Fabulous Results at the November 19th Meeting




 With so many activities going on during the Holidays, it was no surprise that the November meeting was filled with fun and variety. Many dolls from the Kate Church workshops were on display, and there were dolls for the December Bookstore window. Daisy's polymer head from the Kate Church Workshop was fantastic.One of several she completed.

Calendar Of Events 

December, Phoebe Christmas Party, will be held at Mary's on Sunday, December 13, from noon to 3 P.M. Bring your Christmas Exchange gifts. Everyone is asked to bring a sweet or savory food to share. Also bring your Tilda dolls to give to Sharon for the January exhibit at the Castro Valley Library.

December, Phoebe Exhibit at the Book Shop, B Street, Hayward. Betts and Sally will be in charge. The theme will be "Sugar Plum Fairies."
 

January 2016, Phoebe Tilda Doll Exhibit at the Book Shop, B Street, Hayward. Sharon will be in charge.

January 14, Thursday at noon, Phoebe Board Meeting, La Boulanger, 622 Laurel Street, San Carlos. Park in the back and order lunch to eat during the meeting. Open to all members to participate, if they so wish. If you are planning to go, please let Colleen know in advance. If you have something for the agenda, call her on her cell before the meeting day.

January 21, Elinor Peace Baily "Me, Myself and I" Doll Workshop, 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. at the Education Building, Hayward. Contact Colleen at colleen.patell@gmail.com for information.

January 21, Phoebe Meting, 6:30 P.M. at the Education Building, Hayward. If you've just finished your Kate Church figures, please bring them for all to see. Also bring your challenge doll made using notions.

 February  18, Thursday, Workday and Daytime Meeting, 10 A.M. to 4 P.M., Alameda Education Building, Hayward. Daisy will lead an outreach sewing project in the morning (bring your sewing machines or any fleece scraps you have that are 5 inches wide or larger). Lunch and the business meeting will start at 1 P.M.

February  18-20 (Thurs/Fri/Sat), San Mateo Quilt Show, San Mateo Convention Center.
 

 

 March, Tilda Exhibit at the Castro Valley Library. We will again be conducting a one-day  "make it and take it" event for library patrons to come and assemble and adorn stump dolls... a free event for all ages. Watch for date and time.

April 21 (Thursday), Laurie Scott Cloth Embellished Necklace Workshop. Many different techniques will be explored. See one example in photo below. Contact Colleen at colleen.patell@gmail.com to sign up, and send her a check to make sure your space is reserved. 
 



 

  

Show and Tell

 

 

 

 

Anne Klocko shared several of her latest pieces with the group—colorful assemblages using interesting elements.  

 

Even a sewing machine oil can becomes a colorful body

 

Spools of thread compliment a sewing-themed box.

 

 Kate Church Class Results

 

The Kate Church classes were a great success, and  many finished dolls were on display:

  

Colleen - Dancing Fools class

Elizabeth - Dancing Fools Class 

Donna - Transformation Class

 

 

Donna - Transformation Class

 

Daisy - Transformation class

 

 

More Show and Tell Creations

 

 

Kathy showed off quilts in progress for her granddaughters

Linda brought several Tilda dolls

 

Linda's "Pinocchio" Tilda doll

 

Linda's Angel Tilda

 

 

A lovely soft doll for the Hayward Bookstore Display

 

A sampling of the beautiful items Barbara has made with her flea market finds in Paris.

 

 

Bonnie's doll using buttons not only as embellishments, but in structuring the body.

 

Jo Displayed these beautiful scarves.  Each a work of art in itself.

 

The meeting concluded with a make and take taught by Daisy: Making a dress form with a toilet paper roll, colorful paper and wire.  Very clever!

 

2016 Challenge:

In 2016 the challenges will include making dolls with a limited number of sewing notions. The first challenge doll in this series, which will be due in January, will require the use of a single notion to dress or embellish the doll.  Do you have a lot of ribbon in your stash?  Buttons? Lace? This is the perfect time to put these items to use.

 

 

 



Kate Church Workshops were Spectacular!

In November the Flying Phoebes doll club of Hayward flew world-renowned artist and creator of fabulous polymer sculpted figures, Kate Church, from her home in Nova Scotia for three 2-day workshops. Kate is internationally known for her work in conjunction with Cirque du Soleil. Two of the workshops were on her "Dancing Fools," inspired by the characters in the Cirque. The third workshop was on "Transformation," her original wall hanging creation of a figure's metamorphosis between butterfly and human form. Some people took both classes, and the overwhelming consensus was that these workshops were the most enjoyable, informative, and inspiring any of the participants had ever attended. The following six photos are of examples of Kate's pieces she brought with her to serve as suggestions of possibilities for the Dancing Fools.

 Kate was so hands-on in her encouragement and assistance in helping us achieve our visions. Here she helps Pamè create her Dancing Fool on an Eiffel Tower.

Kate carefully and thoroughly demonstrated the steps in sculpting the heads, hands and feet of the figures. This example is of Kate's rabbit-eared head.

 

An important part of the classes were the creation of shoes and bare feet. These samples of some of Kate's shoes served as inspiration for us all.

This photo, as well as the next three, are examples of Colleen's Dancing Fools. Some are not quite finished yet, but they show the wide range of ideas that our talented members came up with in the creation of their figures.

 

 

 

This Dancing Fool was the creation of Elizabeth. Love the pinwheel she made for him to hold. Not quite finished yet, but more photos will follow in ensuing posts of the figures as they are each completed and brought for "show and tell" at Phoebe meetings.

Daisy completed finished two figures for a single scene. I'm sure there are others soon to be completed. We are looking forward to seeing them!

 

Marjorie completed her "Dancing Fool" and added cute shoes and a dangling scarf—and a great hat complete with a flower!

 There are sure to be many examples of completed "Transformation" sculptures in coming months. This one was completed by Donna.

 

Daisy is working on the completion of the "Transition" head shown above. Below is the one she finished in class.

 

 

 

Rosie is hard at work in the "Fools" workshop, making hands to go with the three figures she has started.

Sharon is shown admiring the head she made for her "Transformation."

 

Mary proudly shows us her work in progress. It was a lot of work to do in the short span of two days, and while it was a lot of information to absorb, Kate was so helpful when she wrote out detailed instructions for all of us to keep, thus eliminating the necessity of taking notes in class. Hurrah for Kate! That was wonderful!

 

Kate is shown giving Geri helpful advice on the hands she is sculpting, which include gloves, in "Transformation." 

 

Again, we all loved the class, and it was so much fun spending time with Kate, who is such a truly sweet person, as well as an incomparable instructor. We have already started a dialogue with her to come back again next year for another workshop. We would be so thrilled if that works out!

Happy Halloween to All

Calendar Of Events 

 

 November 7 and 8, Christmas Craft Show, 10 A.M. to 5 P.M., Goose Cottage, 1610 Minturn, Alameda. Phoebes and former Phoebes are among those who will have wonderful gifts and decorations for sale.
 

November 9 and 10, November 12 and 13, and November 16 and 17. Three Kate Church Workshops, 2-days each. Class space is limited to 8 people per class. Contact Daisy at daisybkdoll@comcast.nett  for information.

November 14 and 15, BABE 2015 Bay Area Bead Extravaganza, Oakland Marriott City Center Hotel, 10th and Broadway, Oakland. $10 admission fee without discount card.

November 19, Phoebe Meeting, 6:30 P.M., Alameda County Office of Education, 313 W. Winton Ave, Hayward, CA. A pipe cleaner exchange doll will be due at this meeting. Bring your Kate Church Workshop dolls if you have any finished. Also, and most important, bring sugar plum fairy dolls no bigger than 12 inches, stuffed toys or animals no bigger than 14 inches, or boxed jewelry you have made—to put in the book shop window display for December.

November 21 (Saturday), Northern California Doll & Teddy Bear Show, 9:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M., Alameda County Fairgrounds, Bldg. C. Adults $7 admission. www.crossroadsshows.com

November 21 (Saturday), Susan Else 3D Fabric Sculpture, 9 A.M. to 4 P.M., Marin Needle Arts Guild meeting, Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 1 Wellbrock Heights, San Rafael (Terra Linda). $35/$20 materials. She will be teaching quilting and collage techniques for creating fabric flowers, vines and leaves. www.susanelse.com/workshops_lectures.php.

December, Phoebe Christmas Party, will probably be the second weekend of the month. Gift exchanges will be due. Everyone is asked to bring a sweet or savory finger-food to share. Bring your Tilda dolls for the January exhibit at the Castro Valley Library. Watch for listing of date and time.

December, Phoebe Exhibit at the Book Shop, B Street, Hayward. Betts will be in charge. The theme will be "Sugar Plum Fairies." Small dolls and items will be due at the November meeting.

January 2016, Phoebe Tilda Doll Exhibit at the Book Shop, B Street, Hayward. Sharon will be in charge.

January 21, 2016, Elinor Peace Baily "Me, Myself and I" Doll Workshop, 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. at the Education Building, Hayward. Contact Colleen at colleen.patell@gmail.com 

 

 March 2016, Tilda Exhibit at the Castro Valley Library. We will again be conducting a one-day  "make it and take it" event for library patrons to come and assemble and adorn stump dolls... a free event for all ages. Watch for date and time.

April 21 (Thursday), Laurie Scott Cloth Embellished Necklace Workshop. See photos below. Contact Colleen at colleen.patell@gmail.com to sign up.

July 23 to September 25, Petaluma Doll Exhibit. Phoebes have once again been invited to participate in this prestigious event. Participants will include E.J. Taylor, Wendy and Toby Froud and Kate Church, to name a few. Theme is a fairyland of "Dolls and the Stories They Tell, both Light and Dark." Dolls will be due in July.

 

 

Anne Klocko Demonstration

Tani watches as Ann wraps a polka dot bird for a safe trip home after the meeting.

Anne Klocko treated us to a hands-on polymer clay tutorial at the meeting. She was most generous in handing out clay, tools and other materials for us to use. She demonstrated how to make one of her cute whimsical polka dot birds. Everyone went home with a very special bird to treasure.

 

 

Laurie Scott Workshop

 

On April 21, Laurie Scott will be conducting a workshop on her beautiful embellished cloth necklaces. You will learn how to make stunning cloth "beads" by making yoyos, covering buttons, incorporating graphics printed on cloth, and many other techniques to create remarkable statement jewelry. Here are a few photos of Laurie's work. Contact Colleen at colleen.patell@gmail.com to sign up.

 

 

 

 

Show and Tell

 

 Colleen brought one of her latest fabulous quilts for all to see.  

  These very cute Pinocchio dolls were made by Linda using a Tilda pattern.  

  

Linda also made tea cup "Tiny World" pin cushions, seen both above and below.

 

  

We were thrilled to have Phoebe Jo Magaraci join us at the October meeting. She keeps so busy with her involvement in the East Bay Heritage Quilters

and her class at the Sawtooth Building in Berkeley, where she is required to make one 12" by 12" original square each month. In the above square she incorporated a fabulous Nola pattern doll.

 

Above is Jo's quilted self-portrait.
 

 

Sharon is busy making tons of beautiful items for her up-coming holiday shows. Above is her fabric and lace angel collage which hangs on a wall.

 

 

Here is another hanging ornament Sharon created using vintage materials, including vintage doll heads.

 

 

And, Sharon has been creating what she calls "ghoulies" for Halloween and various other shows

she will be participating in.

 

 

 

Marcella exhibited her completed project from Sally Lampi's recent workshop. A quilted fabric collage was attached to a ground and the background was painted to coordinate with the fabric. To finish, the picture was matted and framed to create a piece of wall art.

 

 

Zoe has been busy making a multitude of originally decorated journals for friends and family members. We have former Phoebe Roxanne Padgett to thank for all the surface decoration ideas and inspiration she has given us over the years.

 

 

Marjorie found a doll pattern from a Russian doll-maker on Pinterest and used it to make this adorable doll.

 

 

Former Phoebe Shawn Dubin is back! We are so happy she has decided to join us again. Above, she is seen modeling a beautiful top like the ones she loves to make from a rectangle of fabric with a neck opening cut out of the center.

 

 

Many of us have expressed interest in the possibility of having Christy Silacci conduct a workshop on her whimsical prims in the coming year. Here is a photo of a Christy doll that Anne bought at a past craft show.

 

 

Rosie brought this Christy Silacci inspired piece.

 

 

And, Rosie brought several of her lovely and very time-consuming necklaces she has been making for the Alameda holiday craft show coming in November.

 

 

They are made with fabric tubes stuffed with a number of pipe cleaners and jazzed up with charms and beads. 

 

 

Rosie has also been creating more of her dolls from Altoid tins. The one above is embellished with computer parts and has decorative ink pens as legs.

 

 

Each of Rosie's tins, which are hinged, are decorated inside and have polymer heads she has molded. These will also be for sale at the show. Rosie is a master at creating beautiful patinas.