Tips

Here are some dollmaking tips culled from the years of the list. This page will be expanded as time allows and organized, but here is a sampling.

For Dawn and anyone else who doesn't feel sure about their painting
skills...
20 years ago I had a watercolor teacher who changed my life and work
forever, with this simple advice:
"Use a limited palette (limited number of colors) to mix all of the
colors that you need." Don't go to the art store and pick out 27 tubes of paint because the color looks good on the rack. You want all of your colors to look good WITH EACH OTHER. The best way to do that is by using a limited amount of colors and mix them to achieve the colors you want.
That way the colors will tend to "go together" even if you don't have a
lot of experience painting. Maybe I shouldn't get into this, as I am not an art teacher, but I do paint and would like to pass this tip on in case it helps someone. I can only use myself for an example, as that is all I know. (The water color pigments that I learned to paint with didn't translate to acrylics, so ...)

I use Liquitex Acrylics, mostly transparent pigments, in these colors:

* Ultramarine Blue
* Dioxazine Purple
* Acra Violet
* Napthol Red Light
* Yellow Light Hansa
* Phthalocyanine Green
Those make up my basic color wheel. Then I use these earth colors:
* Raw Sienna
* Burnt Sienna
* Burnt Umber
* Titanium White (which I only use for undercoats and highlighting, not
mixing)

With these ten tubes of paint you can mix almost any color you see.
It takes some experimenting, which is well worth the time and effort.
..... A beautiful gray can be mixed from Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Umber.
..... Black (almost black) can be mixed from Ultramarine Blue, Doxazine
Purple,
and Phthalocyanine Green.
....Phthalocyanine Green can be toned down with raw sienna, or ultramarine
blue, or yellow, or red, etc. for many different kinds of green.
And your colors will "go together" because they are actually related!

Hope this helps someone be less intimidated by painting.
I'm still looking for the perfect reds. If you find them, let me know !

Sally G Doty

This could be a long one..
I've shipped many pieces, only had one break. insurance paid because ups
thought it was packed OK but I had that little voice in the back of my
mind.. I should have listened.. I tried to skimp just a tiny bit. If
that voice is there LISTEN
I double box EVERYHTING. There must be at least 4" between inner and
outer box. (my break occurred when I had one inch..). Many breaks occur
because of STRESS. No damage shows on the outer box but the piece inside
is ruined! I can cite examples individually or later.. don't want to
take up space now.
REMOVE all dolls from stands. REMOVE all accessories.. hint here.. if
you make them removable then you can do it.
I punch holes in the bottom of the inner box..depending on piece up to
three on each side, centered somewhat for the piece. LINE the inner box
with GIANT bubble wrap, not the pea size ones but the horsechestnut
size.
Insert ribbon, string, fabric, whatever through the holes.. (two
holes at neck, two at waist and two at ankles perhaps - here is where I
have to get into individual type pieces to tell you exactly what to do).
Tie the piece into the box (Just like Robert Ronner dolls and other toy
dolls). MAKE SURE there is clearance in the box, side to side and top to
botom of at least a minimum of two, better four or so inches.
Pack all accessories separately, depending on what they are
either wrapped (almost rolled) in large bubble wrap or tissue or
whatever is correct for the piece.
To pack the inner box.. if you only use popcorn what will happen is
the piece sduring shipping may very well settle to the bottom, top,
side, whatever. then there is potential for that inner box to be
damaged. Now I hate to recommend this but crumpled newspaper or brown
paper bax material, lots and lots of it, will make it so that inner box
cannot shift.\

Nancie Mann

How to Prepare For a Doll Show

I try to pack a snack assortment and a lot of cold drinks in a small soft
side cooler.

To keep myself sane at a slow sale: I keep a sewing bag (which my family
calls "the big black hole") full of doll clothes set up and ready to stitch.
This keeps me working on something constructive and I can stay clear of the
table enough to let my display and dolls speak for themselves. Last year's
ODACA DAY sale was totally different. I never got to sit down once! I never
got to do any of the hand work that I had brought, and I'm not complaining!

When I first started to show my dolls I practiced setting up a display table
at home to make sure my table looked good and that helped a lot. I want a
pretty table with a tasteful amount of lace and embroidered accents. I
always set up my table and then view it from the front (the customer's veiw
point). I make sure my table is clearly identified with my name, address,
and phone number. I walk up to it from both sides and look at it from a
distance and right up close. I pose some of the dolls to great visitors from
each direction.

I like to take note of other tables at any show that I attend. I look for
tables that I find attractive and try to figure out what makes it work so
well for me.

A local dealer collects small display cases. These provide security and
breakage protection for her smallest dolls. Her best case looks like a
picture frame sitting on an angled box - it has a lock and perhaps handles
on each side. It is lower in the front than in the back. She made a padded
bed completely covering the bottom out of a plain dark cloth. It is stuffed
loosely but with enough poly fill to cradle each small doll that lays down
in it - no moving and bumping around.

I like Susan Scogin's displays. She works in 1/12 scale house miniatures.
She uses a set of several different size nesting display boxes. She drapes
the boxes with matte cloth the same color as her table cloth. This gives
much needed height to her table and creates little "rooms" where she can
place clusters of her dolls. People can more easily see how well her special
dolls interact with each other. She keeps everything really clean and simple
so nothing distracts from her tiny dolls.

A doll display that I truly loved was one by a lady who did best quality
antique reproduction dolls. Her table was NOT crowded and she set up some small scenes with a group of dolls and appropriate accessories. She sat back and let the table sell itself. She is an elegant lady and this table
reflected that.

I like Aikra Blount's displays. She and her husband have designed and made
display pedestals that are very attractive, and are in different heights and
sizes. These are used to display select dolls providing a gallery
atmosphere. Best of all, the pedestals knock down and pack into the largest
one - "packability" is a key for a good display!

One display had an attractive folding screen covered with an attractive
tapestry material. This was used to isolate a grouping of her dolls from the
distractions of the table next to hers which was too close, too crowded, and
too messy. I've seen this type of screen made to look like "dressing room
screens" and others covered like a decoupage collage. A tri-fold screen can
be made of light weight canvas board and painted to compliment more modern dolls too. I've toyed with that idea several times and hope to do it in the future. How often are would screens be useful? - At any overly crowded sale!
Some of my tables at local shows where so close that each table butted up
against the next dealer's. In one extra-crowded sale, two of these
continuous rows of tables were were touching too. It was hard to tell where
one table ended and another table started! And there was no room for the
dealers themselves, the dealers had to STAND in front of their table!

I keep a large canvas bag packed full of my "show stuff" so I can quickly
grab most of it quickly when I'm doing my packing:
* name tags
* 8x10 acrylic display
* brochure about my web site
* 9x12 artist's black presentation portfolio with photos of my dolls
* business cards and holder
* assorted nesting display boxes (to give height to the table) which are
attractively covered with watered silk
* fancy table cloths (cream damask, and cross stitched accent cloth)
* calculator
* pens
* receipt book
* basic emergency repair kit: sewing stuff, glue, paper towels, etc.
* price tags, string, and hole punch (in case a price tag falls off)
* cash box
* lint brush to clean doll clothes or mine.
* "Wet Ones" to keep my hands clean
Make a "packing list" and add to it anything that you find you wished that
you had with you at each show!

Hauling dolls:

I haven't had to haul a lot of dolls since I make so few. It may also be why
my dolls are getting smaller each year too. I've been taking notes at each
sale on how others have dealt with their doll freight with varying success.

Wrapping dolls:
* I made a "doll roll" from baby blanket which I folded and stitched like a
carver's tool roll. I quickly slip small dolls into each pocket and roll it
up. But my dolls have carved hair so I do not have to worry about messing up a hair-do.
* I keep several pairs of new, clean, thick socks to slip over the heads of
dolls too.
* YUCK! I have seen people unpacking dolls wrapped in big diapers, and "wet pads". Using this type of stuff is very common! I've even had a doll that I purchased mailed to me wrapped in a "wet pad" that looked like it had been used to protect a bed first. YUCK!
* Some people make bubble wrap mittens to protect porcelain hands, and
larger bubble wrap bags to slip over the heads. Each doll is then
individually wrapped in more bubble wrap before laying in the carrying case.
A lot of work but it protects the dolls well.
*light-weight foam and bunches of clean, crumpled plastic grocery bag (FREE) are also used effectively for packing material.

Carrying dolls to shows by car:
* rubber maid trunks that stack are great. Lock them up tight and keep them
covered to protect them from the heat of the sun, and to hide them from open view. Some are really large and look like they will work great - make sure they fit nicely in your car first.
* Some of these plastic trunks even have wheels. If not, you can have a
wheeled luggage hauler handy.

Carrying dolls to shows by air:
* Many artists ship their dolls to the hotel before the show to avoid having
to bringing them as baggage. Ship them with in a manner that you have
guaranteed delivery times, full insurance and have a "tracking" slip so that
the package's where abouts can be tracked via a computer. I've only heard of one disaster where all of an artist's dolls disappeared on route to a show
(she had not insured the package so she suffered a very great loss).
* If you don't have many dolls and they are relatively small - like mine,
then you might just pack them up with your belongings.
* Well in advance: make sure that your cases are going to be allowed as
freight on a plane so you can check them in as luggage. Label the cases as
if you are mailing them to yourself. Label all sides of the case "FRAGILE".
You must be able to lock the cases well, and tape them closed too.
EVERYTHING MUST BE PACKED WELL so it can take abuse! You don't want a bunch of broken dolls.
* In advance: Make sure that your "limo service" to and from the airport
will take this freight as baggage. I saw someone last year, left at the curb
with his doll crates screaming "But I'll miss my plane!" as the airport
shuttle took off without him. This service or driver had a limit to the size
and number of pieces of luggage per passenger.

Well I gotten a bit too distracted here! I have to get back to carving. As
it is, I'm going to have to figure out how to NOT look too embarrassed with
an almost empty sales table at this year's ODACA DAY sale (my only doll show
this year)!

Jean Lotz
www.lotzdollpages.com

my studio page also moved to www.lotzstudiodolls.com