WASTING MY TIME

That's just it I have been wasting time trying to please people with no avail. I had to fix up an old doll
German Doll it had a star sign at the back... Horror story it is! I brought it home it was in a garbage bag she had nothing else to put it in.. took it down to the Barn where I had my German books to identify the markings.. I put it in the corner on the floor under the table thinking it was safe and went the next day to Sydney to do a show.  When I got home she rang me to ask if I started the doll, I had forgotten with many other things to do!! Days went by looking every niche and rooms everywhere nowhere till hubby picked up a garbage bag from the floor as he cleaned the barn.

I FROZE there was she was in pieces the head that is .... the head was poured in paper mache instead of porcelain, which was strange and very thin.  I just didn't do anything I was just so ill, so many tiny pieces. People just looked at me and told me to give her back. I just couldn't do that!  It took me months of patching up with PVA glue and toilet paper would you believe.  The whole of the front face was in pieces, the back of the head was held on with the wig which was so matted and glued to it.

When I got the head together with the air dried clay I then pulled the wig at the back off and glued it together which I already had glued together to hold the front while I was glueing it together. It came together so cracked up but in at least it was together I had to put a layer of the paper clay over the head to hold it together, so I could sand it smooth for painting...

well finally together with air drying paper clay smoothed over, sandpapered then rubbed and rubbed to get it smooth. Hours and days of work... not smooth do it again and again. Also painting over it with a wet brush making sure there are no bumps .

Nearly smooth still a couple of bumps showing so a lot of rubbing with a cloth and glass smooth sandpaper,

Final result I put a hat on here to protect her matted hair, do not wish to touch her anymore after that dreadful experience but she's so smooth eye lashes and eyebrows done, and the lips a quieter red so as not to show any descrepancies. Her right leg was in pieces it was with paper clay after putting the pieces of leg together a lot was missing so had to sculpt it out too. The hat is silk 2 rows of smoking and a row edged with old lace.. it will hold the hair in place which I made a paper mache pate to give it a little height... If the doll was mine I would have made a wig and reset the style. I put red flowers on the shoes to embellish I did have her on a wooden stand and a cellophane protective box over it to keep it from any deterioration but the lady did not wish to have that...She wanted it to sit in a chair in her loungeroom... Maybe the previous breaks on it had a lot to do with what I had to endure??

At least the final story SHE'S ALIVE AND WILL DO A NUMBER OF YEARS MORE!  I couldn't charge the lady for the misfortune and she didn't want to pay much for the leg break which was why she came to me. At least I learned a lot from this experience.....Broken WORSE than my post on OLD AND NEGLECTED. She wasn't neglected just a dreadful accident that she fell on her face!! Well now not a sign scratch or graze? I just can't believe I did it!