Sunday, December 09, 2007

Martta and Amanda

I love doll houses and dolls and oldfashioned teddy bears and some new and rabbits and … let’s just say I enjoy many toys and toy making gives me a great pleasure, it makes me smile inside. I can spend hours admiring dolls and if I dared I would spend hours playing too. I played longer than many of my friends as a child, got a second chance when the girls were young and hopefully will get a third when the grandchildren eventually, hopefully someday, come.
To be completely honest here, I must admit that I play just a tiny bit every chance I get. I made these dolls a long time ago (reproductions of Heubach dolls, June Coquette and Singing Susanna). We have a huge doll house that my husband built when the girls were tiny and I’m now remodelling that house for these dolls. Earlier all kinds of dolls and animals resided in the house, but most often just Barbie-dolls. The reason why I’m remodelling the house is the fact that when the girls were small it had to be put together as fast as possible and the finishing which I did then is not nice at all but it served its purpose fine then. Now that this house no longer is in use, I get to play with it. I’m in the process of gathering the stuff needed for lighting and I need to make sort of a plan for it and then drill holes for wiring. I’m not doing the house in the right scale.

So, let me introduce to you Martta and Amanda (after my grandmothers). Amanda is very musical, she sings and plays violin and is very shy and quiet. Martta is more mischievous and more like a tomboy. The character building is yet not complete and small details will be added with time. They are going to have pets as well. I will keep you posted.

Martta and Amanda have some clothing but they will need a lot more and right now I’m making stockings for them. They just got new nice shoes and they need new stockings. The old ones are too thick to fit into these.
The rest of the pictures of the doll house are from the National Museum Dollhouse.

Two more whole weeks until Christmas! I hope you have time to stop and enjoy the anticipation.

18 comments:

  1. Ihanat nuket! Näytä sitten kuvia kun talo on valmis remontin jälkeen, please! Pieni nukkekenkä on aivan ihastuttava, joten lisää kuvia vaatteista ja asusteista olisi tosi hauska saada nähdä!

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  2. Anonymous14:11

    Just want to tell you how much I enjoy your blog. I don't remember how I came across it - but am fascinated and inspired by your projects. I check in once in awhile to see what you're working on. The dolls are FABULOUS and the house and the socks! Thanks for the inspiration. Merry Christmas from Carolyn

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  3. Oh how wonderful - someone else who loves dolls and dolls' houses! I want to go over and play with that one right now! The picture of the window lit (is that from the Doll Museum?) is enchanting. I am getting so excited about Christmas myself - there doesn't seem to be enough time to do everything.

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  4. Your little ladies are charming!

    Count me in as someone who still loves dolls. I had one of the original Barbies, and then I had *many* Barbies, and her friends [but not the Barbie Dream House, alas!].

    And now two of my daughters collect those lovely, expensive ball jointed dolls from Korea, and I have my eye on one, but for the price I could buy a new spinning wheel to replace the one I sold in 1991...

    Merry Christmas from Texas!

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  5. oooooh, little Martta and Amanda are so beautiful. I've always loved dolls, of a certain type, as in Martta and Amanda, and doll houses, we just never had the means.

    The photos of the little rooms from the museum are so very lovely, I just want to shrink and go inside....
    Thank you for sharing this with us.
    Are the doll heads still available to purchase? How I'd love to make a dolly or two...

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  6. Their faces are so expressive and I love the little shoes!

    One year for Christmas I gave everyone, young and old, a toy. It was a very happy year. I should do it again sometime. Adults need fun too.

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  7. A girl after my own heart! I loved my dolls, and like you, I played with them long after other girls had put them away for 'boys'. I am pleased to meet Amanda and Martta! I look forward to their new 'home'!

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  8. Lene,

    These dolls are wonderful, I love the expressions on their faces. I can tell you are having fun dressing them. The shoes are just darling.

    Kate

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  9. Your dolls are so charming. I love the expressions on their faces.
    I've allways love dolls.My favorites dolls are from Käthe Kruse, Armand Marseille or Sasha Morgenthaler

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  10. How lovely those little stockings and slippers!! I love your attention to detail with the classic touches of embroidery you put on lots of things. I love your sweater design! I think you have so much patience and talent. I love your blog very much! I can picture you doing the electrical work on that doll house, too cute.

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  11. I love dolls and dollhouses. When I got married 26 years ago, my husband gave me a dollhouse to put together for christmas. It is still waiting for me. It lives under my bed and someday I will take it out and play with it. Life got in the way but as I get older, I am finding time for things I like. One day soon, the dollhouse and I will have a play date.

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  12. Merry Christmas Lena and Family. The faces on those dolls are just beautiful. I am also glad you post the sketch of the new sweater. You should publish a book of your work and creative process. Again, Happy Holidays.

    Miriam

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  13. Anonymous03:09

    Oh, my! they are lovely.
    Yes, I am starting a small collection of bears and dolls. I hadn't thought about a house. But a new wardrobe? I think that could be done.

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  14. Anonymous05:06

    I think I enjoy dolls and stuffed animals more now than as a child. I know I do. It's hard to walk past a teddy bear in the store and not take him home with me. And yesterday I knit a scarf from left over sock yarn for the rabbit that sits on my front porch.

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  15. Your dolls are wonderful!

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  16. Anonymous16:58

    I love your writing and the stories you tell, I always feel so calm after reading your work. You do some lovely things, I admire your creativity

    Merry Christmas from Canada

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  17. I am always amazed when I find people like me with a deep love of all things dolls. Heaven only sent me sons, and sons grow out of dolls too young, in my opinion.

    I've no house yet, and indeed no dolls, but I have places for them to sit, and candles to light their way when they come to visit. Hopefully it won't be too long before some dollies choose to stay.

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  18. Anonymous22:19

    My very first job was as a dollmaker--I worked for a lady who made reproductions of Victorian porcelain dolls, including the ones you've pictured here. Thank you for sharing your love of dolls and reminding me about my own!

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