August Newsletter

Bar Fly - Sue

Upcoming Meetings

August 15, 2015

Tiny Hands- Leslie

September 19, 2015

ATC Trading Swap- Make 1 Artist Trading Card to swap

September 26-27, 2015

Traveller workshop with Angela Jarecki!

October 17, 2015

Challenge Dolls Due! 

Member Birthdays

 Happy Happy Birthday Sara and Andrea!

Beaded fish - Sue

July Meeting Minutes

Members present: Virginia, Jude, Ann C, Julie W, Andrea, Sue, Maggie, Nita, Martha, Janet, Mary, Julie G., Katie, and Erin.

Charlie the Bartender - Virginia

Business Meeting

In case you didn't know, this is Erin's last year as Secretary.  The Secretary takes meeting notes and sends out the monthly newsletter. If you are interested, let Julie G. know.  I will help anyone to learn the blog or the word processing software of your choice!

The Show and Sale is approaching quickly.  If you would like a table ($10), contact Maggie.  She and the committee will be issuing guidelines and a table layout prior to the show.  Katie made bookmarks to promote the November show at Threads of Time.  She also made the outdoor signs more generic to advertise the week before the event.

Storage pots - Joan

The online Windows class with Angela Jarecki started August 1st, and we're starting to see some great faces emerge!  This was a wonderful prequel to the Traveller class in September.  The class fee for the Traveller class is due by September.  Reserve your spot by sending $60 to Jude.  We will most likely be at the Greenfield Art Center, unless they book a wedding.

Anya and Baby - The Traveler with Angela Jarecki

Saturday & Sunday Sept 26th and 27th

Location TBD (Either the library or Greenfield Art Center)

$120 class fee, no pattern or kit fee will be charged

$60 down to reserve your spot, full amount due by September's meeting

Make checks out to Doll Creators and send to Jude

Kiwi - Nita

Speaking of workshops, we had asked Ute Vasina to teach in 2016 but she is taking some time off in the spring.  Andrea needs suggestions for spring teachers.  Charlie Patricio (?) and Cyndee Moyer were both suggested, and our very own Sue is working on a class that she would share with us for an Anime doll.  

Deedle - Nita

The Threads of Time fall retreat is November 6, 7, and 8.  Visit their website to reserve your spot to work on items for the Show and Sale or whatever you'd like.

Victoria - Katie

We will be trading Artist Trading Cards at the September meeting, so please make one if you would like to trade.  They are playing card size pieces of art, be creative and use any medium that suits you. Visit ATCsforAll.com for inspiration.

Handmade, hand-dyed books - Joan

Show and Tell

Sue is working on her beaded fish from Dot Luellen's AFICC class, as well as the Bar Fly who was in our bar scene display at AFICC.  She is very classy, if a little buggy.  She is an original pattern.

To go with the Bar Fly, Virginia shared her Charlie the Bartender doll.  She was the wench of the scene, complete with bosom tattoo.  Virginia used the All Will be Well pattern by Sharon Mitchell.

Purse - Katie

Katie made a lovely doll inspired by the Victorian costuming on the BBC show Paradise.  She is an original design, and her costume is stunning from under garments to hat!  Katie also shared a fun purse design with interchangeable faces.  The Australian one shown above is her sketch of the Threads of Time challenge doll.

Zentangle steps - Janet

Joan made a lot of beautiful books during a workshop in Nashville.  She used her hand-dyed fabric for most of the covers.  We would love a book making class, Joan!  She also made little paint pots with epoxy, coke bottles and credit cards.  They're perfect for storing small amounts of the perfect color of paint.

Zentangle patterns - Janet

Nita shared two Australian challenge dolls with us.  The first is a bird from the outback and his little fairy rider.  They are perfect!  She used the Deedle pattern by Frowning Francis.  Then she brought out Kiwi, a sophisticated lady who happens to love birds.  

Zentangle as doll clothes - Janet

Janet won the nametag drawing and then gave a presentation on Zentangle.  She did a few tests of pens on fabric and liked the Staedtler best.  We spent the rest of the afternoon drawing peacefully!

Next Meeting

Leslie will be presenting Tiny Hands.  This will be a demo, so just bring yourselves and tiny finger techniques that you would like to share (I'm looking at you Andrea.)

Upcoming Challenges

Leather and Lace- Due at the October meeting, make a cloth doll that includes the materials leather and lace in some way.  No restrictions on size or theme.

Fantasy Face Pin Doll - Make a pin doll of a Face that tells a story.  Due at the May, 2016 joint meeting with the Rivercity Figurative Artist's Guild. 

August Checklist

• Nametag
• Class Fees for the Traveller Workshop

Feb. 2012, part 1 - An original design and 4 beaded necklaces

This month's meeting was packed full of visual inspiration!  We had 18 people attending, including 2 new members and 2 first-time visitors.  We'll start show and tell with a set of brand-new original dolls.  This adorable design is a new creation from Leslie Wright.

Three of the 'Wazinkies' by Leslie Wright

Each doll has her own face and unique patterns, hand-drawn with gel pen and colored with pencils.

Back of a Wazinkie doll

Next Sandy showed us the little project she has been working on -- an outstanding collection of beaded necklaces.  Sandy is sending them all as a gift to her daughter, who is working overseas.


Purple and green beaded beads

You had to see them to believe them, but please click on the picture to see close-up just how many seed beads went into this awesome necklace!


Pink collar with green shell discs

This one is nicely musical when you run your fingers over the shells.

Wide band of grey and black stripes

All of the necklaces were very tactile, and we had a great time passing them around the table and trying them on.

Multi-color beaded fringe

This was probably our favorite one to wear.  The weight sat very comfortably on your collarbones, and the fringe was very soft and smooth.

Stay tuned for part two of the meeting...

Beaded Faces from Annie Hesse's class

Well, it has been a long time since the last post, due to the icky flu and other life complications, like trying to do homework for upcoming doll classes, and there are probably other things I should post first, but... we have fabulous pictures from our Annie Hesse workshop this weekend!


faces by Julie G., Bonnie, and Lynn

We just had Annie here for a 2-day workshop, and everybody finished the beaded face in class (although there may have been some midnight oil burning too!).  Most of us also got most if not all of the doll finished as well.


faces by Leslie, Martha, and Andrea

Annie taught a seated variation of her Spirit Walker doll; the doll is named Garden Party and has wonderfully extravagant ribbon skirts!  She had nice patterns printed up for us, but they are not up on her website yet.

faces by Nita and Liz

Many of the dolls were still armless at picture time, but Ann R. got her doll's arms attached in time to hold Barbara's beautiful-but-bodiless face for the group portrait!

faces by Mary Jane, Ann R., and Barbara

Annie was a great teacher, and we all had a really wonderful time with her!  She had traveled directly from teaching her Raggedy doll in Detroit (we should have asked her the name of the group there) to teaching in Indianapolis.  Even doing two different dolls in two cities in 5 days, she was totally organized.  AND, she remembered every person who had been in a class with her before, and asked about family members and projects and was just super to hang out with.