Real life places to see my work!

So far, almost all my dolls have been sold online, but over the next couple of weeks I'm going to take part in my first ever art/craft markets!

This Sunday - 21st Feb - I'm going to be at Duckpond Market in Ruislip. I've visited this market a few times, and it's just gorgeous. Started up by a local woman last year it's turned in to a roaring success, with high quality arts and crafts, a farmers market, children's activities and lots of fun entertainers.

Then on Saturday 27th Feb I'll be up in Cambridge at the Made-it Market. This is a brand new event which is taking place in 'The Shop' which is a fabulous community art initiative.

Towards the end of March my work will be part of a group exhibition in a shop window in Camden, and there are other exhibitions coming up around Harrow and further afield.

So I'm very busy trying to get lots of dolls and doll brooches made!

It's a terrifying thing, putting your work that you put your heart into out there for all to see, but even more terrifying is sitting next to it and seeing everyone's reactions!

I've been putting a lot of thought into how I'm going to display my dolls, something which as a trained set designer should come very naturally, but most sets I've designed don't have to be transported on the bus and erected in half an hour!

Currently I'm planning on using two of the cardboard dolls houses I blogged about here as the main display areas for my dolls, but I need to think about how to show off my brooches, postcards, literature about custom 'portrait' dolls (which I still need to create!) , business cards, guest book and of course prices! I'm sure I'll make plenty of mistakes to learn from!

If any of you have wise words on the best and worst ways to display things at art/craft fairs then please pass them on!

If you want to be kept up to date with events my work will feature in then do sign up to my facebook fanpage.

Four more puppet dolls dressed in Liberty's fabrics! All girls this time, there'll be a couple of boys coming soon. I've experimented a bit with their hair dos this time.

Martha and Connie - custom dolls

These dolls were made as imaginings of how two sisters who are at the moment gorgeous little toddlers would grow into beautiful young women. These dolls are going to be companions for the girls as they grow. Its such a wonderful thought that I've created things which will be a part of their world for a long long time.

I've made a brooch...

...and I'm not sure what I think of it! I like it but I'm not sure other people will! what do you think? shall I make more?

My day at Liberty's

Yesterday I went to Liberty's of London to show their buyers my dolls, hoping for some good advice and the chance of seeing my work on Liberty's shelves.

I'd made a collection of dolls clothed in Liberty fabrics...

I arrived at 8.15am (they were to start seeing people at 10am) and already the queue was truly enormous! There were some lovely people there, with beautiful things, from wedding tiaras and headpieces, gorgeously upholstered chairs, a gingerbread dolls house, and stacks of brilliant mens and womens wear.

After queuing outside for about an hour we made it to the staircase, still queuing, but at least warm! Eventually we got to a holding room, where we signed up to a list for our respective categories and waited for our name to be called. This was another hours wait, but with a chair and free tea and biscuits this time, so although nervous I was content!

I eventually got to see 2 buyers, for the briefest of times. They didn't think my dolls would be right for Liberty's - they are too 'rustic'. They suggested making caricatures of famous models and politicians. I have thought about doing a Kate Moss doll in the past, but I'm really not sure about politicians, I'm not sure there's a huge market for Gordon Brown dolls?

Anyway, although it didn't end with Rose Lullaby Dolls being put on the shelves of Liberty's it was a good day, and preparing for it was a really useful process to go through.

Now I'm going to start listing my Liberty dolls on Folksy and Etsy - Jasper is there already and there are more to come. I'm working on another group so there will be plenty to choose from!

The first group of Liberty dolls!

Here's a sneaky peek at some dolls I've made who are dressed in Liberty fabrics, all their clothes are totally hand stitched, I think they're rather special!

Liberty's and dolls-houses

In a couple of weeks I'm going to be showing my dolls to some of the buyers for Liberty's of London, which is rather exciting and terrifying!
I spent an hour or so in there yesterday wandering around, I hadn't been in for a couple of years and had forgotten what an utterly gorgeous place it is. The fabric/yarn/haberdashery department was predictably the section I gravitated towards, and oh my the things I found there! Vintage glass jars full of beautiful fabric covered buttons, a yarn selection I just wanted to jump into and snuggle up in, a selection of ribbons and trimmings to die for and of course the fabric...Oh the fabric!
I umm-ed and ah-ed for quite some time but eventually settled on a couple of pieces of liberty tana lawn. This is one, the other is covered with line drawings of Elizabethan sailing ships.




I can't wait to use these fabrics to make some special Liberty dolls!

Today my cardboard dolls houses arrived, which I'm also thrilled with. I got them from Oxfam's January sale and they're just fabulous.




I'm going to cover them in ivory tissue paper and use them to display my dolls at exhibitions and shows. I have plans to create a whole village for my summer exhibition, with these as the 3 main houses filled with dolls going about their business, surrounded by lots of little houses with one or two dolls in and some fabric hills with trees on and dolls on swings hanging from their branches.
I've got a million ideas swimming around my head at the moment, I could just do with the time to realise all my plans!

Lovely long-haired Lucy

Sigh... I want Lucy's hair too! and for that matter I'd quite fancy having her dress as well! She's in my folksy shop here and will be on etsy later today.

Susan

Meet Susan, I've just listed in my folksy and etsy shops. I'm in love with her beehive! She is called Susan because her hair colour made me think of Susan from 'Neighbours' which will mean nothing if you're American!

Toby the Valentine's doll.

Here's Toby! I'm so pleased with his hair, and his heart. I think he'd be a rather lovely valentine's present, whether given to someone else or yourself! You can buy him on folksy here in £ and on etsy here in $, and he comes with a free hand drawn Valentine's card.

Valentine's Cards

Hand drawn Valentine's cards are now available here in $ and here in £. I've made them by drawing the design on tracing paper which is then folded around the card like a book's dust jacket. Each card is hand drawn and so each one is an individual piece of art. This is the first time I've ever made greetings cards, and I'm really pleased with them!

Make your own Rose Lullaby Doll.

I'm now selling naked and hairless Rose Lullaby Dolls for you to finish however you like. Each doll will be handcrafted by me and entirely one of a kind, you can specify the eye colour and it will arrive with a few insider tips on how to create your character. I think this would be a rather fabulous present for the crafty person in your life! You can buy one in dollars here or in pounds here

St Valentine's Day Doll

This my first Valentine's doll, she's called Catriona after my sister, whose birthday is on St Valentine's Day. I really like how protective she looks about the heart, and how the hem of her dress flare right out. She's listed in both my etsy and my folksy shops - more to come soon, including some naked and bald puppet dolls for you to get creative with and finish off yourself!

Treasury

I've snagged a Treasury in Etsy's 'Treasury West' and filled it with lovely things for you to see - take a peek here

Valentines day

I've just about recovered from Christmas, and now I need to get thinking about valentines day asap! I'm thinking of making some puppet dolls who are cuddling hearts made out of vintage fabric, and some cards out of illustrations of the same.

What do you think?

What would you like me to make for valentines day?

Portrait of three friends

This is a portrait of 3 housemates which I did to commission. I used unbleached cotton canvas, pen and ink and acrylic paint. I need to get better at taking photos of 2D work!