At Last

I have finally found the time to list my Raggedy Ann doll and my pumpkin doll on ebay this evening!  It has been a very long time since I have listed dolls, so here's hoping they get a bid, my daughter has dibs on the pumpkin gal, she loves her and especially the owl I made to go along with her.

My final post for now, leaving on Thursday to spend time with my family at Walt Disney World, we will be staying at Port Orleans Riverside.  I cannot wait to see my grandchildren and of course my sons and my daughters-in-law.

Happy and Safe Halloween.

Enjoy handing out candy to the Trick or Treaters or taking your little ones out to go Trick or Treating! 

Right Around the Corner. . .

Spring is waiting to make her grand entrance. In fact I even found traces of her getting ready to come back until our dear friend summer comes along. When I think of spring I think of the Crayola crayon named Spring Green, for me that sums it all up nicely. . . spring green!

I am looking forward to the warmer days, but for now I am enjoying the time inside to work on little craft projects and making more of my Raggedy Ann style dolls to sell on eBay. After the weather gets warmer I spend time outside working in my flower beds! I miss my patchwork flower beds and look forward to their return every year.
This is a little wool applique bunny pillow I made, it was a fun project and this little pillow fits nicely in a cupboard, shelf or even on a chair with a little larger pillow for a backdrop.

Last weekend my husband and I went into town to browse around the "antique" stores. In my opinion the stuff is more flea market like, but sometimes you can find a great little surprise tucked away in a corner.

I found this sweet Fresh Eggs Box to use with my Mama and baby Chicks for a little spring display in the kitchen. I love this box! I also found a great wooden dough board and a mason jar with a zinc lid, I love those and have a few. They are perfect for storing stuff, I use mine all the time for storage or display.

I also found a precious little desk, but did not buy it, it was darling. I did not want to spend the money just yet. . .well two days later I had to spend double the price of the desk to have a plumber come out and fix the drain in the shower! Isn't odd how sometimes you will not buy something because you think it is too much or not in the budget yet you can write out a check for something, in my opinion, a waste, like a clogged drain! Once I calmed down I thanked God that we had the extra money to have to work done, such is life.

This white rabbit was a gift to my daughter many years ago, I love this guy, he lives in my doll cabinet, but this year I brought him out to take his picture with a Raggedy Ann doll I made. They are "holding" a very old Easter post card that was sent to my husband's uncle, it is postmarked 1921! I made this Raggedy Ann to sell on eBay, but I have taken a big liking to her and cannot part with her! Mr. Bunny is now just sitting in a chair in the front hall, I think I will leave him out for a little while, he is really very precious!

Some of my Raggedy Girls I am selling on eBay. Two of my auctions already ended. I am always so happy when someone "adopts" one of my Raggedy girls! The one dressed in yellow is mine for now!

Another sign of Spring, buds on the trees. Yesterday was a nice day to photo the dolls outside for listing on eBay!

I like my dolls to look old and well loved, as if a young child had played with them and then they were tucked away to be rediscovered and loved again.

Today I wish for everyone a spring in your step as you go about your day!

Candy Hearts

When I see candy hearts around Valentine's Day I think of Raggedy Ann! I enjoy collecting and ready children's books. I love all the Raggedy Ann and Andy stories and I especially enjoyed reading the stories to my granddaughter and my grandsons when they came to visit.

What I enjoy about the Raggedy Ann and Andy stories is there is a lesson to be learned and the little rag dolls always show love and kindness. I guess this is why the stories written and illustrated by Johnny Gruelle are still around today, they are a wonderful children's classic.

This is a Raggedy Ann doll I made five years ago, she has a little wooden heart in her chest and then I sew a little red felt heart on top. She won a blue ribbon in a doll show last year.

I collect the old home made Raggedy Ann dolls from a pattern that was available in 1940, the Raggedy Ann with a cape. My collection is not that large, I limit buying to only the ones who seem to be stuffed with loads of personality. I do not collect the newer Raggedy Ann dolls because to me they look nothing like Raggedy Ann in the illustrations.

May you all be blessed with a forever smile and candy hearts!

My Dolls have their hair, but what was I thinking!

Today my raggedy red wool arrived in the mail, I was so excited because I could finish the hair on the little Raggedy who only had curls upon her crown and then the poor dear who refused to be photographed without hair could finally get her hair. She is the first one where they are sitting in a row, the wool is a bit darker than what I used for the other dolls, I had to weave it in with the little one who only had crown curls, she is the other one dressed in red.

They were all so happy to have their little curls in place that they decided to have a tea party to celebrate and then all sat in a row to pretend they were dancing, silly little things.

Now what was I thinking to only order one little bag of wool, I had the song in my head, Baa, Baa Black Sheep have you any wool, I should have paid attention to the words because I had just enough to finish both dolls and the other two which I have started will have to wait. I had to send off for another order! I need to learn to buy in bulk because this is not something I can find locally.

I hope everyone had a great day!

Hugs, Martha

And then there were three

Hello everyone!

I finished my third doll on Sunday, here she is sitting with her sisters, she really did not want a photo taken because she does not have all her hair! I told her she looked fine. Sunday was such a nice day, sunny with a nice breeze so I sat out on my new chair and did the hand sewing on their dresses, adding buttons/snaps and hemming. I also finished another little gal, but she refuses to have her photo taken because she does not have any hair.

The Raggedy "hair" is hand-dyed sheep wool which I am waiting to arrive, hopefully today, from Vermont. The seller is FolkartfromVermont ebay ID, Lowell Country Design is the shop. I have purchased wool from her before and I am very happy with it. The wool is needle felted onto their head, it goes so quickly, but you have to be careful not to jab your fingers, those needles are very, very sharp.

Now I have to get busy doing what needs to be done and wait for the mail!

Have a great day,

Martha

A New "OLD-Primitive Raggedy Annie" Doll

Dear Little Raggedy Ann, waiting for her arms. Soon, I promise.





Little Doll bodies dyed and drying in the sun.

Ah, finished at last, a prim little Raggedy Ann style doll from the Jelliesjams cupboard!

The last time I made a doll or dolls was in December, 2007! I made an Edith Flack Ackley doll for an ebay charity auction and three other EFA dolls for my brother's granddaughters. I put my doll making on hold, life was getting in the way, or so I told myself. Too many other things to do. . .well, yesterday I went to my sewing area in the laundry room and opened a drawer where I had a doll body made up, she was just waiting to come to life. Before I knew it I had finished a doll which I had started months ago. I was so happy to have the feeling you get when you create something, when you go back to doing what you enjoy. Now, many people may not find a primitive style doll appealing, some may say ugly, not fancy, why would you want a doll like that! For me my dolls represent dolls made by a Mama who did not have a lot of time nor supplies to make a fancy doll, an old cloth rag doll would have to do for their little one. A doll that was made with more love than talent; a doll to become a best friend to a child. I like my dolls to look worn and well loved and they are fashioned after Raggedy Ann. I love the Raggedy Ann and Andy stories and the illustrations in the books. I guess I could say I love all types of children story books as well. I think my most favorite doll is the Volland style Raggedy Ann doll, I got to hold one once and when I think back I was like a teenager who had just met a rock star. That was the closest to ever having one for me because the few that are around are priced out of my spending range.

Now, back to my doll, she is finished and I will hold onto her for awhile, I may sell her or keep her, but for sure I do love her. Working on her gave me the kick I needed to get back to making my style Raggedy Ann dolls, so I made up 3 more sets, sort of assemble line style, this way I will have a doll to work on when I get the urge, like maybe tomorrow! Now I need to tidy up my sewing area and do what needs to be done.

Wishing everyone a happy day,


Raggedy Hugs,


Martha

Doll Show Day

Today was the doll show! Ann had a new dress made special for the day, Annie and Anne (all my style of Raggedy Ann Dolls) wore their original dresses. Yesterday after picking the fabric they would not leave me alone until I made at least one new dress.

So, this morning off they went to the Doll Show, a bit nervous because they had never been left alone in a strange place. They made some new friends that came home with us, along with a tiny doll tea set in a picnic basket.

They were so happy because each of them won a ribbon! Their raggedy doll smiles were twice the size as when I left them there this morning and their raggedy doll hearts were bursting with joy. . .now they want to go to more "Beauty Shows" as they call it. . . but that is it for this year.

The show was not as large this year. We were told that because of the bad weather we had a lot of the dealers did not make it. Last year the rooms were packed with so many wonderful antique dolls, new dolls and all other doll related items. This year the dolls seemed not such great quality and the selections were not that great.

Just for fun I entered 3 of my own Raggedy Ann style dolls and when I went back to pick them up I was very happy to see them wearing ribbons! I did enjoy the show, picked up a few fun treasures. It was nice to go out for awhile and get away from the unfinished kitchen! Now I need to put away my Raggedy Dolls and the new ones I brought home! I included a photo, a tiny tea set, a little McDonalds doll dressed like Minnie Mouse ( I have a little collection of Mickey and Minnie Mouse and a tea set) a Mary Engelbreit doll named Rebecca and a sweet old doll which I know nothing about, she is composition, original clothing, very sweet. . .her head is a bit loose and needs to be tightened, but she is in great shape for her age. . .off to the dollie cupboard they will all go, need to make some room!

And off we go!

When it snows way up North or in the Midwest, most times life does not come to a standstill. When it snows in Central New Jersey, well everything stops! Now tomorrow, February 23 is going to be a special day for Raggedy Ann, Anne and Annie, you see they are supposed to be entered in a Doll Show and they are so looking forward to this event. They are calling it a “Beauty-Contest”. This morning when they saw all the snow that had fallen over night, and it was still snowing they were afraid they would not be able to make it to the Doll Show! They took matters into their own hands and were going to get there by a sled ride. The poor dears were outside for sometime until I spotted them, one thing they did not know was that they needed someone to pull the sled (Where was Andy when he was needed?) I brought them inside and told them not to worry, that we would be able to go, because you see in New Jersey you can have snow one day and the next day it warms up and melts away quickly. . .now where are they off to! Oh my, enough blogging for today, I have caught them in my sewing room, their little dresses are wet and it appears they are going to make some new dresses. . . In true Raggedy Ann fashion always into mischief!

*I made these little gals awhile back, I enjoy making my version of Raggedy Ann, the one sitting on the front of the sled I made last month, I was going to list her on eBay but never got around to it. . .the kitchen remodel got in the way, so for now she is living here with her “two sisters” who will never be leaving home!*

Martha

Doll Collection

These are some of my favorite little dolls. They are displayed in an old china cabinet, the dark wood cabinet belonged to my Mother-In-Law and the pine one I found in an antique shop dowtown. I love to collect the old home-made Raggedy Ann dolls, I have more which I store and change them out every so often. I love the Indian Raggedy doll on the top of the dark cabinet. The little clown doll in the dark cabinet was a gift to my son when he was one year old, he is now 38! I love little dolls, baby style dolls, old home-made vintage Raggedy Ann & Andy dolls and my two Bluettes.

Where ever you go, whatever you do I will be there for you!

This is our little travel doll, a Raggedy Ann I had made a long time ago, I was going to list her on ebay, but for some reason my husband took a shine to her and she has become our little travel Annie. She has been to Florida where my grandson taught her how to "fly", she has had tea-parties with my grandson, she has been to Vermont and enjoyed her stay at the B&B Inns while we saw the sites and she has even gone to Seattle! So whenever we are going on a "long-trip" she is tossed in the travel bag and comes along. . .