Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take you to make a doll?
We average between 40-50+ hours on each doll, including the making of the wooden bases or sculpting the soft bodies, sculpting the faces and hands, making all the jewelry they wear, creating the shields, dream catchers, flutes, drums, staffs, and gluing on each feather individually.
Where do you get the hands and faces?
Each doll is an original. Every face and pair of hands is individually sculpted of polymer clay. No molds are used. Both Bud and Marge spend many hours on each of their creations.
Where do you get your supplies?
Most of the supplies we use are recycled items. In this 'throw away' society we feel it is important to recycle as much as possible. All of the fur we use is salvaged from old coats found at garage/yard sales (also one of my favorite hobbies), flea markets, thrift stores and some are given to us by friends. The leather we use is purchased from a local tannery here in Oregon. Some of the feathers we use are given to us by friends who raise exotic game birds and some are purchased from fellow vendors at pow wows and from other suppliers. The shells and some of the beads we use I also find at yard sales and thrift stores.
Which tribe are the names from?
As mentioned on The Legend page, the 'ANCIENT ONES' are not of one tribe or religion, but rather our interpretation of The People living in ancient America.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Our inspiration is derived from the beauty and mystery of nature, as well as the art work of Charles Frizzel. Fifteen years ago, a friend gave me a calendar of Charles Frizzel's paintings. I instantly fell in love with his work. I would catch myself getting lost in the magic of his paintings. The detail was incredible. I kept thinking how wonderful it would be to have a doll just as beautiful. Charles Frizzel's paintings were an inspiration to the birth of the 'ANCIENT ONES'. And still today, I get lost in his paintings.
How many have you made? How long have you been making them?
We've created 234 of the 'ANCIENT ONES' over the past 15 years and we've created 227 Healing Spirits and will continue as long as we both enjoy doing so.