I don't know if the groundhog saw his shadow or not to let us know if it is the end of Winter but it is the end of the Winter Blue Instagram game.

This week's winner of the Sponsor's gift is Azzurra Brogi.  She wins the sponsor gift from Lesley Duthie of a tutorial to make needlefelting shoes for dolls.  Congratulations Azzurra!

Also, would like to thank Anna Esposito, Giusy Di Rocco, and Adelaide Santini for being generous with their time and talent as they shared their Sponsor's gifts in the Winter Blue Instagram Game.

Wow!  Can't believe it but we actually had a tie this year for the overall winner for the best supporter of the Winter Blue Instagram game. A Big Thank You goes out to Annalisa Borroni and Azzurra Brogi as active participants and overall supporters in the Winter Blue game. They will be receiving a shout-out thank you in the next issue of the IADR Art Doll Magazine.

Have you been to our IADR Art Doll Convention section on our website and checked out the fantastic workshops that will be available May 8th?  

That is right! Our workshops will be available one day only and then followed by our Art & Apervito Event later that night.

It is never too soon to sign up and get your spot reserved.  I know I'll be there, so come join me in the fun of learning something new in our Doll Making Adventure.  

Yes, get out the word... the Winter Blue juried show submission is now open.  Go to the website and look under the Winter Blue event for more information.  Deadline for submission is March 2nd, 2026.

​This juried show offers a discount on the entry fee to non-members who wish to enter.  If you want to see if the IADR is for you, the Winter Blue show is the best way to have an opportunity to win a year membership to find out.

Congratulations to Annalisa Borroni who is the winner of Adelaide Santini's Sponsor Gift from the Winter Blue Instagram game.  

Get the word out too on our upcoming IADR Art Doll Convention.  Facebook and Instagram are okay for spreading the news but with changing algorithms the word is getting harder and harder to share.

Let's then go back to Word of Mouth, the best way to advertise!  Tell your friends and family members about the IADR Art Doll Convention coming in May 2026!

We love to have more vendors that would like to exhibit their dolls (as we have more space this year)... BUT, remember friends and family can come and see the amazing artwork for FREE on Saturday, May 9th and Sunday, May 10th.

Or, purchase the Art & Aperitivo ticket for Friday night, May 8th for 45 euros.  This is really a great way to enjoy the evening with beverages and hors d'oeuvres and meeting the artists, sharing in the fun & festivities with friends, and attending the evening guest presentations and awards ceremony.

A warm WELCOME to Natalie Ruiz. She is a polymer artist from the Colorado, USA area.  She is a returning member to the IADR and we are excited to have her back.  I know I can't wait to see some of her creations plus get to actually meet her when she attends our IADR Art Doll Convention in Florence, Italy.

It's that time of year when we start making and checking our lists, whether it's a Christmas list or a to-do list.  Here is your IADR Check list...

Have you checked out the requirements for the Year End Juried Show?  Remember, you must have participated in at least one juried show this year or participated in the People's Choice event.  Also the Year End event is for IADR members only.

Have you downloaded the Special 2026 Convention Issue of the IADR Art Doll Magazine?  This issue is free so please let others know about it. 

Now is when I will be starting the January 2026 issue.  Deadline for submitting articles or tutorials will be December 15th, 2025, because of the holidays.  Don't forget this is a great way to introduce new dolls or share works in progress through the Do What You Love pages or the Facebook Collage.

Also put on your check list that January will be starting our Winter Blues event.   I'll be looking for sponsors for the Instagram game which we play leading up to the start of the Winter Blues juried show.

Our IADR Fall Online Sale will begin this week. I will send out the link of the event/page Wednesday, October 22rd by 10 pm MST so that everyone will be able to start sharing on October 23rd when the  event will officially be LIVE.  The more everyone shares the link, the more the event is seen.

Even if you don't share the link, remember commenting or liking a post still helps the algorithm of having the event seen.  So, share a little love if you please *smiling*.

​Myself, I'll be sharing it on Facebook and with several doll groups on Facebook.  I will also post it on Instagram, Bluesky, and Youtube. 

2026 IADR Convention Workshops -  Still working on editing the tape from our last Planning meeting, but also working on getting our Special Edition of the IADR Magazine for the Convention ready for publication. 

If you are considering providing a workshop but not sure just yet what it will be, please still go to the IADR website at https://www.international-art-doll-registry.com/workshop-provider-request-form.html
and fill out the form so we can reserve you a space!  

​Reminder:  Fall Online Sale -  For those still wishing to participate, please email me an image of the doll you wish to showcase on the Sale Page gallery preferably by October 15th. (Last Call for Deadline.)
                                                               
For those new to how we operate the Fall Online Sale - A Fall Sales Page of all those who participated in the People's Choice event and anyone else that is wanting to participate in the Fall Online Sale is created with their Artist's Studio pages featured in the Event.

We then send out the link of the event/page when it goes live on October 23rd.  The more the link is shared, the more the event is seen.

Congratulations to the winners of the People's Choice event and a big thank you to everyone that participated. This event brings a lot of activity to our website.  It is a fabulous marketing opportunity for as I often say, you can't sell if you aren't seen.

We had over 600 votes casted for this event with a 262% of increase in page views to our website and 1206 unique views. That is a wonderful job.

A Big Congratulations to Nade Jankovska who is our first place winner.  Angela Rinaldi is our second place winner and Anna Esposito is our third place winner.  A big Thank YOU to all that participated and voted to make this another successful event.

Welcome to our new Member - Linda Rous.  She lives in Oklahoma and works with wood as her doll making medium. Her characters are from Native American folklore and history.  She does amazing work and we will be looking forward to her sharing her "My People" with us.

The Summer 2025 issue of the IADR Art Doll Magazine is now available to download!  Yeeeahhh!  Thank you everyone that contributed pictures and articles for it.

​This issue also highlights the IADR Art Doll Convention and what a great time that was. Congratulations to the winners of the Shine the Light juried show held at the convention.

​For those new to the IADR, the magazine is available in English and Italian.  It is FREE to IADR members otherwise it is available for a small fee when one considers all the great information in it and the work that goes into creating each issue.  Click the link to go to the magazine:
https://www.international-art-doll-registry.com/art-doll-magazine.html.

​​Have  you marked your calendar for June 10th?  That is the next Shylock Doll gathering where IADR members from around the world get together to talk dolls, share tips, and play!  It is a zoom event which start at 12:30 MST/8:30 pm Italy. If you like to join us then please email [email protected] to be sent an invitation.

Nothing is better than making new friends and that certainly happened here at the IADR Art Doll Convention in Florence, Italy. 

Though some met friends that they already knew from past events or our zoom meetings, they were more than willing to take some of us who are new to Italy under their wings and make us feel like we were family.

With that, lets welcome our new members, Giusy Di Rocco from Italy, Kateryna Kadatska from Ukraine, and Mark Dennis from the USA to our IADR Art Doll family.

From the exhibit of the artist's creations to the juried show, it was exciting to see the variety of mediums as well as style of dolls. Overall, the event seems to have met with everyone's expectations which was great to hear.  But now is the time to be thinking of if we will do another one?

Whether you attended the convention or not, we want your responses in helping to know if you would support and participate in another IADR convention next year.  Please take a moment to answer the poll by June 1st, 2025!

The fun begins at The Hotel Albani Firenze in Florence, Italy (which also a four star hotel)!  It is here that the IADR Event will be hosted.  I know we have been very happy with the customer service they have provided via long distance and through emails or phone calls (even with an 8 hour time difference) in order to have everything prepped to welcome our attendees to our first IADR Convention.

​The royal treatment can begin with a helpful valet opening the door for you and seeing if you need any assistance.

Upon entering the door the warm welcome continues as we check in with the historical decor added to the 20th century technology.  Not all of us will be staying here as others have made other arrangements, but just the opportunity of the dollmakers community coming together is almost like having Christmas arriving early.  The anticipation of seeing who will arrive and the new friends that will be made is exciting indeed.

The actual Convention will be held in their conference rooms which is across from the hotel entrance.  Lots of spaces for the Sales Exhibit room as well as spaces for the Workshops.  Keep in mind that you are still able to sign up for the workshops on our opening day.  So, check the schedule to know when they are happening and see what fantastic learning opportunities are available.

You will find us by seeing our newly made banner guiding you to the registration area where we will be delighted to see you.

Also check out this month's podcast on our YouTube channel as Bambi & I talk about putting all your eggs in one basket.  Or in other words are you spreading your marketing tools to diversify in our changing social media platforms.  

You can listen to it at:
​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sotTfW2pqHI&list=PLrtdDHQkjjJvujQZl7qsg7RAULUI4L5tw