Each doll I make has its own story,
its own, unique voice,
an individual personality.
I rely on posture, colour and texture to convey this.
Sharing a doll's story can be a powerful and healing experience.

Illness strikes all of us.
Serious illness only some.
We journey through these illnesses in different ways.
We find different ways of living each day.
I find textiles and dollmaking a faithful and healing companion on the dark days of depression.
Others find art or poetry or writing or whittling helpful therapies.
Allow art to contribute to your wellbeing.

I love it when creative people use discarded materials to create beautiful things.
The story of those materials continues to be shaped -
and adds depth to the art created.
Sometimes the discarded materials are pre-loved and well-worn.
I used such materials to create "Cosy Up With A Bit Of Skirt".
Sometimes the discarded materials are samples or simply never used by the purchaser
- still in pristine condition.
We owe it to our beautiful world to make an effort to reduce the amount of materials we consume.
Re-using or re-purposing is a creative way to contribute to this reduction in consumption.

I love making dolls for many reasons ...
healing;
journaling;
fun;
memory.
But perhaps the driving motivation is my love of textiles.
"Ladies a Plate" was created from old manchester - honouring the textiles created and embellished by our fore-mothers.
Another series, Julie's 21st, repurposed loved but out-grown T-Shirts.
Can you imagine a world without textiles?

Art has the power to revitalise -
people
work places
neighbourhoods
schools
rest homes
hospitals
city centres.
For some reason, art is often thought of as an 'added extra' ...
if time or money or human resources are available.
But it needs to become one of the corner-stones of our philosophy and policy.
Then we will all become better people ...
and that will ripple outwards into our communities and business districts.

It is a privilege, an honour, to be a doll maker.
All around the world, dolls are made -
from sticks and stones, rocks and clay, fabric and felt, wood and paper.
All around the world, dolls bring comfort -
to the sick and tired, the young and fretful, to the bereaved, to the lovesick.
All around the world, dolls are keepers -
of memories, of secrets, of our personal and social histories.
All around the world,
dolls reflect the culture and emotions of the dollmaker and the doll owner.
I am humbled that I am a part of this powerful tradition.

How can we transform our world if we cannot learn to communicate with
mutual charity;
an open mind;
a willingness to change;
a desire to listen actively?
World Café is one group attempting to change our world - one conversation at a time.

It is important that we build time into our daily lives ...
to sit back,
relax,
rediscover our loves and our lives.
This is essential,
fundamental to our well-being -
not an optional extra.

Music, reading, art, bird watching, baking, gardening, poetry, walking, model railways ...
hanging on the couch day-dreaming ...
doing the things we love makes our soul sing again -
refreshed, empowered, inspired.

Some people have the ability to push the boundaries of textile art -
and to capture it in yet another art form ... the short film.
The qualities this requires are infinite ...
patience;
vision;
a willingness to experiment;
ability to change;
knowledge of textiles ... and cinematography ... and adhesives ... and set construction ...
an attentiveness to human nature;
a willingness to confront social injustice ...

I am in awe.

Some stories,
some people,
some art,
simply inspire.
They are able to touch the essence of the human condition.
I am grateful for their gift to me.