Phoebes Celebrate 34 Years This October!

It was 34 years ago this month that a group of doll makers in Hayward gathered together primarily by Bonnie Hoover and Elinor Peace Bailey to formally became the Flying Phoebe Doll Club. We now meet in October each year to celebrate this occasion with a potluck dinner. This year we met at the Christ Episcopal Church in Alameda. While participation was not as large as usual this year due to Covid concerns, we enjoyed a lovely meal spread out on two serving tables with savory dishes at one end, and desserts at the other. We complied with church regulations and served everything in individual portions, with one person serving each food item with a single serving utensil. And, we all wore our masks indoors and had doors and windows open—it was a beautiful spring day!

Calendar

November 13 (Saturday) Anne Klocko's home. Drop-in Social Get-together 11:00 to 1:30, Business Meeting at 1:30 P.M.

No meeting in December.

Enrichment

A highlight of the event was the Enrichment Session with Geri, our most fabulous card maker. She brought a ton of materials to the meeting, enabling us to make our own Halloween cards or tags to take home. She had two huge tables full of beautiful fabrics, trims, papers, ephemera and embellishments, stamps and tools to choose from. And, we welcomed her advice, tips and tricks for making attractive cards. Geri, we truly appreciate your generosity, your enthusiasm, your inspiration and the over-the-top effort you contribute to everything you do for the Phoebes. 

While members eagerly gathered materials to make an item at the meeting, most were enjoying their meal and opportunity to socialize too much to finish an item at the gathering. We are hoping to see photos of their creations at a later date. 

These two tags were completed by Daisy. Nice job!

 Gift Exchange

Some members participated in the gift exchange due this month and this photo reveals a mermaid made by Daisy, a doll made by Kathy, A spoon doll by Sue, lovely butterflies by Harlene, jewelry by Caroline and Jennifer, and a quilted bowl cozy and mug coaster by Suzanne. 

Show and Tell

For show and tell, Daisy displayed her wonderful fabric dragon.

Geri shared a lovely paper collage heart...

and a very cute fabric witch doll.

Caroline added fabulous wild red hair to her skeleton, plus a very dressy costume. 

Bonnie shared her witch doll sewn with great cotton Halloween prints, and carrying a quilted pumpkin purse. 

And, she also shared two more of her uniquely designed wall-hanger costume creations. 

Just had to take a photo of the butterfly necklace Harlene was wearing. Absolutely beautiful!

It was wonderful day, very much enjoyed by all!

September 2021 Phoebe Meeting

 

The challenge for today's meeting was to make a tiny doll from pipe cleaners, Pellon, paper and/or fabric, using the pattern and instructions given to us by Elise. Pictured above is the hot pink cutie with a painted wooden bead head made by Suzanne. 

Calendar

October 9, (Saturday), 1:00 to 6:30 P.M., 
Annual Anniversary Potluck Celebration and Meeting, 1700 Christ Episcopal Church, Santa Clara, Alameda. Bring a sweet or savory dish to share. Don't forget your exchange gift if you are participating. 

November 13 (Saturday) Anne Klocko's home. Drop-in Social Get-together 11:00 to 1:30, Business Meeting at 1:30 P.M.

Challenge

The results of the challenge were a mixture of new small dolls like Suzanne's above, made using Elise's pattern and instructions, and original designs made using a variety of materials. Some dolls were created prior to the challenge and others were dolls collected by members and made by non-Phoebe artists. 

Six dolls Daisy made using quilting fabrics, representing joy, kindness, peace and love

Bonnie's clothespin and fabric doll

Sally's original dolls made of wire, stuffed fabric, and painted faces on watercolor paper

Cut tin doll by Donna

Above and below are polymer clay and fabric dolls made by Sue

Show and Tell

Carolyn's fabric purse with scrunched fabric on the handle

Marjorie's very labor-intensive quilt of many tiny pieced figures and designs

Geri's samples of papers made by wrinkling brown paper bags and painting the 3-dimensional surfaces with various colored paints and metalics

Gel printed papers embellished with stamped designs

Sally's one-of-a-kind painted papers turned into colorful paper shoes.

Geri's labor of love—a fabric collage hand sewn using the "slow stitch" technique.

August 2021 Meeting

 

Elise's small doll challenge will be due at the September meeting. And, to get you motivated, check out the one Sue was working on at this month's

get-together. 

September 11, (Saturday, at Marcella's), Social Get-together from 11:00 to 1:30, Business Meeting at 1:30 P.M. Elise's small doll challenge will be due.

October 9, (Saturday), 1:00 to 6:30 P.M., 

Annual Anniversary Potluck Celebration and Meeting,  Christ Episcopal Church on Santa Clara, Alameda. Bring a sweet or savory dish to share. And, your exchange gift if you are participating. 

November 13 (Saturday) TBD. Drop-in Social Get-together 11:00 to 1:30, Business Meeting at 1:30 P.M.

                         Show and Tell

Caroline made this adorable little felted rabbit from 100% wool using instructions from a "Molly Make" magazine she discovered at the library.

Rosie has been playing with alcohol inks and created this lovely floral abstract. Many more to come!

Harlene not only made some beautiful butterfly pins, but also these earrings featuring decorated beads and butterfly charms. 

Geri brought a  darling baby carriage made from an ostrich egg, complete with wheels, bedding and a baby doll. Rosie has ostrich eggs available to anyone who is interested.

Here are four more of Geri's fabulous cards. She stamped the little girl figures and then dressed and embellished them. 

Rosie passed on this photo of the cute quilted pillow Judy Fleck recently completed. 

Marcella shared a fabulous card that Elise made and sent to her, plus the one below.

During last year's dreary stay-at-home days, Sharon got to work finishing several UFOs. Above is the theater she made from some unfinished pieces and parts Rosie gave her. Beautiful!

She also got out several fairy houses she had started during the Phoebe workshop several years ago and never completed. This tall one with bird's nests has an amazing roof made from pinecones she took apart piece by tiny piece and glued to the roof. 

And, last but not least, this is her one-story fairy house embellished with beads and bits of forest leaves and berries. 

All About Cards

 

The Phoebes met at Marcella's on July 10 for a combination afternoon meeting and morning play day, where members used some of the many shared ephemera items and techniques to make greeting cards. Each member was asked to make at least 2 cards to give to Rosie, who will use them during the coming year to send out "sunshine" messages to Phoebes celebrating birthdays, and get-well messages to those who are ill, or those who just need a little cheering up. The result was a wonderful collection of one-of-a-kind handmade cards created by many busy hands. If you missed the meeting or wish to make some additional cards, please give them to Donna at the August meeting. Donna will be making sure Rosie receives them. 

    Calendar of Events

August 14, (Saturday), 1:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M., Phoebe Meeting at Marcella's. 

September 11, (Saturday), 1:30 to 4:30 P.M., Phoebe Meeting at Marcella's. Elise's small doll challenge will be due.

October 9, (Saturday), 1:30 to 6 P.M., Anniversary Potluck Celebration and Meeting, Location is tentatively set for Daisy's Episcopal Church in Alameda. Bring a sweet or savory dish to share.

                         Show and Tell

Anne brought her ceramic "Bell 

Doll" for all to admire. A true belle!

This is Daisy's "Sewing Mother," surrounded by her new dolls in progress.

Harlene created this beautiful note book, complete with pockets for notes and a pen.

Kathy is in the process of making a circular sewn "Black Hole" quilt, with shimmering planets, suns and stars.

Jennifer has been using needle and thread to create "Fun Buttons" perfect for embellishment and creation. 

Sue's latest creation is a "Spirit Man." She modeled this face and terrific hands and added them into a cloud of wet-felted wool, along with a wand, feathers and amulets. 

            CARDS, CARDS, CARDS

Below are just a few of the amazing cards Phoebes made for "Sunshine." Each one is a unique artistic expression of it's maker.