Sketchbook Project

I didn't have quite the right name of the site sponsoring the sketchbook project: It is Art House Coop.com and here is site's address, in case you want more details:
http://arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject

Back of my Sketchbook

Here's the back of the book; the label with the UPC code has to be visible on the back; somehow, that's important--I think so they can track your book. I think I'll be able to log on and see where it is at any point in time.

Since we don't get the books back, I'll probably make copies of my sketches. I hope I don't leave this project until the last minute, as I am infamous for doing!!!!

The Art Coop Sketchbook Project: My Book

The sketchbook came as a plain black book and the recipient was told it was fine if they wanted to make his/her book more durable by covering it. Since my chosen theme is "I'm a Scavenger," I decided to cover mine with worn denim.

This is the front; I want to show the back, too, but right now I'm not being allowed to add the other picture, so I guess I'll have to do another post to show that.

The sketchbook project is comprised of books purchased and completed by people willing to pay $20 for the privilege. The books are due in December, I think, and then during the next year, they travel around the US, and people get to look at them. So far, all my work is on the OUTSIDE of this book, but I'll have to get busy soon, and illustrate my scavenging ways.

My First Carved Hitty's Face is Finished

I made her eyes better with my fine Micron Pigma pens. (What would I DO without them!!!! ) My first attempt at carving a Hitty doll is almost done--I just have to do her limbs now. She isn't as perfect as I would like, but I know with the proper tools (this one was carved with a jack knife), and practice, my subsequent Hittys will be better. That said, this Hitty is my first doll carving attempt, and she will always be special to me, because she is number one. I will name her Hitty Anna, and I'll go down the alphabet from here, just like hurricanes and those "alphabet mystery books" do. Will I get to Z?! We shall see!! Stay tuned.



I love the HittyGirls yahoo group that I joined recently. They all love their Hittys and they are not all girls--the members, I mean. They can answer just about any Hitty question you have. And the dolls are not all girls, either. Of course, they aren't called Hitty something like the girl dolls are. I will close here, before I sound even crazier than I already do. I was just imagining someone coming onto my blog by accident and thinking, this lady is seriously WACKO!!! LOL

Hitty's Face is Painted, sort of................

I'm not done with the face. She has that "deer in the headlights" look that I need to deal with. I "bit the bullet" and ordered a Starting Out carving kit from Little Shavers, that will have a Kevlar glove that fits my (small) hand, and tools that will also fit my hand.
This Hitty was carved with a jack knife, probably not the most precise carving, tool, but it was all I had. I used my Dremel a bit for sanding, but whoa!!! You have to be careful with that thing or it will just take a Hitty's nose right off, if you're not careful.
Am I satisfied with this Hitty? No, I'm not. But she will always be my number one carved Hitty, and will serve as a testimony to where I began. Hopefully, we'll all be able to see my progress as I carve future Hittys. But first, this one needs arms and legs.

My Self Carved Hitty, In Prog

This is a Hitty doll I am carving. I had a little "help" in that I bought a kit for her--a "blank" that was roughed out the proper size, proportion, etc. with a saw, leaving the detailed work to me. For my next one, perhaps I can do it all myself, as I have a little craft saw, and now that I have this one to use for comparison, I think I could get the size right. I also have an ash tree in the front yard that I can use for wood.

Hitty comes from Rachel Field's Newberry Award winning book, Hitty, Her First Hundred Years, published in the 1920s. Rachel saw a small wooden doll (6.5" tall) in an antique store, and loved her, but could not afford to purchase her. After awhile, she could no longer resist the pull of this doll and, with the help of her mother, bought the doll. Rachel then wrote her rather exciting book from the doll's point of view. The original Hitty can be seen in a museum in one of the New England states (USA).

I first became acquainted with Hitty from an article in a doll magazine I was reading at a local library. The Hitty in the article belonged to a man in San Francisco, who took his Hitty with him all over the world. There were pictures of Hitty in front of the Eiffel Tower, on London Bridge, at Giza with the pyramids, etc. The man's female friends provided his Hitty with many pretty outfits to wear in the various pictures.

I bought my own Hitty from the Robert Raikes Co, which has since gone out of business, the last I heard. Hopefully, the business will resurrect itself, as the Hitty dolls they made were lovely. I love mine and will post her picture in a separate post. I've also made some painted cloth Hitty dolls, although they turned out a little larger than the real Hitty. Alas, my Hitty only has one dress and for a LONG while she didn't even have that.

Interesting Information about a Special Penny Wood Doll

Katrina, a member of TreadleOn, an online group to which I also belong, offers this interesting information about one of these "penny wood" dolls:
One of those (penny wood dolls) came across the plains from St. Louis to Sacramento in 1846 with Patty Reed, who was a member of the Donner Party. When the party got into trouble and had to abandon most of their belongings, the little wooden doll was the only thing Patty could take because it was small enough to fit into her pocket. (Many were about 4" tall, although Bonnie's two are 11.5".)
The book Patty Reed's Doll is the story of that journey, being trapped in the Sierra that winter, and the hardships the survivors encountered all written from the doll's point of view. When Patty later died, she donated the doll to Sutter's Fort, because that was the destination they were heading for. "Dolly" is on display at Sutter's Fort, and every spring, thousands of fourth graders descend upon it to see the doll as part of their California History curriculum. While this particular doll is important because of its unique history, these dolls were very common during the middle part of the 19th century.
Thanks, Katrina, for sharing this information.