Author Archives: Cindy Rice

About Cindy Rice

My wonderful husband, my beautiful daughter, and I live in northeastern Illinois with our two sweet chihuahua boys. For as long as I can remember I have loved dolls and making things. I got my first Barbie when I was only three years old! My mom sewed for my Barbie dolls and taught me how to use her sewing machine when I was only seven. I cannot believe she let me near that needle, but she did. Not having enough money for my clothes habit in high school and college led me to start sewing all of my own clothes. There were so many fabric stores around back then and fabric was so inexpensive. I would wait for the 99 cent pattern sale and go crazy. Sewing for myself continued well into my 30’s. (I even made my wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses.) Shortly after I got married I left my full time graphic design position and started designing cross stitch patterns. I called my company “The Lilac Studio” and sold my botanical patterns at trade shows, through distributors which sold to retail shops, and mail order. My most popular pattern, “A Bouquet of Pansies” sold 5000 copies and won a J&P Coats Golden Needle Award! I was also featured in various cross stitch magazines and designed special projects for the magazines. When my daughter was born I didn’t have the time needed to cross stitch and design patterns all day long so I let my pattern design business slip away. And then I started discovering dolls again and I now had an excuse to start buying them. The only problem was that they were for my daughter and not for me. I soon discovered all of the adult collectors out there and decided I would be one of them. I started small at first, collecting Mattel Kelly dolls. Soon I collected over 100 Kelly dolls! After Kelly, I discovered Helen Kish’s Riley and Tonner’s Ann Estelle. I have since learned to knit doll sweaters and love an excuse to knit so most of my doll outfits include a sweater and/or hat. I love creating miniature outfits for dolls and enjoy sharing them with others. Currently I create doll ensembles for Ruby Red Fashion Friends, Kish Bethany, Dianna Effner's Little Darlings, Wilde Imagination's teeny tiny Amelia, Kaye Wiggs BJD, Boneka 10", Linda Macario's Penny.

Izzy’s New Christmas Dress

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Here is Amelia Thimble’s best friend, Izzy, showing off her new Christmas dress and Santa hat. She has secret hopes of Santa picking her to help on Christmas Eve also. Izzy knows how much helping Santa Claus means to Amelia Thimble so she is keeping these thoughts to herself at the moment. I think Santa needs them both, don’t you? After all, they will take up very little room in the sleigh and will offer four teeny tiny helping hands.

For more information on Izzy’s “Tiny Sweety Elf” dress and Santa hat set please visit my “Available for Sale” page at cindyricedesigns.com .

Helping the Clauses

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Well, no, not those Clauses!

It’s Gina’s Grandma and Grandpa. They are dressing up as Santa and Mrs. Claus for Gina’s school Christmas bazaar and Gina gets to help pass out candy canes to all of Santa’s (Grandpa’s) little visitors. Gina has the perfect outfit for her important job. The dress is a print of pin dots in minty colors and her Santa hat and jacket are the all important finishing touch. Gina even has her hair styled like Mrs. Claus (Grandma), without the grey, of course.

She is ready, don’t you think?

For more information on this set for the Little Darling dolls please visit the “Available for Sale” page at cindyricedesigns.com

Tiny Holly Elf

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Four inch Amelia Thimble is all ready to lend a (tiny) hand to help Santa. She knows there are things that only she can do like arranging things in a little girl’s dollhouse so it is just perfect when she finds it on Christmas morning, climbing into a stocking and getting the little gifts to fit perfectly in the toe, and testing out a race car on it’s new track (she is very brave). Her dream is to accompany Santa on Christmas Eve and maybe this year her dream will come true.