Monthly Archives: March 2016

“Little Lady”

I think Sugar looks like the perfect little lady in her new dress/hat set.  She’s all in lilac and pink with a white brimmed hat to keep the spring sun out of her eyes.

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Sugar told me that she liked being a little lady as long as ladies were allowed to play with their pet bunnies.  “But, of course,” I told her.

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Oh, the joys of a macro lens… I got a close up of the flowers on Sugar’s hat.  Ivory Delica beads are sewn into a cluster on the lilac flower and a larger bead is sewn onto each of the small pink blossoms.

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Sugar’s “Little Lady” dress/hat set will be available for sale tonight (March 24, 2016) at 7:00 pm, CST.  Check the “Shop What’s New” page at cindyricedesigns.com for more details.

In & Out of the Studio

How’s the first week of this new season going for you?  It started out pretty nice for us, but it is rapidly going downhill—cloudy, rainy, cool cold today.  Oh, and it will get worse as the week progresses; snow flurries are predicted.  Happy spring!

I had two outfits to pack up and mail on Monday.  Thought I’d show you how I wrap up my outfits in case you are curious.  It’s no big production, just the way I package right now.  I put my Amelia Thimble and Pukipuki sets into a small box.  This way the hat will not get crushed, which is especially important for the crocheted brimmed hats.  I sew the pieces onto card stock like how the first Barbie® clothes were packaged.  I use plastic envelopes for mailing these little boxes.  They can be mailed first class as they only way a few ounces.

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I don’t use a box for the larger doll ensembles; they aren’t needed with the Priority boxes I use.  First, I put all of the accessory pieces is small zipper bags, wrap the knitwear in tissue paper, stuff the sewn dress with tissue to keep it from getting wrinkled.  All of these pieces fit in a larger zippered bag.  I then wrap the bag in tissue; you can see the package below.  I used to use ribbon to tie the package, but ran out one day.  I got the “brilliant” (ha ha) idea to use coordinating or matching yarn from the ensemble to tie up the package.  The yarn can then be reused for hair bows or whatever other creative purpose my customers can think of.  I print out a little thank you note card with a photo of the ensemble, its title, and month/year made to include with the ensemble for future reference.  I use brown paper to wrap up this package and into a Priority box it goes.

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Outside of my studio I found this tiny clump of crocuses that naturalized a few feet away from the main grouping of crocuses.

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On Monday this was what a few of my dolls were wearing.

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I still had my husband’s macro lens on my camera, so took a few more close up shots of the orchids in the bay window.

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And,… that was how the beginning of my first week of spring went.  How was yours?

Oops, forgot to mention that Jpop will have a few Gracie elves and humans for sale on Thursday night.  Here’s the link:  Extra Gracie BJDs.  Also, I think, but not positive, that you will need an account with them, so I’d make one ahead of time if you don’t have one.  I imagine that these will get sold in seconds, so good luck.

Millie is a “Spring Princess”

Happy first day of spring (or fall, if you’re down under).  Hopefully the weather is cooperating for you.  The sun isn’t up here in northern Illinois yet, so it’s still a surprise at our house.

It’s Millie’s turn to show you something new!

Here’s what I made with my last color way of these sweet cotton rose print fabrics.  It is a very light pastel aqua or sky blue.

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This delicately colored fabric definitely needed a light as a feather mohair sweater; nothing else came close to being as perfect for it.  Since this yarn doesn’t come in the perfect shade, I hand dyed a white mohair sweater to the lightest pink.  I love the finished result, do you?

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Sweet Millie has a flower bouquet for you.  Will you accept it?

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Every princess needs a crown of jewels, and Millie’s jewels are on her pearl headband.

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In case you missed the other three ensembles I made using this rose print here they are again.

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Do you have a favorite?

Millie’s “Spring Princess” ensemble will be available Sunday, March 20, 2016 at 7:00 pm, CST, at cindyricedesigns.com on my “Shop What’s New” page.