New Doll-making Videos Are Posted

Hi all, if you are a dollmaker and would like to view some how-to videos I have just posted some new videos on the different aspects of doll-making. If you are not a doll-maker but would like to see some of the processes involved in making a porcelain doll then sit down, relax and enjoy.



Here is a basic video on eye cutting and greenware cleaning.



Here is a basic video on firing to bisque in your kiln.



Here is a basic video on applying the flesh wash to white porcelain for antique reproduction dolls.



Here is a basic video on cleaning soft-fire greenware.



Here is a basic video on loading the kiln for soft-fired greenware.



This video was posted awhile back and goes through all the basics of soft-fire greenware cleaning.
Until next time, Happy Dolling,
Connie Zink

Happy Thanksgiving From Land of Oz Dolls

 Hi everybody, I wanted to drop by and wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! I have some photos to share with you from Melissa at House of Missy Mouse. Over the last couple years Melissa has purchased several dolls from me and she loves to design costumes for the various holidays. I would love to share with you tonight her fabulous Thanksgiving creations. They were inspired by two antique photo illustrations. This first card was the inspiration for her "Daisy"doll. 

Many thanks to House of Missy Mouse and Melissa for sharing her beautiful creations with us!

Here are some photos of the "Daisy" Pilgrim costume Melissa created. 

The second card is the inspiration for "Lettie Lane" and "Polly Pratt"

Lettie Lane and Polly Pratt are the dolls used to wear the costumes created by House of Missy Mouse on this card.

I also have some exciting news to share with you! I just posted the new Land of Oz Dolls "Holiday Promotion Giveaway" on my website. You can win this beautiful Premiere Jumeau Bleuette. All you have to do is go to my website, fill in your name and email address to register for the doll. No purchase necessary!

While you are there please check out all the new pages that have been added to the website. The shopping cart buttons are now turned on for many of the items and there are loads of beautiful photos to look at. Please make sure to sign up for our email subscription list so you can keep up with all the latest sales and upcoming events at Land of Oz Dolls. Also make sure to check out the current dolls for sale. To register for the doll go to www.landofozdolls.net . There is a drawing for a beautiful little Victorian Christmas bear also. 

More photos of this Premiere Jumeau Bleuette will be shared in the next post. Again, Happy Thanksgiving,

and until next time, 

Dolly Hugs, 

Connie Zink

New Dolls Available at Land of Oz Dolls

Welcome back to Land of Oz Dolls blog. It has been months since I stopped by to write a post. I just don't know where the year has gone. Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day and soon Halloween will all have zipped by and it will be time for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. Summer just flew by, I didn't get very many dolls made over the summer. I had several trips, including a two week trip to Yellowstone National Park. It was the first two weeks vacation Dennis and I have had in almost 25 years that didn't have a doll show or a seminar at the other end of it. We had a great time, did lots of birding and saw all the tourist attractions across South Dakota and Wyoming. We came home for two weeks and then the first week in August went to Shepherdstown, West Virginia for a week for a "Friends" Academy sponsored by the National Wildlife Refuge Association. For those of you that don't know, I spend many hours a week volunteering for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service here in Savanna. I lead birding trips by eight passenger golf cart along with van tours of the wildlife refuge. I love my volunteer work, but it also does take away time from the doll-making so now that summer is over it is time to get back to work and get some new dolls done. I did find time this summer to build a new website. I have two out-dated websites that need to be discontinued. Back in June, I set upon the task of trying to build myself a new website done in Wordpress. It has been a learning experience, but it has been so fulfilling to be able to do this myself. Thanks to a friend of mine who fixes all my mistakes and that I call when I get stuck, (thanks Tory) the website is moving along pretty well. I still have many things to add to the new website before I remove the other two but I am making progress. Please visit my new website at www.landofozdolls.net .While you are there please sign up for my email subscriber list. I am trying to offer a new special every week or two, (it is time for a new special), next thing on the list after this post! By signing up for the email list that will keep you abreast of all the happenings going on here at Land of Oz Dolls. Over the last couple weeks I have been able to finish five antique reproduction doll heads. They will be sold on ebay as heads only, with the glass paperweight eyes set in. Mohair or human hair wigs and composition bodies may be purchased separately. These are the first dolls larger than a Bleuette that I have gotten to paint in ages. It was fun painting on a larger head and being able to add some more detail to it than the smaller heads usually require. The five heads I painted are a 28" Bru 13 (one of my absolutely favorite dolls), a 25" Bru Jne R, a 22" AT 11, a 20" Bru 11 and a 16" Bru 11. Here are some photos of the dolls. Remember, wigs and hats will not be included with the head.

28" Bru 13

25" Bru Jne R

22" AT 11

20" Bru 11

16" Bru 11

One of the things I have been thinking about over the last couple weeks is re-instating my online classes. I haven't done them for a couple years now because the company I used for the on-line classroom went out of business. I have been experimenting with a different company and am hoping to figure out all of the bugs so I can start again. If you would be interested in information on an online class after the holidays please leave a comment here, contact me on Facebook, or send me an email. I hope to get started painting on some new holiday Bleuettes, some 12" French Fashions, and the new little 8" French Fashions on the LB650S compo body this week. I will also be working on my new soft-fire greenware catalog. It has been such a major task trying to put together a new catalog after the storage unit fire last year. We have acquired many new molds thanks to the help of many wonderful friends and customers. Now, if I can just get that new catalog done. I have a listing on most of the Byron molds now and have started working on the Seeley. Well, have a great week and hope you can find time for some dolly fun!

Dolly Hugs,

Connie Zink

Happy Valentine's Day 2013

Good evening everyone, it feels like it has been such a long time since I have published a new blog post. Life has gotten in the way since Thanksgiving, and I haven't been able to accomplish everything I would have liked to over the holidays. Now, those holidays have come and gone and I feel like I missed a lot of it. Right after Thanksgiving and my Christmas blog post I did back in November, I came down with that respiratory virus that has been striking people all winter. It lasted almost five weeks and I felt like I had it three times in that five weeks, it would just start to go away and then bam it was back again in another form! I am so happy to say I think I have finally recovered completely. Dennis came down with it just before Christmas, so we were both, actually sick over the Christmas holidays. New Years came and went before we knew it but we were able to enjoy the holiday with friends that came to visit for a few days. We were able to play "dollies" and had a great time. Shortly after that, I broke the back corner off of a wisdom tooth one evening which left an extremely sharp edge. I was not able to get in to the dentist for a week. By the end of the week, my tongue was so sore from the sharp edge that I was not able to swallow even water, let along food, and also couldn't talk, without cutting my tongue along that sharp tooth edge. (That was the real killer was not being able to talk.) But after a trip to the dentist, I think everything is finally back to normal around here. (However, today I am still trying to put away Christmas decorations, I still haven't taken down the Christmas tree.)
We are now only four days away from Valentine's Day and I would like to share some of my Valentine's dolls with you.

Here is my group photo I took for my Valentine's card. Happy Valentine's Day! All the dolls pictured here, unless otherwise noted, are for sale dressed or undressed. All the lovely dresses were made by Clara Pelfrey. Thanks Clara for helping me make such an adorable display!

Bleuette "Silver" SFBJ 301

Bleuette "Silver" SFBJ 301

1907 Jumeau Bleuette "Friend" This doll is sold.

1907 Jumeau Bleuette "Friend" This doll is sold.

Premiere Jumeau Bleuette

Premiere Jumeau Bleuette

Premiere Jumeau Bleuette

Premiere Jumeau Bleuette

1907 Jumeau Bleuette "Friend" 

1907 Jumeau Bleuette "Friend"

SFBJ 251 Bleuette

SFBJ 251 Bleuette

SFBJ 251 Bleuette

Premiere Jumeau Bleuette

Premiere Jumeau Bleuette

Bleuette "Silver" SFBJ 301

Bleuette "Silver" SFBJ 301

Premiere Jumeau Bleuette

Premiere Jumeau Bleuette

Cherie Limoge Bleuette "Friend"

Cherie Limoge Bleuette "Friend"

It is amazing how time flies!! It has now been over a year since I started this blog. I started back in January last year, with the story of re-organizing my doll room and classroom. I can honestly say publishing this blog has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. Through Feed-Blitz, I am able to see all the people from all over the world that regularly come to visit my blog, and it is so much fun to connect with all of you. It is amazing the interest in dolls, that is generated from all the different countries in the world. So, Happy First Anniversary, to all the loyal viewers of this blog! I am hoping to connect with you through this blog for many years to come. Speaking of birthdays and anniversaries, February is Bleuette's birthday. Bleuette was first introduced to little French girl's in February of 1905. She is now 108 years old and going strong! 

I have two Bleuette Retreats scheduled here, at Land of Oz Dolls in Savanna, Il. this year. One is in May, and the other in June. Complete details will be available in the next couple days as I am just finishing up the registration information. I just received the last sample for one of the workshops and can now finish all the information for you so please check back in the next couple days. One way to make sure you don't miss a blog post is to sign up for the email list on the right-hand side of the beginning of the blog, that way you will never miss a new release.

 In an upcoming blog post I will also tell you more about my new "Mary Marie" doll from the Mary Frances Sewing Book Series. Here are a few photos of my Jumeau E12J "Mary Marie". She is already for Valentine's Day also.

One last item I want to tell you all about is my Facebook "Valentine's Day" Promotional Giveaway. I have been running on Facebook a drawing for this beautiful "Cherie Limoge", Bleuette "Friend"! The drawing will be held at 10:00 PM on Valentine's Day, February 14th,  2013. On Facebook, every time you leave a "comment", "share" a picture or a post, or "like" a picture or a post, that gives you one entry into the drawing for this beautiful dressed doll. (Costume made by Clara Pelfrey). My Facebook page is Land of Oz Dolls. If you are not a Facebook user, other ways to enter is by leaving a comment here on my blog, leaving a comment on my www.landofozdolls2.com  website under the Guest Book, and also by leaving comments under my pictures of the "Cherie Limoge" in the "Bleuette Sewing Group" Yahoo Group. You have from now until 10:00 pm February 14th to enter. The winner will be announced here, on Facebook, my website and the Bleuette Sewing Group. Good luck to all who enter.

(Table and party decorations are not included with Cherie Limoge).

Well, that is all for now, until next time, (which will be soon), I hope you have a "dolly" good day!
Dolly Hugs, 
Connie Zink