And Then Everything Changed….

Having run the blog for six years, the time has come for some changes. So, things are going to be shifting around here. Please be patient while I get it all sorted.

Here’s a few things you can expect:

1. Monday’s are now paper doll days!

Every Monday, there will be a free paper doll. Sometimes, it’ll be a Marisole Monday & Friends paper doll. Sometimes it won’t, but every Monday there will be a free paper doll. 

The truth is that the current schedule is NOT sustainable. I have come to realize that. So, I have deciding that going from 76 paper dolls a year to 52 is a logical first step in lowering my stress and maintaining my sanity. 

2. More Diverse Content

One of the things my month long break taught me was that I am simply getting a bit bored with paper dolls.

Now, I want to return to another passion- sewing dolls & doll clothes. So, I am going to use this blog as I used it many years ago to hold myself accountable to my art, I am going to use it to hold myself accountable again to my sewing. 

This  is a strange new journey I’m heading out on. I hope you’ll join me. 

meet_jack
As sewing will be coming to the blog, allow me to introduce: Jack the Seam Ripper. A good friend of mine who will, I suspect, make a lot of appearances here.

3. A New Patreon Scheme

The Patreon system is undergoing some changes. I haven’t got all that sorted, but “watch this space” as they say. 

4. A Continued Commitment to Regular Posting

I have learned so much from running a blog. I have learned, not just about drawing, but about SEO and Social Media and engagement. I have learned wonderful things. I am committed to keeping the blog updating regularly. And that isn’t going to change. 

I am happy to answer questions about these changes if anyone has one.

14 thoughts on “And Then Everything Changed….”

  1. I’m excited to see some changes. I’ll admit, I’m a bit bored with paper dolls myself and it’s really showing on my blog. It’s a very, very niche subject and there’s only so much to do or say about paper dolls.

    As I know very little about sewing (despite owning a sewing machine & constantly saying I’ll learn how to use it), it’ll be fun to see some sewing projects.

    Also, if you’re looking to create custom fabric to go with your custom fabric dolls, check out Spoonflower. I’ve created fabric patterns but since my sewing skills are limited, I haven’t actually used any of it for anything!

    • I think I need to start with “sewing something” before I take on “designing fabric.” 🙂 But thank you, as always, your support is really wonderful.

  2. Hey Rachel,

    I fell out of paper dolls myself. Some mental health stuff caused me to fall and fall deeper out of paper dolling. I stopped doing it after a while because I needed to stay meltdown free for a month to pursue yet another passion–Zumba

  3. As someone who collects dolls and totally doesn’t have a giant doll house behind her at the moment, I’m excited to see your doll sewing projects.

    I’m not bored with paper dolls (yet), but I’ve realized I’ve been trying to do too much drawing wise, and am massively scaling down. Not sure if I will be scaling down posting as well, but it is an option.

    I’m excited to see your changes, and glad to hear you are getting some stress relief. I think everyone needs some sometimes.

  4. Count me as one of your excited fans! I love your paper dolls, but I’d rather you keep a sustainable schedule. Plus, I used to sew lots of stuff, including dolls & clothes, so that will be a fun addition!

  5. I use paper dolls for writing inspiration, ever since I was a kid. I used to draw my own clothes for them if I didn’t think they had an appropriate wardrobe. Like tarot cards, you could shuffle them (not really) and spread yourself a new story with only a tweak of dolls. Besides, they’re just plain FUN.
    And I totally don’t sew doll clothing, have about two hundred patterns, or have any dolls… or am planning to buy one once I get my new job…
    I love Jack the Seam Ripper. 🙂
    (Tip for all not just our animator overlord…)
    Check out Jen Wrenne (WrenFeathers): she has freebie doll patterns for pretty much everything, every size, and the ones that aren’t free are not expensive. If you sign up for Pixie Faire, they have Freebie Fridays, same with Lee and Pearl. The rest is Pintrest.

  6. Actually, your blog has brought back my love of paper dolls, but I can see why you’d want to take a break – you do amazing work. I also sew doll clothes, mostly 18 American Girl size, even though my daughter is grown (and has two boys), but it’s a relaxing hobby. The dolls never outgrow the clothes!

  7. Oooohhh… I love doll clothes, too! 🙂 Maybe (but only if you feel like it) you could post your patterns? as you get things more settled, obviously. 🙂

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