craftswithcare

"Sweet Princess"

2011-12-02T15:11:00.000-08:00

Sweet Princess

~ Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

Pictures of my present projects

2011-11-27T02:34:00.000-08:00

Work in progress. Please check back soon for the finished drawings.

~Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

‎"Special things come in small packages"

2011-11-26T03:51:00.000-08:00

Sketched from Maud Tousey Fangel's drawing.

~Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

Female Nude

2011-08-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

This is based on a photo taken by Virna Haffer whose art is exhibited in the Tacoma Art Museum. We went to the Tacoma Art Museum yesterday and viewed her work. I was inspired to make a sketch of one of her pieces .

~Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

Blog Giveaway of custom pencil drawing

2011-01-22T04:05:00.000-08:00

Who would like to volunteer to let me do a pencil drawing of her/his face? ;O) Let me see how many of you are willing. I will do a lottery amongst the participants and the winner will get a framed and signed pencil drawing of herself/himself or a loved one free of cost shipped to her/his home. Anyone willing? If so, then please leave a comment here.

Everyone has a month to respond to this post (last date to respond is Feb 22, 2011). :O) If you are a fan of craftswithcare's facebook page, then you can leave a comment there. In case you have a facebook account and are not yet a fan of craftswithcare, you can follow the above link and become a fan. You never know what I am upto next. If you have a blog and if you post about this with a link to my blog, then you will be entered twice. Please let me know that you did so. Thanks!

If you neither have a blog nor a facebook account and still wish to participate, then please email me your response at craftswithcare@gmail.com.

You will get only one signed and framed original sketch of a face of a picture you email to me, free of cost shipped to the address you provide. The drawings below are not included and are just examples of my work.

My first sketch~"Innocence"

My third sketch~"Miss Roxy""

My fourth sketch~"Sammy" (Sketch of a dear friend~Andy Warhol style)"

~Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

Christmas Carolers, Bellevue Doll Club Challenge Dolls

2011-01-08T03:01:00.000-08:00

Bellevue Doll Club Nov 2010 challenge~ 4 wooden shaker pegs
We had to create dolls using the pegs shown below. These pegs could be used in the doll body construction or any props along with the dolls. The shapes of the pegs could not be altered.

I created two carolers out of the four pegs. The other two pegs I used for making street lamps.
Christmas Carolers is designed and handmade by craftswithcare © 2010.

Below are dolls by our talented "Bellevue Doll Club" members:

~Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

2011-01-08T02:53:00.000-08:00

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy was designed and handmade by craftswithcare © 2010
Pattern will be available soon.

~Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

"Missy's Makeover" article published in Soft Dolls & Animals! magazine

2011-01-02T23:30:00.000-08:00

I was so thrilled to see my article, "Missy's Makeover" published in the March 2011 issue of the Soft Dolls & Animals! magazine.
Below you will find the published article.

~Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

Merry Christmas to all!

2010-12-24T04:23:00.001-08:00

This slideshow generated with Smilebox

My new doll~A look-alike doll inspired by a very sweet child

2010-11-02T12:45:00.001-07:00

This is a picture of my work in progress of a look-alike doll I am working on these days. This doll is inspired by a very sweet child.
Please check back soon for more pictures and updates of my current project.

~Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

Little Nadeen and her dolly

2010-10-24T04:07:00.000-07:00

Little Nadeen and her dolly is a new pattern by craftswithcare and is copyrighted © 2010. Pattern will be available shortly. Little Nadeen has been inspired by Maud Tousey Fangel's drawings.

~ Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

Bellevue Doll Club Challenge Doll-Oct 2010

2010-10-24T02:42:00.000-07:00

This month for our Doll Club challenge doll, we had to use the same body pattern and make it our own doll. It is amazing how different all the dolls look in appearance even after using the same body pattern. Everyone did a great job.

Below are pictures of my challenge doll Desirée.

~Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

New Challenge doll~Brianna Grace

2010-10-16T00:56:00.000-07:00

I will be making Brianna Grace inspired by a very sweet girl named Arianna. I will try recreating the same clothing style as the little girl is wearing.

Below is Arianna Vohra's picture. The picture is copyrighted by Sumit Vohra of Admissions Nursery

Most of the materials needed to create the Brianna Grace doll has already been purchased and I will also be using stuff from my craft stash. The fabric for the lace arm warmer was difficult to find, but I just had to get the one that matched the closest even though it costed a little more.

~Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

"Rangeela, the Gypsy girl"~In Celebration of the Doll~The Gypsy Magical Carnival

2010-09-27T03:33:00.000-07:00

My entry for "The Magical Gypsy Carnival" 2010 Treasures of the Gypsy Challenge is "Rangeela, the Gypsy girl". Gypsies originated in India and Rangeela means colorful in Hindi, my native language.

Rangeela's face has been inspired by a picture of a gypsy girl.

Rangeela will be touring the special exhibit "In Celebration of the Doll" to be seen at the International quilt market & festival at Houston.
I will be mailing Rangeela tomorrow.

Below is Rangeela's trusted Boa constrictor, keeping a watch over her goodies. Wooden Boa constrictor has been nailed to the tray. The chest Rangeela is sitting on has also been securely nalied to the tray, and so is the silver basket. Just want everything to reach Houston in one piece :o).

Fabrics and trims provided by the Gypsy Challenge Curator. I had to use these fabrics and trims, plus things of my own choosing.

~Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

Look-alike dolls~ "Ronnie and Anvesha"

2010-09-20T01:06:00.001-07:00

Anvesha and Ronnie dolls are my future projects. I have always wanted to make look-alike dolls and am so glad that I have finally found the perfect models that I had been looking for all these years. These two dolls will be my second and third attempts to create look-alike dolls. Just wish me luck that I succeed in doing so. The first look-alike doll I created was inspired by my friend's daughter, a very sweet child named Maya. Maya was created about 2 years ago.

I am looking forward to working on these two dolls soon. Ronnie is my son. He is my most precious and favorite doll. Anvesha is a very sweet friend and a real doll. I am so inspired by her sweet and innocent face. I will try to create the same clothing styles for the dolls as shown in the picture above.

Please check back soon for updates.

~Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

Bellevue Doll club

2010-09-16T23:16:00.000-07:00

I went to the doll club meeting after missing it for the last couple of months. It was wonderful meeting old friends and making new ones too, while hubby looked after my most precious doll, our son, Ronnie.
At the meeting I met a very well known doll artist Rita Keizer and got a lot of goodies and great tips from her. It was so generous of her to share all those wonderful tips and also give us stuff from her craft stash.
The doll below was made by our group member Dianne Magnuson for the Gypsy Carnival Challenge which will be touring the Doll and Quilt Expo at Houston, Texas.

The doll below was made by Rita Keizer. It is a Queen Anne style doll.

The dolls in the picture below are all made by me. The fabric and all the goodies on the left were given to me by dollmaker, Rita Keizer.

It was such a treat coming back home from the doll club and seeing the table set for dinner. Thanks to my hubby for preparing the delicious chicken dinner.

~Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

Hoffman Challenge Doll 2009-Jahanara Begum is home

2010-09-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

Jahanara Begum arrived home today after traveling for more than a year. She toured various doll expos and had so many great adventures.

Jahanara Begum(Princess jahanara) was made for the Hoffman Challenge of 2009.
Jahanara Begum was the favorite daughter of Shah Jahan, Emperor of India from 1627 to 1658 and the builder of the famous Taj Mahal.
I chose to make an Indian doll for the 2009 Hoffman Challenge, since the challenge fabric 'Earth' had paisley motif on it. Paisley originated in India and spread to Scotland when the British soldiers brought home cashmere shawls.

~Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

Hoffman Challenge Dolls-Published in Soft dolls & Animals magazine and Hoffman Challenge Collection Catalog

2010-09-01T00:19:00.000-07:00

Received my Hoffman Challenge 2010 Collection catalog yesterday and was so thrilled to see a picture of my doll, Lady Adele with all the other beautiful dolls in the collection. Lady Adele will be traveling in doll trunk B. 42 dolls were selected to travel this year.

Imagine my SURPRISE when hubby brought the mail today and handed me the Nov 2010 issue of the Soft Dolls & Animals magazine. I found my doll staring back at me from the first page :). Yes, my Hoffman Challenge 2009 doll, Princess Jahanara was published in the Nov 2010 issue.

~Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

'Twas The Night Before Christmas Challenge

2008-11-21T22:53:00.000-08:00

My group Rags to Riches Dolls is having its third group challenge of 2008. The theme of the challenge is 'Twas The Night Before Christmas.

Since the day we moved to our new place, I had not been getting the inspiration to create any new dolls. Well...not anymore. Our group challenge started on the 16th of this month. I got so inspired seeing all the amazing creations by my group members that all of a sudden I had this urge to create something. And then... I could hear the doll in the next room, that I had started making in my previous home. She was screaming at me to pick her up and start painting her shoes and sew her clothes.

Meet Hollie, a very sweet girl. She is ready to go to her grandma's house to celebrate Christmas Eve with her.

Hollie's face has been oil-painted. She has been inspired by a very dear child I know.

Roxy, my golden pup, kept following Hollie anywhere she went.

Please click below to visit Hollie's eBay auction.

Hollie eBay Auction

~Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

You gotta check this out!!

2008-11-14T07:16:00.001-08:00

Irene, the Columbian doll wasn't too thrilled about this clip...

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Griselda Witch on eBay!

2008-09-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

Something bewitching this way comes!

Griselda is a 23 inch Halloween witch doll made for the PWGL Halloween Challenge.

She is made of cloth and clay. Her face has been hand sculpted using paper clay over cloth.

Please click below to visit her eBay auction.

Griselda eBay Auction

Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

LA Witch Marcelle and Felice on eBay

2008-09-05T21:22:00.001-07:00

Below are the two dolls I had been working on last week.

First is La Witch Marcelle. Don't be fooled by her sweet face. She is ready to cast a spell on you!

La Witch Marcelle eBay Auction

To market, to market to buy more grapes!
Meet sweet Felice. She loves making grape jellies.

Felice eBay Auction

Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

Look what I had been working on last week!

2008-08-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

After returning from Portland, I managed to take pictures of the 3 dolls I had been working on last week.

First is Akeelah and her little baby doll. Akeelah's face has been oil painted and she has needle sculpted fingers and toes.

Akeelah eBay Auction

Second is Broomhilda, a Halloween witch doll. Her face has been painted with acrylics and then antiqued. I especially enjoyed making her skirt edge.

Broomhilda eBay Auction

Last but not the least is sweet Mabel. Mabel's face has been oil painted and she wears a cotton dress with a removable apron.

Mabel eBay Auction

~Mithua Bose, craftswithcare

New dolls on eBay-A fashion doll and a cute raggedy doll!

2008-08-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

Below are a few pictures of my latest creations....

First is Alayna, a jointed cloth doll. Her face and hands have been needle sculpted and hand painted. She wears a beautiful peacock feather print skirt.
The second is a raggedy doll named Bella.

I hope you enjoy looking at their pictures and also take the time to visit their auctions.

Alayna eBay Auction

Bella eBay Auction

~MB, craftswithcare

"Wizard of Oz" group challenge by Rags to Riches Dolls

2008-08-08T15:10:00.000-07:00

Please click on the picture below to view unique "Wizard of" creations by R2RD group members.

~MB, craftswithcare

Wizard of Oz Group Challenge by Rags to Riches Dolls

2008-08-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

The following banner for our Wizard of Oz group challenge has been made by Judy Daigle of Jude Art Dolls.

SOLD! Dorothy and Toto currently live in Germany.

Dorothy and her little black dog Toto are eagerly waiting to go on auction on eBay on August 3rd.

My eBay group Rags to Riches Dolls will be having it's second group challenge of 2008 starting August 3rd 2008. Please type R2RD to view unique story book creations made in the theme of the book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum.

I chose to make Dorothy and her little black dog Toto for the Oz challenge.

~MB, craftswithcare

Thank you Annie for the wonderful gifts!!

2008-08-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, when I came to know that I had won the blog giveaway by Annie of Annie Beez Folk Art, I was overjoyed! It was a great pleasure receiving all those wonderful gifts from Annie and unwrapping them one after the other.

Thanks a lot Annie! Thanks to sweet Isabel for helping out with the drawing!

If you haven't visited Annie's blog, then please take the time to do so. She creates beautiful one-of-a-kind dolls.
Please click on the link below to visit Annie's blog..

Annie Beez Folk Art

~MB, craftswithcare

Sweetpea, made for the Hoffman Challenge

2008-07-24T21:41:00.000-07:00

I am back in the blogging world once again:)! I am here to talk about my new doll Sweetpea, whom I made for the Hoffman Challenge of 2008. She is my first entry. I came to know of the Hoffman challenge from Deanna Hogan of Blue Heron Dolls.

Below are pictures of Deanna's Hoffman doll, Frances.

These are pictures of my Hoffman doll, Sweetpea. Don't you just love the teal peacock fabric...I loved working with it. I am thrilled to have taken part in the challenge this year and would definitely take part again next year.

~MB, craftswithcare

Grace, a Patriotic cloth doll on eBay!

2008-07-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

I made a Patriotic cloth doll named Grace last week and listed her on eBay last night. She is my second Patriotic doll for sale on eBay this year.
Grace's face has been needle sculpted. She has button jointed arms and bendable legs. I loved creating her and am very happy with the way she turned out.
She is looking forward to celebrating the 4th of July this year and many more to come! She is a happy girl and will bring the lucky winner lots of joy and happiness!

Below are a couple of pictures of Grace...

A Very Happy 4th of July to all of you!

~MB, craftswithcare

Verity, a beautiful cloth doll by my favorite doll artist Deanna Hogan!

2008-06-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

I would like a to share a couple of pictures of one of the sweetest dolls in my personal collection.
"Verity" which means Truth has been made by the renowned doll artist and designer Deanna Hogan of Blue Heron dolls.
I love Deanna's creativity and am so glad to be able to own one of her latest creations.

Deanna's dolls have been featured in the magazines Soft Dolls & Animals, Contemporary Doll Collector and Doll Crafter and Costuming. Please visit
Blue Heron dolls to learn more about this amazingly talented doll maker and designer.

~MB, craftswithcare

A cute Raggedy Ann type Halloween doll on eBay

2008-06-23T22:29:00.000-07:00

SOLD! Dianne currently lives in Pennsylvania.

I am back after a short break from doll making. I made a trick or treater Halloween girl last week and listed her on eBay tonight.

Please click on Dianne eBay auction below to go to her eBay auction.

Dianne eBay Auction

~MB, craftswithcare

Irene and Rosabel on eBay

2008-06-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

I listed two new dolls on eBay tonight.

The first is Rosabel. Rosabel is a jointed cloth doll. The body pattern is by Claire Pruitt. She has been made for my eBay group Prim and Whimsy Girls 'Art in Bloom' challenge.

The second is Irene, a Patriotic cloth doll. Irene is based on a pattern by Susan Fosnot. She is made in the style of the Columbian dolls of Emma Adams.

MB, craftswithcare

Prim and Whimsy Girls proudly presents "Art in Bloom"

2008-05-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

My eBay group Prim and Whimsy Girls will be having a group challenge starting June 1st 2008. The theme of the challenge will be "Art in bloom". Below are a few pictures of my challenge doll Rosabel. She will be on auction on eBay on June 1st. Please search PWGL Flower from June 1st to June 7th to see dolls and art from our very talented group members.

~MB, craftswithcare

An Izannah Walker inspired doll and a Columbian cloth doll

2008-05-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a couple of pictures of my work in progress.

One is an Izannah Walker inspired doll. I hand sculpted the head using paper clay. I think she would like to be Red Riding Hood. I had other plans for her when I had just started sculpting her, but at present she is begging to be a Red Riding Hood doll. What don't I do for my dollies!

The other is a Columbian style cloth doll made from a pattern by Susan Fosnot. Her face has been hand painted using oil colors.

Both the dolls are missing their limbs at present. I will be working on them next week. So please check back soon if you wish to see the progress on these dolls.

Thanks!

MB, craftswithcare

Penny cloth doll

2008-05-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

I finished making my gift exchange doll for my R2RD eBay group partner this week. I hope my gift exchange partner likes her.
Penny has been made from a pattern by Claire Pruitt. She is a jointed cloth doll. It was a challenge making her and I enjoyed every single moment of it.

Below is a slide show of Penny enjoying the cool spring weather of the beautiful northwest.

~MB, craftswithcare

Emmaline, A 6-inch Izannah Walker inspired doll

2008-05-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce you to my 6 inch Izannah Walker inspired doll named Emmaline.
She is a custom order paper clay and cloth doll made for a very dear customer.

Emmaline has been placed next to a spice bottle to give you an idea of her tiny size.

She wears pantaloons and petticoat underneath her floral burgundy dress.

~MB, craftswithcare

"In the Pink" A collaborative book project 2008

2008-05-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

Below is Zelda, a 4 inch doll created for "In the Pink", a collaborative book project.
Her face, body, and shoes have been hand-painted and she wears a pink polka dot dress.

Please click below to see pink art created by other talented artists who have taken part in this project.

Zelda has been placed next to a small spice bottle to give you an idea of her tiny size.

~MB, craftswithcare

R2RD group launch dolls on ebay

2008-04-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

Please click on the picture below to go to our "Days Gone By" auctions.

Today is the day of our "Days Gone By" group launch. Many of our members have already posted their dolls on eBay and there are a few who would be posting their's within a day. Please search R2RD in your eBay search bar to view dolls and art by our talented group members.

Below is the link to my auction.

My Days Gone By Auction

~MB, craftswithcare

R2RD group launch dolls

2008-04-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

Meet Mina, a sweet oil painted cloth doll. She has been made from a pattern by Susan Fosnot.

I belong to a very talented eBay group named Rags to Riches dolls. We will be having our first group launch starting April 27th. Mina will be on auction on eBay on the 27th. Please search R2RD to view our artists' one-of-a-kind dolls and art during our group launch.

Below is my work in progress. I still need to do a lot of work on her and she may or may not be my launch doll.

~MB, craftswithcare

Emma, a cloth doll made in the style of the Columbian dolls of Emma Adams

2008-04-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

Meet Emma, a Columbian style cloth doll. Her face has been hand-painted using oil colors. She wears a vintage baby dress. Her drawers are made in the style of the 19th century baby drawers.

Please click on Emma eBay auction below to visit her eBay auction.

Emma eBay Auction

~MB craftswithcare

My new project - A Columbian style cloth doll

2008-04-15T02:17:00.000-07:00

A sneak peek of a doll that I am working on this week. She is made in the style of the Columbian cloth dolls. She wears a vintage baby dress.

Columbian dolls were made by the sisters Emma and Marietta Adams in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
This is a pattern by my favorite doll artist Susan Fosnot.

Tagged again:)

2008-04-15T00:20:00.000-07:00

I´m tagged by my friend Lone of dukkesloken

This is fun and really neat. You come up with six words that sum up your life. Ernest Hemingway was bet $10 that he couldn't sum up his life in six words. He won that bet when he wrote, "For sale, baby shoes, never worn." You can go to Bookbabie's blog and read about the book that was inspired by his quote and how it influenced her to start this meme.

Okay here's the Rules:1. Write your own six word memoir... 2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like... 3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to this original post if possible, so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere... 4. Tag Four more blogs with links ...5. Remember to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!
Now I gotta tag 4, so let's see, how about.....

1. Mary of sewdeartome
2. Marilyn of multicolor
3. Deanna of blueherondolls
4. Lorraine of piecakeprimitives

My 6 words : Behind gloom is joy. Take joy.

~MB, craftswithcare

Girls in my circle

2008-04-14T23:46:00.000-07:00

There's a new tag going 'round ~ "Girls in my Circle".
I believe the original author was Phyllis at http://www.scrappynhappy.blogspot.com, but I received it from my friends Mary and Kelly
Here's Phyliss' original post:

When I was little,I used to believe in the concept of one best friend, And then I started to become a woman. And then I found out that if you allow your heart to open up, God would show you the best in many friends.

One friend is needed when you're going through things with your man. Another friend is needed when you're going through things with your mom. Another will sit beside you in the bleachers as you delight in your children and their activities. Another when you want to shop, share, heal, hurt, joke, or just be. One friend will say, "Let's cry together," Another, "Let's fight together,"Another, "Let's walk away together."

One friend will meet your spiritual need,
Another your shoe fetish,
Another your love for movies,
Another will be with you in your season of confusion,
Another will be your clarifier,
Another the wind beneath your wings.

But whatever their assignment in your life,
On whatever the occasion,
On whatever the day,
Or wherever you need them to meet you with their gym shoes on and hair pulled back,
Or to hold you back from making a complete fool of yourself...
Those are your best friends.

It may all be wrapped up in one woman,
But for many, it's wrapped up in several..
One from 7th grade,
One from high school,
Several from the college years,
a couple from old jobs,
On some days your mother,
On some days your neighbor,
On others, your sisters,
And on some days, your daughters.

I have lots of girls in my circle and decided that they all needed to know that someone cares about them and appreciate the difference they make in my life. If you are here it may be because I tagged you as one of the girls in my circle! If I didn't tag you , no offense intended. Tag! You're it! Consider yourself tagged.

I tag:
Lone
Mary
Judy
Flora

Now tag your friends to let them know you love them and appreciate the difference they make in your life!

~MB, craftswithcare

P.S. I got tagged back from Lone...Hmm....I will have to think twice before tagging her again...LOL...

Thank you for the Award Flora!

2008-04-14T23:38:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I received an Award from my dear friend Flora. Thank you Flora for thinking of me! You make my day too!
~Mithua, craftswithcare

Penelope, an Izannah Walker inspired paper clay doll on eBay!

2008-04-14T00:45:00.000-07:00

Meet Miss Penelope. She is an Izannah Walker inspired doll. Her face has been hand sculpted using paper clay. She went on eBay tonight.
Penelope is a one-of-a-kind doll as all my paper clay dolls are. I can never recreate the same doll ever.

Please click on Penelope auction below and it will take you to her eBay auction.

Penelope eBay Auction

~MB, craftswithcare

Exploring Seattle!

2008-04-12T18:41:00.000-07:00

We were out all day yesterday enjoying the warm sunny weather in Seattle. We went to the Space Needle. The view from the top was just breathtaking.

After that we went treasure hunting. We bought some very nice books on art. Hubby loves to cook and got a few cookbooks. Yes I am lucky, I don't cook on weekends and get gourmet food made at home without doing much work!

Look what we found at the rummage sale hiding in a corner...a beautiful old doll. I still don't know the maker and need to do some research regarding it. She has a few crazing lines on her face and body but is otherwise in perfect condition. She has sleep eyes and a jointed body.

While we explored Seattle, Miss Roxy went to her best friends' place and played with them.

~MB, craftswithcare

Izannah Walker inspired paper clay doll!

2008-04-11T12:57:00.000-07:00

Below is a picture of my current Izannah Walker style doll who now wears a dress and a bonnet. I need to sew her drawers and petticoat.

She has attached thumbs like the original Izannah Walker dolls.
She will be on auction on eBay on Sunday, April 13th.

~MB, craftswithcare

Margrethe,a beautiful cloth doll by renowned doll artist Lone Pierette!

2008-04-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

I received Margrethe from Denmark a few weeks ago. She arrived gift wrapped inside a beautiful box. It was a sheer pleasure to receive her! She has been beautifully made from head to toe. I love her face, hands, clothes, and not to mention the details on her feet! Thank you Lone for sending me such a wonderful doll which I will treasure forever.
Margrethe has been named after Margrethe II, the reigning Queen of Denmark.

Please visit
Lone Pierette's blog to see her lovely work. She has a gorgeous Queen Anne doll for sale on eBay right now.

~MB, craftswithcare

Izannah Walker inspired doll # 2 of 2008

2008-04-09T14:43:00.000-07:00

Below is a picture of my work in progress. She has been inspired by the pictures of original Izannah Walker dolls on Dixie Redmond's website. Thank you Dixie!

I also wanted to share a couple of pictures of our darling baby Roxy. She had a lot of fun swimming in the lake and didn't wanna come out of the water:).

~MB, craftswithcare

Lady Adelaide, made in the style of the German wooden dolls of yesteryear!

2008-04-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

Meet Lady Adelaide, a German wooden style doll made of cloth and paper clay. Her face, fore arms and lower legs have been hand sculpted. She wears a gorgeous flowing gown and a beautiful necklace with Swarovski crystals.

She went on eBay tonight. Please click on Lady Adelaide auction below and it will take you to her eBay auction.

Lady Adelaide eBay Auction

~MB, craftswithcare

My current projects, an oil painting and a Columbian cloth doll

2008-04-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

Below are a couple of pictures of my current projects. One is a folk art/modern oil painting which I am doing for my first blog give-away. The second is an oil painted face of a Columbian cloth doll. I love painting as well as doll making and so it is fun to combine both together. I like taking pictures at various stages of my projects just to see how they look and where I need to improvise.

~MB, craftswithcare

Rags to Riches Dolls' first group launch! "Days Gone By" A celebration of dolls of yesteryear!

2008-04-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

We will be having our first group launch/challenge starting April 27th 2008. The theme of our challenge will be 'Days Gone By'. The artists at R2RD will be creating dolls and art inspired by the doll makers of yesteryear. Please type R2RD in your eBay search bar to view unique handmade dolls and art from our very talented group members during our group launch.

~MB, craftswithcare

Paper clay doll # 4 of 2008

2008-03-31T17:27:00.000-07:00

I had an urge to create this little doll today. I had to leave whatever I had been doing and paint her face and give her the personality she so desired.
Right now she sits in my studio naked and looking pretty, and wants me to sew a dress for her soon. If I can finish sewing her dress today, then she will be on eBay tomorrow:)!

~MB, craftswithcare

Meredith, a Queen Anne style paper-clay over cloth doll

2008-03-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

Meet Meredith, a paper-clay over cloth doll. She is made in the style of the wooden Queen Anne dolls of yesteryear.
She went on eBay tonight. Please click on Meredith eBay auction to go to her eBay auction.

Meredith eBay Auction

~MB, craftswithcare

I have been tagged!

2008-03-25T23:17:00.000-07:00

I was tagged today by my new friend Kelly of Mystical Entities. Now I have to write 5 things about myself and then go on to tag 5 more unsuspecting bloggers :)!
So here it goes...

1) I love dark chocolate.
2) I love to travel in the US as well as abroad. I have been to Germany, France, Italy, Uk, Canada, India and Nepal.( Lone, our next trip will be to Denmark:)!!)
3) I spoil my golden Roxy by giving her home cooked meals everyday and lots of toys to play with and of course her daily walks in the park. Hubby doesn't get home cooked meals everyday.
4) I am extremely scared of lizards.
5) I love shopping at Bath and Body Works.

Now I am tagging the following people...
1)Lone of dukkeskolen
2)Mae of Tatteredcowwings
3)Jackie of Plain-N- Simple
4)Judy of Judeartdolls
5)Marilyn of Multicolor

~MB, craftswithcare

My first oil painting, a reproduction of Vincent Van Gogh's Irises!

2008-03-24T12:56:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a couple of pictures of my very first oil painting. It is a reproduction of one of the Irises paintings by Vincent Van Gogh. I saw the original painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. I also saw Van Gogh's amazing works at the Musée d'Orsay.

I tried recreating the painting from a print we had purchased at the MET. I used only a painters knife to paint the whole painting including my signature at the bottom right.

I am so inspired to do another painting....so please do not be surprised if you don't see any of my dolls for sale for sometime.

Below is a picture of Vincent Van Gogh's original painting of the Irises which is currently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

This is my reproduction of the Irises.

~MB, craftswithcare

Arabelle, an Izannah Walker inspired paper clay doll!

2008-03-23T19:19:00.000-07:00

Arabelle has been inspired by the Izannah Walker dolls at the Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art.

Arabelle is a hand sculpted doll made in the style of the Izannah Walker dolls. She has a cloth body, cloth arms and legs. Her head has been hand sculpted using paper clay.

SOLD! She currently lives in Pennsylvania.

She went on eBay tonight. She is a one-of-a-kind doll and will never be reproduced. I could not recreate the same doll even if I wanted to.

Please click on Arabelle eBay Auction below to visit her eBay auction....

Arabelle eBay Auction

~MB, craftswithcare

Paper clay doll #2 of 2008

2008-03-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

Below are two pictures of a paper clay doll I am working on right now. I would like to make her in the style of the Izannah Walker dolls, but then I can never tell what they wish to be until I paint their faces. You already know how naughty my paper clay dolls are.

~MB, craftswithcare

Handmade dolls in my personal collection!

2008-03-18T18:30:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a couple of pictures of two handmade dolls in my personal collection. One is a papier-mâché doll with cloth body and the other is a wooden peg doll.

The papier-mâché doll was inside an old trunk in an attic for about 75 years until a sweet little lady discovered and rescued her. She is very happy to join the MB doll family and is very comfortable in her new home.

The wooden doll has her own little story. She was carved by a gentleman a long time ago for his granddaughter when she was a little girl. The doll collector from whom she was purchased said that this little girl grew up and lived into her mid 90's. This doll is well over 100 years old.
I am so intrigued by the fascinating stories behind these old dolls.

~MB, craftswithcare

Goldilocks and her bear on eBay!

2008-03-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

Goldilocks and baby bear went on eBay last night.
SOLD! They currently live in Pennsylvania.
Please click
HERE to visit their eBay auction.

~MB, craftswithcare

Goldilocks and her bear!

2008-03-15T22:02:00.000-07:00

More pictures of Goldilocks and baby bear. I will have to sew her dress and also embroider baby bear's nose and mouth. Baby bear's eyes are made of vintage hand blown German glass. He is made from a pattern by Maureen Mills of sweetmeadowsfarm. Goldilocks is my own design and has been hand sculpted without using any molds.
They are looking forward to going on eBay tomorrow.

~MB, craftswithcare

Goldilocks and Baby Bear

2008-03-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make a strawberry girl this week. As soon as I finished sculpting her face, she wanted to be called Goldilocks and nothing else. She even insisted that I make a baby bear for her. My dollies talk to me all the time, but this one is very naughty and also very demanding. So I started working on a bear for her today. What don't I do for my dollies:). My poor little bear has to deal with her.

Below are a couple of pictures of my work in progress. I need to sand the doll's face, or should I say.....soon to be Goldilocks' face. Her blue eyes are made of excellent quality hand blown German glass.

~ MB, craftswithcare

Alice in Wonderland by Mae!

2008-03-12T16:14:00.000-07:00

I received these fabulous dolls from my friend Mae Hoover of tatteredcowwings. Her dolls are always one-of-a-kind and gorgeous. If you haven't seen her work before, then please check it out now. She is a very talented doll artist.

She made a series of dolls like Alice, Cheshire Cat, and Mad Hatter based on the story, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland . I was lucky to win Alice and the Cheshire Cat.
It was so sweet of her to send me the fairy and the pink flamingo as surprise gifts. I can't thank her enough. I will treasure these dolls forever!
Below is the link to her blog....

Tattered Cow Wings

The pictures don't do justice to her work.

~MB, craftswithcare

Anetta doll for sale!

2008-03-09T22:30:00.000-07:00

SOLD! Anetta currently lives in South Carolina.

Anetta is a roundhead cloth doll with bendable arms and legs. She is made in the style of the wooden dolls of yesteryear. I have antiqued her face, her arms, and her legs to give her the look of a well loved doll. Please click on 'Anetta eBay Auction' below and it will take you to her eBay auction.

Anetta eBay Auction

~MB, craftswithcare

Thank you for making my day!

2008-03-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I received an Award from my dear friend Lone Pierette. Thank you Lone for thinking of me! Lone, you would have been the first on my list if I hadn't received this Award from you. I love the pictures, the artwork, and the thoughts that you share in your blog. You make my day too!
I'm supposed to name 10 people whose blogs "Make My Day" and here are some I enjoy visiting again and again. I get inspired, encouraged, and delighted every time I visit these places.
There are so many places on the web I like to visit, but for now below are the 10 places I would like you to visit too.

Dolls of Yore~T
Plain-n-Simple~Jackie
Cedar Hill Rustics~Maggie
Multicolor~Marilyn
Chickadee Primitives~Annie
Outside the Box Primitives~Robin
Tattered Cow Wings~Mae
Painted Heart Designs~Krista
Primitive Whimsies~Andra
Acorn Cottage Crafts~Colby

Thank you Ladies for 'Making My Day' ~Mithua, craftswithcare

The many faces of Eve!

2008-03-06T22:49:00.000-08:00

I saw this amazing video on Lone Pierette's blog and asked her if I could post it on my blog as well. Thank you Lone!

~MB,craftswithcare

Rags to Riches!

2008-03-06T17:57:00.000-08:00

I am the founder of a new group on eBay called Rags to Riches Dolls (R2RD). I thank every single member for joining it and helping in making it a big success. This group is mainly for one-of-a-kind doll makers to get together, chat, and discuss various doll making techniques. The artists in our group range from doll makers who specialize in primitive dolls of yesteryear to modern dolls of today.
We will be having our first group launch during the end of April. The theme of our group launch will be an Izannah Walker inspired doll in any medium like paper clay, cloth, or wood. The doll artists in our group are extremely talented, so please do not forget to check out our auctions during the R2RD group launch.
Right now we have 21 members in our group. Please take a look at what we have to offer by clicking on the eBay user ids below:

andras*whimsy*prims

arabesqueclay

backporchpeddler

bonameechi

birdy207

cedarhillrustics

chickadee_primitives

craftswithcare

dolls_of_yore

dukkeskolen

hooptyhooha

Jill Ball (rensler)

jojocrowprimitives

luv2makeartdolls

mystical*entities

paintedheartdesigns

piecakeprim

sagittariusdreams

sew-artistic

tatteredcowwings

whimzikl_endeavors

~MB, craftswithcare

New dolls listed on eBay!

2008-03-05T17:53:00.000-08:00

The two new dolls that I listed on eBay this week are Dorothy and Wilma.
Dorothy is a flower girl with a painted face and Wilma is a Patriotic American girl. Please click on the pictures below to visit their auctions.

SOLD! Dorothy currently lives in Denmark.

SOLD! Wilma currently lives is Mississippi.

~MB, craftswithcare

I am back listing on eBay :)

2008-02-27T12:08:00.000-08:00

I am back listing on eBay again. I boycotted eBay last week due to the strike and instead posted dolls on Etsy. I am glad that I sold my first two dolls there. I did miss listing on eBay though. So here I am back with two new dolls on eBay.

SOLD! Maddie currently lives in California.

Please click on the pictures below to visit their auctions.

SOLD! Cary currently lives in Pennsylvania.

~MB, craftswithcare

Maud Tousey Fangel

2008-02-27T11:18:00.000-08:00

"Heaven's Gift" by Maud Tousey Fangel is one of my favorite drawings by her. Maud Tousey Fangel succeeded in capturing the innocence of a little baby probably looking at his mother in this particular drawing.

I am fascinated by the works of Maud Tousey Fangel. I would love to create a doll from one of her prints. Her drawings inspire me a lot. I feel that every single drawing tells us something about the artist herself.

About the Artist:
Maud Tousey Fangel was born on Jan. 1st. 1881. She was the
daughter of a professor of Divinity at Tufts College in Boston. She began drawing when she was a teenager and studied at Boston's School of Fine Arts. She met Guy Fangel, who was the Art Director of Good Housekeeping and got her first commercial assignment from him. Later, she married him. After their son, Lloyd, was born she got fascinated with drawing babies. She had drawn about 1500 pictures of Lloyd before he was three. She worked mostly with pastels. Her models were mainly children from poor families and orphanages.

~MB, craftswithcare

Sculpting a paper clay doll!

2008-02-22T17:14:00.000-08:00

To tell you the truth..paper clay dolls can be very temperamental. They have a mind of their own even before I start sculpting them. Phew, this one is not very easy going either, very similar to the ones I made before.
Whenever I start working on paper clay dolls, I think I can mold them the way I want to, but am proven wrong every single time. How I wish they would listen to me...

I am scared to attach the limbs to the body, lest she starts a row with me the moment I do so. If you make paper clay dolls, then you know very well what I am talking about. They are not at all sweet natured like the good old rag dolls.

I will keep you updated on the progress of this doll, if she lets me do so :).

Please click
HERE to see finished paper clay dolls.

~MB, craftswithcare

Izannah Walker dolls

2008-02-22T16:32:00.001-08:00

Izannah Walker of Central Falls, Rhode Island made dolls with heavily oil painted features on pressed stockinette heads with painted hair and applied ears and thumbs. I am truly inspired by her work. I recently went to the Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art in the Seattle area. I loved every single moment I spent there. They had a collection of Izannah Walker dolls too. It was breathtaking seeing the dolls in person! She was one of the greatest doll makers of her time and will be remembered by the doll loving community forever.
If you would like more information on Izannah Walker dolls, then please visit Lolly Yocum's website. Thank you Lolly for letting me add a link to your website!

Please click on the picture below and it will take you to her website.

~MB, craftswithcare

2008-02-22T15:34:00.000-08:00

April Harres, a very talented artist is having her first blog giveaway of the painting named 'Colonial lamb'. It is a beautiful original oil painting by the artist herself. Please do not miss out on the chance of winning this giveaway. This is a precious work of art and will be loved for generations to come!

Below is the link to her blog giveaway....

Colonial Lamb painting Giveaway by April Harres

~MB, craftswithcare

2008-02-21T13:57:00.000-08:00

We have started a new group for one of a kind doll makers on 'We Love Etsy'. It is called 'Rags to Riches'. You can contact me, craftswithcare if you wish to join it.
The group logo is under construction and I will post it here as soon as we are happy with it.

~MB, craftswithcare

I LOVE ETSY

2008-02-21T13:37:00.000-08:00

Like my friend Robin of 'outside the box primitives', I too was forced to boycott eBay this week and join the Etsy revolution. I really love Etsy. I am getting to know many wonderful people and many talented crafters on Etsy.
I sold my first doll Buzz B. last night. It felt great knowing that people out there appreciate your work!
The things that I really like about Etsy are its innovative tools and also the visual appeal. Unlike eBay, my items show up on search the moment I post it on Etsy. Hey, I am not complaining....I like eBay too. It is the new feedback system which I am not very fond of.

~MB, craftswithcare

Find more photos like this on We Love Etsy

Kitty Fisher and Li'l Fisher!

2008-02-13T11:39:00.001-08:00

"If you give a kitty a fish,
you feed her for a day.
If you teach a kitty to fish,
there will be no more fish left."

Kitty Fisher is accompanied by her kitty Li'l Fisher. They have caught two big catfish today. Kitty Fisher is preparing to make fish stew and her famous fried catfish platter for dinner. After all 'Catfish is her specialty'.

Please click on Kitty Fisher below to view her eBay auction...

Kitty Fisher

I have also listed a very cute Easter girl named Joanna. She was made especially for SSOFW's Easter launch. SSOFW is one of the talented eBay groups I belong to.

Joanna Auction

2008-01-29T12:27:00.001-08:00

Meet Roberta, the redhead. She is a sweet raggedy girl. She went on eBay last night. Please click on Roberta to view her eBay auction.

Roberta

Below is Moreen, a prim Irish doll. She will be on eBay tonight. She comes with her own leprechaun and a grubby tag, and is sure to bring you loads of luck!

The beagle pups are back!

2008-01-23T20:04:00.001-08:00

The beagle girls came to play with Roxy today. We were very happy to see them after a long time.

The girls kept following me from one room to another and their little tails never stopped wagging. If only there was some way to convert all that energy into some form of electricity to power a house. All three wagging tails combined could easily light up many houses in a single day.

Our pets give us unconditional love. They are happy about anything and everything in life. It doesn't matter whether we are rich or poor as long as we are with them all the time. There is a lot to learn from them.

Pictures of the three girls enjoying home cooked chicken and rice.

Garnet, a round head doll

2008-01-22T19:18:00.000-08:00

I started working on Garnet some time ago. Since the paper clay doll I am working on wanted my full attention, I couldn't finish creating Garnet last week. I was able to sneak away from the paper clay doll in the morning, to finish making Garnet and her clothes. I love the way her face turned out. Don't tell that to the paper clay doll though.

Please click on 'Garnet Auction' below and it will take you to her eBay auction.....

Garnet Auction

Gorgeous day in Seattle

2008-01-21T13:56:00.000-08:00

What an absolutely gorgeous day it is! I took Roxy for a walk in the morning and thought of sharing a few pictures of a bright sunny day here in Seattle.

View of Mt. Rainier from our front yard...

Big baby loves the weather too. She can't stop looking out of the window today.

There is not a single speck of cloud in the horizon. As if they all vanished in an instant never to return again.

Best friends

2008-01-20T17:00:00.000-08:00

One cold winter afternoon, I heard a light tap on the front door. I thought it was the wind, but then I heard the tap again. I had a feeling that all the dollies in the room were a little anxious, as if they knew who had been standing on the other side of the door. I heard the light tap again for the third time. The dog started barking too. I had to get up and open the door.
I was surprised to find a small frail child with unkempt hair standing in front of me. I picked her up and brought her inside. She said her name was Rosie.
Everyone wanted to introduce themselves to this sweet little child. The bisque head girls came first followed by the china head ladies, then came the German celluloid boys, even the grumpy old Minerva head was curious to see her.
Rosie was scared at first to see so many dolls surrounding her. She particularly didn't like the clown in the blue jumpsuit. And then she saw Violet, one of the smaller bisque dolls. Violet was about the same height as Rosie and was also the youngest of all the dolls present. Rosie never had a friend before. Neither had Violet. They were very happy to meet each other. They played together for a long time.

The celluloid boys prepared tea for everyone.

I heard Violet telling all the other dolls that Rosie was her best friend.

Rosie had never seen a dog before. She is getting used to the big furry baby who loves to give Rosie kisses every opportunity she gets.

Rosie is the newest member of the MB doll family.

Mostly Sunny in Seattle!

2008-01-15T16:48:00.001-08:00

When I woke up in the morning and heard the weatherman say that it would be mostly sunny today, I couldn't be happier. After walking my dog in the rain for the last couple of days, a mostly sunny forecast was more than I could ask for.
So, off we went for a long walk. We heard people talking about a big golden glow in the sky. They couldn't figure out what it was. We used to live in Raleigh, NC before moving to Seattle, WA. So I knew very well that the mysterious celestial body they were talking about was none other than our star SUN. He who rarely visits the Seattle area in the winter months.

A mostly sunny forecast in Seattle would most definitely be a mostly cloudy forecast in Raleigh.

Below is a picture of Heloise, my sunflower girl. I created her last year in Raleigh, getting inspired by the sunny weather there.

Candy Hart, A Valentine dolly

2008-01-15T16:39:00.000-08:00

This is Candy Hart, my new Valentine cloth doll. She is a very sweet girl. I finished making her dress today. She chose the fabric for her dress. As you can tell looking at her smile, she loves her new dress.
She will be on auction on eBay around 8:00PM PST today.

Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci

2008-01-07T16:53:00.000-08:00

In Dec of 2006, we went to Paris, France where we visited the Musée du Louvre and saw the breathtaking Mona Lisa. I wanted to stand there and look at her forever! It is truly a great masterpiece! I am lucky to have seen such an amazing work of art in person. As you walk away from the painting, you can still see her eyes following you anywhere you go.
Leonardo Da Vinci painted her during the Italian Renaissance.
Mona Lisa is named for Lisa del Giocondo who was most likely the sitter.