These dolls were made in a workshop that I took when I attended one of America’s popular doll conference called We Folk.

The dolls are a simple template pattern. However with a separate sculpy face mould attached and painted with gold colour and pigments and using different exotic fabrics and beads this simple pattern has been turned into dolls with pizzazz.

“She is a protector of the lonely. She lives in high places where the clouds meet the earth. She is only seen in the mist of an early morning.”

In my internet club we were given a website which generates a fairy name when you enter your name. We had to create a doll which we thought portrayed this description. Mmmm not sure if this is what I wanted her to look like. Since I designed this doll I have to live with it. However it was a very big learning curve I went through when I made this doll. It made me realise that what we draft doesn’t always look the way we want it to in 3 D forms.

During my visits to Madras as a girl, I would see on the streets of Madras, young girls wearing half saris and going to school or college. Sights of young girls clad in half saris have now almost disappeared from the streets of Madras.

I had a very rare view of a girl in half sari, which brought back some memories. This inspired me to make this doll.

Inspired from Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker Ballet’.

This is the most popular of all ballets, probably because of its association with Christmas. It is based on the story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffman, but the story is sweetened a lot for the ballet.

It is Christmas Eve at the wealthy Mr. Stahlbaum's house and he is giving a party for his children Clara and Fritz. Mr. Drosselmeyer arrives bringing many presents and puppets with which he puts on a puppet show. He also gives gifts to the children. Clara receives a Nutcracker shaped like a toy soldier, which Fritz breaks. Mr. Drosselmeyer quickly repairs the Nutcracker and the party goes on. Later on Clara falls asleep with the Nutcracker and the room magically grows larger and larger, and the toys come alive. The tin soldiers march around and fight an army of mice from the cellar. There is a great battle and in the end the mice run away and the Nutcracker turns into a handsome prince. The night sky clears and Clara and her prince set out to his castle through a land of snow, where the snowflakes perform a beautiful dance.

At the castle, they enjoy performances by his court. In the end Clara wakes up on Christmas morning and it has all been a dream.