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About Anne K. Donze
I
bought and played with paper dolls in the 1960’s. I bought many sets at the Wilson’s 5 & 10 store, in the
Rozier's Ben Franklin Department, and also at the Sterling Discount Store.
As I grew up I continued to purchase sets or books and put them
back. I picked up a few books
in college, and later found a book or set here and there when I was vacationing during the early years
of my marriage. I guess I
never really got paper dolls out of my system.
I
started officially collecting paper dolls in 1998 when we bought a computer
for the family and went online.
I joined several email groups via the internet , got my hands on
some reference books, and was hooked.
At one point, I was asked to participate in a paper doll "round
robin." I was to draw
an outfit for a paper doll, and then mail it to the next name on a list.
Eventually the doll would return to its original owner with a new wardrobe.
A
successful paper doll artist and friend, Kim Brecklein, gave me some tips
on how to use colored pencils, what sort of paper to use, how to use tracing
paper, ways to blend, etc. I
joked to my friends that
I was taking colored pencil lessons on the internet from a friend in Oklahoma--proof
that you can learn almost anything online! We
had an unusual amount of snow that winter and I had some extra time on
my hands. I drew a whole
bunch of costumes for the "round robin," and found that I was
really enjoying myself!! (Of course my husband thought I was nuts!) That
summer, my next-door-neighbor and good friend urged me to try drawing
a doll. So, I stood one of
my daughter’s dolls on the coffee table and attempted to draw it. After three tries, I was satisfied.
I’m married and we have two grown children. I’m also a kindergarten teacher, so my drawing time is limited. I try to take advantage of holidays and summer vacation. I’ve turned some of my paper dolls into little magnetic sets and I’ve had some success selling them at local craft shows. It’s been great fun to share my hobby with the public!! I like doing paper dolls of "real" dolls, so most of the models for my work have been dolls that my daughter once played with, or dolls that the neighborhood girls played with when they were younger. I attended my first paper doll gathering in Springfield, Missouri in the summer of 1999. There I met face to face some of the people I had been visiting with online for over a year. What a great experience! I've attended several National Paper Doll Conventions, most recently the
2010 convention in Kansas City, Missouri. I've met many artists, collectors
and paper doll friends from all over the country. I've been able
to keep in contact with many of them through various email
groups and through private email. We have a great time
online! I've had several paper dolls published in Doll Castle News, a hobbyist I would love to hear from fellow collectors and artists, so I encourage you to write and share your paper doll "story" with me.
Anne |
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Paper
dolls were a favorite of mine when I was growing up.
