December 2014 Featured Fellow Artist
I live in Hucknall, Nottingham in the UK and I'm a single parent. I work full-time as a cleaner so I can do my creative stuff in my precious spare time. I have varying spiritual beliefs but I tend to favor a pagan lifestyle. My Facebook page is the same as my Etsy store name, 'Dragonfly Glen' please stop by for a visit!
Yes, my most favorite place to visit is here in England, at a place called St Nectans Glen which is in Cornwall. It lies in a beautiful valley crowned with a stunning waterfall and is the inspiration for my shop and FB page names-- there are always masses of dragonflies darting around there. It is a very magical and spiritual place; people often go there to leave offerings and tie ribbons to the trees. Also, lots of fairies visit there, too!
The first thing I can remember making was for my mum for Mothers Day, I was about 7- years old and I made a doll in a jam jar that I'd seen the idea for on some kids' TV program. I thought it was a great idea. I immediately rummaged through my toy box to find the right-sized doll from my vast collection. Then I made it a little sliver dress out of some scrap material--my mum had a dressmaker at the time who used to save scraps of pretty material for me, not sure why. I stuck her feet to the lid of the jam jar and fastened the jar encasing her in it. I then set about decorating it with scraps of ribbon. My mum was delighted with it and I think she still has it to this day!
In answer to your question I think of a Spirit Doll as something that is charged with positive energy for the benefit of the person who buys or receives it, whereas an Art Doll is more ornamental, though I think all things that are made with love carry a positive energy anyway.
To be honest there isn't really a story about how I came about spirit dolls, I'd just seen them on the internet and having already discovered bead art I thought it would be nice to incorporate the two.
I can only tell you the process I go through to get to the finished item.
First of all, I trawl charity shops for jewelry that I can take apart and use for the beaded portion of the body. Beads are my passion, I absolutely adore them, especially the old ones with character as they seem to hold more energy. I also include new beads, especially tiny little seed beads as they kind of blend everything together.
Sometimes, a certain bead will determine what sort of artwork I create and sometimes I feel drawn to work with a certain color. I then concentrate on the fabric. Again, this is usually a charity shop find or from my local craft shop which has a fabulous remnant bin.
Then it's onto making her-- each bead is hand-sewn, there is no pattern. I just find a space and see which bead looks best in that space as I'm sewing. I put lots of positive thoughts and energy into the doll and when she is finished I charge her with protective and healing properties.
I spend most of what little spare time I have creating dolls but I also love to read, mostly fantasy novels and books on spirituality. I like to go walking, too, and spend time in nature.
Thank you so much, Lynn! You're creations are breathtaking--I can't wait to add one to my home!
Please visit Lynn's store Dragon Fly Glen on Etsy.com and her Facebook site!