Tuesday Talent - LYBO

 I know and love LYBO from Pinterest, she is an English doll maker from St Albans and that is really all I know.  She has a very lovely shop on Etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/lybo and you can also enjoy her on facebook.

Her pretty dolls have a wonderful unique style and they all seem to be finished so well.  I really enjoy their colourways and the simplicity of pattern that looks effortless but really is down to super craftsmanship.

She makes individual custom dolls for customers on request.  Look at her sold items and feedback for more inspiration.  She is also a talented crochet maker and I think the peas are delightful - take a peek at her shop for a closer look.  I think Lybo is another really great UK doll maker with a well made, unique doll style that I adore.

Little Myrtle - all in berries

Little Myrtle is only twelve inches tall from the tip of her leather shoes to the top of her head.  She makes a gentle companion with a sweet scent and a wistful expression.

As ever she is to my own pattern with hand styling and embroidery, dressed in a fetching aqua blue with brilliant berries and leaves.  Her dress is trimmed with tiny buttons and organza ribbon with a brass ring so that she can hang.  She is gently stuffed with lavender added and sporting a tiny sampler style lavender sachet to complete her outfit.

These little dolls are a delight to make and I enjoy their individual faces.  I never want an homogeneous look to their faces and always try to make each girl individual but I must confess to being hung up on brown eyes - I am just finishing a little girl with blue eyes and I have to say I like her.  So more blue and green eyes.

The fabric for this little doll is another selection bought in Holland and again their combination is just great.  Those ladies have a really good eye.  Well off to North Wales tomorrow for a quilt exhibition - I will take lots of photos and look forward to sharing.  All my very best.

Tuesday Talent - The Pale Rook

My talented artist this week is Johanna, who works as The Pale Rook.  This lady's work is so subtle, the colours, the choice of fabric and the detail are all so elegant.

Johanna is a Scottish artist who lives in Glasgow and in everyday life is a textile teacher. You can see her design skills and artistry brought to life in these precious dolls.

They are all stiched, dyed and drawn by hand.  The design coming together as each piece is worked, using 'slavaged bits and antique scraps'.  I love hand work, it gives time so that each detail is considered and complements the piece as a whole. I find the muted palette very appealing.

You can find The Pale Rook on Pinterest and there is a website at 'thepalerook.com', here you will find a link to Johanna's Etsy shop but she sells out quickly, as you can imagine. Take the time to explore the blog part of the website for some interesting insights into the mind and journey of this doll maker.  I find her work utterly enchanting and it is a pleasure to share.

Little Ottile - in duck egg blue and fruit

 Ottilie is the smallest of the dolls I have made, she stands just 12 inches from the tips of her tiny leather shoes to her tall blond hair.  She is dressed sweetly in soft duck egg blue with a gentle fruit motif.

She is of course to my own pattern and she has a hand painted and embroidered face with hand stitched hair.  Her dress is accented with co-ordinating bloomers and underskirt with a full net underskirt for lift.  She has a slightly slimmer profile for variety but she is still all lady.

Her outfit is finished with buttons to her back with an organza ribbon & bow.  Added to her stuffing is chamomille and she is sporting a tiny lavender and chamomille sachet made from tonal fabric with a band sampler front.  I really enjoy counted thread work and this little touch appealed to me. I find her colours and her smile content, I hope you enjoy her too.

Tuesday Talent - Whisper of the Pipit

Whisper of the Pipit is Malgo Amos from Nottingham.  She creates wonderful felt dolls and characters from history, film, music and literature.  Marie Antoinette being a favourite.

Her designs and creations are all her own, a fact of which she is rightly proud. Her felt creations are delightful and even include a pastiche Frank N Furter from The Rocky Horror Show.  In addition to her character studies she will make you a little personalised 'selfie' in felt.  They are very good and she captures a good likeness. There is a lot of felt about at the moment but I think these are some of the most original little dolls.

She has an excellent Etsy shop, you can find her on Facebook and there is also a website at www.whisperofthepipit.com, where you will find more information and lots of photos and info. I like the fact that she is doing her own thing and doing it so well.  Have a peep at her character dolls you will be surprised at her choices.

Alice

Pippi

Rose - in the softest pink

This is Rose, she is a 14 inch Nora doll, with a hand embroidered, hand painted face.  Her glorious curly hair is made from coffee coloured wool tops by Clover Natural Roving and is hand styled.  I tried very hard to make it seem as curly as possible and I think it looks good.

She is wearing a little smock dress with a co-ordinating collar all made from a selection of fabrics bought on a trip to Holland from the most amazing patchwork and quilting shop.  The shop is Petra Prins Patchwork and Quilting in Zutphen.  They had fabrics from people I had never heard of and had a wonderful way of not grouping fabrics in brand but making interesting combinations based on colour and pattern for more unusual choices.  I really love this combination, not the most obvious colourway but I wish I could always get such a tight blend without always resorting to harmony.  Becca is always telling me to be more adventurous with my fabric choices but I admit I am a bit of a stick in the mud. I  have promised myself I will try to be more bold.

Little Rose is accompanied by a small embroidered lavender sachet that is taken from her dress fabric.  Since beginning to do this I have really enjoyed the look and will continue to give each doll her own scented sachet.  Most of my dolls are finished with organza ribbon and the contrast of the machine made cord to hold the sachet I think is effective.  I want to have more embroidery on my dolls and this is a start.

As always Rose is softly stuffed and she has lavender and rose buds in her tummy to give her scent and to take a little bit of Lancashire with her when she goes.  I am building this current collection of dolls and bird dolls to open a shop on Etsy.  I have had a place there since 2008 would you believe but have never been brave enough to put a doll up for sale.  Well I was fifty last week and I think it is about time I took the plunge, I also want to do my first craft stall this year and have promised Becca so she will keep me to my promise.  Very scary but its taking that first step.
 

Mouse Tin Workshop

I just though I would share with you one of my workshops.  This one was for three and I wanted to use old mint tins.  My husband has a thing about mints and always buys the same make so we have lots of mint tins which are too nice to throw away.

So, for this work shop I gave them the task of recycling these lovely tins to make a novelty item they had to design from scratch. So the mouse tin workshop was born. 

First of all they selected the paper to cover the mint tin and found a strong Mexican influenced paper in vivid reds and soft greens.  This inspired them to make a Day of the Dead mouse but finding this too ambitious settled for a fawn wool felt woodmouse.  They made their own mouse pattern and decided on leather ears, paws and tail with little brown glass beads for eyes. The mouse has button jointed arms.  We made a mattress and pillow with Rachel coming up with the brilliant slice of cheese felt blanket to finish.  They are now hoping David will hurry up and eat more mints so that they can have some more tins for fresh ideas.

They are all keen to use recycled or vintage items and felt features heavily in the workshops.  We've made felt wolf brooches as well as appliqued cushions and embellished hearts for Mothers's Day.  They decided to take pictures and I am happy to share them.  I love their tins and it is great fun to help realise their ideas - I think a slice of holey cheese for a blanket was inspired! Hope you enjoy.

  

Tuesday Talent - Alice Mary Lynch

This is the doll world of Alice Mary Lynch, daughter of artist parents, Alice Mary studied Fashion at Kingston in London.  She then spent several years working for fashion houses in Paris before returning to Somerset with her young family.

Alice Mary describes her dolls as being armoured with glass beads, crystals and talismans. They are wonderfully whimsical and feature excellent detail and vintage finds. I am particularly drawn to her elegant animal dolls, the fox and rabbit below being two of my favourites.  Take a peak at her website you can find it at www.alicemarylynch.com and enjoy her collection.  She works to commission and her site introduces you to amazing collaborations.

I really love this lady's work and her website is a treat. She has a strong presence on Pinterest and you can explore her unique style there. She is one of a number of exciting, young UK dollmakers really making their mark.

Tuesday Talent - Gillian Lee Smith

 Gillian Lee Smith is a Scottish lass now living in the north east of England, along the beautiful rugged coast line.  She is a graduate in Performance Costume from Edinburgh but now focuses on drawing, painting and sometimes making dolls.

I don't think you could call Gillian a doll maker as she makes so few but those she has made are just captivating.  All hand painted with the most soulful expressions, even the little lilt adds to their beauty.

Her new webpage is lovely but sadly no dolls, she has however started offering online study courses including one entitled 'Unearth, Gather, Create' which sounds wonderful.  Focusing on the act of creating it takes the student on a journey of discovery about you as the artist, looking at style, material and aesthetic - it sounds very appealing. For more information visit this lovely website at www.gillianleesmithartist.com.

Finding UK doll makers is a growing interest, we are not as thin on the ground as you may think and over the next few months I hope to find many more to share.