The issue is SOLD OUT! I just received a sneak peek of the September issue of Antique Doll Collector! It is going to be a wonderful Izannah-filled issue!!! If you are not already a subscriber to the magazine, you may want to hurry up and order a subscription! See if they will let you start with the August 2017 issue so that you can read the great article Joy Harrington wrote about an amazing mid-19th century doll wardrobe in her collection, A Mid 19th Century Wardrobe for a New England Girl. While the actual wardrobe isn’t an Izannah Walker wardrobe, it is all from the same time period and you do not want to miss a chance to see it! I can’t wait to read Joy’s article “Izannah Aprons” A Closer Look in the September issue. ❤ I have it on good authority that there will be at least one additional article about Izannah Walker dolls in Antique Doll Collector during 2017. ❤ ❤ ❤
Another date to mark on your calendars!!! As many of you may know, I am co-chairman for the Jenny Lind Doll Club doll show. This year is the 30th year for the show, so we wanted to do something special at this year’s show. Being fellow Izannahphiles I know you won’t be surprised by what I came up with. 🙂
The Jenny Lind Doll Club is very pleased to announce that we will have a special educational exhibit of Izannah Walker dolls at our October 29th, 2017 show. This is an almost unprecedented gathering of so many of these rare dolls at a public event. There will be at least eleven Izannah Walker dolls on display that belong to current Jenny Lind members, along with photos and memorabilia of Izannah Walker dolls owned by past members, including legendary Izannah Walker collector Maureen Popp. At this time discussions are underway with friends of the Jenny Lind doll club about the possibility of additional dolls being loaned for the exhibit, so the total number of dolls on display may be slightly higher. There is no separate admission fee to view the educational exhibit. Entrance is included in the doll show admission of $7.00.
All exhibited Izannah Walker dolls are part of private collections, they are NOT being offered for sale. This is strictly an exhibit in celebration of both our Doll Show’s 30th anniversary and Izannah Walker’s 200th birthday.
*If you will be attending the show and own an Izannah Walker doll that you would like to add to the exhibit, please contact us at jennylinddollshow@gmail.com to make arrangements. ❤
You may have noticed that I haven’t posted much lately. Unfortunately that doesn’t mean that I have been enjoying a long lazy summer… ( just kidding – I love what I do!) As is usually the case, there is just so much going on that I simply haven’t had time to blog!
It’s funny, I was talking to Tess Rosch, publisher of Early American Life, last week and she made some comment about me being a “high energy” person. It’s not the first time someone has said similar things. I have some dear friends who firmly believe that I only manage to get so many things done because I’m on drugs. 🙂 They asked very nicely if I would please share, as they needed to finish quite a few projects of their own. LOL! I don’t actually think of myself as high energy. Instead I view myself as a very tired, stubborn woman with an extremely long to-do list… So we’ll consider this post as checking one of those items off my list.
The August 2017 issue of EAL, which Includes the Directory of Traditional American Craftsmen.
Lots of exciting things are going on! I’m so thrilled to say that I have been chosen for the Early American Life Directory of Traditional Craftsmen in four different categories this year! Not only will you find me listed in Toys & Dolls, but also in Miniatures, Clothing & Accessories, and Holidays (in the upcoming Christmas issue). This makes 38 times that I have been juried into the Directory!
Three photos of my work are shown on pages 64 and 65 in the August 2017 issue of Early American Life.Look for these two dolls from my collection in my September article in Antique Doll Collector magazine.
Magazines have been a big part of my summer so far. I spent several months combing through 80 years worth of books and articles, doing research for the article on Izannah Walker and her dolls that I wrote for Antique Doll Collector magazine. Look for it in their September, 2017 issue. It is the cover article!
Currently I’m in the midst of working on an article and project for the Christmas issue of Early American Life. Keep your fingers crossed and wish me luck! I need to have it finished by the end of July!!!
OTHER HAPPENINGS
Third Thursdays are starting this month! If you didn’t read about them in my last news letter, stay tuned for more information in the next few days. This should be fun!!!
I also have quite a few really amazing things in the works to celebrate Izannah’s 200th birthday! More news will be also be forth coming about them soon. 🙂
SIGNING OFF FOR NOW
Clifford The Big Red Dog!
I made quite a few bloomer type shorts out of 1930’s prints to go with antique and vintage tops for Cloe’s summer wardrobe ❤
Reading our haul of newly checked out library books…
Strawberry juice, tiny pea and all. It was another successful visit to the gardens!
As I mentioned, this has not been a leisurely summer so far, but I have made time to garden, work in a few non-doll sewing projects, and be a grandma. Cloe and I have been enjoying our “library days”, when we go to story time at our local library, check out books, then spend the day together “gardening” which means checking on the peas she helped plant and eating berries as fast as she can pick them, playing and reading. ❤
I hope your summer has had some magical moments too!
“No! We should stay inside where it is warm and read…”
“or work on our samplers…”
Isabeau, Ismay and Zanna were forced to agree, for the sad truth is that the dolls only have one coat to share between them all, which was kindly loaned to them by the bears…
…and so Isabeau sat down to read “The Story of My Dolls” aloud. “No one seems to know much about Tillie” she read…
“We do, we do!” cried all the dolls…
… later they bundled Izzybelle into the borrowed coat and let her go outside to scoop snow into their biggest bowl. Then they made snow ice cream, which they ate to their hearts content.
All the dolls bring you glad tidings for the New Year…
Sweet Christmas wishes from the Izzy’s to you!
The dolls make this one of my favorite rooms…
Filled with things that make me smile…
Father Christmas stands watch beside a garlanded tree..
Ho, Ho, Ho!
The perfect sized tree…
and the stockings were hung by the chimney with care…
All the little wooden dolls have decided they need to make clothes for the new year, so they are making themselves at home amongst my sewing accoutrements…
The little wooden dolls have taken over the “attic”of the corner cupboard as their sewing room.
A stitch in time…
sweet penny woodens ❤
To read the captions or enlarge images. simply click on any photograph.
In her recent past, this early Izannah Walker doll lived in an 18th century house, surrounded by a large family and an extensive collection of antique dolls. We recently welcomed her into our household. Hopefully she will feel at home, even though the pace of our days may be a bit quieter with fewer children, grandchildren, and dolls filling our lives…
Once again the earth has turned and November has come at last, drifting in on gently falling leaves and soft, warm rays of light… More than any other month, November causes my soul to ring with echos of the past, and my thoughts meander to the people who have lived in my house and owned the things I love before me. I dwell and marvel at small girls, turned to woman, with babes of their own, who played with the dolls I cherish. I glory in the vibrant creativity of quilts, pieced by other hands and passed down through the years, to warm loved ones… Days and hours slip away and gently flow into the past, where I allow myself to linger for a few brief hours, lost in a daydream of past childhoods. ❤
A meeting of long lost sisters… You can easily see the strong family resemblance in these dolls that range in size from 20 to 14 inches.
The newest member of my antique Izannah Walker family.
I love the proportions of this larger doll…
❤
A doll to love and cherish…
Chainstitch embroidery encircles the neckline, armseyes, waist and hem of her dress.
19th century perfection.
The dolls are happy that Lily is still visiting us 🙂
Family photo!
❤
Making toast on a cool November morning, where it has been made countless times before in the past 225+ years… Using the toasting fork made by my son Blair, bringing a bit of the past and the present full circle…
Everyone is here! It’s time to get the party started…
Making Costumes
Isabeau has decided that she should help all of the dolls and party guests make costumes. She got out our collection of Dennison Boogie Books for ideas, along with the crepe paper, Dresden trims and lithographed scrapes…
making costumes
so many choices…
Isabeau wants to be a pumpkin!
That was fun! It’s time to put the craft supplies away. We have so much more to do…
Halloween Greetings
The dolls all want to wish you a very Happy Halloween!
Ladies in White… are they ghostly visitors, tip-toeing among the tombstones? Or are they Count Dracula’s brides??? Eliza Jane, Memory and Ismay are having trouble deciding between themselves… but either way they want to wish you a hauntingly beautiful Halloween!
Ladies in White… are the ghostly visitors, tip-toeing among the tombstones? Or are they Count Dracula’s brides??? Eliza Jane, Memory and Ismay are having trouble deciding between themselves… but either way they want to wish you a haunting beautiful Halloween!
Zanna is usually the mildest most even tempered of dolls, but her devilish side is peeking out tonight as she sends warm Halloween Greetings your way!
Hanna wishes you all over flowing goodie bags and treats galore!
“BOO!” from Izzybelle to you!
Isabeau wishes you spooky, spine tickling chills and thrills this Halloween!
Haunted Halloween Fashions
I have a tiny stash of hoarded antique orange “cheddar” and black mourning fabrics just perfect for celebrating Halloween, but not so “costumey” that they can’t be worn year around. I’ve fashioned some of my favorites into dresses to fit my 18 inch dolls. I have four dresses available for sale, just in time for Halloween!
As promised her are photos of Marti’s doll. She’ll be leaving here soon to start her trip home. ❤
A special order doll for Marti, made from my Anna mold.
Marti’s doll loves helping in the garden. She has such a green thumb!
The original Anna is standing on the right side of the photograph. Luckily she is here for a tiny bit of restoration work, so she could pose with her young offspring 🙂
Anna’s slightly chubby body makes her seem more childlike. I love her slight shape varation <3<3
To enlarge any photo and read the captions, just click on the image. The early morning sunlight was bouncing off the walls in my studio, creating a bit of glare on Anna’s paint so it does look slightly shinier in the photos than it does in person. Over time as her paint continues to dry and cure it will become more matte. ❤ Anna is sooooooo excited to be traveling to her new home and her sister Izzybelle. ❤
Izannah Walker Journal 