Here is a picture of Samahra receiving her Christmas Doll.  Her parents stayed with us through Airbnb this past summer and talked about getting her a doll for Christmas.  They sent me photos so that I could make a doll that resembled her and then, after the holidays, they e-mailed me a whole series of pictures showing her opening her present and receiving her doll into her loving and open arms.  To read more about the whole process click through on Samahra under Categories and go to the entry that I did in December before I mailed the doll off to her new home.

This is Samahra's Doll.  Her parents Tiffani and Yuri came to see us at the Airbnb room that we have here at the top of the stairs and saw one of my dolls while we were having breakfast in the studio.   After they returned home Yuri sent me some wonderful photos that he had taken of my studio and also a request that I make a doll for Samahra.  He sent me some photos of Samahra herself so that I could do justice to her lovely face and cornrow braids and this is the finished product....just in time for Christmas.  This photo is taken in the kitchen in my pot of sage and parsley, which seemed like a good idea at the time but has resulted in some flare on the lens.  Nevertheless it is a good shot of the dolls little face.

And here is a beautiful picture that Samahra's parents sent to me of her pretty face after she had opened her Christmas present.  It was a wonderful post-holiday surprise for me to receive the e-mail from Yuri and Tiffani with these pictures attached.  As you can see Samahra knew exactly what a Christmas doll needs most, which is a loving welcome to the family hug.  I really focus on creating dolls that feel at least as good as they look and it appears that for Samahra it was a successful effort.

Tiffani and Yuri also sent me some pictures of Samahra before I started her doll so that I could see the way her mother braids and arranges her hair and try to duplicate that for her.  So Samahra's doll as cornrow braids attached to a crocheted cap and the braids can even be rearranged a bit so that they tie at the side or the back.  Samahra was evidently quite tickled with the braids.  I also really concentrated on giving the doll big dark brown eyes, a wide button nose and a full rounded mouth so that she would have a family resemblance to Samahra.  

I really enjoy making the dolls, but I particularly like making them for a special child.  This was such a fun project for me, and seeing the photos from Christmas morning made the whole thing even more meaningful.

This is a doll I made for my niece Sarah over 20 years ago.  Her mother resurrected it and passed it along to me for the doll spa treatment.  I can, of course, entirely replace a doll.  And usually that would actually be much easier than carefully deconstructing and then reconstructing.  But you would lose all the love that has been put into an older, more experienced doll so I prefer to go with the spa treatment.  What I saved on this one is her head and her little nubby hands.  I rebuilt and restuffed her body, this time with wool instead of poly fill, and I redid her eyes and mouth a bit using the same colors of embroidery floss.  Her hair had stood up to the years quite well and her face just needed a little washing.  And then, just because I wanted to, I made her a new sweater with this beautiful Russian wooden button.  Girl (who is now a 25 year old mother) and doll should be reunited this Saturday.