Found Friday - Fabric Dolls Patterns

Happy Friday!  When my first grandchild was born, I decided that I wanted to make a keepsake for her.  It began with a needlepoint Christmas stocking.  Well, now I have four beautiful grandkids, and my "keepsakes" have grown.  In addition to the stockings, I have made a sampler (Hadley's is still in process) and a fabric doll for each (Amelia's is still in planning mode).

Today I thought I would share the patterns and the final product for the dolls.  So much fun when you can use your own creativity to make each one special.



Hadley's doll sitting on the cute washi tape stool Kendra made.

and Cole's Cool boy! 

The patterns were pdf downloads from Etsy.    The girl doll is available here, and the boy doll is available here.  I would love to see your creations!

Have a wonderful weekend!  ♥

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Found Friday - FreeCycle + Bathroom Wallpaper

Hi there and happy Friday!  I'm in the midst of cleaning/purging/storing toys and clothes now and stumbled upon FreeCycle when I was looking for a place to donate some items.  It works a lot like Craigslist's free section except it's divided up into communities which makes it much easier to find and give things to people who are in your area.  

I decided while checking out other members' "wants" that I would try it out for myself since we have been looking for a large unframed mirror to replace the small square one in the girls' bathroom.  So I posted a quick "want" listing and within 4 hours had two responses from really sweet people who were happy to measure and coordinate pick up times with me!

I'm hoping that this mirror will help push this never ending makeover into the finished zone.  I wallpapered the room two weeks ago and it was one of the hardest things I have ever done!  But it looks pretty great.  Sneak peek below!

I'm hoping that once the new mirror and lighting is up this room will be considered officially finished!!
Have a great weekend!!
xo

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Found Friday - Summer Fun Activities for Kids

Our weekend at the shore was fun, but the weather did not permit trips to the beach.  As a result, four little toddlers needed to be kept entertained.  So I thought it would be a good idea to have an array of activities ready for the future ~ as they say: "It is better to be prepared!"

Here are a few that I am going to add to my "Busy Box":

Sponge Bombs ~ I think the adults would enjoy this one too (:

 

                                                 Water Pistol fun ~ get ready for the arcade!

                                            Ice Excavating ~ a great way to keep cool too!

                                           A pretty play puddle ~ Layla would love this!

  And, of course, bubbles ~ the bigger the better!

 

 

Hope you found a few favorites too!  ♥

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Found Friday - New Jersey Shore 2013

After Sandy hit the East coast last fall, everyone wondered if things would ever be back to normal.
My husband and I went to the shore soon after the storm ~ so many people's homes were devastated.  We were one of the lucky ones ~ only minor damage.

Yesterday, we took another trip to beach, and the view was incredible.  Yes, New Jersey's shores are ready for Summer 2013, and I am too!!

Have a wonderfully sunny weekend! ♥

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Found Friday - Hand Embroidery

Today I thought I would share some hand embroidery ideas that I have found.  Back in February I created a "wishlist of fun stuff."  One of the items I listed was the embroidery pattern of "The Princess and the Pea"  that I purchased from Follow the White Bunny.  It was sent to me almost immediately in a pdf format, and I couldn't wait to get started.

My finished product ~

As part of the file, Nicole sent not one but two different ideas for completing the project. 
I did change some of the colors and a few of the stitches, and I love the way it turned out!

For thread I used Appleton which I had also used on the samplers that I made for my granddaughter and grandson.  I find that it fills in an area much better than DMC.

My next project is a needlepoint dress ~ more about that later (:

Suppliers:

"The Princess and the Pea" pattern

Appleton thread

Renaissance thread (my newest favorite) 

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Found Friday - Comfort Stitching

If you like to embroider, you really need to take a look at Comfort Stitching!  The shop is owned by Aneela Hoey who is a fabric designer for Moda.

I purchased this pattern some time ago, and I love the final product!

The patterns are available as pdf downloads, which arrive quickly, and the instructions for each stitch are clearly written and easy to follow.

I particularly liked the knitted look for the dress.

Here are a couple other examples of the patterns that are available.



bouquet



round and round



In addition to embroidery, the shop features quilt patterns and this little doll that I love!



little apples doll

 Back to my "Girl on a Swing" ~  I used this technique to give my hoop a finished look, and it is ready for display!

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Found Friday - Sarah Jane "Out to Sea" Fabric

I absolutely loved the Sarah Jane fabric that Kendra used in Hadley's room and for my new pin cushion. And when her new line, "Out to Sea" came out, I couldn't wait to see all of the prints.  The colors were all amazing, but after much deliberation, I finally choose three:

Pirate Stripe in Raspberry

Anchors Away in Raspberry

Pirate Girls in Breeze

I put the three together and created a dress for the most fashionable Lady Pirate!


I used the Anchors Away for the bodice to which I added bias tape of Pirate Stripes.   Pirate Girls made up the skirt.   The wide belt which I tied in the front was also from the raspberry stripes.

 I completed the dress with two striped fabric covered buttons on the back.

Sarah Jane's "Out to Sea" fabrics

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Found Friday - A Cloudy Video to Make You SMILE!

I stumbled upon this absolutely adorable video last night with Layla.  Singing clouds, jumping raindrops I mean the cutestness level is off the charts!  Enjoy and have a very happy (uncloudy) weekend:) 

 

 

 

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Found Friday - Fun Dinosaur Fabric

I recently wrote about great gray elephant fabric that I found.  Today it is all about dinosaurs!  Layla is really into dinosaurs now  ~ I am shocked by the number of them she can identify!  When I saw this fun fabric, I knew immediately I had to have it!

 

Dinosaurs in Navy

Dumb Dots in Turf

I used the same pattern that I had used for Layla's elephant dress, but I altered it a little.  I took off the ruffles and added a pocket (never know when dinosaur collectors might need storage space)!

It was a very warm day when Layla got to try it on ~ definitely shorts weather, so I cut off 2 inches from the bottom before I hemmed it.  And we ended up with a colorful top!

A super cute top for a super cute little girl!



After all that excavation, an adventurer is entitled to a manicure (:

 Where to purchase the fabric:

http://www.hawthornethreads.com/

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Found Friday - Fun Elephant Fabric

Happy Friday!
I have mentioned before that I love to buy fabric.  Often it is for my little Etsy shop, but many times it is just because I can't resist the fun prints.  So I thought that when I found something special, I would share the fabric and show my finished project.
Today's two prints are from Bungle Jungle~

 Oodles in Red

 Elephants in Grey



As soon as I saw these two red and grey elephant prints, I pictured a dress for Layla!
I found a pdf pattern that I purchased from The Lilybird Studio, and I was ready!

Here is my finished product~

And here is the dress on my precious little model (and granddaughter)!!





Where to purchase the fabric:

http://www.bloomeriefabrics.com/

http://www.thelittleshopforquilting.com/

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Found Friday - My Inner Baker

So since I started the week with a baking post I thought it was only fitting that I end with one too.  As I have mentioned many times, I am not and will most likely never be a good cook, but baking on the other hand I'm discovering I'm not half bad at. 

And since this week's high temps kept us inside during the most sweltering part of the day Layla and I got to baking!  Here are two of the recipes we tried out this week.

Blueberry Muffins with a Crumbly Top
These turned out so well I was actually pretty impressed I didn't somehow mess them up!  Delicious for breakfast or an after dinner (or lunch) treat!

"The Best Blueberry Muffins You'll Ever Have" from CupofJo.

Chocolate Almond Biscotti!

Kerry and Dalton always have super yummy and healthy recipes on their site so when I saw this biscotti recipe it look easy enough.  The only tweak I made was to sprinkle the loaf with a bit sugar before baking - for some extra crunch!

Dark Chocolate Biscotti from Eat.Make.Play.

The recipe makes a lot, which in our house is a good thing!

So crunchy and good...I'm nibbling on one as I write this!

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Found Friday - Brine Your Tee

Hi Guys! Sorry, today's post is totally "phoned in" but I spent the better part of yesterday limbing up the magnolia tree in our backyard and I'm super sore and tired.  But I love the new view!  Will post the before and after photos next week.

So I saw this pin earlier this week and am dying to give it a try...love that soft vintage feel of a well-worn tee!

Coolness!

Have a happy weekend!
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Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree Love

I so totally want one of these gorgeous trees!  It really makes a room feel lush and alive and happy.  I thinking of putting one in an empty little corner in our bedroom.

via.

via.

via.

I've read that all they need is a sunny room in order to thrive and our bedroom gets plenty of sun.  I'm hoping I can find one at Home Depot, I know other people have had luck getting a small one there for under $20.  So we'll see...

And the winner of our pillow giveaway is.......The Coyle Family!!

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Found Friday - SherriConley

There are so many artists on Etsy, but I have found one whose talent definitely stands out~

Meet Sherri Conley!

When I began working on my gallery wall, I wanted items that were bright, happy and had meaning for my family.  My husband loves planes, and when I found this print from SherriConley, I knew I had to have it!



 Many of Sherri's prints are available in various sizes so they can easily fit into any decor.



Sherri's prints include summery beach decor, nature inspired images, dreamy infrared photography, carnival photos, rustic and vintage style images, and decor for children and nursery.
Each one seems to have a story of its own~


A little about Sherri~

Sherri Conley resides in the historical city of Richmond, VA where she was born and raised. Living in central Virginia provides her with a wide variety of locations that are easily accessible for shooting ~ ranging from the city to the mountains of the Blue Ridge and along the scenic coasts of the Atlantic Ocean.

Developing a love of photography at an early age, Sherri began taking photos with her first camera, a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye, which was given to her by her parents. In her college years, she purchased her first “serious” camera and also invested in equipment for a darkroom where she spent countless hours in fascination watching images develop before her eyes.

Today the digital darkroom has replaced the traditional wet darkroom, and some of her images are manipulated using the photo editing software, Photoshop. Sherri loves experimenting with various creative photographic techniques with infrared photography being one of her favorites. She also enjoys in-camera techniques, hand-coloring b&w images, and creating digital compositions.

Sherri wrote: "Etsy looked like a wonderful place and perfect fit for my online shop and I began selling with Etsy in early 2008. I also exhibit at Crossroads Art Center, a fine art and crafts center, located in Richmond, VA."

I found that, along with beautiful art, Sherri provides great communications, fast shipping, and great product packaging!

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