Duke Special

Wednesday 25 February 2009

Pixel dolls!

I'm back! It's been a very busy week, but I'm back in the land of the dolls. Not only that, I'm back in the land of the virtual dolls! I wanted to practice my pixel art so I've created two new doll bases for pixel dollz...

That's as far as I've got so far, outfits and hair to follow shortly!



As a newb I found this website very useful and informative (as well as fun and monumentally cute ^-^!):

So what else have I been up to? Well... I have opened a folksy shop, but as it won't be 100% doll related I go on the monica of 'Hurdlepurdle Handicrafts'. You can visit the shop here: http://www.folksy.com/shops/hurdlepurdle . There's only 2 items listed as yet, but again, more to be added imminently.

Well, that's it for now, I have work to do, but see you sooner rather than later this time!

Holly xoxo

Wednesday 18 February 2009

A unique and enchanting doll book...

Little Miss P and I were browsing in the poetry section of the library earlier when we unearthed a lovely book called 'Sitting Pretty: A Celebration of Black Dolls' by Dinah Johnson and Myles C. Pinkney.

Each page features a lovely photograph of a doll, or small group of dolls and a poem or description concerning the doll. The styles vary from folky, to ethnic to sophisticated to commercial but they all have something to say. We enjoyed exploring the book and it's definitely worth a look if you get the chance :)



For a link to the book on Amazon click below :)

How cute is this couple?

cakecouple

I've been so busy with Little Miss P being off school that I really haven't had time to update the blog in any way. All I really have to share is this picture of the bride and groom at my best friend's wedding last Saturday ^-^!

Hopefully I'll have chance to post something more substantial soon ^-^!

Holly and te exhausted dollies xoxoxo

Friday 13 February 2009

Nostalgia anyone? - 50 years of Barbie video

This video makes me want to run out and buy a Barbie (which I guess is the idea!) brings back memories, I had that 1980s three story house with the yellow lift/elevator ^-^!



Holly

Thursday 12 February 2009

And the winners are!!!!

Have you won? We shall see!
Drum roll please! The winner of art doll Ms Celestine Swish is...

Sophie aka MissKoolAid of http://misskoolaid.blogspot.com

While the winner of art doll Asia is Jenn Klee of http://SpringtimeInspired.blogspot.com/

Emails have gone out to the winners, if I do not hear back withpostage details within 7 days then I will draw new names :)

Thankyou so much to everyone who took part, I haven't had time to look at everyone's blogs yet but I am almost there, and it has been so much fun making many new friends, my blogroll has more than doubled in length!

Thanks to you all once again and I hope many of us (if not all) can stay in touch on some level ^-^!

Holly and the excited dollies xoxoxo

The One World One Heart Giveaway is now closed!

The One World One Heart Giveaway is now closed! Winners to be announced shortly :) (good luck!)

Holly xoxo

Wednesday 11 February 2009

Wooden dolly...

Photo courtesy of Doeth
I suspect that this is the only kind of dolly I'm going to see for some time! My stupid machine has gone and died on me. Not only that, but the space where it fits is so small that it's almost impossible to find a washer that will fit! Curses, normal service will be resumed imminently ^-^!

Holly and the stressed dollies xoxo

Tuesday 10 February 2009

Simple and free Tiny Betsy McCall sewing pattern

I've been experimenting sewing for my Tiny Betsy McCall over the past few days. I managed to buy a pattern for a whole wardrobe, but it looks a bit daunting to me as I'm more used to winging it with my sewing!

I was very happy then to find the following article on Bella Online with a pattern and full instructions to make this simple dress to fit Tiny Betsy and other 8 inch dolls...

If you click on the pic you should go straight to the appropriate page ^-^!

And while we're on the subject of Tiny Betsy McCall, my Peggy has dicided that she doesn't want to be Peggy anymore. Her name is now 'Bunty'. :)

Holly & the crafty dollies xoxo

Monday 9 February 2009

Liddle Kiddles vintage ad

I spotted this in another blog and couldn't resist copying!


Tooth fairy pillow doll tutorial...

Teeth have been on my mind a lot lately... no I don't have an dolly positioned mouth, it's just that Little Miss P keeps losing hers, and on top of that, today is toothache day and the day of St Apollonia patron saint of dentistry.

For all the above reasons then I am featuring a lovely free pattern and tutorial to make a pretty matrioshka style tooth fairy pillow doll from the lovely blog Goody-goody (click on the pic to visit the site).


Or why not stop by the Crafty In Coffeeland blog to take a peek at the cute little St Apollonia tooth fairy alternative pictured there for ideas :)

Holly and the toothy dollies xoxoxo

Saturday 7 February 2009

Good morning! Adorable dolly discoveries...

With all the blog hopping I've been doing lately I have stumbled upon many wonderful and creative people (which is the idea after all ^-^!) so, over the next few days, I'm going to share with you some of the wonders I have stumbled upon! Hmmm... stumbled upon, I seem to use that phrase all the time, there must ba another way to say it (where's my thesaurus!?).

Anyway look at these!


I completely fell in love with these necklaces made of tiny vintage bisque dollies from the Cetta Cheese Chatter blog, just too adorable, and what a lovely blog too ^-^!

Holly and the enchanted dollies xoxo


Friday 6 February 2009

Treasure hunting and more prizes!

Hello!

I have spent most of this morning sorting through my husband's boyhood coin collection, it has been fun but I haven't found much in the way of hidden treasure unfortunately ^-^!

Peggy has been helping...

peggycoins

I also promised that if comments on my One World One Heart giveaway post reached 100 I'd add another prize, so I am pleased to announce that the second prize is yet another handmade doll:

asialong


If you'd like to be in with chance of winning then please post a comment on the original One World One Heart post with a way of contacting you, and good luck ^-^!

Holly and the treasure-hunting dollies xoxo

Wednesday 4 February 2009

Ty have renamed there Sasha and Malia dolls after Obama objections...


It seems that Ty Inc. of 'Beanie Baby' and 'Ty Girlz' fame had put into production a pair of dolls named Sasha and Malia, which just happen to be the names of the first daughters.
Needless to say the first lady was none too impressed and objected to the company that naming the dolls after her children was innapropriate. Ty subsequently released a statement claiming that the dolls were not modelled on the Obama girls and have now renamed them Mariah and Sydney.
All profits from the sale of the originally named dolls will be donated to charity, so it's not all bad :)
Holly and the dolly girlz xoxo

Divine Doll Dress Up Games...

Little Miss P and I both enjoy playing online dress-up doll games, earlier on we found a particularly nice site, Doll Divine. The site has beautiful fantasy characters such as a centaur, fairies, mermaid, warrior, elf and pirate with the most fabulous clothes. They really are a breath of fresh air!

Click on the pic to visit the site:


Holly and the dress-up dollies xoxo

Illustration Friday - Flawed

IF - flawed

Online Primitive Cloth Doll Tutorial at Bowls n Annies!

I have been hopping from blog to blog like an animated Jeremy Fisher doll for the last few days, and all thanks to One World One Heart!


It was via this meandering, roundabout link-to-a-link route that I happened to land on this particular site which has the most beautiful folk dolls, and a very generous, in depth tutorial on how to make them yourself!


Please click on the pic to visit and see for yourself ^-^!


Holly and the hopping dollies xoxo

Tuesday 3 February 2009

How many comments!?

Thanks to the wonderful One World One heart project I have been soooo inundated with comments I've barely been able to keep up with them all, not that that's a complaint mind, I am incredibly happy about it and am having a lot of fun blog hopping, I've even met other doll lovers and doll dabblers which is always a plus to any endeavour!
If the comments finally reach 100 then I'll add something else to the prize pool. I can't believe how many great gifts people are offering, it's really an exploration of sorts!



Exploring outside is out of the question as there is still thick snow on the ground here, though now much of it has turned to ice. Little Miss P was hoping that school would be closed today but no such luck I'm afraid! We're going to go to the Kids Group at church, but whether anyone will turn up I don't know. I've prepared some 'stained glass window' cards for the kids to colour anyway in celebration of candlemass. I say 'stained glass' it's actually tracing paper, but it will still look nice with the light shining through it :)


Yesterday was weird, not only for the snow but also because we found a perfectly good bicycle dumped in a hedge on the way home from school. I think it must have been stolen and dumped, so we are taking it to the police station as soon as the snow melts. I kind of hope no-one claims it because it's just the right size for Little Miss P and she doesn't have a bike :)


Still no pictures concerning the Tonner Dr Who dolls I'm sorry to say, but I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything, and if you hear before me please... TELL ME!!!


In other trivial life type shenanigans we finally got to watch the new BBC series 'Being Human' last night. In case you're not aware of it it concerns a house being shared by a ghost a werewolf and a vampire and it's flippin' brilliant!


You can find out more here (but don't look if you get scared easily!):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/beinghuman/


And just to keep it all on topic here are some appropriately themed dollies, not my own work (if only!) but items I discovered on Etsy ^-^!


You can click on the pics to visit the sellers' shops...


Monday 2 February 2009

One World One Heart Giveaway!- IS NOW CLOSED winners announced soon!

Inspired by Bella Sinclair at Doodlespot I too have joined the One World One Heart Gypsy Caravan ^-^!


Photo


This is a wonderful idea where hundreds of bloggers have gotten together to offer giveaways in a huge bohemian celebration (freedom, beauty, truth and love abound ^-^!)


You can click on the badge above to browse all 800 or so giveaways available at the moment!


I've decided to hop in the bandwagon at the last moment and am offering one of my handmade art dolls, Ms Celestine Swish!


Please not that she is an art doll and not a toy suitable for children :)


My creation


To be in with a chance of winning her, all you need do is to leave a comment on this post (please also leave me some way of contacting and identifying you such as an email address or link) before February 11th. I promise I won't publish any personal info!


Good luck and all happiness!


Holly xoxo

Snow Day!!!

Snow Day
1. snowtunnel, 2. peggysnowgarden, 3. snowsquirrel2, 4. squirrelsnow, 5. snowmoof2, 6. snowchurch, 7. Ettasnowmoof, 8. peggysnowcold, 9. snowhedge