Spirit Doll

I have finally finished the Fairy Spirit Doll I mentioned earlier. My thoughts have been so scattered it's been hard to work on something like this.

She is embroidered in primary and secondary colors. She wears a crown of quartz crystal chips. The fringe is tipped with quartz crystal chips and features frosted tube beads that I got from DJ Beads. I just love these for fringe. It gives it some weight and adds pinache.


Spirit Dolls in one form or another can be found in many cultures. They provide a focus for meditation for some, visual calming, or tactile soothing for others. They can be made from sticks and bits of cloth, dried flowers, gemstones or whatever the artist has on hand, but I prefer to cover a stuffed cloth figure entirely with bead embroidery, then add gemstones or gemstone chips and some lush fringe.

Whether you believe in the spiritual aspects of these little beauties or not, they can actually work wonders on your mental attitude and your physical being. For some the designs in them focus the mind and, if only briefly, allow troubling thoughts to fade into the background. The hands contain reflex points that govern every part of the body, so just running your fingers over the beaded surface creates a relaxing sensation, and, in some cases, can release blocked energy or blood flow, promoting benefits to physical health.

No two people will ever feel the same effect or see the same flow in the pattern. The spirit doll seems to speak to each individual according to his/her own needs at the time. The same person may experience a different effect or see a different pattern each time they pick the doll up, or look at it.

No two spirit dolls will ever be exactly the same. The designs in the artist's mind flow as the doll is being embroidered.