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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Bald is Beautiful

I am having so much fun creating these cute little bald babies. Soon they will be available in many different colors and styles.

 I love the pastel colors together. Which color and style is your favorite?




Do you prefer the tiny bows or the little rosebud on the baby's head?

 
I think they looks so sweet together riding in this metal Easter basket.
 
 
 

Monday, January 28, 2013

Poetry

My daughter was working on a poetry assignment this weekend. She had to write 3 different poems using different styles. I had never heard of a Diamante style poem.

I thought I'd try my hand at one.Why not make one up about my dolls?


                             Diamante Poem: 

                                                          GermanDolls


                                                      Waldorf
                                          Traditional, German
                                    Handmade, Sewed, Stuffed
                                  Wool,   Fabric,    Thread,     Yarn
                                             Hug, Cuddle, Love
                                                   Sweet, Soft
                                                         Doll


                   How do you like my poem? I hope it inspires you to write your own.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Addiction

I am an addict. I have said it before. The stuff I am addicted to is FABRIC. It just can't be helped. Despite my new year's resolution. Every year I have the same. Use up the fabric you got, Ulla. When I come across a fabric I love I must have it. I stumbled upon some of these beauties you see in the photo on Ebay the other day. I wasn't really searching, I swear....


 
I am in love with hearts and pink and love all Valentine's Day themed fabric...So here it goes. I managed to grow the stash again - instead of shrinking it. Help! Thanks for letting me share.
 
For now I am just staring at it. I can't bring myself to cut into those cute little envelopes. Maybe next year....
After all I paid mega-bucks to get it from a world away.
 
Confessions of a fabriholic...
 

Monday, January 21, 2013

Bald Babies

I have watched this little drama unfold many times. A new mom grocery shopping with her baby gal getting compliments on how cute "he" - "the little boy" is...

The only way to avoid this seems to be pink clothes and gluing on hairbows.

So to celebrate all those cute girls that had to wait for their hair to grow in I created this wee baby.

Go bald babies!

Friday, January 18, 2013

Feedback Six Years Later

I received the cutest picture via Etsy conversations today.

Someone who bought a doll from me eons ago on Ebay contacted me.
This is what the  note said:

Here is my 2 yo snuggling with his big sisters doll. I bought it from you on ebay about 6 yrs ago. Just thought you would like to see how well your babies hold up. In fact, I'm thrilled to bump into you here...I'm tempted to get him one of his own! Thanks again for the beautiful babe, Jess




                                     This is so sweet. It really made my day.

                                           Hope your day is going well, too!

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Learning New Things...

My husband always gives me great toys for my crafting and sewing. My stocking is usually filled with with more or less useful gadgets. In Christmas 2007 I received a needlefelting kit. I have loved the art of felting ever since. Felt making is such an amazing craft. But I only do it when things slow down and when I have lots of time. After Christmas is the perfect time.

For quite a while I have been wanting to try wet felting. The tools used are so simple and readily available in any home. It all seemed such an easy thing to do.

 Well, I can tell you that much: It is not as easy as it looks



I wanted to create some treasure eggs for Easter to put my tiny dolls and needle felted creatures in.  In order to make them I read up on wetfelting and watched several videos on the internet.



In the end I made them my own German way, combining several techniques. If you want to wetfelt all you need is:

soap
wool roving
water (hot & cold)
bubblewrap
old towels
a bowl or two

+lots of patience...

I made blue eggs and some dark green eggs because those were the two colors I had tons of wool roving left over from needlefelting.

You can see the results of my first efforts in the photos here.
The felt is not quite as firm as I wanted it to be. But I still find my eggs turned out to be very soft and beautiful.

They make the perfect little soft nest for my little ones.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

My Favorite Store in Town

Did you see my post about my favorite store in town? I published it on NaturalKid's Team blog yesterday. Please go on over and check it out if you  have a moment. If you live in the vicinity you should really visit this cute little shop.


Jean and Sherry Baker run this beautiful shop in Greeley, Colorado. It's located right next to a flower store on 2200 Reservoir Road. I buy all my floss for doll making and toy making here. It's craftheaven for crossstitchers.

Sherry Baker from Country Crafts

Friday, January 11, 2013

Leilas Doll


Leilas doll 1, originally uploaded by germandolls.

Little Leila's doll is waiting patiently for her new clothes. She told me she wants a floral dress with a pocket doll. It's cold in the house. I better get cracking.

Brrrr. Hope it warms up a bit today.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

LoveLetters


sweetheart doll mocha pink 2, originally uploaded by germandolls.

How cute would that be sent along with a card or loveletter?

Monday, January 7, 2013

Must-See Van Gogh Show at the DAM

If you live near Denver I hope you got to see the Van Gogh show at the Denver Art Museum. If not you better hurry and catch it now. They have even added hours at night. Don't miss it!



We finally got to see it yesterday. I am so glad we did. The children love going to the DAM. It's a wonderful museum. And not only because you get to say a bad word without fear of getting punished. The DAM is a great museum to visit. It has a lot of interactive stations where kids can learn about art in a playful way.
I was really impressed how many young children came  to the Van Gogh show walking around with headsets and listening intently to his story.



Seeing the show left me deeply moved and yearning to get my oilpaints out. It's been a long long time since I did a painting. Could be years...At some point the sewing and dolls just took over my life. But who knows. I still have lots of time. Come spring I may bring out my easel and go back to painting.
We all learned so much from this art show. For one, how much beautiful art a person can create in only 10 years. Yet it seems so sad, to think, that Vincent died a rather poor man when his works sell for millions and have become the most desired artworks on the planet. It's a mad mad world.

On the way home we read some more about his life. It was kind of strange how the show told a completely different story from what I had learned growing up. There was no mention of a lopped off ear. I also remembered the story of his final days very differently. In artlessons at school I learned that Vincent took his own life. The version of an accidental shooting by a stranger was complete news to me.

What is the truth? Does it matter? I hope whereever you are Vincent, you can see the throngs of people flocking around your art and know what difference you made.

Friday, January 4, 2013

The Other Blog

I am not sure if you are following my musings in the other place I write: The Natural Kids Team blog. I hope you do, or you might miss important stuff. LOL

Like this great article I wrote on some useless sewing gadget I received for Christmas.



What is your favorite present you received for Christmas? I am especially interested if you got something related to sewing. My husband always fills my stocking with sewing gadgets. For example, one year, I received 150 new bobbins. I really needed them. You can never have enough bobbins, right?

What is the most useless sewing gadget you ever bought or received as a gift? I'd really like to know.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

minime bloomers


minime bloomers, originally uploaded by germandolls.

sweethearts jumper and cute pink bloomers for you doll...

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Little Love...

I am gearing up for Valentine's Day. Can you tell?



Each year my husband tries to make me believe that it's in March really. Can somebody please tell the Dude that it's coming right up on him - and he better order my favorite box of chocolates right now!


Thanks for your support. ;)

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

a string of moments

I don't know where I read this expression recently but I really liked it. How life is nothing but a string of moments and that the best we can do is try to make them good moments. Moments worthwhile remembering.

As I was browsing my FB friends' string of moments on this New Years Day morning, I came across a drawing of a doll made up as clown. It brought back memories of my childhood. One of those weird little moments. Maybe I remember it more because I have this rather strange polaroid photo of it.
In the photo you see me dressed up as a clown on New Year's Eve.



I am not sure why I did that. Why put on a clownsuit to greet the New Year? I have forgotten the names of the family friends, the couple, who came to celebrate with my parents that particular year. The lady looks rather scary in her 70s big hairdo and strange clothing. Her blouse kind of matches my clownsuit pattern. My sister looks tiny next to the lady. I am actually younger than my sister, but thanks to the clownsuit, I look much taller and bigger.

New Year's Eve was the only day of the year we were allowed to stay up late. We would also get a little sip of Champagne at midnight. But the best was staying up to watch the fireworks.

In Germany New Year's Eve is the only time when regular folks are allowed to buy fireworks and shoot them off to their heart's content.

Often there were huge controversies about it. People would argue how this was such a huge waste of money and resources. Wouldn' this money be better spent on food for people in the third world?
I remember the slogan: Brot statt Boeller. ( bread instead of loud fireworks).

I believe the foes of this sort of entertainment have never won the argument. Year after year some children and older folks get hurt because they don't follow safety rules using fireworks. My parents never had the money for such things. The only thing my dad would use to make noise was a blank gun. The loud pops it made was supposed to chase away the evil spirits and clean the slate for the New Year.

Did it work? I don't know. There were good years and very bad years for our family. I try to remember the good moments as best as I can. How about you?

I wish you all a very Happy New Year. May your string of moments be a long chain of happy and beautiful ones!