AND VISIONS OF TREE DOLLS…

Okay, I confess; I’m a pin doll addict. I make them; I swap them; I can’t get enough of them. I’m also a Christmas addict; the lights, the trees, the ornaments…The Dolls! So, when I found out that the last CDAA pin doll swap of 2003 was going to be a winter seasonal ornament swap, I couldn’t wait to sign up; after all, I already had dozens of Grandfather Frost and Father Christmas dolls either made, or cut out; snowmen and gingerbread men; teddy bears and holly eating cats. I was half way home, so I sent off my name.

A while later, I wrote to Carolyn, asking for the address of the ornament swap host, only to find out that there wasn’t one. The person, who had been hosting the swap, was moving in the middle of it. Okay? So, hey, I’ve been running swaps on a list for six years, so would I do as a host? YES!

So, that’s how I came to be receiving small boxes and mailer envelopes of dolls for most of October. In the end, I received seven treasure chests:

	Deborah Downey sent a gnome.			Wendy Orlowski sent four beautiful polyclay heads,
	and Kathy McLean of Niagara Falls sent a very unique angel			There were six gloriously carved faces; each in a red organza bag, filled with Mylar confetti, from Dorothy Adlington.
	Six little angels; all different; made from wood and cotton came from Carolyn Englert.			And the Little Dumpy Ladies sent a pomander bag, and two angels.
	Maria Saracino sent in fourteen ornaments; seven each of two designs!			I was number eight, with six dolls: Grand-father Frost, Father Christmas, Wreak the Halls and Eat the Holly, a gingerbread man, a snowman, and a teddy bear; all cloth; all sequined.

Now, came the hard part; dividing them up; resisting the urge to keep everything. Added to this was the determination that everyone would get back as many dolls as they had sent in; that no one would get any of their dolls returned. It was not easy; I ended up designing and making four new Santa dolls; Star Bright Santa; but I did it. And on time.

In the end, I had five Saracino dolls; three of them have been given as gifts to others. One of these went to my friend Linda’s sister-in-law, who couldn’t believe that it was handmade. The others will be opened at Christmas. I kept the Kathy McLean angel for a friend, who has a special Christmas tree. The other dolls, I kept for my self; hoarding them and loving them, and waiting to put up my Solstice tree.

I made new friends hosting this swap; had a lot of fun doing it; learned a lot about other dollmakers from the dolls that they sent; whether they were into Santa or angels or bears. It brings you closer than to others than words will every do; to share a little piece of another’s soul. It is also humbling that people will willingly send out these tiny creatures, in the hopes that they will find a good home.

So, it’s over; done…for this year, but there is always next year, and the year after; always another swap. I hosted one. I’ll host another. I’d host them all, if I was allowed. Yes, I get off on giving and receiving the dolls, but I also get off on giving my time; and knowing that everyone, who sends in a doll is also giving the gift of time; a very precious commodity in this all too hectic world.

— Alixandra Jordan