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Celebrating 13 Years of Teaching my Izannah Walker Dollmaking Class!
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Celebrating 13 Years of Teaching my Izannah Walker Dollmaking Class!

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Today I’m Celebrating 13 Years of teaching my Izannah Walker Dollmaking Class !

https://asweetremembrance.com/category/classes-by-mail/

The class is now 13 years old❣️ I can’t believe how fast the time has flown by. When the class first came out my class member help site was on Ning… for all of you who were early members I’m sure you remember how crazy and chaotic that eventually became when Ning kept repeatedly announcing, and then retracting, that they were shutting down all of their small users. 😞 If you used the Ning site you will also probably remember how chock full of information it was, most of which was sparked by class member’s interests and requests.

In recent years the class member support has moved to a private facebook page, as new members have purchased the class. I know that most of you long time members don’t really need much in the way of help these days… You’ve mastered the class and no longer need to ask questions, but just in case you have missed chatting with other dollmakers who are working on reproduction Izannah Walker dolls, or if a stray question or two has popped into your head, you may still ask to join my Izannah class help group! Once a student, always a student. ❤ It’s super simple, just message me through my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ASweetRemembrance to let me know you’d like an invitation to the group, be sure to INCLUDE THE DATE YOU PURCHASED YOUR CLASS, and that’s all you have to do.

Activity on the class member support page ebbs and flows. Sometimes it is very quiet and then suddenly it will pick back up again. At the moment there are a few new students who are eagerly waiting for their class materials to arrive. ❤️❤️❤

Happy dollmaking everyone! Today and everyday!

“Dear Reader” … a bit of information about how to buy my handmade reproduction Izannah Walker dolls…
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“Dear Reader” … a bit of information about how to buy my handmade reproduction Izannah Walker dolls…

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As I sat down this afternoon to answer some inquiries from kind correspondents who are asking about my dolls, it occured to me that perhaps others of you may have similar questions about buying one of my reproductions of Izannah Walker’s beloved pressed cloth dolls.

This is my open reply to all who may be interested…

Dear Reader,

I would be very happy to place you on my “new dolls” email mailing list if you will send your email address to paula@asweetremembrance.com. When you are on the list you will receive an email whenever I post a doll for sale.

At the moment I have more custom orders than I can juggle, so I’m not taking any custom orders until I clear away some of my backlog, which is going to take me quite some time.

However, I do continue to make other non-custom reproduction Izannah Walker dolls and post them for open sales. I think the very best way to buy a doll is when you see one that calls to you and tugs on your heart strings, so I do think it is very important to have finished dolls for sale that people can see and fall in love with.

I’ll add you to the email mailing list right away. Don’t be at all surprised if you do not get an email notice immediately. The dolls each take an extremely long time to make, just as they always did when Izannah was making them… I work more or less constantly on them, but it still feels as if each doll takes “forever”. I should probably also mention that once I post a doll or dolls for sale they usually sell very, very quickly. Thank you so much for your interest in my work. It is greatly appreciated.

❤ Paula

www.izannahwalker.com

http://www,asweetremembrance.com

post script ~ I do have a “Wish List, that helps me decide which dolls to make for open sales…  If you have a particular doll or other item that you would purchase if it were available, please leave a comment to add it to the wish list https://asweetremembrance.com/category/wish-list/ . I’ll take “wishes” into consideration when choosing which categories to open up first, when designing new items, and when making dolls for “open shopping” when I post newly made dolls for sale here on my Izannah Walker Journal.

As I sat down this afternoon…
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September Newsletter

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It’s That time again… my Autumn Newsletter is going out today ❤

A Sweet Remembrance September 2017 Newsletter

Greetings All!

I have lots of exciting news to share in this newsletter!  So I’m just going to jump right in…

  1. In just 2 weeks I’ll be having my annual online celebration of Izannah Walker’s birthday. This is an extra-special year because it marks the 200th anniversary of the day she was born, September 25th, 1817. I’ll be posting off and on all day on the 25th at www.izannahwalker.com. There will be some new dolls available for sale that day, which will be posted at noon eastern time. Come visit the blog, join in the virtual party and celebrate with us!
  2. Izannah Walker Birthday Greetings Project. As a fun way to celebrate Izannah Walker’s birthday I would like to invite you all to email me a short birthday message along with a photograph of your Izannah Walker doll, whether it is an antique original, a reproduction doll that I have made for you, or a doll that you have made yourself in tribute to Izannah’s dolls! Please send your photo and birthday greeting to paula@asweetremembrance.com no later than September 18th. I will post all of the photos and their accompanying messages on http://www.izannahwalker.com as part of my annual Izannah Walker birthday celebration. Everyone who sends in a birthday greeting will be entered in a drawing to win a special birthday surprise package!!!

https://izannahwalker.com/2017/09/06/remember-to-write-to-absent-friends-izannah-walker-birthday-greetings-project/

  1. You may already know that I wrote a twelve page article about Izannah Walker for the September issue of Antique Doll Collector. The issue has sold out. The magazine has no more copies, and will not be printing any more. If you are looking for a copy, try Barnes & Nobel.  Many of their stores still had some this past week, although in very limited quantities.
  2. Another thing that you might be aware of is that I am the co-chairman for my doll club’s annual doll show, which is coming up on October 29th in Southbury, CT. This is the 30th year for the show, so in honor of both the club’s 30th show and Izannah Walker’s 200th birthday, I am curating a special educational exhibit of Izannah Walker dolls at the show.  Admission to the exhibit is included with your paid entrance ($7) to the show.  It is going to be a wonderful show and a fantastic exhibit, with a very large group of antique Izannah Walker dolls belonging to Jenny Lind Doll Club members and friends! To find out more about the show visit the show blog https://jennylinddollshow.wordpress.com/ and the show facebook page www.facebook.com/jennylinddollshow/  you can get discount admission coupons there too. If you are interested in selling at the show, I do still have a little space left!!! Email me ASAP at jennylinddollshow@gmail.com for a contract!!!
  3. In case you missed them, my new Third Thursdays are going strong! Because of Izannah Walker’s birthday celebration there is no “3rd Thursday” in September. There isn’t going to be one in October either, because any dolls I get finished in October will be going to the doll show with me. I want to have some there at the exhibit for people to hold and examine up close. Obviously all of the antique Izannah Walker dolls will be roped off, but I would like to make the exhibit a bit interactive, so I will have some of my reproduction dolls on hand for those who would like to give them a gentle hug and get a good sense of their size and weight.  For more information on 3rd Thursday’s click on this link: https://izannahwalker.com/2017/07/15/third-thursdays-start-this-month-mark-your-calendar-then-come-back-on-thursday-to-see-this-months-new-dolls-for-sale/ .
  4. I have a new article in the upcoming Christmas issue of Early American Life magazine. It is a project article on how to make cotton batting candy containers. Also included in the Christmas issue is the Holiday Directory of Traditional American Craftsmen. I’m very honored to have been included in the Holiday Directory again this year. To see a bit more about my candy container article click here: https://spuncottonornaments.wordpress.com/2017/09/10/look-for-me-in-the-christmas-2017-issue-of-early-american-life/ .
  5. The class support sites for both my Izannah Walker Reproduction Doll Making Class and my Spun Cotton Ornament Class have moved to private facebook pages. No one has been using the Ning sites, so I have switched over to facebook. Both Ning sites are still available at this time, so please go save whatever information you would like to keep from the Ning sites. I will NOT be moving all of the previously posted information over to facebook. We are starting out fresh! The spun cotton ornament how-to videos are posted on the facebook site.  If you are already a member of either class and would like to come join us on facebook, please email me at paula@asweetremembrance.com and tell me the email address that you use for your facebook account. I will then check to make sure you are a class member, and send you an invitation to the class page.  At this time I have NOT moved the Alabama Baby Class over to facebook, it is still only on Ning.
  6. Sometimes when I post new dolls for sale, they sell very quickly. I do realize that ideally people would like to take their time looking at my latest doll offerings, and then if any of my dolls tugged at their heart, decide if they would like to welcome that special reproduction Izannah Walker doll into their home. I’m sorry that you do not always have the opportunity to do that. Because I am a doll maker, selling my dolls is different than selling antique dolls. If you are selling antique dolls you already have the doll in your possession, so it is possible for you to announce exactly what you are selling ahead of time in the case of doll auctions, or before shows. Which gives people time to make up their minds about a doll in advance. As a doll maker, I spend around 100 hours creating each doll I sell. This is 100 working hours, not elapsed time.  I have to spend quite a bit of time waiting for paint to dry and washing and drying antique fabric… Generally my dolls are not finished until right before I post them.  Even when I do  shows, I have a tendency to be working on dolls right up until the very last second. In my world there is never enough time! So please forgive me for not being able to give you advance photos and lists of the dolls that I will have for sale on Izannah Walker’s birthday, at shows, or on Third Thursdays. Surprises and spontaneity can be good things! I’m always overly optimistic about how many dolls I want to make, so there is the perpetual question of exactly which dolls I will be able to get finished in time. 🙂

Fondly,

Paula

post script: If you like to receive my newsletters in your inbox, email me at paula@asweetremembrance.com and let me know you’d like to be on my mailing list. You can be removed from the list whenever you choose, simply by asking…

How to Contact Me

Slower Email Responce Time This Week

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It was a very sad occasion last night when my faithful, ailing little laptop finally succumbed to the ravages of old age and died, somewhat peacefully.  After a lengthy autopsy, my two IT authorities have declared that my laptop is in no danger of becoming a zombie and returning from the dead.  I’ve ordered a new laptop that will be arriving late next week.  In the mean time it will take me longer to answer emails and reply to comments, as I am having to beg, borrow and steal online time from some fiercely protective computer lovers who are almost constantly connected to their keyboards.  If you should need to reach me with immediate questions about a purchase or class, please call me at 860-355-5709 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Daylight Saving Time.

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How-To Instructions and Photos for Making Another Classic Izannah Walker Dress are Now Posted on My Izannah Walker Class Site

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Merry Christmas to all of my Izannah Walker Reproduction Doll Making students!  As my present to the class this year I have posted instructions for making a classic mid-nineteenth century Izannah Walker dress on the class member site.  The instructions include a bit of dressmaking history and how-to photos.  I hope you enjoy using the instructions to make a new Christmas dress for your Izzy.  After all, a girl needs more than one style of dress in her wardrobe!

If you are one of my students  who has not already signed up for the class member only site, I strongly urge you to do so.  Here is a sample of the bonus class information  you are missing out on if you are not using the class site:

– A Tutorial on How to Reduce & Enlarge Patterns

– Making Molds: Instructions on How to Make Three Additional Types of Molds (different than the molds in the class instructions book)

– Straw and Silk Bonnet Tutorial

– Directions for Making a Classic Izannah Walker mid-1800’s Child’s Dress

– Discussions and additional Directions for “Adding the Grace of Age”, Painting Tips, Clay, Sculpting, Tools, Special Accessories, and more…

and best of all it’s entirely free for all class members.

Email me at paula@asweetremembrance.com if you are a student who needs another invitation to the class site (everyone is automatically invited when they purchase the class).  Be sure to include the approximate date that you took/purchased the class so that it will be easier for me to look you up in my records.  Also for those who have already signed-up for the Ning site but can’t remember how to get there, I am happy to send you a reminder :)

If you haven’t taken my class yet, but have been longing to do so, this would be a wonderful time to start.  Make it your 2012 New Year’s resolution to learn how to create an Izannah Walker doll using the same techniques that Izannah did.  I do have a handful of classes ready that I can mail out immediately, so it is still possible to get a class before Christmas if you order today or tomorrow  (forUS shipping address only).

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Hint – Sign Up For My Mailing List

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I don’t send out many notes to my mailing list, but when I do they usually contain good things, especially this time of year.  Sign-up for my mailing list if you would like to know about new designs, studio happenings and of course special sales 🙂

If you would like to be among the first to know when I have new reproduction Izannahs available, just ask and I will add you to my “new dolls” mailing list too.

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Fresh Out of the Molds!

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I just finished taking these two heads out of the molds and thought I’d post a quick photo before I start sewing the fronts and backs together.  Removing the pressed cloth heads from the molds is one of my very favorite things!  I am always constantly amazed that it is possible to actually make fabric do this!!! It is just like a small miracle every time.  I rank it right up there with seed germination :), another of my own personal favorite small miracles.

One of these heads is already spoken for, and will soon be fashioned into a custom doll for Denise B.  The other is available at this time.  If you think that you would like to reserve it for a custom made doll of your own, you may call me at 860-355-5709 or email paula@asweetremembrance.com.  I can tell right now that both of these heads are going to turn into really wonderful dolls!

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October 5th Studio Update – SOLD Thank you very much for looking :)

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This doll presents a beautiful time worn appearance with characteristic Izannah cracked paint and soft antique fabrics and lace.

Thank you  for taking the time to drop by and look at my dolls.  At the current time all of the dolls that I have completed are sold.  You are always welcome to place a special order or email me at paula@asweetremembrance.com and ask me to put you on my “New Doll Alert List” 🙂 so that I know to email you when I post photos of new dolls. (The “New Doll” list is different from my regular mailing list).

This doll has a very sweet rounded face with the look and coloring of a young child.  She is available for sale with two dresses, one made from washed and faded, soft indigo and the other from a graphic black and white half mourning print.

Her antique indigo print dress has two growth tucks in the skirt and is short enough to show her lace trimmed pantalettes and red painted boots.

She has two ringlets in front of each ear and short wispy hair that goes to the nape of her neck in back.

See the scallop tops of her red boots peeping out from under the lace trim on her pantalettes.

Hand gathered lace trims her linen chemise and pantalettes.

All dressed for Halloween with her witch's hat and cobweb lace shawl.

Contrasting antique black pindot fabric bands encircle the neckline, waist and sleeves of her dress.

Trick or treat!

To read more about this doll please visit my website A Sweet Remembrance.   If you would like additional photos or have any questions call 860-355-5709 or email paula@asweetremembrance.com .