Fun foam Masquerade Ball Masks

A friend of mine who has a great Etsy shop called Sew Crazy Army Wife came up with these adorable masks for her  daughters birthday party as one of the crafts and she shared it with me so I can share it with all of you.
Using fun foam, glitter glue,stick on gems and ribbons you can create your own for your dolls. First make a pattern out of white paper and once you have your shape, you will need to figure out where the eyes should go. Once you have a pattern you like transfer the pattern to the fun foam and cut it out. Make sure to check the fit of the mask over the eyes before your decorate. Use a hole punch to make the holes to thread your ribbons through.  let it dry and your doll Masquerade Ball Mask is ready to wear!

With your imagination all things are possible! I hope you have fun making these masks for your dolls.
I want to thank Eva of Sew Crazy Army Wife for sharing her craft with us today! I hope you will drop by and check out the hand sewn dresses in her shop. I have a few of these beautifully made dresses and they are modeled on some of my dolls both here on my blog and in posts I have done on www.dolldiaries.com
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

Guest Post By Rachel Noel and Emmie for your enjoyment!

Hello there! Today, Emmie(An 18 in American Girl Doll) and I(Rachel Noel) are guest bloggers for Karen Mom Of Three Blog all the way from Emmie’s Edition Blog!(www.emmiesedition.blogspot.com) We have come today to do an interview with the marvelous Emmie with one thought in mind, Fall Fashion for dolls!

Rachel: What are the major colors for fall this year, Emmie?
Emmie: Well, I think blues, reds, oranges, and greens are huge this season! I would not recommend that you put these colors together full on in an outfit (i.e. An orange tee with orange shorts) but you could possibly get away with pairing an orange printed blouse for example, with a pair of cuffed orange shorts. Although, these colors together in a graphic tee is amazing when paired with a simple skirt or jeans.
Here are a few sellers from various places that incorporate these elements flawlessly within their Fall designs:
Liberty Jane Clothing (www.libertyjaneclothing.com or stores.ebay.com/Liberty-Jane-Clothing?_rdc=1)

Mrs. Fear (www.etsy.com/shop/MrsFear)

123 Mulberry Street (www.etsy.com/shop/123MULBERRYSTREET)

Sylvie and Bruno (www.etsy.com/shop/sylvieandbruno?ref=pr_shop_more)

Valorie of the Dolls (www.etsy.com/shop/ValorieoftheDolls)

Rachel: Which 18 in American Girl historical doll(s) do you think has the most influence on the fall trends?
Emmie: Of course, Cecile and Marie-Grace just came out so I don’t think they’ll have too much of an influence, but I think Julie and Ivy will always make generous contributions to the way things go. With their flowy peasant dresses and knitted and crocheted scarves, a good chunk of sellers have made things inspired by them.
Here are some more sellers who create wonderful Julie and Ivy inspired garments:

Jackie’s Heart and Soul (stores.ebay.com/jayfry-Heart-and-Soul?_rdc=1 or www.etsy.com/shop/JackiesHeartandSoul)

Stassy Dodge (www.etsy.com/shop/StassyDodge)

Hanaanah (www.etsy.com/shop/hanaanah)

LavenderLore (www.etsy.com/shop/Lavenderlore)

Rachel: What is your favorite fall garment?
Emmie: That’s very easy! I personally adore a nice pair of jeans. I love them because of their versatility and availability! Whenever you grow out of them, (Although us dolls usually don’t;) You can just cut them off at the knees and you’re ready for spring!!
Here are some great places to get in-expensive doll jeans:

Ringsalad (www.etsy.com/shop/ringsalad)

Jill’s Fabric Designs (www.etsy.com/shop/jillsfabricdesigns)

Blue Sews (www.etsy.com/shop/bluesews)

Rachel: What’s your favorite style(s) of fall coat to wear out and about?
Emmie: I love a nice pea coat or a cape. Different colors are very suitable to wear in these styles as the fall and winter months approach! I have some very nice outerwear made by you and various others! I find that I often wear military inspired colors for outerwear, but to each his own this one.
Here are some great places to find fabulous outerwear this season:

Mama Gs This N That (www.etsy.com/shop/MamaGsThisNThat)

Sew Nutz 2 (www.etsy.com/shop/Sewnutz2)

Quilt Wear (www.etsy.com/shop/Quiltwear)

Rachel: Well, that’s all the questions for today Emmie! Thank you so much Karen for allowing us to be the guest bloggers for today! And thank you to you guys out there reading this!
Emmie: As we mentioned at the first of the post, if you loved reading this, you’ll love our blog over at www.emmiesedition.blogspot.com Rachel Noel is also planning to release her Fall/Winter Line soon and we’ll be keeping you guys up to date on that over at our blog as well!

That’s all for now!
Thank you Rachel Noel and Emmie!
As with all my posts (including guest posts!)  I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Niki G's FABULOUS CHAIRS! EASY TO MAKE FOR YOUR DOLLS!

NikiG has come up with another great easy to make craft for your dolls and she kindly sent it to me to share with all of you.

Using gift boxes she found at her local dollar store she created this chair and ottoman set and you can too!

You will need two of these boxes as shown above
As well as duct tape or packing tape
Foam Board to cut the chair back out of
Scrapbook paper or fabric  to decorate the chair, back and cushion for the ottoman

You can make what ever shape you would like for your chair back just make sure that it is at least double the height of your box.  Then tape it to the box, cover with felt or paper secure into place with either tape or glue and repeat for your ottoman.

Thank you Niki G for sharing this great idea with us!

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

Clothing for the 6 inch dolls! A great pattern for more doll play possiblities!

Jen of Created4Fun has truly lived up to her name. I bought this fantastic pattern from her on Etsy tailor made for the 6 inch or 6.5 inch American Girl Dolls!

This past summer I picked up my first 6 inch doll from the American Girl Doll store in Seattle after reading reviews on them from parents who said they loved that their daughters could take them just about anywhere and they were as well made as the larger dolls.
I bought Rebecca as I really wanted to buy her in a larger version but could not find the extra money to purchase the 18 inch version.
I was thrilled with the $22 doll I bought. I wished they had clothes to go with them and then I stumbled upon Jen's pattern and now the opportunities are endless!
I was also thrilled to find that the dolls are available on Amazon.com for sometimes under $15! Now I could afford to purchase a new little friend for Rebecca, but before I do that I wanted to make her a wardrobe of her own!

I cut out the pattern pieces and then used some of the quilting cotton squares I had that have very small flowers and prints. I cut out 8 dresses to start with and was thrilled with how easy they were to make.
The pattern included A Victorian Style Dress, Colonial Style Dress, 1930's style dress and nightgown. It also included pants, shorts and capri's as well as a shirt and tank tops.

I have had fun creating these dresses and outfits for these very cost effective dolls. They would make great Christmas gifts especially now with a pattern available to create many fun outfits in time for the holiday gift giving season. The new mini dolls and their holiday dresses for this years 25 anniversary.

 

Jen is a busy mom of 4 who home schools her children and tells me
her older daughter "was really interested in all things American Girl starting when she was 3 years old, and she had a selection of mini dolls as well as one 18" Kit doll by the time she was 5 (she is now 11).  The problem arose when she wanted to dress and redress the mini dolls and all she had was the meet outfits they came in.  So I started playing around with making patterns, and after several trials and many errors - here are the fitting results.  I have two daughters who just adore American Girl products, and were thrilled to be able to have a seemingly endless wardrobe for the mini dolls as well as their 18" dolls.  Both of the girls have enjoyed dressing like their dolls, and my younger daughter still does.  So I have created patterns for the 18" dolls to match my daughters clothes as well."
  Jen is also a very busy lady
as  mentioned, she home school's her  three younger ones (ages 11, 8 and 7), and also teaches some classes at "our parent partnership.  Two of those classes are History with American Girl book clubs.  We read AG books and discuss the historic facts and talk about the difference between then and now.  It is so much fun, and I really have a passion for making learning fun for kids"
So if your 6.5 inch dolls could use an up dated wardrobe, take a look at Jen's shop  
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

Walmart or Party Store Gem Doll Sized Treat bags and Halloween Jewlery!

 

I found these great treat sized baggies at Wal-Mart and they are perfect as doll play trick or treat collection bags for dolls. 80 for under $1.00 and in many different patterns.

I also got these plastic spider and bat rings that when you open them up you will see that they make great Halloween Jewelery for your doll I got a bunch of them for $2 and they are great to hand out at your Halloween party or to trick or treat-ors! 

 I cut a hole in the bag so my doll can hold her trick or treat bag!

There are some really great inexpensive ways you can add to your doll play collection and still share with others at your local Wal-mart, Target, Party or Dollar stores, If you find some amazing deals let me know so I can share it with more of our readers. Remember some of the best deals are after the holiday when the stores put them on sale!

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

Let's make Halloween Socks!

I love holiday socks, (especially the the dollar store variety)not just for myself but also to make doll socks with.

You do really need a sewing machine to make these work but if you can use a zig zag stitch then you can make socks like these. I did a post on making socks in January where I reviewed the tutorial found at http://obsessivelystitching.blogspot.com/2009/12/easy-doll-pants-socks-hat-scarf.html   
While this is not an original idea of mine I still think showing you how to make these is worth showing over again.

The first thing to do is buy a pair of socks with a Halloween print, the smaller the print the better the socks will be for the dolls. You get two pairs doll of socks out of one regular pair.

Start by turning a sock inside out.
You will notice that the pattern is usually on both sides so you want to make sure that these will be visable on your dolls legs, so make sure to have them out of the  way of your stitching.

You really just eye the stitches and try to stay as close to the middle line already in the socks and as you get to wear the sock heal is you will start to round your stitches to create the heal and toe section for your dolls socks. Go slowly!

When you have sewn one sock repeat the same steps and create a mirror opposite sock. Then carefully cut out your socks, turn them inside out and try them on your doll.

Then repeat on the other sock for another pair.

You can make another pair to keep or gift to a friends doll. This would be a great addition to any Halloween Party Loot bag or treat bag and would make a great supervised party craft.

These festive and fun socks make any doll outfit even more fun!

I will do a pair of Holiday socks closer to the Christmas Holidays and share them with you all again there. Untill then here is a teaser!

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 Halloween Costume Swap I did through Swap-bot

One of the hobbies I enjoy is Swapping Mail and crafts on a site called Swap-bot. I have a group on there for crafter's who love our dolls and we make and swap outfits and accessories and trade with our partners through the mail.
I organized a swap for a Halloween Costume or outfit swap and thought I would share with you the outfit I made my partner and also the outfit I received. But it has not arrived yet!

I used a pattern I bought from Liberty Jane Pattern called Heritiage Doll Fashions Colorblock and Corsage Dress .

As I have only been sewing for about a year, I did find the dress a bit challenging but will absolutely use it again and again, Christmas is coming after all and practice makes perfect. The pattern was only $3.99 and I bought the material to make my Halloween dress in the clearance section of my fabric store for $5 for 2 meters.
Lots left over to make many more outfits with it for many Halloween's to come.

I also made the hat with out a pattern and traced my side plate from the kitchen to make the brim and cone of the hat, I finished it with black seam binding and loved how it turned out.I used  some gold tulle to make a bow and some brown tulle netting to make a ribbon on the brim.

 This outfit was hard to part with but I know my partner was thrilled with it. I can not wait for my next swap outfit, making and sending them is as much fun as receiving them!

The partner I sent to had a different partner, Carol is a fantastic seamstress and she made her partner this adorable outfit, I love beyond words!

Her partner is so lucky! Thank you so much to Carol for sending me the photo to use in the post today!
Carol did send me this very outfit and I am so happy to have 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