Blog

Greetings to all my lovely doll friends... It's mid May and finally our weather here on Vancouver Island, has turned warmer and Sunny... well... it is overcast and rainy today... after all we are in a West Coast Rainforest here. :)

My goal for the Spring and Summer is always to get a lot of pouring done while there is less humidity in the air, for the whole coming year, however this year is different for me...

I am unable to do any pouring and this means no new heads for you and no new heads for me to work with for creating finished French Bebe dolls... I can only finish up what is already at the finished porcealain stage, with perhaps just the costume to complete.

I am going to try to finish the final layers of paint on the heads I have here that are half painted, but I have not attempted that since early February so I will have to see how it goes.

The injury to soft-tissue and tendons in my right hand and arm has not healed at all and I have done no pouring, greenware cleaning, sanding scrubing or painting since early in February....

I have done everything my Doctor recommended for this problem with no real result and now I am just beginning with a new treatement with lazer, and wearing a splint part time... I pray that this will stimulate the healing... I need to work not only for an income, but for the joy and mental health it brings me...

This is the time of year when I can have all the windows and doors open for the ventilation that is essential for when I work with gold paint, the only paint I use that gives off toxic fumes, so I go out when the kiln is firing gold.

Dolls are not all that I have made in porcelain. Over the years, I had more than twenty different Angels molds that were for Christmas decorations, jewellry or figurines, as well as some half dolls, and many of the lady dolls and other small items have gold paint on them. I have many of them made and ready to add the gold that is done in the final firing, so I really want to get those done this year... Some of them were poured ten years ago.

Yes, I have literally two hundred partly made dolls here and some were started fifteen years ago... then I just never finished them for one reason or another... Now is the time, when I cannot lift a mold to do any pouring, that I am looking to finish up these old projects... No matter what I do, It is very painful for me to use my hand, yet I must work on something, I am not the kind of person who can just sit around doing nothing productive. Creating is my life...

Many of the dolls that are partly made are modern dolls, babies and children, Antique reproduction lady dolls with molded hair, painted eyes, etc. I have Santa and his three elves from Kay McKee to finish and many of the Paul C. Jackson incredible dolls like Eve, Pru Pickles, Saphire, Tanzey and Odele... Jane Zidjunas little girls like Kallie, Elise, Georgia, Noel and May... all the sweetest little girls one could imagine.

I have Suzi and Puyi made and with costumes nearly finished ten years ago, yet they stand unfinished... Yes, I have plenty to go on with even if I don't pour for the next two years or more, but are these dolls anyone is interested in buying?

For the past ten years the French Bebe has been what my focus was on pretty much full time... making heads for sale and finished dolls for sale. I don't want to think this is the end of me making more new dolls, but right now, I just don't know...

At this point in time I wish so much I had an assistant to do the pouring for me and someone here to help with the costuming of all the dolls that I am unable to buy costumes for... Mary Lambeth's dressmaker, Shelby, will not make dresses without having one model of the doll in front of her, so it is impossible for me to get most of the dolls dressed by her. We live in different Countries so sending dolls back and forth is simply not practical, though I had new doll bodies sent to her recently, so there will be more new dolls as I am able to get the ones I have here dressed, photographed and listed.

I have dozens of finished small dolls to get dressed up, so I may have to try my hand at sewing again myself...something I have done very little of since closing my Teaching Studio nine years ago.... this means no porcelain work is done when I am sewing. At this point though, I am unable to sew either, as just cutting the cloth is more than my hand can do... Even this typing I am doing now is agony for me, but I felt it was time for an update for you all.

Please keep me in your prayers for a full recovery from this debilitating injury...

Many Blessings to everyone...

Emily

Hello to doll lovers everywhere...

Last time I wrote was the end of January when I had just poured about 25 new heads... I was so enthusiastic I pushed myself very hard. Porcelain work is very hard physically, and I seriously over did it.

The result was serious damage to the soft tissue and tendons in my right hand, arm and shoulder. I have been trying so hard to rest and recover with very little success. Now going into the fourth week of April I have to say I am discouraged and concerned about my ability to keep on with this work in the way I have for these past twenty-one years...

I am experiencing a very swollen hand and have been putting ice-pacs on every day since early February, my Doctor has given me strong anti-inflammatory medications with absolutely no result. Massage therapy has not helped.

Not the kind of person to sit still for very long, in spite of trying to rest, I have kept on working at least on the dressing up of the dolls with the most recent heads, and enduring the pain...

I have done no painting since February, but have quite a few partly painted pieces that I am hoping to finish this year.... Needless to say, many of the projects I have written about in my last newsletter have had to be put "on hold". I desperately want to get another pouring done but don't know if I will be able to handle the heavy molds. In any case, in one way or another I will keep creating as long as I am able to.

Thank you to everyone who has continued to support me in this work...

Emily Hart

Hello to everyone who has added their name to my mailing list and for those who just read my news on the site...

It has been a long time since I sent out a message to you, as this has been a challenging time since last Summer when I lost my son, Joseph....

Thank you to everyone who has written and encouraged me to continue on with my dollmaking. Now I feel I have come to a place of peace and acceptance and have been able to get my focus back into my dollmaking.

Introducing my newest wig style "Mindy", named after my niece, you can see it on the fabulous "Queen Louise" head that is now for sale in the "Heads for Sale" Gallery. This wonderful new wig style is now in stock in many sizes and colors with more on the way, and will be appearing mostly on the German dolls in future, however it can also be for any other finished doll or head you may wish to order. I am very excited about this new wig style.

As much as I wanted to "retire" and just make dolls as a hobby, it is not what is the best for me, or even what I can affrord to do, so I am again working hard and have started many new and wonderful heads and dolls. There will be appearing as soon as possible some new faces that I have never made before as well as many that are the most popular and get snapped up often before I can even list them.

I am working on EJA, E12J & Portrait Jumeaux with applied ears, Bebe Francaise, A9T, A12T, Intrepide Bebe, Belton "Linda", Crescent Bru Bebe in two sizes, Bru 11 with huge eyes, from the Virginia LaVorgna mold, Halopeau in two sizes, SFBJ 247 "Twirp" child, Rare Jumeau 203, Jumeau Ariel in two sizes, Tete Jumeau with teeth, Bru jne 8, Bru jne 3, Rare Pintel & Godschaux P13G, as well P10G Milette size, Bru Brevete in two sizes, Bru jne 11 "Shandele", Huret, French Mystery Bebe, and many German dolls such as the very rare Bruno Schmidt "Wendy", and others with intaglio eyes wiil also be coming up soon.

It has been over 10 years since I presented the wonderful Heubach girl with molded hair, inaglio eyes and that has holes in the bisque to tie a ribbon in her hair... yes, she will be one of the new dolls....

I have nine differet Milette heads now fired to bisque and ready to paint. ( 16 heads in all).

Please let me know if you want anything reserved for you. Most everyone knows I work alone so it is quite some time from the pouring of the molds to the finished heads or dolls, however, I am well into these now, and spent much time yesterday evening sanding bisque and scrubbing the heads in preparation for the first painting... Each head will require 6 to 8 firings to build up the color so it does take time.

Thank you all for your continued support of me in my doll art.... Love, Emily Hart

Wishing you all a very Happy Holiday Season and Happy New Year....

My plans for complete retirement have just not worked out for a number of reasons.

The most healthy plan for me is to keep my focus on creating, so that I do not dwell on the devastating recent loss of my wonderful young son... therefore I continue on, and hope so much to be able to create all the projects I have been putting off for years... My son Joseph loved my dolls and he even helped me choose fabrics to put together for some of the costumes I used to make, he made some dolls himself as well. I can honour him by continuing on with my creative work as he would have wanted me to.

I will create my true "dream dolls".... with my own costumes and very finest silks and Antique laces..... My own style is so different from anything I have been offering for sale in recent years, as I try to be very true to the Antique costumes and usually, I will find a photo of a Genuine Antique original outift and copy it as exactly as possible... So these costumes take two to three weeks each to make, with a great deal of hand sewing and meticulous details. This is what I call "competition quality" when no modern sewing techniques are used, and the costumes are true to the way the Antique costumes were made. This is my true joy in making Antique reproduction dolls.

With the new porcelain that I have been able, finally to buy that is just like the Seeley Lady White I used to use, I will be presenting new heads and dolls in the coming year. I have quite a few now poured, so will be working on them right after Christmas.

My love and blessings to everyone... I am so very gratefull for your continued support all these twenty years.

Emily

Hello Everyone...

As promised, I have officially retired as of my 65th Birthday last month, however I will continue to finish up the many projects I have on the go and that is about 200 dolls.

I will not be taking any custom orders and many of the heads or dolls listed from now on may be the last I will make of that model.

I do have a new batch of heads nearing completion now, and they are all just gorgeous, so keep watching...

If there is any particular doll or head you are interested in that is not listed, I may have one in progress so just let me know what you want and I may be able to make your dream come true.

I also have a huge inventory of molds, and dollmaking supplies, doll accessories and will list many of them in my ebay store as I can get them photographed...

For all of you who have written to me regarding the loss of my son, thank you so much for all the love and prayers. The healing will be ongoing I expect for the rest of my life, but I am trying hard to move forward as Joseph would not like to see me so sad.

Love and Blessings, Emily Hart

Hello everyone... and thank you so much for all the love and prayers ... As a Mother to lose my dear son at such a young age, has been more than I can bear and so I have not done much work at all since the beginning of August...

Little by little, I am getting back into some work and hope to present new dolls and heads again.... but it is going slowly...

I am pretty wrecked and just getting by moment to moment, day by day.... I have little will to live right now, nevermind finding a creative flow...

I would like to sell my doll business if anyone is interested...I will train you if you are serious and you will pick up everything from my Studio here in Campbell River, B.C. Canada. I will sell all or half of the inventory as may be negotiated... but I am not interested in selling off bits and pieces... I have molds for about 350 dolls and many of them are for modern dolls as well as a huge inventory of dollmaking supplies, paints, doll accessories. I am not interested in selling all the Antique doll molds without selling the moderns with them.

I have a significant number of Robert Tonner mint in box dolls if anyone is interested in purchasing all of them together... other wise they will most likely be offered for sale on this website or on ebay in January. I have put the ebay store on Vacation until January when I will present many items such as patterns, books, tech sheets, paints, accessories, laces, and more if I am able to get them all photographed and listings made up... It is a lot of work for me to do alone... I just know I need to let go of a lot of inventory...

Love and Blessings Emily Hart

Hello everyone... My life has changed dramatically this month due to the sudden death of my dear youngest son...

I am changing prices to sell as low as possible.... I hope to add very many new things that have been in drawers for years... my sole focus now is to sell off as much as possible and finish up projects that have piled up over the years. Please check the ebay store for auctions of doll-related items and non-porcelain collectable dolls that I will be listing as soon as I can manage it.

I am open to offers for dolls in my own collection, so write if you have any interest.

Warmest regards, Emily

Hello everyone... thanks to all of you for your continued support of my work....

I have quite a few new heads and some new dolls as well as lowered some prices... You can still buy through the ebay store while I am away but I will not be able to ship as promptly as I normally do..

A new page has been created to show you what the wonderful bodies from Joyce's doll bodies are like... I will add more as I have time to photograph them.

From Thursday August 5th to Saturday August 14th, I will have a short break... so if you write and don't get a response, it will happen as soon as I can get to it when I return..

I hope everyone is having a great Summer.

Emily Hart

Hello Everyone...

Mid July has left me without many dolls to sell, but the good news is that I have nearly finished painting 22 new heads and some will be for sale as "Heads Only",... others are stated to be made into finished dolls...

The fabulous new Hand Glass Craft sold glass eyes have arrived and we now have a new color of palest blue along with the regular colors I have always stocked, that is light brown, hazel brown, French Navy, Blue/grey, light blue, turquoise, mauve and olive.

My next order will include dark Puppy Brown and some other new colors... but that will be a few months down the road.

Other fabulous news is that Joyce's doll bodies are available now with a new payment method, as Jim has signed up with paypal and you can now order his incredible French, and German reporduction bodies with greater ease of payment...

I highly recommend Jim's wonderful artistry when it comes to Antique Reproduction bodies none can equal his meticulous attention to detail and wonderful satin finish.... I like to paint my heads pale and his bodies are the mose amazing color to compliment the heads. As well, his delivery time is very prompt... you won't be dissappointed.

You can contact Jim in Oregon State at phone # 541-382-4033 or Cell phone # 541-460-0032 . Please support this wonderful bodymaker and keep him in business...
If you want his price list emailed to you, you can also write to me and I will forward it to you..

Please let me know if you have any special requests as I will be doing more pouring again soon.

Hope everyone is having a great Summer.... I am thinking of taking a week off to go to fabulous Cortes Island to spend time with my sons and my little grandson.... but not sure yet when that will be... you can check my ebay store where there will be a notice if I go on Holiday..

Warmest Regards...

Emily Hart