Hello there, are you still here?
This is my first post this year. But after a little break I'm getting back slowly.

A little break sounds like I had a lot of fun, doing a lot of other things. But no. I don't want to call it a burn out, but maybe it was.

As you may know I had problems with my shoulder. It's probably the cause of a fall on my shoulder during skiing two years ago. I had a lot of pain for months, lack of sleep, migraines, pain killers, injections and no rest. And then I got some other physical problems too. Eventually I lost my spirit to do anything. I had no feeling with dolls anymore what so ever, no creativity at all. And then the stress came. Now what.

I had to learn a lot about myself these months. And now things are going much better. My creativity, my urge to create is coming back. I still have some off days, but now I accept them and that gives a lot of peace. My shoulder still isn't fine and it will probably never be without injections or an operation, but for now it's oké.

I always doubt to tell something personal here, the not so good things. But life is like that.
I want to focus more now, getting to find my inner child again, because I lost her a long time ago.

So there will be dolls again and once in a while I will share a recipe with you. These recipes will be healthy with a minimum of added coconut sugar. I would love to hear if you would like that!
And maybe, finally I will send out a newsletter, because a lot of you subscribed. Thank you so much for that!!

So what's up?
Well at the moment I'm trying to finish some private commissions, because these sweet people are waiting for a very long time. One girl is here with me all naked, with curls like a wild forest. Waiting for the fabrics to arrive to make her a smocked dress.



But in between I'm also working on some dolls for a shop update.
I already made a few pocket dolls, but I want to add a few more to the family before they will be for sale. Some will have bodies that are natural dyed, others with organic nicky velours. There will be a few with non organic nicky velours. I don't want to waste any fabric (better for the environment) so I will use it until there is no more.

Aah de holiday's are over and everything is getting back to business slowly.
This year I decided to not work on dolls during summer break. But my daughter Liv turned 10 the 5th of August and she wanted a doll from me so bad...so....this was the time to make one for her. And this is the girl I created for her. It's fantastic to hold her and she can sit so beautifully. I'm so happy this girl will stay here forever.
In the meantime I also wrote the pattern down for this cardigan and when I have enough courage I will put it in my shop for purchase so you can knit this cardigan for your lovely dolls yourself.

In between the two European Waldorf Doll Seminar weekends I made this little mini doll. She is only 2.7" tall. I had some stress in that week because I still had to adjust some things, like the pattern, the work book and I needed to sew some clothing sets. Afterwards it was a bit more work than I thought. But it felt good that I made her and it was nice to have her with me the second weekend. I already made another one (totally different then this one). I will show her when I have made a few more.

Nederlands: Ik ben helemaal vergeten twee meisjes aan jullie te laten zien. Ik was en ben nog steeds heel druk met het European Waldorf Doll Seminar. Afgelopen weekend was het eerste weekend. Er waren zoveel mensen van over de hele wereld. Iedereen heeft heel hard gewerkt.
Het is echt wel een must om naar toe te gaan als je van poppen maken houdt en graag nieuwe technieken wilt leren. Omdat iedereen weer andere technieken gebruikt is het heel interessant en vooral ook heel erg gezellig.
Komend weekend geef ik daar nog 1 workshop.
Doordat ik zo druk was heb ik eigenlijk helemaal geen foto's gemaakt, maar als je de sfeer een beetje wilt proeven moet je even naar de site van Feinslieb gaan. Zij heeft heel veel mooie foto's gemaakt om te bewonderen.

English: I totally forgot to show you these two little girls. I have been and still are busy with The European Waldorf Doll Seminar. Last weekend was the first. There were so many sweet ladies from all over the world. Everybody worked very hard.
It really is a must to visit the seminar if you love making dolls and would love to learn other or more technics. Every doll maker has his own technics and that's what it makes it so interesting.
This weekend I will give one more workshop there.
I didn't had the time to make photo's but you can go to Feinslieb website. She made some wonderful photo's.


Nederlands: Ik heb ook eindelijk de twee kleine pocket dolls afgemaakt. Beide zijn ze al verkocht.
English: I also finally finished the two little pocket dolls. Both are already sold.

It's so wonderful to hold them all together, it gives me a warm heart.






They will all be available in my Etsy shop on Thursday 8pm European time (that would be 3pm New York time). Three of them have botanical dyed bodies (avocado stones, avocado skins and chlorophyl extract).

Everett is a little 10" custom boy. Isn't he handsome in his jeans and shirt. He also has a hand knitted cardigan for the walks he will have outside. He can even put little findings in his pockets.


Those little buttons on his shirt are only 3mm.
It was a joy creating him and his clothes. Me and his mom are two very happy ladies!

Nederlands: Ik ben een beetje stil, maar ondertussen ben ik hard aan het werk en aan het brainstormen.
Nog even en dan begint het Seminar, dus het is nu tijd voor mij om mij op de kleintjes te concentreren, de 10" popjes.
Psst. zie je de kleine knietjes? De popjes zullen ook een beetje verzwaard worden!


Maar tussendoor maak ik ook de knuffelpopjes, zodat ik er binnenkort een paar beschikbaar zal hebben in mijn Etsy shop. Een paar zijn gemaakt van gewone Nicky velours, maar bij andere heb ik de Nicky velours geverfd met avocado pitten, avocado schillen, alder cones en chlorophyll extract.

English: I'm a bit quiet, but I'm working hard on all kind of dolls.
The Seminar will be soon, so it's time for me to focus on the little 10" dolls.
Psst. do you see the  little knees? The little dolls will also be a little bit weighted!
But in between I'm also making little cuddle dolls. I already have three ready, but I want to have a few more before I pop them in my Etsy shop.
I few of them will have a regular Nicky velours body, but others will be botanical dyed with avocado stones, avocado skins, alder cones and chlorophyll extract.


Nederlands: Van boven naar onder alder cones, avocado schillen en chlorophyll extract.

English: from top till bottom alder cones, avocado skins and chlorophyll extract.



Nederlands: Als ze allemaal klaar zijn, zullen ze beschikbaar zijn in mijn Etsy shop. Ik hou jullie natuurlijk op de hoogte!

English: They will be available in my Etsy shop when I have a few more of these cuties ready. I will keep you posted!

Aah at last, here she is. I named her Sophia. She is about 15" tall. I love this length. Not to big and not to small. Just perfect to play with and to hold.


Her face is needle sculpted and she has embroidered facial features.  She is made with Swiss jersey and stuffed with clean carded wool. Her hair is made of doll mohair  crocheted into a cap.
She is wearing a cotton double gauze dress (with smaller checks inside), trousers, hand knitted cardigan and boots in Eden Cottage Hayton yarn and a lined woolen bonnet.
With her you also receive a certificate of authenticity and a little repair kit, containing needle and thread and a wax crayon to give her those lovely rosy cheeks.
SOLD - Her price is € 475,- excl. shipping.

This is little Pia. She already found a loving home and she will be home for Christmas.
Oh my Christmas...already. It all went so fast.
Meanwhile Rosamée is still here (see previous post). I wanted to give her some extra clothes, but I still haven't made a thing. I was busy with Sinterklaas and then I catched a cold. So she probably will spend Christmas here at my home.

This weekend was my second workshop and I met such sweet and hard working ladies. They did such a good job! I think we would loved it if it was even one day longer.
I took little Rosamée with me. And while I went home to cuddle under my blanket, she stayed there with all the wonderful ladies.
I'm not sure what happened that night and in which room she slept...



And now...
Some rest and time to work on a wardrobe for little Rosamée, because it's too cold for short sleeve dresses.

My two bookworms.
Well bookworms. They love to read scary books together. Preferably when it's dark and they can use their little flashlight. But you know what happens if you let them. They will be awake all night and that means I'll be awake all night too.
So no scary books for the girls, only books about fairies and fairy dust.


Little Rosie and Silke have found a lovely home. I have to get them ready for their travels now. I will miss them, but I know they will be loved. And they take their bunny boots with them so they will feel at home in notime.

Het is een beetje kort dag. Maar we hebben een workshop gepland in het weekend van 18 en 19 November en er zijn nog plekken vrij.
Ook deze keer zal de workshop gegeven worden in Spijkenisse bij Wilma en Martha.
Ga even naar het tabje Workshops bovenaan voor meer informatie!

Dit zijn Silke en Rosie. Deze twee meisjes heb ik gemaakt om mee te nemen naar de workshop komend weekend.