Let's Talk About Vegetarian Friendly Doll Crafts and Products

Heather and Allie, Lucy C's Daughters Vegetarian Dolls

 I recently got an interesting email request from reader Lucy C. She and her daughters and their dolls are Vegetarians and she was looking for Vegetarian friendly food crafts for her daughters and her to work on.

This got me thinking as I am not a vegetarian, if those in the Dolly world who were Vegetarian felt they were being represented enough through crafts and commercial doll products. I asked Lucy C. if she would mind answering some questions on this topic and she kindly agreed. Here are the answers from our email interview.

As a mom of doll loving Daughters : do you find the current food items for dolls you can purchase your dietary needs and those of your chilrdern's?
 " I think that there are a reasonable amount of vegetarian doll food items on the market, but they tend to be priced very high, and are not affordable for most vegetarians, leaving us to make our own, which can be complicated and messy."

 Do you think that Etsy shops, Mom bloggers, Large Companies Like American Girl and Our Generation do enough to offer Vegetarian options for Dolls?



"Yes, they do a good job of having options, but again, shopping for the food is still quite pricey, especially on AG."

 Do you have any suggestions for these companies?
"I think that if they are going to sell vegetarian doll food, they should make it affordable ($30 is way to much for doll sized lunches), and for those who are just showing how to make it, have more vegetarian options."

Do you have a favorite Etsy shop or Doll play company that currently meets your dolls vegetarian needs?

"When I order doll food, I tend to get it online at a shop in Oregon. All of the food is handmade and looks very realistic, and is at reasonable prices".

 Your Daughters "Dolls are Vegetarian", what kinds of doll play food prep or recipes are their favorite to play? Have they ever asked you to make something for your dolls that you could not easily create?



  "My daughters have sometimes asked me to make things that I cannot easily create, like doll casseroles with multiple layers that can be served, and I don't have unlimited time to do so, so I have to turn them down."

 As a vegetarian mom what would you say is the biggest misconception about vegetarian diet's ?



"Many people think that people become vegetarians because they want to lose weight, but the majority of vegetarians just feel that animals should have rights, and its their way of helping stop animal cruelty."

I love this set of Our Generation Girl Tea Parties!

Do you have any advice for families thinking of becoming Vegetarian?


"I think that becoming a vegetarian is a choice that really is for them. Its not " the right thing to do". Its a choice, and its not BAD to eat meat. We choose not to eat it."

 I want to thank Lucy C for taking the time to answer my questions today and for sharing a photo of her daughters dolls.

For those of you looking for links to the vegetarian friendly doll food created by myself and Brandy, please refer to these links below.

Karen Mom of Three Craft's 

http://daydreamdollboutique.blogspot.ca/2013/03/make-it-monday-kits-penny-pincher.html
http://dolldiaries.com/doll-play-day-92-make-a-school-lunch-tote-for-your-dolls/
http://karenmomofthreescraft.blogspot.ca/2011/01/tiny-treats-doll-food-part-two.html
http://dolldiaries.com/doll-craft-make-lunch-to-go-and-a-juice-box/
http://dolldiaries.com/doll-craft-make-a-taco-dinner-for-your-dolls/
http://dolldiaries.com/doll-craft-easy-to-make-doll-sized-lasagna-salad/
http://dolldiaries.com/doll-craft-diy-doll-bakery-and-treats/
http://dolldiaries.com/doll-craft-pink-panda-chinese-restaurant-for-dolls/
http://karenmomofthreescraft.blogspot.ca/2011/10/fun-fun-foam-food-for-your-dolls.html  (veggie options here)

Here are Brandy's Veggie Meals

http://karenmomofthreescraft.blogspot.ca/2013/02/brandys-amazing-nachos.html#comment-form
http://karenmomofthreescraft.blogspot.ca/2012/12/a-treat-for-eyes-as-well-as-dolls.html
http://dolldiaries.com/doll-play-make-appetizers-for-a-doll-get-together/?awesm=fbshare.me_m8yB&utm_content=fbshare-js-large&utm_campaign=&utm_medium=fbshare.me-facebook-post&utm_source=facebook.com
http://karenmomofthreescraft.blogspot.ca/2012/12/brandys-italian-christmas-freat-for.html  (her pasta and raviolli can easily be made vegetarian!)
http://karenmomofthreescraft.blogspot.ca/2012/05/brandys-pb.html
http://karenmomofthreescraft.blogspot.ca/2012/05/saturday-morning-wafflesbrandy-does-it.html
http://karenmomofthreescraft.blogspot.ca/2012/05/sushi-with-brandy.html
http://karenmomofthreescraft.blogspot.ca/2012/03/brandys-pralines-for-dolls-and-recipe.html
http://karenmomofthreescraft.blogspot.ca/2011/01/free-post.html (easy to make this vegetarian as well!)

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

A Visit With The Crazy Doll Lady!

 

Today I bring you an interview with "The Crazy Doll Lady" TracyAnn, Who kindly took time to share with us her passion for dolls as well as her motivation behind her Etsy shop,Ebay Store and her own blogs. I had such a great time reading her answers to my questions and I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did. 

 

How did I earn the name Crazy Doll Lady: I worked at Michaels craft shop as a supervisor, and would get excited about new little things that came in the store that would work to use with my nieces and the dolls and Mary, one of my managers started calling me the crazy doll lady. Then I also made friends with a lot of girls that came in the store with their dolls so they started calling me the crazy doll lady like Mary, so the name stuck and I changed my stores to that name. 

How long have I been collecting dolls: I did not really play with dolls growing up, my love was horses and I had over 100 breyer horses growing up, I moved down near my nieces in 2004 and they were into the dolls, it took awhile of them talking me into it to start with a doll. I did not want to pay that much for a doll because I was not interested in them really, but Lysa my seven year old niece at the time, begged until Nana agreed to get me a doll. I had decided on Josefina even though Lysa had her already, but then we got the catalogue with Marisol in it and I fell in love, she was coming home to me. 

 So in Feb. 2005 Marisol came home to live with me and she became Marsali Laryn, soon after her Lindsey was found on ebay; after Lysa and I had read her book and she was so like me, she had to be mine. From there it was dolls everywhere for Lysa and I specially. My four oldest nieces spent almost every weekend at Auynti's house playing dolls for the next two years. LOL!! The mini's I got a couple to be my dolls, dolls, but did not really do much with them until about a year ago, now I have tons of mini's and they needed clothes so I started crocheting for them. 

 Which are my favorites: That is a hard question, Marsali will always be top of my list for my first love, she was just so perfect for me. Lynsy is a favorite, she is triplets now, she has a sister Loryn who is a girly girl, and a brother Logan; they are my triplet set. Lysa my niece still has a Lindsey (Marie) who is visiting me right now, she is in the wheelchair; I could buy every Lindsey that I see on ebay really easy if I could afford too .. lol

The mini's I am just having so much fun with right now,  I have six of them that I use for models for the clothes I am making, and then another four or five who are in their original outfits not to be changed. They are dolls for my dolls, but have cute personalities too.

When did I start creating for the dolls: In 2005, when I got Marsali and had four nieces that each had two dolls, they were out at my house every weekend and did not have a lot of clothes for their dolls. I could not afford AG clothes for the dolls with so many in the family so I looked to ebay which I found a few things, but I turned to my crocheting and started making patterns of my own up. It started simple with the poncho and hats for them to be warm and snuggly in the winter, they got new sweaters for Easter; backpacks for the school year.

Then the girls were into the Disney fairies and so they wanted fairy outfits, so I created the fairy outfits with wings.

The girls were into pirates too, here is a photo of our first trip to the pirate store after we made the pirate outfits. Yes I have permission to post this, Back Row: TracAn .. Lysa .. Taylor ..  Front Row: Brianna .. Alainia .. and our lot of dolls. I crocheted the hat, eye patch, and kind of sash thing for them and Nana made pirate pants. These have sold good for years too.

Next we would take our dolls to the ocean every summer with us for the week we were there and so I crocheted swimsuits for all 21 at the time dolls. LOL!! That was a big job.

It blossomed from there into a business of selling shorts outfits, ballet/tap outfits, sweater outfits. When I had to move home I started sewing for the dolls too, and still do that some, but right now it is mini outfits I am working on. I got a pattern from Fern on Etsy and started there, but started creating my own patterns for the shorts, Capri, and various outfits. I am loving the time spent creating these tiny outfits.

My Most Favorite thing to Make: I think the most fun thing to make right now is the mini PJ shorts set, it has a weird long stitch to make the feathery look on the top and it is fun to do, a little tedious, but still fun.

When did I start crocheting: I was actually three years old when I started crocheting. Nana (mom) sewed since she was little so when I was three and showed an interest she gladly started me on it. First I made halters for my horses because I could just do chains, but quickly was able to make blankets for them and little dresses for the dolls that sometimes took care of the horses. Now I will admit, you had a hard time telling what my finished project was at that time, most of them looked like yarn blobs, but to my three year old imagination, I played for hours with them. LOL!! 

I was actually into embroidery when I moved down with the nieces, it had been a few years since I really crocheted anything until I started with the dolls and now I crochet almost every day of my life, it is my stress reliever.

Tips for those starting to crochet: The main thing is to practice, I know you hear that in life all the time, but it is the main thing, keep practicing. Also, do not worry if what you make does not turn out perfect, that is how you learn, I know with my nieces they would get so frustrated at not being able to crochet like Auntie, but I would always laugh and tell them they did not see the stuff that I started and then had to tear out because it was not turning out good. No one is perfect; just have fun with it.

 You can find see more of The Crazy Doll Lady's Work on Ebay,

http://www.ebay.com/sch/thecrazydollladies/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686  (I usually list on Tuesday and they end on Sunday .. and I do try to do special orders for things people want)

 Through her blog and Store:

http://the-crazy-doll-ladies-designs.blogspot.com/   

As well as her "Girls" on their own blog:

http://boltongirlstraveljournal.blogspot.com/   

Don't forget to check out The Crazy Doll Lady on Etsy as well! By Clicking Here

Thank you To TracyAnn for taking the time to share with us today about your wonderful Doll Family, talent and advice! 

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 

 

Brandy's Dolly Remote!

 

Today Brandy shares with us a fun craft she made her daughters a dolly TV remote!

"My daughters were so excited when I switched out the picture of their Payne
Street Doll Boutique Fireplace making it from a picture frame into a TV.  I
used an internet picture from one of their favorite shows, Good Luck
Charlie.  Well, shortly after giving them the idea that their dolls now had
a TV they asked me to make them a remote.  Here is the simple way how I did
it..."

"I started with a craft piece of wood found at Michael's.  It measured 1-1/2
x 2-1/4 inches.  I spray painted the top and sides with silver paint.  I
glued a layer of black foam paper to the back.  I used a 1/4 inch circle
hand punch, oval hand punch, and star hand punch to make the buttons.  I
took a fine tip black sharpie to add the numbers.  I used red card stock
paper to make a small rectangle to the very top end of the remote to mimic a
light."

"I walked into the playroom to have my oldest daughter tell me that "Ivy just
wanted to chill out in front of the TV and read the paper and have a frap."
Hmm....sounds perfect!"

"This was super easy and my daughters are happy, happy, happy!  Enjoy."~ Brandy

Thank you Brandy for another wonderful and fun dolly craft!
As with all our posts we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

Mini Monday American Girl Re-Purposed Play Set Idea

 

A few months back my friend Bee made a great discovery, she found this paper doll set shaped like a hat box at Costco. 

 

This Pop-up Play Scenes and Paper Dolls are almost exactly to scale for our American Girl Mini Dolls

 I love this re purposed play set idea and wish that I had found this set in my travels as well.

You can find similar sets in book form on the American girl website by clicking here, but they no longer ship these to Canada sadly.

So keep your eyes out for fun items you can re-purpose for your mini dolls with Play Sets like these!

Thank you Bee for letting me use your photos!

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

Madelon's American Girl Store Fun Finds- Custom Doll T-Shirts!

 

Madelon is our resident fun find expert and on her most recent trip in Store Madelon Snapped some great photo's of her favorite fun finds and shares with us today some of her in store tips!

"It is summer, and well, this girl loves to shop. As you know, a great bargain at the AG store is their create a tee section. Here Saige is pictured above in her Washington, DC tee from last year."

 

Tip #1 Did you know that if you ask they will put your custom t-shirt in a doll sized bag?

 

The new horse design for the shirts is sure to be a huge hit! I love the colors!

 

"I got the paisley inspired horse on my new shirt, this shirt was also made to match Saige's line."

Tip #2- "These shirts are cut looser than the store name t shirts. Maybe to fit the Bitty Baby well?"

 

This is the new I love Art Shirt in Honnor of Saige!

 

For those of you who have not had a chance to go in store, this is how they make the shirts!

"I selected two designs, paid and watched them being made."
The American Girl Store currently has 20 options for your custom made shirts and they are such a great keep sake for any doll lover lucky enough to get to an American Girl Store.  These are a must have if you are looking for a fun keepsake that will not break the bank!
Thank you Madelon for sharing your shirt finds and your photos with us today!
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

An Interview With Ase, Designer for Knitting for Dolls Etsy Shop

 

Today I am thrilled to bring you an interview and some knitting encouragement from Ase of Knitting for Dolls Etsy Shop. I have long admired the work and talent of Knitters who create items for our 18 inch dolls and aspire to become a knitter and join them!
Here is the interview I recently did with Ase, who kindly answered my questions even though she was on vacation.  I hope you will be inspired and encouraged to pick up the needles and try to create some amazing things for your 18 inch dolls.

Please tell my readers about yourself and how you began knitting. "Growing up in Norway I started knitting as a child, which all of my friends also did. At that time we knitted mostly sweaters for ourselves."

 

How did you come to create patterns for 18 inch dolls?

"The idea for Knitting for Dolls actually came from a friend from Norway who also lives in the US. She has many grandchildren and had been looking for patterns for their American Girl dolls. She asked if I wanted to try out creating and selling patterns with her. I thought it sounded like fun and in 2008 we started the business. She is no longer involved as she does a lot of traveling and visiting her family so now I work on my own."

"I really enjoy knitting and creating patterns. It keeps me busy and I can work from home."

 

Do you have any beginning knitting patterns you recommend?

"I have several patterns for beginner knitters on my website (not currently on the Etsy page):

Any Color Stripes
Easy Knitting for Kids
Kids Knitting for DollsKnitted Shawls

I also have a couple of easy crochet patterns for beginners:

Crochet ShawlsCrochet Vest"

Do you have a favorite material you work with?
"I don't have a favorite yarn. I usually look for the colors I have in mind for the new outfit I want to make and use whichever yarn has the best colors. I don't have a favorite brand of needles either."

Do you have any advice for those of us who are just beginning?

"My advice for beginner knitters is to start with the easiest to knit, which is a scarf. You can choose the width of the scarf (choose how many stitches you want to use) and knit in Garter st, which means you knit back and forth on every row. If you are knitting for a dolls, you should start with 10 or 12 sts and you can make it as long as you like. I would use fairly thick yarn and thick needles so you see your progress quickly."

Do you have a favorite outfit you like to make?
"I don't have a favorite outfit to make. I always have a project going. At the moment I am on vacation, but I have made several new outfits that I will put on the web site when I return home. I have made 2 outfits for beginners. I just finished a dress and will be starting on another dress with different design and colors."

What is your top selling Knit Pattern?


"I believe my best selling knitting outfit is "In the Pink"."

"My best selling crochet outfit is "Flower Girl"."

How many 18 inch dolls do you have?
"At the moment I have 3 American Girl dolls that I alternate using as models for the outfits."

Have you ever created patterns for other dolls?

"I have only made patterns for an 18" doll. I used to play with dolls as a child, but at that time I never thought of knitting clothes for them."

Thank you to Ase for sharing with us today about herself, her patterns and her shops. You can find her patterns on Etsy by clicking here as well as through her website www.knittingfordolls.com and www.knittingfordolls.net

I hope you are inspired to being your knitting journey or picking up where you last left off! There are 5 wonderful months before the up coming holiday gift giving season, this year why not give the gift of something you have made?
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