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
