The Dior Project or Candy's Room

 

Late last year my friends Debbie Jones of Kitz! and Dana Burton and I got together on the MiniDollList forum and created a project for our group. 

https://groups.io/g/minidollLIST (Click to join the forum.)

https://www.danaburton.com/  Dana made the doll named Candy, there are no more kits available. She is our inhabitant.  Dressed for a special night on the town. 

https://www.minikitz.com/ Debbie sells many miniature kits at great prices for the DIY crowd.  Also, if you want a miniature doll she has contacts for some really talented miniature doll makers. 

It was great fun and wonderful confab! 

We started with the idea of a 50’s Closet, Dior, Chanel, and other designers of the 50s.  We wanted something that could be contemporary but perhaps a woman who collected period clothing and the ideas flowed freely from there.  We had a lot of fun doing it and our group participated in all the best ways, and like Japan month, everyone contributed. 

Each of us had our function; Dana created the doll and doll kits; I did the design and Debbie did everything else.  She did a lot! LOL!   

Today I am going to show you the room I designed, and Debbie’s husband Charles cut for us on a laser.  We spent some time on the design, fitting, and building of the closet.  building designing and building the closet.  We all decided on a black and white base theme as it was to be a closet or dressing room, and we wanted all our participants to be able to put their own personalities into them. 

The entire closet fits into an 8” X 10” picture frame and fits together using foam core board walls and floor.  The closet structure fits within the walls of the frame.  This closet is so expertly cut, it just slides into the space once it is assembled and painted.  The white color allows for all the accessories to pop. 

The Closet.

We looked for this closet to function as any real dressing area might, concentrating on display.  There is plenty of space for hanging clothes, a vanity, and cute little pouf for a tuffet (every girl needs one) finally drawers and shelves.  Filling and imagining what all will go into it is such fun! 

The Basics

We planned for the demilune table with a picture and accessories such as a perfume tray, nail polish, a floral display, or whatever someone wanted there.  Kitz! Got it all together in one place for people to pick and choose what they wanted.  No small feat!  The picture borrowed from the internet reinforced the display theme. (the picture was not sold it is a copyrighted item) however a set of frames were developed, and one could use anything available or their imagination.   

If you would like to take on this project, please see what is available here:

https://www.minikitz.com/ZenStoreP1/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=134_236

There are two pages.  Click through if you would like to make some of these items or have ideas of your own. 

In the next two weeks, we will look at more of the items prepared for this project, free tutorials, and some free patterns as well. 

Until more surprises next week,

Have Fun! 

Kathi

Dennis Dugan

What do these two pictures have in common? The short answer is Dennis Dugan. I met Dennis through a modeling forum. I was having a problem with a modeling tool and he suggested he make it for me. Well I took him up on his offer and not only wound up with “the” tool I needed but a set of tools. Not just a set of tools, but with some measurements he made a set of tools customized for my hands. I have small hands. The more we chatted about my needs, the more I learned about the man and the creative process, and so I am here to share him with you.

Dennis Dugan was born in a small farm community, a boomer like most of us, finished high school, and did his tours in Vietnam as an Army helicopter pilot. After the Army, he worked for Shell Oil and retired in 1993.

Dennis’ father was a machinist for The Atomic Energy Commission. “I learned to machine metals through osmosis practically. Acquiring and excelling at those skills led me to woodworking. I like working with my hands.” “I went to a dollhouse club meeting where I was living in Illinois. They were making some little chairs that night and that piqued my curiosity. I thought it was neat and thought I could make a better chair.” He bought in a new chair next time they met and showed it to them. “Where’d you get that?” they asked. There was a look of surprise on their faces as he explained that he made it. There is where his story of miniatures began. After making the chairs for the club, dollhouse shows, and events where he continued to sell, but he says he was not a “huge success”. This was during the burgeoning period of miniatures with Nutshell News and other magazines making their debut. Dennis wanted to make a living with his miniatures and continued to bring his talents to bear by joining his skills to create his work and works of art.

Later, Dennis registered for a doll sculpting class with Jack Johnston. He thought the class fascinating and shared his work with Mr. Johnston. Dennis brought a one-fourth life-size secretary made of black walnut and beveled glass to show. Jack and the students fell in love with it. “Later I was commissioned to make a roll top desk and a bankers chair for a Mark Twain Doll.” (Now in the collection of the Sudbury Museum in Baton Rouge, LA) Dennis continued to make things for his own amusement. Mr. Johnston called again to commission a wooden stool, painting easel, nice spindled chair for his Norman Rockwell self-portrait.

When in Florida taking a class on marketing and crafts as a business, he met Patricia Rose. (www.patriciarosestudios.com) Patricia commissioned him as well. One of his favorite pieces is a Harpsichord he made for Patricia. It was not a working harpsichord, but it was realistic.

Dennis has been working in wood and accessories, and brassware for dolls and whatever anyone would want. Visit his website and see his beautiful chairs and settees. He can make anything, it seems. And if you don’t see a doll sitting in one of those chairs for reference, don’t worry, with a measurement or two and a conversation, even a picture, he can customize the object specific to your doll or art figure and its height. Whether you are working in 1/12th scale or 1/6th life-sized, you will get a product you will love.
Visit Dennis at his website, email him, or just give him a call with your needs. He is ready to customize furniture just for you and your doll.
Email Dennis dsdugan62@gmail.com
Call Dennis (636)-452-3570 (Central Time Zone)
Visit http://www.dollsdreamfurniture.com

The Stunning work Jodi and Richard Creager

This incredible post popped on on my facebook feed today from Jodi Creager. I just had to share as some of you are facebook resistant. The depth of there work is STUNNING. This gal is named Bathilda Bagshot. She is a especially made commission for a collector that loves anything Harry Potter. She is in 1:12 scale. Can something really be that perfect? Every detail in perfect scale. I hope you enjoy her as much as I do. 

Michelle Mahler  minidolls.com

A little About Sharon Crystal de Vries

Sharon Crystal de Vries of Chrystal Designs http://chrystalsdesigns.blogspot.com/
(Sharon is having a contest on her blog, so please visit for your chance to win!)

We are always happy when we can feature another doll artist. Today, we are featuring the wonderful knitting of IGMA Fellow Sharon de Vries. I think you will agree that a lifetime of experience shows in her work.Sharon’s career began at the age of four, yes 4, when her mother taught her to knit. Soon, she was knitting and sewing for her Rosebud baby doll. She created large dolls and especially enjoyed the heirloom sewing she used for the undergarments. Sewing for large dolls was so much fun. It was not long before “teddies became the rage” and she created her first knitting patterns for them. She decided on knitting a little teddy dressing gown and the rest is history. She loved baby dolls and knitted her first miniature gown on “Sean”, a sleeping baby. She called the design Candy as it was knitted all in pink. “It was the only baby colour thread I had.”
Sharon believes her specialty is now long baby gowns with the most delicate lace patterns. Some call them Christening gowns, or Blessing gowns, regardless of the name “designing these long gowns seems to please my soul the most.”“I enjoy all the aspects of knitting and crocheting. Doing so in miniature really challenges me as I feel it is vitally important to achieve all the detail in a garment, and yet, producing something so delicate a human mother would enjoy putting on her child.”
In 2009, I achieved IGMA (www.IGMA.org) Artisan. I knitted a version of a leather jacket I had bought my husband in the 70’s, which raised $650.00 for the Guild School at auction. “That felt like Christmas had come early."“My husband Rein, was my third eye. “…I would ask him what he thought, and he would hone into the area I thought needed improvement. One too many buttons, ribbon too fussy, too wide…” Apparently, Rein could see the tree in the forest. At long last since Rein's death, which is nearly 2 years ago already, “I feel I can laugh again and have happy moments, though I miss him so. My children tell me, 'Mom, life goes on’ and so happy are my days spent knitting and designing.”This year, as she had promised Rein she would, she submitted her work for Fellow with IGMA. Moreover, she EARNED it. “I am happy that is behind me.”
Threads excite Sharon and she used the finest she could find on her Fellow submissions. Her commercial designs will continue to be completed using Venne 70/20. The miniature knitting movement is growing and Sharon sees how much more is now available, not only in needles but also in threads and patterns. Sharon’s goals are to publish a knitting book on miniature design and finishing techniques. She will continue to teach and sell her patterns. The only thing I wish is that I could knit anywhere near Sharon, but sadly cast on, knit and purl are the best I can do. Thankfully, we have Sharon, her talents and teaching she shares with us all.

For more articles on miniature knitting and to see more of Sharon’s work, Chrystal Designs, visit her Blog, http://chrystalsdesigns.blogspot.com/
Kathi Mendenhall