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Vintage hankies become dresses for wooden dolls

I love vintage hankies and decided to use them to make dresses for some of the wooden dolls that I carve.

I needed to take a break last week, and my Story Door Dolls were beckoning me.

So, I used some of the vintage hankies that I have collected over the years to make them new dresses.

new-hanky-dresses-2-c

Lucky Pauline ended up with the most beautifully embroidered hanky.

I can’t bear to cut the hankies, so I do some crazy folding to make the hanky work as the skirt.

new-hanky-dresses-1-c

This is Tennie in her new hanky dress…. even though it’s not as glamorous as Pauline’s, she’s still very happy with it.

By folding and hand stitching the delicate old linen, cotton and silk hankies, the hankies remain intact.

This is a kind of archival use of the hankies, which preserves them, but uses them, instead of them languishing in a box.

new-hanky-dresses-3c

I hand carve the dolls, which I call my ‘Story Door Dolls’.

They are all around 6 inches tall, and I use local woods for most of them.

They were inspired by Hitty dolls.

new-hanky-dresses-4-c

This little charmer was carved from Arbutus wood that was trimmed many years ago from the tree in my sisters in laws house in Victoria.  I won’t be carving anymore Arbutus dolls as that wood is like iron!  wow…. and ow….

And, yes, I do sell them…..

But not Pauline

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Woven Women: 6th Sense One of a Kind Art Dolls

I have been working on  new handwoven one of a kind art dolls.

They are a somewhat different approach to my Woven Women Mixed Media pieces.

6th-sense-trio-c

Earlier this summer, I read a wonderful book, called: A Monk in the Beehive.

The author spoke about humanity needing to come to our senses, and to connect with our sixth sense, which is wisdom, intuition, peacefulness and integrity towards the planet.

This moved me deeply, and I have been thinking about it  a lot.

This is how I have woven these thoughts together- in the first 3 of a series of ‘6th Sense’ Woven Women.

Each one is totally one of a kind.

I wove them as contemplations on wisdom, compassion, kindness, peace and peace making, connection, and a longing to care for the planet.

As I created each one, I would hold thoughts of wellness, integrity, and all the other attributes that I mentioned previously.

Weaving is a meditation in motion, and there is love in every stitch.

There is joy  and tenderness in the making of the ‘6th Sense’ art dolls.

 

They are all approximately 17 inches tall and they can either stand and lean on a shelf, or be hung from the woven hanging loop on the back of the head.

Each one has 6 pennies-  six cents- to represent the Sixth Sense, in all it’s manifestations.

I wove each of the 6th Sense Woven Women Art Dolls on many different looms, using a wide variety of techiques.

Here’s a video of ‘6th Sense- Intuition’,    ‘6th Sense- Deep Peace’ and

‘6th Sense- Listening to The Voice of Wisdom’:

Photos:

‘6th Sense- INTUITION’:

One of a kind art doll by Noreen Crone-Findlay www.tottietalkscrafts.com6th-sense-intuition-2-c6th-sense-intuition-3-c6th-sense-intuition-4-c6th-sense-intuition-5-c6th-sense-intuition-6-c

 

‘6th Sense- Deep Peace’

6th-sense-deep-peace-1-c6th-sense-deep-peace-2-c 6th-sense-deep-peace-3-c 6th-sense-deep-peace-4-c 6th-sense-deep-peace-5-c 6th-sense-deep-peace-6-c

 

 

‘6th Sense- Listening to The Voice of Wisdom’

6th-sense-listening-to-the-voice-of-wisdom-1c 6th-sense-listening-to-the-voice-of-wisdom-2-c 6th-sense-listening-to-the-voice-of-wisdom-3-c 6th-sense-listening-to-the-voice-of-wisdom-4-c 6th-sense-listening-to-the-voice-of-wisdom-5-c

 

 

If you are interested in purchasing a ‘Woven Women- 6th Sense’ One of a Kind Art Doll,

please contact me

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An adorable gift

A dear friend of mine sent me the sweetest gift- a delightful little vintage dog who is very at home with the Story Door Dolls!

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Her name is, ‘Lupin’, and she arrived with magical little vintage postcards that the Story Door Dolls loved!

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Itty loved the postcard of the sailing ships as it reminded her of her great adventure!

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Coco loved the postcard of the castle- she thought that it looked like it was right out of a fairy tale.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Lupin offered to give Itty and Coco as many rides as they would like.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Lupin has settled into the Story Door wall doll house  happily and gets along very well with the other resident dogs. Itty was concerned about how the cat and turtle would handle having another dog in the house so, she  ambled off to have a chat with them.

Thank you so much, darlin’ Caroline for this wonderful addition to the Story Door dolls! ❤

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Another Mermaid

I’ve always loved mermaids…. so when a little block of wood called out, ‘Mermaid in here!’, of course, I had to get carving!

And, here’s who was in that wee block of wood….  tiny Siobhan:

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Clever little Siobhan can tiptoe on her fins!

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Miranda is very pleased to have another Mermaid in the studio.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Siobhan is very content, too!

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Two of my hand carved Story Door Dolls for sale

I am selling two of my hand carved ‘Story Door’ dolls.

They are each 6 inches tall.

They are fully articulated and stand independently without doll stands, although they are known to play dominoes with other dolls and all fall down without giving notice.

Each of them comes with her hand woven dress and a hand woven shawl.

They are $150.00 each plus postage.

This is The Arbutus/Madrona Tree Story Door Doll:
Her head is tilted up so when she looks up at you quite winsomely.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

This is the Birch Tree Story Door Doll:

 

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay www.tottietalkscrafts.com

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay www.tottietalkscrafts.com

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

 

 

If you would like to adopt either of these Story Door Dolls, hand carved by me, with their handwoven (also by me) please drop me a note.
:o)
Noreen

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Itty Bitty Hitty’s great adventure- 2

Itty Bitty Hitty vanished through the Story Door  on a magical small Tall Ship,

leaving Coco and the other Story Door Dolls to worry and fret.  See LINK

She amazed Coco by coming home safe and sound, with a new friend, Lettie.

Lettie Bunny apparently rescued Itty on her great adventure!

Coco and Lettie sat down to listen to Itty’s story.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay www.tottietalkscrafts.com

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

As soon as the Story Door shut behind Itty and the tiny Tall Ship,  they whirled away through clouds and fog.

Itty was sure that the fog went on forever, and when she had finally given up hope,

Itty heard a rumbling roar!

The fog cleared, and there was a huge fiery Dragon!

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Itty was terrified!

Luckily, a mighty Wizard strode out of the mists and sent the Dragon packing:

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

The Wizard tossed a small fireball that sent the Tiny Tall Ship soaring to a peaceful

garden in front of a very appealing door:

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

 

Itty knocked and knocked on the door, but no one answered.

Sadly, Itty sailed on until she came to another lovely garden,

where a beautiful Lady of the Earth was sleeping.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Itty whispered to her, hoping to wake her up just a little, without really disturbing her.

She leaned over the Lady of the Green Places and whispered again….

still, no answer…

Itty leaned sooooooooooo far out of the rigging of the Tiny Tall Ship that she tumbled

out and down,

down,

down….

until she landed

upside down, with a serious thump….

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

She thought about things for a moment and decided that a bucket might be a

better place to be than a Tiny Tall Ship that didn’t pay much attention to where

she wanted to be…..

‘Um?’, she mumbled.

There was no response.

‘Hello?’.

A bee bumbled by to investigate.

‘HALLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?’

‘Um and Hello to you, too, Little One!’, a soft, not-about- to-eat-or-sail-unexpectedly-away voice came close to the bucket.

‘And,  what, might I ask, are you doing in my bucket, Little One?’

‘Standing on my head’.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

‘Ah, yes…. well, let’s set that to rights…. my name is Lettice Bunny, but you can call me, Lettie’.

And, then, Itty burst into tears…..

‘I want to go home!’

‘Which is where?’

‘In the studio where the Story Door is!’

‘Well, that’s easily done! I was born in the studio by the Story Door!’

‘REALLY?????’

‘Yes, Little One, perhaps you were busy while all the carving was happening, come on now, just close your eyes….

The Story Door is just a small wish away…..’.

And! Then! Lettie and Itty were right there at the Story Door, and couldn’t be happier about it!

The funny thing about Itty’s great adventure was that it all seemed to happen at the Muttart Conservatory….

and Jim and I were right there!

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

You would think we would have noticed a tiny flying ship with wee Itty Bitty Hitty on it, wouldn’t you?

🙂

 

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Itty Bitty Hitty’s great adventure- 1

Itty Bitty Hitty got carried away through the Story Door by a mischievious Tall Ship: See Here for details: LINK

Poor Coco sat and sat in front of the Story Door, waiting and waiting and hoping

for Itty Bitty Hitty to come home again.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay www.tottietalkscrafts.com

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

She was sure that Tottie Tomato would find Itty and send that pesky Tall Ship on it’s way.

After a long time… it felt like forever-

Coco heard a sound coming from the other side of the Story Door.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

But when a lady Bunny came through the door, carrying Itty in a bucket,

Coco fell over in shock!

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Itty explained to Coco that everything was just fine- more than fine, really!

She introduced her new friend, Lettie, and they sat down together

so Itty Bitty Hitty could tell Coco all about her Great Adventure and how

Lettie Bunny came to her rescue!

More to follow…..

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Itty Bitty Hitty and the Tall Ship

Miranda Mermaid was cold, so was very pleased to receive a new shawl woven just for her.

Her friends were all so busy admiring it….

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

that they didn’t notice that Itty Bitty Hitty had climbed up

onto the tall ship that had lead Miranda to the Story Door.

Coco saw that it was starting to move away through the Story Door….

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Even though she shouted at Itty to jump, JUMP! off the tall ship….

it slipped away and the Story Door quietly, but oh so quickly,

closed!

The Story Door dolls raced off to find Tottie Tomato to see if she could help.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Coco was so sad that she just laid down on the ground and cried and cried.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Tottie Tomato cuddled Coco and promised that she would go  find Itty and bring her home again.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay www.tottietalkscrafts.com

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Coco sniffed sadly and sat down to wait….

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

and wait…..

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Miranda Mermaid joins the Story Door Dolls

Itty Bitty Hitty  was playing on the Story Door today.

She has discovered that the Lion’s Head door knocker is perfect for practicing acrobatics.

If she asks the Lion nicely, he is quite accommodating and will hold the ring ‘just so’.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

She heard a strange sound behind the story door, so she scampered back to the Wall Doll House, and asked Coco and Bessie if they would come investigate with her.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Itty Bitty Hitty scrambled back up the door to the Lion’s head, to see if she could hear the odd sound again.

She was surprised when the Story Door creaked on it’s hinges and then, it opened, and a lovely lady appeared….

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Not just ~any~ lady!

A MERMAID!!!!

Bessie and Coco were so excited that they raced back to the Wall Doll House to see if anyone else would like to meet the beautiful mermaid.

 

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Coco and Itty Bitty Hitty introduced themselves, and so did Miranda.

 

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Hitty Tennie and Bessie Gnome brought some comfie couches from the Wall Doll House, as they were sure that there would be stories told at the Story Door.

Sure enough, just as everyone settled in to hear Miranda’s story, a little ship floated through the Story Door.

Miranda told her new friends that she had been frolicking in the waves.

Suddenly a the tiny ship sailed past her and zoomed towards something that looked like the opening to a cave.

It wasn’t a cave…. it was the ‘other side’ of the Story Door!

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay www.tottietalkscrafts.com

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Everyone ‘oooohed’ and ‘ahhhed’ at Miranda’s adventure…..

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Tottie Tomato popped by to meet Miranda and see the magical little sailing ship.

Tottie, Coco and Bessie were so enchanted by Miranda’s stories that they didn’t notice that….

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Itty Bitty Hitty had climbed up into the rigging of the tiny ship….

Only Kitty saw, but no one paid attention to her ‘miaows’.

Hopefully, Itty Bitty Hitty will get down off the mast before the tiny sailing ship sails away through the Story Door…..

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A truly tiny wooden doll

I couldn’t resist.

I just had to see how small a doll I could carve …

So….I cut very small doll parts from another birch tree twig.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

And, I carved a doll that is not much bigger than a quarter.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Here’s a comparison of dolly sizes – ‘Bitty’ is right above the ‘yr’ in copyright.

She really is ‘Itty Bitty’.

She was fun, but rather challenging to carve. (of course LOL).

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Bitty, Coco and Joy had a lovely tea party in front of the Story Door.

They had a lovely time, and were pleased that the missing teacups have re-appeared, but wondered where the cat and dogs were.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

I wove a chair seat for Bitty, which is  less than an inch square.

It makes her feel much more comfortable and she’s very please with it.

Coco, Bitty and Joy have heard the sounds of more carving in the studio, and are excited to see who is going to join them at the Story Door.

🙂

 

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