polymer vs. porcelain: Pearl, I see your point. I assumed that the Elvis was a custom doll (much like my portrait dolls) and not one made from a previous mold. Therefore, starting from scratch, the whole process can take 3 months or more. When I make a portrait doll I make a model first, then the mold and finally the finished doll. I make a mold even though it will be a one-of-a-kind to ensure that there are no kiln disasters which would require starting over from scratch.
It is true that dolls made from previously made molds would go much quicker. How quickly depends on several factors. If the doll maker only makes the doll in one way - one pose for hands - eyes one color- etc. and he/she is not out of any of the parts, the doll would only have to be put together and costumed. If there are a number of choices, including custom posed hands, eye color etc., the wait can be longer. Invariably someone orders a doll that needs a custom posed hand immediately after you've just fired the kiln.
So they not only have to wait for their posed hand, but the rest of the kiln must be filled before firing. China painting also takes a lot longer as we can end up doing up to 10 separate firings. If the artist offers a lot of dolls and options (i.e. shoe styles etc.) then they are more likely to be out of parts. How long it takes to fill a kiln also depends on the doll artist/maker. Some doll artists refine all the parts before they go in the kiln. For me, each head takes an hour of 'resculpting', to make all the features as realistic as possible. The hands and shoes also take a good bit of time. Some other doll makers don't do much more than get rid of the seams. They can have a full kiln load much quicker.
So Pearl, I agree with you that a polymer doll would take longer to make than one that is made from already made porcelain parts. I know that the models for my portrait dolls and some of my regular dolls take up to 40 hours to sculpt. The shoes also take about that long. So yes, polymer dolls do take longer in that respect. But then, you are nearly finished. The porcelain doll artist is just getting started. The molds and all the firings take a lot longer, not to mention all the time we spend waiting for things to dry. I was thinking that Elvis had to start out a lump of clay, so to speak, and so he would take longer than a regular porcelain doll. :-)

Debbie Olsen

Glue for wigging: I use plain old Elmers Glue for wigging miniature dolls. Let it set til it's a little tacky and it's easier to work with. If you don't like the results you can pull the hair right off a porcelain doll head, or of it's polymer, you can wet the hair and because Elmers is water soluble, it will come right off and you can start over.

Paulette Stinson

Glue for wigging: "How difficult is it to remove hair that doesn't work? What kind of glue should I use?"
It's not too hard. When I want to remove a wig, I usually put the doll in a 250 to 300 degree oven for a short time to soften the glue... then I yank it off. I use Aileen's tacky glue and it seems to work just fine.

Viola

Raggedy Ann & Andy - Sizes: You asked about making Raggedy Anns and Andys in miniature. First- yes, people love those dolls and they should sell well. 2" for a 1:12 scale is a little large (would be a 24" doll) but I have seen them that size. They would be a little large to display in a doll's arms. The 1 1/4" doll would probably look more real to life. (would be like a 15" tall dolly) It would be too large, I think, for 1/2" scale - I don't think you could go over 1" for that scale. Remember, a grown adult man doll would only be 3" (corresponding to a 6 ' tall man)- so a child is only about 1 1/2"- 1 3/4" tall. I think you would only need boxes if the dolls were to be displayed for sale in a toy shop, and maybe not even then. (They could sit on shelves) People wouldn't need boxes if the dolls go right into a scene; in a doll's arms or in a bedroom or nursery. That's my "2 cents' worth".

Paulette in IN

Sleeping Fairy Baby Doll: I have instructions for making a sleeping baby fairy on my site:
http://gerdesdesign.com/northwest.htm

Anne

Fairy Dolls: go to http://msatminidolls.minilists.com/projects.html for some great step-by-step instructions on several different fairy dolls (you can order body kits), as well as some other great projects. Also, the Frills & Fancy newsletter at http://www.miniatureart.com/ has some great stuff. They also sell dollmaking supplies and kits for the dolls at the first site above.

Graceanne

Queen of Sheba: I have been fascinated by (and researching) her story for years now. Oddly enough, of all the dignitaries who visited King Solomon during his reign, she is the only one mentioned by name in the bible. There is also a very detailed list of all the gifts she brought him, kind of interesting. As Paulette said, she was the Queen of the Ethiopian people (the Sheban kingdom is believed to have stretched across the Red Sea, including what is now Ethiopia and also Yemen). The son she bore from Solomon is a legendary hero in Ethiopia. Their stories have a lot of info about her. You will also find stories about her in Arabic traditions, though there she is represented as a witch or a demon (I have a few theories about all this, if you're interested - I think there was basically a "trade war" at the time & Sheba & Israel cut a deal). She would be a fascinating character to create.

Graceanne

Russian Nesting Dolls: I called the man with the miniature Russian nesting dolls. It is a local call for me. He told me they are not yet on his web site but will be shortly (probably within a month). He told me that in the 3/4" size he has dolls, snowmen and Santa's. He said he received 2 e-mails already about them since I posted his info. and he does have them in stock so if you are interested, let him know. I was very pleased with his merchandise - the dolls are great but he says that they are hard to get from his supplier as there is a high damage factor (which is understandable when you see how thin the wood is) and a low profit margin. However he does have them right now. If you missed the contact info, here it is again:

Alex Telyatnikov
ABE Universal Vending
P. O. Box 654
Fogelsville PA 18051-0654
web site: http://russiantreasure.net
E-mail: russiantreasure@hotmail.com
Phone: 610-366-9434
fax: 360-838-6216

Jo Roseberry

Russian nesting dolls: just got this message from the man with the mini nesting dolls. They are now on his web site. http://russiantreasure.net/NestMiniatures.htm

Jo from the Poconos

Russian Nesting Dolls: Warwick Miniatures in England make some Russian nesting dolls in painted pewter. Warwick do not sell retail but you can see, and buy, from Jojays at http://www.jojays.co.uk You will find them by going to Catalogue, then Warwick, then Nursery Toys, then page 2. Jojays have nice things anyway.

Andrea in Yorkshire, UK

Yellow Rain Slicker: There is an easier way of making those little yellow rain slickers and without sewing! Use one finger of a yellow rubber glove to cut the slicker from and then use small black hooks and eyes glued down the front for the closures. Makes a very convincing slicker. Cut off the finger approximately 1 1/2" from the tip of the glove. About 5/16 of an inch down from the tip of the finger cut horizontally int the front of finger until almost all the way through the glove finger, leave a "hinge to act as the flap that connects the "hood" of the slicker. Next, cut vertically down the center of the coat to create the opening. Make two little tubes out of a piece of the left over original glove material to make the sleeves. Glue sleeves and hooks on to slicker and you have it.

Marilyn, MI

Shoes: Doll's cobbler has wonderful shoes and I do have a couple of hers - but if you are going to place shoes in a distant area and would like many, I suggest getting the many styles available at Metal Miniatures from the Reynolds in Illinois. I did an "Imelda's Closet" vignette and filled it with a lot of shoes in different colors & styles. I added raveled Bunka for frou-frous on some and managed to make some of the same styles look different with varied trims and colors. It was loads of fun and not very expensive for a novelty setting. Just an idea for those of you who have open closets or want some shoes in a bedroom.

Jeanette in Wisconsin

Historical Figures: Mr. Stuart (as he insists being called) is not only a really wonderful artist, but a very interesting man as well. He doesn't work in Miniature, his historical figures are 20 inches or so I believe. I thought I'd give the group his web site because it is certainly wonderful to see his work. http://members.aol.com/gsfigures/index.html

James Peacock

Plaster Molds: I have worked with plaster molds professionally and as an amateur in the past. I have even made molds, but have worked almost exclusively in porcelain and earthenware. I will attempt to offer some suggestions. I believe that if you use hydrocal plaster to pour into the molds you may have some success. It is stronger and there was some discussion on where to purchase it some months ago. So go to the archives and search for it. When I made molds I used tincture of green soap ((pharmacy) as a separator, not baby powder and other things. I know that many people will suggest other things and they probably will work. I can only tell you what I have used and been successful with. Brush on a light coat and try to avoid bubbles. And if you are attempting to mold very thin intricate things perhaps plaster is not what you should use, but rather resin or something else that will hold the intricate shape better. If I can be of any further help, please email me. It will be helpful to know exactly what you are trying to replicate.

Gary in NH

Dressing dolls: I've never done any doll dressing but here are a couple ofproject pages that might help & give you some ideas.
http://msatminidolls.minilists.com/projects.html
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1139518&a=11209329&f= Gina Bellous's album. She is one of the ultimate doll makers - check out the rest of her album. Also has tips for carving dolls from clay.)

Marty

Sculpting dolls: I've sculpted plenty of dolls, and I like Super Sculpey. Start with a ball for a head, stuck on a dowel end so you can work on it easier. You can add a chest plate or torso later. You'll need some little sculpting tools: one I use the most is the size of a smooth wooden pencil, and sharpened on one end, but to a dull rounded edge, not a point. You can use this to kind of roll features in, or make eye socket-shapes, hollows under cheekbones, indentation of chin, etc. It really is hard to describe, but I'm sure you'll do great. Be sure to bake in oven for just the amount of time required or less, because if you overbake, outer features will turn brown. There are great videos and books out there on sculpting dolls, but I never did use any. I think if you have the basic talent, you'll be able to do it, and I'm sure with all the wonderful things you've done thru the years, you've got the talent! You can email me privately if you get stuck on anything, and I'll do my best to tell you how to do it (or how I would do it)

Paulette Stinson

Cheaper dolls: if you are looking for cheaper dolls, try http://www.Bodo-Hennig.com I have a family of rubber dolls, with very nice detailing. Doesn't look cheap at all. Go to the website, click on Spielsachen fur kids, then click on Puppenstubenpuppen. You can see the rubber dolls on the second Photograph from the top. They don't show the kids, but they are also very cute.

For some-one with kids, click on Interaktive Spielseite. It has a picture of a dh, with furniture next to it. You drag the furniture with your mouse, and put it in the dh. The kids love it!

If you want the name of a distributor in the States, e-mail them at info@bodo-hennig.com . The site is in German, but I sent them an English e-mail, and they gave me the distributor in my country. I love my dollies, but unfortunately my little boy was stolen from a little Christmas scene I made last year. We had guests with kids, and afterwards the little boy was gone. My (fullscale!!) son was devastated, because the lost doll was his replica in my dh. My kids both have doubles in my dh, with their own bedrooms. We have a new adopted porcelain doll though, sent to me by Micki in Scotland. Apparently Bella was a problem child at her previous home, but she calmed down nicely. She only tried to sneak out once so far. She is now sharing a room with my mini daughter, but I still have to find a replacement for my mini son.

Betsie, South Africa

4" mini Barbie dolls: There's no way anyone can get all the info. you need in one letter, but here are some basic ideas: Reduce regular size patterns (1" = 1') 70% and I think that should be about right. Or enlarge 1/2" scale patterns by 141% (that's the percentage on my copier)
You can definitely use the same techniques other people use for dressing miniature dolls. Use the thinnest fabrics possible to cut down on bulkiness. Some items like collars, you will just get the effect of - you won't actually be stitching a tiny collar. If you iron a stiffening or backing to a tiny piece of fabric so it won't fray, you can then cut a collar out and glue it on. Tiny dolls can easily be wigged by gluing viscose waves and curls right onto the doll's head., I have many patterns easily adaptable to other scales, with easy instructions. I also publish a newsletter with patterns and instructions for different sized miniature dolls. Also included are tips and hints that would be helpful to you. If you're interested, check out my website at http://www.daintydoll.bigstep.com

Paulette Stinson in Indiana

Lingerie: last year Dolls House World had a neat idea for modern bras and panties -- cut the clear plastic bubbles used to pack pills like Imodium in half to make the bra cups, trim away the extra plastic, glue lace over the cups, then add narrow ribbon or bunka straps and backs. Matching bikini pants are just strips of lace glued front and back to a waistband circle of the narrow ribbon. Since they're non-elastic, they won't "work" for a doll to wear, but they display nicely on hangers or in gift boxes.

Loretta.Sniarowski

how to make lingerie out of lace scraps: here are a few ideas: basic slip or nightgown is a tube formed from a piece of lace about 4" x 4". Trim top and bottom edge with narrow lace (or bottom edge may already have a finished edge) Stitch up back, and add ribbon straps. (or you can slice a finished edge off the lace and use it.) For a mini bra, cut a 1 1/4" piece of 1/2" wide lace. Gather tightly across the middle, and on both ends to form "cups". Add narrow ribbon or trim for back and straps. For panties, cut two panty shapes out of 1"lace squares and glue crotch and sides together. Hard to give instructions in a few words, hope this helps! Narrow pleated white nylon makes great mini lingerie stuff.

Paulette Stinson