June is typically the month for weddings and at the IADR (International Art Doll Registry) we aren't any different.

The next Juried Show is Fairy Weddings and the Guests Who Attend.  I can't wait to see the delightful characters that will be created for this event.

Plus this is the first time ever that we are opening the juried shows to non-IADR participants to have the opportunity for them to also compete.

Any medium such as polymer, paperclay, wax, fiberart, needlefelting or porcelain are all acceptable as long as the character is a one of a kind and not made from commercial molds.

NEW NEW NEW -  Master (category):  A Master is an artist who has won the Professional level award in an IADR Juried Show or an artist who teaches doll making and/or sells more than 6 dolls per year.  Masters are for the level where their skill isn't judged as much as do they meet the theme.  As such, MASTERS can enter again even if they have won a previous MASTER award.  They will also still be considered for the Year End Awards as long as they participate in one other show during the year. 
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The deadline and other information regarding the Jury Show can also be seen in our new IADR Art Doll Magazine.  Check out the previous blog for the link to this free magazine.  

Happily Ever After's do come true and sometimes  they start with just a little love and inspiration.

Our first IADR Art Doll Magazine is now available.  Click the image to be taken to the easy-to-read PDF magazine full of interviews, interesting articles, and a great tutorial.  

And I would like to thank everyone who made this first edition possible!

With June's arrival, bring the first days of summer, it has been nice so far.  We here in Montana (USA) are just now getting into the 80 degree Fahrenheit weather.  So yes, bring out the bathing suits and the sun glasses, it is official - Summer has arrived.  Until that is... when I look at my calendar. 

There are just a couple of things happening in June so mark your calendar as to not miss out on them.

​Talking about events, then there is the upcoming IADR Juried Show - Fairy Weddings and the Guests Who Attend.  This is really an open opportunity to explore your imagination.  This will also be the first event that will be open to non-members of IADR.  More about that information coming out in our new magazine.

Setting out on an adventure to follow a dream in my beautiful caravan is the type of experience I enjoyed when visiting with Jerry Knegtel. ​

She weaved a story full of fairies that made me feel I had entered her magical land.  They surround her but Jerry was more than willing to share how they come alive through her and become a part of our world seen through her eyes.  

​A BIG thank you to the Artists that entered the 2023 Rainy Days Juried Show.  All submissions are now available for viewing by clicking the video.

To find out who the winners are drop in to our IADR Award Winner page on the website.  

​Hard to believe that there are only 12 days left until the deadline for submitting entries into our first Jury Show of the year. 

Anticipation is building.  What will our members create this year since the theme could be anything that had to do with Rainy Days. Let the Creative juices flow!

Did you know that our winning members receive cash prizes in the category they enter in?  They also don't have to pay any registration fees to compete. All they need to do is be a member of IADR (International Art Doll Registry) and complete a doll that meets the required theme in any medium of their choice.

Do you know what is so cool about being a member of IADR (International Art Doll Registry)?  It is the opportunity to meet other doll makers and share our passion for dolls.  Whether we are playing at dress up or having a tea party it is all fun and fantastic.

Did you know we reach as far away as Alaska, USA, all the way down to Australia, from Washington State across the BIG pond to Italy plus places in between?  Now we are even having a "playtime" on Zoom in real time called ShyLock Doll Gathering where we can talk about and inspire each other in our craft.

The Shylock Doll Gathering time frame is a perk of being a member of IADR and a wonderful opportunity for making friendships that can last a lifetime.  Mark your calendar and if you aren't a member of IADR, maybe now is the time to join.  Visit our website at:
https://www.international-art-doll-registry.com or send me an email at IADRegistry@outlook.com for more information.

There are easily 25 different top songs about "Rain" such as "Purple Rain" by Prince or "Singing in the Rain" with Gene Kelly.  Each one all about rain but so totally different.  Since this is our first show of the year and without a particular genre, what could be more exciting then seeing the wonderful artwork of our doll artists with their entries and their interpretations of a Rainy Day.

So don't forget to check your "to do" list when preparing your submission.  Have you a good camera set up for taking your pictures for the submission form? 

Have you checked out the Tutorials section on the IADR (International Art Doll Registry) yet?  We got your back plus other parts of the anatomy for reference or learning tutorials are available there.  ​This is just one of the services we offer to our Members of the IADR.

Members can log-in to the site and then click Tutorials. Because we have so much information I created a couple of sub-categories too.  By clicking on Tutorials (whether it's in the heading or the beginning of the sub-category section) there will be a wide range of doll making tutorials to see.  We have doll tutorials, costuming, and a couple of other wonderful informational lessons that our IADR members have generously shared with us.

Plus why might you like to share your tutorials with us? Because NOW with our new setup, if you offer a tutorial or lesson that might be on your personal webpage, Youtube or any place you have created a file/link -- we will create on our website a link back to the information.  You have then just doubled your opportunity of someone visiting your page if anyone finds it on our website.  To see how this works, go to the Tutorials section, and then simply click on my free tutorial on how to paint eyebrows.  

The artwork of Amanda Parkinson is exciting and I certainly love hearing and seeing it through her eyes.  

Besides thinking outside the box in creativity, it is also amazing how, as dollmakers, we often are required to figure out other ways in order to create our dolls.  We may not get the exact thing we wanted for our piece but we don't let that stop us. We simply move forward.

What is pix-a-lated?  There are many stories and legends of the unexpected traveler being pixy-led and arriving home disheveled often following the revels of a village fair.  They would insist that the pixies were to blame for heading them from the path with their flickering lights resulting in them being lost or very late.

Well, that is what I feel like now that here in the USA we have Sprung forward an hour.  We are suppose to be enjoying an extra hour of sunlight but I am still waiting for the sun to show up for that too.  Here in the USA we are also out of step until others go through this stage.  

So what does that mean?  For those of us planning on attending the Shylock Doll Gathering this Wednesday the 15th, please check your time zone as to not miss out on this fun gathering of dollmakers.  We are looking to explore the different ways (or the easy way) to make fingers for our characters.  

​I am excited to see the Rainy Days entries showing up soon.  How will you see it and what you use for inspiration are all good things to be thinking about when building your creations.  

But also keep in mind those thoughts when filling out your submission form when submitting it.  Remember to explain how your creation is connected to the theme is very important.  Click here if you want to read the blog again on how I explained the scoring in an IADR juried show "Why-is-the-theme-important".

So when you go into to fill out that form where it asks your interpretation and theme, this is one of those times that more is better than less.
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If you were inspired by "Dancing in the Rain" with the actor Gene Kelly, say so.  Or if a traditional Raindance by a native tribe inspired you... say so.  Or another way of filling out this part is when describing your character you can say that they are carrying an umbrella to protect them from the rain.  Or the little fairy is hiding under the leaf to protect herself from the wet rain.