Tulsa Association of Doll Artists: October 2017

10/08/2017

Sept/Oct Show & Tell

We're a tad behind updating the blog. Had a wonderful workshop with our Faire DollMother, Paula McGee, in early Sept. To see some pix from that, please visit our Facebook page!

Here are the Show & Tell dolls from the Sept meeting. The October delights will follow right behind, so keep scrolling!

We're so proud of our Carlyn! She was interviewed by Tulsa People Magazine and has a gallery showing this month. Shauna's work is also displayed at the gallery (you'll see some of her work in the Oct Show & Tell). Below are Carlyn's latest faves. I think she's making a series of these little guys with a message and calling it "Shut the Door!"

OCTOBER SHOW & TELL

We have some lovelies completed from our workshop with Paula McGee! Be sure to visit Paula's Facebook page here.

This is Doreen's sweet woodland elf.

Doreen was really ambitious and made two!

This is Janis'.... She's holding a beehive. Can you see the tiny buttons are bees? Janis is still working on her crown. It's a beehive with little bees flying around. Can't wait to see it next month!

A lot of us were inspired by the fall season. Laura's doll is pumpkin-themed, right up to her gorgeous crown.

Shauna brought back some great things from a conference she attended in Nashville. She learned wet needle felting.

And was given this precious souvenir doll (by an artist whose name escapes me; sorry)

Our amazing Shauna will also be showing her work at a downtown Tulsa gallery. Visit her blog here.

We had two guests at the October meeting. Welcome, welcome! Kate is a fiber artist who has made dolls and wants to get back into it. She brought some of her previous creations.

Kathy's grandchild demonstrated wonderful imagination by making a paper doll & sewing machine.

Connie won the doorprize that Kathy brought. It's a spirit doll, representing those who donated the vintage fabrics, crochets, and trims.

Laura gave us a mini-demonstration on using Rigid Wrap, which resulted in a rabbit trail of inspiration that had people digging out their craft store coupons. Can't wait to see what comes of that!
We did "Facebook Live" it; you can see it here.

We've had a great year! Wonderful classes and workshops; beautiful library displays; great exposure and representation at the Mini Maker Faire and the State Fair. We've changed our name, welcomed new members, and celebrated our family artists getting published and having gallery displays. We have one more meeting coming up (Nov 4) and our holiday luncheon in Dec at Pam's. Then we get to start a brand new year. Come join us on this artistic journey!

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog! We are a group of people who love to create beautiful, whimsical, personalities from fabric, fiber, found objects, sequins, jewels, and embellishments of all sorts. In addition, each of us explores other art mediums, such as quilting, beading, embroidery. Most of all, we love to get together and have fun -- while making art! New members are most welcome.

We meet the first Saturday of the month at Hardesty Library in Tulsa, OK. However, due to covid-19, we have switched to virtual meetings. Follow us on Facebook @TulsaDollArtists, for more information or email dollartists@gmail.com.

Scraps 'n Threads

Our monthly meetings are held the first Saturday of the month, 12:00 noon (previously at Hardesty Library, located just north of 91st St. off Memorial in Tulsa; meetins are now held online) We always have lots of fun, share good information, and have a great display of our members' creations. You're welcome to stop by & visit, but we hope you decide to stay and create with us!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Jan 4 - First meeting of the new year!

Every Saturday in Jan - ribbon-jointed doll workshop

9-4 at Hardesty Library. No cost for the class; just the pattern & materials. Contact us if interested.

Feb 1 - Regular meeting & class on making polymer clay eyes.

Mar 7 - Regular meeting.

Apr 4 - Regular meeting.

Apr 18 & 19 - teddy bear workshop. Contact us for info. CANCELED

*****Below is the schedule we had planned for the remainder of the year. Obviously, it was dramatically altered by covid-19. In-person meetings, the library & state fair displays are canceled. Follow us on Facebook for information about virtual meetings and classes.*******

May 2 - Regular meeting. Bring your dolls for the display case to this meeting or before. We'll be showcased at Hardesty Library this month.

Jun 6 - Annual business meeting & luncheon plus a Sculpting class.

July date tba.

Aug 1 - Regular meeting & special workshop.

Sep 5 - Regular meeting.

Sep - we're planning a soft cloth doll workshop. TBA

We'll have dolls on display at the Tulsa State Fair. Dates to be announced.

Oct 3 - Regular meeting.

Nov 7 - Regular meeting.

Dec 5 - Holiday luncheon.

How it All Began

A brief history of the Tulsa Dolling Dames begins with 3 people who met at an elinor peace bailey workshop in May of 1999, and decided to start a doll club. A very simple beginning, but it has turned into a delightful 10 years of fun, friendship, laughter and an on-going knowledge of the art of cloth doll making. To some, a cloth doll is a simple “rag” doll made of left overs, or a bright redhaired Raggedy Anne or even a Cabbage Patch Kid lookalike. But to a seamtress, several pieces of cloth can easily become an art doll.

Jean Martin, Rae Sook and Scampy Rainey started the club and spent the first few months meeting in the back room at the Quilter’s Nook shop, wondering how to ever get the word out about art dolls. Jean finally made a small poster showing pictures of cloth dolls and information about the club and hung it up by the front door of the shop for all to see. One day a visitor [Daria Cash] who had seen the sign, looked in and asked “Is this the doll club”? Well, yes it was! And so it began.

Through the years those few have turned into an active club with up to 30 members at times. Mostly local, northeastern Oklahoma, but has included members from Texas and Arkansas.

We have well-known teachers come for classes and have gone to many out of state classes. But the very first class was held in Jean’s sewing room with the original three members and two ladies from her Dallas club.....the teacher being Anne Marie Brombal. We went on to have Diane Little and Gladi Alred from Albuquerque at Jean's house, stopping on their way home from a doll conference in Kansas City. A few members attended, as well as two more ladies from Albq. and one from Florida, all on their way home. Quite a group, and the laughter never stopped. As our club grew, we had classes at the quilt shop, then the local sewing machine center, and now at the library. Our teachers have included Christine Shively, Mary Tressler, Barbara Willis, Adele Sciortino, Barbara Schoenoff, Patti Culea, Angela Jarecki, Cindee Moyer and Arley Berryhill to name a few.

But mostly we learn from each other, as our club has many talented members who are willing to share what they know. We’ve learned beading, embroidery, quilting, paper art, marionettes, polymer clay, and cloth-over face molds. Anything goes where art dolls are concerned.

Some of our local projects have included displays at the libraries, booths at the quilt shows, with the added attraction of a trunk full of the Hoffman dolls each time, also a newspaper article with pictures, exhibits at the state fair, as well as a Christmas tree decorated with many small cloth dolls and donated to one of our art museums, to be sold at their yearly Christmas tree exhibit. These have proven to be a good way to educate the public on what an art doll really is, as many people have never seen this type of doll made from cloth.

This is only a few of the many activities our club has taken part in, but it will give you an idea of how something small can turn into a wonderful, fun filled life, “playing with dolls”. ~Jean