just some thoughts

Just some thoughts….
On a recent visit to my beautiful daughters home… she had a puppet displayed that I had helped her make the costume for… I remembered with fondness our time spent creating the clothes for the puppet doll…. As we chatted, I started sharing about some dolls I am re-creating for the “Fiddley Bits” book series I am writing…then she showed me dolls she still had from when she was very little… hand made/designed cloth dolls I had made for her, she said; “mom you are a doll maker”, & I suppose this is so…
I am unsure when this started… I do know I loved reading books from the library when I was a little girl…. The Lonely Doll by Dare Wright, who was the author & photographer...& that has been one of the inspirations for my own books.
My dear friend/mentor/mother figure Lee McGowan...gave me her book “Designing the Doll” by Susanna Oroyan, I love that book & the talent that is shared in it!!
when I owned my shop A BLUE MOON; I made/crafted specialty dolls called “fat fairy's” TM, whose shape & idea originated from the little triangle dolls I made my daughter when she was little.
there are also the many Spirit Dolls i have made over the years... even facilitated workshops for others to make their own.

my beloved gifted me with 2 of my favorite dolls… Kajiar the wood elf (who is a main character in the “Fiddley Bit” books) & Ruby the mermaid…
I have a few other art dolls, all who have been recovered & adopted from 2nd hand stores… Keisha, who my granddaughter Natasha spotted at a 2nd hand store,& that I bought & re-created, & who became Kajiars' older sister, Red who is named after my alter-ego; Red O'Woods, there is a lovely Victorian lady,who is un-named & a great “hippie chick”, also un-named…. All artfully crafted! & lovingly displayed in my homespace.
I recently purchased how to books for making my own cloth art dolls, & am excited to embark on this part of my path…. I am currently re-creating some little dolls that I bought with that purpose in mind, they are “only heart dolls”, sadly the company is no longer in business… so I searched until I found some on line….& have been working on re-costuming them for the characters they are becoming for the “Fiddley Bit” books…
ideas abound, they are everywhere!! ideas may or may not be ours… however the inspiration that is sparked…. & the creativity that is expressed is uniquely our own…. & if we choose to share or keep for our own… that is for us to decide.
For me there is something magical & special in working this way… something I find healing & comforting, something that nurtures my heart &soul. I am grateful to have the skills & inspiration to create in this way…i love the nudges I get that urge my creativity & perhaps mostly i love that I can share this part of myself with my grandchildren.

brightest blessings & hugs, earthdeva/molly