Tin Can Tillie dolls from Sundance

‘Tis the season… the catalogs are starting to arrive in my mailbox en force. And it might be just the ones I’m getting… or it might be what I look for… But I am pretty sure there is a strengthening trend — even building on the strength last year — toward gifts that are handmade and vintage-collage-y. These Tin Can Tillie Dolls from Sundance are one-of-kind handmade by artists Marsha and John Finks, using salved cans and bisque doll parts, beads and tulle. $275.

Now, that’s a lot of money… so you can certainly try making trinkets like this yourself — lord knows I have enough “ephemera” around for an army of Tillies… Note, however: I took another sweater-making workshop with Crispina ffrench last week, and while I had a blast and enjoyed the creative process a lot, it became clear to me yet again that the secret to making trash look like treasure is in the Artistry and Craftsmanship of it all. And that takes a lot of practice. Like — 10,000 hours, according to authors like Malcolm Gladwell. Hence: Why artists charge real money for their work. Link: Tin Can Tillie Dolls on Sundance.