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Back Road BearsHow dare I mention dolls on a bear site, eh?? 
Well, I'm in search of cloth doll artists in the US... and other than Soft Doll and Art Doll Quarterly magazines (isn't it about time for ADQ's spring issue???)..... have no idea where to go to find them.
The show I produce in Maine has expanded into Soft Sculpture...... beyond bears but NOT to become your typical, run of the mill Bear & Doll show. No siree! Must be all fiber, all handmade, all new. I've found an artist who makes dragons and fairies who will be coming. Thread bear artists have joined too. But I'd love to find some more folks who do cloth dolls and other creatures. I can find some local crafters but want ART.
I'm not a doll person, don't follow that circuit at all. But to me bears and cloth dolls... especially raggedy and some prim styles, go well with bears. Maybe I'm nuts. But my hope is to make the show even more unique and exciting with more offerings thus bringing in more collectors while still keeping the main focus on our beloved bears. Can I do it? Time will tell!
So...... anyone have any suggestions of how to reach out to or find such artists... cloth dolls and/or soft-sculpture? I'm not a Yahoo Groups user.... I get lost and confussed there.
Help!!!
Little Bear GuyWonderful idea Daphne, I am not a doll person per say but I have been playing around a bit with cloth animal idea's and I love cloth dolls, you can just do so much with them. Of course I like the whimsical and wacky cloth dolls, but you are right they do fit in with bears.
Good luck and let us know how you make out.
big hugs
Shane
Cincinnati, OhioHey Daphne,
Two that I am familiar with are Gail Wilson from New Hampshire, and Akira Blount, who does high-end art dolls. Hope that helps you out!
Back Road BearsThank you Connie.... have contacted Gail. I will check out Akira Blount.
Shane... whimsical and wild is good too! 
Thanks for your encouragement!
Hi Dee, 
Have you looked on eBay? There are some really fabulous prim and raggedy artists there!
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
P.S. Oh, and have you tried the different blog sites?
Hearts Ease BearsDaphne try Lowell country designs in benson Vt she has a website..but its primitives? and the new catalouge for the Fletcher Farm School is out..they do VERY high end crafts and Bonnies Bundles in Chester Vt deb oh and thers a craft school there also thats called the Country Owl ..maybe they have some too
Ohhhh Daphne, do you know what you might have started?? 
Try www.clothdollpatterns.com- although the site is mainly for selling patterns, you will pick up the names of the artists who created them. Some of them are mind-blowing!!
Along with Akira Blount, try Susan Fosnot - she makes the most amazing oil-painted cloth dolls - she might even up up for teaching a class at one of your shows...
Chrisx
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Our own Tamie Eveslage gave me the most amazing yet simple solution for a baby's face that I'm NFing this month.
Tami? Speak up!!
Shelley Thornton
Patty Medaris Culea
Patti LaValley
Deanna Hogan
Arley Berryhill
Have a look at: www.joggles.com
Great website, loads of lovely materials, patterns, books, etc. Great service, lovely people!!! They might be able to help you!!
Back Road BearsWow! Thanks Ladies!! I've been sitting here for 2 hours checking out these names and sites. What fun! BEtter watch out or I'm going to want to take a doll making class!
Christine - now there is a list!!! I'll start on it tonight, after hubs is in bed, with a cuppa! One of those artists is already doing my show so there is one less!
Shel - I'll check those names out. Gosh, I feel so "out of it" not recognizing any of these names. Very much out of my element.
Aleta - one of the reasons I asked here was so I didn't have to go blog hopping........ that'll take me days and I'm not very disciplined so not only will I end up following a trail of links that will have me on a fun and merry old time but I'll have gotten so far off course and lost days of bear making time and probably found lots of neat art goodies for sale that I just had to have!!!! I'll be broke and outa time and still no closer to finding new artists for the show! But, to be fair, I did indeed find a coulple of really amazing doll artists through blog links!
Thanks for the suggestion! :hug: And yes, I found some on eBay...... bought one of their dolls even! See how BAD I am???
Samantha - I love that site!!!
Andrea - Thank you for those links!!! I'd already emailed Fran and am still waiting to hear back. Saw your banner on their links page. I LOVE Nicole's dolls! Will email her. Sistersanddaughters has some great resources.
Bobbie- you are right, I forgot all about Tami's doll making talents. Where are ya Tami??
Posts: 361Hi Daphne...I make dolls...don't know if I could make a show, but I could send a couple to you for your table...let me know if that something you would entertain.
Hugs, Nancy
Back Road BearsNancy - Funny, I was just entertaining that idea while fixing supper! There are a few bear artists I know who make dolls but couldn't make it to the show but might consider sending a few. I'll PM you after we eat... better go before it all burns!
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)I spoke on the phone with Patti Cullea last spring/summer. We were both scheduled to teach at a new Northern IL show in Crystal Lake last year. (It was a fiber enthusiast's Dream!)
A number of us are one-man shows (businesses) and when we teach there's no way we can man a booth at the same time, so I was trying to get about a dozen of us to confirm that we'd take turns in a co-op booth space when we weren't teaching. Of the 30 that I contacted, only 6 or so got back in touch with me.
Patti was one who emailed as well as called on the phone. As her class didn't meet it's minimum, she wasn't coming from California. I was disappointed because she sounded like an altogether charming, delightful, easy to work with person.
If you are in contact with her, tell her this TTer gave her 2 Thumb's Up, based on her caring attitude of really trying to make it work with my parameters!!
Tami Eveslage Original Teddy BearsThanks for the plug Bobbie! My ears were burning.
Daphne, it would be very cool to have cloth doll artists attend. Be sure to do a search for "primatives" too if you have not already as that is a whole catgory of doll art in itself.
I would have listed all of the above sites for cloth dolls as they are were I have done my surfing. I used to belong (and would still if I had an endless supply of time--it was big fun!) to a local doll artist guild which included doll artists working in many mediums including cloth and there are many such clubs around the US which might post a notice about your show on their website. Here is the link for ours. www.rivercitydollmakers.com .Many artists also belong to an online club called Dollstreet. (you can find it at www.dollstreetdreamers.com )
I made lots of cloth dolls when I was a kid, and designed an anthropromorphic child doll with a felted face (I called him a Furbaby) for a class I taught for the River City Dollmakers, but as my current dolls are primarily sculpted, I expect my doll work would not meet your parameters. (they do have cloth bodies, though)
If you get Susan Fosnot to teach a class I am so there!!!! I love the painted faces on her dolls! A project she had published in one of the mags is on my wish list of things to try when I have time, but taking a class would be even better!
I also love Ute Vasina (I think that's spelled right) She makes these incredibly clever troll dolls, and she teaches classes as well.
Strange BearsHI Daphne
There is a forum for cloth doll artists similar to TT...I know its initials are FOCD if you can track it down that might help....if I can find out more I'll PM you with it.
bearhugs
Back Road BearsThank you ladies!!!! Won't schedule any workshops this year.... have to work that out further in advance with the venue and instructors... also think it's best to introduce other forms of soft-scuplture to attendees at the show and see how it goes.... if there is any interest at all then I'll plan some workshops for next year as there is interest in bear making workshops too. Baby steps for me.... still testing the waters here.
Back Road BearsTami - no, your dolls wouldn't meet the requirements but your bears would!! (hint, hint) 
Someday I'll get you out here for a show.... :dance: no pressure though.... really .... I'm just teasing you. :hug: :hug: :hug:
Hearts Ease BearsDaphne i know Vermont has two craft council sites also...Vermont Hand Crafts and the Vermont Crafts Council..and i still agree primitives are BiG ! cool dolls that really appeal deb
Woodbury Park BearsHi Daphne
I know of two sites that my help www.clothdollconnection.com and www.dollmakersjourney.com both are excellent and have some contact details for the artists.
FOCD Freinds of the cloth doll is a forum but it has changed to a yahoo group from this month.
Hope this helps
Raewyn
