Latest baby finished

Here is the latest baby I finished.  He was shipped to his new mommy in Wichita, KS.  I really enjoyed making him.  He was a portrait baby and the Gabriel sculpt  by Michelle Fagen

Monday, October 13, 2014

Good morning everyone.  It has been a busy summer, and hopefully I can get on here more often and give you updates of everything going on.

Here is an awesome giveaway by one of my favorite sites.  Hayneedle.com.  Check it out.

http://blog.hayneedle.com/hayneedle/get-guest-ready-giveaway/

 They have lots of great stuff on their site.  I enjoy browsing with my morning coffee.

Introduction

Good morning everyone.  It is a cool morning here today.  I thought while I sat here and had my morning coffee, I would let ya all know a little bit about me and my babies.

Back in the 1980's, I owned a ceramic studio, and my mother owned hers.  She dabbled in lots of different items, but her passion was porcelain dolls.  Me, I loved doing country items.  After my mother passed, I couldn't get into doing ceramics at all.  I guess she was my inspiration, and without her, I had no interest.  So, since 1989, I putted with other crafts:  Wood burning, Gourds, Sewing, Crocheting, Soap and Candle making, You name it, I have done it.  But somehow, I always felt like I was missing out on something.

Then one day in 2004, I was cleaning and organizing my craft room and ran across a tote with parts and pieces of porcelain dolls that my mother had painted but had not gotten a chance to put together.  I grabbed a tall glass of iced tea and went to the computer in search of  hair and eyes to complete these dolls that my mother had taken so much time to create.  I found what I was looking for, but found even more.  I had discovered Reborn Dolls.  I was drawn in like a magnet.  I ordered all the paints and supplies.  I just knew that this was going to be my new passion.

But, I was afraid to start.  I don't know why, but I was terrified that I was going to mess it up or something.  I can't really explain it. but I would get everything out and set up, and just stop, and put it all away again.  This went on for a couple of years.  I even had thrift store dolls to practice on, but couldn't.

Then one day, I just decided that this was foolish and I had to just do it.  Well, all went well, and I haven't stopped since.  I love the painting.  It is similar to ceramics, as far as the detailing.  There is such a feeling of accomplishment when the doll you have worked on, is finished. Every doll seems to have an individual personality.  I can paint the same sculpt ten times and each time that baby is so... different than the last one.  The very first doll I did was Donna RuBert's  "Sugar"  Sculpt.  I made it into a boy with blond hair.  I created him to look like my oldest son, so I had to use different hands and feet from another sculpt.  I named him Everett Issac Burton Franklin, after my Grandfather.   I didn't sell him.  I have thought about it several times, but only when I had a rush order for a blond baby boy, but I am glad that I didn't.  I keep him in the bassinet   He is my firstborn, so he is pretty special.

 I just wish my mother was here to enjoy this new passion.  She would have loved making these dolls.  I named my studio after her, because of her inspiration.  Cramblit was her maiden name.
Sometimes when I am in my studio alone, working, especially when it's late at night and everything is quiet, I feel her presence, so in a way, I guess, she is enjoying this new art with me, and she is still my inspiration.

My newest passion is the art of sculpting my own doll.  But... that is a whole other blog.

I hope this gives you a little understanding of who I am and why I enjoy reborning.