Everyone deserves a little girl to call her own...
...to hold and to cuddle
...to care for and to nuzzle
...to tuck into bed at night
...and sing sweet songs of delight.
....a little girl to call her very own.
Valentina has a ballerina. Her ballerina is named Hope. Valentina, she loves her ballerina. Wherever she goes, her ballerina goes. This ballerina, she likes to tip-toe-tap-dance to the beat of the jazz....tip-toe-tap-dance, mov'in to the groove....clic-clac-knick-knack goes her tip-tapp'in shoes.
Hope was given to Valentina by her mummy and daddy who both love her very much. This sweet darling doll means more to Valentina than just a ballerina. Her parents gave the doll to her with this message wrapped in an envelope:
Dearest Valentina -
May Hope always keep you happy, inspired, and never without optimism. When life throws a curveball your way, always remember to tip-toe-tap-dance....just keep tip-toe-tap-dancing round and round. Hope will lead the way and show you that nothing can stand in the path as long as you can keep on dancing.
Love - Mum and Dad
So, you see, this ballerina means the world to Valentina. Valentina likes to spend afternoons learning dance moves from Hope, going for walks with Hope, telling her deepest secrets to Hope, cuddling and holding on to Hope....because Hope keeps her happy, inspired and always optimistic.
How do I begin to thank the family for whom this custom doll was made? Truly, what I wrote in my "About" page...the bit about why I invest in this endeavor of doll making...is the truth as it comes from the deepest part of my heart and soul. And here...in this moment....with this story and this doll, for this family....this is the very reason that keeps me invested in this beautiful craft.
I cannot tell you the story behind the creation of Valentina because it is a story too personal to be shared. What I can tell you is that it brought this much more love, beauty and meaning into my own life while I was deep in the process of bringing Valentina and Hope into the world. The names Valentina and Hope were names suggested to me by the family for whom I made the doll. Valentina, in Latin, means strong or brave. You see, strength, courage and hope is what one family has been leaning on to get by one of life's curveballs.
I have come to learn that the world always comes round. When the name Hope was suggested to me and it was mentioned that the making of this doll would be a gift for a little girl who enjoyed ballet, tap and jazz I could not help but remember one of my dearest dearest friends.....Hope. Yes....that is her name....coincidental? uncanny?...whatever you want to call it. At the end of the day, I think it just means that we are all connected in some magical way whether we recognize that connection or not. So, given that Hope was one of the suggestions for the name of the doll and ballet, tap and jazz are part of the whole, it flashed me back in time to one of the best and most memorable moments in my own life....a moment spent on a cold, rainy, dreary evening at base camp on Mt. Kenya with two of my very best girlfriends....two women who have been most influential in my life and whom I have nothing but the deepest respect and admiration for. It was many years back that the three of us climbed Mt. Kenya together and spent our first night at base camp with Hope showing us how to tap dance on the porch of the old wood cabin that was used as a rain shelter. The details, of that evening tap dancing away the cold and dreariness of the rain as we waited for daylight to come so that we can begin our climb up the mountain, were recorded in my personal journal as "one of the best times of my life."
So, to the family who came to me and asked for this doll...I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing a bit of yourselves, your story, your struggles, and your hope. I thank you for showing me what it takes to be family. And I thank you for bringing back memories of the people and moments in my life that were one of the best and most beautiful times I've had.
Valentina is a Wee-Bee Mini Elfcup doll. She stands less than 6" (15 cm) tall. She is made with all natural materials. Her doll skin is made with premium quality cotton interlock imported from Europe. She is firmly stuffed with bio-wool made in Oregon. Her seams are sewn twice for reinforcement. Her locks are made of mohair yarn tied into two sweet braided pigtails. She has embroidered facial features. Her facial structure is sculpted giving her a sweet little face with an itty-bitty chin, round chubby cheeks and deeper set eyes. Her cheeks, nose and various body parts are blushed with red beeswax. She is a sitting doll with sewn joints that are made flexible for easy movement and changing of clothes. But, with some posing, she is also able to stand. She also has a belly button and a bum.
Valentina comes wearing a sweet, soft neutral colored handknit top made from a mohair and silk blended yarn. The cap-sleeved top is designed so that it can be worn with the v-opening on the front or the back. Her bunny hat is hand knit with an angora-wool blended yarn. Her pleated skirt is made from 100% cotton and opens fully on the back with two nickel-plated brass snaps. Her shoes are made of 100% Belgian wool felt and decorated with embroidery stitches made of 100% cotton. The embroidery design is meant to be one continuous flower that begins on the left foot and ends on the right foot.
The Ballerina...oh so sweet. So, if you saw my latest post called "A Microscopic Doll", I can now tell you that the microscopic doll....a doll for a doll's doll did not work out. BUT....Hope did! So, here she is....the very first true miniature doll that I've made. Hope stands an enormous 3 inches (7.5 cm) tall. She is made with all natural materials. Her doll skin is made with premium quality cotton interlock imported from Europe. She is stuffed with bio-wool made in Oregon. Her red-head ballet bun is made of 100% wool roving. She has embroidered facial features. Her cheeks are blushed with red beeswax. She is a standing doll with clothes that are permanently sewn on. This little dolly is decorated with hand embroidery from the top down. Her hair ribbon, her ballet top, her cream-colored tights and her tap shoes are all embroidery stitched directly to her body to give a tight snug fit. Her tutu is made with tulle and permanently sewn on.
Valentina and Her Ballerina
(Sung to the tune of the children's song "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.")
"Head and shoulders knees and toes. Knees and toes.
Feet and belly, arms and two tiny legs.
Add eyes, ears, mouth and nose.
Where will all these body parts go-o?"
Where will they go, these micro-doll parts? This is the first....and maybe last (ha) time I am making a doll on this teenie-tiny scale. The fun is all in the experimentation. This may work out or it may not. We'll see. Wish this doll luck that she comes to life for her mama (also a doll). A doll for a doll's doll....will the fun ever end?
.....is this.....
Take a construction that is exactly the same, change the skin fabric, even just slightly and you will have either a slightly tighter constructed face or a slightly more expandable face. Change the eyes.....the decorative features of it, the shape of it, the size of it and you create two characters that hold completely different souls. Change the nose.....the location of it, closer to the eye line or a bit below, bigger or smaller and you have a brand new persona. Change the cheeks.....make them plumper, rounder, and change their placement relative to the rest of the facial features and you will place a face with an age. Change the mouth.....the placement of it higher or lower on the face, wider or narrower and you will have emotions attached.
Such is the beauty of bringing a doll to life. You only need to experiment and play and you will find that the possibilities are infinite.
In borrowed clothes....here is the next sweetheart to come to life.
She likes chic, shabby, pink and cream. And she's head over heals about what I plan to make her. We'll see if I can pull it off. (Giggles)
Note: This blog post is for the upcoming CC auction. Pictures posted here are for those interested in purchasing this teatime set at the live auction. Thank you.
This is a Teatime Doll and Playset. The package will include a handmade doll by Scarlet Elfcup. Scarlet Elfcup dolls are made with all natural materials and each doll is individually handcrafted and uniquely made. Penelope (the doll) will come with three needle-felted macarons (handmade by Scarlet Elfcup), a porcelain tea set and a small suitcase filled with extra clothing for the doll. All of the clothing is handmade, hand knit by Scarlet Elfcup and will include a hat, a hand knit sweater, a play outfit and a sleep outfit, and an extra pair of hand knit shoes. The clothing items shown in the pictures will not be the actual clothing items. Actual clothing items will be available for viewing at the live auction. There will be documents included in the package to provide detailed descriptions of the doll and clothing, instructions for washing, beeswax application for the doll cheeks and a story that goes with Penelope. This set is recommended for ages 8+.
Easter is a holiday that seems to be loved by many, Christians and non-Christians alike. It is a time for observing religious traditions or just traditions, such as egg hunting, Easter bunnies, and Easter parades. The traditional Easter foods may also vary based on geographical locations. And the dates for Easter can range so vastly depending on what calendar we speak of.
In the world of Ostara and Paschal, Easter is enjoyed with an outing in meadows of green grass and outdoor sunshine.
Meet Ostara, named after the German goddess by which the namesake Easter was derived. As lovely as she might be, she's far from a goddess. Ostara is a simple little girl who loves her family...her mum, her daddy, and her brother, Paschal. Ostara also loves animals, sunshine and green grass. She loves the simple pleasures such as painting, coloring, eating bananas, singing off-tune to herself, babbling all day long and watching Easter eggs come livelier with color. She's just 4 years old, Ostara....cute, sweet, innocent, lovely and playful. Like many 4-year olds, she also fusses when she's tired or hungry and she cries when she's upset or sometimes when things don't go her way. But, she's lovely all the same.
Next, meet Paschal. Paschal is named after the latin term "pascha", meaning Passover as it relates to Easter. Paschal is Ostara's big brother. He too loves his family...his mum, his dad and his baby sister. Paschal also loves being outside in sunshine. He loves exploring and discovering the simple things of nature...picking up sticks and rocks and pine cones and bird feathers. He's not an adventurous spirit, just a curious one. Simple wonders like a walk in the meadow or a stroll with his animals makes his day a happy day. Paschal is a boy who absolutely loves animals. He is a nurturing and gentle boy. He has a small batch of baby chicks and two baby bunnies that he cares for. One of those bunnies actually belongs to Ostara, but she's too young to remember to feed it and take care of it, so Paschal does it for her. So, you might say he's father of 6 babies. It's a big job being parent. Babies require more than just love and kisses. Each day Paschal cleans out his animal babies' rooms making sure it is clean and comfy. He checks the room temperature and makes sure his baby chicks and baby bunnies are warm and adjusts the heating bulb if temps aren't just right. He makes sure they have enough water and food. He is even careful to watch his baby chickadees bums because little baby chickens are prone to "pasty bum", a condition of clogged bum pores caused by droppings that get stuck on the backside. This condition, if not taken care of will do great harm to the baby chicks. That's quite a big job for such a young boy. But, Paschal does it all and he does it all religiously. His favorite part of being a caregiver is playtime with his baby animals. Baby bunnies and baby chicks are active and curious. They need outside time to run, hop and jump. And Paschal loves to watch them. But, he is also quite vigilant, being careful never to turn an eye away for he wouldn't want any one of them to get themselves in a pickle.
For Easter, Paschal and Ostara dressed in their best, put on their bunny and hare hats and took their baby animals for a walk in the meadow and for an exciting Easter egg hunt. Over in the meadow the baby bunnies hopped about in new growths of green grass, a sign that Spring is upon them.
Ostara has a ball looking for tiny Easter eggs hidden among brilliant green blades of grass and so did one of the baby bunnies.
Paschal, Mr. big and "harey", did nothing but mill around and never took an eye off his baby chicks for he was afraid one might get lost or eaten up by crows flying overhead.
When all the excitement was over, Ostara and Paschal walked over to a dry creek and sat amongst the big boulders and counted their blessings....one, two, three, four, FIVE! beautiful Easter eggs for Ostara, four happy, healthy baby chicks for Paschal and two fluffy, bouncy baby bunnies, a mum, a daddy, a sister, a brother. Blessed are they, indeed!
Ostara: Paschal, can we trade hats?
Ostara: Paschal, I like your big, harey hat.
Paschal: Me too, I like my big harey hat. I don't think your hat suits me, do you?
Ostara: If you wore the hat correctly, maybe it would look better. You have it on upside down silly goose.
Ostara is a Wee-Bee Mini Elfcup doll. She stands less than 6" (15 cm) tall. She is made with all natural materials. Her doll skin is made with premium quality cotton interlock imported from Europe. She is firmly stuffed with bio-wool made in Oregon. Her seams are sewn twice for reinforcement. Her locks are made of mohair yarn tied into two sweet pigtails. She has embroidered facial features. Her facial structure is sculpted giving her a sweet little face with an itty-bitty chin, round chubby cheeks and deeper set eyes. Her cheeks, nose and various body parts are blushed with red beeswax. She is a sitting doll with sewn joints that are made flexible for easy movement and changing of clothes. But, with some posing, she is also able to stand. She also has a belly button and a bum.
Ostara comes wearing a sweet, soft rose colored handknit dress made from an angora, wool blended yarn by Rowan. Her bunny hat is hand knit with a 100% fine alpaca yarn and has a cotton floral fabric sewn into the inner ear. Her shoes are hand knit with a 100% fine alpaca yarn.
Ostara comes bearing some hard found Easter eggs....five of them to be precise. Each tiny egg was carefully (for I was fearing for my fingers being jabbed by the swift sword of the felting needle) needle felted with 100% wool roving. Each of the eggs span an enormous length of 0.5 inches (1 cm) long and is the size of the tip of a finger. Ostara's Easter basket is handknit from a Japanese kakishibu dyed 100% silk fiber. Not to divert the topic here, but have I told you what a weak spot I have for Japanese fibers? If you have a fascination with natural dyed fibers as I do, you may appreciate reading this article about kakishibu dye by Chris Conrad. Chris is an expert fiber artist on the process of kakishibu dyeing and has published a book dedicated to this process called Kakishibu, Traditional Persimmon Dye of Japan. Now, back to Ostara...Not only does Ostara come with this delicate basket of eggs, but she along brings along her very own bunny, Lily. Lily is needle felted with 100% wool roving.
Paschal is a Wee-Bee Mini Elfcup doll. He stands less than 6" (15 cm) tall. He is made with all natural materials. His doll skin is made with premium quality cotton interlock imported from Europe. He is firmly stuffed with bio-wool made in Oregon. His seams are sewn twice for reinforcement. His man-mane is made of mohair yarn. He has embroidered facial features and a classic Waldorf face with a simple and expressionless look. His cheeks, nose and various body parts are blushed with red beeswax. He is a sitting doll with sewn joints that are made flexible for easy movement and changing of clothes. But, with some posing, he is also able to stand. He has a belly button and a bum.
Paschal comes wearing a simple gray and white striped cotton shirt under hand knit overall shorts. The overalls are made from an angora, wool blended yarn by Rowan. The pants have a tiny pocket made of a cotton fabric hand sewn onto the front. His big "harey" hat is hand knit with a 100% merino wool yarn and has a simple but beautiful Japanese cotton fabric sewn into the inner ear. His colorful orange shoes are hand knit with a 100% fine alpaca yarn.
Paschal comes rolling along with his wagon-ful of four baby chicks. Each teeny-weeny baby chick was needle felted with 100% wool roving. As is common with baby chicks, these little itty-bitties are very delicate. Their bits of fluffy hair are so finely felted to their body and should not be handled roughly or they get squished. And you wouldn't want them squished. That would make Paschal very very upset and will break his heart. Each baby chick measures about 0.5 inches (1 cm) tall. His wagon is hand sewn from corduroy (outer shell) and linen (inner shell) fabrics. The trim is made from cotton ribbon and the pull string is made from cotton twine. The wagon is sewn onto wooden wheels to make them totter along. Paschal also brings along his baby bunny, Buba. Buba is needle felted with 100% wool roving.
Ostara and Paschal and their baby animals and personal belongings are recommended for ages 8+ due to the nature of their delicate design and the small parts on them that pose as choking hazards for young children.
Ostara and Paschal....if you are interested in giving these two siblings a home they will be available individually in the shop tomorrow, Friday, February 27 at 9:00 PM (Pacific Standard Time). Thank you, have a lovely remainder of today.
Good day, friends! It feels like it's been a while. Rock-climbing, training for an upcoming mountaineering trip and chasing after two sick toddlers has kept me at bay from doll making for the past couple of weeks. I had all the intentions of making a small batch of Easter treats...my goal...10 Wee-Bee Mini Elfcups for an Easter Parade...my reality...2 Wee-Bee Mini Elfcups for an Easter Picnic! Such is life as mother of two young children. Two little darling Easter treats will be ready to go and placed in the shop by week's end, if I'm lucky. ;) Stay posted. Enjoy a very wonderful rest of your day.
