Doll Artist and Teacher: Preserving the art of making dolls and Artist Member of the Original Doll Artist Council of America (ODACA).
The Race is On!
Hello Reader,
Are you ready for the holidays? I am most certainly not. Minimal shopping done, no Christmas tree, no decorations, no wrapping, no baking, and no ideas.
I had a burst of activity over the past few weeks while preparing for a small holiday fair. I sewed quite a few Santa ornaments (nearly all sold), and one larger Santa (which will be a gift for a family member). There's only so much time in the day, so this productivity diverted me from my usual holiday prep. I'm exhausted.
I find myself looking ahead to 2023, and the thought that next year time I might actually be organized and prepared for the holidays. Yes, the countdown to retirement has begun! Everyone tells me I'll be busier than I am now, but I'm skeptical.
What will life be like without my day job? If you've been paying attention to the news, you may have heard that hospital emergency departments (and Oregon is one of the states that has been hit particularly hard) are boarding more patients than they ever have, thanks to influenza, RSV and COVID. Thankfully, and miraculously, I have not had any of these viruses (knocks on wood).
I sewed over 200 masks at the beginning of the pandemic - another activity that certainly diverted me from more enjoyable and artistic endeavors, but I felt (anxiously) compelled to do this.
I also designed a pandemic costume for one of my dolls and a free ornament pattern to commemorate 2020, a year to remember.
| COVID Ornament |
My Emergency Department holiday party is this Saturday, and we have all signed up for themed "charcuterie" boards. Mine is the dessert charcuterie. I didn't even know that was a thing (thank goodness for Pinterest!)
| My Patterns are Here |
| Instant Downloads on Etsy |
Deanna Hogan
www.blueherondolls.com
deanna@blueherondolls.com
Deanna Hogan, Blue Heron Dolls
Doll Artist and Teacher: Preserving the art of making dolls and Artist Member of the Original Doll Artist Council of America (ODACA).
Hello Reader, The weather is improving, and I've been spending more time outside cleaning up, deadheading, weeding and pruning (and rediscovering some unused muscles!) But I've also been working on a new doll project, one that may develop into a souvenir doll situation (if it comes to fruition, will involve a lot of time and materials over the next couple years). While I wait for confirmation (the committee's yes or no), I've been working on finishing another Enigma-style doll, enlarged 110%....
Hello Reader, I have one course sample doll that need to be completed. All that's left is hair, and I need to make some choices here. Do I go with Tibetan lamb like the others, or use the beautiful wool yarn I like so much? She looks a little serious in this photo, so hopefully hair , whichever I choose, will soften her expression. Originally I had two sample dolls for the course, videotaping each step (or so I thought). Turns out I large part of the costuming/dressing module was NOT...
Hello Reader, After months spent in the studio, today I finished my seventh (and last) video for my digital doll course. I don't know if you've ever recorded yourself on video, but I learned a few things: I stutter, I overuse the words wanna, gonna, kinda WAY too much, and it will take a really long time to become comfortable hearing my own recorded voice. Moments ago, I uploaded the course to my Etsy store. I feel like I've really accomplished something. Every step was a challenge. So if...