Wednesday, February 29, 2012

A link to a fantastic Free Pattern!


Thanks to Pinterest I have found some fantastic links to some amazing blogs! Today I wanted to share with you Windfall Dolls Blog and a fantastic free pattern for an 18 inch doll dress that is easy to make and fun!
These darling dresses are perfect for beginning seamstresses! They use small amounts of fabric and look fantastic on!

I really enjoyed making this dress for Saila out of scraps of left over material.
I  hope you will drop by Windfall Dolls Blog
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

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Setting up doll scenes for your doll for photos. Laundry Day!

I love photographing my dolls and setting up scenes. I wanted to share with you how I do most of my shots. Above is a BEFORE photo of my doll Saila, see how her hair is in front of her face a great photo of your doll shows your doll at her best and that means taking care of fly away's and making sure her hair is right before the photo.
I use a small spray bottle of water to tame the fly away's before my photos. As you can tell it makes a huge difference!
Another thing that is important when setting the scene is picking great backgrounds. I have made my own doll room back drops but for this photo I have used my backdrop from American Doll Room, which is a great place set and has an indoor out and an door feature on all it's doll rooms.
Photographing in natural light when ever possible also helps setting up the best doll photos. If your camera has a function where you can turn off your flash, give it a try and see, take one with and one without and you will notice how much clearer and true to life your photos will be.
I also recommend finding props or doll play items in the correct scale, for your dolls. I found these great containers at Dollar Giant, 4 for $1.25 and they make perfect doll sized laundry baskets!
A great bonus with this is that Saila can hold this container!

 Then filling it with doll clothes, gives it even a more real feel!

Putting a doll sized clothing line with pins and doll clothes helps to set the scene!
I hope you enjoyed my Laundry Day 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

Monday, February 27, 2012

Another great knitting pattern for Maplelea Dolls

Doll Tag Clothing has a great and easy sweater pattern for beginning knitters like myself. You can find this great pattern on the Liberty Jane pattern site by clicking here.
This pattern is easy to follow and priced right at $3.99, just download, print and cast on!
I loved it.

While it is supposed to be a V neck sweater, I found I like it just as much, if not more as a cardigan!
If you are just beginning to knit take a look at this fantastic pattern from Doll Tag Clothing and Liberty Jane.

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

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Another Canadian Etsy shop, Just Doll Clothes...


I was looking on Etsy for more wonderful Canadian Shops to share and I found Just Doll Clothes
Adorable outfits for not just 18 inch dolls but this shop offers some fun outfits for Cabbage Patch kids and more!
I love these pj's!
 Wonderful Colonial outfits
I love the hand made items in this shop priced $6-$30 and am thrilled that this shop offers doll clothes with in Canada!
I love this robe! 
 I think this would look amazing on Saila!
I hope you have enjoyed this tour of some of the 176 amazing doll clothes items visit 
Just Doll Clothes Etsy shop 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

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Make your Maplelea Doll Her own bath with items from the Dollar store!

As some of you may know I am the craft editor at Doll Diaries. I have a weekly craft post and my craft from yesterday was how to make your doll a bath tub using items from the dollar store. I thought I would share it here with you.
The best part is that because I live in Canada, the items I use in my crafts  should be available across Canada and priced in Canadian funds.
To see how I made this doll sized bath tub click here   you will be redirected to my post on Doll Diaries.
There are so many wonderful items in our local dollar stores that we can re purpose in to doll play items.
The planter I used to make the doll bath, the duck and the "crazer erasers" are all items I bought at my local dollar store and party store. The package above shows the perfect doll sized bottles of soap, bubble bath and perfume. I love the set that has the tooth brushes as the dolls both Maplelea and American Girl can hold the tooth brushes and each package contains two tooth brushes!

Even the "Shower cap" Saila is wearing is a bowl cover from the kitchen section of my local dollar store, a package of 10 is a wonderful addition to any doll play collection and doll themed loot bag!
The little plate that the other tooth brush and the tooth paste is on is a small sauce dish I got at Micheals the craft store for 29 cents last year. You can find small dishes like this in your local dollar store or kitchen shop for under $1.

I hope you enjoyed today's post and that you have fun creating items for your dolls.
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 

Friday, February 24, 2012

New from Maplelea! I love them ! I Can not wait to order!

I got an email yesterday from Maplelea about the newest pet Piccolo and the bird stand! I love it. I think this is so adorable and looks like it is very well made! I also love how well priced it is.

Also new from Maplelea is the 4  adorable bunnies! Priced at $22
I love these new additions and I know you will too!
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

PS My friend Brandy tells me that you can order the perfect Bunny Hutch from Payne Street to visit their amazing website click here

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Maplelea Tent vs American Girl Tent....


The Maplelea Company offers a fantastic tent and charges only $20 though it doesn't have accessories that come with it, I think it is a fantastic doll play accessory!



I got an email from American Girl about their new tent which costs $75 and includes
  • A berry nylon camp tent roomy enough for two 18" dolls
  • A zippered front entrance, side windows that roll up, and a screened back for fresh air
  • A pretend lantern that really lights up for nighttime camp outs
  • A faux travel mug with a removable lid for refreshments on the go
  • A make-believe snack box to share with a friend 
  •  W: 23" x H: 14½" x D: 18"
I am really surprised that with the economy in both the USA and Canada that families would be able to afford a doll tent that costs more then a real person tent.
I am thrilled with the quality and affordability of   Maplelea Products and I hope that parents and doll lovers ever where will see that while the American Girl Doll tent does come with some really great accessories, there is a great deal more doll play potential and savings in the Maplelea Product.  I would love to hear what you think, which would you rather have?

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

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

A fun addition to the kitchen and to the doll play collection

My local Ming-wo in Capilano Mall has these wonderful cupcake stands on sale. I purchased the pink one last year and my mother in law picked up the other three for my collection this past weekend for me.

Priced at $3.99 they are a great addition to any cupcake lovers collection but they also make great doll play tea party items!
Shown here with the "Cake" I made for a Doll Diaries Post back in October, there are so many ways to arrange your doll sized food to give it that special touch!

Here is the cake up close! On how I made it visit Doll Diaries by clicking here.

I hope you can find and enjoy these cupcake stands near you.
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Another great dollar store Gem for our dolls!

My Local dollar store Dollar Giant has these great almost to scale doll play food. For $1.25 this full fast food doll meal is a great addition to any doll play collection, as a gift, loot bag or party bag item or Easter basket stuffer!
 
Shown with my Tupperware child size plate this doll meal is super cute and affordable! I love to find dollar store gems such as this and share them with you.
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

Monday, February 20, 2012

Making 123 Mulberry Street's Slouch Cardigan pattern avalible through Liberty Jane

I love this pattern from 123 Mulbery Street. I have made at least 12 for my nieces and their dolls. I made the one shown above with a t-shirt I had spilled bleach on and saved for doll clothes.
 I love that you can buy, print and make with in a few short hours doll clothes for your dolls with step by step photos. As I had the t-shirt on hand the only cost was the pattern at $3.99!
On our Maplelea dolls the cardigan is not as long as it appears on the American Girl Dolls. The over all fit it great though!
If you are a beginning sewer I highly recommend Liberty Jane Patterns, they are a great way to teach yourself how to sew! That is how I learned to make doll clothes!
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

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Maplelea and Horses


I love horses, if I had a real horse I would call him Pickles. I love that Maplelea has a horse, a welsh pony  called Chinook, and that this horse is a plush!
Chinook is a plush horse that belongs to Brianne's collection and is offered at $85
 Now there are lots of other horses for 18 inch dolls on the market but for pony and horse lovers Brianne's Pony is really unique! As a plush it is soft and loveable but the great feature with this horse is it's skeleton, so you will be able to pose your horse!
If you have this wonderful pony and would like to share your own photos please email me at karenmowen@gmail.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

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Follow me on Pinterest!


If you have not heard about Pinterest now is the time for you to discover the wonderful visual and creative way to add and share images and ideas from around the web.

Not only can you find wonderful photos images of Maplelea dolls but photos and links to some amazing doll play ideas, crafts and more.
I highly recommend it and know you will love the ideas and images you find!
I hope you will follow me on Pinterest!
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

Friday, February 17, 2012

Awesome Blossom, a great Spring/Summer outfit

Awesome Blossom is another great example of the versatility of Maplelea Outfits.
This set is mix match and wear like so many other outfits offered by Maplelea and is second to none in value of name brand doll clothing. This set sells for $23.00 which I think is a really fair price.

These adorable Criss Cross sandals are a wonderful paring at $10.00. Another reason why I am a proud Canadian and proud Maplelea Doll owner!
I would love to see photos of your dolls in your Maplelea Outfits! Please send your photos to karenmowen@gmail.com and let me know what you love about Maplelea, I just may publish it here on my blog.
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

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Great Maplelea You Tube videos

 I found Nursiegrrl's channel on Youtube and thought it would be fun to share her videos with you.  As Jenna is a favorite of mine I thought you may like to see this fun video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=f_fACuI5pXw

If you would like to share a video of your Maplelea Dolls with us please send me the link at karemowen@gmail.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

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

My Knitting progress

Well ladies I thought I would share my knitting process with you. I learned how to knit, in 2010, Just straight knit. Though I have not tried knitting anything in the last 6 months, I thought I would give it a try.  I am left handed and it took me a really long time to learn. As you can tell I am still learning.
I am told a great way to practice is just knit. So I have begun making my dolls scarves. I have not yet tried purling but I have straight knit and created this red scarf for my doll.
I started with casting 8 stitches on and knit until the scarf was about 15 inches long. I will try to use different sized needles next time and keep practicing. This scarf only took me about an hour and while it has mistakes, I am thrilled with how it turned out.
I would love to hear from others of you who have just started knitting, I hope that my attempt at learning to knit may inspire you to make something for your dolls too.
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

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentines Day

Roses are red, they can also be pink and yellow in hew,
I love to share my dolls and ideas with all of you, 
Thank you for checking in daily since January first,
it is nice to know that some of you have fallen under the dolly curse.
I will be back tomorrow with more ideas to inspire, 
I hope that of my posts you will never tire,
Enjoy your loved ones today and your dollies too, 
Happy Valentines Day from me to you~ Karenmomofthree

Monday, February 13, 2012

Let's Knit or Crochet something for our dolls!

It is time to start Knitting or Crocheting items for our dolls! I am so thrilled with the free patterns on line and wanted to share some of them with you.
I found a great website with more free knit patterns, I really love the idea of legwarmers for our dolls and thought I would share the link with all of you.
The site is called Knitting on the Net
and it has some really fun outfits that fit 18 inch dolls. 
The outfits are modeled on older versions of Our Generation Dolls
There are also some great poncho directions which are great for those starting out for their dolls!
Click here to go to the pattern site
So if you have done some knitting for your Maplelea Doll will you please email me your photos 

The above photo is from another great blog called Half Soled Boots the link to this Sweater pattern and skirt pattern can be found by clicking here http://halfsoledboots.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html

Bella Bambina Knits has a great crochet spring doll dress click the link to get started on your own!
 I loved this cardigan and want so much to be able to make this for my dolls. Click here for the pattern.

Now is the time to take advantage of learning this timeless skill, if you like me are starting out on your knitting or crochet adventure , ask around to your friends and neighbors and if all else fails check out your local craft store, community center or even Michael's the craft store to get started!
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