HAPPY NEW YEAR!

NEW YEAR FESTIVAL DOLL

Id:  Europe - Bulgaria - 005, 005A, 005B and 005C.

Wishing all my friends and followers from 38 countries, a very Happy and Healthy New Year for 2011.
The above doll is a January the 1st. Bulgarian Festival doll.  Further details of the doll can be seen on the website Id: Europe - Bulgaria - 005, 005A, 005B and 005C.  Carole.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

This post is to wish all my friends and followers a very Happy Christmas.

NEW DOLL MAKER added to the Doll Maker page - top right corner of the Home page.

 The ("Gwyneth Doll Company")

As you can see from the pictures below, poor Father Christmas has fallen down the chimney, much to the amazement of the little dog who was patiently awaiting his arrival, with his own stocking ready and waiting.  I made the scene in 2000.

More details of this diorama can be seen in the website, under "Dioramas".

I enjoy making these little dioramas so much, but during the last eighteen months, due to other commitments, I have not been able to spare the time to make many. 

Carole.

Id:  Europe - Wales - 0010 (under Dioramas)

Id: - Europe - Wales - 0010A (under Dioramas)

Id:  Europe - Wales - 0010B (under Dioramas)

FIVE NEW DOLLS LISTED ON WEBSITE

The countries I have listed are: 

Paraguay, Mexico, Afghanistan, Armenia and Romania.  For further information about the dolls, please see the website.  Carole.

Id:  America - PARAGUAY - 002 

Id:  America - MEXICO (Tarahumara tribe) - 0013

Id:  Asia - AFGHANISTAN - 004

Id:  Asia - ARMENIA - 003

Id:  Europe - ROMANIA - 0027

NEW DOLL MAKER ADDED TO THE DOLL MAKER PAGE

I have added "CROLLY DOLL" to the DOLL MAKER page.  To view it, please click on "DOLL MAKERS" at the top right of the Home Page.

HAPPY HALLOWE'EN!

 Id. no:  WALES - 0028

This Blog is just to wish all my Blog friends and followers (from twenty different countries) a very Happy Hallowe'en.

I made this little Hallowe'en roombox in 1998.  At the time, I was Chairman of a Dollshouse Club and we used to make a seasonal monthly miniature, so I made this setting for Hallowe'en.

I really enjoyed making it.  I made and dressed the doll (witch) and called her Maggie Moon.  Her body is padded fabric over pipecleaners.  I dressed her using re-cycled fabrics.  Her head, hands and boots are made of Fimo modelling clay and her features are painted. 

The front of her little "house" is made from weathered bamboo canes out of the garden and the tree is a twig, also out of the garden.  The lights in the roof  represent stars.  They are covered over with wire mesh which is used for repairing the bodywork of cars.  I also made the cat with Fimo.

Just click on the picture to make it bigger. 

You can see more of my dioramas and roomboxes on the website.  Carole.



ALICE from the United States has sent me this lovely little Hallowe'en story which I am sure you will enjoy reading.
(Thank you Alice):

What a delightful creation! We are really celebrating Halloween here, and fortunately the weather appears to stay mild. I grew up in Michigan and at this time of year, Halloween could be really chilly, if not cold. My 3 great-grandkids in town (San Antonio, Texas) are anticipating dressing up and trick-or-treating. Nowadays it is just treating, but when I was growing up, the tricks were really accomplished. Soaping windows, rattling on doors and hiding, turning over outhouses (really - my husband remembers that).

Anyway, I got out my little cornhusk Halloween witches and other decorations. Actually, I have collected small witch dolls for years on our travels and have them on and hanging from a shelf. We did bed-and-breakfast at one time, and a family stayed with with two young boys in the bedroom with the witches. We learned the next morning that the older boy had scared his little brother by telling him the witches would come alive during the night and get him! Happy Halloween! Alice

NEW DOLLS ON "MY FAVOURITE DOLL" PAGE

IVANKA AND J.C. from France have sent pictures of their lovely dolls from Ukraine.

To view their dolls, please click on "MY FAVOURUTE DOLL" at the top right of the Home page.  Carole.

MY FAVOURITE DOLL PAGE

SACHA from Australia has sent a picture of her favourite doll which is from Bosnia-Herzegovina.  To view it, please click on the link for MY FAVOURITE DOLL at the top right of this page.

- - - - - - - 

(Please see comment below.  You can see Dawn's picture of her dolls relating to her comment, on the "My Favourite Doll" page, top, right of the Home Page). 

THE ORKNEY ISLANDS - (figurine and other pictures)

I have recently returned from a trip to the Orkney Islands (Scotland), which are situated off the north east coast of Scotland.

There are approximately 70 islands, twenty of which are inhabited.  Farming and tourism is the main industry and the islands are very rich in history and wildlife.

The highlight of my trip was the shortest flight in the world which flies from the island of Papa Westray to Westray and takes about TWO MINUTES!  It is in the Guiness Book of Records.

DOLLS:

Alas, I was not able to find any dolls!  The nearest I could find to a doll was this interesting figurine - the "Westray wife" (or "wifie" as it is known in Westray).  It is a copy of the original Westray wife and there is now a picture of it (and also a picture of the original one) on the website, with further information about the original one.

Europe - Scotland (Orkney Islands) - 001, 001A and 001B

(A copy of the original Westray wife)

The back of the figure

A picture of the original Westray wife

SCARA BRAE

(Believed to have been inhabited from around 3000 BC.  These two pictures show just a part of the village).

The village was discovered in 1850 after a wild storm stripped the grass all away from the top of it.

This picture shows a stone "dresser" and a central hearth.

SCARA BRAE

Showing a "bed" on the left and storage space on the wall above.

The ITALIAN CHAPEL on the tiny island of Lambholm.

The Chapel was built by prisoners-of-war, who were sent to the island to work on the Churchill Barriers.  It was built out of a Nissen hut.  Domenico Chiocchetti led a team who created this work of art out of scap materials.

The carved crucifix to the left of the Chapel was a gift from the people of Moena, Italy, the home town of Domenico Chiocchetti.  (The cross and canopy were made in Kirkwall, Orkney).

Part of the interior of the Chapel

The interior of the Chapel was covered with plasterboard and hand painted to simulate bricks.

Domenico Chiocchetti died at his home in May 1999, at the age of 89.

In June 1999 a Memorial Mass and Thanksgiving for his life and work on the Chapel in Orkney was held in the Italian Chapel.  His wife and family attended the Mass.

Me coming out of the THE TOMB OF THE EAGLES on the "granny skateboard".

(It was either that or on hands and knees!)

NEW DOLLS LISTED ON WEBSITE

SIX NEW DOLLS

from

Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Hungary, Wales, Scotland and England 

For more information and pictures, please see the website.

AFGHANISTAN

(Hand made doll)

Id.  Asia - Afghanistan - 003

KYRGYZSTAN

(Pair of hand made dolls)

Id.  Asia - Kyrgyzstan - 003, 003A, 003B, 003C and 003D

HUNGARY

Id:  Europe - Hungary - 007 and 007A

WALES

Id:  Europe - Wales - 0022

SCOTLAND

Id:  Europe - Scotland (Shetland Islands) - crofter - 003

ENGLAND

(Shallowpool doll - Mary Kelynack)

Id:  Europe - England - 0052 and 0052A

NEW DOLLS LISTED ON WEBSITE

I have added the following new dolls.  For more pictures and information, please see the website.

ROMANIA - Muntii Apuseni -Pottery Fair

Id. Europe - Romania - 0025

ROMANIA - (region unknown)

Id. Europe -Romania - 0026

GHANA

Id. Africa - Ghana - 004

UNITED STATES - Kachina (Blue Warrior)

Id. America - United States - 0020

UNITED STATES - Pair of Hopi Kachina dolls

Id. America - United States - 0020

DAFYD JENKINS

A doll I made myself.  (To go with Gwenllian.  She was previously in a diorama on her own but

I have just put both dolls into a roombox - "Noswaith Practis", as I thought she needed a pianist!).

Id. Wales - 0011  (UNDER DIORAMAS)

NEW DOLLS LISTED ON WEBSITE

I have listed the following new dolls onto the website.  For more pictures and information, please see the website.

GREECE (Crete) - Pedlar

Id. Europe - GREECE (Crete) - 006, 006A and 006B

NIGERIA - Ibibio Tribe

Id:  Africa - NIGERIA - 008

NIGERIA - Ibibio Tribe

Id:  Africa - NIGERIA - 009

SOUTH AFRICA

Id:  Africa - SOUTH AFRICA - 0018, 0018A and 0018B

PITCAIRN ISLAND

Id:  Oceania - PITCAIRN ISLAND - 003

RUSSIA - Moscow

Id:  Asia - RUSSIA - 0022

NEW DOLLS LISTED ON WEBSITE

JAPAN Festival dolls - Hina Matsuri (Girls Festival)

(Id. Asia - Japan - 0019, 0019A, 0019B, 0019C and 0019D)

Please see the website for further information and more pictures of these beautiful dolls.
Carole.

Desiree's Favourite Doll

Marrakesh (Moroccco)

I am still practicing with Blogs!

This is a picture of Desiree's Favourite doll.

Please see her comment lower down the page, comments to My First Blog, under "older comments".

ANDORRA DOLLS (and others)

ANDORRA DOLLS (and others) LISTED ON WEBSITE

I have just returned from a visit to Andorra, which is a beautiful Principality nestling high up in the Pyrenees mountain range inbetween France and Spain.
Andorra is very rugged and no part of it is lower than 3000 feet.  It is very popular for the fantastic mountainous scenery and also for skiing in the winter.
The main language spoken is Catalan (and also French and Spanish), hence the Catalonian costume.
Andorran dolls are not easily found in Andorra, and it was a little disappointing that I was only able to find one shop selling these dolls.  I had almost given up looking when Adina, our holiday representative found these for me.  Thank you Adina!

ANDORRA - (costume dolls)

Id. Europe - Andorra - 001

ANDORRA - (witch)

Id. Europe - Andorra - 002

SPAIN

Id. - Europe - Spain - 0025

BRAZIL (Orixa doll)

Id. America - Brazil - 007

ANDORRA

Snow covered mountains (and my friend taking a photograph!)

Alpine flowers

Mountain road

 * * * * * * *

TWO NEW DOLLS LISTED

I have listed the following two dolls on the website. The Samoa doll is in the DOLLS section and the WELSH doll is in the DIORAMAS section.

SAMOA (American) - Pago Pago
ID. Oceania - Samoa (American) - 003 and 003A

WALES - "Noswaith practis"

ID. - Wales - 0011

NEW DOLLS LISTED ON WEBSITE

EIGHT NEW DOLLS

I have listed the following new dolls. For further information and pictures, please see the website.

ROMANIA (Vilcia)

Website ID. Europe - Romania - 0023

ROMANIA

Website Id:  Europe - Romania - 0024

IRELAND
Molly
Malone
 (Jay's doll)

Website Id: - Europe - Romania - 0013A


FRANCE (Savoie)
Website Id:  Europe - France - 0033 and 0033A
 JAPAN
Website Id: Asia - Japan - 002 - A

CHINA
Website Id:  Asia - China - 0012 - A

SPAIN - Talaverana
Website Id:  Europe - Spain - 0024


SOUTH AFRICA - Xhosa Tribe
Website Id: 002 - A