A potted plant for your doll! A guest Post by Amy of http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lemonhead103

Today I bring you a post by Amy of http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lemonhead103 a great Etsy shop. Amy is also an Emily Rose@ Home consultant www.emilyroseathome.com/amybray and very crafty lady. Today I bring you her post on making a tiny potted plant for your doll.

 

To make some doll sized potted flowers, you need:
~A small 2 inch pot
~some Styrofoam
~floral wire
~floral wire
~hot glue
~artificial flower blooms.

Tiny flower pots can be hard to find this time of the year but you might get lucky at your local dollar store, craft store or even the dollar section at Target. Spring is the best time of course. Michael's the craft store also carries them in the floral section year round.

For the flowers:
"I had on hand a floral lei from a party and  I cut it apart to get to the smaller flowers as they were a good size. I do many crafts so I searched my supplies and found a length of floral wire left from another project, floral tape and a styro foam ball. I know I have moss, but it was thundering and lightening and it is in my storage box in the shed across the yard so I improvised when I realized that and used a circle of brown felt I had on hand.

I rough cut a piece off the styro foam ball and shoved it in the pot so there was a bit of space, as you would leave for a real plant. I ran hot glue around the foam inside the pot. Then I recommend you cut a circle of felt and glue it in or have moss on hand to add later.I cut the lei and started to slide the flowers and petals off, and I put the pieces I didn't need into a bag, I might find a use at a later date.

I tested the hot glue and it did not melt the flowers so I put a drop where the stem would have attached and pushed the wire in. I then wrapped the wire and where I glued securely with the floral tape. I put glue on the stem and pushed it in. I repeated this process and made 6 blooms in all.
The finished project is so adorable! I know you will have fun making your own for your dolls.

Thank you to Amy from www.emilyroseathome.com/amybray   
Do not forget to check out her Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lemonhead103
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Quality Pine Furniture for American Girl Dolls from Pine Grove Woodshop

 I found another wonderful Etsy shop that creates beautiful wooden items for American Girl Dolls called Pine Grove Woodshop 

I found out about this shop from one of my readers and am so thankful for the tip. There are so many wonderful items here I would love to put on my Christmas list and I think you would agree purchasing from Sue and her shop Pine Grovewood Shop  would make any Doll Lover thrilled!

Never having enough doll storage I love doll armoirs when I was at the AG Place store, I was shocked at the sticker price, I could buy three dolls and outfits for the price of the AG one, then I looked at the Our Generation one that my niece got from Zellers, and compared the quality to the one made by Sue and I think your money is best spent in this Etsy shop! The best part you can paint it any color you would like or leave it as is. 

Being in the kitchen as much as I am I was so enchanted by this set a doll sized 3 piece kitchen so beautifully made.

How about the living room furniture, a great addition to any doll play collection. 

Even more doll storage with a mirror, I love this one!

"Take me outside to enjoy the yard with you"  this one screams! Gives a whole new meaning to "Go out side and play!"

Bunk beds and Four post beds are something I always wanted for my dolls. This shop has both 

Seriously this four post bed is only $35 The best deal on Etsy for quality made furniture I have found.
Sue has a great deal for my readers a coupon code for her Etsy shop that will give you 10% off in her shop! use the code "10off1"

So I had to ask Sue how she got started with her shop and making these amazing pieces here is a bit from our interview...

When did you start making items for American Girl Dolls?Last fall (2010) our youngest daughter started school full time.  I went to work in the barn.

What made you realize that there was a void in the market that you could fill?

 Trying to find furniture for my girls’ dolls, other than the pricey “authentic” AG furniture.

What is the hardest item you make?

The desks – they are put together with mortise and tenons – kind of tricky.

Where is the farthest you have sent one of your products?

Washington State – (I live in Michigan)

What is your best seller?

The beds, armoires, and dressers are very popular.

Do you sell only on Etsy?

I am also on ebay, and custommade.com, and my own website: www.pinegrovewoodshop.com

 do you know about www.dollabee.com? (you should check it out)

I had never heard of it.  I just checked it out.  I think I should definitely get on there too.

Do you ship internationally?I haven’t yet at this time, but I am not opposed to it.  The problem I see is that these items are so large and heavy, it would be very costly.   I am actually trying to figure out how to offer “knock-down” versions of some items to help combat some shipping costs.  Maybe then I could go internationally.

How much time do you need for special orders?2 weeks plus delivery time

Then please tell me more about yourself Sue,

I am a stay at home Mom.  I had a woodworking hobby for many years, but for the last 11 years I didn’t really do any wood working – I was having and raising our 2 daughters.  Of course, as they grew they acquired a few American Girl Dolls.  Once our youngest daughter started school full time, I began making a few little furniture pieces for their dolls, and began realizing, “you know, you really can’t buy anything like this in the stores”.  Of course, it’s everyone’s desire to find a niche, and I began to think this could be my niche.  100% of my profits go towards our Christian school tuition.

As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

High Fashion at fantastic prices from this Erin's Little Secrets Etsy shop

 

I found this amazing Etsy shop I had to share with you, not only  can you find some wonderful doll fashions but also some gorgeous purses I would love to own for myself  but getting back to Erin's Little Secrets Shop

From Coats and shoes and handbags to jewelery this shop has it all for American Girl dolls.

This necklace only $2.50, and you can mix and match to combine the outfit of your choice for your dolls. The coat is only $14.95!

I have always wanted a pair of these for myself to wear but at least my doll could wear these

only  $5.95

Simply adorable this handbag to match only $4.95

My niece Laura squealed at this one what a wonderful winter coat and hair band

only $19.95

I have to say she also has some adorable Cheer outfits in so many colors only $17.95

And on a non doll note....I love the purses! Really want this one! $28.95 a total steal!

Also fantastic deal :

You can save 20% on your order! Visit www.erinslittlesecrets.com and sign up to receive my newsletter. It is sent out periodically to show you my latest listings, plus special sales and offers. You can find the sign-up form at the bottom of the home page. Once received, you will send you a coupon code worth 20% off your order. This is a one time only offer but worth taking advantage of! 
Her new website is an extension of her Etsy shop-just a more organized layout, and easier to navigate. The items there are linked directly to, and can be purchased from, this Etsy shop. Just click on the images to link you there. This enables you to receive a seamless and secure transaction.

So I had to ask Angela of Erins Little Secret's about her shop and I found she and I had allot in common.

We are both mom's of three who's lives are affected and shared by children with special needs and abilities. We both have doll loving nieces and love the creative outlet sewing and selling our creations brings.

Angela  tells me 

"I began last fall. My parents were downsizing, and mom gave me tons of fabric. I decided I would use some of it to make my niece some doll clothes for Christmas. After a few outfits, I was hooked. I remembered that my sister-in-law had a shop on Etsy, so I asked her for some help getting started. And I haven't stopped since. I get so much enjoyment out of this venture. The creative process is something I think I need. There's nothing creative about cooking and cleaning! Then the process of listing items and having people buy them is totally addictive. Plus, I'm always learning something. I began sewing as a young teenager, and would make something periodically over the years. Now that I do this full time, I'm constantly finding ways to improve my craft. Oh, and then there's fabric shopping!!! Don't get me started on that--LOVE IT!!! Am I beginning to sound obsessed?! LOL! Truly, though, besides my children, nothing has ever given me such a sense of personal satisfaction as my shop does."

I could not agree more

Angela also tells me her shop is almost a year old now, and she is  just beginning to see the benefits of  networking . She started a website s www.erinslittlesecrets.com/ 
I hope you will visit Erin's Little Secrets shop and I look forward to sharing more with you tomorrow.
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Doll shoes with a purpose, you have to see these and make some other little girls dreams come true!

I happened upon a fantastic doll shoe shop on Etsy that does more for shoes and sandals for our dolls then any other shop I know.. The designer and creator of the shop and shoes is Dena of Dena's Doll Designs
More remarkable then the shoes and the prices she charges for her designs is what Dena does with the money she makes from selling her doll shoes on Etsy. Dena uses her doll shop as a project her "doll clothes ministry" as she calls it an ALL of her proceeds go to buy dolls for girls who would otherwise never afford them." There is something special about a girl and her doll--they form a lifelong bond--especially if it is a much-dreamed of doll! I am excited to announce that I am getting close to my first donation and am working on a fabulous wardrobe to go along with the doll"

Dena shared with me some of her back ground information and her is her story in her own words...

"I've been sewing doll clothes since I was about five years old. It is the medium through which I learned to sew and I've always held a fondness for it. I am one of those people who do a million crafts (everything from colored pencil portraits to stained glass to making dollhouse miniatures to quilting to cross-stitch, you ge the idea!) and I've found my free time severely limited since I've had children. When my oldest was about a year, a girl at church approached me and asked if I'd teach her how to sew. We started with bean bags and pillows but she was really interested in doll clothes. Her dolls were "cold" as winter was approaching and they had no long pants or coats to wear. We fixed them up, and a ministry idea was hatched.

I had another child and therefore no time, but once he started to get close to a year old I found myself wanting a creative outlet and my doll clothes ministry idea was hatched late one night as I was waiting on the Lord. I had planned to make some doll clothes and buy American Girl dolls to go with them to give away to children (like my friend from church) who badly wanted dolls but whose parents could never afford them. God layed it on my heart that I could make a few extra things, sell them, and use the money to buy even more dolls for girls. Little did I know what I was getting myself in to! Welcome to Dena's Doll Designs on Etsy.

I've always been one to say "I bet I could do that!" and right away I realized that shoes and socks were a problem. I began researching how to make doll shoes and found very little out there. I combined some techniques I saw as well as many I just gleaned from my crafty background and ended up with a pretty realistic-looking sandal. I began experimenting with different designs and my Etsy site quickly moved from clothes and a few shoes to shoes and a few clothes.

My little friend from church has moved on, but she'll be getting a suprise package in September of a new winter outfit or two for her doll, and I am working on some other sets of clothes to pair with dolls I plan to purchase soon. I am working on hand-picking a few deserving girls through the school district's homeless coordinator, some teacher friends, and the social services department. It's just my little way of giving back and being creative in the process.

My children are still young (one and three) so I don't have a ton of time to work, but I do have lots of ideas. Stay tuned this fall and winter for boots and other shoes. I'll know I've really arrived when I can make a realistic pair of running shoes!"

I can not wait to get my shoes, I love knowing that the purchase I have made is going to such a good cause and one I believe in strongly. Growing up my parents were foster parents and we had more then 40 children through our doors, watching them bond with a toy or a doll, was a great step in their recovery and brought them such comfort.

I would like to think we all do what we can to give back where we can, to do small or large acts of kindness in our own way. Doing what we can to make our communities that much better. I hope this story and shop inspires you to do random acts of kindness in your own lives. I also hope you will visit Dena's shop and remember your purchases go a long way to help some very special people. If you would like to make your own doll shoes, Dena has a pattern for sale you can purchase here at http://libertyjanepatterns.com/2011/08/flip-flip-sandals-for-dolls.html
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Meet the Valdez Quints!

I have been following the adventures of these very special dolls for a while now and I got up the courage to contact the lady behind these dolls and ask her a few questions.Jillian was so kind to take the time to share with me a bit of the back ground stories on how the dolls came to be and how they have inspired the writer in her! These fantastic dolls are now mystery sleuths! I asked her to share with me a bit of her doll back ground and I was so thrilled with this detailed look into her doll life!
In her own words this is Jillian's story ...

"My name is Jillian and I'm 26 years old. When I was six, my Grandma Joe gave me the book Meet Kirsten because Kirsten moved to a new place just like my family had. I loved the book, and eagerly sent away for the catalog advertised in the back of the book. Ever since then, I've been obsessed with all things American Girl."

I got my first doll, Samantha, when I turned 9. But I wasn't really able to afford much more than her and Molly (who I got for Christmas when I was 11) until I was 16. For a few years I stuck to just the historicals, even though I admired the moderns. I did eventually get a redhead, and soon decided she needed a friend. So I bought a #16, and named her Zipporah.

Well, the moment I first laid eyes on Zipporah, everything was different. I suddenly "got" dolls. She seemed real, and let me know right away she needed a wardrobe and school supplies. Before, none of that stuff had seemed necessary. I'd been content to just get the dolls. They would just sit around, looking pretty. Once in awhile I'd read with them, or cuddle them, but that was it. Zippy demanded I treat her as I would any other human. I loved picking out clothes for her, doing her hair, tucking her in at night, photographing her, writing about her.

After getting Zippy, I wanted dolls even more badly. She wanted friends! Eventually, I got two #25s and a #5, as well as many others. But after a few years, I got extremely overwhelmed. I longed to have just one doll, so much so that I tried to sell all but Zipporah and Samantha. (Ironically, my two favorites look exactly alike, yet I didn't notice it at the time.)

Zipporah has been my favorite since she arrived, but I kind of wanted a set of multiples, too. The #25s I had were fun in theory, but I rarely did anything with them. So, I decided I'd just make Zipporah a twin and ordered another #16, Violet.

Well, Zipporah had other plans. By the time Violet arrived, Zipporah went from being a twin to being a quadruplet - with the two #25s making up the other half. They were renamed Sora and Lyre Chickadee, to go along with the bird theme Zipporah's parents used for all their children.

I was thrilled with the quads! Making Zipporah a part of the set of multiples was the perfect solution. I did play with all four together and it just seemed completely natural.



I should probably add here that I've been obsessed with twins and other multiples for even longer than I have been obsessed with American Girl. And I don't mean that lightly. I've read every book I could get my hands on, and I follow multiple blogs and messageboards dedicated to triplets, quads, and even quints. So, I'm very passionate about the then quads, now quints.

But, how did I go from four to five? Rather fittingly, it was an April Fool's prank that back fired and brought Lorikeet into the group. I belong to American Girl Fans Message Board, a discussion forum for older AG fans, and had posted a prank photo of septuplets (that's seven). I even gave names and personalities for the two "newbies" - Wren and Lorikeet.

Wren has always been their youngest older sister, so she wasn't that new, really. But Lorikeet had been a complete invention, just pulled out of thin air. She's a jokester who is fantastic at artsy things but struggles with school otherwise.

I ended up not being able to put Lorikeet out of my mind for weeks after the prank. So on May 1st, 2008 I officially added Lorikeet to the group. I still had my #5, and just rewigged her. Eventually all the quints were rewigged to have much longer hair. They call it their "princess" hair.

Instead of gluing the new wigs on, I decided to attach them using sticky back velcro. That way I could change wigs whenever I felt like it. That's why you might sometimes see them with short hair or red hair or some other style/ color.

To answer some questions, I did buy each one but spread out over several years. I tried to use dolls I already had, before buying new ones but it didn't occur to me that the #25s could be related to Zipporah until the day Violet was due to arrive.

The quints usually dress alike. I've received some nasty comments about that, but most people seem to think it's cute. I do it because it makes me happy. Trying to come up with five different outfits just seems overwhelming to me. Besides, the girls like vintage styles and in several periods in history it was actually considered fashionable for siblings close in age to dress alike.

Some people seem to think I go to a lot of trouble to do this, but I honestly don't see it as troublesome. I love my quints, so it doesn't seem like a sacrifice to only buy one outfit a month when I could have bought five different ones if I'd just buy one of an item. But, like I said, I don't enjoy dressing them differently and I really don't play much with the other dolls I do have. Some haven't had their clothes changed in two years! I like them as they are.

More and more I'm trying to switch to having the girls wear the same thing but in different colors, which means I have to sew everything. Not many ready made doll clothes come in five different colors, let alone the right colors: yellow, purple, green, orange and blue. I'm not a very good seamstress, mainly because I'm so impatient to be finished that I go too fast and don't always correct mistakes. But I'm trying to improve, and I recently began learning to make my own patterns, too. The quints love vintage styles, but most of the ones available don't appeal to them. So I have to learn these things to get what I want for them. But I love them, so it doesn't seem like a chore. And sewing five things assembly line style has become fun for me. Just when I'm about tired of doing one step, I realize I'm over halfway done and figure I can handle one or two more. So it never really seems like a lot.

In my spare time, I'm writing mystery stories about the quints and am currently trying to get the first one published. Their website is http://www.valdezquints.com/."
I truly hope to be reading their stories soon! One of the things I love about American Girl dolls is their focus on literacy, did you know they gave more then a Million dollars in books to promote literacy last year alone!
I hope you will take time to find the quints on Facebook and visit their website to learn more about them and their amazing family!

Thank you so much to Jillian for sharing her story with us today and I hope you enjoyed it!
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

My California Doll Room Craft Class

When I was on vacation in California I got to do a very special doll craft class with the wonderful young ladies in the photo above. I met one of the girls moms Suzie from Swap-bot a great mail and craft swapping site I use as a hobby. When she heard I was coming to California and would only be a short distance away we planned to meet up, She very graciously offered us a wonderfully home cooked dinner and visit. While my boys were visiting the Chino Air museum Suzie hosted a doll craft class where we made doll room back drops. We also made doll sized skipping ropes in our class. I had a wonderful afternoon working with the girls, their moms and even one of the girls grandmother's to create these fun back drops.

I wish I had taken more photos! When I got back I realized I only had one photo from the class so I asked Suzie to send me what she had so I could use them in this post!
 I had a wonderful time working with these ladies and am available in hosting craft parties in your area as well. I would love to travel and do a class for you and your friends, (mom's too) as well as groups, home school clubs and organizations, just send me an email at karenmowen@gmail.com for details.

As with all my posts  I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

A story of a young lady and her Grandmother who both prove you are never to old to love dolls

 Today I would like to share with you a story about a young lady named Lauren and her Grandmothers trip to the American Girl Doll store in LA. Here is Lauren's story in her own words...

Christmas 2009, my grandma and I were sitting on our couch chatting. She had my bitty twins, Emily and James sitting with her, and I was cuddling Molly. "I'd love to visit an American Girl Place." I mentioned with a sigh, know that it was next to impossible. "Well," replied my grandma, "where's the nearest one?" "Los Angeles." My dad leaned over from the computer desk and said over his shoulder, "Did you know that there are repositioning cruises between L.A. and Vancouver?" And that was it.

Okay, well, not quite. I did a TON of research in the following weeks, planned out a specific budget, and searched for a cruise that would fit my busy Grade 12 schedule. But that was hardly the most difficult part - convincing my mother that this was something I wanted to do, she's one of many people who believe that I was "too old for dolls". A 'muggle' in our world, a non doll-loving person. I think it helped that Grandma was ready to jump in with both feet!

Late April rolled around and we were ready. The hotel was booked, the cruise was booked, our dinner at American Girl Place was booked, the flight was booked and Molly had been changed in and out of several outfits until we finally decided on her Party dress that I'd made for her.

A Crazy Random Happenstance: while going through Vancouver Airport security, I'd left Molly in my carry-on. I got through without a problem, but on the other side, the security guy asked, "Is this your bag?" pointing to my bulging backpack. "Uh, yeah." I replied, nervous, what had I forgotten in there? But then he grinned and spun the computer screen around so that I could see it. "That, is by far the creepiest I've seen come through here." On the screen, there was Molly, but she looked like something from a freaky movie. You could faintly see the parts of her that were vinyl, couldn't see her hair at all, but it was the eyes! Being metal, they showed up really well, they looked like they were glowing! Yikes! We had a good laugh about that.

Once we finally got to AGP, I spent several hours wandering through the displays again and again and again! I eventually picked out Julie and some outfits, including long-awaited ice skates to go with the figure skating outfit I'd made a while ago. The employees were great and the store was practically empty! We almost had the place to ourselves!

During the three-day cruise that followed, I was mostly confined to my room with sea sickness due to the copious rocking of the ship. But that wasn't so bad, my grandma spent most of our time playing with Julie and Molly and chatting about endless other topics. This was the best part of the trip, by far. Grandma and I got to share stories and laughter and get to know each other a little better. 

I am so thankful that Lauren and her Grandmother chose to share their story with us.

As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com