Another Beautiful Healing Doll

Here you see another talented student, Nancylyn's doll! I know from experience that she is even more beautiful than her picture! As much joy I feel when I see the creative spirit of the student doll-maker emerge in birthing her doll, I feel blessed when the doll-maker shares her process.

Nancylyn writes:

This is Mai-Liis' Nature Spirit doll pattern which I made up in a batik. I wanted to go a little more "formal" with this doll because of the potential owner, so she lacks the woodsy nature of the sample doll. I cloaked my doll in a remnant of silk paisley, and I crocheted a turban with metallic copper and faux feather yarns. I then draped her with incredible novelty and hand painted fibers. For additional personalization I placed a ruby red crystal on the headpiece to represent the recipient's birthstone and added an elephant (which the future owner collects) as a good luck symbol. I also placed an evil eye bead on the rear of the turban to watch her back, so to speak.

My doll wears a sacred heart milagro over own, and after much consideration placed the special healing stones on the dolls tummy, giving her a pregnant look which I decided was appropriate since I think of my friend as a nurturer.

It also occurred to me that cloaking the stones would protect them from impure handling or curious fingers of grandchildren. This doll is not a toy! I have hidden other healing items inside the doll and even in her ruanda, and each thing is there for a specific reason. I had purchased several pewter charms with words like faith, harmony, balance, courage, but have decided they would be aesthetically and spiritually superfluous.

It's exciting to see each one so unique, and I'm wondering if this whole experience and resulting eye candy is going to spiral us into an inspiration frenzy! I have been so happy taking this class; for the first time I've felt I was creating something purposeful. I believe it is intention for me that elevated the process from self-indulgent creative play to something more meaningful.

My doll is going to a woman with whom I have little in common beyond the brothers we married 40+ years ago. Her best attributes are the ones I lack most and vice versa. Still we've always been close and admire what each has accomplished over this span of many decades. Not long ago she visited my blog and emailed me about the Comfort Doll Badge (Pat Winter's project of collecting and sending small comfort or friendship dolls to women's shelters around the world http://www.comfortdolls.blogspot.com/ ). She confided that she had been in an abusive relationship prior to her marriage and how she would have loved to have had such doll! I get warm fuzzies just thinking about presenting her with Elephant Lady. She's been appreciative of my handmade gifts before, but with this one the best part is intangible, and I know she'll cherish the intention.