New Sitting Doll

This is the first of the sitting clothespin dolls which will be offered in my Etsy shop without a swing or wreath. She can be put to sit almost anywhere in the home. On bookshelves, in the kitchen on a spice rack, on a window sill, on a dressing table or on a mantlepiece.....

Here she is sitting on my trusty Bernina sewing machine.

Networking and gratitude

Check this website out if you have time. It is fab AND features one of my little dolls!!! The shop on Etsy is also lovely. I feel so honoured when someone adds one of my creations. When I get more used to blogland I intend to do similar things. Networking is definitely the way to go!

http://thelongthread.com/

Back to the cake baking now........

Down and Dirty - Part 2

Another couple of happy hours spent yesterday afternoon in Des's workshop finishing off the beautiful display stand. That is Des in his work gear and the stand he made for me.(NB - Some of the dolls in this photo are my current 'Etsy' dolls and obviously will NOT be going on display in the shop as they could get damaged. I apologize for quality of photos today - lighting not good, but I am off to bake cakes now and need the kitchen cleared!!)

Studio 54 (the shop where the stand is going) is finishing off major repair work this week which is why there has been a delay in getting the stand in. A building directly across the road from Studio 54 blew up a couple of weeks ago. Gas Leak. Lots of damage to buildings but no one seriously hurt thankfully.

The stand goes in on Monday ~ so fingers crossed that I get lots of local business and orders!

Serendipity and Serenity

Today, on Etsy, I joined the Cottage Style Street Team. It is a team I have wanted to join for ages but never had the guts to approach. Today I was having some very friendly convos with a lovely lady called Andrea (she runs a magical shop called popalicioustoo.etsy.com. Check it out. Her presentation and styling is very impressive and she is a honey) and it turns out she is leader of CSST! Et voila!

Feeling a little frustrated at the moment. Have a zillion ideas and new products I want to make and list but time goes by so fast. Like most people I am kept very busy with non-Etsy business which means that the amount of time I have to develop new things is limited. But I am doing something I love - so cannot complain!!

A doll after my own heart!!!

This little doll has just baked these tiny cherry cookies. When my kids saw the mini tray with the cookies on they got worried that I had started introducing draconian portion control!

New Wedding Toppers

I have been working on these wedding toppers (and more to come) for the last couple of weeks. I have sold a couple privately and am delighted with how they are being received. They are really cute and would make a lovely keepsake - even if they are not put on the wedding cake.

Silvery or gold accented ones would be an amazing silver or gold wedding anniversary gift. After all at that stage in life most couples already have enough toasters and table mats to sink a ship - so something different to make them smile would seem like a good idea.

Happy Mother's Day Gezza

New postman on the beat, mislaid notification dockets and inflexibility at the local post office meant that although the Mother's Day doll for Gezza arrived in her town in plenty of time - unfortunately not to her. So.....I am posting a photo of her doll here and wishing her (and Tanya) a very Happy Mother's Day. Carol :) x

Pretty wreath with doll and butterflies

I have always loved having wreaths on doors. This ultra-feminine padded cotton fabric wreath is designed for a little girl's bedroom door. However, it would look equally pretty on a kitchen wall or in a hallway! The 'apple blossom' colours are happy and spring-like. I have listed it in my Etsy shop today. Will be interesting to see the reception it gets!!

Am wearing my Irish rugby shirt and typing this with fingers and toes crossed for the match this afternoon.

Sunday is Mother's Day in Ireland

This Sunday is Mother's Day in Ireland and I have added a little greeting balloon to this doll (which is my mother's favourite!). There is a little sparkly 'jewel' in the centre of the little flower on the balloon. Overall I think it is a lovely way to say 'Happy Mother's Day' and she can keep it out all year long - with or without the balloon.

When time permits I will be adding 'balloon girls' to my shop as I think they are a fun and different way to say things like 'Happy Birthday', 'Well Done', 'Thank You' etc. They can also be easily customised. I think the scalloped felt adds a good finishing detail to the balloon.

Fingers crossed for the Irish Rugby team tomorrow - hopefully they will win the match against Wales and so win the 'Grand Slam' for the first time in 61 years. Go Ireland Go!!!

NEW! New range of SITTING Clothespin dolls

The four years of woodwork night classes were certainly worth it as they have enabled me to design and make sitting-down clothespin dolls!

I am really pleased with the way these have worked out and I think they hugely extend the places that these little dolls can be positioned. The doll here is on a little swing which is suspended from a length of satin ribbon. This can be hung in so many places - from a shelf, by a window, on an over-mantle or safely out of reach over a little child's bed. The possibilities are endless.

Over the next week or so I will be adding more sitting dolls - 'sit-alone' dolls, sitting dolls in colourful garlands and then another little surprise! So please keep checking back and I hope to make you smile.

Thank you for looking and please let me know what you think of these little girls.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Glorious weather here for all the parades and celebrations. I will be proudly wearing the new green and white Irish Rugby shirt (ladies' version!) that one of my sons gave me yesterday. Hope anyone who reads this also has a great day.

Down and Dirty in the Woodwork Shop

Yesterday I abandoned my sewing machine, needles and paint brushes and got down and dirty with my friend Des in his amazing workshop!!! Des is a fantastic cabinetmaker and offered to make me a display unit for Studio 54 who are going to put a few of my dolls on display in their shop.

Des amended my original design (thank Goodness) and the result is very pretty and beautifully made. I will post a photo in a few days – first it has to be painted. I am so lucky to have such supportive friends and family. Through Etsy too - I have shared some super 'convos' with some wonderful people. Good to be reminded that there are so many lovely people out there. Spring is here in Ireland and these little pansies and daffodils on my patio are too pretty not to be shared!

Easter Bunny Parade

This is a new Easter doll which I listed today. I have had a couple of these little wooden bunnies set aside for weeks now - waiting for Easter. And then about 10 days ago I saw a gorgeous doll made by Creative Breathing (find her beautiful things on Flickr) and lo and behold - she had used a little wooden bunny.
What to do? I did not want her to think I was copying her idea - and yet I wanted to use my little bunnies. So I sent her a note and she clearly understood.

I suppose this just goes to show that no matter how creative we may think we are being - nearly always someone else has had or is having similar ideas!!

Thank you to all voters

Thank you to everyone who voted for my little colleen in the Luck of the Irish contest in Etsy. Out of 60 entries she came a very respectable 7th equal. So thank you all.

Lovely personal keepsake for a special little girl

Why didn't I think of this myself???!! One of my customers asked for this customised doll. It was her idea that I embroider her neice's name on the front of the little dress. How clever, simple and effective. However, not sure how longer names could be done without the embroidery becoming too tiny to read!

Have a couple of really exciting ideas in the pipeline. Watch this space over the next few weeks!

A Sorbet of Bridesmaids

Here are some more bridesmaids! They will be in my Etsy shop next week. They are such fun to make and the colours so springlike and pretty.

First of the bridesmaids

Here is the first in a series of bridesmaids which I am working on. I hope to end up with a rainbow of little bridesmaids!! They, and some of the other dolls, will then be on display in my local fabric store - Studio 54 - who have offered me a permanent stand in their shop! This is great because the owner is a designer who makes gorgeous wedding, debs and communion dresses as well as doing a lot of costume work for the film industry here.

She thinks these would make lovely 'thank you for being my bridesmaid' presents. I really appreciate her support and kindness.

Please Vote!!

Just got a lovely convo from someone via Etsy regarding this doll which has been chosen for inclusion in the LUCK OF THE IRISH CONTEST on Etsy!! She voted for it and if you would like to - then please follow this link ~ http://www.etsy.com/voter_list.php?ref=voter&room_id=34

Big thank you to all those who have served as my inspiration - PrettyDitty, Sweet Imaginations, Lollipop Workshop, Jenny B Allorts, Beez Tings and Creative Breathing.

Sidetracked with new ideas.......

I would love to know how many other people get sidetracked on a regular basis, when crafting. At the moment I am SUPPOSED to be working on a particular theme for someone and yet....when new ideas pop into my head I feel compelled to immediately create them to see how they look.
This little balloon can be customised and I will be making 'Balloon Girls' for Mother's Day, Happy Birthday, Congratulations etc. just as soon as I have finished my current project! (Although don't be surprised to see another Balloon Girl pop up in the shop tomorrow!)

The lovely shamrock jug in the photo was given to me by my aunt years ago. It is very old and I love it - so keep it on display all year round.

It's great to be noticed!!

A fellow Etsy-ite 'Gracieseggies' is featuring a photo one of my 'girls' on her blogspot this month - http://www.gracies-eggies.blogspot.com/. She makes beautiful confetti filled eggs. Check her out at Etsy. I think it is great when fellow crafters promote each other.

I am meeting someone locally this week with a view to increasing local business. Again, I am very grateful for the offer of support ~ but it means I need to stop blogging and get crafting!!

Have a great week and thanks for stopping by.

Beannachtaí na féile Pádraig

All children in Ireland have to learn both English and Irish from their very first day in school. When I first went to school we were still being taught to write Irish using the old Gaelic script – which as you will see from the banner below – if very different from English script. They stopped teaching this script shortly after I started school, so modern day children have it easy!!


The words on the banner are pronounced as ‘Ban-ick-tee na fay-lah pwad-rig’ and translate as ‘St. Patrick’s Day Blessings’.

I thought this doll could prove to be a real conversation piece if she was placed somewhere prominently for St Patrick’s Day. Much prettier than a ‘piece of the auld sod’ or a stick of Irish blackthorn!! The banner can be easily removed if preferred.