Once again, This is what we make dolls

Hello everyone: We received a lovely e-mail today from a nice lady in Russia who is a big fan of our work. She finally got her doll today she has been waiting for and we just had to share her excitement, happiness and joy and her wonderful e-mail she sent to us.
We receive E-mails and reactions like this all the time which is why we make our dolls but this one is a very special one as you can read.
Thank you Svetlana! This made our day!
Best Wishes; David & Paul

David and Paul, Hello!!
Tonight I came to Your doll!!!! I am very happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It surpassed all my expectations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pictures convey only 15% of its beauty , grace !! She unearthly beautiful creature!!
And You with Paul geniuses. Earthly genius :))
How can I ever thank You for the joy and happiness that You gave me?
I still can't believe I'm holding THE DOLL in his hands!! Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the card, it's beautiful!!!
Please email me your address, I want You to send a small souvenir from
Russia. Please let me do it.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!
I cannot Express my admiration for Your TALENT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Be happy and healthy!!!!! And let Your hands these unearthly
masterpieces!!!
Best wishes , Svetlana.

Recent Restoration work

Hi Everyone....I have been working on a very extensive and difficult restoration on a late 18th century English wooden torso for a private collector. What a mess the dolls torso was and she was also missing her arms and legs. I actually could not believe it when I unwrapped her and saw the state she was in! Paul said OMG it’s the Stump of Horror!
We have a feeling that when she lost most of her face years ago, that someone decided to try to be "creative" and gouge out a mouth for her, since a late doll of this period would never have a detailed or carved mouth, just flat wood in the mouth area with a subtle bump of plaster where the lips would be painted. What they managed to do is make her look like she was howling in horror! It was a job and a half to fix this one but I did and I am very pleased with the results. I was able to match up her original paint colour (what was left of it at her mid torso) so that was quite a difficult but good thing as well. Paul did his usual amazing job carving her new and proper arms and legs as well. I am particularly pleased with the patina match up on these as well.We are very pleased with the restoration and though everyone might like to see the before and after's. The doll looks quite pleased with herself also, the very happy owner thinks as well.

Best Wishes: David & Paul  

                                                  

 

 

We wish everyone peace and a lovely holiday season!

Hello everyone: We though it would be nice to post one of our dolls that fits the holiday season we though, dressed in her wonderful subtly faded early cotton print fabric with a soft faded cranberry colour background. It has a lovely floral and bird pattern and looks like the dress has been on her for 250 years at least.

Her overall patina is wonderful to if I may say so.
We wish everyone peace and a lovely and special holiday season!
David & Paul

The Newest Old Pretender

Hello everyone..... I have been working on a doll, on and off for a couple months and wanted to share the photos with you....She is my version of the wonderful early doll in a golden yellow silk dress from the Bethnal Green Museum. I saw her in person in the Bethnal Green Museum in London when I was there several times and took a few photos of her.

I needed her hands (which are very unique) to be a copy of the antique ones as well. Paul of course did the most amazing job and was able to make them identical to the antiques and I was able to match the patina up and keep the finish more pristine under the kid glove.

I had just enough antique kid leather that matched the antique dolls gloves to make these gloves for my doll. This was a VERY difficult and labour intensive doll to make and to try to reproduce from photos and memory. My copy is not identical but there is a “family” resemblance face wise.

Here she is complete. What a huge undertaking she was!

I really am so pleased with the patina as well. You will notice that her patina does not extend where her gloves can be pulled back or under the bodice and lace for instance around the neck, just like a patina that took 300 years to develop on a antique doll in original clothing.

She is one of those exceptionally photogenic dolls, just like some people, so I have posted a lot of photos. I am very proud of this one and the moment I finished her, I think she even surprised me how good she is and how indistinguishable from a antique of the early 18th century.

The patina is even better in person and actually shows much better on the dress fabric in person. For some reason, this wonderful 18th century Silk Bourette that I have dressed her in, does not show the patina in photos for some reason.

Love to hear what everyone thinks?

Best Wishes; David