Keely Benkey Reichman's "The Sandman" Workshop

borrowed artwork from Keeley's photos

My friend Linda Bucci is hosting a workshop at her home on Saturday, August 28th from 10am to 4pm for doll artist, Keeley Benkey (now Reichman).  And since Linda doesn't have a blog, I am helping her spread the word.


Techniques in sculpting, painting and assemblage will be taught while creating a piece titled "The Sandman".  Step by step procedures will be given for sculpting the head and facial features that reflect its own unique personality, expression and attitude.  Your head will be formed onto an antique glass bottle that you will fill with sand and tiny momentos.

another doll borrowed from Keeley's photos

If you are interested in attending this workshop or receiving a copy of the flyer, please contact Linda at 949-722-0633.  Tell Linda that you heard about the workshop here on my blog.  


I will be a student in the Keeley Benkey workshop as well.  I'm stretching my artistic abilities to learn how to make one of Keeley's paper clay doll heads.  
I wonder if my doll head will look like THIS one or THIS one or maybe even like THESE?


Mind you, Lezlei (sil/bff) tried to teach me over a year ago how to make a doll head out of clay, but I was so traumatized by the look of my doll head when I finished that I had put it in my mind that I would never try it again!  

I know when Lezlei reads this blog post that she will be laughing her head off.  My doll was supposed to be a head of a woman but it turned out looking like . . . well, I can't even describe it!


That was over 2 years ago, so I have decided I will give it one more shot.  

Biedermeire Doll For Sale

This is another one of my "For Bloggers Only" sales. Today, I am offering this approximately 13 ½ inch porcelain Biedermeire doll. We'll call her Miss Biedermeire for now.  You can name her whatever you'd like if she becomes yours.

Miss Biedermeire has a porcelain (china) head with black painted hair, hands and feet.  Her eyes are blue and her lips are red.  

This lady wears a beautifully sewn red dress that is trimmed in white lace with a matching hood with a fitting bow with red feather.   Her neck and waist is tied with a black velvet ribbon. She wears cotton underclothing including a petticoat and pantaloons. 

The porcelain legs include black heeled boots that have a chip on each toe. The porcelain head is in excellent condition with spider-like cracks inside that you can't feel when rubbing your fingers across her face. 

If you would like Miss Biedermeire, just purchase her at the price listed in my etsy shop by noon Sunday and remember to let me know you saw the sale here.  In return, I will credit your PayPal account with $10.   Your doll will be packed and shipped on Monday! 

A-Tisket A-Tasket - Bernice With Her Basket

I just HAD to share this doll with you that Lezlei created. Her name is Bernice and she is a one-of-a-kind, hand-sculpted doll. Bernice was Lezlei's Great Aunt. Although Lezlei never met Aunt Bernice, she got a photo that was taken of her as a child in 1923 that she used to fashion her doll after. This is "the real" Aunt Bernice . . .


Every time I look at this doll I'm just amazed at all of the detail. No molds were used to create any part of this doll. Here's a back view . . .

Lezlei used paper clay to sculpt Bernice, and all of her accessories with the exception of the lace and flowers. That dress is just fabulous - look at the sculpted pleats! I don't know about YOU, but I just think this doll is one great piece of artwork.

Bernice stands 10 1/2 inches tall, and is 4" at the widest point. You can purchase Bernice from Lezlei's Etsy Shop - Breath of Art for what I think is a STEAL!

Saturday, Part Deux - I've Been Published

On December 1st the 2009 Somerset Studio Gallery was to be released. However, when I was at the Artbar on Friday for their sale, I saw this issue on the shelves!

I feel very honored to have my Recycled Coffee Filter Doll as one of the published pieces on the Expressions Page of this Winter edition.

Thank you Stampington!

you can find the article on page 111

click on the photo to get a closer look

So the Story Goes . . .

This is the story of the Frozen Charlotte Doll

It is said that on January 1st 1840, a girl froze to death on her way to a ball. This is how the story of Fair Charlotte goes . . .

Young Charlotte lived on the mountain side
In a quiet, lonely spot
No dwelling there for three miles round
Except her father’s cot

Her father loved to see her dress
Gay as a city belle
For she was all the child he had
He loved his daughter well

T’was New Year’s Eve, the sun was set
And she looked with a wishful eye
So long at the frozen windows out
As the merry sleighs went by

At the village fifteen miles away
There’s a merry ball tonight
The piercing air was cold and keen
Yet her heart was warm and light

How gaily beams her sparkling eyes
As a well-known sound she hears
When darting up to her father’s house
Young Charles’ sleigh appears!

“My daughter dear” her mother said
“This blanket around you fold
It is a dreadful night abroad
You might take fatal cold”


This China Frozen Charlotte doll was made in Germany in 1860


“O, no dear mother”, Charlotte said
And she laughed like a gayly queen
“To ride in a blanket muffled up
I never can be seen”

“My silken shawl is quite enough
You know it’s lined throughout
Besides I have a silken scarf
To tie my neck about”

Her bonnet and her gloves were on
And she stepped into the sleigh
And off they ride o’er the mountain side
And o’er the hills away

For five long dark and lonesome miles
In silence o’er they passed
Till Charlotte in a few frozen words
This silence broke at last

“It’s such a night I never seen
The reins I scarce can hold”
Charlotte replied in a feeble voice
“I am extremely cold”

4" German china Frozen Charlotte, with painted molded hair and features. Painted gold shoes with

heels. Circa 1890



He cracked his whip, he urged his steed
Much faster than before
Till five more dark and lonesome miles
In silence they passed o’er

4 1/4"China Frozen Charlie, with painted blue eyes, clenched fists and black molded hair. Made in Germany. Circa 1860


He says, “How fast the glittering ice
Is gathering on my brow”
Charlotte replied in a feeble voice
“I’m growing warmer now”

And on they ride o’er the mountain side
As the stars shine on them bright
At length they reach the village
And the ballroom is in sight

They stopped then, and he stepped out
And offered his hand to her
“Why sit you there light a monument
That hath no power to stir?”

He called her once, he called her twice
But yet she never stirred
He called and called for her again
Yet she answered not a word

He raised the veil from o’er her face
As the cold stars on her shone
He took her hand into his own
Oh God! ‘t was cold as stone

Then quickly to the lighted hall
Her lifeless form he bore
For Charlotte was a frozen girl
And never spoke no more

Now ladies, think of this fair girl
And always dress up right

And never venture thinly clad
On a cold and dreary night

Contributed by Mrs. Mary J. Shriver, of East St. Louis, Illinois. November 30, 1935

I read that Charles died of a broken Y

Most Frozen Charlottes range in height from one to four inches. The one-inch sized dolls were commonly known as "penny dolls" because they generally sold for one cent.

The popularity of Frozen Charlottes can be attributed, in part, to the fact that their low price allowed children to accumulate a collection of dolls to play with.

In the early Victorian days, the tiniest Charlottes were sometimes baked into children’s birthday cakes or Christmas puddings to be found by the guests as party favors as they bit into their piece of cake. NO WARNING LABELS BACK IN THE DAY!

Hey Dinah! You're a WINNER - Look a Little Happier!

WOW, I'm on a winning streak! I belong to an Art Yahoo Group called The Latest Trends in Mixed Media Arts. In February they had an Art Doll Challenge and I entered the doll I made above titled "Someone's in the Kitchen with Dinah". I was the first to post my entry, and after seeing all of the other entries as they were being posted (there were 13 including mine), I wasn't sure I even had a CHANCE at winning.

Well, the group voted and guess what? Yep, I WON! What a nice feeling to be selected by a group of your peers. I am just elated, thrilled, delighted, and just in a state of high excitement this morning!

I was going to lay around and watch some mindless television this afternoon and not create any art. But NOW . . well, I would just feel like I wasn't being very appreciative if I didn't MAKE something today! (smiles)

Here's what was posted in TheLatestTrendsinMixedMediaArts@yahoogroups.com

We have a Winner!! This challenge was really hard to choose a favorite, but with 22% of all votes, the winner of the $10 gift certificate to Altered Arts Magazine is: #1 by Sherry G. Congratulations Sherry!! Please tell us how you created the wonderful book skirt!!

Thanks to everybody who entered this fun challenge! It was great to see the diversity and it was inspirational to many of us to get our dolls done! Thanks! :-D Cindy

ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID - NEVER A BRIDE

This is a doll I created that was published in Art Doll Quarterly, Winter 2007 edition.

The doll's skirt is made from folded pages in a hard cover book. The head of the doll is a rubberstamp (Stampland's Headress) that I stamped and enlarged so that it would be in proportion to the doll's body.

I created the upper torso of "Bridesmaid" from a black foam material and painted the dress with periwinkle blue paint. Once assembled, I glued the body in the spine of the book. The doll stands on her own.

Coffee Doll

This is a doll I made using a paper mache dress form, used coffee filters (you just know how much I love using coffee filters!), coffee beans, and a rusting technique.