Quick to answer is it morning to you?  Yeah I am so appreciative and

you are so right it does makes it your own product!  I just keep staring

at it at the moment I'm so overwhelmed! 

I am putting the leg onto Cynthias body trying to work out to put the

porcelain bit on firt or the whole foot!  I am working it out with

hubby can't wait to show the results!  Am working hard thanks to

you!  How do you feel do your feel better!  I wish I could teach you

some things on the machine its so awesome have noticed the real

artists have their dolls dresses done with things from the machine!

I am making some cotton lace to go around the bonnet for Angela

thats another doll I will be doing the painting method!

I am doing Shay, Angela, Bright eyes, crying Colin and if it works well

Mandy!  Two heads of Daisy Garland although her eyes are a little too big

I think for the doll???   so good to hear from you,  thanks so much....Natascha

Why would Jean be moving with me, shes sick shes having an operation on her lungs!

Yes I got a surprise about the Barn! went to ring the concreter was done! The builder

said he was starting it at the beginning of the week but you know what they are like

especially in the country!  Also Dennis's Dad's place is getting sold and I went down

yesterday morning for the inspection people I was horrified at the condition of the place

people leave!  It brought tears to my eyes.  I opened the garage and looked in at all the

old things, and thought I don't want it, and couldn't get out of there quick enough!

Especially after the weekened!  It's a NIGHTMARE moving have been through it so many

times!  I don't know what other people think of it I find its dreadful!  The box I opened for

the show full of bears were all crushed, the old rubber dolls had fungus on them!  With all

that rain!  I have finished all the greenware I had kept from the past all the unfinished UFO's

I am up to the stage whether to paint them!  I took some to the shows but no-one knows

what they are or how to put them together!

Seeleys is battling!  Dollworld has sold out! (leaving at Xmas) everyones' gone!  I met a few

people at the shows who want to come back to classes or come down to have their stuff

finished their UFO's.  I think things have changed all around the world!  I have been cleaning

allright!  I have ordered a skip bin! and only keep the basics!

I really don't know what the answers are!  I'm absolutely confused!

Yes I did but the display wasn't too good!  They were packed away

for some time and very squashy looking!  Jean sold her bears they

were second hand ones she sold the ones that talked and did things

although they were not real old for quite a bit, she did real well cause

she took her bears.  The rest of mine are so packed I couldn't get near

them, anyways I am ready to take them up cause the barn gets finished

this week!  I had to go down and get the wire racks and boy what a job

they were truly buried!  I am redoing my cloth dolls.  In fact I am working

on one now!

I found that today you have to really sell something that catches the eye.

Something different and very very nice.  Like Candy does, she puts her

dolls with a background and things around them telling a story!  No point

in having things they have to stand out!  So I thought maybe to do a display

of some sort.  So that if there is shows and that you can show as is.

T'is very hard when one is contemplating moving!  I talked to Jean today

she says its a shame that I can't count on taking other things on board till

I get myself organised!  Even if I put a few dollars on top and only take the

main stream of my stuff or a couple that look and do the best!  I agree with her.

I bought some tutorals on Karen Blandfords bears, they are so so cute!  She definitely

did well!  It looks like a lot of people did small things!  I did small dolls I have been pulling

out accessories for them to display and make them doing things!  I love what your ideas

are Candy if you are listening!  I love the bicycle and the small dogs in a basket with

the window of a backdrop!  Oh Dear, I have to work harder at things!  One thing though

I had a lot of admiration, so I must be getting a little closer don't you think!

Saw Barry Brown today to buy some eyelashes for my boudouir, he's going at Xmas!

Thank you for your reply am soaking everything in, it certainly helps!......Natascha

He is expensive!  Thats why I never bought any bodies off him as well?

He does have the moulds one is 8 1/2 and the other is 9 1./2

I thinks they are around $180 each they are under $200 don't quote

me he is cheaper on his moulds cause he is selling out!  He may have specials

on them?   He is a strange man???  I don't think Seeleys has the mould

they have the bodies.  But then don't quote me on that either?

The German moulds are dreadfully expensive cause of the Euro

I think you have to email him for them, he may have a special on them???

Don't say anything about him selling it?  I know he sold some heads on

Ebay they were $30 for the mould I bought one.....

Yes he makes the moulds he is our opposition to Seeleys, he has been

in business for many years.  I don't get on well with him but that's not

to do in business, he has sold that line of business to someone in

Queensland!  He is getting old!  His bodies are not bad, they would

be second in line to seeleys I think!

I think he's old and getting tired!  He lives very close to me, so its easy

for me to get things at this stage!  He does sell the latex compo which is

what s

Seeleys use!  Everybody reckons they have the best formula but I reckon

its like out bodies we are deriorate and have problems with time!  But if you

find that you have problems with Seeleys or any latex bodies the resins they

have in the market today are pretty good!  I call it technology!  What it boils down

to is common sense which they had a lot of in the old daysmore than today!

Ijust find the old old dolls I have near where all parts adjoining it can wear with time

depending on how hard its strung up!   Same with celluloids!  So all you do is treat

the problem there is always a solution!  Lots of people in the industry never take

responsibility to some of the problems!  Thats why I make my own bodies, cause

when I string them up and I like them tight so they can stand up properly and pose!

I did panic when I found that the Latex rubber was hard to obtain but apparently

its abundant in the art world they use it in theatrical world, and entertaining!  So

I have found out looking into it!  In the old days they used to put so many things

into compo that worked good!  Wood shavings was good and popular!  Thats

hence the name composition meaning additions of more than one component!

So a little common sense  and it can be worked out well especially with the substances

they have available now!  As you know Bell has Bell Compo and I am not keen on

that stuff cause it has ceramic components, which when you drop the body it can break!

In the old days that was the reason they made the mache compo cause it didn't have the

huge shrinkage, cheaper and of course didn't break as the porcelain heads did!  I have

loads of books about the earlier form of dolls, how they are made, dressed and why??

his website and you can directly order is:   www.dollworld.com 

I love the antique Reproductions as I have told people cause they are the dolls as was

started, yesterday today  its modern dolls, and with the young ones they do not simulate

with the porcelain or the ones we knew of, and I don't simulate with theirs, tomorrow

is another world where yesterday, today blends into another formula........If you have

any problems I can do anything for you you wish, I'd be honoured to!

Soon I will show you my Bluettes, and more of the smaller ones I have been busy with

I have been busy sewing heirloom frocks for the dolls I am ready to put on and getting

ready for a  show next weekend! (So are other people now they know I am coming!)

Oh well maybe we can learn off each other! The only thing I am perturbed about is

it hasn't been advertised very well, not many people know about it, but I will take my

cards with my website:  I am still working on it, wow its a lot of work!....

www.nataschasdolls.com     I am still learning and trying hard!  Just because one reckons

one can do things its so hard these days doing the right thing by people.

I have had shops in the past and sold dolls, heaps of them, I have done shows in the past and

sold heaps, but that was yesterday, today is different!  Like an artist that I am I never like what

I do, I am so critical of my work!  I always feel like I have to reach an ultimate, ...... that is

what I don't know what it is!  Silly isn't it!  But even when I do a painting I never like it,

I always hide it!  Same as my dolls I never think they are good enough!  In fact I feel ashamed,

when I see somebody elses!  My husband gets frustrated with me cause when somebody is

interested in something I have I talk them out of it or make excuses for it??  I don't know why

I am like that?  That is why I love talking to you guys, maybe I will learn?????? what my problem is??

Natascha

I just rang Barry Brown  from www.dollworld.com.au/

said that he has sold that part of the business and it will go on!

and we will get our compo as well!    Natascha

Yes Dollworld   Barry Brown has them and makes them!  Its all

in so many pieces but easy to take apart when ready!  You just

have to make sure you clamp it well together!....He sells the mould

and shipment with him is not too bad, his price will suit you too with

the drop of our dollar.......Natascha

No its so good to hear from you and I figured it out too!  I went to my suppliers

last week and I asked them what the situation was with Seeleys!  I love their bodies

but I prefer to do my own!  I do what they do I preserve them with the latest of

sealants and glues on the market today which are awesome!  We have a guy here

who makes fantastic bodies but he is in trouble too!  What the problem is all the people

that used to do the french and German dolls are mostly gone and the ones that are

doing it now are only doing it for themselves so there is no market for them here!

Because of the fall in the dollworld all the big companies are falling apart!  I am too doing

shows to keep alive, but lately I have had people visiting my web site and ordering dolls

cause of the slump of our dollar!  I am building a Barn to fulfil my dreams or more or less

to get rid of the dolls I have!  I have been in business nearly all my life with the dolls or

the crafts I have made.  It all started when I first got married and I needed refrigerator, dining suite,

bedroom suit and the basic necessity for a newly married couple!

In those days I sat down and made those Holly Hobby Dolls out of cloth and sold hundreds and hundreds!

My poor husband stuffed them and I did all the putting together and sewing!  I sold them where I worked

in them days I used to do casual office work so it was great moving around to different places I could sell them

and doing the local craft markets, wow it helped a lot and then I started to do the porcelain dolls!

It wasn't till years later when I went on Holidays up the coast I met a lady who had a Barn and it was done up

like Xmas all year round!  It wasn't the dolls or things but the set up!  I couldn't get it out of my mind!  She

sold it and ended up getting heaps of monies for the whole setup which was in the mils!  I remember her saying to

me I started out of nothing and nowhere just made the best of the best that nobody could copy!  You can do

that Natascha!   that rang through my head for years!  and now I shall begin the adventure!  Have to start in the

beginnings of time again!  I am so lucky that the ladies that sold out I had bought all the body moulds!  I

have been experimenting years with them!  I find that all you do is study the beginnings!  I have a lot of the

real dolls I bought years ago and take moulds of the bodies myself!  Today with technology things are little easy!

I have rung all the people that dealt with it and made bodies in the past but most of them have given up!  There is

no-one making them anymore and the shows they have now are only simple, they mostly sell sewn craft now,

and a little of teddy bears!  I used to travel everywhere doing mostly shows and going on holidays sussing out

places!  There are still the few around but they seem to ask me for advice and advice I have none!  I have been

doing a lot of tyding and cleaning up!  Finding things from the past!  Remembering those things from the past!

I have been so sad!  But I know I have to soldier on!..... Like you there is a glimmer of hope!

I have been getting things from Germany, and the Netherlands!  One things that is good we have a lady who still

makes the leather bodies and they are so precise!  I just bought pure silk cottons Chordanay which is pure silk and

was made by DMC I  am knitting a costume with very fine knitting needles and its very exquisite!  I have been

talking to the rubber people that can make up the composition. I can't think of that rubber!  But I bought the

Bleutte body mould by accident from a lady at a show next to me for $5 I snapped it up I think its wanky or Byron!

But its a perfect body and I bought one from Barry Brown from Dollworld who makes his own but he too wants to

sell out cause he is old now!  The trouble is he is asking too much for it! 

There are many factors why the Dollworld is falling apart!  I find that people today don't know much about the

Antique Reproductions and they have no idea what they are or mean!  But I have bought and done dolls from

ages ago that I will do the projects that Seeley once did!  I will finish them and put them into a theme into my

barn to see if I can arouse the industry to what it was!  Well try!  At my end!  Its so good to hear from you

you make me feel good again that I am not wasting my time!  Its not a money factor for me anymore, although

it would help, its more of  showing people a beautiful art, time and creativity.  If we lose it what a dreadful shame!

Modern technology is awesome and can help, to me here in Australia it would be such a shame to let the horrible

cheap imports take over for what I call my culture that I was knew my parents had be lost!......in my time!

No you are no winger I totally understand where you are coming from, I feel the same??  I am so honoured to have

met you and can't wait to show you my real secret of the past! with present and future in mind!

Yes things will definitely get better!  I think!  At least for now I will try to do some nice sewing on my machine and

make the dolls look pretty and convincing!  Like I said technology is awesome!  I have been doing a little of embroidering

lately some stumpwork and quilting!  Am making bags as well!

Have a nice day and look after yourself!.......... am thinking of you all I know its hard...........Natascha

Youre a doll!  Yes all this year I have been going to classes learning

techniques.  Lots of the ladies can't afford the top of of the range!

They buy the models below, but then as they learn the techniques

and make awesome stuff they buy the good ones when they are super

ceded!

I am so fortunate that I have worked to afford it! I worked as a bread

merchandiser in the early hours of the morning and did some cleaning

working during the night!  When I want something bad I do these things!

I have been doing markets and shows they have been good up till now

but they are dropping a little!  I am going to open up a gallery on my

property and I am a firm believer of doing highest quality of work as you

possibly can!  I am an artist more than a dollmaker and like artists we are

strange people!  Accentric is the word, I think that fits my description!

As I have told you I have had the worst winter out with pouring, and now

the weather is good boy oh boy!  I just can't keep up!  Now with the dollar

dropping here I found that people overseas are becoming quite interested in

my work, I am so thrilled.  I left the doll game a long time ago I just couldn't

stand the know it alls.  They just don't listen!  I suppose I was like that too.

But now I am getting OLDER and wiser, I am learning techniques.  I was about

to throw some dolls out, but decided to put an overall wash on them Have to show

you the results!  That is the secret  if your doll looks stark and the painting stands

out put an overall wash on it.  Make sure the porcelain is smooth and clean!

I use the Bisq. Tones Seeley has cause especially 1 & 2 or either!  give it a good blast

at the highes of the colour firings!  It works!  so I find.........Natascha

Hi Linda,

This is Natascha so glad people are wakening up!

Yes I have had a clean up!  But I am doing a garage sale

on a different scale!  I have so much its not funny!

Have taken more pics on the weekend and have looked

at Christines dolls!  I hope shes feeling a little better I love

how she battles on, the work that she is putting in the costuming

God Love her its actually very awesome!  I'm quiten taken by it!

I have done a study on traditional costumes and I want to try what

shes actually trying to achieve!  Sounds like good fun!  I love the workmanship

and the meaning of it!  You can see how shes improving so much and her

work is becoming quite a work of art!

I have pulled out a doll an Antique Reproduction Jumeau, large size so that I will

go thoroughly over her and show you all step by step  and why I am doing it so!

I am doing a lot of surface embellishing I bought a book from the US and am

co-operating it with my work!  I thought if we can all show and tell and help

one another where help needs, or even have a go ourselves, we may learn from

each other like going to classes sometimes you learn from each other as well as the

teacher!  Like I have and am learning what Christine's trying to achieve!  Thank you Christine

you have opened my eyes!  and you too Linda want to see what you are up to stage by stage!

I am now building up my web putting things in just like a shop!  That even things that are not

obtainable will be!   Hope to hear from you......Natascha   just keep watching I'll upload her

so you can see stage by stage she doesn't look so good at the moment!  But  she will!

----- Original Message ----
From: Linda Perham <perhaml@...>
To: nataschasdolls@...
Sent: Sunday, 31 August, 2008 11:31:46 AM
Subject: [nataschasdolls] Re: Awakening

Hi Christine and everyone else!  Thanks for breaking the drought, Christine.  Seems like we haven't written for ever.  I don't know what I've been doing...but I've been busy. Oh, yes, I remember now..we had 4 garage sales  My- oh -my  were we ever swamped.  [in case you don't have them in your part of the world, it is when you clean out every nook and cranny plus attic, garage, barn, potting shed.....well you get the idea and put it all for sale on your lawn at ridiculously low prices.  You would not believe the junk people will buy!] Then when we finished with that I packed up 6 boxes of books and old quilts to send to my sister to sell on ebay.   I have 3 boxes to go to my 'baby' group.  whew...I'm tired all over again!   But now I feel energized that I have all my 'toys' out where I can see and reach everything.  Soooo, guess I'll get to work.   Have any of you been showing dolls, or  finishing up projects?  Is everyone doing OK otherwise?  Let us know if you are in need of prayer or encouragement. Love ,   Linda in Ky www.godlyheritagemi nistries. org

PurpleLady's PlayLand PurpleLady's PlayLand Tag Team PurpleLady's Playpen    Blocked Out Members Tutorial By © April Hunt (ACFC) Coming Soon ACFC Members Only Tutorial  Font Doodle Double Dash August 2008   "I Miss You Beary Much"

Hi, send me a pic and measurements |I|'ll give it a try if you like

I love doing things am starting on mine now have my new battery

but would you believe the weather is dull and grey!

Unbelievable!  Look after yourself send a pic! and give me

some sizes!