July 12, 2016
by Tammy
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Amazing what you can find when you start organizing your craft clutter! Look who it is! I found this cute little doll. She was a special favorite of mine from childhood. These “Dawn” dolls are tiny fashion dolls that came out during the mid-1970s.
July 11, 2016
by Tammy
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After showing some of the loom knit hats I made for some of my Blythe dolls on Facebook, I had a lot of doll collectors asking for a pattern. I did not actually use what I would consider a pattern. I basically just used a very small loom, and, well, I explain it in more detail in the video below. You don’t need to know how to knit at all (seriously!) to be able to make one of these cute knit loom Blythe doll hats. Oh, and they also fit other dolls like American Girl dolls too!
July 11, 2016
by Tammy
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Simon Says Stamp Card Kit Winner
The “Look for the Miracles “Simon Says Stamp card kit, blew Eileen away when she saw the 10 all occasion cards Vicky Papaioannou created and calculated the value of the kit materials!
Leisure Arts sent the Crafty Princess a set of knitting looms to review.
Andrea stitched up a version of Connie’s Rainbow Hearts pattern and she is using it for quite a good cause. Find out what it is and consider joining in.
July 4, 2016
by Tammy
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Creating Craft Videos: How to DIY
Have you thought of sharing craft skills online by creating craft videos? Videos are a popular resource for people who want to learn. Here’s how to DIY.
Did you know that Fire Mountain Gems has a gemstone color chart with links that take you right to beads of all shapes in your chosen color? Very cool!
Blythe Doll Beret Pattern – Recipe
Crochet a cute beret for your Blythe doll or American Girl doll using these instructions.
July 3, 2016
by Tammy
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I Draw on Cats: A Connect-the-Dots Activity Book
The concept sounds a little crazy, and it is, but I think it is pretty fun too. It’s 48 pages long and is full of color photographs of cats. The photos have drawings superimposed on top of them, and then there are connect the dots that are numbered so that you can also draw on top of the photo and finish off the final image.
I have to admit that my old eyes have a little trouble reading the numbers on some of the photographs, but I see this more as a book for a child to play with. I think it would be especially appealing for anyone who is homeschooling and working on the idea of numbers and patterns. This would help with learning numbers and also have a layer of hand-eye coordination and tactile learning involved as well.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review
July 2, 2016
by Tammy
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Loom knitting is a wonderful way to enjoy some simple yarn crafting, and Leisure Arts was kind enough to send me a new knitting set it has available called the Ultimate Oval Loom Knitting Set. In the video below, I open up the box and show you everything that comes with this set as well as look through the accompanying book and give you my initial thoughts.
June 29, 2016
by Tammy
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This has not been test crocheted for accuracy or gauge. Therefore, I recommend you use this as a recipe and adapt as necessary, especially if you use thinner or thicker yarn than suggested, and check the fit on your doll’s head as you go (as hair thickness can also affect fit). I made this to fit a Blythe doll’s head. However, I have heard that American Girl (AG) dolls have about the same size head, so AG collectors may also find this helpful.
I used Morehouse Farm’s sport weight 2-ply in the “raspberry” colorway. Hook sizes and stitches terms are in US (not UK).
You will need the following tools and supplies:
Scissors
Stitch marker
Tapestry needle
G hook
F hook.
Your choice of sport weight yarn.
Use the G hook first and later switch to the F hook as indicated in the instructions below.
Start by using a sloppy slip knot to attach yarn to your hook See this link for instructions on the sloppy slip knot:
Note: I suggest working through the back loop of single crochet stitches. This will make noticeable lines around and allow you to count your rows as you work more easily. Use the stitch marker to mark the end of the row and move it as you go onto the next row.
ch 2.
Round 1: Sc 6 times in 2nd ch from hook. (6)
Round 2: Sc twice in each st. (12)
Round 3: * Sc twice in next st, sc in next st. Repeat from * 5 times. (18)
Round 4: * Sc twice in next st, sc in next 2 sts. Repeat from * 5 times. (24)
Round 5: * Sc twice in next st, sc in next 3 sts. Repeat from * 5 times. (30)
Round 6: * Sc twice in next st, sc in next 4 sts. Repeat from * 5 times. (36)
Round 7: * Sc twice in next st, sc in next 5 sts. Repeat from * 5 times. (42)
Round 8: * Sc twice in next st, sc in next 6 sts. Repeat from * 5 times. (48)
Round 9: * Sc twice in next st, sc in next 7 sts. Repeat from * 5 times. (54)
Round 10: * Sc twice in next st, sc in next 8 sts. Repeat from * 5 times. (60)
Round 11: * Sc twice in next st, sc in next 9 sts. Repeat from * 5 times. (66)
Round 12: * Sc twice in next st, sc in next 10 sts. Repeat from * 5 times. (72)
Round 13: * Sc twice in next st, sc in next 11 sts. Repeat from * 5 times. (78)
Round 14: Switch to F hook and Sc in each st (78)
Round 15: * Sc2tog, sc in next 10 sts. Repeat from * 6 times, Sc in next 6 sts (71)
Round 16: * Sc2tog, sc in next 5 sts. Repeat from * 10 times. Sc in next 2 sts (60)
Round 17: * Sc2tog, sc in next 8 sts. Repeat from * 8 times. Sc in next 6 sts (55)
Round 18: * Sc2tog, sc in next 8 sts. Repeat from * 7 times. Sc in next 5 sts (47)
Round 19 – 20: Sc in each st (47)
Round 21: 2 sl sts
Cut yarn leaving at least a 6 inch tail, and use tapestry needle to weave in and trim off excess yarn.
June 26, 2016
by Tammy
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Don’t feel locked into the size or proportions of a card layout that you’re fond of. How to easily create custom size card using mockups.
Crafty Princess vlogs about how jewelry designers need to wear their own jewelry designs.
Cyndi experiments with using the new albion stitch to add beads to objects. It’s easy, fast, and fun!
Snap out of it, jean! There’s beading to be done!
Jean reviews a soon to be released book with an original twist: Manga Origami!
June 24, 2016
by Tammy
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One element of Blythe doll collecting includes creating a persona for each doll. This can be done by customizing the dolls and often also includes assembling outfits and accessories to go along with their characteristics.
I am currently creating with one of my factory Blythe dolls to give her a feeling of being a young girl from Paris who is interested in the arts. When I discovered some dresses and clothes from CCToys, I knew they would work perfectly for her personality.
June 23, 2016
by Tammy
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