TThhee

DDoollll

CClluubb

An e-magazine for doll enthusiasts everywhere!

An E

- M A

G A

Z I N

E

Published quarterly on-line

Recourses, tips, ideas and a freebie!

Come join the fun!

The Third Issue!

©

An Interview with

Kardenchiki

A graduate of Parsons

School of Design with a

BFA in Fashion Design,

Lillian has been creating

one-of-a-kind Art dolls for

over twenty-five years. Her

dolls have been featured in

national publications and she

now travels the country

teaching doll making to like-

minded, creative souls kind

enough to allow her to share

her years of doll making

experience with them.

This spring I attended two, back to back

weekend conventions. Though I was exhausted

when I returned home, I really had a

wonderful time! The offerings at each event

were informative, entertaining, and highly

enjoyable! I find this to be true at most Doll

related gatherings. I always enjoy being in the

company of doll makers and listening to them

share their personal doll making experiences; I

am always curious as to what inspired them to

become a doll maker. Who influenced them?

Whose work do they admire most? Has their

doll making journey been fun? I find that most

will reply with a resounding...yes !

The conversation at the conventions, it

seems, flowed freely and smiles were ever

present. One particular thing is true about

most Doll artists , they are very generous and

enjoy sharing their creative secrets, always

willing to help fledging artists. At Artistic

Figures In Cloth and Clay, for instance, Cyndy

Sieving has a knack for finding the latest rising

"stars" in the art world willing to share their

particular talents. It was there that I met

Michele Lynch and Christine Lenz, long time

artists both new to the teaching scene. In this

issue, true to form, each are happy share

some of their personal doll making

experiences...enjoy!

Happy Doll Making!

Lillian Alberti editor

Cover artwork “Wingless Angel” by Carol Andrews is Carol's, a cloth doll artist, first attempt at creating a

clay doll. Carol sells her whimsical cloth dolls at Ally, Bally, Mee in Wilton, Ct

The Doll Club would like to offer you an opportunity to have your work published! Do you have a fun idea you’d

like to share, a studio you would allow us to peek into or have an article idea submission, please send us a brief

email with one photo sample of your best work to: thedollclub@yahoo.com for review and consideration. It is

the responsibility of the submitting artist to ensure that no copyright infringements have occurred and that all

submitted work is their own. The Doll Club reserves the right to edit as needed. The Doll Club is published

on-line 4 times a year at $3.00 an issue.

From the Editor:

What’s Inside …

On-line Connections

Michelle Lynch

Inside the World of:

An interview with Kardenchiki

COLLAGE

A collection of our reader’s submitted artwork

Just 4 FUN

A fun craft project in less than 10 steps

From YOUR Studio Christine Lenz

The Art of Discovery Alexandra Wilde Langley

AFICC Artistic Figures in Clay and Cloth Convention

Lillian Alberti

In 2010, I took a high stress, management job. Soon, however, it

became clear that what should have been a creative design job became very

stifling not just for me but for the employees I managed. I regretted my

decision to take the job. The Vice President of the company was not a

leader, nor was he inspiring. I secretly nicknamed him "the soul sucker."

On the long commutes to work, I imagined the "soul sucker" depleting

his kingdom of creativity, enslaving his minions and feeding off of their

imaginations. Soon a whole group of rebels popped up in my mind; misfits

strong enough to fight back and reclaim their creativity. Feeling inspired, I

experimented with some air-dry clay and sculpted what I saw in my mind's

eye; half machine, half human creature...this lead to the birth of the Steam

Punk Souls.

On-line Connections

Steam Punk Souls

While I work I sometimes see the

characters clearly in my head, at other

times the character develops as I sculpt.

After making an armature, I hand sculpt

each doll out of epoxy, adding in parts

from vintage watches, clocks, rusty auto

parts and other found objects that speak

to me. The designer in me loves mixing

textures and textiles on each dolls. I then

hand paint them with many layers of

acrylic paint, trying to achieve the same

type of patina as their vintage metal parts.

by Michele Lynch

Everyone loves getting caught up in the

auction game of EBay and finding out latter

who actually got "the" item. At Etsy the

price is fixed which works well for those

who prefer not waiting. At either online site

though, it is important to update your

inventory consistently to put yourself on

the top tier of listings so that new and

regular collectors can find your work. There

are so many items listed on Etsy so,

frequent and accurate listings will limit

collectors search and help you make a sale.

On EBay it's best to list at the same time

every day so that when one auction ends a

new one begins. EBay now offers a "buy it

now" option to add to your listings or a

fixed price auction for an additional fee.

Whichever on-line site you choose, selling

online is a wonderful way to connect with

collectors. Doing so has enabled me to leave

the corporate world and the original Soul

Sucker. I do, however, have to thank him

for inspiring such a great gothic tale!

My dolls have sold in galleries in the U.S., Canada and Australia. I

also sell online on Etsy shop and EBay. I enjoy interacting with the

collectors of my artwork through these venues. If you are new to

selling online I offer the following advice: there are a few

differences between EBay and Etsy and each have advantages and

disadvantages. I find that EBay's set up drives the traffic to you,

with Etsy you need to drive the traffic to your own shop. Their fees

also reflect this; since you do most of the work, Etsy’s fees are

lower than EBay's. EBay auction's have a limited time frame, this

creates a sense of urgency and excitement, where as there is no

time limit on Etsy making it easier for the collector to return at his

or her leisure. There is also the pricing structure to consider.

To see more of Michele's work visit: www.michelelynchart.com

Michele Lynch

Inside the World of

Kardenchiki

I've been known to say that there must be something

in the water in Russia because of the number of

amazing artists the country produces. This theory of

mine, I find, has once again been proven true in the

cool work of husband and wife team, Denis Schmatov

and Karina Burkatskaya, they are the creative genius

behind "Kardenciki." Theirs is a world evocative of a

past era; characters transported from a Jules Vern

story, if you will. Though from different parts of Russia,

Dennis from St. Petersburg and Karina from a little

Siberian city named Kirov, they now live and work in

Kyiv, Ukraine. The dynamic duo use their combined

names to create the basis for their working title: Kardenchiki

by Lillian Alberti

t y l i s h t

e

a

m

p

u

n

k

S

Karina and Denis found each other on the internet through a common

interest in photography. Naturally, that led to meeting in person in Kiev where

they fell in love with the beautiful city...and each other! In the years that

followed, they continued to work in photography improving and honing their

skills but one day they came across on-line article about handmade dolls and,

like all other doll makers, were instantly drawn in to the art of doll making.

Over the next few weeks they read everything they could on the subject and

poured through as many doll photographs as possible. They finally purchased

their first package of LaDoll clay and took the leap of faith.

Their first doll and muse, Manja, was

created a year ago and lives with them

serving as a constant inspiration. Karina

and Denis consider themselves lifelong

artists, experimenting and creating in

various mediums, from a young age but, as

ART doll artists, they are entirely self

taught. I asked them how they came to

settle on the "steam punk" theme. They

explained that they were influenced by a

film called "Hansel and Gretel: witch

hunters."

They liked the image of the Gretel in the

film and used her as an inspiration to make

their own, smaller version. This was the

first step in exploring the theme and I, for

one, am very glad they did! It wasn't long

after their La Doll purchase that they

ventured into experimenting with various

other clays and, more recently, have settled

into using liquid a porcelain called FLUMO.

Although theirs is a joint effort, they divide work. Karina focuses on the

sculpting and painting the facial details...essentially developing the characters

while Denis is responsible for creating the armature, feet and delicate hands.

Working diligently, the dynamic duo can take up to two to four weeks designing

and sculpting their creations. Once completed, Karina will then begin the

costuming process, putting her tailoring skills, something she honed several years

ago, to work. She even makes all their fabulous accessories; hats, shoes glasses,

etc.

Relatively new to the doll world, Karina and Denis are surprised and thrilled

by the recognition and positive feedback they've received at various doll shows

and conventions. When asked where they see themselves going in their doll

making journey they offered this simple Russian proverb: "What soldier does not

want to be a general?" While very happy with their current status, they would

love to see their dolls in prestigious galleries all across Europe...who wouldn't?!

For now they will continue to develop their dolls and experiment with new and

exciting trends in the doll making world.

For more info on Kardenchiki and their work, visit:

http://www.kardenchiki.com/

Collage

Readers Submissions

"Tashi" by Katie Jones

www.kateezstudio.com

fuzzy friends by Kim Stone

Ingrid Samberg from Holland

JU

ST

4 FUN

As someone who

sews, it is always

important for me to

have my necessary

sewing implements

close at hand. I also

love beautiful things.

But not many sewing

implements are

beautiful so I cooked

up a sweet and simple

pin cushion that can be

customized with fabric

and trim to your

liking...give it a try!

You'll need the following:

A Pincushion

by Lillian Alberti

Finding the right combination of fabrics

and embellishments will not only make

this sweet pin cushion one-of-a-kind, it

will also make it a small treasure to

cherish for many years!

6" l x 8" w cut of muslin

6" l x 8" w cut of choice fabric

color coordinating thread

Estes play sand

sewing needle

ruler

scissors

embellishments of choice

such as ribbon, beads,

embroidery floss,

sequins, etc.

and a sewing machine...of

course...lol!

1. Fold each of your rectangles in half "length wise" so that

they are now 6" long and 4" wide. * If using a patterned

fabric on the outside layer, make sure to match your

pattern at the side seam. Lightly sketch an "arrowhead"

shape the same size on both your fabrics.

Begin with the muslin piece first. As this piece must fit

inside the next, sew about 3/8" inside your sketched line.

Use pinking shears to trim...turn inside out.

1

2

3

2. Fill your muslin casing with ART sand usually found

at craft stores. Make sure to pack as firmly as possible.

3. Sew a running stitch across the top while evenly

distributing the gathers. this will prevent unsightly

bulges when the pincushion is finished.

4

4. Next, sew the top opening securely to prevent any

sand from leaking out.

4

4

5. Now work with your outside rectangle.

*Remember to match your pattern at the side

seams if using a patterned fabric. I chose velvet.

Make sure you sew directly on the sketched line.

5

6

7

8

9

10

6. Use pinking shears to trim, turn inside out

and drop the sand filled muslin bag inside.

7. Cut your ribbon to your desired length and sew to

the top of the inside "sand" bag.

8. Sew a running stitch across the top close to the

ribbon and, again, evenly distribute the gathers. Now

you can decorate with your desired embellishments.

Choose beads, sequins or you may even choose to

embroider with pretty embroidery floss.

9. I chose an extra large durable paper

flower that complemented the velvet

nicely and strategically placed so that it

covered any slight flaws at the top.

10. Finally, I chose some lovely,

daisy shaped sequins and, using

dress pins, studded them evenly

around the surface. Ta-da...my

finished "strawberry" pincushion!

T

treatment. Therapy was really difficult but I soon started to become more comfortable

and my fear of the world began to lessen. Best of all I began sharing my creativity.

Before long, the idea of “Wee-Mee Whimsies” was born and I opened my Etsy shop. My

characters began as paintings but I kept thinking they would make wonderful art dolls. I

didn’t know a thing about doll making, but I finally got brave enough to design one. I

was thrilled with how she turned out and she quickly sold on my Etsy shop! I made two

more and they sold, too! I’ve been creating them ever since. I create most of my

U from

STUDIO

R

From Christine Lenz's inner sanctum…

I have been creative all my life. In school, I took every art

class available and, after graduating from high school, I enrolled

in art school. But soon after, I dropped out. I was afraid I wasn’t

good enough, but, even worse, I became fearful of the world. I

didn't stop creating but my creations and I never left my home.

My studio walls enclosed my own little world. It seemed a lot

safer than the world outside but it also became it a miserable

place to be. I loved creating but instead of growing and sharing, I

spent years using it to hide from a world I was afraid of. Nearly

20 years passed before I was finally sought help. I was eventually

diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder and immediately began

dolls using cloth for the

heads and bodies but I

enjoy mixing a variety

of vintage or up-cycled

materials as their arms,

legs and bases. Painting

is the part I love the

most and use paints to

add detail and

personality. I also like

to use vintage jewelry or

buttons as

embellishments. I have

been told by some that

my dolls are whimsical,

“no worries” kind of

characters that just

make you smile.

Creating them is pure

joy because I am no

Christine at home

longer building walls. I‘m finally

sharing, and it’s so much fun!

Recently, I was invited to

teach in Ohio at the Artistic

Figures in Cloth & Clay

Convention by Cyndy Seiving.

Although I was delighted and

terrified at the same time, I

accepted. As it turns out, it was

one of the best experiences of my

life. I made many friends, my

students enjoyed my workshops

and my art work was well

received...I couldn't have asked

for more. I was amazed and feel

so grateful that I was no longer

that girl hiding away from the

world. Although the world still

gets scary for me at times, I

remind myself that there’s no joy

in hiding. Everyone has

something to share and even if

you‘re afraid, share it anyway.

When you‘re hiding, the fear

never leaves you. When you step

out and share, scary as it may

seems, the fear gets replaced

with joy and a sense of

accomplishment...and that is

truly priceless!

For more info on Christine and her work, visit:

www.etsy.com/shop/weemeewhimsies

ART

Years ago, sitting on a vendor’s blanket at market in the city of Bruges were two dolls.

These dolls were hardly the playthings of my childhood—not Barbies, Thumbelinas, or

even the fancy porcelain dolls I wasn’t allowed to play with. They were, the best word I

can come up with ...creatures. They weren’t at all pretty. I even remember their feet

looking misshapen, but they absolutely mesmerized me...and provided that spark!

Ever since I spied the dolls, an ocean away, I’ve been exploring the realm of doll

artistry. And I’ve embarked on this adventure in a very serendipitous and roundabout

way. My background is in literature, not fine arts. At the time I spotted those dolls, I’d

recently completed a graduate degree in English. That training has provided me with an

abiding, somewhat academic, interest in fairy lore, exploring legends and archetypes

from around the world. I think of this imagined world as a personification of nature.

Sometimes, when I’m taking a walk or riding my bike and I see a field of tall grass with a

whisper of wind running through it, I imagine the world behind the veil…. Even when I

see littered cans and debris, I imagine homes for little beings: I think it’s the way I’ve

come to appreciate nature in all of its minutiae.

I should state that I don’t imagine the world behind the veil as one necessarily

populated with wee little beings, but rather something a little other than our day-to-day

world. So my dolls, while they might include small, winged fairies, really represent my

idea of people and beings one might encounter in a storybook. As mother of four, I can

state with certainty that mothering has played the greatest role in bringing me back to

The

DISCOVERY

of

A doll maker’s story by Alexandra Wilde Langley

And as imagination bodies forth

The forms of things unknown, the poet’s pen

Turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing

A local habitation and a name.

Such tricks have strong imagination,

That if it would but apprehend some joy,

It comprehends some bringer of that joy.

--William Shakespeare, A Midsummer

Night’s Dream

the world of imagination, fantasy and make-believe...to the art of Arthur Rackham,

Richard Boyle and the story book images I grew up with.

My dolls usually begin with a story, one that I hope to realize in clay between my

fingers. That’s when things get tricky. All of my dolls go through a somewhat strenuous

birth process—especially if I have a fixed idea of what I want the doll to be. First, they

seems to go through a sort of unattractive embryonic phase that I refer to as the ET

stage and at times I find it hard to forge forward. But I do—often having to lay fabric and

lambs’ wool against the half-formed doll just to imagine hair, a body—to get past this

stage and try to adhere to my vision and keep honing and honing. Sometimes I find it

best to let go of my vision and just make the doll—often surprising myself with

something I really like. Always, my mantra is to just keep going. Thus, each doll often

involves 40 hours of work—starting with research, ending with the last stitch.

While my first dolls were very crude paper mache creations, the last few years I've

been using different polymer clays and blends for the head, hands and feet and am

currently experimenting with paper clays. Recently, I’ve created a few figurative

sculptures with Paverpol, and I’m excited about exploring more work with that medium.

In the nearly twenty years I’ve been making dolls, I’ve taken classes with Wendy

Froud, Marlaine Verhelst, Wil Keltjens, and have had the opportunity to participate in

mini-workshops at many doll guild events with many renown doll artists. A long-time

subscriber to the Doll makers’ List and a recent patron member to NIADA, I am also

a member of several regional doll guilds: DollsAsART (formerly, Central New York

Doll Artists’ Guild), Hudson Valley Doll Artists’ Guild (a guild I founded in 2007),

and The Warwick Doll Crafters Guild. Through these venues, I’ve had the

opportunity to exhibit my dolls in galleries and doll shows. And, for a few years, I had a

booth at the NY Renaissance Faire where I sold my dolls.

At the moment, I have several projects on my work table: a commissioned doll for a

friend, several ideas for doll makers’ challenges with various guilds and magazines and a

dream of starting a doll artists’ gallery near my studio in Kingston, NY. In the meantime,

I people my studio with little beings, hoping they will become companions for friends

and collectors.

Right now, I’m bribing my two youngest children to collect lifeless cicadas for me for

fairy wings…the cicadas are everywhere!! It will be another seventeen years before they

return and, hopefully, I will still be making dolls and can send my grandchildren on this

unusual quest!

"Snow queen"

"Sylvara"

"Aniday & Speck"

"Tamara"

Visit www.undertheooaktreedolls.com for more information about Alexandra's dolls

In late April, I had the great fortune of teaching a workshop at the

Artistic Figures in Cloth and Clay convention held biennially in

Columbus, Ohio. For those of you still not familiar with this wonderful

event...I will try to fill you in. The event is owned and operated by Cyndy

Seiving. Cyndy, a cloth doll artist herself and fellow lover of dolls, is known

for seeking out and finding the latest talent in the ART doll world.

In the ten years since it began Cyndy, along with her wonderful and

highly organized crew, has managed to put together a fun filled event

eagerly anticipated by doll lovers everywhere. In attendance this year were

two lovely ladies that traveled afar to join the fun...one from Alaska and the

other from Puerto Rico!

Artistic Figures in

Clay and

Cloth

2013

The Party hostess herself!

The event traditionally opens with the "Hat 'n' Heels" kick-off dinner.

What does one wear to this auspicious occasion you might ask? Well, hats

and heels, of course! This is an opportunity for everyone to show case their

imaginative "Millinery" creativity as many of the ladies, and the occasional

gentleman, come up with some wild and outlandish creations:

a lovely attendee with look-alike doll hat...cool!

taken literally... red heels makes for a fabulous hat!

An imaginative fairy house and a sparkly sequin number

The next three days are filled with many cool happenings like: a Doll

exhibit in the grand hall, where everyone attending the convention are

invited to display one of their own creations, an ice cream social, demos,

caricatures and a shoppers midnight madness which always linger just

past midnight...lol! You'll also enjoy the Doll Artists book signings,

Celebrity Art doll auctions and, all the while, vendors selling the latest doll

making supplies, gadgets and hard to find goodies. And, last but certainly

not least, the wonderfully eclectic workshops. This year, Cyndy added

"cloth" to the event, not just dolls, to sweeten the experience for cloth

artists eager to join the fun.

"Cheshire Cat" Kristin Morris

"Talking Tree" Jodi Miller

I don't know who created this cool piece!

A fun piece by Janet McMullen

high

lights

from

the

Doll

exhibit:

a fun piece by Dawn Schiller

A handsome fellow!

I love this wonderful cloth piece

I love this piece by Gigi Gallaway

This year's instructor's rooster in addition to myself, included: Stephen

Allen Rausch, Christine-Shively-Benjamin, Barbara Schoenoff, Jean

Bernard, Dawn Schiller, Lucy Landry, Ute Vasina and two longtime artists

but new to the teaching world, Michele Lynch and Christine Lenz. Also

joining the fun, as no doll making event would be compete without her, was

the venerable Gloria “Mimi” Wiener.

As always Artistic Figures in Cloth and Clay is the place to gladly

set aside the stress and cares of daily life and prepare to meet and make

new friends. Together, you'll share many laughs as you dig into the creative

fun. It's also a place to learn from and socialize with your favorite ART Doll

artists. No experience is required, either. You take the creative challenge of

your choice and progress at your own pace to create a piece of art that's

truly your own!

A big thank you goes to Cyndy and her GREAT posse! They made sure to

take care of everyone's needs. They work diligently behind the scenes to

insure that everything goes smoothly…and it does! The food was great and

the activities were plenty and we all, myself included, returned home

exhausted but with smiles on our faces! The next AFICC convention will be

held in 2015...see you there!

Until next time...Happy Doll Making!