DIY New Baby Gift

Several of my friends have had babies lately, and I have been searching for the perfect gift.  I realized that although I took lots of pictures  of my kids when they were growing up, I missed out on being able to see how fast they grew each month.  I saw this super cute idea on a blog over here.  So I found some t-shirt transfer paper and went to work.  Unfortunately, my transfer paper did not require me to flip the image (and I could not get hold of the woman who made the template), so I created my own.  It turned out pretty good.  I feel like I still have work to do on it, but the baby came early so I went with what I had. 

I found a cute box at Staples and created a note inside for the family.  They just posted their 1st month picture on Facebook and the onesie looks super cute.  I can't wait to keep up with the months of their new baby boy.  And I know I have created a gift that is appreciated and will be used.  Maybe it will even be passed on to another.  But most importantly it was made with love! 

Waldorf Doll for Sale

So one of my dolls sold at the Silent Auction for my son's school, but the other did not.  I was a little surprised that "Caryn" did not even get one bid.   I did notice that when they packaged everything up in plastic, the doll was hard to see.  So I am now going to try and sell the doll myself.

There are so many options: Ebay, Big Cartel, Etsy, my local green store, or my blog.  I have no idea where I start.  If I start a Big Cartel shop or an Etsy Shop, I feel like I should really try and make more to make it worth it (since they are shops).  If I sell on Ebay I guess I can just sell only the one doll and I don't have to sell others.

I think Waldorf dolls have a very specific market, and I don't know if I live in that market. I think I'll try on my blog first.  You can see pictures on my Flickr site.  The doll comes with clothes, info, care card, and birth certificate.

Caryn $150 Sale $100+ shipping (US only)
SOLD

My Silent Auction Babies

My son's school is having a silent auction to raise money for their enrichment, arts, and traditional programs that LAUSD has cut.  We are so lucky to be a part of a school that each year finds a way, by donations and the Colfax World Fair, to keep these amazing programs going.  I decided to try and do my part.  We don't have much in way of extra money, so I am using my craftiness to hopefully raise some money for the school.  Every bit helps.

I named them Caryn and Portia and made birth certificates and care cards.  This has been a real labor of love, especially since I couldn't move my neck to sew for over 6 weeks.  After making the first doll, I took a break to do other stuff.  But then I woke up a few weeks later with a bulging disc.  I was in so much pain- unable to move or sew.  Physical therapy helped and I was able to finish the second.  I still have pain (and now have pulled something in my lower back), but I have passed off the dolls to the silent auction coordinators. 

I feel like I have learned so much with these two, but I still have a lot more to learn.  I can't wait to try them out!

New Years Resolutions?

This year I vowed that I would do a few things.  First, I would exercise and second, I would get my house organized.  I have started getting organized...or at least getting rid of things that have not been worn, played with, or touched in over a year.  The exercise part still eludes me.  Well instead of exercising today, I made delicious baked goods.   So, so far I've done the exact opposite of what I've set out to do.  I had a couple of zucchini and a sweet potato that I needed to use.  Zucchini bread was a no brainer.  I use a pretty standard recipe from All Recipes.  Sometimes I add apples, but this time I just added them to the top.   

Yummy Play Dough

I have been searching for a good playdoh recipe for a while now.  I have scoured sites looking for the perfect one.  I ended up finding a great one from one of the teachers in my daughter's mommy and me class, but now that the holidays are upon us...I started looking again. 

I thought that playdoh would be a great gift for lots of "little friends" at school and the neighborhood--plus it's pretty thrifty too.   I stumbled upon a great one over at The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle, that costs only a few cents to make.  Gingerbread playdoh!!! Why didn't I think of that?

I've tried adding different smelling oils in the past, but they didn't turn out great.  This one smells good enough to eat and adding dry spices doesn't change the texture of the dough.  I made some for birthday presents, and my kids were begging me to make some for them.  I found some containers at the 99 cent store and voila... instant gift. .  I think these will be a real hit in the neighborhood this year.  If you are looking for a fun and quick project...give it a try!

A Boy for My Boy

My son decided that he wanted a doll of his own.  I think he was a little jealous that I was working out a lot of kinks by making girl dolls.  Well I finally made him one of his own, and I have to say that I think it's the best one.  I really stuffed this one tight and I was able to give him good neck support with the wool.  I've been using old holey jeans to make the jeans for the dolls and whatever scrap fabric I have for t-shirts and dresses.  I'm going to be working on making flannel pajama sets out of old flannel receiving blankets that I got when my son was a baby.  We have probably 25 of those blankets... and never used a single one (except when I made a cloth diaper out of one). 

Well, I think this is my last one for a while.  My husband says we don't need another doll in the house. Ha ha!  I'd still like to perfect some of the techniques, but I guess I'll wait for a very special birthday.

I've Got the Bug!

I have now made 2 Waldorf inspired dolls and I am working on my third.  My son now wants a boy doll, but I have no idea how to do the hair.  I found a really good tutorial of how to put the hair on girls (after I made my second doll), but no really good hair tutorial for boy dolls.  I don't know if I want to sew directly into the head or make a crochet cap and wig.  It uses way more yard when you make a wig cap.  I used one for my first doll and she has A LOT of hair.  Too much I think, but it makes my daughter laugh.

So I have to finish my son's doll, and I think I want to try another girl to get the hair just right.

I've become obsessed, but now I have to cloth them.  So I'm working on creating patterns for clothes, which has now got my mind wondering if I can make clothes for my daughter and dresses for myself.  I really need a craft room, but we don't have the space.  Oh well, one day when I get my dream home.