Ida, A Snowdrop Fairy

 

Ida is a snowdrop fairy dressed in a beautfiul print by Acufactum simply called Snowdrops and she is Ida because snowdrops were my Gran's favourite flower, she planted them everywhere. I love the fact that my extensive collection of snowdrops came originally from my Grandma's garden and have spread everywhere.
For a winter spirit she has tiger's eye to her heart with rosemary in her stuffing.
She is a tall girl, one of my long legged Rhoda dolls from way back but with the altered pattern to give her a different head pattern that is more controlable and gives a neater result.
All in grey greens and white with subtle teal accents to her scarf and tattered wings, her hair is hand styled soft mint wool tops. Her facial features are simple and delicately hand embroidered. She is finished with tiny buttons, a rowan wool bob hat and a sampler pillow. I am really enjoying making them and exploring the fairy look.

Holde and the two hares

 

This is Holde, the last doll of 2025 and finished on the solstice. She is a winter doll and tells the story of Holde and the White Hares, a favourite of my Grandmother.
Holde was the granddaughter of winter but she loved the spring. One morning looking out at the bleak winter greyness she set out to find spring. First she went to the river but could not see spring in its reflection so then she went to the forest but could not see spring. After thinking a while she decided to see if she could see spring from the high hills, see spring in the distance. But on the high hills the snow came and she quickly got very lost. Cold and alone she was spotted by her grandmother's servants the two white hares of the high hills. Malin and Filou, the guardian hares. They quickly took her back to her grandma and she waited for spring in her grandmothers court with the two hares who turned brown again in the spring sunshine.
There was a lot more to their adventure but that is the ghist. She is dressed in a fabulous, now discontinued fabric by Acufactum called Winter Fairytale with Holde and a white hare on her dress. Teamed with a dot print cotton in taupe and white lace petticoats. Her fawn wool cape is heavily embroidered with two folk art hares and snow flakes with warm winter boots and a tawny bobble hat.
She has tigers eye to her heart with rosemary in her stuffing for winter.
The dolls I am working on at the moment are slowly taking winter into spring and I am enjoying the slow transition.

Happy New Year!

 

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year! Welcome 2026.
This is my very surprising top nine of 2025 and has helped to guide the direction I will be going in this new year.
Lots my Fairytale dolls, return of the long Connie Dolls and more characters with a reworked bird pattern. I am really looking forward to this coming year but my enthusiasm has to be tempered by the growing needs of the elderly members of my family. Both of whom now need a lot more support. But that said we are hoping for more garden visits, more wildlife visits and digging a new pond, some of the things we want to do as a family.
David is officially retired now but is keeping working for Ipsos Mori, as he has done for over thirty years now, for three days a week. Reuban's business is going from strength to strength and is showing in quite a few galleries this year whilst developing his Imps to new heights. I am going to try for a slower pace and rest my hands more.
All to look forward to, so again a Happy New Year to you all and may it be a great one xx