The Assembly of
Doll Makers
Spell Book
Volume 2
The Forest March 2018
Welcome to
The Assembly We are a collective of talented doll makers from all over the world.
We make art dolls inspired by magic, nature and folklore.
We work in many different ways and with different materials. We share our projects on our Facebook group to offer feedback and discuss our work amongst like-minded artists. The group is free to join and we welcome new members! We publish a collection of our work in an online publication called the ‘Spell Book’. We make art dolls in response to a set theme for a new Volume of the Spell Book every few months. The theme for this volume of the Spell Book is ‘The Forest’ and has been interpreted by some of the members of our group.
Anna Northrop-Smith
Here is the Troll King of the Woods, a culmination of all Anna has learned so far in cloth doll making. He has a wet felted coat with needle felted fungi on the back, a working leather pouch/purse, felted dreads, leather clothing, and carries a staff of twisted hazel with an amethyst crystal and a lantern. He also has a specially commissioned steel knife made by a local blacksmith tucked into his belt and is a kindly guardian of the woods.
Lisa Thomspon
This is Lisa Thompson’s Green Man Figure. He has a tree trunk body which is rooted to the ground, his body is covered in lush green foliage. He represents all four seasons, his crown of Holly is winter, the budding flowers represent spring, toadstools and blooming flowers represent summer and he is holding acorns in his hand representing autumn. He encompasses everything Lisa loves about the forest, his spirit is in every leaf, every tree, every bird. He is needle felted over a wire armature, and the acorns that he holds are needle felted into real Acorn caps.
Debi Ward
Debi Ward is a self taught artist, who injects glittering energy into each OOAK project. Every creative stage receives such intense passion, as the focus for finishing is always the same; ‘share the light and love’ to all. These Forest Buds are preparing to hatch! As they spread their wings, they shower love and peace to whom ever is present to witness this extraordinary event.
Poison Palette
Meet the hermit, inspired by the tarot. He is not alone or lonely, he chooses the solitude to find his answers and what better place than in the woodlands. He’s a reminder that we all need to take time to look within and reflect on our journey of life. Keryanne’s creativity is fuelled by her love of whimsical fairytales and mythical creatures, with a twist of gloomy macabre. Using her love of repurposing something old or found objects and vintage textiles to breathe life into her art. “There is magic all around us and within, we just have to look”
Jay Stelling
Jay Stelling brings the magic of children’s stories into the world of doll making with her poseable art dolls and handmade sets. For Jay, the most magical forest of all is that of Narnia from the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S.Lewis. This forest is hidden within a wardrobe in a spare room and is filled with magical characters, like the charming Mr Tumnus.
Bethany Handfield
“The Earth Friends watch over the Queen Bee bairn.” The Earth Friends watch over all of the magical creatures and work with Gaia to protect the earth. These three dolls combine Bethany’s love for cloth dolls, polymer clay, encaustic, and assemblage.
Verónica Rosado Miñarro
Here you have a newborn dryad, she’s a magical being of the forest, to the untrained eye she looks like a tree, until she moves and shows up. She has moss on her body, which helps with the camouflage.
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