Wednesday, September 24, 2014

(SALE PENDING) Morgenthaler believed in the dignity and equality of all children; of all humanity.  She often created dolls of waif children she had observed in her lifetime and in her travels.  She also enjoyed creating dolls from fantasy or storybooks.  Her 'Petite Prince" from the French novel and her Pierrot doll are wonderful examples of her fantasy dolls.

I have enjoyed doing a few storybook dolls through the years from both modern and classic literature; the Little Prince, Secret Garden characters, Jerusha Abbott from Daddy Long Legs, Amy Dorrit from "Little Dorrit", the children from The Family Under The Bridge and Alice in Wonderland are all dolls  I have created that have found their way into collectors homes.  Meet my latest girl "The Little Match Girl"!


The Little Match Girl was a Danish Christmas story written in 1845 by Hans Christian Andersen. His story brought child abuse and neglect to life in a real way.  In Victorian times, homeless street children were a nuisance and very little was done to help them.   His Little Match Girl goes unnamed in the story, most likely to bring awareness to the universal problem of child poverty and neglect.  But I have given this girl a Danish name, Katrine, meaning "pure".

My Katrine Sasha began as a 1970's brunette girl with falling hair.  Like the real Little Match Girl, she had some bumps and bruises.  She has a small scar on her upper lip that I was able to smooth over somewhat but I decided to leave the rest of it there.  She had some neck caving which was fixed and she has been cleaned and restrung.

Her outfit was made by artist Tim Purk and special thanks goes to him for taking such care in is creation.  Sasha Morgenthaler loved to dress her dolls in "recycled" materials.  A scrap of a friend's dress, pieces of an old coat, vintage fabric all found their way into becoming part of Sasha's dolls ensembles when she created her studio dolls.  This wonderful outfit consists of a cotton dress, and a coat, scarf and red leggings of used material.  The buttons on her dress are antique.  I added some pieces to her ensemble -- in order to protect from any dye transfer to the vinyl for long term contact with the doll, I had an old original Sasha Pintucks dress with stains and some damage that I adapted as under clothes.  She has a long, high pair of brown socks and on her feet are rags.  According to the story, all the Little Match Girl had were some old slippers belonging to her mother.    I also added to her a small bundle and some miniature match sticks tied with a cord.

I have repainted and sealed her features and I used as a model, one of Sasha's round eyed studio dolls from 1965, adding touches of my own.  Her wig is a Monique Gold synthetic mohair wig that I have trimmed around the face and adapted for her.
Katrine has a detachable apron; made by her dearly loved grandmother.....
  

(SALE PENDING) Katrine will be signed with a certificate. She is $475; a bit more than my usual custom dolls, but simply because I love so much how she came out, and it is very, very difficult to part with her!  I hope you enjoy her photos and story!   Also, $50 from the sale of this doll will to go Compassion International; an reputable organization that seeks to eliminate child poverty worldwide. Email me at wenarskys@embarqmail.com   (Her little book is also available for purchase separately - it dates from 1962  and uses a doll to tell the story.  It is $10.)
" No one had the slightest suspicion of what beautiful things she had seen; no one even dreamed of the splendor in which, with her grandmother she had entered on the joys of a new year" -Hans Christian Andersen "The Little Match Girl"
 "...her old grandmother, the only person who had loved her, and who was now no more, had told her, that when a star falls, a soul ascends to God."

When you're done visiting here, be sure to visit my Etsy store for "all things vintage" from toys to home decor to jewelry!


Wednesday, September 17, 2014

(SALE PENDING) Meet Perla!  Perla is a brunette girl with blue eyes.  She began as a 1980's doll in need of new features and hair.



  She has been cleaned, restrung and made into a brand new doll!

Perla has blue eyes and asymmetrical arched eyebrows in the style of the early no philtrum dolls, giving her a determined but fun look.

She has freckles and wears a wonderful Monique Gold wig made for ball jointed dolls.  It is synthetic mohair and very soft.  Her wonderful outfit was handmade by Mary Anne Getchell and includes  another piece which forgot to photograph with it - a long pinafore in the same pattern as the collar.  Underneath are bloomers and I put a pair of fun knit socks on her feet but I had no matching boots so I will leave her footwear to her new owner!








( Perla is photographed with Siri who has already been adopted,)

Go sit upon the lofty hill
And turn your eyes around
Where waving woods and waters wild
Do hymn an autumn sound
The summer sun is faint on them-
The summer flowers depart--
Sit still...as all transform'd to stone,
Except your musing heart. 


 Perla is $345 and comes in the outfit shown as well as the pinafore that can either go under or over it.  Shipping based on zip code or international.  Email me at wenarskys@embarqmail.com if interested!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(SIRI -- SOLD) Meet Siri!  Siri is a one of a kind custom Sasha baby girl.  She began as an early brunette girl with falling hair.  She has been cleaned and restrung but she's had lots of previous loving so she still has a smudge on one cheek.  Because of this, it was necessary to blush her cheeks and give her some freckles.  I think she is very cute this way!




 She wears a green gingham handmade dress and her wig is a Monique Gold wig that has been styled for her.  Sasha Morgenthaler sometimes liked to use a blending of two hair tones on her wigged studio dolls and even the production dolls often had a blending of two tones of blonde for realism; and this wig is similar.



Siri has green eyes and her name means "beautiful victory" - I think she is, after many years of neglect; she is a brand new personality!
Siri is $205 and comes in the little green dress shown - toys are props but not included.
But I am sure you will enjoy filling her toybox full of goodies!
Email me at wenarskys@embarqmail.com if interested!