Please come help us celebrate Izannah Walker’s 202nd birthday, September 25th – October 1st, here on http://www.izannahwalker.com
I’ve been working away here in my studios, preparing for one of my favorite times of the year, my annual Izannah Walker birthday celebration. It is always a special event here in the doll’s house, as the dolls and I make time to simply play and enjoy the very special dolls that Izannah Walker created.
My Izannah birthday celebration changes a bit from year to year, but always features my collection of antique Izannah Walker dolls, plus some of the dolls I reproduce from her originals.
This year there will be a bit of make believe, a scoop of education, a cupful of beautiful photos, and a pound of fun, all stirred up with a pinch of magic! … oh yes, and cake, lots and lots of cake! ❤ Introductions to some of the new dolls I’m making, just for this celebration, will also be sprinkled in throughout the week, just like decorations on top of a birthday cake ❤
So please come visit everyday next week as the dolls and I share our birthday party with you!
We’ve come to the end of our day. My dolls and I hope you have enjoyed joining in our celebration of Izannah Walker’s birthday. They’ve had a very active day with all of their friends. Now all the dolls are getting sleepy and ready for bed… Isabeau wasn’t quite sure where everyone was going to sleep tonight. Since Cloe was such a big help this morning, she offered to rearrange the beds, so that there was a place for all of the dolls.
Even after Cloe moved all of the beds around, Isabeau still wasn’t sure that there was room for everyone… “maybe we should have gone up to the attic to get Izzybelle’s little old bed” she fretted.
The Annas overheard her and offered to sleep in the kitchen on a pallet… I think I heard them whispering something about a midnight snack…
and now as the sun goes down it is time to kiss all the dolls good night, tell them to sleep tight and dream of tomorrow…
Even More Izannahs…
Just a sneak peek for Marti of her own little Anna. I’ll post more photos of her in the next day or two and then she will be off to her new home…
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays! The dolls and I had such a good time preparing for Izannah’s birthday that we have decided to do a little something special for Halloween too. Please visit us here on www.izannahwalker.com on October 22nd when the dolls will be trick or treating!
Did you miss parts 1 – 5 of today’s birthday posts? Simply scroll down the page to see what you missed. Remember: You still have until midnight Eastern time to enter for a chance to win one of 18 party favors that I am giving away. See part 2 for details.
Ismay will draw 18 winner’s email addresses out of the hat tomorrow 9/26/16.
Just like any birthday party, we have a few party favors for our guests, as a remembrance of the day! If you would like a chance to win one of our tiny gifts, just email paula@asweetremembrance.com – today 9/25/16, & make sure the subject line of your email says “PARTY FAVOR”. Tomorrow, after everyone has had a chance to enter, Ismay and I will place your email addresses into a hat and draw out the 18 winners! ❤
If your name and address are drawn you will receive either a magnet with Eliza Jane’s photograph, or a set of two canning jars so that you and your own dolls can preserve a bit of autumn’s harvest. The canning jars also make charming vases for tiny wild flowers and herbs. I have 9 sets of canning jars and 9 magnets to give away!
Enter for a chance to win a large 4×6 magnet of Eliza Jane ❤
Super easy, and very fun! Totally free 🙂 The only rules are:
You must have a United States mailing address. So, so sorry, but international postage rates are really high and much more work! I’ll ask for your mailing address when I contact you to say you’ve won.
You must get your email in to me by midnight Eastern Time on 9/25/16 and you must email, replies to this post do not count.
If you are not already on my email mailing list and you enter the contest, I will add you to my mailing list. I don’t send out many emails and I NEVER share my mailing list.Naturally later on if you decide you don’t want to be on my mailing list you may ask me to remove you with no questions asked and no hassles or hard feelings. 🙂
Only one entry per person.
Good Luck!!! Ismay and I hope you win!
“Isabeau I’ll get the canning jars for you.”
“Two different sizes!”
“I think we should put the tomatoes in this big jar.”
“and this little jar would be just the right size for jam.”
Cloe was very taken with Isabeau and Zanna’s canning jars. Enter the contest to have a chance at winning one of nine sets that I am giving away as party favors! Click on any photo to see it enlarged and read the caption.
Zola and Hannah canning tomatoes. The girl’s don’t often use the electric stove, but they make an exception for canning!
Hannah and Zola have been out picking the last of the tomatoes from the garden. They are planning to make Oven Dried Tomatoes and Canned Roasted Tomatoes. Zola is my doll’s newest friend, a c. 1880-1890 “Beecher-type” cloth doll with a stockinette covered facemask. Hannah & Zola are happy to share their canning recipes with you:
Oven Dried Tomatoes
Wash and slice cherry or small paste tomatoes in half lengthwise. Place tomatoes on parchment paper-covered cookie sheets, skin side down. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake in your oven on the lowest temperature setting available (150 – 200 degrees), until the tomatoes reach the consistency of raisins. If you start them in the late afternoon or early evening, then they will usually be done first thing in the morning, however the amount of time will vary with the size of the tomatoes and your oven temperature. I would suggest trying this the first time during the day, when you can check their progress every few hours.
After the tomatoes have dried, remove them from the cookie sheet and pack them in clean sterilized canning jars. Heat olive oil to just below boiling. Pour the hot oil over the tomatoes, leaving ½ inch headspace at the top of the jar. Place a clean sterilized canning lid and ring on the jar, tighten, then turn the jar upside down. The heat from the oil should cause the jar to seal. After you hear the lid make a popping noise – which means that it has sealed – you can turn the jars right side up. Once opened, store in the refrigerator.
– These dried tomatoes make a wonderful addition to sandwiches, pastas, and pizza
– Use the olive oil the dried tomatoes are canned in for cooking and salad dressings
– Put dried tomatoes and a bit of the olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth, serve with baguette slices for a fantastic appetizer
– Blend dried tomatoes with mayonnaise for a great treat on a BLT
Canned Roasted Tomatoes
After picking tomatoes of any size and variety, wash, cut off stem and blossom ends, as well as any blemishes and roughly chop. Place tomatoes in the largest enamelware pot that will fit in your oven. Fill the pot to the top with tomatoes. Place the uncovered pot in your oven and bake at the lowest temperature setting (150 – 200 degrees) until the tomatoes are reduced by half. Depending on the size of your pot, this can take up to 24 hours. Stir the tomatoes once or twice as they roast. You may add sea salt to taste if you so desire. Once the tomatoes have cooked down, but are still hot, ladle them into clean sterilized canning jars, cap with lids and rings and process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes.
Clearly I should have said the the additional posting times for today were approximate! The dolls are all just as excited as Cloe was to be running around in my studio and working in their doll house! So much exuberance is hard to contain and it is very difficult for little dolls to stay still for photographs. 🙂 So please come back and join us later today at approximately 1:00 pm, 4:00 pm, 7:00 pm, and 10:00 pm Eastern time. ❤
Zanna and Isabeau have asked Cloe to help them get ready for today’s party. They may have gotten a bit more “help” than they anticipated…
“I think the rug would look nice outside the kitchen.”
“Is the rug nice and flat?”
“What should we do first to get ready for the party?”
“I could help set the table.”
“Here is Izzybelle’s little cup.”
“How many spoons will we need?”
“Hmmm, the parlor looks clean and ready for company…”
“The table is almost ready.”
“We’ll need to heat the iorn so that we can press our party dresses.”
“Here Isabeau, let me help you get more comfy in your chair.”
“Salt, we’ll need salt for dinner.”
Click on any photo to see it enlarged and to read the caption.
Don’t worry! In spite of the sound effects, no dishes were harmed in the making of this video. As Isabeau always says, “there is a reason that babies only get to use the everyday china”! 🙂
Thank you for coming!!! I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into some of our party preparations. Here is the schedule for today’s celebration events, I will have additional posts at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 4:00 pm, 7:00 pm, and 10:00 pm Eastern time. My 7:00 pm post will feature several dolls for sale, because what would an Izannah Walker Birthday Celebration be without at least a few new reproduction dolls for sale? 🙂 The dolls will only be posted here on my blog. If one or more of them tugs at your heart strings and you’d like to purchase her, you may email me at paula@asweetremembrance.com. If more than one person is interested in buying the same doll, the email with the earliest time will get preference. ❤
Don’t forget! Only 3 more days until it’s Izannah Walker’s 199th birthday. My dolls and I will be hosting an all day online celebration 🙂 Please come join us! We’ll be sooooooo sad if you can’t come 😦
At 10:00 a.m on Sunday September 25th stop whatever you are doing, run to your pc and come right over to http://www.izannahwalker.com for the beginning of our birthday fun!!! ❤
I’d like to say thank you to all of the wonderful members of the Jenny Lind Doll Club who made me feel so very welcome yesterday at their meeting! I have been thinking for some time of joining the UFDC and I was finally pushed into action by all the glowing accounts of doll club meetings and conventions that I have been hearing from some of the members of my Izannah Walker class 🙂
I went to the UFDC website and contacted Margaret Vitale, who is the Regional Director in my area, and among other things helps interested people find a local club. Margaret was great. She put me in touch with the Jenny Lind club, one of the oldest clubs in the UFDC. Shelly, the Jenny Lind member in charge of membership has been wonderful and I can’t thank her enough. She has been very attentive, welcoming and even arranged for me to car pool to my first meeting!
I greatly enjoyed the afternoon spent in the home of Jenny Lind president Pixie, and her interesting program on Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, plus the delicious lunch she served. I could not have asked for a better beginning in the UFDC!
🙂 As a footnote somehow I wound up agreeing to host the May meeting at my house!!! It should be fun, as Pixie is planning to speak about Izannahs!
I’ve just finished the doll that I have been making for Denise. Here are some of the photos that I have taken to remember her by.
Patiently waiting for the glue on her shoes to dry...She is dressed in layers of pure white.Two ringlets in front of each ear and seven across the nape of her neck.Tiny bare toes, hand knit socks and hand made leather shoes.Her shoes have scalloped tops and hand dyed silk ribbon laces.Notice the tiny hand sewn stitches along her shoe soles...
Click on any of the smaller photos to enlarge. If you are using Firefox you can also zoom in by pressing Ctrl and + .
Post script
I’ve just received the most lovely note from Denise, which I am sharing so that I can say how very special my customers are and how happy it makes me to create my dolls for them. I am truly blessed.
“Thank you so much, Paula!! My doll is home, and just wonderful in every way! I love how you did her dress with chemise peeking out, her shoes, her curls, everything. You must be the incarnation of Izannah! I’m so happy to have her, and thank you again.
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 .
I’m in the very early planning stages of working on an Izannah Walker Doll Making Retreat for 2012. Because a number of people contacted me about this years retreat, but were unable to attend due to schedule conflicts, I am asking for your input.
If you are interested in attending a 2-3 day Izannah class next year, please comment on this post and let me know when the best time of year would be for you. If you would prefer to email me, that would be great too – paula@asweetremembrance.com.
Oven Dried Tomatoes
Canned Roasted Tomatoes
Izannah Walker Journal 