Updating this website, I stumbled upon these doll patterns, and decided to make them available again.
All of these patterns are free to print and use.
But… these are OLD patterns from ~15 or more years ago, designed to print on 8.5″ x 11″ paper, but at a very low resolution. (I’m working on improving them, right now.)
As usual, these are free patterns for personal use. (You CAN make dolls from them, and then sell those dolls. It’s just the patterns that are for personal use, meaning that you can’t put your name on the patterns and sell them.)
If you would like to feature these patterns on your own website, you MUST include my copyright with the patterns. (In other words, be considerate. Please don’t remove my copyright and claim you created the patterns, yourself.)
If you’d like to reproduce these patterns for a class or workshop, that’s fine as long as the copyright remains on them, and you don’t charge anything extra for the patterns.
These patterns moved here from my (former) Wild Art Dolls website. If any links don’t seem to work, let me know in a comment, below. Thanks!
Here are the patterns & links.If any of the links don’t work for you, leave a comment and let me know.
Belle de Lautrec and her zany sister, Tallulah Lautrec were created for a swap/round robin at the Yahoo group, Doll Journals.
Each of the next two patterns open in a new window.
Neither of them have sewing instructions, yet.
Right-click on the link to save the pattern to your hard drive, for use later, or click the link and print from the screen.
Dangerous Women – a free, online doll pattern Print it from your screen, and/or enlarge the pattern so the “one inch” line really is one inch. The doll shown in this post’s header (above) is made from this pattern. (I later added optional wings.)
Well, if Facebook’s AI decides it doesn’t like you, it kicks you off the site.
If it happens to you, learn from my mistake: Even proving your identity with a birth certificate, marriage documents, and a passport won’t help.
BUT… I was able to return (for now, anyway) as Aisling D’Art… for now.
Here’s where else I am
You can find me at Bluesky as “ThatArtist,” aka @thatartist.bsky.social (Yes, that site is very new and still a bit clunky. It’s worth learning how to create feeds so you’re not swamped with posts that may not have appeal.)
I’m also starting a YouTube channel, but changing the name. I’ll share that here when I get that sorted.
If you’re a childhood friend, you’ll find me at Classmates.com with my childhood name.
(There will be more ways to connect in the future, such as my Eibhlin dot com site, which is a mess while I turn it into a gallery for my fine art.)
Now it’s your turn
Let me know where you are, on social media (etc.), by posting a comment (and links) at this page: Social Media Connections. Or send me a message via social media where I’m currently posting.
When I received this camera – in return for an honest review – I did NOT expect much.
I mean, really… it looks like a toy, and it’s called the KOKODI Kids Camera.
How good could a pink plastic kiddie camera be…?
As usual with many imports, the instruction manual was pretty difficult to understand. That’s partly because this camera takes photos, and makes thermal prints, and can film videos, and includes games and music, and… you get the idea. Lots of instructions in really tiny print.
(It’s advertised as being for kids 3+, but I have NO idea how a toddler could figure all of this out.)
To test the camera, I took it with me when my husband and I went to Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. (We’re in Orlando right now, and weekends usually include WDW.)
I’d planned to take a photo or two and then put the camera away.
At left is the first photo I took, standing at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom. (That’s the top of the train station at the front of the park.)
I didn’t do anything to this photo. It looks exactly as it does on paper.
Yes, it’s grainy and a little streaked, but it reminds me of 19th-century daguerreotypes.
At that point, it was almost love at first sight.
(I say “almost” because I wasn’t sure if that photo was just a really cool fluke, and the rest would be “meh.”)
Well, here’s the second photo I took. (Obviously, I hadn’t yet figured out how to change the date on the camera. lol )
That’s the Cinderella Castle at Disney World.
I love this! You can even see the statue of Walt Disney!
And then, for the next five hours (really), I just kept taking photos.
Oh, we still visited a lot of attractions. The morning crowd was ridiculously small.
We walked right onto several rides that – on a normal day – would have at least a 15-minute wait line. And some – like the Haunted Mansion – that typically have 40+ minute waits.
And I kept taking photos—about 40 of them—as I learned how to use this camera. (Admittedly, I’m still early in the learning curve.)
Here’s another one, taken from the monorail station at the Magic Kingdom. That’s a hotel shuttle boat on the left. On the far right, in the distance, you’ll see the Grand Floridian Hotel and, to its left, the Polynesian Resort.
I kind of love the clouds in that one.
My first thought is to enlarge these, print them on watercolor paper, and paint them (with watercolors) for a fun vintage look.
I’ll have to see what else might work. And, of course, I need to figure out the three different photo settings. I’m not sure if these photos are as crisp as they get or if this is the lowest (grainiest) setting.
These are some of my coloring books, and a free sample page from each one.
Coloring books – Bold and Easy Coloring Pages
First, here’s my “bold and easy” coloring books story.
I’m the one who – in 2015 – published the very first “bold and easy” coloring book.
Yes, I’m the one who started the trend. Or at least used that phrase before anyone else did.
Back in 2015, wanting a catchy phrase for these books, I chose those words.
I also thought the phrase was funny, if a bit tacky. (My mother had used it to describe, umm… a type of woman she did not approve of. I think “loose women” was another phrase she’d used.)
Yes, I have a quirky sense of humor.
So, talking about this new book series (and the books’ odd titles), I’d explained that the lines were “bold” and that made the coloring books “easy” to color.
Also, in 2015, there was no “Coloring Books for Adults” category. So, my books had to be listed in the general “Coloring Books” category, though I sought out other niches that might be a good fit.
Initially, these books gained popularity among art therapists. Then, I started hearing from women who liked being able to color in bed – late at night – without turning on a reading lamp. They could see each coloring page, even in low light!
Eventually, still listed as “Coloring Books for Children,” sales slowed and I moved on to other projects.
And then… in 2024, I discovered that not only was there a category for coloring books for adults… the “bold and easy” phrase was actually trending!
But, err, nobody seemed to find my coloring books.
So, I’m relaunching this series, one book at a time.
The Coloring Books and SAMPLES!
Here’s my Bold and Easy Coloring Pages book series, with sample pages for each.
This was my first Bold and Easy coloring book. In fact, I published it back in 2015, before there was an Amazon category for “coloring books for adults.”
This was the very FIRST coloring book to use the phrase “bold and easy.”
Would you like a free Halloween coloring page? Click the image to download and print it. (The actual page is 8.5″ x 11″)
(For personal use only)
More Free Art and Downloads!
Also at this website, you’ll find many Halloween and ghost-themed art ideas, and a few freebies.
Some are – admittedly – a bit dark and/or ghoulish. (In my semi-Goth teen years, I was a major fan of Edgar Allan Poe. Today…? Not so much, but some artists may appreciate these articles – and art – from many years ago, and still online.)
And this isn’t actually Halloween-themed – the Celtic Cross isn’t a grave marker – but this free ATC may seem just eerie enough for this time of year – Everlasting – free digital download
I hope you enjoy these freebies. Let me know what you think of them, and what you’d like to see me create in the future!
SO… this will be a weird post, but I have to share this because it’s so astonishing. It’s how I realized that electro-sensitivity is a thing, after all.
Also, in the future, I don’t plan to include many non-art posts like this (they’ll be at my “Art and Other Things” Substack, instead), but this is important.
Here’s what happened…
Some years ago, I read about electro-sensitivity (aka electrohypersensitivity, or EHS). And – curious to see if it might affect me – I moved my bed.
After all, I’d been sleeping with my head next to not one but two electrical outlets (one in our bedroom, and one in the adjoining room), as well as the outlet for our cable TV/internet connection.
Yeah… just a little electricity running through them. LOL
From the very first night after that, I slept incredibly soundly, when – previously – I hadn’t thought my occasional wakefulness was any big deal. (As it turns out, it wasn’t as “occasional” as I’d thought. Not until I slept really soundly and realized how big the difference was.)
After that, my husband & I experimented with other products & methods of reducing EHS issues, including using Earthing mats. (They crumble after heavy use, but otherwise seem to work well, especially when sitting at a computer.)
Our moods, focus, and energy improved. Not massively, but enough to think that – even if it was placebo effect – Earthing/grounding had some merit.
Less snoring? Yes, please!
So, fast-forward a few years… And my husband (who snores like a freight train most nights) tried sleeping on a grounding cloth, and it radically reduced his snoring.
Whew! That’s important since even the best earplugs won’t keep his noisy snoring out.
But then, a few weeks ago, my husband had another snoring-like-a-freight train night, even with the grounding cloth in the bed. Well, it turned out that he’d kicked the grounding cloth to one side, so he wasn’t actually in contact with it.
He adjusted it, and was quiet again for a couple of nights… until it happened again. More snoring-like-a-freight-train. But, what baffled us was that he’d been on the grounding cloth all night.
And then he realized that the cloth had come unplugged.
Next night, after restoring the connection to the grounding pin…? Totally quiet.
Next, grounding sheets
Meanwhile, Amazon Vine had offered me some grounding sheets. So I ordered them: https://amzn.to/4gASebc (I think any similar grounding sheets would work. And yes, that’s a sheet for a twin bed, because we’re in Florida and staying in Airbnbs.)
I felt relief – mild, but noticeable – as soon as I stretched out on mine. I definitely sleep more soundly with this sheet under me. (Since we can’t move our beds away from the electrical wiring in this bedroom, grounding sheets can make a BIG difference.)
[This photo shows an Encanto-themed Airbnb room, with a view of the lanai & swimming pool just outside. We haven’t stayed in this exact room, but in one nearby.]
However, my husband felt that sheet’s cotton wasn’t smooth enough. So, he’s since put his grounding sheet under a normal 100% cotton fitted sheet. And it still works!
There has been zero snoring in the weeks since then. Whew! We’re both sleeping much better.
And now, the “wow, this is amazing” pillowcase!
About a week ago, I heard about a grounding pillowcase and ordered it right away. It’s this one, which isn’t available right now: https://amzn.to/3TCXm4K (The one-star reviews are clearly from people who didn’t actually try the pillowcase. Yes, the cotton isn’t especially polished. Frankly, I don’t care. This pillowcase works!)
The first night, I noticed a difference. When I woke up, I felt super-refreshed, but – more importantly – I was able to focus remarkably well. At the time, I thought, “Okay, placebo effect is good, even if it wears off quickly.”
Several nights later, I canNOT believe the difference. Every day, I’ve been fully focused on the day’s project, and – almost effortlessly – stuck with each project to completion.
Finishing projects… finally!
Whether you call it “easily distracted” or ADHD… for me, it’s the same thing: In the past, I quit projects remarkably quickly, albeit with every intention of getting back to them in a few days.
But after using a grounding pillowcase…
This has been my most productive week in YEARS.
I’ve relaunched three books – despite daunting editing & formatting challenges – in both paperback and ebook formats.
I’ve identified two new income streams (that I’m implementing today) that are passive and relatively effortless (or at least fun, or both).
And I spent all day yesterday working on this website, fully focused on improving the pages that are getting far more attention than the other ~300 articles her.
All of this… in ONE week…? Yes, that’s a very big deal.
In addition, I’ve had some BIG “ah-HA!” moments about my family and their likely EHS.
Electro-sensitivity… hereditary?
For example, my maternal grandfather said he came up with all of his best ideas in his workroom… in the basement of his house, where he’d sit barefoot with his feet on a dirt floor. (He’d designed and built the house with that quirky basement, deliberately.)
My maternal grandfather
Papa would regularly get anxiety, big time, in the middle of the night… and retreat to his basement workroom, where he felt calm and happy and “at home.” There, he’d often invent something new and important, and then patent it. Maybe that was due to grounding, aka “earthing,” before anyone even knew about grounding.
No, I’m not giving up electronic devices
Yes, I think phones, microwaves, and a bazillion “convenience” appliances and devices may be culprits for those with even mild EHS.
For me, the answer isn’t to quit using those devices. I mean, seriously, if I don’t have a working dishwasher in my kitchen, I’m not doing much major cooking, and my husband won’t have homemade chocolate chip cookies! lol
The answer is grounding (or Earthing), and it’s working for me.
Links (and a short video) for more info
Here’s the Amazon page with even more grounding/Earthing related products. https://amzn.to/3ZsXcRq Note: The actual “Earthing” book was kind of a snooze, at least for me.
And here’s a mini-episode of The Minimalists, talking about earthing (aka grounding)…
So anyway… After this week, I’m a 100% believer in grounding. And that’s why I’m sharing my story, even if this sounds ridiculously “woo-woo” and perhaps a bit crazy.
Have you tried grounding (or earthing)? Let me know in comments! I’m interested in your experiences. (Comments remain open for 90 days, and are manually approved.)
“Swaps” are where a certain number of people agree to swap… Well, something, usually handmade, and they’re usually multiple, identical (or nearly identical) items.
It’s a fun way of sharing art, usually through the mail, but sometimes in person.
Zine swaps
In this case, a “zine swap” is where you send a certain number of copies of just one issue of your zine, to the person hosting the swap.
You’ll also send the host either postage, money for postage, or a self-addressed, stamped envelope for shipping other participants’ zines to you.
The number of zines you’ll send is usually determined by the number of participants, including the host.
So, if six people, including you and the host, are swapping zines, you’ll send five copies of your zine (plus postage).
Each other participant does the same, and the host adds their own set of five zines to the collection.
Then the host sorts all the zines into piles, so each participant receives one from each of the other participants (including the host).
After that, the host mails the sets to each person in the swap, and keeps one set for themselves.
So, each person in that swap will receive five different zines, one from each of the other participants, including the host.
Visual explanation of how a zine swap works
I think very visually. Even writing that previous section, I was counting on my fingers to be sure I got the numbers right.
If you’re like me, this illustration may help explain how swaps work. Jane is both a participant and a host, so – as a participant – she’ll make five copies of her own zine and add them to the swap.
I hope that makes sense, and I hope you’ll participate in – or even organize – a zine swap.
(This Disney World birthday post was copied from my Substack blog.)
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This week, I celebrated my birthday. Of course, that meant going to Disney for a romantic evening with my husband. We went to our favorite park, Epcot, and it was a lovely, surprisingly cool-ish night. Not too crowded, either. Yaayy for romance and yaayy for autumn approaching!
Yes, I got a birthday pin. It has my real name on it: Eibhlin, which is pronounced the same as “Eileen” in English, but in the Irish language (Gaeilge) it’s said sort-of like “Eifflin.” (I say my name the English way.)
On the pin, the Disney Cast Member put Mickey-style dots over each letter “I” in my name. I love that!
Saturday night’s Disney visit was wonderful! My smile was a mile wide when the La Calle lead singer saw me… and wished me a happy birthday! (That happened around the 4:15 moment in the video.)
Presents…!
My husband’s birthday gifts to me included splurging at Barnes & Noble. Of course, I returned home with a bunch of “ooh, shiny!” magazines and books. I’m giddy with delight!
In that stack…
Take the Leap is an inspiring book. Mostly, it’s a series of short (~4 pages), true stories of people who weren’t happy with their careers and – sometimes in roundabout ways – found where their real passion is… and followed it, with success. (It’s more “here’s what worked for this person,” instead of generic how-to insights. For me, it’s encouraging to read.)
Also in that stack of treats from B&N:
The latest issue of Bella Grace, which has lots of autumn-y images in cozy, cottage-y styles.
Also the September issue of Town & Country magazine, which seems to have shifted focus to eccentric, affluent people and what they did to gain a following. (I was inspired by some of their stories.)
And finally Vintage Country magazine, which – to be honest – I bought simply to see the artwork in the photos.
Hidden in that stack is my book, Sewing and Collecting Vintage Fashions. Now that my long-ago book contract has finally concluded (whew!), publishing rights are mine again. So, in 2025, I plan to revisit this topic, update my book (the resources info is very outdated), and bring fresh energy to it. This will be SUCH fun!
Meanwhile…
During September & October, I’m still winding-down a geeky pen name that’s been ridiculously misunderstood. (Don’t ask. It’s not quite been the bane of my existence, but I should have walked away from this years ago.)
By Halloween, I’ll be able to get back to fun, creative, artsy projects. Whew!
So far, 2024 has been epic and a whirlwind, bouncing between Florida and Maine and back again. Every moment of it has been an adventure! I’m not sure how 2025 will look – or even which country we’ll be in – but I know it will include more art, more treats to share with you, and lots of laughter.
I kind of LOVE these stencils – used with easy-to-wash-off paint or fake snow or something – to leave “evidence” that Santa visited homes, especially homes with little kids. (That’s an affiliate link, btw, but I’d share this cool idea anyway.)
I’m also awe-struck that an MIT team has been working on an AI bot that will help debunk conspiracy theories. This bot can be effective with people who take conspiracy theories far too seriously. That’s kind of overdue!
And, of course…
I’ve recently resumed sharing freebies with friends. The first is this hippie-style coloring page. (I mentioned it earlier, here.)
To download your own copy, click here or on the thumbnail image below. (It’ll be a letter-sized PDF that you can print and color… for personal use only, of course.)
Artistamps are part of a larger art form called mailart. It’s been popular in different eras, most recently in the 1970s, then in the 1990s, and now – in the 21st century – it’s growing in popularity again.
WHAT IS MAILART?
Mailart (also called “mail art”) is art sent through the mail, and it’s visible on the outside of the postcard, envelope, or (less often) the package. That is, the visible part of what goes through the mail IS the art. There may or may not be art – or anything – inside.
The visible art – seen by those who handle the art (from sender to post office staff to recipient)- may be decorated with many things, including…
Artistamps
Artwork (hand-drawn or painted)
Collage art elements
Rubber stamps (hand-carved or commercial, used creatively)
Sometimes, the art is mass-produced, albeit on a small scale. That is, it’s printed in limited numbers and applied (or turned into) the postcard, envelope, or package.
In some cases, each piece of mailart is signed and numbered. (For example, “5/25” would mean the individual piece is #5 of a total of 25 created and mailed.)
Here are six of my mailart postcards, sent in 2023. Each recipient received a handcrafted postcard decorated with a one-of-a-kind torn paper collage on it.
WHAT ARE ARTISTAMPS?
Artistamps are art, in the form of a postage-type stamp. They’re also called faux postage, among other names that mean “fake postal stamps with art on them.” (Other terms for these faux stamps include postoids and cinderellas.)
Here’s one of my favorite artistamps. I created it using a photo from one of my visits to Avebury, England, where – unlike Stonehenge – you can actually touch the standing stones.
Some of us create our own fantasy countries, or perhaps mailing authorities, or both. Mine is Ballynafae, an imaginary island country just west of Ireland.
Some artists create a complete history, geography, and set of personalities related to their fantasy countries. They consider it part of the art.
And some mix fact and whimsy, as I did in my Kilmallock series, issued under my Ballynafae mailing authority.
This group of six stamps celebrates a real location – Kilmallock, Co. Limerick – using vintage photos from the mid-1990s… but I pretended that these were official stamps from Ballynafae.
Here are some of my Disney-themed artistamps. (NOTE: The original stamps’ images were crisper. These are slightly enlarged from my 2001 website post. I’ll replace the images when I find the original artistamp files.)
The “Tapestry” stamps are from photos I took in 2001 at the final performance of Walt Disney World’s “Tapestry” parade at EPCOT. (See video link at the foot of this post. Also, the lower “Walt Disney World 2001” stamp features family friend Jeremy Pace, when he was part of the parade’s finale.)
Here’s what a single set of artistamps can look like:
A little more info about artistamps…
Starting in the late 1990s, I was a member of the Electronic Collaboration Project (ECP), creating several artistamp series. And, in the Artists’ Mailing List (AML) group my issuing authority was AML-23.
Seeing it again, after all these years, was astonishing.
Even now, it feels like that being part of that art journal/project was a “right time, right place” moment.
Even more bizarre, I received it at 9/11, and – a few days later – journaled in the book, describing that important moment in history. (The photo above shows part of my two pages. On the left, that’s an art journaling collage I created. On the right are my handwritten notes.)
It’s something we did, back then, within the arts community. That is, we mailed things to each other. (See my “Art in the Mail” category for info.)
Frankly, the internet isn’t a substitute for seeing art in real life, and even having it in your hands.
That’s why I encourage you to find a copy of this important book, so you can see it in real life. It’ll give you a wonderful overview of what we were doing, and a chance to see art journaling examples.
Your public library may have a copy. Or, you can order one at Amazon, etc.
I won’t pretend that all of the entries are meaningful, or that the art is consistently wonderful.
That wasn’t the purpose of this project.
It was about life and creative expression, at that moment in time.
Here’s my Amazon review, seeing this book again after 20+ years.
This is still a remarkable book, and part of a project that aspired to include 1000 people in round-robin style art journals.
I’m a little biased because I was one of them, and I just happened to receive the mostly-blank shortly before the 9/11 World Trade Center disaster. So, my two pages in the book are from that exact day.
(Note: I received no payment for my work. None of us did. And I have no commercial interest in this book, either. I’m just honored to have participated it in.)
The pages in this book represent art journaling and mixed-media art by a wide range of people. Some may have considered themselves artists, and many probably didn’t. We were just using journals – sometimes written or decorated artistically – in the style of Julia Cameron’s “morning pages.”
For that, this is an important piece of history, representing the cultural trends, informal art, and sentiments of that extraordinary space in time. In a way, it’s a before-and-after look at how we thought and expressed ourselves, before and after 9/11 changed everything.
In my opinion, this is a vital book that belongs in art and history courses. And, for those who love “outsider” art, it’s a peek into those who can’t NOT express themselves visually.
I’m giving this five stars for this “right time, right place” project, and the importance of documentation like this.
If you’d like to own a copy of this book, here’s the link.
(Btw, that’s an Amazon affiliate link.)
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Belle de Lautrec and her zany sister, Tallulah Lautrec were created for a swap/round robin at the Yahoo group, Doll Journals.
Margaret Mary Fitzcalory-Smythe – a free, online doll pattern with no directions yet.
I’d planned to take a photo or two and then put the camera away.
Well, here’s the second photo I took. (Obviously, I hadn’t yet figured out how to change the date on the camera. lol )
This was my first Bold and Easy coloring book. In fact, I published it back in 2015, before there was an Amazon category for “coloring books for adults.”
Less snoring? Yes, please!
“Swaps” are where a certain number of people agree to swap… Well, something, usually handmade, and they’re usually multiple, identical (or nearly identical) items.
