Tasha and her Corgi

While doing research for my Tasha Tudor Doll (in Memory) pattern, I found out what a truly outstanding woman she was. Here is a woman who created her own dream...her own life...and really lived it!

 

Ms. Tudor was born in 1915, but was sure she was reincarnated from 1830 being a wife of a sea captain.

Since she was a little girl, she knew her place was to live on a farm, surrounding herself with beautiful vintage gardens that grow freely, a weathered cottage, and a menagerie of animals, especially her beloved corgi dogs! Her love for times past carried her through her life. She hand-dipped her own candles, hand-sewed her clothing, was a great cook and gardener...and animal lover. Her favorites where her corgi dogs.

With all of this she also raised a family and wrote and illustrated over 100 children's books. These books hold the delicate remembrance of her and her love of the past.

Ms. Tudor was regarded as a renaissance woman although she looked to past for her inspiration. I personally am taken with her as a woman that lived her life bringing such beauty to the world while living life observing and enjoying the everyday small things.

My doll...

This year, I have created one of Tasha's beloved Corgi dog...

This will be  technique new to this class. This little dog is dry needlefelted!

 Tasha Pattern 

available through Dollmaker's Journey: link here

Tasha with Corgi Dog Class

Piecemakers, CA Oct 26-27: email here for information

Class Description: link here

A Home for my Pattern Line!

Hello All,

This has worked out perfectly with Valentine's Day! My most favorite Holiday of the year...because it is all about LOVE! Love from my heart to share with yours...and part of hearing my own voice from my heart is finding the right place and person to handle my pattern line!

image: Joann Sharpe

It is with much excitement and happiness that I want to share with you the place where you can find my patterns! I have teamed up with Mary Ann from Dollmakers Journey to carry my ROotie Pattern Line exclusively!!

dream - imagine - create - grow- believe - magic

I have worked with Mary Ann, I believe, for 10 years or so and find her to be such a wonderful and responsible lady. She will get your order to you snappy quick! We have had inspiring conversations about dollmaking and I love her enthusiasm about creating dolls. I think it is a perfect fit!

So who is going to be there? 

Everybody!!

 Pictured: Meow Meow, Nezumi the Mouse

Veg Heads: Ruby Radish, Penelope Pumpkin, 

Esperanza Eggplant, and Steffie Strawberry

Including all my pincushion patterns 

and all my doll patterns! 

 

If you ever wanted to take the Gossips they are back in all their glory! 

Special 5 Lesson series on CD with loads and loads of detailed photos!

We have plans to carrying my new patterns as they come out..

so I will keep you posted as things progress.

Special Treat Double Loop Knot Video!

Hearing your own Heart's Voice

I find that in today's world we are bombarded with visual stimuli..it can be a blessing or a curse...by becoming over stimulated. People tell you this and that..and this...

It is hard to find our voice in all that is coming at us...all that is around us...

lonely girl by rodrigo larrabure

 LISTEN:

To make an effort to  pay attention

I have found that it is easy to listen...to listen to others...to listen from outside yourself, but is it right for us? We must find that quiet time to be able to hear...to hear what our heart is trying to tell us, to go inwards. 

HEAR:

to gain knowledge of

to listen to with attention 

We need quiet...so we can hear without distraction.

Find the quiet and  you will be able to HEAR your own voice from your HEART.

devochka pole lavandy

HEARING my voice within my heart...This relates to me and my dollmaking in so many ways. One when I first started and was teaching which worked its way into a pattern line. At that time, there where those who would not carry my patterns or have me come to teach because my patterns/dolls where too sweet. May designs varied because I didn't make one style of doll so they didn't want to publish my work...

I heard what my heart said and it said be true to yourself. I just knew that I had to have faith in myself and my own voice, my own heart's voice. If you know me and my teaching and my patterns, I truly believe that I have followed the right path because I choose to hear.

Now 20 years later, with much experience behind me, I look back at how many times I was pushed to listen to what others where saying..."A Cat Doll- can't you make it with a girl's head?"..."Chinese Dolls- who would want Chinese Dolls!?"...but it was my vision, my gift, my heart that was creating them...and the heart knows...so take a moment and hear what your heart is saying.

All this leads back to my Creative Lessons...Lesson #6: Stay True and Be Teflon!

Lotus

Even being aware of this, I find I still need to stop, find that quiet time and hear what my heart is saying. And it is saying...more please...I have two new creations ideas I am working on and so very excited about them...my heart cannot wait to share them with you!

super girl..coming in for a landing!

As many of you who know me fairly well, I am an organizer...a planner....plan...plan..plan...it is just how my brain works. I was born a Type A, it is in my blood, it is me. Driven to succeed, no matter what the challenge that I placed on myself. Known as organized, productive, and reliable. Always in control. My belief was that I would thrive when all my ducks where in a row and I was ready to go, pulling everything and everyone along. I was in control...

 image by Miki Sato

I now realize that this control was where I was limiting myself, my personal growth, as an artist, as a person. My belief was that if I could do it all I would be well...super girl.

All I ended up doing was limiting myself of my true potential, exhausting myself, and stressing relationships that I valued. Last year, I knew I had to change something but really didn't know how, I was so enmeshed in the grind, I couldn't see past my own tight schedule.  I was so used to be the planner and the more I took on, the more I planned, so the more I took on, and the more I planned, until the joy of what I was doing was fading.

HA! Until it dawned on me...that this is my life and I could change it (over time). I had commitments that I wanted to honor for this year but I could change things that were in my immediate field of vision. I realized that I needed to give up that -oh so tight- grip that I had on my life.

  

I finally realize that it is only when you let go of the control of your life and the lives of others that you truly become empowered. Letting go does not mean giving up your power. It's more about having faith and trusting that it will work out, for the better. It's letting go and being still, taking time to breath and let things happen on their own. This planning-control will be a constant work in progress for me and I find that it is easy to slip right back into organizing everyone around me. Now I can catch myself and stop...be still, breath. I also realize that this isn't something to get rid of, it is something to keep in balance! Use it for good so the real super girl can step out.

It has already shown itself to me and I am thankful that this is when you can learn to believe in your dreams and that they will come true with just faith, not a plan.

Image of David Arms work