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Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Wednesday Craft Group - Wood and Wire Dolls

Well first I painted dozens and dozens of little feet ~ i love these little wood and wire dolls because the possibilities are absolutely endless ~


 and then i turned them into Wizards ~
and flower fairies ~


A Fairie Rhyme 
1800's author unknown

Monday's the fairies' washing-day
The early morning hours find them all working hard away
Their wash-tubs are the flowers
The cup-like ones are best, they say
Those catch the dew, you know,
And fairies dresses washed that way
Are white as driven snow.

Tuesday's the fairies' drying-day
So Tuesdays should be fine
and rather windy, by the way,
and then the Sun should shine.
And rose-bushes should hide each thorn that day
~I'll tell you why~
It's lest the drsses should be torn
When they're hung out to dry.

Then Wednesday is ironing-day,
the Sundbeans for a joke
Come down to help. That's work, they say,
too hard for fairy folk.
They press out all the creases,
and in quite a little while
those dresses look as grand as grand,
and How the fairies smile!

Thursday's the fairies' darning-day,
Then, seated in a row
Upon an apple-blossom spray,
The fairies sit and sew,
They darn with silk each scrap of stuff
that by mistake they tore.
And, if their silk's not quite enough,
The spiders bring them more!

7 comments:

Bending Birches said...

beautiful! glad to have found your little spot here...so nice to meet you:)

Linda said...

Oh my goodness Shannon! These little dolls are amazing! You are so talented my friend:)
xo
Linda

S said...

Thank you both.
very pleased to meet you too BB ~ had a peak at your beautiful blog and loved it!

Imene said...

I just found your blog while browsing for waldorf crafts. It is so beautiful!!
I was wondering where I could find those little dolls

S said...

Hi Imene, Thank you. They are 10cm wood and wire dolls ~ I buy mine in bulk from Winterwood toys in Victoria see here http://www.winterwoodtoys.com.au/shop/scdproducts.asp?CatID=25 but occassionally you can find then in the craft section of the big hardware shops.

Anonymous said...

I love the fairies! They are so well done. I recently bought some "blank" dolls to make some like that for my daughter, but I am a little lost. Now what? Do you glue the hair on? Can you point me to a book or something?

S said...

Hello wool and chocolate...sorry for the delay in responding. I don't know of any books that show how to make these dolls but they are reasonably simple. First you will need a little bit of fleece to wrap around the 'naked wood' i use a bit of glue on the wood first to make sure it stays in place and then wrap thin sections around enough to make it padded and so the square edges are covered, include the wire legs and arms to give it some body but don't make it too fat or your clothes won't fit. Actually you can look at the book Wee Folk by Sally Mavor for inspiration and a bit on technique for hair and clothing - the clothing patterns won't fit as they are because her dolls are made from pipe cleaners but you cold enlarge and fiddle with them a bit and they will. ~ Have fun.