Finale

I just finished putting the final touches on 2 very special little dolls...

Kara

and Sadie...

These dolls will always hold a very special place in my heart for so many reasons.  First off, they each come with a set full of wonderful accessories.  Not only are they each wearing fabulous outfits by The Melamoose Co. , Melanie made them each a few extra outfits:  Kara has 2, Sadie has 3.  Each gal also has a very special little elephant friend I made from a pattern designed by my new friend Shelly of Gingermelon.  The little elephants were so much fun to make.  I have been longing to create a couple of sets for a while now.  I always love the idea of getting a doll with a complete wardrobe and a special friend.  And a suitcase.  You have to love a pink suitcase!

The other reason these dolls will always be special to me is they are most likely the last dolls I will make under the Apple Tree House name.  Don't worry, I will still be making dolls!  I will just be doing them all under my Honeydotz brand name.  I am registering with the CSPIA to make sure I am in compliance with all laws governing things made for children and it will be much easier to keep track of things if it is all in one place.  Please take a moment and "Like" the Honeydotz Facebook Fan Page and check out the Honeydotz Web Site.  I am planning a lot of fun stuff, including a giveaway (or 2!!) and some free stuff as well.

For now, both dolls are available in my Apple Tree House Etsy Shop.  I will copy this post for the Honeydotz site as well so all of my new friends will have an idea of what is coming up.  

As always, thank you so much for your continued support on this fun adventure!

xo Debra

International Dot Day 2012

If it seems like it has been a while since my last blog post... that is because it HAS been a while since my last blog post!  Life seems to get busier and busier and there never seems to be time anymore for some of the things I love, but that is about to change.  I am now homeschooling both of my kids and we are starting to settle into a decent rhythm (for now!).  The house we moved a year ago is really coming together.  Mr. ATH and I have been busy at work fixing, updating, improving, and (still, slowly) unpacking.  I guess at this point if I haven't used it in a year I should donate it, but I am scared to accidentally give away some of my beautiful art yarn stash so I will persevere. 

I did manage to finish 2 of my new Ragdorf style dolls this week.  I am so so in love with this style of doll.  I took some of my favorite elements of both the Waldorf and Rag Doll style bodies and meshed them together into a 10 inch sized doll that can wear the same clothing that my old 10 inch style dolls could wear.  That means many of the doll clothes available on Etsy for this sized doll will fit my Ragdorf dolls, and the Lil Sally Doll Dress Pattern by Lil Blue Boo will fit them as well. 

The dolls do have black gemstone bead eyes so I do not recommend them for small kids.  I stitch them on super tight but better safe than sorry. 

So why did I title this post "International Dot Day 2012"?  Good question!  International Dot Day is a super fun day to celebrate the creative spirit in each one of us.  It was inspired by one of my favorite children's books, "The Dot" by Peter H. Reynolds.  If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.  Even though my kids are getting big, this is still a fun read and the artwork is so special.  You can read more about International Dot Day here:  https://www.facebook.com/InternationalDotDay?ref=ts 
and here:  http://www.thedotclub.org/dotday/

To celebrate International Dot Day, I decided to make 2 special dolls inspired by the book.  They will be available in my Etsy Shop on Friday, September 14, 2012 at 9 pm EST.  Each gal is wearing a special dress made of designer print cottons in dot prints trimmed with dot ribbon.  They each have on undies with elastic waists and rosette trim as well as hand knit shoes.  The dolls will each be $120 plus shipping.

 Thanks so much for stopping by!

xoxo Debra
 

Ragdorf?

There... I said it...."Ragdorf".  It kind of makes me giggle a bit. 

When I contacted my lawyer to apply for the trademark for the term, she giggled too :) 

What is a "Ragdorf" anyway?  It is something I have been dreaming of and fiddling around with for quite a while.  It is my hybrid version of my two favorite styles of cloth dolls... the Waldorf doll and the Rag doll.   I took some of my favorite elements of each style.... the natural materials and sculpted head of the Waldorf, the long thin floppy limbs with over-sized hands and feet as well as the bead eyes of the Rag Doll.

This is what I came up with.... my first born 10 inch Ragdorf doll.  Her name is Friday, she will stay with my first born daughter:

This is Chrysanthemum, a/k/a Chryssie, designed by my youngest daughter. Chryssie is going to stay here too.

This is Tiny Bubbles, she is the new The Melamoose Co.  

And now to introduce the two new dolls that will be available in my Etsy Shop tonight, 5/24/12 at 10 pm EST.

First up we have Taryn.

Taryn is about 10 inches tall, has sun tan cotton skin, a head full of the softest wool blond hair that can be restyled.  Like all of my dolls, she is firmly stuffed with pure wool.  She is wearing an apple print tunic made from designer print quilting cotton, linen pants, and little hand knit shoes.  She has bead eyes and because of the potential choking hazard, I do not recommend her for small children.  She is wonderfully floppy and sits beautifully. 


And this is Lisa.

Lisa is about 10 inches tall, has sun tan cotton skin, a head full of locally hand dyed wool hair that is quite long and can be restyled.  She is firmly stuffed with pure wool.  She is wearing an apple print tunic made from a Japanese cotton linen blend, linen pants, and little hand knit shoes.  She has bead eyes and because of the potential choking hazard, I do not recommend her for small children.  She is wonderfully floppy and sits beautifully. 



As stated above, the upload for these 2 dolls will be at 10 pm EST on Thursday, May 25th 2012.  The Etsy website is:  http://www.appletreehouse.etsy.com    





I have had such an incredible time making these gals... expect to see more of them soon!

xoxo Debra

Sneak Peek at Something New...

Here's a little peek at the new 10 inch dolls that will be available in my Etsy shop on Thursday... time t/b/a.

Tiny Bubbles

No, not the kind you find in champagne... here is a little peek at the new 10 inch doll I just finished for a dear friend that I have nicknamed Bubbles. 

She is one of the first dolls from a new pattern I have spent hours and hours working on.  There will be a couple of dolls available in my shop the week of the 20th, please check back for more details and photos!

xoxo Debra

Like a Little Duck

my name is Debra and I have a yarn hoarding problem.  i love yarn.  a lot.  the yarn for the doll pictured below was purchased almost a year ago and I have been saving it for a special doll... i finally got around to finishing her this week and she was every bit as special as i had hoped she would be.

This is Jacqueline, she is on her way home to Michigan to a lovely grandma who will have her around for tea parties and such when her darling grand daughters stop by for a visit.

I also finished up another 15 inch custom doll that her mama has named Lil Bleu... she is on her way home to Oklahoma.

I know things have seemed a bit quiet lately, but rest assured that it is only quiet on the surface.  I am like a little duck, gliding smoothly across the pond, little feet paddling quickly below the water to accomplish my goals.  Please subscribe to the blog so you will see what I have been up to!  There will be some interesting gluten free baking stuff (bread!!) coming up as well as another new take on a doll...a 10 inch doll.

xoxo Debra

New Doll Style

I have finally changed, tweaked, and reworked my 15 inch doll pattern and I am so happy with the results!  This is the latest doll made with the new and improved pattern...

She is a custom doll that is now in California.  I love how she can sit, and her feet are so sweet in her little shoes.  I had such fun designing the little pattern and it was so nice to get back to a little knitting.  The neatest thing about this size doll (which actually measures between 14 and 15 inches) is not only can she wear clothing designed for 15 inch dolls, but she can also wear some 12 inch doll clothing as well.  I will get a pic of some of the Melamoose Co.  clothing that is sized for 12 inch dolls on this size doll so you can see how it works.

I am working on another custom doll in this size at the moment as well as a doll for the shop.  The shop doll will be a blue eyed gal with an amazing head of hair... but that is all I will say about that for now!

And while I am at it... maybe I will play with the 10 inch doll pattern as well....

Also, for those of you who have been wondering about the Team Ashley gals... Lisa has outed us!  http://www.lilblueboo.com/2012/04/meet-team-ashley.html#comments
There are some pretty amazing people out there and I am pleased to know them :)


xoxo Debra