I remember we were living in the basement as the upstairs of our new house wasn’t done yet. I looked inside one of the kitchen cabinets and there it was! A Pretty Pac!
I must have held my breath as I unzipped the case!! Inside was a tray full of makeup! Nail polish, hand lotion….even lipstick!!
And as I quietly lifted off the tray….there she was…the perfect little 8” Betsy McCall Doll!!!
She was all dressed in her Sunday best with stockings and button snap shoes! I just knew she was mine! But it was days…weeks…maybe even months before Christmas! And even though I knew she was mine, I also knew that she might be for one of my other sisters! I never let a soul know that I knew she was there. I never went back to look at her, for fear I would get caught and she wouldn’t be mine! Forever later, it was finally Christmas morning and sure enough, Betsy was under the tree! I know that I loved her more than any other doll!!! 40 some years later, I now have 4 little Betsy McCall dolls, a Pretty Pac with all the original contents, all the furniture and lots of clothes. Just me & my doll….Betsy McCall!!!
From my childhood love of dolls, my creative spirit continues to grow and in the current issue of Rubber Stamper magazine (November 2007) you will find “Tattoo Girl” on page 15. She’s certainly NOT a 1950s doll….but her spirit comes from that child inside of me, the excitement of looking at her and knowing she is all mine!
People always ask me where I get my ideas and I tell them I simply think back to my childhood days and start to play. When I started Tattoo Girl, all I had was a twice fired porcelain doll head and a headless vintage wooden artist’s model that I picked up at a garage sale for $2.00. I had just been picked as a member of the 2007 Ranger Design Team and knew that I wanted to use their products on her. I also knew that I wanted her to “stand out” in a crowd!
Well, she is definitely standing out….on page 15, of Rubber Stamper!!! I’ve now had 89 pieces of my art published. And it’s simply amazing to think where this all started…with a little girl, sneaking into the kitchen cabinets, holding her breath in sheer amazement that she might get the doll of her dreams!
PS. Mom...do not read this! LOLOL!
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