Tohono Chul Holiday Nights

With my dear hubby to help me cart the girls around, we set up shop in the ramada. We were favored with beautiful weather and a stunning sunset.

Tohono Chul Holiday Nights

This was my display area at Tohono Chul Holiday Nights. There were a ton of people that came thru this evening and I got really good exposure. Alas, none of my girls were purchased this evening. But I have three more nights to show them off.

I must say, the little girls who saw them loved the mermaids and the ballerina. The big girls loved the 'bar fly' doll.

finally finished the ballerina for the upcoming Tohono Chul.

As promised, these are a couple of the dolls I'm working with to show at the Tohono Chul Park's Holiday Nights. The little bald one is going to be a ballerina up on pointe. Her dress is a silk print which my nephew brought back with him from Japan last year. The multi colored fairy has Autumn colors, browns, sage and reds with green wings on her back. I'm also showing off my two villans, Maddy and Cheyenne. Cheyenne (with the red nose) is a pitty and Maddy is a pit/shar pai

sorry guys ... I've been running around trying to get ready for the next big event I've been invited to. That will be Holiday Nights at Tohono Chul Park. I've made a new fairy and am working on a ballerina. Hopefully, I'll have a total of 3 new dolls to present. Between that and my regular job to say I'm running a little ragged isn't an exaggeration. I'll get a couple pics of the new fairy up (hopefully) by tomorrow.

Here are some more stills from the Tucson Wool Festival that my hubby took for me. As you see, I also had my polymer clay items displayed as well.

Had a great time at the Tucson Wool Festival on Oct. 17. It was my debut and I had so many generous people visit my booth, I was amazed. Here's a little clip that my wonderful husband put together of the event. Eventhough it was a bazillian degrees and windy, we had a great day.

A few of the other dollies that will make an appearance at the Tucson Wool Festival are the elves, the gypsy and my Renaissance girl. Shows my different range of work. I'm always looking for feedback so, please feel free.

Well, September just sort of flew by and we're finally into our Fall season. Which, if anyone knows southern Arizona, someone throws a switch and all of a sudden it's cool ... like less than 80 degrees. I've gotten my dolls ready that I'll have at Kathy's festival. Leave me some comments on what you think.

This mermaid has a polymer comb getting ready to comb her beautiful hair. That yarn you see there is spun by Kathy Withers from her only animals. I had a blast putting this little cutie together.

She's sporting at crocheted top with a crocheted belt accent on her waist and her fin. Lost of beading and TLC.

This is the latest in my Googly Eye Doll series. It shows the manufacutring from start to finish. She's made with cotton fabric, beading and I've hand painted her face. I've used Kathy's kid mohair and put a polymer clay comb in her hair which I fabricated for the doll. She's also holding a little mirror that I made with polymer clay as well. Her sleeves are hand smocked and beaded and she's a jointed doll. She was a lot of fun to make.

here's another doll that will be at the Tucson Wool Festival. This mermaid's tail is made from cloth and tissue paper. i did the crocheting and hand painted her face. oh, and the beading. her hair is lambs wool.

There'll be more on how I make my dolls. Thank you to Kathy Withers for being the pebble that finally started my avalanche, my wonderful husband of 17.5 years and to all the people who believed I could ... even when I have had my doubts.

Just one of the dolls you can see at the Tucson Wool Festival. All my dolls are for sale at various prices. No two are ever the same as they are each hand made.

This was a Snow Queen I made this past winter for a friend's mother. Felt, lace and crocheting on the dress.

Talk about jumping off the cliff to see if I can fly. Hello everyone, my name is Lillian and I've got to tell you all this is my first real venture into the Internet. But then I'm doing a lot of 'first times' this year.

I've been doodling around with all sorts of crafts all of my life. I'd gone to college with a Fine Arts scholarship a million years ago. Alas, college life ... school really, was not for me. Yet over the years I've picked up cross stitching and crocheting and kept on drawing, mostly cartoons to entertain friends and coworkers. I got to a place in my life a couple years ago where I just needed to find something to do with myself. I wanted to create, but nothing I was doing from my old bag of tricks was appealing to me anymore. So I jumped on line and started 'surfing' when I came upon Patti Culea's cloth dolls. These things were unbelievable and I was determined to learn how to make cloth dolls.

First I needed a sewing machine. Then I needed to learn how to sew. Yup, that's right folks, I never learned how to sew when I was in home ec a million years ago. My great grandmother and grandmother had been seamstresses but they had both pass away long before this. So I followed the instructions in the book and on the video on how to thread and turn the machine on. After making some pretty awful things, I did manage to get my very first dolly done. I still have her and though the craftsmanship in the sewing area was pretty awful, she's my very first beauty. I've been hooked every since ... and I've managed to make huge strides in my sewing skills.

Not only that, I've been given another form of art to showcase the cross stitching and crocheting. I've even learned how to bead (that's a whole art in and of itself!) and I've crafted some really cool polymer clay details to accompany my dollies.

A few months back, again whilst on the Internet, I found Kathy Withers of Unique Designs by Kathy. She lives in Tucson, as do I, and I went to her ranch to take a look at her yarn and wool. I'd been looking for other materials to use for my doll hair and, let me tell you, her stuff did the trick. Kathy has also generously invited me to be at her Tucson Wool Festival where visitors can see and buy my dolls as well as inspire them to do their own designs with Kathy's wool.

I'll get the photos of my dolls posted as soon as I can. Please enjoy and I would really appreciate feedback from you readers. I am always striving to make my creations better.

Have a wonderful day.

Lillian