Yarn Doll Hair

I have a penchant for yarn doll hair...

 Short or long, natural or fantasy, I love all the wild possibilities that present themselves when I sit down surrounded by skeins of hand spun art yarn and begin to create a doll's personal mix...

 I love yarns that showcase the original wool texture and luminence in their spinning...I am inspired by brightly contrasted mixes of hand dyed wool yarn...The idea that each strand is the creation of a fellow spinning artist inspires me...

 But most of all, I relish the unusual combinations of these strands of art that present themselves in an entirely unique way, to create a theme for a doll that goes beyond the regular, and into the sublime.

Wefted doll hair is lovely, popular right now, and can be so very natural and "real". But I will always be a handspun yarn lover at heart for my own dolls...it combines the artistry of a spinner with my own, and that is a recipe for pure MAGIC!

Little Lavender

"As Rosemary is to the Spirit, so Lavender is to the Soul".
--Anonymous

Meet Lavender, a little doll who loves quiet early mornings. Lavender's long, lush hair is a combination of textured wool hand spun art yarns in all the hues of lavender, purple and blue, and may be styled a variety of ways for creative play. She wears white bloomers, a flowered dress, and a hand made lavender bolero for chilly morning walks. (Dress and bloomers made especially for her by Blissality.) 

Her purple "boots" are made of 100% wool felt.

 Lavender's simple expression allows your child to imagine whatever emotion he or she wishes. The wool stuffing warms to your child’s body temperature, making it feel like a real companion to befriend. Her stylish outfit of dress, scarf, and hand knit purple undies is removable. 

Most YOSD clothes or 1/6 doll clothes fit her as well. 

To bring Lavender home, simply go to my ETSY SHOP--she's listed for sale right now.

Warmly,
Amy
Once Upon A Doll

Custom vs Ready to Go Dolls

It's quite a difficult question when buying dolls for both the collector and the doll maker--do I prefer a  custom or a RTG (ready to go) doll?

RTG doll:

Custom doll: 

There's something enchanting about the idea of a custom doll to a collector--commissioning your dream doll to be birthed into reality. With your ideal eye color and skin color...the hair color(s) and combinations of yarn or weft you've been envisioning...recreating the beloved character or theme you've been longing for in your mind's eye.

Custom dream:

 Custom reality:

And it's yours, all yours. No upload madness, no barely missing a doll you love...just the wait, of course. Which can seem QUITE long when you've paid your money and have to wait months to see your marvel materialize. The cost of a custom doll can also be quite daunting, as it tends to be considerably more than a RTG doll.

Of course, the reality may not match up to the fantasy. Sometimes what you wanted just can't be done...or else communication got mixed up in the process...or your own preferences change during the long wait...or the maker's vision was slightly different than your own.

Dream:

Reality:

Dream:

Reality:

Sometimes a custom doll is perfection...sometimes a near miss...and occasionally just wrong.

For the maker, of course, customs are both the best of times and the worst of times. It's a guaranteed sale and money is paid up front, which for a small business is optimal. It's also wonderful to be a part of the process of fulfilling another's wish, especially if that wish is somewhat in line with your own sensibilities and artistic inclinations. Often during customs a maker discovers another part of herself and the doll making process that she might not have discovered had she been left to her own designs.

But then there are the down sides... misunderstandings as the vision of any person will be altered a bit when channelled through the mind and hands of another...problems getting the proper materials...stifling of the maker's own insight and talent in the goal to achieve the buyer's intention.

And sometimes, even if the custom doll is exactly what the buyer asked for, the reality of what was asked either does not match the mind's image of what could be, or else the buyer sadly realizes that she doesn't really like what she thought she'd like.

Of course, there's always the RTG doll. For the collector, much less money generally, although you might be competing with many others to acquire one adorable doll. Immediately yours if you succeed in getting her, of course, and only a few days shipping away, which is immensely gratifying.

RTG doll:

Most makers relish RTG dolls because from beginning to end they are exactly what the maker wanted to create, from the materials she loves, in her own timing...but sometimes what the maker imagines isn't quite what anyone else loves enough to buy or comes at the wrong time financially, and so a doll painfully sits, unpurchased, unwanted, for all intents and purposes unloved.

RTG doll:

So how to answer the question, custom or RTG?

In my opinion, the ideal custom situation is one in which the collector has preferences rather than definites. And a custom should only be purchased if the extra money is not a burden for the buyer and her family financially. Only commision a custom doll if you trust the doll maker, and have loved other dolls created by her in the past--each maker has a style, and your doll will be within the style and abilities of the doll maker. A custom is a marriage where two create together, and the doll maker is not a robot--she will not be able to reproduce exactly, but instead she will breath life into your idea, which then takes a life of its own and becomes what it wants. Doll making is a very organic process, and just like characters often take a story somewhere other than where the author intended, dolls may have specific eye and hair colors, but they will invairably decide what they ultimately want to be and look like.

The ideal relationship with a RTG doll is love at first sight. When you see that perfect doll, remember that you will never be able to recreate the doll exactly in custom form, for EVERY doll is unique, even if made with the same materials by the same maker. Ideally, keep a slush fund and some good friends to help you attain your new darling, or the moment will surely pass you by, never to return (except perhaps as a resale later). And only buy if you and your child LOVE the doll...not just because the dolls are difficult to attain, or because you missed the one you really adored. I can promise that dolls bought to make up for the one you didn't get won't satisfy.

So are you a custom or a RTG person? Do you prefer creating an ever changing vision together, or do you prefer to try to capture in a moment your perfect doll?

Only you can know...just make sure you know which type you are, and are ready to embrace the fullness of what may happen.

Two gone...one to go

Little Abigail found her home today...she's already off to play pirates with her new mama.

Little Sherbert was born this afternoon, and is safely packed up to journey to her new home tomorrow, where I hear she will make an adorable fashion model!

At least little Lavender will be finished sometime soon, to keep me company over the weekend.

Thanks everyone for supporting my little shop, and for loving Short Story dolls!

Warmly,
Amy

Abigail...the crimson pirate

 Abigail is a new RTG Short Story doll who has a penchant for pirates (notice the little skull and crossbones on her wee dress).

 She loves the color red, as you can tell by her luscious mix of hand spun wool yarns in red, pink and ivory.

 She's quite an adventurous doll...a bit stronger and more capable than most, but that's probably because she's so active. From sword fighting to tree climbing, she's always on the go.

 Abigail comes with a little hand made bolero, and her "boots" are 100% wool in heather red.

Abigail is waiting patiently, excited to meet her new family!

Abigail is a RTG Short Story doll, and is listed in my ETSY SHOP for $65.00 plus shipping.
Warmly,
Amy
Once Upon A Doll