Come on in....we are open for business

Thru all the nerves and jitters, I did it.
 I launched a website again.
THRU THE ATTIC DOOR
I'd forgotten how exciting and fun it was to have one. Found myself really missing it actually. It was time to open one again and take my business further.
Did much needed research, crunched numbers,dreamed big, shed some tears, pulled hair out in frustration,laughed and took a deep breath. May have sounded crazy a few times to the friends and folks I was asking a zillion business questions too but they never gave up on me or my dream. Found an amazing eCourse to keep me pushing on in the right direction. (Building a Creatively Made Business - by Jeanne Oliver) She shared some incredible insight and became just the push I needed. If you are thinking of starting a business for the first time or are like me and opening one again, I can't talk about this course enough. What an huge difference it has made for me. She shares so many insightful tips, tricks and techniques from running her own business. Plus has guests that shares their own insights. I filled a full journal with their information and am putting it all to good use with my own business now. Some of the best money I have ever spent on my business.

I have been making primitive style folk art raggedy dolls for over 10 years now. It is something that I will always continue to create. Something about going from a simple pencil drawn sketch on a notebook page to sliding muslin thru a sewing machine makes me feel alive. Watching the raggedy doll have a personality emerge with the addition of button eyes and whimsical wool hair. There will be plenty of new dolls in the future.

Having said that though, I must confess that my artistic dreams have expanded in directions I couldn't have imagined. I'm playing with paints, inks, canvas, papers and so much more. I'm spreading my wings and discovering my place in the world of mixed media. That realm of creativity has my brain spinning. I'm feeling challenged to expand and grow.

At the moment I'm also tangled up in fibers. Blending strands of wool roving with my felting needles as if they were watercolors under a brush. Each twist of a thread slowly morphing the colors into a scene from my minds eye.

I hope you will enjoy this next path I am walking on. Each step taking me deeper into the artistic world that makes my heart skip a beat and my soul sing loudly. Please feel free to bookmark my website.
I have plans to share many different things.
You can also find me on Facebook where I share sneak peeks, laughs and much more.
Come *like* me and not miss out on anything happening Thru the Attic Door.

Photography Backdrop

I know many of you out there have been like me and looked at a photo taken of someone/something and thought.....wow.....they are so lucky to have "that" as their backdrop for the photo. I myself have always been drawn to the pictures taken with the chippy paint wall paper behind people. Have caught myself thinking how lucky they were to find a home with such great old walls to be able to take photographs against. Have often dreamed how incredible it would be to be able to have such a textured wall behind my primitive folkart dolls to really showcase them.
 I have always been so jealous......until now!

Just today I was shown a world I had no idea about.

SWANKY PRINTS

They are vinyl backdrops for when you take photographs!!!
Their backdrops are printed using the latest (state of the art) technology. The artwork is very high quality, so it can scale properly. The vinyl backdrops are waterproof, glare free and roll out flat.

This is the one I ordered and I can hardly contain my excitement over it. It is the perfect background to take the photos of my prim dolls. My photos will have the look and feel that I have been dreaming about and yet I won't have to worry about the cat licking toxic flaked paint from the livingroom floor. My cat is crazy.....he'd be licking.

I ordered off Etsy and she was INCREDIBLE to work with. She answered all my questions very quickly and without rolling her eyes at me for asking silly questions.

She also has a Facebook Fan Page that you should make sure to check out.
She does giveaways and such. I *liked* her FB page right away and have my fingers crossed to win another incredible backdrop. I would just flip out with joy!

I'm going to spend the evening sketching some new prim dolls to create, with using this backdrop behind them in mind.


Tracy Cedara Dunn of Thru the Attic Door and Thru The Attic Door 2

Selling Primitive FolkArt Dolls Local

We all know how it starts. You are flipping thru the hundreds few piles of fabric already in your stash and nothing is jumping out at you. Since you are going to be in town later that day, you begin to think maybe you'll swing by the local fabric store.

Mom and I were running errands and because I had mentioned a certian doll concept I had springing to life in my head, she reminded me about the local fabric store, Complete Fabrication. We park the car, grab our purses and head down the street.

It's just a small shop on the main downtown street of Digby. I've been to it numerous times to buy fabric for the primitive folkart dolls that I create. The ladies that run it are friendly and so helpful. Always made for a great stop and fabric buying experience.

So I am wandering around the shop, piling bolts of fabric into my arms. Mom is looking at the beautiful quilts displayed in the shop. We are carrying on a casual conversation with the woman working that day, Debbie.

She asks me what I'm going to be making with the fabric I've been picking out. I tell her that I create primitive folkart dolls and I swear I may have heard her swoon. She begins to tell me how much she loves the look of primitive dolls and that she owns a number of them. Mom jumps into the conversation, as any incredible mother would do and starts gushing about my dolls. I nervously laugh and start to play it down a wee bit. Then this voice in my heads says.....JUST ASK. JUST SAY IT OUTLOUD.

Before I knew it, I was saying my prim dolls would make a wonderful accent display with all of their fabric.

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek

It was like time froze still for me.
What was I doing?
My mouth went instantly dry and I may have seen stars ; like those cartoons from when I was 7; when something got hit over their head with a mallet.

Except instead of laughing at me like I might be crazy, Debbie looked me right in the eye and said I WAS RIGHT!!!!!

We started hashing out the details of what needed to be our next step.


Tracy(Cedara)Dunn of Thru the Attic Door and Thru the Attic Door 2

2012 becomes the year I add Videos!

Primitive Raggedy Doll

This is one of the newest primitive raggedy style dolls that I've made in the last few weeks. She has stolen my heart and I'm working on her pattern.

Tracy(Cedara)Dunn of Thru the Attic Door and Thru the Attic Door 2

Twice the Love

Sometimes ya need a little push in the right direction to get crafting. My friend Sherry and I did a "double dog dare" the other day. Let's just see what we can create in one day and share photos on Facebook.

This sweet Raggedy gal was one of three gals I got finished and posted. She really made me smile and I am madly in love with the fabric that I used for her dress.

She was posted on Facebook and TWO different folks wanted her right away. I generally try not to repeat a doll too often but I had another section of the dress fabric so both will be getting her.
The original on the wooden spindle will go to my aunt up the valley. Another without a spindle will be going to live in Ontario.

Doesn't she make ya smile?

Tracy(Cedara)Dunn of Thru the Attic Door and Thru the Attic Door2

Fun New Graphics

Created this graphic to take folks to my Flickr album that showcases my primitive dolls and folk art creations that have already sold.

Tracy(Cedara)Dunn of Thru the Attic Door and Thru the Attic Door2

My Primitive Raggedy Dolls in Prims

Custom Dolls Created

Some quick pictures of a few custom primitive dolls that I have made. A family friend was visiting from BC and she was taking them back as gifts :)

Tracy(Cedara)Dunn of Thru the Attic Door and Thru the Attic Door 2

Coming to Life

heck.... a quick peek won't hurt..... heehee

Wonder who at Primmart Convention will end up with them??

giggle

Tracy(Cedara)Dunn of Thru the Attic Door and Thru the Attic Door 2

Sewing and Stuffing

This batch of primitive dolls is done and finished! I can't show them in their final state just yet....they are prizes and gifts for at the Primmart Convention!!!!

Hope everyone will love them! heehee

I sure had a blast creating them :)

Tracy(Cedara)Dunn of Thru the Attic Door and Thru the Attic Door 2

Tub full of fabric and coffee

Last night I mixed up a tub full of coffee staining for my primitive dolls. YUP.... a TUB FULL! haha

I ran scalding hot water into my tub and used my trusty wooden spoon and added my coffee. Then I added in some perked coffee that was Vanilla Biscotti flavored...oh my mix was smelling GOOD! Added in a few of my "secrets" and it was ready!

I place all kinds of different fabric piece in the mix and left them to soak overnight. I have had them drying now all day and I'm just about to get started on some new dollies!

YEAH!