Land of Oz Dolls

"Viva La Valentine" Sweet Retreat Weekend

2012-02-20T12:57:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon, everyone!! I hope everyone's week is off to a great start! This last weekend was my "Viva La Valentine" Sweet Retreat. Upon arrival everyone checked out the "sweet treats" awaiting us.

We started off on Saturday morning with the "Googly Mirror" class. Everyone had a great time choosing and putting together their "Googly Mirror" kits.

We even had one student, Clara from Ohio who attended via the internet by webcam to assemble her Googly mirror.

Around noon, we went to "Sweet Life" Bakery and Cafe here in Savanna for a delicious lunch.

Then in the afternoon we came back and finished our "Googly's".

Pam and Holly

Becky

Kit, Jan, Holly, Pam, Becky
Sue and Karen

Kit

Karen

After having finished the class, that left time for looking around the doll room and trying on a few hats.

We spent Saturday evening working on various projects that everyone had started and were trying to get a little farther along. Some were sewing and some were painting, but we still had a lot of time for laughter, dolly companionship, and take out pizza from Pizza Hut and cheesecake for dessert! All day Sunday we continued to work on various projects everyone had brought along. I did manage to complete my arms and legs for two all-bisque dolls "Rose", I had been trying to get finished for quite awhile. They are now ready to assemble. Also on Sunday, we went back to "Sweet Life" Bakery and Cafe for a great Sunday brunch! And as if we didn't have enough sweets, Shirley the owner sent us home with about two thirds of a 3 layer chocolate - maraschino cherry cake! It was wonderful!

Sue had brought along her little crocheted cape for Bleuette so my Bleuette "Gold" decided she wanted to model it along with her new "Bluebird" dress Sue had made for me so you could see it.

The weekend was great fun! There is nothing quite like sharing a great time with great friends with common interests. I am looking forward to "Viva La Valentine" Sweet Retreat Weekend 2013!

Before I close for today, I wanted to share with you another one of my passions, bird and nature photography. Today, Monday was a holiday from school so my granddaughter Mariah (age 15) and I went up to Lost Mound Unit (old Savanna army depot) to check out the bald eagle population. I have a tour there, this Friday and next Monday to view the bald eagles. I am president of the Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge which is a "Friends" group for the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. The pictures of the mature bald eagle below, I took this morning, and the pictures of the immature bald eagle, my granddaughter Mariah, took. Our total for the morning sightings were about 42 bald eagles.

Until next time, I hope you all have days filled with health and happiness!! Dolly Hugs, Connie

Happy Birthday Bleuette!!! 1905 - 2012

2012-02-02T08:03:00.000-08:00

Good morning everyone, today February 2nd 2012 is a special day! No, not just Ground Hog's Day, but a very special birthday. Today is the 107th birthday of "Bleuette". Bleuette was introduced in 1905 as a premium for a new magazine for girls. From 1905-1960 the children's magazine, La Semaine de Suzette was published on a weekly basis. The magazine featured clothing patterns for Bleuette, stories, crafts, recipes, games, and instruction in the social graces. Bleuette was born in 1905, after Emile Jumeau and other makers of fine French dolls, bonded together to form the SFBJ company. Unlike the earlier French dolls, Bleuette was created as an interactive play and teaching tool. Bleuette's mission was to help instruct little French girls in the fine art of homemaking.

The girls were all set for Valentine's Day but decided to stop the Valentine's party long enough for a piece of birthday cake!! Here are some closeups of the individual girls participating.

All of the Bleu's want to wish you a "Bleuette Happy Birthday" 107 years old and still going strong!!! Please mark your calendar for my "Bleuette Retreat Weekend" June 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th 2013

Details for the Retreat will be posted soon!! Have a great day!!

Dolly Hugs,

Connie

Tour of the Doll Room

2012-01-31T06:01:00.000-08:00

Good morning, everyone! Well, this has taken me much longer than I anticipated but I have finally made my way all around the doll room with my cleaning, dusting, vacuuming, and reorganizing! Oh, what a job, but so satisfying to have done! This was something I had wanted to do for the last year and finally decided, no better time than now. As you all know, it all started because I wanted to put my pink Christmas tree back in the room that had been in storage for 5 or 6 years. In order to do that, it required a major move around. One thing I have learned in this process, is no more hanging doll plates on the walls at 3:30 am! My neighbor called me last night (we have an entire lot in between us, house is not close) to let me know, he heard pounding the other night, thought it was someone knockng on his door, got out of bed to answer it, no one there, looked up to my second floor, to find me standing by the window pounding nails in the wall, hanging doll plates! Go figure, I didn't know I was making that much noise!
Well, let's get this tour started.

These pictures give you an overall view of the room. Next, I will post some pictures of the small vignettes around the room. When the doll room was built in 1993, we had the sloped sides of the roof to deal with, so we decided to make the corners of the room to look like small individual rooms. There are three along the south side and two along the north side of the room with lighting built in above. The overall dimensions of the room (it is an L shape) is 28 ft. wide, with the length on one side being about 27 ft. and the other side about 24 ft. Here are some pictures a little closer up, of some of the vignettes around the room.

Well, I thank you all, for taking the time, to join me on my tour. I hope many of you someday will be able to visit in person. The shop is open by appointment only, but sure would love to see you if you ever get in this direction.

My next post will be some more of my Valentine's Bleuettes. There are now a total of seven at the Valentine's party!

I also have some exciting news to share! I will be hosting a "Frenchette Retreat" here this year, August 17th, 18th, and 19th, 2012. Next year for 2013 will be a "Bleuette Retreat" on June 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. More details will be posted as soon as I can get all the info together. Both "Retreats" will include a souvenir doll, workshops, banquet dinner and activities such as field trips to antique malls, gift shops, and restaurants.

I also have one or two seats left for the "Viva La Valentine Sweet Retreat" weekend coming up February 18th and 19th. It will be a get together for the "Googly Mirror Project" and just a time to get together with doll friends and work on unfinished projects whether it is painting or sewing. For more details please call me 815-565-0024.

Googly Mirror Project

Well, again thanks for joining me, and have a great "Dolly Day"!!
Oh, I forgot to mention. On the right hand side of the blog, just under the live feed there is a place where you can sign up for the email subscription to my blog. If you put your email address in the box, you will then receive an email from Feedblitz needing you to confirm the subscription, and then you will receive an email of the blog post whenever one is posted.
"Dolly Hugs"
Connie

Who is Lettie Lane???

2012-01-15T20:50:00.000-08:00

Good evening everyone, tonight I would like to tell you a little about "Lettie Lane". Today, I finished a Bleuette sized "Lettie Lane", I won't get to play with her for very long as she will be going to live with Melissa at "House of Missy Mouse". Melissa called me several months ago and wanted me to make her a "Lettie Lane" to be a companion to her 18" "Daisy".
Before I show you my two "Lettie Lane" dolls, let me see if I can explain a little bit to you as to who exactly is "Lettie Lane"?

Sheila Young was the original creator of the "Lettie Lane" paper doll series that ran in the "Ladies Home Journal" magazine. "Lettie Lane" was the fictional little girl that was introduced in paper doll form in the "Ladies Home Journal" magazine in October of 1908. Every month, there were new installments to the "Lettie Lane" series. The "Lettie Lane" series was published through December of 1912. In March of 1911 is when "Daisy" was introduced to "Ladies Home Journal". She was "Lettie Lane's" doll in the paper doll series. She was also produced as an actual 18" Kestner and the 18" Handwerck doll as we all know of them.
At no time, was there ever a "Lettie Lane" doll that was produced, she was only a paper doll of the fictional little girl, so any doll can be interpretted as a "Lettie Lane" doll. It is left entirely, up to your imagination. The original "Lettie Lane" paper doll is shown with blonde hair. Melissa's 18" Kestner 174 that I made for her is taken from another paper doll page "Lettie Lane's Around-the-World Party In Which Her Married Sister Sends Her Pictures of a Little American Girl". She is the one with the brown hair. I will be posting these pages of the paper doll series also. The Bleuette sized "Lettie" that I am just posting is also my interpretation of "Lettie". It was made from the Kestner 171 "Daisyette" mold. I also am planning on using a couple other German doll heads that will fit on the Bleuette JN wooden body that could also be used as a Bleuette sized "Lettie". My 18" "Lettie Lane's" will be made using the Kestner 174 mold and can have either Blonde or Light Brown hair. My next endeavor will be an 8" Kestner 174 that I will be using for one of "Lettie's Dolls". (See paper doll page shown below) "Lettie Lane" has a wealth of possibilities as there were many costumes shown in this paper doll series over the 4 years she was produced. Then to add to the excitemnet, "Lettie Lane" introduced her best friend "Betty Bonnet" in March of 1915. ( I will show her paper doll page in another post) "Betty Bonnet" ran successfully through 1918. So to sum it up, there wasn't an actual "Lettie Lane" doll only paper dolls of a fictional little girl who owned "Daisy" "The Doll That Came to Life".

Here is the original Miss Lettie Lane Paper Doll Page

11" Bleuette Sized Lettie Lane Using the Kestner 171 Mold

She will soon be going to live with Melissa

18" Kestner 174 that I made for Melissa from a "Little American Girl "

Melissa "House of Missy Mouse" made the under clothes for her doll and will soon be gracing her with many costumes from her paper doll wardrobe.

I would like to show you one last paper doll page and that is for one of "Lettie's" Dolls. I will be trying to re-create this doll using the 8" Kestner 174. I hope to have pictures of her posted in the next week or so. She will be the perfect size doll for the 18" "Lettie" doll.

So until next time "Happy Dolling" and have a "Dolly Good" week.

The Bleuette's Get Ready For Valentines Day and "Viva La Valentine" "A Sweet Dolling Retreat"

2012-01-14T07:29:00.000-08:00

Good morning everyone, it is Saturday morning and I have been up since 4:30 am! Dennis had to go to work today so I decided I might as well get up and accomplish something also. I spent most of the day yesterday doing a photo shoot with my little 12" Bleuettes. They were anxious to get ready for Valentine's Day and our "Dolly Retreat Weekend"!! They are also anxiously awaiting the arrival of four new sisters! ( I only have eyelashes to paint and then they would have more friends joining their Valentine's party! If I got really busy painting, they would also have a big sister "Rosette" joining in the festivities. Let me share some pictures of the gathering with you before I move on to announcing my "Viva La Valentine" "A Sweet Dolling Retreat Weekend" here at Land of Oz Dolls.

Now, let me tell you about "Viva La Valentine!!!" "A Sweet Dolling Retreat Weekend". Join us Feb 18th and 19th for a fun-filled weekend with your doll-making friends! Starting Saturday morning at 9:00 am we will be doing a group project, a wonderful "Googly" Hand Mirror!

Kits will be provided with painted "Googly" heads with eyes already inset, ready for assembly. Several kit colors and head styles will be available. All supplies to complete the mirror (fabric, laces, trims, hand mirror, batting, pate, instructions, etc.) will be included in the kit price of $50.00 except for the wig. Wigs will be available for purchase or you may bring a wig to use. The wig will be cut in half to fit to the mirror. The mirror workshop will be from 9:00 am - 12:00 noon. We will then have a break for lunch at "Sweet Life Bakery and Cafe". Upon returning in the afternoon we will then begin our "Sweet Dolling Retreat" weekend. Have you ever just wanted to spend the weekend trying to catch up on some of the "dolly projects" you have started but never got back to, be it a painting project or a sewing project??? Well, now is your chance to spend a "Dolly Weekend" with all your "Dolly Friends". I will be on hand for advice, for all of your unfinished painting projects and Pam Willits will be here to help with all those "Dolly Dresses" that were never completed and were stashed away in those dresser drawers!!! Cost for the Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening, and all day Sunday retreat is $50.00. This cost will include any china paint firing fees for the weekend. (Sorry but bisque firing will not be available). Please make sure everything you want to work on is ready to china paint. Bring your sewing machine and your own personal sewing tools (iron and ironing board will be provided) if you would like to work on a sewing project. The cost for the "Googly" Mirror and the "Retreat Weekend" are priced separately, you do not have to attend both to participate. Come and join Pam and I for a fun-filled "Dolly" Weekend with some special "Sweet Treats"! For overnight accommodations please contact me for info. Call Connie at 815-565-0024. Until next time "Dolly Hugs" and "Have a Great Dolly Weekend"

Connie

Organizing My Classroom, What Started It All

2012-01-11T22:13:00.000-08:00

Good evening everyone, tonight I want to share with you some pictures of my classroom. This is where the whole idea of reorganizing started. I had to find a place for all the magazines and books that I had in the cubbyhole in the back of the classroom. As I had told you earlier the shelves had fell down several times creating an avalanche as they fell. Here is some pictures of them in their new home, the base cabinets. They can only fall through the floor now, which I guess could be possible some day as I am on the second floor.

After moving all the magazines to their new home that left me all these empty shelves which gave me a chance to move some of my painting supplies, softfire greenware and misc. supplies out of the way.

The next task that took me all day, was moving all my modern doll samples into the classroom. Most of my modern dolls were already in here but I had some to move in from the doll room. They all needed to be together, plus my new plans for the doll room consist of antique reproductions only. So here is my wall of modern dolls that make up one side of my classroom.

Here are some more views from the classroom.

Some of my Heubachs still grace the cabinets in the classroom but they will have a new home in one of the vignettes in the doll room soon I hope.

Well, that is the end of my tour of the classroom. I was suppose to be having class tomorrow ( I have a weekly class one day a week) but we are suppose to have our first snowstorm of the season so I think I will end up spending the day alone. That gives me some time to tear apart another section here on my quest of having my entire shop organized at the same time!

Since the classroom is done now, I have decided to celebrate! February 18th and 19th I will be hosting "Viva La Valentine!" A Sweet Dolling Retreat Weekend" Details will be posted soon. For those of you close enough to come, weather permitting I will be having a retreat weekend where everyone can come and work on some of their unfinished projects be it painting or sewing. I will be on hand to help with painting questions and my friend Pam Willits will be available for sewing questions. Saturday morning will be a special workshop for "The Googly Mirror"! I will post pictures tomorrow night for the Mirror Project. The rest of Saturday and all day Sunday will be a time to work on some of those projects that you have never gotten around to finishing. More details forthcoming!!

Well, time to get to bed so have a great Thursday and I hope you can all find some time to play with those dolly's! Dolly Hugs, Connie

Welcome to Land of Oz Dolls

2012-01-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

Welcome everyone, to Land of Oz Dolls and Connie Zink's new blog!! This January, Land of Oz Dolls is celebrating it's 33rd year in business. Little did Connie know, when she started this doll-making business in January of 1979, that it would grow to be an enterprise with customers from all over the world! Now with all the internet possibilities, the doll world has no boundries. Land of Oz Dolls, owned and operated by Connie and Dennis Zink includes a 2800 sq. ft. retail shop, 2 websites with shopping carts, an ebay store, a Facebook page and now this blog!

Let's get started here with a tour of the shop! Right after Christmas, I decided the shop needed a facelift and some organizing! I can't tell you how much fun I have been having tearing this place apart. No major remodeling or anything, however my sewing room and supply room did get new windows back in October. What a mess that was! The windows in the sewing room were just replacement windows so that wasn't a problem. The supply room did not previously have any windows, so installing the two new windows there, meant cutting a big hole in the wall. I had forgotten how big of a mess that was. I spent 10 days afterwards dusting and cleaning every shelf in the room. I also had to wipe down everything in there which included hundreds and hundreds of bagged wigs, shoes, and other supplies and shelves of soft-fired greenware. At least that is all behind me know!!

So after Christmas I decided to work on the doll room and the class room. I had 33 years worth of doll magazines and books on shelves back in a cubby hole in the classroom, the only problem was the shelves kept falling from all the weight. It was like an earthquake every time a shelf would fall besides being a threat to llife and limb! So I started back in that corner looking for a new home for all of them. Heaven forebid, I would throw any of them out! This is the history of the modern doll world, I couldn't let any of them go to the dump! I have traveled thousands and thousands of miles all over the country for the last 30 years, selling at shows and teaching seminars, so much of my doll life history is in those magazines, along with so many people and businesses that are no longer with us. The information, techniques, and articles are priceless! Never fear, I found a place for them all! I spent three days cleaning out all of my base cabinets in the doll classroom, there I threw out everything I hadn't used in years! Now my entire library is on the floor of the cupboards and will only fall again when the second floor gives way from all my stuff.

After cleaning out the cubbyhole, then I decided to move onto the doll display room. Oh, how I had been wanting my pink Christmas tree back out on display. I had this big pink Christmas tree on display for years, then when I took it down about 5 or 6 years ago it went up to the attic. So after Christmas, I kept bugging my husband to please get it down for me. Now this is not a walk in attic, You have to climb a ladder and crawl along some plywood layed down for a floor. I guarantee it went in the attic much easier than it came out!! Dennis has informed me if I take it down again it goes to the dump not back in the attic. My beautiful pink tree is back up and on display, I even got the ornaments dusted off. So after the tree was up and decorated, then the fun began trying to decide which dolls got to stand in front of the tree.

Then I decided to separate all the modern dolls from the antique reproduction dolls. Most of my modern dolls were all in the classroom so I decided to move them all together. Monday's project was moving, dusting , and vacuuming around all of them and gathering them all together on one wall in the classroom. So tomorrow I move on to cleaning my classroom tables (for class Thursday) and back to the doll room for my next step in there. My doll room has little room vignettes built in the walls. There are 5 of them, so next I need to start arranging each vignette. Those will be so much fun deciding what to put where. Now on to some pictures of what has been done so far!!!

One Corner In The Doll Room Done!