Sometimes, when you are carving a doll, you will start with one thought in mind.
But, there are times when it becomes clear that the doll wants to be something else entirely.
This just happened to me when I was carving a very small doll.
My grandson is five and he thinks babies are sublime, so he asked me to carve a baby doll.
I started…. I used a little doll that my mother owned long ago and far away in her childhood…
(Oh how I love this little doll!)
copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com
but soon, it became clear that it was a tiny Lady Gnome who wanted to be released from the wood….
copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com
And, there she is- among her friends, admiring the thimbles…
Her name is Bessie, or, just Bess, and this is how I carved her:
Tottie Talks Crafts Blog 
Well, that is a Bessie for you! Life of the party and knows just who she is. Bessie or Bess was my Grandma’s name so one of my favorites. Love this and love seeing your process. Thanks!
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That delights me! Thank you so much, Mountainweaver! 🙂 And, hurrah for ALL the Bess/Bessies! They make life so sweet!
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Love the girl gnome you make it seem so easy
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Thank you so much, Linda! 🙂
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A cutie pie! Will you have to carve another baby for your grandson?
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I’ve been thinking that I may have to…. he was so convinced that there was a baby inside one particular piece of wood. I have also been thinking that perhaps I could help him make a wooden baby, too. And, oh yes, he declared that he reeeeeeeeeeeeeally needs me to knit him some new socks because his old ones are too small and he likes the ones I knit best of all. Store socks are no good. I have to agree with him on that… hand knit socks really are the best…. 🙂
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No hand-knit socks in this household, only misappropriated Hitty sleeping bags…
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Perhaps the Quimper Hittys need some woven sleeping bags since their humans keep absconding with the Hittys’ knitted sleeping bags? 🙂
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What a joyful little wonder your Bessie is! And how intuitive and creative your little grandson is to know that there was a baby inside that piece of wood!
I had a little celluloid cherub (or two) when I was young but never was careful enough to keep them from getting their little faces bashed in as they played…
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Bessie showed me that the size that I love carving the most is around 3 to 4 inches 🙂 And, I am so grateful to our Little Guy, as he is constantly showing me new wonders.
I have been in love with this little celluloid doll and her slightly larger sister all my life. They were my mother’s when she was little, so they are reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally old! She kept them in a matchbox along with the clothes that she had sewn for them when she was a tiny girl.
I treasure them beyond words.
I’ve been working on other things, but I will be getting to his little wooden baby soon. And, I did buy his favorite color of sock yarn to knit him a new pair of socks, as he gave me the ‘Bambi eyes look’ and pleaded for new hand knit socks because store bought socks hurt his feet. I can appreciate that. Hand knit socks are sooooooo good better best…. 🙂
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aha it’s the Bambi eyes and the rosebud mouth that gets you everytime 🙂
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LOL, you are so right, Caroline! … our grandsons do know exactly how to melt their granny’s hearts, don’t they?? And, yes, I have started knitting his socks 🙂
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Bessie is exquisite, what fun she will have with her lovely little friends. We all need our dolls.
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We do, indeed! And, guess what?! Bessie and friends have been joined by two more sisters- the Birch Tree sisters! I will post about them soon….. 🙂
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