting - did you have any idea then that you would end up making and selling dolls?
Hopefully you keep your business cards handy when you go into the craft store - that sounds like a great opportunity to talk about your shop
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Actually Lindey, I never dreamed I would sell them...nor would I have thoght them good enough to sell at that thiem...but a few years later, my technique has found a rhythm so I was ready for it now...:)
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