Snowed In.

I woke up this morning to no snow on the ground and in a matter of an hour everything was white. I canceled plans to run errands so Big Duke and I could keep warm inside and catch up on custom orders. 

I feel so blessed to have so many lovely customers. Their excitement in ordering something special makes my heart happy. 

I am always interested in other's creative process so here is a small part of my custom doll process. 

A Momma, a little guy, and two Who's Your Daddy sketches.

 Once receiving all of the images and information for a custom doll I sit down and make a quick sketch as well as a list of details. I have not streamlined my process with a list of options like many shops because I believe there are certain details that need to be true to the person I am creating. It may sound silly but one of the details I seem to stress most about is the hairline!

The hair is what really makes a custom doll look like the subject and stand out from other dolls. :)

Big Duke's First Snow Day!

Today Big Duke and I had to take a break to make some memories in the snow. It is not his "first snow" but it is the first time he actually had a chance to play in it!

Ever since I received a coupon code for a free printed scrapbook and 50 prints from a photo printing website I have been a little obsessed with getting pictures printed and organized. It has been quite the task considering I have done absolutely nothing with the tens of thousands of pictures I have taken of Big Duke in the past 2.5 years (I swear I took at least thirty pictures a day for the first six months of his life....little. bit. ridiculous.) I am determined to get through them before Little Duke gets here in May. So. Much. Deleting.

I have also been making a point to delete the bad pictures as I take them and to get the good ones organized right away. It feels kind of good to get this little portion of my life together and to have physical pictures to look at rather than a bunch of files sitting on my computer.

Custom Couple and a Daddy Doll

I finished a few more custom dolls over the weekend; a lovely couple that is too adorable for words and a sweet daddy in his Red Sox hat.

For the couple, my customer requested I add the thick eyebrows. I am absolutely thrilled with the way they turned out! I love making custom dolls; the little details make them so special. :)

The dolls packing up and getting ready to head to their homes!

I also managed to redesign my business cards for 2013! I am really liking the simple and bright design.

NOTE:

With Little Duke on the way soon, I will be taking a hiatus from custom orders beginning March 15th, 2013. If you are wanting to order a Duke & June custom doll for Mother's Day or Father's Day be sure to order before March 15th! 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day friends! Do not forget to let the people you love know they are appreciated!

Also, take a moment check out this fantastic cause and share it on your blog, twitter, and/or facebook today. There are children who need forever homes and families who need your help bringing these children home. There are many fantastic stories of adoption, parents looking to adopt and the children over at Mrs Marie Osborn's blog today.  If you have an adoption story (new or old) be sure to link up on her page as well. It is a great opportunity to connect! xoxo

#Spreadthelove: A Social Media Campaign

"#SpreadtheLove is a social media campaign & blog link-up uniting bloggers, writers, parents, photographers, story tellers, friends, in honor of orphans, desperately seeking forever families. "

Please take a moment this Valentine's Day to say a prayer, donate, or show support for those children who need love, cuddles, and a forever family. Head on over to Marie Osborn's Blog to learn about the campaign and what you can do to make a difference. 

Goose and Maverick: Two Tutorials

Monday I posted about an amazing baby shower I was privileged to be a part of. Today, I want to share the gifts I made as well as the tutorials.

Handmade snugglers, screen printed aviator onesies, trapper hats from Old Navy

I have said it once, I will say it a million times again. I love Pinterest. There are so many tutorials and crafty experiments to try. Sometimes they work…sometimes they do not. Here are two tutorials that I am super pleased with.

1.  Easy Peasy DIY Screen Printing

 I started this project expecting the worst and hoping for the best. It really seemed too cheap and easy to be true. I had most of the materials on hand and did not have much to lose so I gave it a shot and was really pleased with the end product

Materials:

• Mod Podge
• Nylon (I picked up some super cheap $0.33 stockings)
• Embroidery Hoop
• Fabric Paint (I used screen printing ink, if you do the same do NOT forget to heat set it!)
• Shirt or Onesie to screen print
• Cardboard to apply & Remove ink
• Find full tutorial at My Calico Skies

Before printing on the new onesies I did a trial run on an old piece of fabric just to make sure I did not have any mistakes in my design or leaky spots in the Mod Podge. After that I did a second layer of Mod Podge touching up a few little leaks then printed on the onesies (do NOT forget to place something in between the shirt layers to protect the back). The lines were not SUPER clean like a true screen print but I think they turned out really nice. 

I have used this "screen" four times - rinsing the ink off in warm water and hanging to dry between use - and it is still holding up really well. I know it is not meant to last for long but you can get a few uses out of it if needed :)

2. Snuggler Pattern by Lotta Jansdotter

Oh. My. Goodness. I am absolutely in LOVE with this pattern. I will be using it over and over. This pattern is SUPER easy definitely something a novice sewer will feel comfortable with. The hardest part was cutting and taping the actual pattern together (more tedious than difficult).

Materials:

• FREE printable Lotta Jansdotter Pattern from Make: CRAFT
• Scissors
• Pins
• Fabric pen/chalk
• ½ yard of Velcro (18”)
• Iron
• Thread
• Hand sewing needle
• 1 yard exterior fabric:  medium weight cotton 
• 1 yard interior fabric:  soft fabric (I used flannel)

I think these look really nice with any big bold print ( If you are using a stripe/chevron you might have to do a little math to line the stripes up from front to back if you are a stickler for that kind of thing).  I went with Riley Blake Large Chevron in orange and aqua. The original pattern calls for a micro fleece but  I went with 100% cotton flannel. I like that it is natural and much easier to use when sewing it will also be a little lighter for the warmer months. Fleece and snuggle fabrics tend to stretch and move so they do require a lot of pinning. 

I think Momma was happy with these items and hope the baby boys are just as pleased! 

Are there any tutorials that you have found on Pinterest or a blog that you would recommend?

Boy, Oh Boys! : A baby shower for twins!

Let me just say, my girlfriends can throw a party. After 11 children between us (with 6 more on the way!) they have the art of throwing baby showers and birthdays down like pros.  Last weekend we had the privilege of throwing a baby shower for one of our beautiful friends who is expecting not one but TWO baby boys next month!

It was one of the cutest baby showers IN-THE-WORLD, I am sure of it. We feasted on a bread and cheese bar, enjoyed one of the most delicious beautiful cakes,  played a fun game and made a little craft for the boys.

After all of the fun was over, we all went home with some amazing homemade sugar scrub. Fun, friends, good food, and we all got a short break from our kiddos -- all of the ingredients for an amazing afternoon.

Nursery: Rockets & Robots

I have been  s l o w l y  pulling a nursery together for my second son, Little Duke. I have to admit it is not as easy as it was with the first, when I had all of the time in the world. These days I find myself spending more time pretending I am a dinosaur, scraping PB&J off of the floor, or trying to catch Big Duke as he tries to ride his Cozy Coup down the stairs. 

In between the antics, I have started to build a little inspiration board with a rockets and robots theme. I have a few more details that I want to add to the board before it is complete. 

The walls are painted and the wood floors are down. So that feels like success so far. I went with a darker blue color for the walls. At first I was a little apprehensive on going dark but I am absolutely in love with it! It is going to be perfect.

I also had to give in and pick up the two prints shown on my inspiration board and let me tell you, they are fantastic!

With his resemblance to Number Five (Short Circut) I could NOT pass him up!

Robots are Cool Poster by twenty21onecreative on Etsy

Fly Me To the Moon Poster by twenty21onecreative on Etsy

I am really over the MOON about both of these prints. The ink is so vibrant and the quality is amazing, not mention they were shipped quickly and packaged well. I will most definitely be back to pick up some prints for Big Duke's big boy room. 

Newest Custom Daddy Dolls

A few more Daddies were sent to their homes last week. I think they are the sweetest!

Jiu Jitsu Daddy, Fireman Daddy, and a Swanky Daddy by Duke & June

You can find Custom "Who's Your Daddy" dolls at www.dukendjune.etsy.com or email dukeandjune@hotmail.com.

Atticus

Handmade Bunny by Duke & June

My life is currently filled with beautiful women expecting squishy sweet babies. Along with babies come baby showers and a good excuse for cuddly handmade items and cookies.

This time around I was in charge of party favors. Wanting to do something slightly different I stumbled upon this delicious, easy, lemon crinkle cookie recipe on Pinterest.

(Image found here)

I am not sure if I can call it a "recipe" considering there are only four ingredients and a box of cake mix is one of them. All I know is that they were easy and delicious. And lets face it, I am much more interested in eating than cooking.
Another awesome find is this customizeable printable. And it is Free...FREE = NO MONEY.

Free Custom Printable www.ontobaby.com

Yes. Atticus. As in Atticus Finch from Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus Finch also happens to be voted THE greatest hero in American Film . So, you know, this baby is already has a great start!