And more!

More for Evie

Evies Winter Wardrobe

I am on a roll right now, the more I make the more ideas I have.  So--here comes the first part Evies new winter wardrobe! (I am still sewing....)

CHRIS MINTZ, A True Hero--and then what happens??

By now, I am sure most people have heard about Chris Mintz, the young man who tried to stop the shooter in Oregon.  Chris was shot SEVEN times, and miraculously, he survived!  I was happy to make a small donation to this incredible man.

https://www.gofundme.com/s75ge9y4

And if you have not read the story, you can find it online.  After trying to stop the gunman at the classroom door, he was shot 3 times.  As he lay there, he looked up at the gunman and said, "Today is my son's birthday."  For this, he was shot 4 more times. 

Chris' cousin set up a donation site to help Chris with medical bills, child care, mortgage, etc.  I am thrilled to see how much the fund is growing.  But of course, with money comes the vultures.  I was completely appalled to see peoples posts begging for money for themselves, or for Chris to "share".  SERIOUSLY,  PEOPLE??!!!!

This young man saved lives, and did so selflessly.  He was willing to die so others could live.  It is a rare person who does that.  He now faces surgeries, and possibly years of physical therapy to regain the use of his legs.  HE DESERVES EVERY PENNY HE IS GIVEN!!!  So back off, you greedy jerks!  

Chris--my prayers go out to you for a full and speedy recovery.  This country needs more men like you!  I can only imagine how proud your son will be as he grows up.  And I am thankful he will have his Dad to grow up with. 

Edit--I should have mentioned this sooner.   Where the hell is OBAMA??  Why isn't he breaking his neck to go see this man and thank him for his bravery?  Or at least making some sort of statement about him?  He does those things for others--oh wait, is this man the wrong color, so he doesn't deserve Presidential recognition?

Happy Anniversary to my Hubby Wade!

45 years, and I don't even know how that is possible!!!

If You're Going to Dream.......................

The people who know me best, my family and friends, know that I never do anything in a small way.  My first piece of needlepoint was a rug.  My first hooked rug was 7 feet long.  This is why I don't ski, because no way would I go to the bunny hill--I would head to the highest hill and probably break my neck. 
Anyway, for a while now I have had a project brewing in my brain.  I think it would be awesome to hook a tree--a BIG tree--and put it on the living room wall.  WAIT--I'm not done.  Then I would make hooked branches that went all over the walls and up onto the ceiling.  WAIT--I'm not done.  THEN I would hook birds--lots of them--all the different birds that are in our woods, and put them all over in the branches.
OK now I am done.  Well no, I haven't started, I mean I am done explaining this crazy project that keeps going through my brain. Will I ever do it?  Maybe.  Probably.  Yes.  When, I don't know.  I just know that some day I will wake up and this will demand to be started, and I will go merrily down the road with it.  
And of course I will take pictures, and post them here.

After all, the winters in Minnesota are SO long.................................

Find of a Lifetime

Early last week, I found a wooden doll for sale online.  I had to look several times at her price, certain I was seeing things--because it was WAY too low for what she supposedly was.  So even though I hadn't planned on buying another doll, I bought her--and then told myself she HAD to be a modern reproduction, there was no way she was a real antique doll.  Not for that low price.  But what the heck, I loved her face.

Today, she arrived.

And I was wrong.

She is NOT a reproduction.  She is a genuine, hand carved, Italian creche' doll.  23" tall, and HEAVY--I think she is solid oak.  I have seen photos of these dolls in museums, but never dreamed I would be holding one of my own.  Rare that I am near speechless, but I am very emotionally overwhelmed tonight. So I will let the photos speak for themselves.

Playing Favorites

Here are my two favorite Schoenhut dolls I have re-born.  This is such fulfilling work, to take a doll that is a mess and make her into a doll that will be treasured.
I am always happy to consider a commission, so if you or some one you know would like a wooden doll re-made, ANY wooden doll, you can contact me at
jennykaye@comcast.net

 

Doll Number 2

Doll number 2.  This Schoenhut was BADLY damaged, her mouth cracked, her nose half gone, both eyes rotted.  I did extensive sculpting/recarving to make her a new face.  I am debating if she needs freckles.  I sloped her outer eyes down to make her a bit more pensive.

Little Miss Sunshine

Sealed and all ready to dress!

 

Re-Imagining a Schoenhut Doll, Part 2

Little girl is painted and awaiting final approval/revisions before I seal her.  Then I have one more stop to do on the eyes.  (This is not her wig, I just didn't want to show her bald!)

 

Re-Imagining a Schoenhut Doll

I am working on two Schoenhut dolls, the first one I am doing is shown on the left.

 I can only work on one doll at a time, I have this whole mental process I go through with them, and I need to "connect" while I am working, so a doll needs my full attention so she can tell me who she is.
This doll for a client was NOT to be a "restored" Schoenhut--instead, I was given free reign to do what I wanted.  Now I know there are antique doll purists out there who will NOT be happy to see this, so stop now if this will bother you!  There seems to be a never ending supply of these dolls--if they were very rare I wouldn't touch them, but I think that millions of them must have been made.  At any given time you can find dozens of them for sale online.
After I stripped the paint (she had been badly repainted at some point), I could see she had a sweet smile and dimples.  Well ok, maybe she didn't really have dimples, but she TOLD me she did! The wood around her right eye was rotted and crumbling.  So I went to work.

 Here I am working on re-building her eyes with wood epoxy.

 When this is done, I sand the entire doll mercilessly, before doing the final sculpting/carving of her features.
Then she gets her body painted, blushed and sealed.

 The next step is painting her face.

Just Because

How far she has come, this little doll of mine.  From a tear stained waif, to a pale princess.  Only her eyes remain unchanged; still fathomless, still holding all her secrets.

Yep--another one

I now have all four of the ghost sisters made by Alena!  This last girl came to me as payment for doing extensive work on a Schoenhut for a customer.   Of course, I can never leave them alone--they go from ghosts to living dolls, quite literally!  Here is my new girl;

 She hadn't told me her name yet.....

 

Painting the Roses Red

I decided that Clarimonde would make an awesome Alice in Wonderland.  I started by designing a gown for her that I call "Painting the Roses Red".  That was what I intended, but it actually ended up looking more like blood than paint, and the whole effect is a bit eerie--but then, she IS a ghost/goth girl, so I guess that's ok! I used white silk dupioni, lace remnants from a Victorian wedding gown, hand made, hand painted satin roses, and glass beads.  I still have a bit more bead work to do along the sides and back of the skirt. 

In Love with a Ghost