For the past week my dolls and I have been entertaining a most delightful house guest. She is a little doll that belongs to my dear friend Susie, and she has come to stay with us in the hopes that a New England summer will give her a clear complexion, bring roses to her cheeks, and a sparkle to her eyes.
The girls are just sure they are long lost cousins, or perhaps siblings separated at birth.. See the close family resemblance!The girls have become such fast friends that Isabeau feels like she has a new little sister. Our visitor is right in between Isabeau and Izzybelle in size, so she is the dearest confidant of them both. They have spent countless hours giggling secrets into each others ears. ❤Rain, rain, go away! Come again another day! “Whatever should we do today?” “We must think of something fun to entertain our guest!” “I know, let’s take turns reading aloud!” “I know the perfect book. Let’s read Emma! I always think of Emma during June when the strawberries are ripe. “
After the girls came up with a plan for the afternoon, they quickly scurried to find their India Rubber Shoes, so that they could run out to the garden in between rain showers and pick strawberries.
India Rubber Shoes, like these made by the Boston Rubber Shoe Company used to protect small feet during damp weather. To read more about the fascinating story of India Rubber in early New England visit this site http://www.jmisc.net/jm980331.htmOnce the girls returned from the garden with their berries, they quickly settled down in their favorite chairs. Izzybelle was very proud of all of the strawberries that she gathered!“Ismay you should take the first turn. You have such a lovely reading voice!”“Emma, chapter one, page one…”At the end of the day our small visitor gave a sigh of pleasure. “There is only one thing that keeps this from being the perfect day… I wish all of my sisters and family at home could be here with me. I know that they would have loved reading and feasting on strawberries just as much as I did. Oh how I miss them all!” “Then I know just what you should do” said Ismay. “You need to write them a letter and tell them all about our day!”
This post is especially for Susie and the doll family that lives with her. The girls and I hope that the rest of you enjoyed it too
Were you wondering what ever happened to the beautiful papier-mache doll that I was restoring several months ago? She has finally gone home. ❤ I had planned to return her to her owner at our March doll club meeting. Unfortunately the weather interfered with our meeting, which was cancelled due to snow 😦 I couldn’t attend the April meeting because I was out of town, so this doll got to stay with me until May. She was a perfect house guest!
Here are a few photographs of her after I did some minimal restoration. Just enough to let her beauty shine through, without erasing her age and grace.
I’ve been in Nebraska for the past two and a half weeks. My siblings and I, along with our various spouses and offspring, were having an estate sale to sell all of my dad’s things that he didn’t move into his new apartment and cleaning up his house so that he can sell it. I’m currently about half way back home. I’ll start catching up on emails and phone calls and be back to work on Monday. Thank you all for your patience ❤
Is it just the same & every bit as good as an all cloth reproduction Izannah? No it’s not, but it is easier to make and it does cost less. 🙂 So that makes it a great alternative for some of you! My kit isn’t for beginners. It’s a simpler method of making a reproduction Izannah Walker doll, with an appearance that is faithful to that of the original dolls, but is still a challenging and rewarding project!
If you have already purchased a kit, here is a video with a few additional helpful tips. If you have been thinking about buying a kit the video will give you a good look at what is included, and what your options are. If you just enjoy seeing some of my reproduction Izzys then you will also want to take a peek. And for those of you who’d like to see what my office looks like, the video has you covered too! 🙂
If you have any questions about my kits, classes or dolls please feel free to contact me at 860-355-5709 during east coast business hours or email me anytime at paula@asweetremembrance.com.
Melissa’s doll spent an afternoon frolicking with the rabbits before she departed for her new home.
What sweet treats are hiding under the chick’s nest?
“Bunny do you think the eggs will hatch in time for Easter?”
“Look! I think one is starting to crack!”
I received this very special Easter photo from all of my dolls that are now part of a wonderful family. It’s the best Easter greeting that I’ve ever gotten! It is such fun to see them all together. A huge thank you to Susie for convincing the girls to behave long enough to have their picture taken and for allowing me to share it with you! ❤ When this photo was taken the girls were all patiently waiting to welcome their newest sister home and into the family. 🙂
Ready for Easter!
This doll is traveling on spring break. She has gone to Delaware to visit Winterthur Museum and take part in the Early American Life 2015 Directory photo shoot.
Wardrobe change! All well dressed young ladies need at least two frocks with matching shoes.
Were you wondering if Miss Zanna arrived safe and sound at her new home in time to celebrate Easter with her sisters? Take a peek…. all of her sisters and a dear old family friend have made her feel particularly welcome and well loved ❤
This very large papier-mache doll can wear children’s size clothing.
Today I have been rendering a bit of loving assistance to this damaged, but still beautiful papier-mache doll. I’ve been asked by her owner to stabilize her condition, more than restore her. I have glued the very large crack in her head and started repairing the holes in the back of her head. Her antique underclothing is currently soaking in a solution of Orvis and distilled water. The idea here is to conserve the doll with a very light touch. I’m doing just enough to keep her together and stop her from deteriorating further, while allowing the story of her life and enchanting time worn appearance to shine.
This doll has a very nice hand sewn body, with magnificent fingers and hands!
Come back to visit next week to see how she looks when I’m finished working on her…
I love these little pink shoes with their scalloped edges ❤
3/11/15 2nd update – both heads are now sold. Thank you! The sun is being much more cooperative today and providing nice soft light, just perfect for taking photos! Photos have been something of a challenge for me lately, due to the 2+ feet of snow cover outside my door. Not only has it made it impossible to take outdoor photos, but I can’t even open the barn door that I would need to walk through to get to all of my lighting equipment! Yes, I do actually own professional photography gear 🙂 , even if my photos don’t look like I do! – LOL
Same information as yesterday’s post: If you are interested in purchasing this head please email me at paula@asweetremembrance.com or call me at 860-355-5709 during east coast business hours. The head sells for $375.00 with the full kit or $340.00 if you already own one of my Izannah kits or classes.
SOLD Here is my painted composition head #1 sitting next to the real Isane. This composition head was formed in a mold that I made directly from Isane, who is an authentic antique Izannah Walker doll in my personal collection.SOLD I am excessively fond of the way this head turned out! I debated long and hard about whether or not I should paint her and if I did, if I should offer her for sale, since technically she is not a perfect reproduction of the original Izannah Walker doll I made her mold from. I’m extremely glad that I decided that a little variety is sometimes a very good thing. To enhance the baby like look of her face, I chose a rather uncommon Izannah hair style for her. The Carmel Doll Shop once had a magnificent antique Izannah Walker doll with hair painted similarly. If you frequent their website, you may remember her. She was dressed in an amazing off white dress with a great deal of white braid work trim and she wore a necklace of white beads. This hair style has very short wispy center parted bangs, with little fringes of hair at the temples brushed towards the face and six ringlets at the back of the head. Six is a very unusual number of long curls for an Izannah Walker doll, it is much more common to see five or seven. The large Izannah that I reproduce has nine.SOLD Here is another view of Isane and my painted composition head #1. The oil paint does look a bit different on the composition than it does on the pressed cloth heads, but the composition is still a nice alternative if you want to use my kit to make your own Izzy, rather than buying one of my more authentic all cloth reproduction Izannah Walker dolls.
Composition head #2 is painted with the same hair style as the original Isane. Isane is the antique Izannah Walker doll that I used to make the molds for the composition heads I sell with my Izannah Kits. She lives her with me and all of her sisters that make up my collection of original Izannah Walker dolls. SOLD
Another view of Isane and her young descendant. You may purchase this painted composition head on eBay, or order one painted especially for you, with any hair style you prefer, by contacting me directly. SOLD
If you would like to see more photos of these two composition heads, simply scroll down the page to the previous post.
SOLD – For use with my Izannah Walker Doll Making Kits. The painted heads are an option that is available with the kits, if you don’t feel confident enough to paint the head yourself. Patterns and instructions are included in the kit, along with the composition head. If you have already purchased one of my kits or are a member of my Izannah Walker doll making class, you may purchase the head separately to use with the patterns and instructions that you already own….
HEAD #1 SOLD
SOLD This little girl was a very happy accident. When her head came out of the mold her face tilted forward. At first I was horrified because she had almost no neck!!! After I got over the shock, I noticed how sweet and baby like this made her face look. ❤
I am excessively fond of the way this head turned out! I debated long and hard about whether or not I should paint her and if I did, if I should offer her for sale, since technically she is not a perfect reproduction of the original Izannah Walker doll I made her mold from. I’m extremely glad that I decided that a little variety is sometimes a very good thing.
To enhance the baby like look of her face, I chose a rather uncommon Izannah hair style for her. The Carmel Doll Shop once had a magnificent antique Izannah Walker doll with hair painted similarly. If you frequent their website, you may remember her. She was dressed in an amazing off white dress with a great deal of white braid work trim and she wore a necklace of white beads. This hair style has very short wispy center parted bangs, with little fringes of hair at the temples brushed towards the face and six ringlets at the back of the head. Six is a very unusual number of long curls for an Izannah Walker doll, it is much more common to see five or seven. The large Izannah that I reproduce has nine.
SOLD – THANK YOU FOR LOOKING If you are interested in purchasing this head please email me at paula@asweetremembrance.com or call me at 860-355-5709 during east coast business hours. The head sells for $375.00 with the full kit or $340.00 if you already own one of my Izannah kits or classes.
Here are three painted composition heads (all for use with my Izannah Walker Doll Making Kit). Notice the difference between the two in the back, compared o the younger more baby like features of head #1, in the foreground.Another photograph showing the difference between the two in the back, compared to the younger more baby like features of head #1, in the foreground.
I currently have this head available for sale on eBay. She is painted like Isane, my antique Izannah Walker doll that I made the mold from for this head. SOLD
I’d like to introduce you all to Melissa’s doll. She is a wonderful example of one of my custom ordered reproduction Izannah Walker dolls. Melissa requested a doll with a very thin neck and downward tilted head, that had an appearance reminiscent of one of her favorite antique Izannah Walker dolls (a doll that was previously part of the Popp collection and later owned by R. John Wright). She asked me to give her doll a pale complexion, but one without the grey tint that many antique Izannahs have. Melissa also wanted a paint surface that showed some moderate wear and age, but preferred her doll to have a “perfect” nose. She chose the antique blue paisley print dress fabric from my fabric swatch book and found a photograph of a dress she loved in a museum collection for me to use as a reference.
Because the dress Melissa wanted for her doll was of a slightly earlier style than those worn by most Izannah Walker dolls, the two of us created our own imagined history for the doll and her dress. We decided that the grandmother, of the little girl who first owned this doll, sewed a dress for the doll just like the dresses that she had made for her own daughter. As I sewed on this dress I daydreamed of a grandmother taking apart a worn out dress that she has made many years before, when her daughter was a young girl. She set aside all of the best pieces of fabric, then carefully cut them out in a miniature version of the original dress. Then as she sat sewing all the pieces together, she told her granddaughter stories of how much the little girl’s mother had loved the dress and the things she did when she was a child.
I’d like to thank Melissa for sharing her vision of her dream Izannah with me, and giving me the opportunity to bring it to life. I also have to thank her for having the patience of at least two saints, and not minding how long it took me to make this doll! ❤
Izannah Walker Journal 