Honoring Mary Vlasak



This week a lovely doll maker and collector named Mary Vlasak passed away. Mary lived in Australia, and owned a doll museum for 35 years. She was passionate about dolls and dollmaking. Mary always signed her e-mails "smiling, Mary".

My first interaction with Mary was when I got an e-mail out of the blue from a woman in Australia. I had just listed my first "Spotted Killjoy" and wrote about the things which quell the creative spirit. She e-mailed me an encouraging note. She e-mailed me when I made my first Izannah inspired doll. And recently she e-mailed "I hope you are going to continue with your Izannahs, each one is better than the last. Smiling, Mary."

When I think of MaryI think of Encouragement.


On Christmas Eve I started an Izannah inspired doll in Mary's honor. Mary was the person who first told Teresa Baker about using paperclay over cloth, and Teresa is the one who told me about the process. It's a circle of sharing and encouragement, and I hope to encourage someone else in the way Mary did. I'm sure Mary would smile at that.



4 comments:

Atticbabys said...

Very nicely put Dix, Thankyou!
I too shall miss our unforgettable "smiling Mary". She has touched me in a very similar way.
Nan

Doreen Frost said...

Hello Dixie. I'm sorry to say, I did not have the privilage of knowing Mary, she sounds like a wonderful woman. I read her article which you had linked here and it was very interesting and fun to read, she seems to have had a wonderful sense of humor.

I would love to be the person you choose to inspire and help. Where might I sign up???? My dream is to create Izannah Walker dolls and each one of your creations truly amazes me. Any help, inspiration, guidance.....advice..whatever you may choose....would be welcome and so very much appreciated :)

Take care and thank you for sharing about Mary.

doreen

Unknown said...

yeah i new em both olly and mary both lovely people she gave my wife a few origanal dolls Very kind hearted person

Unknown said...

I knew Mary and Ollie.
I am looking for persons that have some of her works.
I have some of her proto Tues of her later miniatures.


"Do not let what you cannot do
keep you from doing what you can do."

John Wooden