If you are a long time customer and blog reader, you’ll know that I always try to have some sort of sale at Christmas time as a way of saying Thank You to everyone for all of your support, encouragement and friendship throughout the year.  I have the very best customers and students in the world!!!

This year I’ve put my all of my classes by mail, which include my new Izannah Doll Kit, and my Izannah doll clothes pattern on sale through December 31st, 2014.  Making the heads for the kits has gone better than I thought it would, so I’ve managed to fill all of my waiting list orders and I’ve shortened the shipping time 🙂 Don’t feel bad for the people who ordered before the sale, as I’ve done something special for them too, so they didn’t miss out!  If you’d like to buy a kit as a gift for someone else, I have a couple up on eBay and one over on Etsy that can ship immediately.  If you are buying one as a Christmas treat for yourself, take advantage of the sale and order one now so you’ll have a fun new project to start on in the New Year! ❤

Since the kits are the “hot” new item, I wanted to make them extra special for Christmas. So as a special bonus during the Christmas Sale, your Kit order includes one tiny cut and stitch Isane panel so that you can make your doll a little Izzy of her own. Plus, you receive a coupon for 10 percent off any of my classes by mail or a finished reproduction Izannah Walker doll, through June 30, 2015.  The two kits for sale on eBay at the moment are straight up auctions and don’t include the bonus items, but I did start the price lower for a true auction, so you may be able to grab a great deal ❤

I’ve received a few great questions from customers and eBay bidders about my Izannah Walker Doll Making Kits, so I am sharing them here:

12/16 – One more excellent question – Thanks Judy!!!

Q: Can I paint the composition head with acrylic paints instead of oils?

A: Yes.  You will get a slightly different, drier look without the soft edges of oils, but you may certainly use acrylic paint if you prefer.

12/11 update – Here is another very good Q & A:

Q:	Does your kit include instructions on how to paint the doll? Thank you	Dec-11-14
A:	Yes, there are 5 pages devoted to paint, which include what to buy, how to mix colors, what steps to take when painting the face, and some tips and tricks of the trade. There are also many color photographs for you to look at of my antique Izannah Walker dolls and my reproduction Izannahs. What the instructions don’t do is teach you HOW to paint. You need to have quite a bit of painting experience. One of the most beloved and distinctive parts of an Izannah Walker doll is the paint. To make a good reproduction Izannah, you need good painting skills. You need to be able to paint very tiny fine lines, you need to know about mixing oil paints (you could use acrylics – but you will not get the same look), you need to know dry brush techniques, etc. If you don’t feel that you have the experience or confidence to paint the doll’s head, you may commission me to paint the head for you – PAINTING IS NOT PART OF THIS AUCTION, it is a separate service that I offer. The fee for a custom painted head is $175.00. Naturally painting the head does take extra time, so I can not ship painted heads as quickly and my current work schedule, which is extremely busy over Christmas, is also a factor. I hope this answers your question, but if not please feel free to contact me again. Thank you very much for your interest in my kit! Paula

Q:	Can the head be covered with a stockinette before painting to get that look?	Dec-07-14
A:	I would not recommend doing that. If you cover it with stockinette you will lose many of the details of the original surface. Because I made the mold for the composition head directly from the antique doll the surface of the composition head does show tiny areas of stockinette, worn paint, and all other time worn finishes of the original doll. The head will look more like a real Izannah Walker doll if you paint directly on to the composition and do not add a layer of fabric. If there are any areas of the head that you want to fill in, to make the doll look newer, you can do so with air drying clay. The head may also be sanded. Paula

Q:	Is this head in the Kit smaller than the original Izannah Doll. It appears to be so in the Photo. THANKS	Dec-08-14
A:	Hi, It is slightly smaller since the mold is the exact same size as the real head and the composition slip does have a shrinkage rate of about 5% as it dries. The real doll is 19 inches tall. The kit makes a doll that is approx. 18 inches tall due to the slightly smaller head and the fact that the real antique doll has had her legs replaced with Martha Chase legs. The pattern included in the kit has Izannah Walker legs, which I drafted from other 18 inch tall antique Izannah Walker dolls that I own. The finished reproduction dolls with pressed cloth heads that I make and sell have heads that are the exact same size as the antique dolls because the layered cloth/paste/cotton (which is the way the real dolls were made) does not shrink like slip does. Paula

Q: Do you know that there is someone else who just started selling Izannah Walker doll kits? Dec-08-14

A: Yes 🙂    I do know that someone just bought a well known doll maker’s molds and fabric and is now making reproduction dolls with composition heads. A few days ago, she also began selling doll kits that include composition heads.

Kind of confusing isn’t it? I believe in being very honest and straight forward about what I sell.  So if you are thinking about buying a kit and are trying to compare them, here are a few things that are different between the two:

– My kit makes an 18 inch tall doll.   The other kit has heads that make a 15-16 inch doll.

– My kit includes a professionally printed 31 page instruction book and 13 pages of printed patterns.  The other kit is currently being sold with emailed instructions and patterns sent in an electronic file. The buyers would need to print the pattern pieces (and optionally the instructions) themselves.

– My doll clothing patterns include two dresses, two petticoats, a chemise and pantalettes, all of which were drafted from original clothing belonging to one of my antique Izannah Walker dolls. 

– My kit includes numerous color photos of Isane, the actual antique doll whose head I used to make the molds for the composition head. They are included in my instruction book for reference when painting your doll.

– I have just one doll head, Isane, available in kit form.  I am only making finished dolls with pressed cloth heads from my seven other molds. I will also still be making dolls with pressed cloth heads from Isane’s mold.  The Australian kit has three choices of heads, one of which is Isane, the doll I now own (labeled Patience in that kit).

– If you are a bit nervous about painting the head that comes with your kit, you can commission me to paint it for you.  I’ve been making and painting Izannahs for years and I love painting them. You may choose any hair style plus other custom options. Here are some examples of how I paint Isane.

Those are about all of the differences I can think of.  No matter what your choice, I am sure you will enjoy making a reproduction Izannah Walker doll of your very own!

So there you have it!  🙂   Izannahphiles unite!!!  The more people there are in the world making, collecting and loving Izannah Walker dolls, the happier place it will be!  Happy doll making to each and every one of you ❤ and if you should wish to buy one of my classes or kits, or have any other questions about them, I will be very happy to hear from you.  paula@asweetremembrance.com 860-355-5709

*read more about my doll making kit and Isane’s story here.