PlayPals reside in many places!

This Little Gal's Grandmother bought her a dolly at a fair in Colorado Springs! The next day, the daughter, mother of the baby came to the fair to tell me that she loved the dolly and that even though she cannot walk she drags it with her everywhere! Mom was very sweet and told me this with a big smile followed by a hug! Why I continue to make PlayPals:)

These two dolls are in Therese P.'s bag of tricks. She is a licensed professional counselor and goes into peoples homes because of her rural location. Here is what T has to say: "I am a licensed counselor working in a rural area, which allows me to do a lot of therapy in people's homes, including play therapy with kids. I like bringing PlayPals along for this purpose--- they are versatile and portable. Kids (and adults) always have a reaction to PlayPals--- they are hard to ignore: They're big, with bright features. I bring them in and let people make their own decision about "who is this?' and "do I like it?" PlayPals are human-like and useful for role-plays--teaching healthy boundaries and other social skills. While they are non-threatening and super-soft and cuddly; they also have what I would term "neutral" expressions on their faces. Clients can project their own thoughts and feelings onto these dolls. I've seen the dolls tossed in the air, locked in the closet, hugged, thrown on the floor and punched, sat on--- you name it. The dolls are beautifully made, of good quality, durable, and can take what kids dish out. My first one has lasted for years and still looks great. Now I'm using two PlayPals together for twice the effect in my sessions.


As you can see, they reside in varied places but enjoy the love!

Thank you to T and to Katie for the shots and the kind words.

Signing out,
EC

Colorado to LA to Portland & Home!

Maggie on the move from LA to Portland & the next good thing!

WOW! What an amazing country this is. It is beautiful and diverse. We recently traveled to LA to assist our sweet daughter on her move to Portland to begin a new job as a recent Masters Grad. Saying goodbye was sad but life goes on and so begins the move to her new life in the northwest.

What an adventure we had! Knowing that I would probably not go back to LA with her gone, I was careful to take in all the wonders and beauty of her little niche in LA. Everything was blooming [an allergy nightmare] but beautiful. Actually, I don't know why all the jokes were made about the fog and smog in LA because I've never been there when it wasn't sunny and lovely. Even the crowds this time were ok and kind of fun! Then off to San Fran. After a visit with my daughter's friend and family - finally meeting the infamous Connor T, we set our sights north to Portland. Before we left, the conversation was about route 5 being "boring but wait until you get to Oregon". Boring didn't come into play at all..............it was amaaaazing! The green and rolling hills were like non I've ever seen......the entire trip was one of such great beauty and awe that my husband and I were loving every minute of the trip. Our travel buddy Ollie [what a great companion] was sitting in his little travel bag [next to his girl] looking out the window also enjoying the view. I would recommend route 5 north to anyone, not so much traffic and the countryside was truly relaxing. Of course, we love 'seeing far' and those rolling hills and farmland WOW!

We got to Portland and the green was to die for! As an artist, I have used lots of color.......but I have never seen as many shades of green as in Portland. It is lush and the lush looks happy:) It wasn't too long before we discovered 'why' the lush looked happy........the rain showers were light and it was lovely. The first few showers were lovely.......the torrential downpour on our walk back to the apt. before starting home was hysterical. There were waves of water running off my brow into my eyes. I could barely see to walk across the street. We were drenched to our undies and had to change clothes just to jump into the car to head home. I found Portlanders to be very friendly except when standing on a corner in the rain........no one moved their umbrella to help ward off the downpour, not even a little......they hogged their dry area and averted eye contact but the three of us made it back to our darling's new little nest and dried off in time to begin the next leg of our journey home.
We drove along the Columbia river through the Dalles. What the heck is a Dalle? I should have paid more attention in geology class so I could understand a little bit about the amazing terrain in my own country. The natural regional differences in this country are huge and I have to say I have never [to date] seen anything such as this........along the Columbia river.
The green continued and the rocks were amazing but different from the cliffs and giant rock outcroppings in Colorado and New Mexico. There was almost nothing familiar on this trip. It was all wonderful and new to us. Besides the outstanding landscape, we saw huge windmill farms. It was great to see how some states are utilizing the power of the wind for energy. We stopped a few times to watch and listen. I had heard that wind farms create tons of noise and it would not be desirable to live close by.......we didn't hear a thing. BUT those wind turbines are huge; about two tractor trailer lengths or better and the paddles [probably not the correct word] are taller than my house!

Next state, Idaho! Another wonder, not as green but beautiful, open and mountainous [is that an oxymoron?], similar to Colorado but different. We didn't spend too much time in Idaho but we felt lucky to have traveled through a small part of it. We must have driven around Boise because I didn't see too many people or cars or houses.........they said on the map that Boise is the largest population in Idaho but we didn't see too much except for the mountains and the sky:) It must be a hard go in the winter with all the snow. I heard at lunch that jobs were scarce:(

We entered Utah! Also beautiful; mountains and open spaces, much more familiar, more like the Colorado Rockies. Still amazing to see. It was very curvy coming through that last leg after Moab. We did make a stop south of Provo to have a cup of coffee and a piece of pie with family! It was a wonderful stop and the company was great:) But we had a long way to go so we jumped back into the car and hit the road one more time. As I write this............... the rest of our trip is becoming a bit of a blur, at this point we were beginning to feel that we wanted to be home, pet the dogs, listen to the birds, and look at our mountains out our front window.

Nice, eh?

We had a lovely time and the beauty, as I've said repeatedly was too much for real description. We hear from our sweet girl that she loves the rain and the green and the people are very friendly. She has her own umbrella and is now never without it. There are markets close by with organic foods, the library is close, and the walk to work is a joy everyday.

Life is good. Back to work, weeding, and planting. My poor plants have been in my dinning room window waiting for the wind to die down. They are going into the garden today; I believe we have Summer!

Remind yourself as you drive to work or to your friends house, enjoy your landscape, smell the rain and the roses! Embrace the beauty of where you are, it's all around us and it is amazing.

Signing out,
EC

Getting the hang of this picture program!

Took long enough! Many thanks to Karl for all his help and encouragement:) I know it's been a challenge walking me through this but I am very grateful! I've spent most of my day photographing and working though my ideas on the picture program and.........today, you are tops on my gratitude list!
Not only am I grateful for the assistance..........but had I not painted parasols for your wedding, I wouldn't have known how much fun I could have! Give your bride a huge hug from me!

Thank you!

For those of you on-lookers that like what you see...............please check my etsy site: address:www.intentionalbeauty.etsy.com .
For the next hour or so, I will be posting the pictures I took today of the parasols I have on hand.

I see these parasols in the hands of people out on a sunny day, in store windows, in play therapy offices for children to play "dress-up", as decorations in private homes, and for elders sitting out on the porch on a sunny day at a care center! Let me know where you see these colorful beauties!

Signing off,
EC

Spring is supposed to be here........................

I just lit a fire.......I'm freezing! But the sun is shining and the wind is blowing and oy does it blow!

Just in time for my parasol production...........yikes. Take a look at these and imagine you are on a stroll, the sun is shining, the wind is a mild breeze and your only worry is to be home in time for dinner:)
OR you have a shop and as Summer approaches you ponder the "window-redo"........how will you attract buyers and display your wares?

What's your color? You choose and I'll create a parasol just for you!


Enjoy your stroll............

PlayPals...........received well at Juniper Village!

"Making connections" to me means making a difference.............this is why I make my little dollies! No kidding, this is the icing on the cake! I spent a few hours with the Social Worker, Donna, and my dolls........ meeting some of the Juniper Village family and walked away with tears in my eyes and joy in my heart.

Look at these happy unions! Making dolls for me is about making a connection and by extension, making a difference. I think we did that today! All of the people you see here were very excited about receiving a doll. Each person made their doll choice thoughtfully and vowed to care for their doll with compassion and love. I jokingly said to one women, you can sleep with the dolls too................she replied with daggers in her eyes.........."no I won't, they are too special." I had an opportunity to speak with every person who wanted a doll and as I left the building everyone was holding tightly to their PlayPal with smiles on their faces.

Thank you Juniper Village for this amazing opportunity; me sharing my dolls with and you sharing your smiles and giggles with me!

Social Worker, Donna and Juniper Village Director, Jill Weinger suggested the dolls be smaller than larger. It makes perfect sense that the dolls for elders [in care centers] be smaller, to hold and cuddle. The larger dolls children use as companions in play therapy or the larger doll becomes an adult who the child sees as a relationship needing work. Children seem to be drawn to larger dolls more "their size"; the larger doll is like having a peer beside you and the smaller doll suggests care needed...............so size does matter! At least with these dolls.

Be thoughtful about your need for a doll and together we can work to determine the size of the doll for you, your clients, or your children.

Signing out..........have a peaceful day and enjoy what you do,
EC Hanson

A Happy Customer!

This is Dawn. She's a therapist who recently purchased the two dolls you see with her on the sofa. She gave me permission to show you this picture of her and the dolls and where they now live! Read what she has to say:

"Ellen,
I have been meaning to send this and just haven't had a chance! This isn't a great picture, but I thought you might like to see where the dolls will be "living." I'm very excited about them, and it has been fun to see my clients reactions. Some have been a little standoffish from them because they are new, and others have been drawn instantly. Anyway, I love them and am thrilled at the ones I picked!
Thanks so much!"

Dawn

Dawn, thanks so much for sending this shot and for allowing others to view it and to read your remarks. I hope you will send follow-up remarks as you get to know the dolls and your kids get to know the dolls as well!

For anyone who reads this and has some of my dolls for their own children or who use them in their therapy, please send me some feed back; how the dolls are used, are they loved, do they evoke stories, and how they fit into your lives!

Signing out,
EC Hanson

"Why Do They Cost So Much?"

This is a question I hear a lot. Here are the reasons and when you know the reasons you may ask, "Why don't you charge more?" I've said more than once, that it takes me 3 1/2 to 4 hours to make each doll. The materials per doll cost on average about $15 give or take a little, sometimes up to $20. I really make an effort to keep the cost down. I make each body part one at a time, put it all together; create the face, fingers, toes, hair, and personality. I live 30 miles out of town so getting supplies takes time. I am actually pretty good with time economy so I do lots of things on one trip; pick up the stuffing, the clothes, etc. Then I wash all the clothes since they are clothes that actual children have worn. The face and the hair take the most time, each process can take up to an hour. After creating all the limbs loosely, I work on the head. I create the actual face first so I can "get to know" each doll. That then, determines what he/she will be wearing. It is time to fine-tune the limbs so I work on one arm then the other, etc. until I am able to assemble all the parts and Voila........a dolly. It is then that I begin working on the hair do which can be quite challenging and much of the hair choice [as with any person] is determined by the personality or attitude! Which is why I chose the guy in the corner to represent the dolls for this conversation! Can you hear him explaining this to you? He cracks me up!

So..................there you have it. As an artist I know that I will never be paid realistically by time alone, but I love creating ........ so I do. What's really funny is.......I am really fast and I have been making them for so long that I have the time down to the bare bones. I like to keep each doll different with personality so the child or adult can choose the one that speaks to them. Big, small, it doesn't seem to matter unless the doll is life size, the adult life size:) That doll is more expensive -

One fact that I think is worth noting; the dolls last for a very long time. True enough, I use very good materials so the dolls are extremely sturdy. Cindy Caparosa Sniscak, Play Therapist and owner of The Beech Street Program has been using my dolls for 15 years. [You can read a quote from Cindy below.] I have made a few repairs on her dolls and they have taken some hard hits. In a play therapist's "playroom" the dolls take real beatings sometimes, literally! They last for years and they clean up very well. I use natural products so they are easy to touch and don't get snaggy:( I work with my hands all the time and if I can't touch it, I won't use it! I want these dolls to be hugged and allowed to be close to the body of children. I will not use fabric or thread that won't hold up under the stress of love or the torture of a child working out some trauma. Now for the dolls I use yarn that I can buy fairly inexpensively .......the reason for that is that children like to cut hair and tie it into knots so you should not worry if that happens. I can repair it very reasonably..............so far for the shipping and the materials, no labor charges.

Cindy Caparosa Sniscak has this to say, "Playpals have been staples in all of my playrooms and offices since their inception. Over the past 15 years, I have amassed a collection of different ages, skin tones, expressions, and outfits. They have been heavily used in both directive play therapy sessions as well as child centered sessions and offer our child clients opportunities for therapeutic work in many thematic areas. They have been used to work on nurturance, aggression, trauma, victim, perpetrator, good, evil, power, control, anxiety, loss and family and relationship themes. These dolls have been given roles such as perpetrator, robber, victim, jury, police officer, sibling, baby, parent and student. They are wonderful props that offer endless possibilities for creativity in children’s play. They are artistically made, durable and can be easily cleaned. You would be lucky to own one."

Thank you Cindy for those comments :) Cindy will be sending a picture of the dolls in her playroom and I will post that when the picture arrives!

Update on shipping: I just raised my shipping charges to cover the doll getting to most areas in a few days fully insured. I can actually ship two dolls in one box for the same money so that is a benefit for sure. Costs for shipping have gone up every where so I use USPS to ship. I will ship Mondays and Wednesdays. If you have a "doll emergency" please let me know. You can contact me through this sight by making a comment and leave me your contact information or you can go to my website: www.playpals.etsy.com and begin a conversation. That's all! EC Hanson