A Few Reasons I Continue Making Dolls!

Can you believe this face? Or should I have said....faces?! They look like sisters. Here is another shot. How could you not love these images! This is the reason I continue to make dolls. This is the reason I love making dolls! What fun I have creating new dolls almost everyday.......do I have the life or what! Let me know if you need someone to love or to pinch!

Brainstorming and Planning....................

OK, so here's the thing...............while I sit in my studio and create dolls, paint umbrellas, and make new paintings that will be made into cards...... I realize that I am almost there!................. I made a few decisions a little over a year ago and those choices are blooming [that's right, it's Spring!]. My process has not been 'perfected yet'........I am almost to the end of the extra stuff in my studio! That was one of my pledges or resolutions... "to use everything [all materials] in my studio instead of buying new supplies." I have burned through that one without much trouble. The other resolution I made to me was this, "to do what I want when I want and............ it must be something that makes me happy." So far, that too is going pretty well; I make things almost everyday; I work with women continuing to assist them in moving their lives forward, as a life coach that keeps me out of total solitude......... and I spend more time in the home I love with the man in my life I hardly saw in the past decade! All these things seemed nearly impossible while I worked a full-time job for someone else! Here is my issue with "almost", back to the start of this post: as I make these dollies, I realize that I want a doll to be in the arms of every child who has to spend a moment alone......................while mom and dad speak with a doctor, or a child that has spent a scared uneasy night because they are alone in their room. I want a doll with every person who needs help sitting up in a wheel chair because their muscles just don't do the job anymore [the dolls are big and stuffable, with sweet eyes so one might feel there is a friend along for the ride]. You can see where I am going with this, right?

I'd love to make donations of these dolls but I still need to work and so I am looking into funding to make this vision actually happen. As I peruse the web seeking help with funds to keep me producing dolls I realized that maybe I should begin with a less complicated or a more simple approach.........anyone who makes a donation to a children's hospital or has an elder in the family in a wheel chair or an Alzheimer's unit can purchase a doll and make a donation themselves! So that's how I'll proceed............ If you are interested in donating a doll to your favorite charity give my doll site a click www.playpals.etsy.com and see the dolls I have on hand!

Have at it you generous beast! I can make as many as you can give...............:)

Here is my PlayPals address again: www.playpals.etsy.com! And while you're at it, check out my hand-made card site www.intentionalbeauty.etsy.com so you can buy a card to go along with your doll! If you'd like to do that I will give you a buyer's discount on the card! If you decide to do that, shoot me an e-mail and we can work out shipping details.

Thanks for the brainstorming session,
EC Hanson

Introducing PlayPals.etsy.com

Hello.............

Just wanted to personally introduce you to my new 'etsy site'; www.playpals.etsy.com. It is the contact point for custom dolls made by me [EC Hanson], play therapy toys and tools [which will be posted soon] and that special place to see all the dolls that I have on hand. I call them PlayPals TM because that literally describes one of the purposes for the dolls. I originally created these dolls to be companions for my own children as we traveled across the country to move to the prairie from our home in Pennsylvania. The dolls kept my children company and gave them a shoulder to lean on when they were alone in one of the cars in tandem on this journey. I can tell you that they were helpful emotionally and my children still have them in their possession to date..........my kids are now grown-ups and have saved these special dolls for their own children.

After that trip, I created dolls for one of my three sisters who had some grand children. The dolls back then were not as refined as they are presently:) One of my other sisters who happens to be a play therapist, pt trainer, filial therapist and ft trainer asked me to make dolls for her. I created five dolls for my sis, Cindy Caparosa Sniscak, M.Ps.Sc., LPC, of the Beech Street Program [http://play-therapy.com/beechst/meet.html] who found them useful and the five blossomed into a dozen! She shared this information with her friend and co-hort Dr.Rise Van Fleet, Ph.D., RPT-S of Family Enhancement & Play Therapy [http://www.play-therapy.com/] who also found the dolls useful and now has a group of her own.

Over the past 15 years I have attended several play therapy conferences, local and national, and have crafted close to 700!

That number slays me! I plan to continue creating dolls and finding homes for them. Not only are they in the offices of play therapists across the country, but there are dolls in private homes in the rooms and arms of children all ages. The dolls are in nursing homes and schools across the country as well. My goal is to have at least one doll in the arms of every child who sits in a hospital room and finds themselves alone while the Dr. speaks with Mom and Dad. That task has been a daunting.............but I am determined! So........if any of you reading this have any ideas on how to make that happen, please contact me so I can continue my search for funding and support to achieve this goal.

Take a look at what Carol Mader, Play Therapist and School Counselor, shared with me recently, "Dear Ellen, I used to work with Cindy at Beech Street and I still have the 3 ft. size "doll." I used him when I was a school counselor and in private practice. He/she was a lifesaver. You made the doll in such a way that it could be identified as a boy or tomboy girl. My clients in child-centered play therapy and in directed work, used "Angel," as he was named by the kids, as a playmate. A child would talk to him as though he was another classmate or friend. Also, with painfully shy children, Angel might say "what they wished they could say." Angel was used for practice of social skills and assertiveness training. Thank you for getting back in the business! Your dolls are therapeutic. Sincerely, Carol"

Here are a few of the newest faces in my current collection...........enjoy!

You can check out my etsy sites at these locations: www.playpals.etsy.com or my other site for hand painted cards, Desk Heads, sculptures, etc. at www.intentionalbeauty.etsy.com. Feel free to comment on any posts you see.............opinions are welcome! Thanks for taking the time, ECH

Day Two..........A of G Keeping it real....................

So.......in the practice of being "impeccable" with my word...it's day 2!
Keeping the attitude of gratitude is looking good! Good night's sleep, waking early full of energy........what's up with that? Multi-tasking to the max and actually getting lot done!

The birds sing in the bathroom, the dryer works, got water cold and hot, had a good lunch, man life is good.

Hope your day has begun and continues this way!

Make your list, EC

An Attitude of Gratitude.............say what?

I have been doing empowerment work with people for many years. The one thing that really stands out to me after having met with one of my groups is; an 'attitude of gratitude' is a plus....... and will afford me many opportunities throughout my day. I have decided to make a list everyday of the "things that are working today"........... a list of the positives, not the negatives......believe me there are plenty of negatives, right? So I have begun making a list daily of the things that are working for me. So far, I am using a sticky note pad and as my lists grow......I expect that I will have to graduate to a larger piece of paper.

I have talked about this for years but today........I begin my own daily "gratitude" list. Attitude is everything, being present, and checking in are good things. Actions, even as small as this are my way of moving forward and creating a more conscious "attitude of gratitude"!

Hooray! So far..........so good...............It's a great day! What's working for you? How's your attitude?

EC