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• Pledge debate

• They're ready to pack — or finish packing

• Regional Roundup

November 21st, 2009

• Logbook

• Holiday drive spreads cheer to U.S. troops

• Galt High students want board to approve open-campus policy

• Poisoning victims remain hospitalized

• Expert: Half a mushroom cap can be deadly

• Tokay grad files claim over Lodi's Grape Bowl

• Lodi Middle School holds annual Turkey Trot

• Regional Roundup

• No motive or suspect in shooting

• Sacramento cop arrested for alleged kidnapping

November 20th, 2009

• Acampo woman killed

• Salvation Army Kettle Kickoff

• Advocacy groups sue East Bay Municipal Utility District over Pardee expansion

• Regional Roundup

• Galt plans to help residents with energy-efficient projects

• Stable southeast of Lodi approved

• One year after a heart attack, Lodi's Judy Mims thanks rescuers

• National Guard troops return home in time for the holidays

• Real estate market gets on more solid ground

November 19th, 2009

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Chase ends in crash

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

• Sales tax hike yields dividends: 5 new officers join Galt Police

• Lodi Unified School District board votes to cancel summer school for 2010

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22

• Corrections

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react

• Lodi man finds wife's ashes during police display of stolen property

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

November 17th, 2009

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

• Lodi Budget and Finance Committee to look into ways to save money on employee benefits

• Regional Roundup

• Decision on summer school expected at tonight's Lodi Unified School District meeting

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Clarification

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

• City Council 'triple-dog dared' to ditch cars, use Lodi buses

• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi

• Lodi's First Sip event showcases area wineries' latest vintages

• Three members of Lodi-area family fall ill after eating poisonous mushrooms they reportedly found at Lodi Lake

• Regional Roundup

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• The country's mess is our fault (170)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (73)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (50)
• Public health care is a Christian option (48)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Government-run health care is a bad idea (22)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (17)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)

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Hello, dolly

New store in Lockeford teaches enthusiasts how to use vinyl, porcelain and bring dolls to life

If the woman sitting near the front counter doesn't respond when you say, "hi," don't be offended; she's a doll. She's an actual doll, surrounded by shelves and shelves of smaller dolls.

The Doll Gallery in Lockeford opened in October, and has been slowly building up its inventory of custom-made vinyl and porcelain dolls. Though they willingly sell the dolls, their main goal is to teach others how to make dolls.

Owners Jenny Chilson and Celeste Hallanger have been doll enthusiasts for many years, both enjoying the creativity and camaraderie of the pastime.

Both work full-time, yet they are laboring to build up a group of students who they will hold lessons for during the evening on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

"The classes are like therapy," Chilson said. It's a social atmosphere where a person's imagination is fostered, and the end result is a doll students can put on display or give to a child to play with.

Jennifer Engle, who runs the store from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, has been making vinyl dolls for about a year and says that she can typically build a doll in one day, though she usually takes more time than that.

"This is so easy to learn that a child can do it," Engle said.

Chilson, who specializes in porcelain dolls (which take more than a week to complete), said her granddaughter, Destiny Gee, 10, has even made her own dolls.

"I like painting the dolls, and I like picking out the clothes," a shy Gee said as she clung to her grandmother.

The store has two separate classrooms to accommodate the two kinds of doll making. In Hallanger's classroom, where Engle teaches as well, plastic containers filled with vinyl baby heads, arms, legs and plastic eyes occupy every corner of the room.

Chilson's classroom is a little different and looks more like it belongs in a high school art class, as boxes of porcelain body parts and ceramic casts are stacked throughout. Whereas the vinyl doll parts are bought from an outside distributor, the porcelain parts are made of greenware (a low-fire clay) that's fired and becomes a bisque, meaning it's baked at temperatures between 1,987 and 2,008 degrees Fahrenheit. The dolls are then named by their creators and painted.

The Doll Gallery at a glance

Where: 18974 E. Highway 88, Lockeford
Hours: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday through Friday most days or by appointment
Products: Vinyl and porcelain original dolls
Classes: Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings
Information: 366-4124
Source: The Doll Gallery.

The Doll Gallery's top five reasons for doll-making

Porcelain doll heads, arms and legs are carefully stored in a box, cushioned by shredded newsprint. Paint brushes are used to apply base coats of paint to the parts. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

1. It allows people to be creative.
2. It's a reasonably priced hobby.
3. Keeps the doll-maker busy.
4. It's always educational and keeps enthusiasts learning.
5. It leaves doll-makers with feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Hallanger admits that, though they are quicker to make, vinyl dolls do come with some challenges.

"The most difficult thing is the eyebrows," Hallanger said. The technique for using a thinner brush to paint on the eyebrows takes some practice, but it's worth it once a hobbyist gets it down. "It's a wonderful craft."

The ladies of The Doll Gallery believe in the craft so much that they want to bring it back. That's the main reason for the classes. In fact, they are offering class specials for the month of February. Hallanger's vinyl classes will be free, and Chilson's will be $15 (regularly $25 and $30 per class, respectively). There will be Valentine's Day specials in effect as well, but patrons will have to stop by to see what those are going to be.

All the paints and parts are supplied along with the instruction, and when students are finished with the class, they have a one-of-a-kind doll to show for it.

"Doll people are very special," Chilson said.

Contact Marc Lutz at marcl@lodinews.com.