Sharon Golding Designs

Hi all Yes it’s back to the Doll’s Hospital for an update.  Bear with me, this obsession will ease up soon, I promise. 😉 Beautiful girl - another throwback to my childhood dolls.     She was in need of a great deal of attention and in a bit of a sorry state when she arrived.  Firstly, she needed a pampering session to give her some much needed tlc.  After a bath and hairdressing session, she was feeling much happier. Her sticky eyes were fine after her cleanup. We then investigated what would be needed in terms of repair and the most obvious problem was that her voice box was missing, so I booked her a laryngectopy or replacement voice box. Next we picked out a lovely new outfit for after her procedure during this shopping expedition she let me know that her name was Kira and she was so happy to be home at last. The larynx was soon repaired and Kira’s voice is restored. Welcome Kira. Looking so much happier now. 💕 Thank you to all my followers/readers for shar...

 Hello all, Well the doll addiction has increased and it’s not over yet! I came across this lovely vinyl doll which reminded me of a favourite from my childhood.  Of course I had to have her.  She was a bargain price and I got her from a very nice lady.  However she needed some tender loving care, which I felt I would be able to give her. Her eyes were unfortunately broken and were in need of replacement.  This is a first for me, but I bravely took on the task.  I watched YouTube videos and read up as much as I could on how to tackle this.  With the advice of some lovely friends on FB groups I sent off for the replacement eyes. In the meantime, Susie was bandaged and given lots of hugs in the Dolls Hospital until her surgery. She was very brave and once she was sedated her surgery began. And the eye transplant was completed in very quick time, without any problems at all.   Susie is delighted with her new warm brown eyes and she is now joining her...

 My latest addition to the doll collection is this little beauty.  Happily no breakages on her journey, but she was in dire need of a wash and hairdo.  I also washed all her clothes.   This is her before her pampering session This is the end result.  I think I will call her Laura. I  feel I need to step back from the doll obsession now, just for a little while.  I have enjoyed this new interest a great deal and will return to it shortly. I hope you’ve enjoyed sharing my adventures. Best wishes Shari 😊

 Hilary’s story is a sad one.  This beautiful doll was travelling to live with me when she was terribly mistreated and damaged in transit. I was heartbroken. I set about trying to repair the damage to her face. Whilst she was hospitalised for her facial surgery, Hilary very kindly loaned her dress to Katy, but soon she will have her dress returned and Katy will have new ones. Using water based glue seemed the best option, in case I should ever need to reset (if and when I am more experienced).  I ensured the glue would dry clear as I didn’t want the repair to be noticeable. The repair is only noticeable if you look closely and I am very happy with the result. And that is the saga of how I got started in doll repairs. 😁 Look out for more doll repairs in the future. Best wishes Shari x

 Well, inadvertently I have now embarked on the mysterious world of doll repairs.  It’s a bit of a long story but anyway, I acquired a half completed porcelain doll without legs or hair.  I have absolutely nil experience in doll making or doll repairs, but she is such a beauty that I knew I had to try.   She has a soft body and porcelain face, chest, arms and legs.  After viewing many videos on utube to find out how these dolls are actually made, it became clear that the attaching of porcelain legs to the soft body is actually done before the head is attached.  You turn the body inside out, attach the legs with wire or string on the wrong side and then turn the body right way round so the method of attachment, i.e. wire/string is invisible and there is a neat join between porcelain and fabric. Ok… so a bit of a hurdle, but I’m always up for a challenge!   I could go one of three ways:- 1. Remove head, stuffing, arms and start again with inside out bod...

 Never quite sure if this is upcycling or recycling, but I have taken a child’s styling head toy and repurposed it as a Nature Goddess. First I took one old styling head that had seen better days - her hair was matted and frizzed.   After hair and makeup removal, I set about painting her green using acrylic paints.  I then decorated her with artificial flowers that I had left over from another project. Now I will paint the hessian fabric and her eyes (which will be closed as in meditation).  I’m toying with the idea of adding a little butterfly to her shoulder to finish her.  What do you think? Another item saved from landfill 😊 Best wishes Shari x

 Hello all, it’s so lovely to be back to making and I apologise for my long absence, I’m still struggling but have returned to what I love most… creating! I have always enjoyed keeping a journal and bullet journaling was part of my routine.  I keep most things in my journal like tracking moods, food, etc, listing to dos, appointments, writing about my day, my feelings, art work, sketching, designing well just about everything. Recently I discovered “junk journals” which are even more appealing because instead of buying stickers and decorations and books to journal in, you make your own and use all those scraps and papers and junk you have lying about your home.  Not only is it a good way to recycle but it helps you clear your clutter and stops things going to landfill. I find this concept so appealing that of course I had to try it. First, I found an old book that is really boring and of very little use to me. You don’t have to recycle a book because there are other ways ...

 Hi everyone It’s hard to stay focussed when you feel so alone. This month has been extremely difficult for me as my husband has been in hospital for an operation and then recently there were complications so he was taken back in.  Obviously, the worry of it all has been extremely stressful and as a result, my mental health has plummeted.  My husband is my rock and without him being his usual strong self, my world is very bleak. In order to keep my sanity I turn to painting or creative work of some description.  It doesn’t really matter as long as I am creating something.  It’s very soothing for the soul. This has been difficult due to all the trips to hospital and the more mundane matters of keeping house.  My family are a constant source of support and give me strength, but I also need my creativity to keep sane.  I have always been that way.   I’m normally a very private person and don’t often share my problems, always putting on a brave face. ...

  “Twilight Wolf” 16” x 12” acrylic on canvas board This was painted about 3 weeks ago as I have had a lot going on in my life recently and have not been able to paint, but I want to share something with you.   The fears we fail to face become our limits.  I am wolf, quietly I will endure, silently I will suffer, patiently I will wait, for I am a warrior and I will survive. Back to painting what I love, animals.  Enjoyed painting this wolf, although he looks more like a friendly dog.  That’s ok, I loved doing it and for me it’s the process that is of most value.  How painting makes me feel. When I’m painting I get so absorbed everything else is forgotten, all my troubles melt away and it’s just me and the paint.  It boosts my mood and helps me get things in perspective.  It’s why I would love to teach others the remarkable benefits of painting.  It’s more than the end result.  It’s a calming process that gives a feeling of serenity, whic...

 Acrylic painting on canvas board, Straw bales. This reminds me so much of home, our old house, where we were surrounded by fields and after the harvest the straw bales in the fields.  It was such a lovely peaceful place and we had a clear view over the fields to watch the beautiful sunsets. Anyway, back to the painting.  With this one again, I did the simplistic drawing, then blocked in, followed by the refining and detail. “Hay Bales“ acrylic on canvas board 16” x 12” Not quite finished yet as I need to lighten the background bales a tad and strengthen the foreground shrubbery on the right. Feeling quite happy with this one. Hope I have inspired you to have a go at painting.  Remember, three colours, three brushes and three steps.  It’s so easy.  The colours I used are Ultramarine blue, Alizarin crimson and Yellow ochre, plus Titanium white.  You can mix all the colours you need from these and create a very harmonic painting.  Look out for my pa...