The Interview - Angelwing Nursery

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The Interview
This month we
speak with
Kelly
Mathews
of
by Kelly Mathews
Dreams
Come True
Nursery
Page 3
DOULA’s
We have a
look to find
out what they
are and what
they do
Page 8
SECOND EDITION NOVEMBER 2006
Rosie’s Reborn World
Angelwing
Nursery
Volume 1 Issue 2
November 06
Editorial
Our forum logo
Here Again…
Well the First Newsletter, has received some
super feedback. So the
only problem I now
have is to keep up the
quality and quantity of
work. But enough of my
problems.
This month I am adding
a “REAL” Baby column
front cover Ava by Kelly Mathews
to show we can talk
about babies that have
not been reborn. Also I
hope to be able to walk
you through the process of building a webpage for your Ebay
sales in the next issue.
I truly believe a good
page and good photos
will help to sell your babies.
I have twisted Rosie’s
arm too, too get the low
down on graphics, to
help with your Nursery
Logo’s. I think there
should be something
for everyone this
month.
I would like to thank
you all for your support,
and to ask you to get
just one friend to sign
up too and that would
double our circulation,
as the bigger the circulation the better the
offers I can get for
you… So go on be
selfish and get a mate
to join up and everyone
will benefit…
So thanks again for being there and don’t forget we need your views,
questions, and recommendations to survive
Kevan
www.angelwingnursery.com
Contact Us
For general info, and all things to do with the newsletter,
newsletter@angelwingnursery.com
For webpage faults spelling mistakes etc that’s me you want…
kevan
For advertising
newsads@angelwingnursery.com
Www.dollsdreamland.com
Your advert here
Please email us
for details
Volume 1 Issue 2
The Big Interview: Kelly Matthews
I will be interviewing different reborners each month to show case their work and ask them a few questions, if there is anyone YOU would like interviewed give me a shout and we will try for you.
Dreams Come True Nursery
Ebay name : mikelry
Some of kelly’s Babies
Web Address: http://www.freewebs.com/mikelry
How did you start reborning? I was looking into doll making on the
internet, and came across reborns...it was love at first site, and I just
had to try for myself. I found Angelwing Nursery and their tutorial,
and the rest is history!
Do you have a favourite artiste? It's hard to say because each artist is so
unique and different, but if I have to choose I would say Ruth Annette
of Precious Dreams Nursery...I admire her work very much and would
love to own one of reborns one day!
Do you have a favourite doll? So far, my favorite doll which I myself
have reborned would have to be Denise Pratt's Avery Sculpt. I also
love the AD Ashley, but haven't been able to get my hands on one yet!
Approx how many reborns have you created? I have just finished my
14th doll
Which one are you most proud of and why? It would have to be my
Avery...whom I named Ava. She was just so much fun to reborn, and
she turned out soooo realistic. She was also my highest ebay sale so
far lol!
Do you have any hints or tips to pass on? Gosh, there's so much that
goes into reborning, that it's hard to come up with just one specific tip
or hint. Right now, I would have to say that Everyone should try
Genesis Paints! I was afraid to try them at first, but they really are
fabulous for reborning, and they are very easy to get the hang of. I will
never use anything else now! Oh...another tip...never forget about the
doll parts you have in the oven...been there...done that...and the puddle
of melted vinyl wasn't pretty lol!
Tell us about yourself,...I am a 31 year-old stay at home Mom of four
beautiful children. I have 3 boys and one girl. I also have a teaching
degree, but haven't used it much since I've always stayed at home with
the kids. I am married to my high school sweetheart...we met when we
were only 14 and have been together ever since! We've been married
10 years this December! I live in the USA...in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! Home of the Pittsburgh Steelers...Superbowl Champs...Go
Steelers lol!
Cont...
Page 3
Were you a dolly person in your youth?...Oh yes, I have collected dolls since I was a very little girl. My mother used to buy me a new porcelain doll each birthday and Christmas!
Any funny stories about reborning to tell us. I once took one of my reborns into a nursing
home to see my grandmother. There was an elderly man on the elevator with me and he kept
telling me how cute my baby was and how peacefully she was sleeping. He even touched
her little face and STILL didn't know she wasn't real...I didn't have the heart to tell him she
was a doll lol!
Any reborning links to share with us:
.
www.simplyreborn.com
www.Angelwingnursery.com (of course)
www.bountifulbaby.com
How do you feel about ebay: To be honest, I'm really frustrated with ebay right now. Their
policies and procedures DO NOT respect the sellers...there are auctions being pulled and reported all over the place, and ebay does little or nothing about it! They really need to come
up with a way to protect the sellers more and also a better policy for dealing with the scammers and cheats who target ebay buyers and sellers both! My suggestion would be to charge
a small fee for ebay membership...that might help eliminate some of the fraudsters who are
out there! Overall, though, and somewhat unfortunately, ebay is the best venue for selling
reborns right now though!
What hints and tips would you give to buyers? Read the sellers feedback, don't be afraid to
ask questions of the seller, visit their me page and website, and really study the auction and
pictures. Although, I would suggest that buyers DO NOT base their purchase only on pictures...some people do wonderful reborns, but aren't really good photographers, so their pics
don't really showcase their work well. If you think you like the doll, but aren't crazy about
the pics, email the artist and ask for a few more. Be specific as to what you'd like to see in
the pictures, too! This can work the opposite way as well. Some people do really bad reborns, but are great at photographing them, so they mislead buyers into thinking they are getting something that's better than what it really is!
Volume 1 Issue 2
Mohair… The Full Story.
Ever wondered where your mohair actually
comes from, Well I did and I found a
Lovely lady to explain all about how it gets
from the goat to your babies.
Alexandra, of Singing Falls Mohair has
agreed to tell you the story in her own
words, she has raised goats for over 25
years…..
Alexandra spinning her
Mohair
Visit Singing Falls at:
http://www.singingfalls.com
Part I What might make us "different" than some of the doll hair sellers on Ebay or other
retail sites is that: I don't buy my mohair from a goat breeder but actually raise the
angora goats here. I AM a goat breeder. I know my mohair - I know it "inside and
out" you might say.
My husband and I have been raising angora goats for more than 25 years. When a
doll hair buyer writes to me and asks for doll hair, in either the raw form (because she
wants to learn to wash and dye mohair all by herself) - or in its finished form - I walk
outside and go into my barn's second story attic where dozens of doll hair fleeces are
kept.
I look at the bags, white mesh, and gaze at the names hand written on the
bags. One says "B-1, Spring 2006." This means that was B-1's offering of fleece for
this year. She has the prettiest natural blonde fleece in the entire herd. It is a special
bag.
Another is marked "Honey, Fall 2004." Honey's fleece was always a dark blonde
color, but sometimes it held too much "taupe" coloration in it to be ideal doll hair. I
use it when I want to spin a gorgeous natural taupe yarn for my blankets that I weave.
“My
husband and
I have been
raising
angora goats
for more than
25 years.”
All our goats are our "babies." They all have names, named right after they let out
their first squall after being born. Just as the reborner lovingly creates her babies and
names her babies and becomes very attached to that "Baby" after all the hours and
hours of work she puts into the baby -- I, as an angora goat raiser, have become extremely attached to my goats.
Almost always I'm there when the goat mother pushes in earnest on "her day" and
gives birth. My heart rejoices to see these delicate little creatures who are born on
this farm. Sometimes, because angora goat babies when born are so very delicate, I
end up having to bring one or two in the house and carefully bottle feed them right on
my hearth -- until they are STRONG enough to go out in the cold in the barn and bond
with mama.
Your advert here
Please email us
for details
I know a few breeders that even diaper their baby goats if they are kept in the house
for some time. I've never done that. I just walk around as they caper through the
house, their tiny hooves hitting the solid oak floor like Fred Astaire dancers, and clean
up their little yellow poo poos or wipe up puddles. Yes, these are real live babies and
I certainly find myself bonding to them readily!
Alexandra, Singing Falls Mohair
...Part II next month
Page 5
Creating your first web page
Every one has “Notepad” on their system so just open it “Start/all programs/accessories/notepad” it looks like a little
blue notepad….
To start the page type the following:
<html>
</html>
Each one of those is called a tag. There is a starting tag and a closing tag. To make a closing tag just add a / to the
starting tag. Most, but not all tags have a closing tag. Think of tags as enclosing a bit of text for the browser to interpret. The browser will interpret everything between <html> and </html> as an HTML document. Different tags are
interpreted different ways by the browser. Let's proceed...
Every HTML document needs a pair of head tags.
<html>
<head>
</head>
</html>
The only thing we have to concern ourselves with in the head tags (for now) are the title tags.
<html>
<head>
<title></title>
</head>
</html>
And the bulk of the page is going to be within the body tags.
<html>
<head>
<title></title>
</head>
<body>
</body>
</html>
Oh, and one more thing, give your document a title, and put something in the body.
<html>
<head>
<title>My First Web Page</title>
</head>
<body>
Hello Kevan!
</body>
</html>
(Continued on page 7)
(Continued from page 6)
Now save it, not as a text document, but as a html document. Save it as page1.html in a new folder somewhere.
If you a little fuzzy about how to do this then here's what you do...
In your Notepad window click File then Save As.
You will be presented with the Save As dialog box. Make a new folder by clicking the New Folder icon in the Save
As dialog box.
The New Folder icon will look something like this -->
Name the new folder whatever you want. Then double click on it to open it. Now you're ready to save the file into
the the new folder you just made. Where it says File name: type in page1.html Where it says Save as type:
make sure it says All Files(*.*)
Hit return and you're done!
Congratulations! You are the proud parent of a fully functional Web Page! You could upload it to a server and the
whole world can see your creation! If you are using Internet Explorer, the file you made might look something like
this...
(if your icon is a little different, do not worry)
You should be able to double click on it now and see the results of your handiwork.
Now, it's common for people to get stuck here at saving the file. If you get stuck, just be patient. When you save
it, remember where you saved it. and make sure you save it with the file extension .html
Next order of business is to start putting some fancy stuff in your page.
The best way to use this tutorial is to run Notepad and two instances of your web browser. One browser window
containing this tutorial and the other containing your new page. Just toggle between the three windows. You can
open a second instance of your browser in one of two ways...
1) Find the icon of the html file you just made (page1.html) and double click on it. Or...
2) In your browser, click on File/Open File (or something similar to that) and browse to the file (page1.html).
Three quick points before we go on to the next lesson:
1. What you made is a skeleton HTML document. This is the minimum required information for a web document
and all web documents should contain these basic components.
2.
The document title is what appears at the very top of the browser window.
3. Of all the things on your web page, the title is what search engines consider most when ranking a page.
Choose your titles carefully, and keep them brief.
Lesson two next month
Hints and tips
WEB TIPS for your site
Make Your Site Search Engine Friendly
Submitting your site to popular search engines is half of the task in driving traffic to your site. With
many sites vying for high rankings, your site has to convince the search engines that it deserves this
prized positioning. Take your site to a higher level of search engine transparency and achieve better
rankings with our tips.
•
Content is key! The amount of content and its relevance to the keywords and key phrases in your
Meta tags and Description tags affects the way search engines rank your site. Create a useful, information-rich site and write pages that clearly and accurately describe your content. A minimum of
5 web pages and a minimum of 400 to 500 words per page will improve the indexing and ranking
of your site.
•
Use relevant keywords and key phrases. Think about the words users would type to find your
pages, and make sure that your site actually includes those words within it. This way, you increase
your chances of having your site displayed when a user enters these words.
Think about the words users would type to find your
pages, and make sure that your site actually includes those
words within it.
•
Use text links for navigation. The use of JavaScript navigation makes it difficult for search engines
like Google to crawl your site. If you have such a navigation system, provide an alternative way of
navigation such as text links in the footer of your site. If your site has too many pages or sections,
build a sitemap with text links to every page or at least every major section of the site and then
include a text link to the site map from your homepage.
•
Use text instead of images to display important names, content, or links. The Google crawler does
not recognise text contained in images. Not yet.
•
Use Unique Title Tags and Description Tags for each page of your site. The title tag is about the
most important thing a search engine looks at of all the other elements of your site.
Ijout!'!U jqt!
Photographing Your Babies (2)
To make sure you get the best shot, take a cue from the pros. They always take at least two pictures of every subject just to be sure they got it right. If you have the time, compare shots on the
LCD and save the better version. Otherwise, take and save at least two of every scene.
The Hardest Tip Of All, read the camera manual. Digital camera technology can not yet guarantee you will get a perfect picture every time. They will come close though if you read the manual
and learn all the camera’s features, and that of the software that you choose to use with the
camera
Use a tripod This will stop “camera shake”, and will cut down those blurred images, remember
also that the use of AUTOFOCUS will normally focus on the centre of your screen and if that’s
not where the focus is then another blurred image will appear..
REMEMBER ABOVE ALL HAVE FUN WITH YOUR CAMERA….
Page
8
Amanda Sculpts Little Healing Angels at
www.hand.po.gs/hand.htm
Heavenly Angels Nursery Dreams
How did you start sculpting?
It was 3 years ago, in fact 3 years ago this month. I was looking for a baby doll to model some crochet and I came across a
beautiful site, where a fantastic artist was making sculpted babies, I was amazed, I had never seen anything quite like it before, so, I approached the artist about making a doll of my 2 sons, the price for me then was way beyond my budget, so she
kindly suggested that I have a go myself, and gave me great encouragement and support.
Carol at lullaby dolls, thank you xx
How did you get into HAND
Well, I have always loved crochet, for an unknown reason I decided one day I would crochet
blankets for our local hospital. . . that’s where it all started. I then opened a group on the
internet , that’s where girls got together and started to help me out, I am so very grateful for all
of the girls and their partners who help out with hand, their kindness warms my heart.
Tell us about HAND
-HAND - Heavenly Angels Nursery Dreams, was created 3 years ago this month, by myself and my partner, who I am extremely
grateful of, he gives all of his love and support in so many amazing ways.
I am thinking back now and remembering, I had made my first little baby sculpt, and my friend Mary, I knew her because of
the crochet, I was donating gowns to her charity then. I showed her my first baby attempt, he was so cute!!!I named him
Adam. . my first little man!
she fell in love with him and it was then she told me about her precious daughter in heaven, she then asked if I would make
an angel baby of her daughter.
I was so humbled and made that sweet baby for her with pleasure.
All the babies I have made represent an angel in heaven. It is a place of healing for families that have lost a baby. We
make blankets for SANDS (sudden and infant death society), for which we are always looking for volunteers. ;-)
HAND has a place for memorials, links to angel babies websites/stories. , all free of charge.
we also have a support forum for families who have an angel in heaven.
we recently have started to offer a certificate of life, free of charge, as many babies are born early to the hands of heaven and
their births aren't recorded. This alone can leave a family distraught. the certificate comes with free cd, as music too is
healing.
Basically we reach out our hand in whatever way we can and is needed to help others cope with the loss of their child, both
myself and my partner have lost a child, so we are able to give support and understanding those who are grieving need.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the HAND team : :-)
* mike Beauchamp-for making HAND site so amazing and beautiful, and for being a rock of
strength and support
* Cindy Mcdermott - , for your beautiful poetry, your crochet, and for delivering HAND babies in
the USA, thank you so much
* Jennifer - For your beautiful writing, your support and help at the forum, you have come so
far, I am proud of you
* Maria Constandinou - Your beautiful graphics, your beautiful words of support and love, thank
you so much!
* Deborah Searle - You were the first Member , you are loyal and beautiful. Thank you for your beautiful crocheted angels
and blankets,
and to all, who have contributed to HAND over the last few years, thank you so so very much , God bless you all xxx
Do you have a favourite sculpt?
-Now that, is a tricky one!! as with each baby I make, I thank God for guiding my hands as each one is so amazing.
If I had to have a favourite it would be baby angel Mariah, as its with great love and thanks to that angel baby and her mum
that HAND was encouraged and started.
God Bless you Mary and Mariah, thank you xx
cont...
Page 9
HAND continued
Approx how many sculpts have you created?
-Now this one I have to think about, I would say around a 150, that includes the teeny angels. and that really is a guess.
Which one are you most proud of and why?
- I am humbled by each Little healing angel, as each baby brings so much love and healing, not only to me, but their family in
ways I had never imagined.
Do you have any hints or tips to pass on?
- Yes I do, If you love babies, then you can make babies, practise and persistence is the key. take your time with each feature
and have faith you will get there, there is allot of help online too, most artists will help you if they can.
Always love the baby you create, even in the early days, find something you like about your baby, each baby you make, you will
love more and more, believe me once you start, its so very difficult to stop.
Tell us about yourself,
about me, well, I am 30 years old, I live in the UK, I have 3 beautiful boys, only 2 are
with me, I treasure each and every moment.
and I love to make babies!!! :-P
Were you a dolly person in your youth?
Oh goodness yes!!! right into my teens, in fact I don't think I ever stopped loving dollies. I used to pretend I was a nurse for the preemie ward, I remember those play days with such love.
Any funny stories about sculpting to tell us.
ooh, well don't tell anyone, but I talk to my babies whilst I am making them, I think to myself, wow so happy no one can see
me right now!!! ha ha!!!
Any sculpting links to share with us
Sylvia is great for supplies such as beating hearts, mohair etc:
http://www.freewebs.com/babyangelnursery/
and for general sculpting help, this site is small, but very friendly:
http://www.bountifulbaby.info/index.php
How do you feel about ebay
- well, I think its great for new up and coming artists. Excellent for getting good price supplies, clay etc.
What hints and tips would you give to buyers?
well, always check sellers feedback, make sure pictures are clear , if you have any questions, always ask, a polite. caring reply is a great sign of a good seller.
I have had no problem with ebay generally. :-)
Page 10
Sfbm!Cbcjft!
What is a Doula?
New motherhood . . . this is the romanticised image that is portrayed, but it is often a far cry from the reality.
Today's mother is generally not given the chance to enjoy her pregnancy, labour and new baby because of the
pressures that society places upon her.
"Doula" (pronounced "doola") is a Greek word meaning "woman servant or caregiver". It now refers to an experienced woman who offers emotional and practical support to a woman (or couple) before, during and after
childbirth. A doula believes in “mothering the mother” - enabling a woman to have the most satisfying and empowered time that she can during pregnancy, birth and the early days as a new mum. This type of support also
helps the whole family to relax and enjoy the experience.
Birth doulas are trained and experienced in childbirth, although they may or may not have given birth themselves.
They have a good knowledge and awareness of female physiology BUT the doula is not supporting the mother in
a clinical role - that is the job of the midwife/medical staff.
Postnatal doulas work flexible hours to suit the family, offering practical and emotional support to the new
mother and father in the home following the birth of baby. In the West today, too often mothers are rushed back
into normal day-to-day activities; in many cultures women are confined to bed and rest for a period of up to 40
days. This may be impossible in our society but with the help of a postnatal doula, a mother can enjoy some of
the benefits of a prolonged "lying in" period. This will help her bond with her baby and spend extra time with any
older siblings. Our work is about empowering a family to take care of itself and we facilitate this by helping
around the house and offering encouragement and suggestions.
What does a Doula do?
The services offered by a doula vary greatly according to the needs of the mother-to-be/parents-to-be. A doula's
role has to be flexible to fit in with the given situation e.g. the type of support will differ for a first time mum to
that of a woman who has children already. Every birth is unique and therefore every woman's experience is also
unique.
Before Childbirth the doula will usually meet with the mother (or couple) at least once face to face, and then
perhaps be available by phone or for additional meetings if necessary.
During Labour the doula is able to offer help and suggestions on comfort measures such as breathing, relaxation, movement and positioning. The doula can also encourage the father to participate in the birth to a level at
which he feels comfortable. The doula's most important role is to provide nurturing, continuous support and reassurance.
After childbirth the doula may follow up with a couple of postnatal visits to help the new mum settle at home
with her new baby, or alternatively, the mother may decide to employ a postnatal doula for a period of 6 - 8
weeks.
Sometimes this will mean that the mother employs a different doula to the one that attended the birth as not all
birth doulas can offer extended postnatal support, whereas there are doulas who ONLY offer this type of postnatal support.
Page 11
Fun Page
1
2
3
Across
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
16
15
1.
heres looking at you
3.
the trunk of a man not an elephant
5.
create a baby from a doll
6.
turn to clock his dial
7.
phonetically, the campaign for real ale.... (6)
9.
the boss will have one for his hat
10.
a human type of rabbit
13.
the beginning of everything for these colours
14.
sea creature full of holes
17.
what you take, then give back after a development (5)
18.
go out on one and lend a hand
20.
harder than silicon
21.
this is fast and strong, instantly binding (5,4)
Down
17
18
19
20
2.
pork, chicken, and turkey, as well as dolls
3.
rosebud and sucky lip belong to this family
4.
this doll designer spiders her way across the
internet (5,4)
8.
one at a time the needles go in
11.
an urban childs plaything
12.
what a squid has in its belly? (3,4)
15.
I'm rooting for this tool
16.
an uncrafted baby
19.
don't get embarrassed doing this
21
Created with EclipseCrossword — www.eclipsecrossword.com
When I was six months pregnant with my third child, my three year old came into the room when I was just getting
ready to get into the shower. She said, "Mommy, you are getting fat!" I replied, "Yes, honey, remember Mommy has a
baby growing in her tummy." "I know," she replied, but what's growing in your butt?"
A little boy was doing his math homework. He said to himself, "Two plus five, that son of a bitch is seven. Three plus
six, that son of a bitch is nine...." His mother heard what he was saying and gasped, "What are you doing?" The little
boy answered, "I'm doing my math homework, Mom." "And this is how your teacher taught you to do it?" the mother
asked. "Yes," he answered. Infuriated, the mother asked the teacher the next day, "What are you teaching my son in
math?" The teacher replied, "Right now, we are learning addition." The mother asked, "And are you teaching them to
say two plus two, that son of a bitch is four?" After the teacher stopped laughing, she answered, "What I taught them
was, two plus two, THE SUM OF WHICH, is four."
One day the first grade teacher was reading the story of Chicken Little to her class. She came to the part of the story
where Chicken Little tried to warn the farmer. She read, ".... and so Chicken Little went up to the farmer and said, "The
sky is falling, the sky is falling!" The teacher paused then asked the class, "And what do you think that farmer said?"
One little girl raised her hand and said, "I think he said: 'Holy Shit! A talking chicken!'" The teacher was unable to teach
for the next 10 minutes.
A certain little girl, when asked her name, would reply, "I'm Mr. Sugarbrown's daughter." Her mother told her this was
wrong, she must say, "I'm Jane Sugarbrown." The Vicar spoke to her in Sunday School, and said, "Aren't you Mr. Sugarbrown's daughter?" She replied, "I thought I was, but mother says I'm not."
A little girl asked her mother, "Can I go outside and play with the boys? Her mother replied, "No, you can't play with the
boys, they're too rough." The little girl thought about it for a few moments and asked, "If I can find a smooth one, can I
play with him?"
The Home of Cuddle therapy
Angelwing
Nursery
23 Goathland Ave
Longbenton
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE12 8HA
Phone: 0191 2669347
E-mail:
newsletter@angelwingnursery.com
Well that’s it for this the Nov. Issue, we hope you have enjoyed it,
Tell us what you want and we will Endeavour to put it in, space
permitting of course,
more reborns, artists, webdesign and others next month
Our first Christmas Issue…….
Www.dollsdreamland.com
Kevan
I like it. I hope that it catches on. There is a lot of reborners looking for
ways to stay connected and maybe your news letter will help them.
Pat Secrist
Secrist Special Offers Get in Fast
A Great Offer From Secrist
Take a look
Watch Taffy’s Video
Taffy is about 17" long and comes with 1/4
length vinyl limbs so that she will be huggably
soft when you cuddle her. Her cloth body is
jointed at the shoulders and hips.
She also comes in Secrist's own special babysoft vinyl that is translucent just like a real
baby's skin. With other brand dolls you must
heat the vinyl up before it becomes soft enough
to root. But Taffy's skin is so soft that you can
root it without any heat at all. Be sure to get
the right paints and brushes so that you can
bring Taffy to life just as Carol has done here.
Page 13