Can you turn a playing card into a doll?

The April enrichment was led by Elaine. Her family loves to play card games and there are many cards around her house. She brought a bunch for us to cut out doll shapes and decorative shapes to embellish them. The Phoebes used their manual dexterity and time to start cutting and assembling. We are looking forward to the May meeting and the completed dolls. The photos of Elaine's samples are shown in the Enrichment section of this blog.

Calendar

The May 9th Phoebe meeting will be at Marcella's. 

The drop-in social and lunch will be from 11:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M.  Please bring your own lunch or maybe something to share.

Elaine handed out to those in attendance some information for the May "Reflection Challenge," some shiny mirrored bits and pieces, and definitions and examples. Enrichment will be led by Sally and Betts. 

Enrichment

Elaine tutored us and showed us how to create the card dolls and showed us examples of the ones she has made.

Show and Tell

Barbara was recently in Australia, where she met up with her long-time friend, Gloria, and taught a class to make sweet dresses like this one. It was fun for all!

Bonnie displayed the book covers she made and embellished with multicolored circles and other shapes.

Sally shared the many folded books she made and filled with her drawings and paintings of people, faces, and birds.

 

Bunnie displayed her Flying Carpet challenge--a beach painting with waves, palm trees, and a starfish. 

Daisy completed the Flying Carpet challenge by adding a little doll necklace, bird earrings, and a crown.
Elaine discovered a way to pass the time during the Covid pandemic. She worked 14 days to create this booklet, with text and illustrations.

Rosie used one of her colorful fabrics to sew these beautiful tote bags for two young girls who were visiting her next-door neighbors.

Shawn has been very busy organizing her arts and crafts room with the help of her dear friend. She is filling this accordion booklet with samples of her colorful papers. 

And she is contemplating what she should make with this beautiful, pleated fabric.

Jennifer recently made many of these little decorated favor cups for her church. She made them from paper cups and then added butterfly decorations. A LOT OF WORK! But certainly appreciated!

Geri shared with us the Lisa Lichtenfels reprinted book she recently purchased. Though it is sad Lisa has passed away, the Phoebes will never forget when she flew to the Bay Area to teach her doll-making class. Her cloth figures were world famous and purchased by wealthy well-known people. She was the most artistic and talented cloth figure artist ever, and we will never forget her! 

Let's Make Some Tags!

Most of the March meeting was spent with Phoebes making and decorating cards and tags to put on the Meals on Wheels placemats that we will continue to sew together throughout the coming year. A big thank you goes out to the Phoebes who brought paper, decorations, graphics, and materials for the cards--and especially Caroline and Jennifer who also continue to cut out the fabric pieces for placemats. 

Calendar

The April 11th Phoebe meeting will be at Marcella's. 

The drop-in social and lunch will be from 11:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M.  Please bring your own lunch or maybe something to share. Enrichment will be led by Elaine, who will show us how to make dolls from cards.

The Card Makers at Work 

Everyone was totally immersed in choosing and auditing pieces and parts for each tag and card, like Anne and Suzanne above. 

Shawn and Kathy

Sue, Jennifer and Geri

Sally, Bonnie, Anne and Sue.

Colleen

Bonnie 

Geri

Colleen

Show and Tell

The March challenge from Betts was a magic carpet filled with inspiration and imagination. Marcella filled her carpet with happy memories of things she made, collected, or inspirations, like her Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, museums, folk art, Halloween, quilt shows and the Harvest Festival. 

Anne retrieved some broken clay pieces she had been saving for a long time and turned them into this cute dog. Definitely inspiration and imagination!

Suzanne gathered some carved wooden animals Marcella gave her and put them on her carpet. Her go-to inspirations are animals she sees at the Oakland Zoo where she volunteers.

Geri used pieces and parts of her grandmother's clothes to create her magic carpet and filled her grandmother's crocheted teacup and saucer with seeds of hope.

Bonnie, Sally, and most Phoebes love to save magazine clippings and bits and pieces of designs to collage on pages in books and cards.

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Anne displayed some ceramic necklaces from the 80s. Her friend made the one with ducks, and Anne made her own versions a few years later. She made all the tiny beads by hand.

Wishing Marcella a Happy 99th Birthday!

 

The February meeting was very special indeed! We celebrated our dear Marcella's 99th birthday! What a happy milestone! 

It also happened to be Valentines Day!

Calendar

The March 14th Phoebe meeting will be at Marcella's. 

The drop-in social and lunch will be from 11:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M.  Please bring your own lunch or maybe something to share. Bett's challenge theme is "Imagination is the true magic carpet." Use any media to represent new ideas and artistic creations. So, jump on your magic carpet and surprise yourself.

The Birthday Celebration

Our President, Jennifer, had the wonderful idea of making a long streamer (card) with 99 paper candles. Many Phoebes contributed colorful ones. Suzanne R shows just how long a paper card with 99 candles is when it is unfolded. 

How wonderful to live that long!

Donna is wearing one of the many colorful party hats Sally made for the event. Thank you, Sally. 

The Apple Crisp Anne baked for Marcella seemed to please her very much. It was delicious! Other Phoebes brought some snacks and sweets, and pizzas and salads were delivered for lunch. 

Show and Tell

 

Anne brought these ceramic beads she has made for Beads of Courage. We hope to make and collect more to send in the coming year.

Anne also recently completed four new ceramic dolls that incorporate tins to create the body. They are fabulous! She is an amazing artist!

Last month Betts challenged us to make nests that are filled with things that are near and dear to us and bring back memories of friends, families, and events.

This sweet one was made by Sue.  

Elaine displayed a box she decorated with colorful paper. It is perfect to show off the beautiful card she has just completed.

 Geri created a nest filled with items that bring back dear memories.

Daisy made this tiny bird in a nest made of net.

Sally brought a nest that Betts had made, but she was unable to join us. We hope you feel better soon and join us next month.

Some Phoebes brought dolls that they had made or collected, like this flat doll Caroline displayed.

Colleen made this ceramic doll and displayed some beautiful glass balls that she made with various colors of melted glass.

Bonnie brought one of her flat dolls, which are her favorite ones to make.

Suzanne D brought this Akira Blount doll to give to Colleen. Akira was such a fabulous and well-known dollmaker, and she taught the Phoebes so much before she passed away. What a great loss!

Suzanne R has been researching a very rare bird for the Oakland Zoo. She is now creating these posters that will have photos and information for all to see.

 Bonnie has been experimenting with washi tape, corrugated cardboard, and other bits and pieces to decorate a journal.   

 Sally continues to have such fun with her colorful paints.

 She is so creative!

These are some of the various cards Phoebes have made for this very special celebration!