Deanna Hogan, Blue Heron Dolls

Hello Reader, Every now and then, a problem (or even a mistake) leads to a solution even better than the original concept. This was the case when I used chenille stems for finger armature. Because doll fingers can be quite thin, the wire was visible at the fingertips (especially this doll's -...

Hello Reader, Boy, it's been a rough few weeks. I burned the candle at both ends trying to prepare for the holidays while working my day job and trying to grow my doll business in preparation for retirement; seeing an overwhelming number of really sick patients with respiratory illnesses; dealing...

Hello Reader, I had plans for this week's newsletter. With no obligations on Christmas Day, I was going to assemble an abridged version of my Sleepy Santa ornament as a holiday gift for my subscribers, giving me time work on a nice, illustrated, unabridged version. Instead, I became miserably...

Hello Reader, I've been sewing and stuffing like a madwoman the past few days, and my hands are paying the price. It's tough getting old. Honestly, don't underestimate the effort it takes to stuff dolls. This weekend I sewed four Santa ornaments and two full-sized Sleepytime Santa dolls. The...

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...

Hello Reader, Photographing dolls can be challenging. One reason is that a doll's "skin" reflects light differently than a human's. There are three issues on which I focus when photographing dolls, and they're pretty straightforward: LIGHTING: 1. Never use a flash. It just washes out the doll...

Hello Reader, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. We celebrated Friday, and it was so nice to see my siblings and parents. It's not often we are able to get together in one place, at the same time. I worked Saturday, but was off Sunday and enjoyed several hours of sewing and...

Hello Reader, Do you sign and date your dolls? Do you keep a record of your creations? How do you do it? From my very first doll (with the exception of a few I made early on), my dolls have all been signed, dated, numbered and recorded in binders. I don't know why I decided to do this, but I...