Monthly Archives: January 2012

New year, New doll

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A Happy New Year !
I am starting the new year with a new face on my website.
It’s been five years since I opened my website, and I have had so many visitors since then.
I truly appreciate all the doll fans who came to view my website. My new website is more organized, and you can find dolls easily. Also now you can leave a comment in my guest book .
 
I have created a new doll perfect to be the cover girl of my new website. She is a 24-inch Bru Jne 11 with mocha colored skin. She can be a Mulatto doll but she is actually a Creole child from the 1860s .I had this order during the summer of 2011. My customer had a vision of her doll as “ Creole child from the 1860s pre-Civil War era “.I did not have much knowledge about Creole culture. So I started out by studying about it first.
 
Most of the dolls I make are reproductions of dolls dressed as girls in 1880s style. But this doll needs a dress designed from 1860s pre-Civil War era.To find periodically correct designs was another challenge since I am not familiar with them. I flipped through many design books and searched on websites. My customer also helped me to find dress designs. Then I saw this silk fabric at the UFDC convention in July, I immediately fell in love with it. I seem to get more inspired when I find the right fabric than by just looking through books. I also found a painting of a little girl from the 1860s and I was drawn to the color and design of the dress that she was wearing. I decided to use this painting as my inspiration to create a dress for my new doll.
 
Choosing a right style wig was another challenge to make this doll look authentic.Thank goodness for Wendy Feidt who creates many wigs for my dolls. She had a hair style perfect for an 1860s little girl. I added antique silk velvet ribbon at each side to complement her skin color. My customer wanted to display this doll in a sitting position, and the Chevrot style body I usually make may not be appropriate for that purpose.
I asked my friend, doll artist Ed Spencer, to make a composition body for this doll. As a result, she can sit on the chair elegantly without any support . I could have used more decoration like lace and frills on the dress. However, dresses from that era seem to have a rather simple line. They used lots of fabric manipulation techniques instead. Her dress may seem too simple but there is a reason for this.
 
I also made a little hat with lots of flowers for a special occasion .This hat sits on top of her crown so that it will still show her beautiful curls.
Upon completion she turned out to be a truly one-of-a-kind doll Her new owner named her “ Miss Fancy” and she lives in her new house with lots of other friends. I know many doll collectors name their special dolls and create stories for each one as if it is a real child.
I feel very fortunate to be able to create dolls that are being loved like this by their new owners.
 
I hope this year will be better than the previous year for many people. Please enjoy my new website for many years to come.
 
 

Beautiful Japan

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Archive for December, 2011

 

Wednesday, December 28th, 2011

I visited Japan for a short time in early December.

It was my first visit since the March earthquake. My family and friends were telling me that everything is back to normal, but I couldn’t feel it till I actually got there.

As soon as I stepped out of the airplane, my jeans started feeling sticky from humidity. And the distinctive ” smell” in the air made me feel ” I am in Japan now”.
 
I mainly stayed in the Osaka area ( about 250 miles south of Tokyo). I also visited Kyoto, Kobe, and Fukui to meet my friends.
Kyoto was still in late fall foliage season, and I was able to enjoy the true beauty of ancient Japan. Kyoto has more than 1000 years of history and survived through numerous numbers of natural disasters and wars.
I have been to Kyoto many times but this time I felt so special and fortunate to be able to visit this historical city still standing like nothing happened. Everything looks the same from hundreds of years ago, and it’s a sort of miracle since Japan is earthquake country.
 
Back in 2009 I visited Palmira who is a well known antique doll collector in Japan . She was extremely kind to invite me to her house again this time, and I was once more in doll heaven.
Palmira and her husband Mr.Yamazaki have a fabulous collection of antique dolls. Their living room is literally “full” of rare and beautiful dolls that I only had seen in books and doll shows.
To be able to see actual dolls in person and study them means so much to me. Pictures do not always show the true color of dolls and only show a certain angle of the face.
I feel lucky if I can find a picture of the back side of the doll or inside the dress. In order to make an authentic look in reproduction dolls, I need to know how they are constructed, color and texture of bisque, dimension of the sculpting of the face. I can get this information only by seeing the actual dolls. Visiting Palmira’s house alone was worth flying to Japan for me. I can not thank Palmira and Mr.Yamazaki enough for letting me visit them again.
 
You can view more fabulous Yamazaki doll collections from here.
 
I feel so relieved to know that most parts of Japan are recovering quickly. Many people I talked to are concerned about their future, especially for the next generation because of radiation pollution from the nuclear plant.
The sad part is, that is not visible and will take time to see the actual effects. It is very frightening not knowing what is going to happen in the future but one can’t continue to worry about it all the time. Everyone seems to be trying to enjoy the life they have today instead of worrying about an uncertain future.
It is Japanese tradition to visit a shrine on New Years Day to make a wish for the coming year.
I am sure we will all be wishing for the same thing this time ( including me ) .

 

 

29 inch Antique Scroll Mark FG Doll for sale

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I don’t usually sell antique dolls but this time I am offering this antique FG doll for sale from my personal collection.
She is a large 29 inch tall closed mouth Scroll Mark FG . Her bisque is very pale and has no hairlines or cracks.
Even though her marking is a Scroll Mark FG, she has blondish skinny eyebrows and that makes her look more like Block Letter FG . She has blue P.W. glass eyes and plaster of back of eyes is original ( never removed or repaired).
There is very tiny chip on both side of pierced hole.She has a crier body with two strings at the side of torso. Crier still works and makes small ” Mama” sound.
The torso part is composition but arms and legs are made with wood. There are some paint chips on torso and cracks at ankles but generally in good condition. No repainting is done on the body.
Her wig is a dark brown ringlet style human hair antique wig and her cork pate seem to be original to the doll.
She is wearing beautiful white cotton batiste dress with many pin tucks and insertion lace. The skirt part of the dress has three layers and she is wearing chemise and pantaloon underneath.
Her shoes are black leather shows with no markings.
She is offered at $4500 plus shipping. Please email me bebesbysayuri@hotmail.com for inquiries.
I can email more detailed photos for anyone who is interested in.
 Sayuri
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 普段私はアンティークドールの販売はいたしませんが、今回特別にこのアンティークのスクロールマークＦＧドールを販売いたします。
２９インチとかなり大きいクローズドマウスのＦＧです。ビスクは色白で、スクロールマークですが薄い色の細い眉毛の絵付けなので、ブロックレターＦＧのようなお顔にみえます。
ブルーのグラスアイで、ヘッドの中のパテはオリジナルです。ヘッドにヘアラインやクラックはありませんが、ほんの小さなチップがピアスホールの脇にあります。
ボデイーはクライヤー式で、紐引くと”ママ”とかすかな音がします。
胴体はコンポジションですが、腕と足は木製です。ボデイーのリペイントも無く、ペイントのはげが胴体に少しと、足首にペイントのヒビがある以外はかなり良い状態です。
ウッグはダークブラウンの人毛のアンティークで、コルクのペイトはぴったり合うのでオリジナルかもしれません。
ドレスはピンタックやインサーションレースが凝ったコットンバティーストドレスで、スカートの部分が３重になっています。その下にシミーズとパンタロンを履いています。
靴は皮製ですが、マークはありません。
お値段は４５００ドル＋送料です。他にも詳しい画像がありますので、興味のある方はbebesbysayuri@hotmai.com　までお問い合わせください。
 
 

Autumn in New England

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Archive for October, 2011

 

 

Sunday, October 16th, 2011

I just came back from visiting my friend in Massachusetts.

My dear friend Dale Rensing from Ages Designs was an exhibitor at doll show in Dedham near Boston. I joined her to help out her booth and it was fun!!

This was my first time to visit New England area and time could not be more perfect.
I was welcomed by gorgeous foliage which we don’t have very many here in Nevada. I was able to meet friendly people in New England and enjoy beautiful scenarios.
It was a wonderful trip and I am hoping to be able to visit there more often!!
 
Dale offers variety of products including doll fashion patterns and jewelry to quilts and literature.
She also creates these beautiful doll dresses and they are available at her website and doll shows.
 
 

You can make your own ” Princess Kate” wedding gown for your favorite doll.

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先日友人を訪ねてマサチューセッツ州へ小旅行に出かけてきました。

べべ用のドレスやそのパターンを扱っているお友達のデールさんが、ボストン郊外のドールショーへ出店するのでそのお手伝いがてらです。

東部ニューイングランド地方を訪ねるのは今回が初めてなのですが、ちょうど紅葉のシーズンだったので、乾燥地帯のネバダではあまり見られない色とりどりの森を見ることができました。

デールさんは、自分のパターンをつかってドレスも作っています。彼女のＨＰはこちらですので、機会があったら寄ってみてください。

http://www.agesdesigns.com/

 

New creation ~16 inch Bru Jne 11 ~

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Archive for September, 2011

 

 

Thursday, September 1st, 2011

  
I have been working to finish orders I started before the UFDC convention. I finished a Circle Dot Bru recently, and I have finished another doll at this time.
She is a 16-inch Bru Jne 11 with a navy blue dress. I have two Bru Jne molds to make 16-inch dolls. One is a Bru Jne 6, and the other is this Bru Jne 11.This Bru Jne 11 is a reduced size of a 24-inch Bru Jne 11, but Bru Jne 11’s characteristic facial features somehow got lost during the mold reducing process. So she may look slightly different from a larger size Bru Jne 11, but this doll also has a different look from the Bru Jne 6 mold.
 
My customer’s order was to make a pale toned Bru doll in a dark blue dress. Therefore she has very pale skin with pale eyes and a pale blonde wig. The dark navy blue dress seems to emphasize her paleness even more. I like both pale skinned and pink skinned dolls, and this Bru Jne 11 looks beautiful with her pale complexion.
 
I took an antique silk dress apart and used silk and velvet fabric to make the dress. Her dress has a rather interesting design. It looks like a jacket dress, but the top and the skirt are connected at the back so it is actually a one-piece dress.It also has pleating at the bottom of the jacket part and accent ruffles in front. I love using old metal buttons on my doll dresses, but it’s very difficult to find quantities of them in small sizes and with matched designs. So whenever I find them, I try to stock up. I used seven of them in the front part of the dress, and that added richness to the design.
 
I made the lace bonnet with antique insertion lace and cotton trim with many yards of lace ruffles and silk ribbons. It always amazes me to find that such a tiny bonnet requires so many yards of lace and ribbons. If you have ever wondered why antique lace bonnets are so expensive, I think this is the reason. I don’t make lace bonnets very often, but it’s been a hit since I made it for the Bru Jne 6 doll with an ecru dress. I think this type of bonnet frames her face and pale blonde wig very well.
 
I have been working on this doll since April. I can’t thank my customers enough for being so patient. I hope I can keep making dolls that are worth waiting for.
 

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コンベンション前に始めたオーダーを今ヤッキになって仕上げているところです。
先日はサークルドットブリュを完成、今回は１６インチのＢｒｕＪｎｅ１１が出来上がりました。
 
私は１６インチのＢｒｕモールドを二つ持っていますが、ひとつはＢｒｕＪｎｅ６で、もうひとつがこのＢｒｕＪｎｅ１１です。
このモールドは２４インチのＢｒｕＪｎｅ１１の縮小版なのですが、縮小の過程でモールドの彫が甘くなったりゆがみが入ったりで、あんまり１１号っぽくないのですが、６号のとも違う顔つきをしています。
 
お客様のご希望は色白の娘にダークブルーのドレスを。。。をという事でしたので、色白、ペールブルーアイ、ペールブロンドのウイッグです。
しかも、ダークブルーがよりいっそう色白さを強調しています。
ドレスは、アンティークのダークブルードレスを解いて、そこからシルク地とベルベット地を取って使いました。
デザインは一見ジャケットドレスのようですが、後ろの部分でつながっていて実はワンピースなのです。ジャケットの裾はプリーツになっていて、フロント部分にはギャザーのラッフルトリムが襟をぐるっと囲むようについています。
アクセントにつけたメタルボタンは全部アンティークです。私はメタルボタンを使うのが好きなんですが、アンティークで、しかも同じパターンを二個以上そろって見つけるのは結構難しいです。
希少価値が高いのでお値段も張るし。（＾＾；）まあでも、見つかったときはなるたけ買いだめしておくようにしてます。
いい物はやっぱりドレスにつけた時、デザインの深みが増しますね。
 
ボネットは最近ヒットのレースボネットです。
この小さいレースボネットも、実際作ってみるとレースとシルクリボンの量がハンパではありません。
だからアンティーク物はあんなに高いんですね。でも作った甲斐があって、この娘の雰囲気に合った良い感じに出来あがりました。
 
この作品は、なんと４月からぼちぼちと作り始めて、やっと出来上がった次第です。
こんなに長い間待ってくださったお客様に、感謝です。これからも、”待っただけの甲斐がある”作品が出来るよう、がんばります。
 

Two Circle Dot Bru dolls

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Archive for August, 2011

 

 

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011
 
 Last April I made my first Circle Dot Bru doll using the wrong head mold. I finally purchased a correct mold from the Virginia LaVorgna Company and have made a French Circle Dot Bru doll.
 Not just one, but I made two dolls to show this time. One has brown eyes and the other one has blue eyes.
 
As you can see in the photos these two dolls have very different faces. The brown-eyed Bru has smaller irises with pale skin, which was requested by my customer in order to capture the authentic look of an antique Circle Dot Bru. I had a wonderful opportunity to study the look of an antique Circle Dot Bru during the UFDC convention last month, and I think this brown-eyed Bru came out pretty close to having that antique look.
 
I have noticed Circle Dot Bru dolls seem to have two kinds of faces. One has smaller irises with a more mature look just like this brown-eyed Bru I made, and the other kind has larger irises with a baby-like face. I tried to give a look of “ baby face” to this blue- eyed Circle Dot Bru. Her irises are larger, almost filling up the entire eye holes, and her pink skin seems to emphasize her chubby cheeks. They look almost like two different dolls made from different molds, but they were actually made from the same mold. It’s very interesting how you can change the look of each doll by changing the color of the skin and using different eyes.
 
Their bodies are Bru style leather body with leather legs. I have stained the body to give an aged look.
 I also used “claw like ” Bru hands for this doll. They are different from the Bru hands that are used for Bru Jne dolls.
 Antique Bervete and Circle Dot Bru often have these “claw like” finger hands. Later model Bru Jne dolls have more delicately sculptured hands that Bru dolls are famous for.
 I have been making Bru dolls for quite some times but this is the first time I made a Circle Dot Bru. Because for a long time I wasn’t a very big fan of this model..
 But once I started learning more about them, I discovered their beauty and how irresistible they can be.
 
I will definitely try to make more Circle Dot Bru dolls to show how beautiful and cute they are!
 
 
 
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４月に間違ったモールドでサークルドットブリュを作って以来、正しいモールドで作り直すのが当面の課題となっていましたが、今回やっと完成しました。
 しかも２体。茶目とブルーアイの娘たちです。
 
モールドは、バージニア　ラボーニャ社の１８インチサークルドットブリュを使いました。
 画像でわかるように、この二人は一件まったく違った顔をしています。
 茶目の娘は虹彩が小さめで色白、お客様のリクエストでなるたけアンティークっぽいお顔に仕上げました。
 
先月行ったＵＦＤＣのコンベンションで、何体のアンティークサークルドットブリュを見る機会がありましたが、この茶目の娘はけっこうアンテイークに近い雰囲気に仕上がったと思います。
 
サークルドットブリュには虹彩が小さめな大人顔の娘と、虹彩が大きめの赤ちゃんっぽい顔がありますが、ブルーアイの娘はその赤ちゃん顔をめざして作ってみました。
 アイホールの半分以上を占める虹彩と、ピンク色の肌色がぽっちゃりした頬をさらに強調して、かなり幼顔に見えます。
 この二つのヘッドはまったく違った顔つきですが、両方同じモールドからできています。
 
同じモールドを使っても、グラスアイと絵付けの仕方を変えるだけで、いろんなバリエーションが楽しめます。
 
ボディーは、レザーレッグのブリューボディーです。古く見えるよう、レザーにアンティーク加工してあります。
 ビスクハンドは、初期のブレベテやサークルドットブリュに使われた”クローハンド”を使いました。ブリュジュンのリアルな彫りのビスクハンドに比べて、この初期のクローハンドは指の動きが多少簡略化した感じです。
 
いままで長い間ブリュを作ってきましたが、サークルドットは今回はじめて作りました。と言うのも、じつはサークルドットははじめはあまり好きじゃなかったんです。
 でも、この何ヶ月かいろいろ勉強してるうちにだんだんその良さがわかってきて、いまではけっこうハマってしまいました。
 
これを機会に今後も、もっともっと魅力的なサークルドットをたくさん作っていけたらと思います。
 
 
 
 

2011 UFDC Convention in Anaheim

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Monday, August 8th, 2011

( Teri’s Antique Dolls booth at UFDC sales room )

Attending UFDC annual convention was a very exciting and educational experience.

The president of UFDC described the convention itself as a museum of dolls and it was true.

I was able to see many rare dolls that I have only seen in books and on the internet. I have two particular Bru dolls that I call ” my dream Brus”. I was hoping to make Bru dolls look like them, and that is one of my ultimate goals.

Well, what do you know ! They were both there at the competitive exhibit table side by side. I was almost in tears when I saw them. I could have stayed there forever! Not only were they 100 times more beautiful than pictures, they looked so life-like. Many doll collectors use expressions like ” I want a doll that speaks to me.” And they were speaking to me for sure ! Unfortunately, I will never be able to own them, but at least I can try to make dolls that look like them someday.I am sure many other doll artists were inspired just as I was by seeing all these wonderful dolls. This part alone was worth coming to the convention.

But that was just one part. Meeting with other fellow doll enthusiasts was perhaps the best reason for going there.I was able to meet other doll artists who have exchanged email with me a few times in the past. We quickly became good friends as if we had known each other for a long time. It’s always nice to be able to talk about technical issues with someone who knows what you’re doing. I don’t usually have that opportunity since I do doll-making alone at home.Sometime it makes me feel like I am the only one struggling, but I found out that other artists go through a similar struggle.

I also took a few seminars and workshops, learning so much more about dolls. The most eye-opening experience was taking a refresher course in Japanese history as seen through Japanese doll culture presented by Alan Scott Pate. Alan has published many books about antique Japanese dolls, and he is one of the most well known antique Japanese doll experts in the U. S..

I must say Japanese history classes I took when I was in school were very boring. They did not stay in my memory very well.
But Alan’s lecture was full of interesting stories to help me understand history in a fun way. It was three hours long but the time went by so fast. His seminar is simply very enjoyable. I would recommend it for anyone who has a chance to attend.
 Last but not least, we all received a souvenir doll at the banquet on the last day. This year’s doll is an all bisque doll created by Darlene Lane. The doll’s name is Aimee, and she is so tiny and adorable. She is only 5.5 inches tall but the details of her facial painting are incredible. To paint such a tiny doll with perfection is already hard enough, but Darlene hand made more than 1000 of this same doll for the convention. I can’t even imagine doing that much work myself. This was the moment I truly appreciated doll artists. I can see how much work she put into each doll, and she did not cut corners in any details.Thank you, Darlene.
 The Halopeau doll that I made for this convention was sold, and I appreciate everyone who came to see my doll during the convention. I received many compliments and met a few of my customers there. It’s always nice to know who I am doing business with since I rarely have a chance to meet them. Next year’s convention will be held in New Orleans. I hope I will be able to go there and again have another exciting time!
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アナハイムでのＵＦＤＣのコンベンションから帰ってきました。とても勉強になった有意義な時間を過ごすことができました。
オープニングセレモニーで会長さんが、”このコンベンション自体がドールミュージアムと呼べるほど、素晴らしいドールの数々が集まっています”と言っていましたが、まさにそのとおりでした。
本やネットでしか見たことのないレアなドールが、それこそ盛りだくさんに展示されていました。
私が密かに”ドリームＢｒｕ”と呼ぶ、本でしか見たことの無いアンテイークのＢｒｕがあるのですが、なんとその二人が、コンペティションのテーブルに並んで飾られていたのです。
まさかこうして実物に会えるとは夢にも思っていなかったので、もう嬉しくて涙が出るほど。もちろん実物は写真より１００倍もよかったですが、それより何より、まるで生きているかのような素晴らしい表情なのには感激しました。よくコレクターの人は”自分に語りかけてくるお人形が欲しい”といいますが、冗談ではなく、ほんとに語りかけているようだったんですよ。
でもまあそこは現実にもどって、彼女たちはコレクターさんの秘蔵なので私がいくらがんばっても手の届かない存在です。せめて、いつか彼女たちに少しでも近いレプリカを作れたらいいと思っています。

 これだけでもコンベンションに出席した甲斐がありましたが、同じようにお人形を愛するたくさんのお友達にお会いできたのが一番の収穫でした。メールでしか面識のなかったドールアーティストの皆さんにもお会いすることができました。やっぱりお互いの苦労話などを時間を忘れて話し合える機会をもてるのは嬉しいですね。特に私は家で一人ドールメーキングをやっていて、他の作家さんに会う機会がまったく無いので、とても貴重な過ごすことができました。
他にもセミナーやワークショップに参加したりで、とても忙しいスケジュールでした。中でも一番興味深かったのが、アランさんによる日本の人形文化の講演を通して日本史を今一度理解できたことです。

私は日本史はあまり得意ではなかったので、大まかな部分は知っていますが細かいところはぜんぜん覚えてませんでした。アランさんはアメリカでも指折りの日本人形の専門家で、本もいくつか出版しているだけあってその知識は素晴らしいものです。日本の歴史を、英語でしかもアメリカ人講師によってこんなによく理解できたのには、われながら目からうろこが落ちる思いでした。しかも、彼の講義はとてもスピードがあるうえ楽しいエピソードが盛りだくさんで、３時間という長い講義があっという間に終わってしまいました。

アランさんは年に４回日本へ買い付けに行くそうなので、もし機会があったらぜひ彼のセミナーへ参加してみる事をお勧めします。ほんと、楽しいですよ。彼自身も、とても面白い方です。

コンベンション最終日のディナーパーティーでは、お土産のアーティストドールが手渡されました。今年はリプロ作家のダーリーン.レーンさんによるジャーマンのミニョネット”エイミー”です。エイミーは５．５インチしかないちいさな娘ですが、繊細な絵付けの素晴らしさに感動しました。こんな小さなヘッドに繊細な絵付けを施すことができるだけでもすごいことなのに、彼女は同じ人形を１０００体以上手作りしたのですから、その仕事量を考えただけで気が遠くなります。一体作るのにどれだけの手間がかかったのがわかるだけに、こういうプレゼントはとてもありがたく思いますね。ダーリーンさん、ありがとうございました。

さて、セールスルームに展示されたアッシュは、おかげさまで新しいお家が決まりました。

わざわざ足を運んでくださった方々にお礼を申しあげます。たくさんの方々に、私の作品を見ていただくことができて嬉しいです。メールでしか連絡を取ったことのないお客様にも、実際にお会いすることができました。これもまた、私にとってはとても貴重な体験です。

来年のコンベンションはニューオーリンズだそうです。また来年も行けるといいですが。。。

 



 
 

 

 

Halopeau doll completed!

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Archive for July, 2011

 

Monday, July 18th, 2011

 

Gee, I finally finished making my first complete Halopeau doll to take to the UFDC convention.

And here she is!

I have made quite a few H heads recently but never had a chance to make a complete doll.
Most of the dolls I have been making are custom dolls. In other words, I don’t decide the dress or details of the dolls.

They are all requested by the customer. This H doll was created by ” however I want” style.I have been wanting to make a dress with this design for a long time, and I have been saving this antique sage green fabric just for this dress.
I am very happy that I was finally able to use it.
It turned out very chic and I really love it! Even though I had only a very little time to make this dress, I hand stitched all cording trims and used lots of fabric manipulation techniques.
Edging trim at the bottom of the jacket is made with silver thread. It’s very heavy and has a nice antique patina which adds another layer of richness to the dress.
While I was making this head, I had a once in a lifetime opportunity to study an antique AT doll in my house.
One of my customers offered me the use of her antique AT doll as a painting guide to make an H head for her, and she actually let me keep the doll for a month.
I had an antique AT doll side by side to paint this H head ( and my customer’s) to capture the true coloring of skin tone, feathered brows, lip shade, etc …
How lucky can I be!
As a result, I think she greatly resembles an AT doll.
I am taking her to the UFDC national convention this Saturday.
She will be available in the sales room at Teri’s Antique Dolls booth.
I look forward to meeting new friends there!
 

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予定よりちょっと早めにアッシュが完成しました。
最近たくさんのアッシュのヘッドを作っていましたが、ドレスを含めた完成品を作るのは今回が初めてです。
私が作っているほとんどの作品はカスタムオーダーのため、ドレスや絵付けは全部お客様からのリクエストを生かして作られています。
なので、今回の作品は全部私の好みで作った物となります.
 
ずっと前からこのデザインのドレスを作ってみたくて、しかも、このドレスのためにわざわざこのセイジグリーンのアンテイーク地までずーっと取っておいたのです。
やっと使える機会が持てて嬉しいです。
出来上がりはかなりシックなイメージですが、実はとても好みです。
製作期間が短いため時間に余裕が無く、かなり無理してドレス製作をしてましたが、手抜きはせずにちゃんと模様のコーディングも手縫いしたし、いろんなギャザーとか、プリーツとかつけました。
ジャケットの裾と胸の飾りにあるエッジングトリムは銀糸でできていて、とても重く、しかもアンティーク特有の変色もしていて、良い雰囲気を出しています。
 しかもこのヘッドを製作中にすごいことがありました。
別のお客様からＨヘッドの製作依頼も受けていたのですが、なんと、お客様が持っているアンティークのＡＴを参考に絵付けして欲しいとの依頼で(ここまでは普通）、写真では実際の色がわからないだろうからと、本物を送ってきたのです。
アンティークのＡＴを傍らに絵付けの勉強をさせていただくなんて、たぶんあと一生無いだろうな、と言うくらい素晴らしい体験でした。
おかげで、このアッシュはなんだかＡＴに似た顔つきになりました。
 前回のブログでお伝えしたとおり、この娘は２５日から開催されるＵＦＤＣのコンベンションにて、展示販売されます。
私も初めての参加なので、たくさんの新しいお友達に会えることを楽しみにしています。

 

 

 

Noble Dolls by Vita Soyka

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Archive for June, 2011

 

Thursday, June 30th, 2011
 

I wrote about Japanese Ichimastu dolls in my last blog.

This time I would like to introduce another kind of wonderful doll created by my friend Vita Soyka who is an extremely talented doll artist from Ukraine.

Her dolls are inspired by early European wooden dolls from 17th ~18th centuries, but they are all her original designs, not reproductions.

She hand carves lime – wood to make the base of a wooden doll then coats the wood with a chalk priming mixture. She finishes the facial painting with an old method of egg tempera and sets glass eyes to give life to the doll.
 Vita hand sews all garments and dresses for the dolls by using a combination of modern and antique materials.
Oftentimes antique fabrics are too fragile to handle and choices are very limited. But by combining both new and old materials Vita has the flexibility to create a wide variety of dresses.
She carefully chooses fabrics made from natural materials in order to preserve the integrity of a vintage look to her dolls.
To make that vintage look even more authentic, she uses antique glass eyes,and the wigs are made from antique human hair .
 
I was just blown away when I first saw her dolls because of their artistry.
Compared to using molds to make porcelain dolls, hand carving each doll is extremely time consuming and requires a high level of artistic skill. I am already taking my hat off at that point.
 
My dolls are my own interpretation of antique dolls but still ” reproductions”.
Vita’s dolls are all originals made from scratch. I truly envy her talent and thank her for giving me an opportunity to learn something new.
 

You can read more about Vita’s dolls from these links.

 
 
Vita hand carved this beautiful body. Look at detail of these feet! Wow !
 
 
 
 
 

Miss Wakayama ~ Japanese Friendship Doll ~

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Archive for June, 2011
Saturday, June 11th, 2011
Our local doll club took a field trip to the Nevada Historical Society in early June to visit ” Miss Wakayama ~ Japanese Friendship Doll”.
Japanese Friendship dolls ~Torei Ningyo~ are a type of Ichimatsu dolls which were sent to US from Japan in 1927 to show gratitude for the Blue – Eyed dolls that were sent to Japanese children from US in early 1927.
Originally 58 Ichimatsu dolls were sent and each of the dolls were equipped with a variety of accessories including lacquer chests,silk parasols, lanterns,passports,steamship tickets and goodwill letters.
Unfortunately some of them were lost or misplaced over the years especially during WWII. Forty six of them are known to exist as of today.
 The Nevada Historical Society in Reno received one of the Friendship dolls, Miss Wakayama, in 1928. After they toured around cities of US, she has been on permanent display at the museum.
I was born and raised in Japan but I knew very little about Ichimatsu dolls and had no knowledge about Friendship dolls until one of my doll club members mentioned about them.
Since then I did more research and discover the beauty and wonderful history of Ichimatsu dolls. Now I truly appreciate the fact that we have one of this friendship doll in town and being able to see the doll with such a remarkable history.
The moment I saw her, I could only say “Wow”. Our Miss Wakayama is about 30 inches tall and she is displayed with her beautiful accessories such as lacquer chests, tea ceremony set, slippers and umbrella.
Her facial painting is a work of art. She has eye lashes and two rows of teeth with open mouth which is kind of rare among Friendship dolls.
She has this divine smile which looks almost like a real child, as if you can hear her breathing. It is a true master artist’s work to create such “look”.
Her silk kimono has clam patterns at the bottom which is original to her. Each Friendship doll has a name to represent each prefecture in Japan, and Wakayama prefecture is known for clam harvesting.
I believe that’s where her kimono patterns originated.
She is still missing some of her belongings because many Friendship dolls and their belongings did not travel together during the tour after they arrived in US.
The Historical Society director told us that they are still trying to locate some of her original belongings including her passport.
There are 45 more Friendship dolls located all over the US. One of them, Miss Japan, is in the Smithsonian Museum.
From this site you can check to see if your city has a doll .
I would definitely recommend going to see a Friendship doll if you have one nearby.
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先日地元のドールクラブのメンバーで、市内にあるネバダ歴史美術館へ”答礼人形”の見学ツアーに行ってきました。
答礼人形、別名フレンドシップドールは、１９２７年にアメリカから日本の子供たちへ送られた青い目の人形のお礼にと、日本からアメリカへ渡った市松人形のことです。
当時５８体の市松人形が政府発行のパスポートを持って、漆塗りの家具やぼんぼり、日本傘などのお嫁入り道具とともに海を渡ってきました。
ところが第二次世界大戦中、敵国の人形と言うことで展示からはずされてしまった多くの答礼人形は、その後消息がわからなくなり、現在４６体が確認されているだけです。
ネバダ歴史美術館は、１９２８年頃にアメリカ国内の展示ツアーを終えた答礼人形の一体”ミス和歌山”を授かっています。
私は日本人のくせに、実は市松人形についてはあまり知識がないのです。ましてや答礼人形のことなど、アメリカ人のドールクラブの友達から話しを聞くまで知りませんでした。
そこでさっそくいろいろリサーチをして、市松人形の古い歴史と、その芸術性の素晴らしさを知りました。
このような素晴らしい歴史を持つ市松人形に会えるなんて、（しかも同じ市内にいるなんて）当日までとてもわくわくしていました。
そしてご対面の瞬間は、まさに”わお”でした。
ミス和歌山は背たけがおよそ３０インチもあって、漆の箪笥やお茶の道具などともにジャジャーンと飾られていました。
お顔の絵付けはとても素晴らしく、まさに芸術品の域です。まつ毛もしっかりついていて、答礼人形の中では珍しくオープンマウスです。そしてそのかわいらしい口元からは上下に並んだ歯が見えます。
神々しいくらいの微笑をたたえたお顔からは、まるで生きているかのようなオーラさえ感じられました。
お着物はかわいらしいピンク色で、貝の模様が手描きされています。
答礼人形のひとりひとりには、出身地の都道府県の名前がついていますが、和歌山県は潮干狩りができる浜があることからこの模様がついたのでしょうか。。。
彼女の何点かのお嫁入り道具は、まだ全部見つからないでいます。
これは、答礼人形がアメリカ国内をツアーした際に、持ち物とお人形がごちゃ混ぜになって移動されたためです。
美術館長は、パスポートを含めた彼女のお嫁入り道具を現在も捜索中だと話してくれました。
他にも４５体の答礼人形がアメリカ国内に存在します。そのうちのひとつ”ミス日本”は、ワシントンＤＣのスミソニアン美術館に保管されています。
このリンクから、現在の答礼人形の保管場所を検索することができます。
もしも近くまで来たら、ぜひ訪れてみてください。