Enchanting Art Dolls and Soft Sculptures: Sculpting  Crazy Quilting  Embellishing  Embroidery
Marina Druker is a Russian now living in Israel who makes sculpted dolls from air-hardening 'clay' and sophisticated, not-for-children softies that are elaborate, eye-catching and a little bit different from the style we’re used to seeing from Australian and American designers. As a result, this book is likely to stimulate and inspire you to experiment with a range of techniques to achieve dolls and exquisite softies that reflect your unique taste and preferences. Marina puts a strong emphasis on personal achievement, so she doesn’t provide precise measurements for the dolls, and patterns for their clothing are indicative only. If your experience of doll making has been limited to cloth dolls, this book might be your invitation to step into the world of paper clay and similar products: they can be painted, carved, stamped and sanded to create a wonderful variety of effects. Of course, after that you get to play with needle, thread and fabric to dress your doll, with Marina placing a special emphasis on crazy-patchwork costumes. The generic instructions for making the dolls’ bodies are very good, with little assumed knowledge, and the steps involved in each of the eight projects are described in detail. Loads of excellent photographs will instill confidence that you’re on the right track. This book could be the opening of a fabulous new chapter in your doll and softie making.(Australian Historical Studies, 09/25/12)Enchanting Art Dolls & Soft Sculptureshas everything you need to make amazing dolls. With eight projects to choose from, easy-to-navigate instructions, Doll-making basics, Essential Tools and Materials, a page of embroidery stitches, and nine pages of templates, why wouldn't you give doll making a try? The photos are informative; the gallery is inspiring. Read about the history of doll making and learn about the creators of the colorful beings in the Gallery. Take a look and you'll want to make one of these dolls for your very own.(Barbara DelaneyCloth Paper Scissors, Nov/Dec 2012)