Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Aug. 24th Doll Collecting at About.com Newsletter

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Aug. 24th Doll Collecting at About.com Newsletter: Doll Collecting at About.com Newlsetter Week: August 24th By now, many of the "junior" collectors among us are heading back to...

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Antique Doll Collector Magazine: Mystery Doll Phot...

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Antique Doll Collector Magazine: Mystery Doll Phot...: Antique Doll Collector Magazine: Mystery Doll Photos : Below is a mystery doll, with a wooden body and metal heads.  Is she a composite doll...

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Gourd Fest and Gourd Dolls

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Gourd Fest and Gourd Dolls: See below; I have blogged about this festival and the amazing Gourd dolls and puppets displayed before.  It's a wonderful opportunity! ...



For those who can still see my Posts;wonderful festival using gourds.  Also, Sunday Morning today was all about design, and Gulla basket weavers.  Lots of Frank Lloyd Wright, and much more "By Design!"

Feeding my Evergreens and Ditching the Malware

I'm still trying to get rid of the malware ads; I did figure out if you keep hitting cancel, it will go to the ad, then you can hit the back button on your browser to read my blog.  You have to keep doing this, but you do get to see the blog.  I've contacted blogger and Goolge, but can't get rid of  it, so I also post on Memoir, Writing your Life  Story, another of my blogs.

Emily Doll from A Little Princess, public domain image

There is a chill in the air as we hit Mid-August.  I long for fall but loathe winter.  Not as many plants this year, but trying to nurture a thriving, twining pumpkin vine and a couple of interesting peppers. I have a two toned red and cream mini rosebush doing well, and several fairy gardens with plants, some monrovia that attracts monarchs and a yellow swallotail, and some very pretty colias this year.  Marigolds and snapdragons did not have a good year at all, and we could find no black flowers.

One holly plant and a boxwood that is not an evergreen were blasted by below zero, unseasonaly cold temps two winters ago.  I have used ferti-lome evergreen food on both; desperate times call for desperate measures.  Both are coming back very slowly, and I'd say it isn 't about landscape, but survival.

Violae, public domain image

This last statement reminds me of Harlen Coben, and something he might write on survival, and of his quote on artistic inspriation from "Just one Look."  I might add, that, for me, artistic inspiration is survival:

"Loneliness, the precursor to boredom, is conducive to the creative process.  That was what artistic mediation was all about--boring yourself to the point where inspriation must emerge if only to preserve your sanity.  A writer friend once explained that hte best cure for writer's block was to read a phone book.  Bore yourself enough and the Muse will be obligated to push through the most log-filled of arteries" (27).

I think I'm there; Oh, Muse, where are you?!

Micro Mini Hulk carved from Human Hair; public domain image

From ferti-lome Evergreen Food:

For Narrow leav ebergreens like arbor vitae, fir, hemlock, juniper, larch, red cedar, spruce, taxus, yew [think mourning pics and "Eleby in a Country Churchyard:"

Boston Commons Graveyard; public domain image

"for plants 1-3 feet in ht, apply 2 caps full per plant and water well.  For plants 3 to 6 feet in ht., apply 4 to 6 caps full and water well.  For plarger plants 6 to 12 feet in ht, apply two caps full for each foot of et by punchng holes around the plant and filling with recommended amoutn of Evergreen Food.  Water in well."

Phantom Petunia, public domain image

You should also try to avoid root damage by culitvating too deeply.    I apid $8 for a four lb. bag.  It seems to help.

Good Luck! 

Doll Museum: About.com Doll Collecting Newsletter Because we still have Malware

Doll Museum: About.com Doll Collecting Newsletter: Courtesy, Theriault's Joe Spencer Collection and Soft Sculpture ...

Free Newsletter; Ceramic Dolls, True Earth Angels

Earthenware/Cloth Public Domain Image

Joe Spencer Collection and Soft Sculpture Here are a couple newly discovered dolls from Gallerie II, and a memoir of someone who helped me along in my own collecting.  A recent interview with Elizabeth Ann Coleman for Antique Doll Collector Magazine Blog reveals that Ann Coleman is researching ceramic porcelain shoulder heads for her most recent project, so here is an update of an article on china heads and all their variations. Finally, as I continue to uncover great finds, I include an encore performance of a tribute to my mother, who encouraged my collecting in all things. More soon about another estate collection, recent find, dolls for fall, and auction updates.  Remember, I try to answer all emails, but give me a few days turnaround, and note I am not a dealer or professional appraiser. I'm just someone, like all of you, who loves dolls!  Happy Collecting!   Ellen Tsagaris Doll Collecting Expert

Joe Spencer Collection for Gallerie II of Gathered Graditions. Joe Spencer Folk Dolls for Gathered Traditions are delightful works of affordable doll art. If you love holidays, especially Halloween, you will love these original soft sculpture creations. Our thanks to Ryan of Gathered Traditions, too.  Read More READ NOW

Uncle Tony and the Supermarket Bride My beloved Uncle Tony was a big brawny man who worked construction and who bid on dolls for me at auctions.  Read more. READ NOW

Earth Angels of the Doll World; China and Ceramic Dolls This first of three articles about china heads discusses the earliest known Venus ceramic figure through modern examples made in the 1960s.  Many collectors are still interested in traditional china heads, even so-called low-brows.  Sometimes, I'd like to see statistics on how often these dolls were reproduced.  Any ceramicists out there who can help out? READ NOW

Mother Daughter Doll Collectors My mother became a default doll collector, who rescued, dressed, and returned their innocence, to dolls. She was also skilled at dressing dolls and repairing them, and she had an eye for the unusual.  Do you have photos of dolls your mothers have made that you would be willing to share with me for a gallery? Email them to me at your convenience. Thank you! READ NOW

Looking for Dolls in all the Odd Places! Here is a post on some strange places where I've found dolls lately.  Keep your dolly radar beeping, and never give up the search!!

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Newsletter for August 2nd on Toy Soldiers, Auction...

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Newsletter for August 2nd on Toy Soldiers, Auction...: Newsletter Week of August 2nd ...

Doll Museum: Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Crafty Dolls and Fixer U...

Doll Museum: Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Crafty Dolls and Fixer U...: Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Crafty Dolls and Fixer Uppers : Cleaning Porcelain Dolls | ThriftyFun This is a guide about cleaning porcel...

Memoir; Writing your Life Story: Great Article on Tropical Hibiscus also for Dr. E'...

One of nicest presents from my husband is a hibiscus plant. Here is a wonderful article about them from the Martins of Logee's.



Memoir; Writing your Life Story: Great Article on Tropical Hibiscus also for Dr. E'...: From the Martins at Logee's: Growing Outrageously Colorful Tropical Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)   By Laurelynn Martin and...