When bad clothes happen to good dolls...

I try to avoid maligning other crafters, for there's beauty in all creations. Everything takes time to sew, knit, or crochet, and every effort should be celebrated.

And then there's the o_O creations people sell on Etsy. They're made using fabrics which don't suit a pattern well, they're made using a bad pattern, the color choice is all over the place... it's just wrong. Very, very wrong.

Here's what happens when bad clothes happen to good dolls... this is from Etsy and eBay.

The ruffle is just too much. And the print, well, too busy to be THAT widely used. On the top or on the bottom and it wouldn't be as bad.

Again, the ruffle ruins the outfit. Without the full bottom ruffle, and even leaving the top red one, and it'd be MUCH cuter, IMHO. 

Color choice on this one. The dress design doesn't do well with a "busy" print like this paisley. And the buttons would look better in ONE color.

I'm a Seahawks fan, being a native Northwesterner. But this print is just "too big" for the size of this dress and the doll. 

Too much going on here. Dress with the butterflies and flowers and neons, well, it just looks like fabric vomit. 

It looks like wallpaper. And the crafter, from eBay, wants $84.95 for it. Um, FAIL. If I was gonna spend $85 on a dress for a doll, it'd be something like the following dress...



NOT A FAIL... the colors, pattern, and trim all work with this dress. And it's $25 less than the previous one, which would be enough to buy an AG outfit from eBay, or something similar. 

Why I Love My Local Joann's

My local Joann's, in the OC hamlet of Buena Park, is one of the better ones out there, from selection of items, to, well, the sales associates and cashiers.

Case in point-- I went in last night to buy some Sands Alive sand-- $7.99 a bag (2 lbs), on sale (regular price $17.99). The cashier said, "Seriously, don't get it here", and proceeded to tell me that at the 99 Cent Only store, on Walker and Ball, the SAME PRODUCT, SAME SIZE and everything, was a mere $1.99. I was skeptical, after all, some products sold at that chain are... well... cheap. And not worth the money you pay for them.

But I was wrong. It's the same stuff, and at that low price, I've picked up six bags-- 12 lbs-- for LESS than the original price. It's easy to color, using Wilton Gel Icing Colors, and I have several pastel shades. I may end up adding glitter as well, even though I have a definite love/hate relationship with glitter.

Anywho, if you're in California, Arizona, Texas, or Nevada, go by the 99 Cent Only store, and pick up some of this interesting play medium (and not just for kids). I find when I have a migraine or cluster headache, it helps to palpitate something in my hands (or knit-- either works well).

While it feels like a bit of sandy cookie dough, it molds and holds up like play dough. This particular brand has little to no smell, and is one of those "clean" toys which leaves virtually no mess and is easy to clean up. It's also a more easy to color white/gray shade, so coloring it to whatever vibrant shade under the rainbow is easy (just wear gloves, unless you want Rainbow Brite hands!). 

Trouver l'inspiration dans la nature

The title of this post is simply, "Finding inspiration in nature."

One of my favorite places here in SoCal is, well, the beach. That goes for pretty much anywhere in the world I've ever been. I love the beach-- the feel of the air, the sounds of waves pounding the shore, of seagulls loudly calling, of feeling sand between my toes, of wading in the water... there isn't much about the beach I don't like.

And of course, I tend to find inspiration in crafting, and in art, at the beach. I'm a very Irish Catholic sort, and find a lot of joy, and also, proof of God's existence, in nature. If you go back far enough I'm pretty sure me Mum's Mum's father's family probably worshipped nature gods and "the" Goddess.

Yesterday in a day trip down to Seal Beach, CA, I wondered in an AWESOME shop-- California Sea Shell Company-- on Main Street. I spent nearly all of my allotted parking time-- at least 45 minutes-- wondering around, picking out shells they had, and also finding inspiration in some of their already made products. One of the things I liked the most was a "jewelry dish" made out of a large oyster shell, and in looking through all of their many shells and other products, I decided I could make my own, have fun doing so, and for less than the one they had for sale. Yes, it's "copying" another artisan/crafter, but imitation IS the sincerest form of flattery. Many of the shells were on sale, so I was able to get all I need to make jewelry, the dish, and a few other "sea inspired" goods.

I'll post pics of my finished products when I'm done.

I also intend to make "California" ornaments, using two Ann Clark cookie cutters (shape of CA, a palm tree), and this clay recipe-- Homemade Sand Clay Recipe --  perhaps for gifts for NEXT Christmas, perhaps as something I could sell on Etsy for "shits and giggles" money...

Also yesterday... a trip into Encino into our (my husband and my own) attorney's office, and a swing by Mrs. Beasley's, and my sweet tooth is VERY HAPPY. Not to mention, I have a nice tin in which to gather sand in on my next swing through Seal Beach (or Huntington Beach, or Manhattan Beach, or Malibu or Dana Point... needless to say, there are LOTS of beaches around here).   

New Prototype Doll from Via-E

You may recall my previous post on Via-E's Alexis O'Shay doll. Sometime in 2015, the first "friend" doll, Tatiana Nayara Oliveiera, will be released. Hopefully I'll be working soon, and will be able to pre-order this doll. For a limited time, the Tatiana doll is $68, which is a VERY competitive price for a doll of this quality. Alexis (and her soon to be released Dollfriend Tatiana) is made of high quality vinyl, that doesn't "smell" like some dolls do. She can also get wet, go in a pool, take a bath or shower with her child companion... she can also move more realistically than an AG doll, due to her joints a lot like the MUCH MORE expensive Kids N Cats dolls.

I especially like everything I hear about the Via-E company. It's a family-owned business, and the creator of the Alexis doll, Ellen, is a very warm, very personable person from interactions I've had with her, both here on my blog and on the Via E Dollfriends Facebook page.

Her interactions in promoting the doll in local Los Angeles/Orange County/California toy stores are genuine. She doesn't downtalk a child's existing doll, but points out how they'd make a good companion or Dollfriend for their existing dolls. Nor does she talk down any other doll company, which is something I appreciate. I tend to not do business or like companies which engage in backbiting of others in the same industry. I try to shop local, and TECHNICALLY, I'm still a Californian. Via-E is headquartered just down a way from Azusa, in San Clemente, CA. I also prefer to support small businesses over national corporations whenever possible. Via-E is a small, independent doll company.

Anyways, if you like the Alexis doll, you should pre-order Tatiana. If you like to spread diversity in the toy box, Tatiana is an excellent way of doing this, as she represents an Indian/Black Brazilian girl. She should be released this year, but manufacturing issues beyond Via E's control MAY delay release of the doll. It was this way with Alexis, and sometimes dealing with overseas (China) toy makers can be tedious, due to language barriers, time zone barriers, and the like.

I know I'll continue to be part of the Via-E company as soon as I'm working and have the money to buy the Tatiana doll. I'm a 33 year old woman, time to stop relying on my Mom to buy me dolls, and buy them for myself if I want to do so! And I have... I've bought 3 AG dolls out of my spending money (two JLY dolls and the Saige GOTY doll). And some togs for Alexis, since American Girl brand clothing and others don't always fit the best, as the Alexis doll is slightly slimmer and taller than a standard AG doll.