tutorial :: summer fairy peg dolls

 

In honor of International Fairy Day on June 24th, Bella Luna Toys asked whether I'd like to collaborate on a Summer Fairy Peg Doll Tutorial...

You can find the tutorial here!

 

In case you're interested, Bella Luna Toys sells copies of my first book, and they also sell blank peg dolls!

 

 How will you be celebrating International Fairy Day this year?

tutorial :: angel peg dolls

All night, all day,

Angels watching over me, my Lord.

All night, all day,

Angels watching over me.

(Gospel Hymn)

Today on the Moon Child Blog for Bella Luna Toys, you can find a new tutorial for peg doll angels. Click HERE to see it!  In July I also created a tutorial for Bella Luna's Moon Child Blog on the topic of painting peg dolls with multi-racial skin tones. You can find that tutorial HERE.

If you enjoy my tutorials, you can also find more peg doll designs and patterns in my two books. My first book is available for purchase from Bella Luna Toys, and both books can be found HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

tutorial:: toadstool peg dolls

When Sarah, of Sarah's Silks, asked if I'd like to create a tutorial for peg dolls to accompany the launch of her new "Wooden Play Houses," I said, "Yes, of course!!"

 

You can find the toadstool peg doll tutorial HERE in the the Journal section of the Sarah's Silks website, and you can find the playhouses HERE.

If you enjoyed the tutorial, you can find more peg doll designs and patterns in my two books. My first book is available for purchase from Bella Luna Toys, and both books can also be found HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

tutorial :: crafting diversity

When children create artwork and playthings for themselves, not only will the work of their hands reflect imagination, but also reflect their own lives and the people who surround them. And because our children and the people who surround them are diverse, Bella Luna Toys and I have collaborated on this tutorial to reflect this beautiful, vital diversity. 

You can find the tutorial HERE on the Bella Luna Toys blog. I hope you receive this tutorial with as much love as I put into creating it.

hinamatsuri

 Let's light the lanterns on the tiered stand,

Let's arrange the peach blossom branches.

Five court musicians are playing flutes & drums.

Today is a joyful Dolls' Festival.

-- Traditional Song

Hinamatsuri is celebrated in Japan on March 3rd. For this festival, families bring out a special set of dolls dressed in traditional court costumes of the Heian period, and modern doll designs are popular, too.  

This tradition inspired me to design a set of Hinamatsuri dolls for my first book (Making Peg Dolls, Hawthorn Press 2012), but this morning, I felt like updating my design and making a new set (see photo at top of the post).

photo courtesy of folkeshi

And my recent entree into the world of Instagram has sparked a renewed interest for me in kokeshi. Via Instagram, I've become acquainted with Laetitia Hebert who runs the shop Folkeshi where she carries a beautiful collection of vintage and modern dolls -- I've become especially enamored with the modern designs of Hiraga Teruyuki and Tayama Izumi.

Below are two videos of kokeshi artists at work.  They're mesmerizing.

Happy Hinamatusuri!

tutorial :: peg doll valentine stamps

 

This little peg doll craft is a repeat from two years ago, but these sweeties are so perfect for creating peg doll gifts and Valentines, that I just can't help pulling them out of my hat again this year.

SUPPLIES FOR MAKING A PEG DOLL STAMP

-- 1 sheet of craft-foam (this stuff)

-- Larger size peg dolls, at least
    2 3/8 in tall (6 cm) like these

-- water color paint

-- beeswax polish (tutorial HERE)

-- Scissors + glue

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING A PEG DOLL STAMP

STEP 1 ::Use watercolors to paint your peg doll, and allow to dry.

STEP 2 :: Cut a shape from craft foam.  The shape you cut should be smaller than the diameter of the peg doll base.

STEP 3 :: Glue your foam shape to the bottom of the peg doll and allow the glue to dry for at least an hour or two.

STEP 4 :: Have fun using your stamp!

Note: If you use water soluble glue, be careful washing your stamp.  I find it's best to clean these stamps by dampening a paper towel and gently wiping off ink residue.

trick-or-treat!

Trick-or-treat!

peg doll skipping rope

There is this thing which sometimes happens to me.  A friend casually says, "Have you ever thought of making Halloween bats?"  "Pilgrims?"  "Turkeys?!"  "A doll house and furniture for peg dolls?" "A mermaid grotto?"  "Sushi!"  "Wouldn't that be cute?"  My immediate response is to put my hands over my ears and shout, "NO NO NO! Why did you say that!!? I don't have time for this project right now!!!" Then I say words which are not suitable for reprint here on my blog.  Because, inevitably, the idea gets stuck in my head and I will not rest until the concept is brought to life.

And so it was that, a few weeks ago, my friend Heather said, "How about a jump rope with peg doll handles?!"  I muttered some rude words (not suitable for saying in front of children), but you know what happened next..

If you are inclined to make a peg doll jump rope for a very lucky child (or yourself), my tutorial for making skipping ropes can be found HERE.  And large size peg dolls are available for purchase HERE and HERE.

Thank you, Heather, for the truly lovely and wonderfully inspired idea!!  (Please let's set a date this summer for you to bring your girls over to make skipping rope handles, and we can all skip rope together...)

peg dolls march for science

The MARCH FOR SCIENCE will occur on April 22nd, 2017 on the National Mall in Washington DC and in over 425 other locations world wide.  I cannot be there in person, but my dolls and I stand in solidarity.  The information below is excerpted from the MARCH FOR SCIENCE website:

WHY
Science, scientists, and evidence-based policymaking are under attack. Budget cuts, censorship of researchers, disappearing datasets, and threats to dismantle government agencies harm us all, putting our health, food, air, water, climate, and jobs at risk. It is time for people who support science to take a public stand and be counted.

WHAT

The March for Science is the first step of a global movement to defend the vital role science plays in our health, safety, economies, and governments.

HOW
We are building a broad, nonpartisan, and diverse coalition of organizations and individuals who stand up for science. We are advocating for evidence-based policymaking, science education, research funding, and inclusive and accessible science. All with your support!

WHO
People who value science. Science advocates, science educators, scientists, and concerned citizens. More than 170 partner organizations and counting. And you!

WHERE

The National Mall in Washington, DC and 425+ satellite marches around the world. For DC, event details here, and info on buses here.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

NOTE: Three of the signs held by dolls in the image above were designed by katrinawaffles.  You can see more of her work and purchase t-shirts & posters HERE on her RED BUBBLE store front.  Thank you, Katrina, for your kind permission to feature your work on my blog!

sweethearts

Who can take a rainbow,
Wrap it in a sigh,
Soak it in the sun 

and make a groovy lemon pie?

The Candy Man...

The Candy Man can
'Cause he mixes it with love
And makes the world taste good.

lyrics: Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley

tutorial :: valentine heart stamps

A little tutorial on making tiny Valentine cards from peg doll heart stamps (reposted from February 1st, 2016...) xo

SUPPLIES FOR MAKING A PEG DOLL STAMP

-- 1 sheet of craft-foam (this stuff)

-- Larger size peg dolls, at least
    2 3/8 in tall (6 cm) like these

-- water color paint

-- beeswax polish (tutorial HERE)

-- Scissors & glue

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING A PEG DOLL STAMP

STEP 1 :: Cut a shape from craft foam.  The shape you cut should be smaller than the diameter of the peg doll base.

STEP 2 :: Glue your foam shape to the bottom of the peg doll and allow the glue to dry for at least an hour or two.

STEP 3 :: Have fun using your stamp!

Note: If you use water soluble glue, be careful washing your stamp.  I find it's best to clean these stamps by dampening a paper towel and gently wiping off ink residue.

SUPPLIES FOR MAKING A STAMPED CARD

-- 1 peg doll stamp (see instructions above)

--  Colorful ink pads & a black ink pen

-- Card stock paper

-- Scissors or a paper-cutter

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING A STAMPED CARD

STEP 1 :: Cut your card stock paper to desired size. My card stock was
 2 in (5 cm) by 3 1/2 in (9 cm). After cutting paper to size, fold it in half.

STEP 2 ::  Use ink pad to apply ink and then stamp your card(s).

STEP 3 ::  Use a black pen to write little messages on your card(s).

Happy (almost) Valentine's Day!

peg doll protest

Although the peg dolls in this video have smiles on their faces, reveling in the companionship of sisterhood and the freedom to raise their voices, inside they are angry and scared.

Foolishness aside, of course you understand that underlying my peg doll protest is the anger, horror and dread I feel when I think about the man who will assume highest office in this country within a matter of days.  And so in my own way, I speak out (or allow my dolls to speak for me). 

The little video my husband and I created was inspired by the artwork over at join the UpRoar -- a group of artists who "want to provide passionate Americans with signs to help express how they feel. To take to the streets. To hang in our windows. To share in our feeds. To hold high."  Thank you Ingrid Chang, Jeremy Wirth, Laura Drayton & Mindy Benner for kindly granting us permission to use your work in our photos and video. And also, thank you to my 6 year old for helping me paint dolls.

I am further inspired by the recent work of Salley Mavor, the Pussyhat Project and other protest art such as these statues (nudity warning), these posters, this recent Time Magazine cover and this powerful photo-series by 18 year-old Arla Watson. No one should be silent at a time like this.  Not even peg dolls.

To find out more about the Women's March on Washington you can click here.  You can find out about sister marches in over 600 cities throughout the United States and all over the world by clicking here.

'tis the season

...for acorns!

Note: The leaves and acorn above are from a variety of oak called California Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia); as you may have noticed, the leaves are not deeply lobed in the way that would identify most varieties of oak leaves.

speaking of mermaids

Speaking of mermaids, you've seen our animated book trailer with the dancing pirates and diving mermaid, haven't you?  If not, you can do a little jig along with my merry swashbucklers by clicking below...

And, in case you're interested, I'm giving away a few mermaid peg dolls which I created for my first book. You can find details about the give-away HERE.

mermaid give-away!

I've been cleaning out my garage and it's obvious that I have far too many peg dolls.  Hard to believe, right? It's not much fun keeping them in boxes, so I thought I'd share some of them with you.

 

While I was working on my first book Making Peg Dolls, I couldn't decide on the exact mermaid variation I liked best, so I ended up creating four sets of mermaid dolls (totaling 20 mermaids in all, by the time I was done). Thus, I have mermaids in excess.

If you would like one of my mermaids (or two... or maybe even three) to swim into your mailbox, please leave a comment below; and just for fun, you can mention what sorts of peg dolls you think I should include in my next book.  The contents of the new book are already decided, so no promises re: including your ideas, but I'm always curious to know where your interests lie!

I will choose two names via random drawing and announce the winners at the end of next week.  Good luck!

Comments are now closed -- thank you to everyone for joining in the fun! Winners have been chosen; congratulations to lucky #9 and #28.

mermaid grotto :: tutorial re-post

Last August I posted this tutorial for creating a mermaid grotto, and it was so well-loved that I thought re-posting it today might be a nice way to welcome summer... and please come back later in the week for a special mermaid surprise.

SUPPLIES
-- A medium sized box  (such as a large shoe box)

-- Some paper in greens and blues. I had this
    scrapbook paper in my cupboard, but any
    sort of colorful paper will be great.

-- Seashells of assorted shapes & sizes

-- A small cardboard jewelry/gift box.  My box
    measures 2 1/4 in x 3 1/4 in (5 1/2 cm x 8 cm).

-- Scraps of fabric

-- A glue stick and glue gun

-- Scissors

(NOTE: instructions for making mermaids and octopus can be found here in my books.)

STEP 1 ::  Cut the front off your box and cut away 1/2 to 2/3 of the top.  (I also glued the top of my box so that it is tilted up, but this is completely optional.)

STEP 2 :: Cover the inside of your box with ocean-colored paper.  Using glue stick to affix your paper to box will ensure that your paper will lie flat and not buckle.  

STEP 3 :: I added waves, some seaweed, and a fish to decorate the walls of my grotto.  Other things to add might be an octopus, seashells, coral, starfish, etc...   You can find endless ideas and images by searching online for clip-art.  Have fun making up your own sea grotto design!

I didn't cover the outside of my box, however, feel free to paint the outside of your box or cover it with paper.

MAKING A MERMAID BED 

STEP 1 ::  Cut a strip of fabric to fit around the edges of your box and affix in place with hot glue.

STEP 2 :: Use hot glue to stick seashells around the sides of the box (note: I am not usually a fan of hot glue, however, it is the best type of glue for holding seashells in place).

STEP 3 :: Cut some small pieces of fabric to serve as a mattress and blanket.

STEP 4 :: Tuck your mermaid in and sing her a lullaby. 

It's a nice idea to set the table with your best dishes when you are expecting a friend for tea.

If you ask nicely, an octopus is always happy to help set the table.

Shhh... the baby is sleeping.

If you are looking for a beautiful bedtime story for your own mer-baby, I highly recommend The Mermaid and the Shoe by K. G. Campbell.

Note: instructions for creating mermaid peg dolls can be found in both of my books, and the pattern/instructions for making the octopus can be found in my second book Making Peg Dolls & More.