Are you ready for Christmas ?

"Santa Claus" dotee dolls - Wilma Simmons

No, not me! I hope every year that I will be ready by 1 December, with no rushing about during the festive season... it doesn't happen..

However this year, I am happy to have met some Christmas deadlines... For my doll makers group, Gumnut Dollies, Newcastle I made some dotee dolls for decorating the charity Christmas Tree. What is a dotee doll, I hear you ask... here is an explanation from another earlier blog post , Dotee Divertissement.

Yesterday, I sold some of my handmade Christmas decorations at the Hunter Art Bazaar - a Christmas market held in a beautiful park, Lambton Park , near my home. I had been working on these and my crocheted birds while watching TV during the year - the photo shows a variety of stitched and beaded decorations.

I was also touched that I was asked to make some Christmas dolls with a multicultural look... I must admit this made me think about being far more inclusive in my approach to special holidays. The dolls I made are for a little girl from a mixed culture background... I am embarrassed to say that although my background is Chinese, I have not thought about diversity in the kinds of decorations I make for Christmas before. I think in Australia, perhaps our festive food reflects the various backgrounds we come from, but how do we celebrate Christmas, respecting and valuing our many cultural traditions and beliefs ?

How do you incorporate your background culture into your Christmas celebration?

Dotee Dolls 2022 - Wilma Simmons

Hunter Art Bazaar 2022 at Lambton Park

Sample of Christmas decorations 2022 - Wilma Simmons

Multicultural Christmas - Wilma Simmons

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