The Easter rabbit Himself!

There's plenty of time to get this guy done before Easter! I love that he comes complete with his Candy carriage! Kat lees is the designer and you can find this online class on Doll Street.

The rabbit Himself is soft sculptured. the carriage begins with paper mache and goes on from  there, using molds and various other techniques. So much to enjoy, whether you like getting messy or dressing up a cloth rabbit!

One of the first soft dolls I ever made was rabbit. My niece still has him. Rabbits, Easter, Spring, it all goes together so wonderfully!

Cloth doll class now a pattern!

Colleen Babcock has taken one of her live classes and made it into a cloth doll pattern for us. This is Ascending. The cloth doll has amazing posture and reaches up for joy.

 Now available on Doll Street. Click the image to order your downloadable pattern. That means you get  it today, folks! A whole class in a pattern - $15! What value!

Faerie couture

This class starts soon! What better way to boost your doll making that by making  a fairy dress! Judy Skeel gets you started in this fun online class. Starts October 4th, on www.dollstreetdreamers.com

Fall is a great time for learning!

Well, it's been one year since I took over the reins at Doll street Dreamers. What a ride it's been! I've learned so much and met such wonderful people: the members of the Club, the amazing doll designers and teachers who are such a big part of Doll Street; the students of the classes, the doll makers who populate this creative street. 

I want to thank you all for offering your help, advice and support. Most of all for your support. You guys are the Best!

Fall is the best time to get rolling on a new creative journey. What better way than with online classes? September and October are brimming with new beginnings. I thought today I'd introduce just three of them.

Judy Skeel brings us a series of online classes, one of which is Faerie Couture. You get to create the mannequin and dress it in an amazing one of a kind costume. plus, the wings! If you have a fairy waiting for a new dress, this is the class for you!

For those who love Halloween, Judith Prior brings us Winnie Witch. This doll stands by herself, has a full outfit and a broom. The face is sculpted and painted.  I think she's kind of lovable. What a fun gift for the young ones!

Kathryn Walmsley is a NIADA member and an excellent sculptor in clay. This online class, Guerrilla Mold Making, answers a problem I know I've had: how to replicate something. In this online class, Kathryn shows you how to make a mold and use it to create multiples of objects in clay. Perfect for duplicating dolls and accessories. Kathryn also has a series of doll making classes, leading you to create a complete doll.

You can join the fun by clicking the images or visit Doll Street Dreamers and explore the world of doll making there!

Contest winners!

The judges have judged and the winners are up. View them at Doll street Dreamers. The Gallery page has all the entries!

Enjoy looking at all the wonderful ladies of the ocean!

Dawn Schiller rides again!

You have to try this class. I am so excited, I had to share it. Dawn Schiller has been teaching on Doll Street Dreamers for a long time now. Her students can't say enough about her classes.

With this guy, Fetch, Dawn brings us her fun and crazy sculpting techniques in this fun class. Dawn will take you step by step thought sculpting a character head. I've done it and it's easy! You can sign up at Doll Street Dreamers.

Mushrooms are growing

Paula McGee will be teaching this fun class next week on Doll Street Dreamers. He's called Wynnstan. Make him with or without a base, make him to shelter  a tiny fairy or as a seat for a fairy to sit upon. While doing this, you will learn to needle sculpt and create character with deft use of color.

Click the image to join the class. Get your supplies organised and you'll be all set for class next Friday!

Never taken an online doll making class? They’re a lot of fun. Here’s how they work on Doll Street…

• Once you sign up you will receive a confirmation email from me, then shortly thereafter an invitation to a Yahoo Group, which is the classroom.
• Once you join the group/classroom you can go to the Files section and download the Supply list. This gives you time to look for (or order) any needed supplies.
• Once the actual class start date arrives the first class lesson will be posted to the Files section of the classroom. It will be a PDF file (you will need the Adobe reader to view it).
• The lesson will consist of photos and text that will walk you through each step of the process. You can save the file to your hard drive, print it out, or both.
• The teacher will be available to answer any questions that you might have. Some of our teachers like to hold scheduled chats too – so there’s lots of interaction.
• Additional lessons will be posted each week. Some classes are really talkative – you’ll be helping and encouraging each other.
• As you work through the lessons you can upload photos of your in-progress work in a personal photo album – which is also helpful for the teacher if there is a problem or you want to be critiqued.
• The class will stay ‘up’ for approximately two weeks after the last lesson is posted.

What’s the best thing about online classes? It doesn’t matter where you live in the world – or what time zone you are in – you can work at your leisure and at your own pace. Work in the middle of the night or the middle of the day. It’s up to you.

Wire

Well I learned something new! On Doll Street's club Journal, we were having a discussion about armature wire. We often have a Topic Of the Week. This one was most fruitful. I knew about aluminum wire and have used old electrical wire, which is copper. I knew not to use old coat hangers, because they are hard to bend and can snap.

What do you need to consider with armature wire? You need it to be strong enough to hold up the figure, bendy enough to be easy to work with, and it must not rust  You never know, but your doll may get wet at some point, or be subject to humidity.

Gauge is also important. Size 18 seems to be the most popular. 20 or 22 is thinner and okay for arms. Chenille stems are good for hands and can be used for small dolls. They can even be braided together for strength on a small figure. the electrical wire I use comes covered. When you strip the cover, you get two coated wires and a copper ground wire. I find this works very well and I'm recycling old wire, which makes me feel good!

Now here's the new thing I learned: bonsai wire comes in copper and aluminum. It comes in different gauges and is cheap! If you buy wire at the art store or hardware store, you can pay big bucks for it. This stuff can be found at some hardware stores and online - cheap! I like that! So that's my next purchase, once I use up the electrical wire that I have.

What kind do you use?

Doing my best

I spent ages getting the Doll Street NewsByte ready this morning. This afternoon, I asked who got it on FaceBook, only to get a negative reply. So, I checked it out and no, I don't think it was sent. Here's the link: http://www.aweber.com/t/LWeOE

It's frustrating. Aweber is not the easiest thing to navigate. I must have skipped a step. Argh! Anyway, I just found it again and sent it off. Now I hope people don't get it twice!

I was telling everyone about Victoria DiPietro's Poppet class. This class will be amazing and I want everyone to see how great a teacher Victoria is.

Mermaid challenge - with Prizes!

A Doll Street Challenge – sponsored by Fairfield and Studio Galli

Join us on this fun challenge and aim for one of the fabulous prizes offered by our sponsors. The challenge is open to everyone, even if you are not a Doll Street member.

The challenge is to create a mermaid using one of the patterns available on Doll Street or a One of A Kind doll and submit photos for the web site. Size and medium is up to you! If you think that you are a beginner and stand no chance of winning, then think again. Check out the prizes and categories which have been created with ALL abilities in mind.

Click here to find out more! http://www.dollstreetdreamers.com/mermaid-challenge/

FREE doll pattern!

Colleen Babcock has designed a pattern especially for  new members of Doll Street Dreamers. It's a Snowflake Sprite. I am so grateful to Colleen for offering this pattern to us.

If you join now, you get this Free pattern. It's just $21 to join Doll Street. For that, you get the FREE pattern, membership of the online daily Journal; access to the Clubhouse, which has a library of articles and special coupons for classes on Doll Street. http://www.dollstreetdreamers.com/joindollstreet/

I love the Journal, doll makers from all over the world exchange news and ideas and ask and answer each others questions on doll making. It really is a happening place! Won't you join us?

My Big News

It's been a busier than usual few weeks at Casa Del Edwina. I have been catching up on my costume and bridal work in the studio after my vacation. Then there is the West End Studio Tour to prepare for. I am busy with Paverpol today. Hope I don't run out! The last bit of Big News comes later! Read on...

Studio Tour

The West End Studio Tour begins September 22 and continues on the 23rd and the next weekend, September 29 and 30th. The Tour is a neighbourhood happening here in Ottawa. This year I am one of 16 artists who open their studios and their home to the public for a show and sale. I will be showing with Paula Zoubec at 502 Piccadilly Avenue, Ottawa. You are all invited to come!

This Saturday is the Taste of Wellington  and we artists will be out on the street, enjoying the fun and promoting the tour. Now where's my official Studio Tour T-shirt gone? I need it for tomorrow!

Despite my Big News, I will still be working on my art and offering online classes. My Needle Felt a Pet class just started. You can still sign up!

My BIG NEWS

Is that I am now the proud owner/ operator of Doll Street Dreamers! I have taken over from Judi Wellnitz, who ran it for 5 years. Doll Street is actually 15 years young this year! I have been a member of this fun online doll club for a least 10 years!

Yes, you too, can become a member of the club, which hosts an online daily journal just for members. We also have challenges and swaps from time to time, which are featured on the site.

The other fun thing about Doll Street is the learning that comes from online classes with fabulous teachers and e-patterns available for instant download. No waiting for the mail! How cool is that?

There's even a newsletter. Won't you join us?

So you can tell I have had no time to miss my kids, now they are both away at school! (Well, just a bit) But I'm loving every minute of all this!

A challenge winner!

Re-Imagine History Challenge on Doll Street Dreamers.

I'm so thrilled to announce that my doll, Origami, won Best Overall Doll in this challenge!

Congrats to all the entrants and the winners!

Skill level: Advanced/Professional

The Concept Behind Your Doll:During the great Exhibition at the Crystal palace in London in 1851, the Japanese Pavilion drew a lot of attention. The Japanese delegates were similarly enchanted with England and many remained there following the Exhibition. Their influence began to be seen in London fashion, with the wearing of kimono for the boudoir. This fashion began to creep into daily life, along with the following of the Japanese Shinto faith. By 1890, the two cultures had become well blended, and this fashion is the result. Origami wears a kimono bodice, with obi and a bustle and a full skirt over her petticoat. Origami is a devotee of Shintoism, revealed here by wearing a completely white outfit. The braid of white hair indicates her devotion. Devotees wear white for one year, as a testament to their faith and dedication

Describe your doll:My own design, this doll is a fusion of 1890 Victorian fashion and the Japanese aesthetic. The doll has a polymer clay head, hands and feet. The costume is created with crepe paper as homage to the Japanese art of paper folding, origami. The hat is an origami folded shape. 14″ high

The Historical Period You’ve Used:1890 Victorian England, blended with Japanese kimono

Beat the Heat

It's a hot Friday here in Ottawa. I am playing hooky and getting some work done at home. Mostly watering the garden, which is not really hard work. Then the bookkeeping, which is!

I am aiming to get back to this figure I began some weeks ago. It's a Paverpol figure, which perfectly reflects life as it was the day I sculpted him. I designed it to be a companion piece to this one:

They will each sit on their own shelf, but face away from each other. The sentiments being of "Go Away" and "Stay."

Have I got it right?

Meanwhile, I'm hoping to see the Van Gogh show that is in town this summer. Plus, my online classes are starting to teach Yvette ( at A for Artistic) and Dance With the Stars (at Doll Street). Won't you join me? Click the images to register.

Yvette online class. Click here.

Dance With The Stars online class. Click here.

Online classes start soon!

I'm super excited to be teaching online again. I have two classes coming up this month - Yvette and Dance With The Stars.

I'm teaching Yvette online at A for Artistic. Yvette starts June 20th and costs $45. In this class we'll be making a cloth doll, then creating a costume for her reminiscent of the 18th century (think "Dangerous Liaisons!"), complete with corset. This 3 lesson class covers all you need to know to create Yvette, plus some variations to make a slightly different, country woman doll.

This class is being hosted by Doll Street Dreamers. Dance With The Stars and learn how to make not one, but two dolsl! We'll be exploring male and female caharcateristics, playing with air drying clay, needle sclupting, costuming and more!! It starts June 29th and costs $35. Click the high lighted words to go to Doll Street!

Dancing With the Stars

I'm happy to announce the new online class I'm teaching on Doll Street. If you've never made a doll before, begin here. If you've never taken an online class, begin here. How it works: you download each lesson, which is chock full of photos showing each step of the creation of the dolls. There's an online group, where you can post all your questions and I'll be there to answer them, everyday! You can't go wrong, can you? Click the picture to go tot he registration link:

Dance With The Stars as we learn to make these two cloth dolls - yes, two dolls from one pattern! Explore male and female characteristics as we take this class step by step together.

Read all about it -

Dawn Quixote and Sancho Samba have been dancing partners for seven years. Specializing in the Latin American dances, they have danced their way to the top of many competitions, including the National Championships in Guadalajara. By day, Dawn is a hairstylist in Twickenham, while Sancho devotes his life to the dance and training of young dancers and wearing fabulous hairstyles created by Dawn. Join Dawn, Sancho and me as we create their fabulous look! 

In this class, you will learn how to create a simple armature figure, how to make a moveable head, how to needle sculpt and paint the head, how to work with clay over cloth to create imaginative shoes and creative options for hair and costume treatments.

This class begins June 29th, 2012 and costs just $35.