Profiles...

Profile of a Miniature Doll Artist, Designer Bev Henderson

Bev Henderson has always had an interest in fashion. Growing up in the forties, she would cut corset advertisements to create her own paper dolls to dress. Old timber pegs were another of Bev’s favourites, with a scrap of fabric it could become a princess or a baby.

Bev’s interest continued more in fashion with the ‘Millie the Model’ comic book and collecting the fashion pages from magazines. However, after marrying and having three boys, Bev discovered her dressmaking skills were not needed as much with rough and tumble growing boys.

When ‘Barbie’ came on the scene in the mid sixties, she rekindled Bev’s interest in fashion. With no daughters, the only excuse Bev could come up with to have one of her own was to make outfits to sell at the school fete.

With the boys at school Bev began taking lessons in reproduction antique porcelain dolls and she became a Seeley Doll Artisan. During sculpting classes she discovered an antique German dollhouse family and then miniatures, and has been a dollhouse doll maker the last 25 years.

During this time, Bev was a founding member of the South Australian Miniaturist Enthusiasts Inc. which is currently celebrating their 21st year. This non profit group donate the proceeds of their annual exhibition to the Adelaide Women’s’ and Children’s’ Hospital.

Even with fund raising and working in the family business, Bev continues to expand her career and has increased the selection of porcelain characters that she creates.

Bev loves to create natural miniature families, they are not all pretty. They are little people with character, young, old, saggy, baggy, everyone from new born to grandparents. With over 150 different molds in Bev’s collection, she also likes to create individual dolls that capture the likeness of family and friends. Bev’s latest challenge has been to dress a 1:24 scale couple that fit inside a Faberge style egg!

Bev also accepts commissions and if you would like a miniature doll designed and handcrafted especially for you or should you require any further information regarding this article, please feel free to contact Bev Henderson through her website www.anyminiatureneeds.com

Doll Artist Profile, Pamella McKenzie -

For some time now Pamella has been in a ‘completely compelling raging fairy fever’ which has resulted in her unique new design of fairy. Pamella has called them ‘Funky Fairies’. They are Pamella’s impression of how twenty first century fairies would be like and dresses them in vibrant coloured fabric and trims, with brightly coloured hair to match. Pamella also adds to their look by adding jazzy tights and boots to complete their modern funky style and of course they have Pamella’s signature designer wings.

Pamella has been using polymer clay for sculpting her originals for many years and has won many awards for her work. These awards include; a NODAAA Gold Seal for ‘Jhett Keith’ which is a portrait of Pamella’s grandson, and NODAA’s Diamond Seal for the portrait of ‘Keith’ who is Pamella’s late husband. Pamella is also a ADOTY winner for her portrayal of Isaac and the tragedy of Man’s Inhumanity to Man.

Pamella also enjoys teaching her craft to many people both here in Australia and in the United Kingdom, where she teaches in seminars and workshops on sculpting with polymer.

Princess Cicada

At the last Wyong show, Pamella designed and made her outfit that fitted well with her Funky Fairies. The first prize of Original Doll was awarded to Pamella for her ‘Princess Cicada’.

While searching for cicada wings for her tiny baby fairies, Pamella was inspired to design and create ‘Princess Cicada’ when she found a magnificent black cicada. ‘Princess Cicada’ has a fine hand painted trail of tiny leaves and flowers for her eyebrows and also in her hands which are not visible on the photo. ‘Princess Cicada’ has a very regal bearing with her gold and diamante tiara perched atop of her long black hair which falls below her waist. Pamella designed then made her gown from a shimmering black material and added a flowing black and gold train. Pamella knew that her wings had to be very special and Pamella spent many days working on them before being completely happy with the stunning results that she had achieved.

Should you like to contact Pamella McKenzie, please Phone: 02 4353 0250 or Mobile: 0408 482 116

Profile of a Felt Sculpture Designer, Geri Williams.

by Jan Alford.

(Extract from Issue 13)

I met Geri Williams from Washington State, USA in 1992 and was immediately impressed with this soft-spoken lady and her wonderful bears. At the time she was making bears out of real vintage fur – something that is very difficult to do. Her adorable bears were not only jointed in the traditional manner, but also jointed at their wrists and knees. Geri no longer makes her bears out of vintage fur. She now uses mohair, wool felt and many other interesting fabrics and trims to make her creations.

Geri has won many awards with her creative designs, including the Best of Show at the Linda Mullins January 2003 show in San Diego California. Geri is the only person to win Best of Show at this event with something other than a teddy bear. Her entry was a fabulous chicken and rooster. In addition to this honour, Geri won the British Bear Artist Award in 2001, has designed for Annette Funicello’s bears and has had one of her bear’s picture published in a book titled Tribute to Teddy Bear Artists Series 3 by Linda Mullins.

Geri has been a participant at the Disney Show in Japan on a number of occasions. Disney has approved Geri’s “Bambi” and “Dumbo and his mother” designs and these Disney pieces were sold exclusively at the Disney show in Japan.

Geri has developed different ways to get the results she desires. In making some of her animals, Geri wanted to give her animal creations more definition in certain areas and that is when she first developed using wool felt pieces stitched down to the area needing enhancement. Geri will felt over the mohair face of a bear to give it a different look and texture.

Not only a talented designer and creator of bears and other animals, Geri is a wonderful teacher. She enjoys sharing her knowledge of soft sculpture with others. Students in Japan, Australia, New Zealand as well as the United States have been privileged to be a part of her workshops. Geri believes that knowledge is to be shared and as a teacher, she encourages the participants to use their own talents and creativity to create an animal that represents their style.

As a fellow teddy bear artist, workshop participant and friend of Geri Williams, I hope this has given you some insight to Geri as a creative talent and lovely lady. I’m sure that Geri will always be developing new creations and techniques to inspire us all. J.A.

Profile of Cloth Doll Artist Betty Brogden

by Ann Longford

(Extract from Issue 14)

In the six short years since starting cloth doll making at age 74, Cloth Doll Artist Betty Brogden, mastered the art of cloth dolls, has won many major awards for her cloth dolls and has just mastered her new doll creations – patio dolls…

Betty Brogden has always enjoyed creating - sewing, embroidery, ribbon flowers, so when Betty was 74 years young and saw a cloth doll in a magazine… she thought she would make one. After spending weeks on her dolls body, Betty then spent months trying to make her dolls face, look like a face. Many dolls ended up in the bin before Betty got the ‘hang of it’.

Betty’s unique cloth dolls are all hand sewn, which includes the dolls garments, undergarments and accessories. After mastering the embroidery of the dolls faces, Betty had made a few beautiful dolls, and decided to enter them in competitions in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. Since her first sincere attempts, Betty sure had gotten the ‘hang of it’, winning blue ribbons, rosettes and a few trophies!

After speaking with Carol Casey, the President of NODAAA, Betty learnt of the NODAAA competitions and entered one of her dolls. The first year that Betty’s doll was entered her doll won the ‘Gold Seal’ Award. The following year Betty entered one of her beautiful dolls and won the ‘Gold Seal’ Award… again! Then the third year, Betty was absolutely delighted that her doll entry won the ‘Diamond Gold Seal’ Award! Unable to travel to the competitions, Betty is forever grateful to the kindness of Carol for assisting her get her dolls to the competitions and returning her dolls… and awards.

Now, 80 years young, Betty hasn’t entered her dolls in any recent competitions and has been focused on mastering her latest doll creations - her patio dolls. Betty’s patio dolls have Betty’s signature design, and have been treated to withstand the weather and elements, making them a perfect doll to display and enjoy outdoors.

Having mastered her patio doll designs Betty has no plans for slowing down. Her plans are, to be mastering new techniques and creating cloth dolls, for a long time to come. We look forward to Betty’s next beautiful doll creation. A.L.

Bear Artists Profile: Lena Burghardt

by DBN

(Extract from Issue 15)

Lena Burghardt made her first artist bear in 1994 and as they say the rest is history…

Lena and her puppy dog were living in Locheil, in rural South Australia. Although working part time Lena was often bored with rural living. The closest stores were some distance away and Lena found she had a lot of spare time on her hands.

Lena was friends with the lady that owned the little craft shop in the closest town of Balaklava. While visiting the store, Lena had found a pattern for a teddy bear, took it home, and then, thought about what she was going to use for material. She had just given her Blue Heeler, Krueger a blue coat to sleep on in the sunroom, so Lena took the coat back off the dog and gave him a blanket instead… and proceeded to make her very first bear. Lena was so excited… that she made two! Although very proud of her attempt at the time, looking back Lena is very amused at her first little bears and has asked readers not to laugh at them… too much. (not pictured on website)

Not long after Lena’s first bears, Lena’s daughter, Pernilla, was in the Miss Australia Awards for the Spastic Centre and Lena made her daughter bears to sell to raise funds for the charity. Lena recalls that the material that was used for these bears was only average quality and admits they were not very good at all and they did not sell many.

Since theses first bears, Lena has had many competition entries at many shows and has sold many bears. Lena also won the Toby award in 2004 for her Nanuluk-Spirit bear. Lena was thrilled and is very proud of her achievement. Now, Lena donates, one of her artist bears, every year to the TBAI for silent auction and the proceeds go to endangered spices.

In the beginning, Lena entered her bears in many competitions, but now she doesn’t seem to find the time. During Lena’s 13 years as a bear artist, she has won many ribbons and awards, and Lena is dedicated to designing new bears and enjoys attending shows as a trader. Now living in the countryside north of Adelaide, Lena is still working part time and while at home designing bears, her puppy dog Max keeps her company. DBN