The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutTimes-Advocate, 1979-12-05, Page 7 (2)Times- Advocate, December 5, 1979 Pogo 7 The kids get to eat mistakes of area crafts enthusiast By MARY ALDERSON better method, she lets her It's been said that a doctor children eat her mistakes. buries his mistakes. Well, While this may sound a Susan McAllister has a little cannibalistic, it's not at all. In fact, it's probably a fine example of good nutrition. Susan is in the business of I'M WAITING, MOM another apple for the making of any mistakes Susan might make, Susan McAllister's son Bryan, 2'-4, stands by as Susan peels an opplehead doll. Bryan and the rest of the family eat as well as the parts she cuts away. FINAL PRODUCT -- A baker complete with varnished bread, Grandma sweeping up and Santa carrying a pack of toys ore some of Susan's apple people. These dolls ore for sale at Something Special in Exeter. 1=MINSMIgii=OBINigNIEMBONSEMEMBONINIIMEN1 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 I 1 I I 1 I • s> I 1 1 1 1 i 1 1 1 1 ;Clip I3 Bring Me For; I A Professional 8x 10 I I Colour Portrait' 1 1 :I/2PRICE 44C 1 With this Ad (Regularly 88c) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 I Thurs. Friday Sat. I 1 Dec. 6 Dec. 7 Dec. 8 1 Thurs-Fri 10-8. Sat. 10-4:30 I "PORTRAITS BACK IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS ..." 1 VII& , If -, -----,v , (-----,r---- --, 1 MAIN STREET, EXETER I Imisiorrtasss■rtarrrrrarrr■sr1 Choose from our selection of eight scenic and colour backgrounds. • You may select additional portraits offered at reasonable prices, with no obligation. • See our Targe Decorator Portrait. • Satisfaction always, or your money cheerfully refunded. 1 1 1 1 1 One sitting per subject—S1 per subject for I additional subjects, groups, or individuals in 1 the same family. Persons under 18 must be I accompanied by parent or guardian. 1 / Plan Christmas The Christmas meeting of Ilurondale W.I. was held Wednesday at Usborne Central School with a number of guests. June Stewart presided IIurondale is preparing a Christmas party for residents of the Zurich Rest Home, on December 11 It was voted to donate $50 to the Family and Children's Services Christmas fund. Ann Brodie gave a report of the area convention held in St. Marys, Olive Hicks gave a report of the board meeting, in Ifensall United Church. November 6. Olive Thompson, Branch director chaired the program. Anna Ballantyne gave a reading "Ode to Christmas." Ilelen Webber introduced Leona Morley of Usborne, who gave a demonstration on corsages and flower arranging. Marilyn Pym demon- strated Christmas gift wrapping. Decorate your home with beautiful CUSTOM DRAPES Choose the fabrics and the styles you want and Sorb Whiting will custom make your drapes for you. You con olso choose matching bedspreads and pillow shams WHITING'S WAREHOUSE Main St. Exeter 235-191,4 making apple head dolls. If her knife slips and a nose is lopped off, then her sons get to share a juicy Delicious apple. Susan, who lives south of Exeter at RR 1 Centralia has been making the apple head dolls for almost four years. She buys big, crisp Delicious apples for the project. Because it is important that the apples be fresh and hard, she only buys a few at a time. She likes to buy big apples, l2ecause they shrink to about half the size by the time the head is dry. Susan peels the apple and then uses a paring knife to carve the face. The head is squared off first to make the chin and forehead. Then the nose is carved. The features are exaggerated and very prominent because they shrink so much as the apple dries. Susan uses lemon juice and salt to keep the apple from turning brown as she works with it. Ears are carved if Susan thinks that it will be a short haired doll. But in most cases the dolls wear hair or hats that cover their ears. It is amazing how the squared -off, newly carved face looks nothing like the finished dried face. Once she is satisfied with the face, Susan cores the apple. Then she runs a string through the hole and hangs the apple up to dry. Susan finds that a sunny window is the best place to dry the heads. She spends about a half hour carving a face. Susan says that she can do three in an afternoon. It takes about two weeks of hanging before the head is dry. During the two weeks, Susan will check on the face's progress. She will pinch the cheeks to form them, or shape the smile as the wrinkles appear in the head. As the face dries, Susan says that they develop a personality. Until this stage, she hasn't decided if she is making a man or a woman. Susan puts little beads in between the wrinkles for eyes, and then she uses poster paint to put some pink colour into their cheeks and lips. When she's finally satisfied with the apple head, she coats it with a low lustre varnish. No two apples turn out the same; some are browner than others, some wrinkle more than others. Most of her dolls are old people because of the wrinkled faces. Occasionally she will have some faces that wrinkle less than others, and these will become younger versions. Susan makes a stick man of copper wire to form the shape of the doll. The hollow head sits on top of the wire. Then she uses old flannelette sheets that she's torn into narrow strips to add padding to the body. After the strips of cloth are wrapped around the copper wire, the doll looks like an Egyptian mummy. If she's making a nice plump doll, Susan simply adds more padding. Scraps of material from sewing are used to make the doll clothes. Sheep's fleece is glued on the apple heads for hair. In Susan's doll family you'll find a carpenter, a fisherman, a farmer and an undertaker. The carpenter wears an apron, complete with a little wooden hammer that Susan carved. The fisherman sits on a barrel and works on his net --some knotted string that Susan put together. And the undertaker carries a basket of tiny dried flowers. Many of the dolls are "Grandpas" and "Grand- mas". The old women sit in rocking chairs and knit on tiny knitting needles, or they sweep the floor with pioneer - style brooms. Susan once made a doll with an old, box camera on a tripod for her father who is a photographer. She will make a doll for any occupation. A friend gave her aminiatureairplane which was actually a planter, and Susan made a doll dressed like an old war pilot to sit in the plane. This time of year Santa Claus dolls are favourites. She has one Santa that sits in a rocking chair and reads the names of good children on his long list. Another Santa carries a heavy pack of parcels on his back. Susan's family and friends buy up miniatures which Susan can use as "props" for her dolls. Small carved rocking chairs are useful in displaying dolls. When the doll is finished, Susan glues and nails the doll to a platform. The platforms are usually wooden with felt glued to the base. Susan has been asked to do demonstrations and give talks on how her dolls are made. As well, she has sold her dolls at local craft sales, and now a few store owners are selling some. If the old "an apple a day" adage holds true, then Susan should have the healthiest family around. THE INGREDIENTS -- Before the doll is dressed, Susan McAllister's apple head dolls look like Egyptian mummies. Copper wire is wrapped with strips of sheeting to make the doll. At right is Delicious apple and the faces after a two week wait. Susan also carves hands from apple pieces. GUARDIAN DRUGS 1 f PRICES EFFECTIVE UNTIL DEC. 22 1' (J, t►A �h i ' • if: -t! • 16 . 1 AIM AVf ,,.f [1,w •, ..M.r Q,.Ih'.' 1S e -Q PLANTERS D? peanut 450 9 e.a„va+nous,. d.k Wish You a Merry • 0 Christmas with these ANTERS HOLIDAY SPECIALS Rowntree 'Black Magic BOXED CHOCOLATES *3.49 454 g 1 1b. COLONIAL `rt`TO MUG TREE SET '5.99 With Stoneware Mugs 'SUN TANNED CANDY' 'NICKY' FASHION OUTFITS Fit Sun Tanned Candy" and other 11 1 /2" fashion dolts 9.69 225 ml 11710i ii �� CLAIROL NICE 'N loot"' GUARDIAN COLOR EASY HAIR COLOUR PRINT FILM N, 26;«t,o $219 Assorted 990 Instant Load Type Shades 12 Exposures 'SABRE' BAROMETER/ A Christmas Gitt Idea. THERMOMETER S15.99 A Long-lasting Christmas Gift 'HOT LEMON' FOR COLDS WITH VITAMIN C A ileg,stered Trademark of Drug Trading Co ltd Exeter Pharmacy Ltd. Main St. 235-1570 Mit TO SPACE IUMITATIONS ANO AVAitall itY AT TIME Of SALE ITEMS SHOWN MAY NOT All 111 AVAILABLE AT All LOCATIONS