Deborah Apodaca Designs LLC: 2018 Dutch Touch Steampunk Doll

This year’s Dutch Touch was designed especially for our Florida group – The Steampunk Girl!
We put in our order and boy did Ankie Daanen and Marlaine Verhelst, also known as the Dutch Touch, deliver an awesome workshop! They also taught the Fish Boy to those who had missed the workshop a few years ago. Either way, you win being able to learn from the master Dutch Touch doll sculptors!

Ankie Daanen & Marlaine Verhelst --- The Dutch Touch

These amazing women travel from the Netherlands and Spain to teach us their craft. It is always such an honor to be able to learn from Ankie and Marlaine. They make the most complicated look so simple (you notice I said LOOK so simple) and they will have you on the floor laughing. Let's just say "What happens at Dutch Touch, stays at Dutch Touch" LMAO!!!

I am especially blessed to have attended this year’s workshop. I did not think it was going to be something that would ever happen again, but miracles are out there. And angels abound.

I was one of the students who requested the design of a steampunk doll and I am over the moon in love with my Steampunk Girl who I have named Jessamine. And her adorable dog #10. Number 10, which was my special mark during the workshop.

Jessamine by Deborah Apodaca

I was so intimidated with sculpting her hands. I have been known to have very “manly” hands and not delicate and ballerina-like as Ankie’s hands tend to be, but the teachers loved them! I have to say that they were a lot easier.

Practice does make perfect…..well, maybe not perfect yet, but getting closer.

This year there was a different technique for sculpting the eyes. A technique I prefer to the previous doll I completed. I didn’t seem to flatten out the orb when blending in this time. We also learned how to make high heels.

I do need a lot of practice with watercolors though. I tend to be heavy-handed (as you can tell from her eyebrows), but watercolor is not a medium that I use - so it will be practice, practice. What I really need to do it just make heads. And then just make hands. And then they can decide later how they want to be mated up. Once their personalities come to life.

Another reason to attend the Dutch Touch workshops are the friendships that you make. Amazing women coming together in art! It was so nice to be reunited with the women I met in my last two workshops along with making new friends. We keep up with each other on Facebook, but there is nothing like giving a girlfriend a hug!

This year’s workshop happened to be in my hometown and so two women I know personally were also able to attend. They are jewelry artists, but both had a blast and are looking forward to sculpting another doll.

Here are all the completed Steampunk Dolls and the Fish Boys, too! There are 3 missing Steampunk Girls from these photos. They had to leave earlier in the day for travel, but hopefully, they will be sharing their completed dolls soon!