easter | Bead Happily Ever After

Interview with the Artist – Wee Cute Treasures

Posted on February 4, 2010 by crystal

This edition of Interview with the Artist showcases the work of a very talented lady from the beautiful Emerald Isle.

She creates the sweetest little Clothespin Dolls and Birthday Cake Toppers that I have ever seen. Her attention to the tiniest of details is absolutely amazing! Take a peek in her etsy shop, but just let me warn you . . . you’re gonna fall in love! 🙂

Please meet Carol of Wee Cute Treasures.

Were you interested in art as a child?
Oh yes! I loved painting, drawing and crafting for as long as I can remember.

What were some of the earliest projects that you created?
When I was very young I had a rag doll called Rosie and I made her all sorts of clothes out of my mother’s ‘rag box’ using huge running stitches. The finish must have been very crude but I love designing the clothes seeing them coming into fruition. One of my grandmothers taught me to knit at age 7 and since then I have always had something on my knitting needles! Basically, I can not remember a time when I have not had some creative project ‘on the go’.

When did you first become interested in making dolls?
Since I was about 16 I have made soft toys to sell. Making clothespin dolls came about from visiting a local craft show two years ago. There was a stall selling funky little dolls and I thought that making a little doll could be fun. A Google search lead me to the American style of peg doll (which is much cuter than our European versions) and I was hooked!

Besides making dolls, what other forms of art do you enjoy?
I love everything creative – so I enjoy making greeting cards, knitting, crochet, needlepoint, painting and woodwork. My newest love is miniature work and I am in the process of designing and making my first dollhouse from scratch – no kit!

Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
As a child I adored the illustrated fairy story books which belonged to my mother. They were from a gentler era when girls were unashamedly girly. I have always loved everything flowery and pretty and I think my little dolls reflect this. However, I also love the slightly preppy and neat look of the 40s and 50s. Although every colour in the rainbow is beautiful, I tend to favour pastel colours. For my dolls I have found inspiration from many other talented doll makers and crafters.

Do you keep any examples of your best work – just for yourself? 🙂
No! There are times I am really sorry to ship off a little doll because I think she is particularly cute. But I do make sure I keep enough material so that I can make another identical one in years to come – if I ever have time.

What advice would you give to people who would like to begin selling their art, but could use a bit of advice?

If you love what you do it will show. I have a rule. Every doll I make is one I would be happy to keep if it does not sell. I believe it is fine to be inspired by other people’s work, but it is important to put your own stamp on your creations. High quality products stand the test of time. Many people will make cheaper versions of your art, but if your quality is good you can ask a higher price and those people who want a beautiful item will be happy to pay for it. I remember a fellow craftswoman telling never to undersell my work. I also think that consistency is important – both in terms of style and quality. Repeat customers are wonderfully valuable, especially in the early days. Even if you decide to branch out into new areas, look after your core business and it will help finance new ventures. And…most important of all – be patient and enjoy the process.

Although Carol is not taking “special orders” at this time, she frequently adds an adorable selection of seasonal dolls to her etsy shop. 😀 Click here to see them!

Knitted Bunny Rabbit – Friday Favorites

Posted on April 10, 2009 by crystal

Just in time for Friday Favorites, I’ve finished the “mystery” knitting that I hinted about earlier this week (see it here)

Please meet: Sir Hops Alot 🙂

He’s a tiny little fella at less than 8″ tall – and that includes his ears! I enjoyed making him but I would describe this as “fussy knitting” because of all the small pieces. You’ll find the pattern here.

Wishing a very Happy Easter to those who celebrate it, and Happy Spring to everyone!

See you Monday with a new giveaway and new questions!

Eggs-traordinary Keepsakes – Easter Fun

Posted on April 9, 2009 by crystal

Are you sentimental?

I am and it gets me into trouble sometimes. I find it difficult to let go of anything that reminds me of my family, friends, or just good times. It can be a battle for storage space between the things we need to keep and the things I’d “like” to keep. For example, I have storage boxes with cards/notes, my kids’ school papers, their baby shoes – not only their actual “first shoes”, but their first sandals, first sneakers, first “big girl” slippers – well, you see where I’m going here.

Even though I might be dubbed “overly-sentimental” in some cases, I think many would agree that holiday mementos are nice to save.

Since it will be Easter this Sunday, I brought out some Easter eggs that the kids and I decorated years ago.

It was our first attempt at blowing out the yolks before decorating them. We had read an article on how to do it and were very excited to give it a try. I remember that we poked a small hole on one end and then a slightly larger hole on the other end; inserted a toothpick to break up the yolk a bit, and then began to try what sounded easy in the directions . . . “just blow the yolk into a bowl”.

Hmmm, well it didn’t seem easy! I huffed and puffed and finally did one – but whew!!! It was tough! Next my older daughter tried and she had about the same experience that I did. I began to think we’d only have a few blown-out eggs to decorate – since there was no oxygen tank on hand to revive us. 😉

But then, up steps my younger daughter to give it a whirl. Incredibly, she does it in seconds!!! We are amazed! She does another and then another – all quick as a wink. She smiles and says that she’ll finish the dozen. Her sister and I look at her in awe. After she finished the 12th egg, she suddenly felt a little queasy – poor kid!!! Luckily, the feeling passed quickly and the three of us had a great time decorating these eggs.

We used plastic sleeves for the middle part of each egg, but we got a bit creative painting and dyeing the “ends” of each egg.

As I say, it was a long time ago. Since then we’ve had a good laugh about how it took the help of the youngest one to get those eggs ready for decorating! They’ve held up well over the years, though. Storing them in an egg carton has probably helped. I do still love to pull them out and be reminded of the fun we had that day. 🙂

Do you have things you just can’t part with?

Easter Eggs to Knit

Posted on February 25, 2009 by crystal

When my kids were young, I used to decorate for every occasion.

Now that they’ve left the nest, I’m not doing as much of it, but I do still love to have a decoration or two – at least for some of the holidays!

Lately, I’ve been having fun getting ready for Easter with these knitted Easter Eggs. If you like, you can click on the photos to make them larger.

The pattern is from Julie of Little Cotton Rabbits.

She has very cleverly designed the knitting to fit over a little plastic egg – the ones you find around Easter for filling with candy or treats.

Of course, in this case, you use an empty egg! If you prefer, you can use soft stuffing, but I think the hard plastic egg gives a more realistic egg-shape.

It isn’t obvious in the photo, but if you look closely, you can see that the egg on the right has a zig zag design!

These are a great project for TV Time. I plan to knit a few more in coordinating colors. Arranged in a basket, they’d make a cute centerpiece; don’t you think?

Hugs,