How Do You Name Your Dollies?

How do you decide what to name your doll? Do the names come to you as you are sculpting their little faces? Is the name dancing in your head before you even begin? Sometimes, just the first letter for a name does that to me..... and then there are times, even though they can be some of my favorite dolls, a name never quite seems to come to me.

This doll that I just finished, I think I shall call Matilda. The letter "M" kept coming to mind as I sculpted, I even toyed with Madalyn, but to me I think she has the spunk of a Matilda. I am just finishing a little "you know what kind of"dolly for her to hold. Don't you just love her green shoes?

An Early Sign?

This is a painting that I did, probably 25 years ago. At the time I didn't make dolls, I had not even thought of doing so. I only knew that when I was arranging the composition, I wanted "one of those old, cloth dolls with the painted hair" included. So I just painted her in from a vision I remembered of "those dolls", not even knowing what they were called. Little did I realize that years later I would not only be making dolls, but ones inspired by the very same ones that captured my heart many years before. I never sold the painting, and I am glad, because it now hangs in my studio.

Belle

Belle is a doll that I have just finished. She is sort of an Izannah type, but I gave her sculpted hair and shoulders because of the style of dress. She comes with a cloth and straw brimmed bonnet and her own little tussie mussie.

Strolling through the garden

Mrs. Toad lives underneath the salvia behind the watering can. She snuggles in her little nest in the mulch so well, sometimes I can only see her eyes moving.