Welcome to the home of the premier Internet Doll Club!

Doll Street has something for everyone!  There is so much going on for today’s doll maker – whether you create with cloth, clay, or mixed media.  We have classes, swaps, and challenges, but best of all we offer friendship.

There’s lots to see and do here on the Street!

• Want to learn a new skill or technique?  Pop on over to the Creative College …
• Wonder what the Dreamers are up to now?  Check out the Post Office …
• See the Dreamers’ dolls at the Art Gallery …
• The Back Alley is chock full of patterns, tips, and techniques from Dreamers, past and present, and it’s all free!

Patti has been converting her paper patterns into PDF format and this is the latest one which is available for instant download.  Ambrosia is a 15” invisibly jointed fairy sitting with articulated hands. Face painting, silk wing making, wigging, and more!  She sure is a pretty one!

Isn’t this great?  So many different techniques in one class.

Join artist, Michelle Munzone for a 3D Canvas based, Mixed Media Art piece.  Who doesn’t love Jack and the Beanstalk!

Step by step instructions, along with 100s of colour photos, will allow you to feel confidence and enthusiastic as you create your own version of Jack & the Beanstalk.

In this 5 lesson workshop, you will be inspired in your own creative process by following the steps that Michelle provides and at the same time adding your own personality to the project with your choice of colours, fabric, materials and embellishments.

This project covers painting, wire construction, sculpting with paperclay, sewing, scrapbooking and doll making. Michelle will answer all questions you have during the workshop and long after the class is over and you can work at your own pace.

• Lesson 1: CONSTRUCTION of BEANSTALK and BASE-
• Lesson 2: PREPARING CANVAS- Painting & attaching to base
• Lesson 3: MAKING JACK and HIS COSTUME
• Lesson 4: MAKING HEN and GOLDEN EGGS
• Lesson 5: MAKING HARP and FINAL TOUCHES

I’m excited to announce a challenge that is open to everyone, not just Dreamers!  If you’re a doll maker you are eligible to play!  Lots of fabulous prizes from wonderful sponsors.  Here’s the details:

A Doll Street Challenge – sponsored by Fairfield, Studio Galli and Eucalan

Hosted By Colleen Babcock

Re-Imagine History Challenge

For this challenge, use your imagination to reinvent a historical era to come up with a whole new alternative to the past or even the future.

For example, Steampunk is a particularly popular re-imagining of Victorian England or the Wild West with an industrial feel, incorporating gears and gadgets into the aesthetic. Or for another example, the TV show Firefly and subsequent movie, Serenity supposed that an over-populated Earth gave way to a pioneering colonization of space creating a look that is part American Wild West mixed with Chinese influence (explained by a population surge in China on Earth). Another television show, Stargate SG1 imagined that the ancient Egyptians were actually an alien race, giving the costume designers license to put an other-worldly spin on ancient fashions.

The idea behind the challenge is to incorporate into a doll, elements of historical costuming with something else, something unpredictable, to come up with a whole new style.  What would the characters in your “old world made new” be wearing and why?

The Prizes – each prize is valued at over $100 (USD)

• Fairfield’s Best Overall Doll made by a Beginner – 10lb box of Fairfield’s Poly-fil® fibrefill or an assortment of different fibrefills* + a one year membership to Doll Street + your choice of Colleen Babcock pattern + Eucalan Custom Gift Pack.  *Please note:  Fairfield reserves the right to substitute the prize for alternative products if the winner is resident in a country outside of the continental US or Canada, due to the prohibitive cost of shipping.

• Most Imaginative Concept (This prize is to be judged on concept only, not the execution of the doll, so imagination counts here, not experience) – Patti Culea’s Cloth Doll Making DVD (donated by Studio Galli) + a one year membership to Doll Street + your choice of Colleen Babcock pattern + Eucalan Custom Gift Pack

•  Best Use of Historical Costume Elements by a Doll Street Member (open to members only, this prize again to be judged on recognizable historical fashion elements, not necessarily on skill level) - Patti Culea’s Cloth Doll Making DVD (donated by Studio Galli) + one year membership to Doll Street + your choice of Colleen Babcock pattern + Eucalan Custom Gift Pack

• Best Overall Doll – Patti Culea’s Cloth Doll Making DVD (donated by Studio Galli) + one year membership to Doll Street + your choice of Colleen Babcock pattern + Eucalan Custom Gift Pack

 The Rules

• The doll entered into the challenge must have been created especially for the challenge.
• Steampunk dolls or dolls based on the other examples mentioned will not be accepted.  The idea is to come up with something new.
• The challenge is open to everyone, but only a Doll Street member will qualify for the Best Use of Historical Costume Elements by a Doll Street Member prize.
• Only a beginner can win the Fairfield’s Best Overall Doll Made by a Beginner.  Everyone is different, so please use your best judgement to decide if you fit into the beginner category.  However, as a general guideline, a beginner may have made in the region of 8 full size dolls or fewer.
• No entrant can win in more than one category.
• Dolls of all sizes and mediums are welcome.
• The doll can be an original design or from a pattern, however, if you have used another designer’s pattern please make sure to give them credit on the entry form.
• Entries are to be submitted via an online entry form on or before June 15^th, 2012.  Three images of the doll must be uploaded to the form and may include a front, side, back view or a close-up of the face or other feature and should demonstrate what is special about your entry.  Please make sure the images are clear and easy to see (if your photos are not clear, it will affect judging).

Download and save the rules from here!

Sponsors

Eucalan is a no-rinse delicate wash that is non-toxic, biodegradable, phosphate free, with a lanolin enriched formula that is great for crafting as well as offering an eco-friendly alternative to dry cleaning.  Visit www.eucalan.com to find out more about this outstanding product and to request your free sample.

Andrew Galli, of Studio Galli is a Pianist, Composer and Producer of Arts and Crafts DVDs. Beginning in 2005 with several films related to silk painting and Shibori Japanese textile arts, Andrew has released several titles related to guitar lutherie, encaustic arts, fabric painting, wire bead jewellery, machine embroidery and cloth doll making. Visit www.gallifilms.com to find out more.

Fairfield Processing Corporation puts pride into every roll of batting, every pillow form and every bag of fibrefill they make. Each product is developed to inspire your creativity and help you express yourself.  Visit www.fairfieldworld.com to find the full range of Fairfield products and to search through their free projects and patterns.

Colleen Babcock is a craft and cloth doll designer, offering patterns, online classes, and in-person classes across North America and the UK.  Visit www.themagicbean.typepad.com to see Colleen’s full range of patterns and to get your hands on free projects.

For some of us the costuming of the dolls is the hardest part.  Not knowing how to construct a pattern and have it fit your doll.  This class will teach you those skills.  There will be patterns for the three dolls shown in the advert but you’ll also get help to learn to construct your own patterns. 

There won’t be a doll taught, you’ll have to provide your own but it should be pretty interesting.  You’ll also learn how to paint doll parts to coordinate with fabric and fool the eye! There will be tips and tricks throughout.

We’re going to start this class on April 20th, 2012 and it will run for a few months.  This is another great skill building workshop from a superb teacher, NIADA member Kathryn Walmsley.

I just love starting out the new year with something so gorgeous!  This beauty is going to be a five week class from Angela.  I just love the way she does her faces, they are so soft and dreamy.   You can read more about Saika here.

Saika

Dive into a Book ePattern

Colleen digitized two more of her patterns, her Green Man pin doll and her Dive into a Book bookmark doll.  Fabulous as always.  I read a lot and think her bookmark would be a hoot to use.  I have a niece who is ALWAYS reading – and not on an electronic device so I am for sure going to make one of these for her!  If you have any readers in your life this might be one of the most fun things you can give them.

Green Man

Just in time for the new year, a lovely little pond that you can gaze serenely into to help recover from the holiday madness. Christi says that you’ll get that ‘zen’ experience every time you look into your pond. Learn to use resin as water and learn all the tricks that Christi uses to make simple shapes look complicated. Plus you’ll love her sense of humor!  Class will start on January 6, 2012 and will run for a couple of months.  Sign up here!

Colleen just converted her patterns into digital format and I’m happy to be able to offer them here for you.  I love Colleen’s work – she’s distinctly unique!  The patterns here are amazing .. one doll is a clock, another holds a mistletoe ball, and the third one holds your jewelry!  Nothing like being decorative and useful at the same time.  I wonder if there’s enough time to make ‘Give me a kiss” before Christmas!!!

Treasures of the Deep

Give Us A Kiss

Gather Ye Rosebuds

Just had to share this doll that Sandi Reid made in Dawn’s Steampunk Oddfae class.  Absolutely awesome! She can’t show us his ‘ride’ as she is entering it in a competition next year!  Dee’s instructions are so easy to follow – I just love this little guy!