Ernestine (aka Lily Tomlin)

Ernestine is a character doll for collectors age 8 and up. She is 22" tall. Ernestine will be part of an art gallery exhibit scheduled for March 1 - April 30, 2013. She can be purchased during or after the exhibit.

How Ernestine was made
Ernestine's body is made in the MakerDoll Medium Size, from 100% organic, (“natural”) cotton fabric, grown and woven in the USA. Her arm joints are secured with cotton embroidery thread. Her clothes are handmade in a MakerDoll original design, from repurposed fabrics. Her white pique blouse features a stand-up collar, vintage pearlescent buttons, and is cinched with a faux leather belt made from a purse strap and vintage button. Her accessories include a vintage button bracelet, vintage Bill Blass crystal buttons for earrings, and vintage faux pearl buttons on her black felt shoes. Ernestine’s facial features, which reference a popular photo, are handpainted with professional grade acrylic paints. Her hair is made of twisted yarn, fashioned into her 1940s era up-do, hand-sewn onto her head with cotton embroidery thread.

About Ernestine
Ernestine is a character developed by Lily Tomlin, an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer who originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960s when she began a career as a stand up comedian. While working in various hit TV comedy shows, she created Ernestine, a nosy, condescending telephone operator who generally treated customers with little sympathy. Ernestine often snorted when she let loose a barbed response or heard something salacious; she also wore her hair in a 1940s hairstyle, although the character was contemporary. Ernestine was almost always at her switchboard taking calls in the sketches. She occasionally called her boyfriend, Vito, a telephone repair man, or her pal Phoenicia, another operator. (Excerpts from Wikipedia.org)

Aretha: Queen of Soul

Aretha is a character doll for collectors age 8 and up. She is 22" tall. Aretha will be part of an art gallery exhibit scheduled for March 1 - April 30, 2013. She can be purchased during or after the exhibit.

About Aretha

Aretha Louise Franklin was born on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Baptist preacher Reverend Clarence La Vaughan "C.L." Franklin, and Barbara Siggers Franklin, a gospel singer. While still a young child, Aretha moved with her family to Detroit, Michigan, where C.L. became renowned as the preacher at Detroit's New Bethel Baptist Chuch. Largely self-taught, Aretha was regarded as a child prodigy. A gifted pianist with a powerful voice, Franklin sang in front of her father's Detroit congregation. By the age of 14, she recorded some of her earliest tracks at the church. Since then, her recording career has spanned over half a century, with a repertoire that has included gospel, jazz, blues, R&B, pop, rock and funk. Aretha is known as one of the most important popularizers of the soul music genre and is known as the Queen of Soul. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" list, as well as the ninth greatest artist of all time. She has won a total of 20 career Grammy Awards, including two honorary Grammys, and she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. In 1987, Franklin became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (Exerpts from Wikipedia.)

Aretha, live

How Aretha was made

Aretha's body is made in the MakerDoll Medium Size, from 100% organic, hand-dyed (“natural”) cotton fabric, grown and woven in the USA. Her arm joints are secured with vintage rhinestone buttons and cotton embroidery thread. Her clothes are handmade in a MakerDoll original gown design, from repurposed silver-flocked red stretch fabric. She also has a faux fur stole with a rhinestone-studded star-shaped pin. Her shoes are red velvet with tiny roses on the toes, cut in reference to the shoes Aretha loves to wear while performing. Aretha's facial features are handpainted with professional grade acrylic paints. Her hair is made of flocked yarn, hand-sewn onto her head with cotton thread.

Bozo (really)

Bozo is a character doll for collectors age 8 and up. He is 22" tall. Bozo was purchased on January 6, 2013.

Bob Bell (aka Bozo the Clown) was an American actor whose creativity and talent brought laughter to audiences of millions over the course of his career. Bell was born in 1922 in Flint, Michigan to a General Motors factory worker. After enlisting and serving during World War II, Bell went to work in the television industry. In 1960, he was asked to portray Bozo on a live, 30-minute show weekdays at noon, consisting of one-man sketches and cartoons. “Bozo’s Circus” debuted on June 20, 1960. In 1970, he received his first Emmy for the show. Bob retired from WGN-TV and The Bozo Show in 1984, and was inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame in 1996. Following his death, he received many posthumous honors for his Bozo character. He has also been cited as the influence for the voice of The Simpsons character Krusty the Clown.

Bob Bell, ca. 1960s, in his dressing room

How Bozo was made

Bozo’s body is made in the MakerDoll Medium Size, from 100% organic, undyed (“natural”) cotton fabric, grown and woven in the USA. His arm joints are secured with vintage gold tone square buttons and cotton embroidery thread. His clothes were carefully researched, and are handmade in a MakerDoll original 1950s-era Bozo design. They are made from repurposed cornflower blue cotton fabric, with white cotton gloves, and a white satin and tulle ruffle collar. His shirt features vintage red silk covered buttons. His oversized, stuffed shoes are black felt, cut in reference to the shoes he wore while filming his popular TV show, Bozo the Clown. His facial features are handpainted with professional grade acrylic paints. Underneath his outfit, you’ll find a red heart button attached to his chest. His hair is made of red wool yarn and hand-sewn onto his head with cotton thread.

I Love Lucy

Lucy is a character doll for collectors age 8 and up. She is 22" tall.

Lucy will be part of an art gallery exhibit scheduled for March 1 - April 30, 2013. She will be available for purchase during or after the exhibit.

Born in Jamestown, NY in 1911, Lucy moved with her family to Michigan, where she spent most of her early formative years. Her father was a line man for the Michigan Bell Company. Following acting lessons in New York and a cross-country move to Hollywood to become an acress, Lucy met Cuban-born bandleader Desi Arnaz in 1940. Lucy and Desi established a studio called Desilu, where the famous "I Love Lucy" show was developed. The show ran for ten years between 1951-1961. Lucy was best known for her flaming red hair, head-turning smile and her spot-on timing as one of America’s best-loved comediennes.

Lucy and Desi

How Lucy was made

Lucy's body is made in the MakerDoll Medium Size, from 100% organic, undyed (“natural”) cotton fabric, grown and woven in the USA. Her arm joints are secured with vintage red buttons and cotton embroidery thread. Her clothes are handmade in a MakerDoll original 1950s-era dress design, from repurposed navy blue and white polka dot polyester, with white cotton cap sleeves, and self-belt with another vintage red button. She also has a faux fur stole with suede leather lining and a vintage pearl flower from my grandmother's collection. Her shoes are black felt, cut in reference to the 1950s ankle-strap heels that Lucy loved to wear while filming. Lucy's facial features are handpainted with professional grade acrylic paints. Her hair is made of cotswold sheep wool, hand-dyed, and hand-sewn onto her head with cotton thread.

Berthold Batkin: Just in time for Halloween

Berthold Batkin is a small collector creature doll for ages 8 and up. He is part of a series of small creatures from StudioBeoGlas.Etsy.com. 

He’s a stylized bat, and fancies himself a quasi-vampire due to his unusually large, bulging red eyes.

Berthold is 20” tall (nose to toe), and his wingspan is 12”. He’ll keep you company by sitting and staring at you with his red eyes as you work, or you can place him on your dresser where he'll remind you that today, you could be kissed by Dracula.

How Berthold was made

Berthold 's body is made from repurposed black knit fabric. He is stuffed with non-allergenic polyfill. His arms are secured to his body with cotton embroidery thread, and his eyes are fashioned from silk covered buttons and handmade fabric eyeballs. His tooth is made from small piece of vintage elastic.

Berthold Batkin can be purchased at StudioBeoGlas.Etsy.com

Flanagan Fox: Feisty, Fearless and Frabjous

Flanagan Fox is a small collector creature doll for ages 8 and up. He is part of a series of small creatures you can find at StudioBeoGlas.Etsy.com.

He’s a stylized little fox, based on a lovely little red fox I have glimpsed in the forest surrounding our home. Nose to tail, he is 11” long, and has 7” long legs. He’ll keep you company by sitting patiently on your desk as you work, on your living room coffee table where he’ll spark some interesting conversation, or on your collector doll display shelf.

How Flanagan Fox was made

Flanagan Fox’s body is made from 100% organic, undyed (“natural”) cotton fabric, grown and woven in the USA. He is stuffed with non-allergenic polyfill. His legs are secured to his body with vintage buttons, and his nose and eyes feature vintage black fabric buttons, all secured with cotton embroidery thread. Flanagan Fox’s body is handpainted with professional grade acrylic paint.

Flanagan can be purchased at StudioBeoGlas.Etsy.com

Devlin Duck

Devlin Duck is a small collector creature doll for ages 8 and up. He is part of a series of small creatures offered by StudioBeoGlas.Etsy.com. 

He’s a stylized duck, inspired partly by Edward Gorey's dark creatures featured in most of his books for children, and partly by Feathers McGraw from the Wrong Trousers. Devlin has just a hint of dark mystery about him. I like those pointy, faceted eyes of his.

Devlin stands 8-1/2" tall (head to toe), and his wings can be posed up or down. He’ll keep you company by sitting and staring at you with his beady eyes as you work, or you can place him on your dresser where he'll remind you that today, it could possibly rain.

How Devlin was made
Devlin's body is made from repurposed black knit fabric. His white tummy is made from 100% organic cotton knit. He is stuffed with non-allergenic polyfill. His arms are secured to his body with vintage buttons, and his eyes are vintage faceted buttons. His beak and feet are made from a repurposed raincoat.

Devlin Duck can be purchased at StudioBeoGlas.Etsy.com

Ratkin Rhoda Dorcas Clotilde

Ratkin Rhoda Dorcas Clotilde is a small collector creature doll for ages 8 and up. She is part of a series of small creatures offered by StudioBeoGlas.Etsy.com. 

She’s a stylized little ratkin, based on the real Rhoda, who owned me many years ago. She was the sweetest, most loving little ratkin. So I’ve immortalized her!

She stands 24“ tall (ears to toes), and can be posed in numerous ways. She’ll keep you company by sitting patiently on your desk as you work, on your dresser where she’ll cheer you up on dreary mornings, or on your collector doll display shelf.

How Rhoda was made

Rhoda’s body is made from 100% organic, undyed (“natural”) cotton fabric, grown and woven in the USA. She is stuffed with non-allergenic polyfill. Her arms and legs are secured to her body with wood beads, her eyes feature vintage covered buttons, her nose is a vintage crystal button, and she wears a silk ascot secured with a vintage rhinestone buckle. Rhoda’s ears are handpainted with professional grade acrylic paint.

Rhoda Dorcas Clotilde can be purchased at StudioBeoGlas.etsy.com