A Special Gift for You...

Dear friends,

Here's a special little gift just for you - a tutorial on how to make two sweet little felt ornaments, a mitten and a stocking.....

These cute little ornaments are simple and quick to make and even though they're fairly small, you could fill them with candy canes, sweets or maybe even tuck some money inside for someone very special!

Here's what you'll need:
 Felt, embroidery thread, seed beads, disappearing ink marker, craft glue - the kind that dries clear, flat toothpicks, some sparkly glitter and a ruler.  And a 7 inch length of crewel embroidery thread, narrow ribbon or thin yarn for the ornament loop.
:  Download and print the pattern, which you can find here.  For these little ornaments, you'll need basic embroidery stitches such as whip stitch, blanket stitch, back stitch and straight stitch.  Here's an awesome site where you can find photos of the different stitches:  Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials.
:  Cut out pattern pieces.  Lay pattern pieces onto felt and carefully cut out. If you like, use a pair of pinking shears to cut out the bottom edge of the stocking cuff.
 : I've used one strand of embroidery thread/floss to embroider, attach seed beads as well as to sew up
seams. Keep your stitches small, neat and evenly spaced.

:  Use your disappearing ink pen to draw a simple snowflake on the mitten front.  For the stocking front, gently lift the paper pattern piece up (while it's still pinned to the felt) and transfer the markings along the edges around the stocking.  Remove pattern piece and connect the markings with a ruler and your disappearing ink pen.
:  Embroider snowflake onto the front side of the mitten with a back stitch.  .
:  For the stocking, use tiny straight stitches to embroider each marked line where the lines meet to form and 'X'.  Do not make a full 'X', with your thread, instead, make each little line separately, keeping the very center of each 'X' open. I did not worry about embroidering the top row of the marked 'X's as the cuff will overlap that area.  Please click on the photo for a better view of the stitches.

:  Sew seed bead at the center of the snowflake and onto each marked dot on the mitten.
:  Sew a seed bead at the center of each little 'X' on the stocking.
:  Place front pieces of mitten/stocking onto back pieces, wrongs sides facing and whip stitch all the way around.

:  Pin top edge of cuff to top edge of mitten/stocking, placing edges of cuffs on the 'heel' seam of the stocking and the 'little finger' seam of the mitten. 

 :  Blanket stitch top edge of cuff onto top edge of mitten/stocking.  

:  Whip stitch the two cuff edges together.

 :  For the ornament loop, fold length of ribbon/yarn/crewel embroidery thread in half and knot ends as shown above.

 :  Position knotted end of ornament loop onto the inside seam and sew in place, keeping your stitches small and neat and invisible from the right side of the ornament.

 :  Spread a fine layer of craft glue onto the cuff with a flat tooth pick.

 :  Sprinkle glitter onto cuff and allow to dry thoroughly before gently tapping excess off.

You now have a wonderful little ornament that you just might find very hard to part with!  I'd suggest cutting out a bunch at a time - it may be easier to give some of them away that way ;)

Many thanks to all of you for visiting my blog, facebook page and on-line shops!  I cannot tell you how much your support means to me! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!

Happiest of Holidays to you all!
~Shelly xo

12 Days of Gifts Special!

Happy Holidays dear friends!!  

  It's that wonderful time of year again and to celebrate, I'm having a 12 Days Of Gifts Special in my Etsy Shop again! Each morning I'll post an announcement on my facebook page with the Gift of the Day ~ a different pattern or pattern set will on sale for 50% off the regular price!! 

So, if there's a particular pattern you've had your eye on, please be sure to visit my page every morning as this special will only be on for a limited time!

Best Wishes,
~Shelly xo

Visions of Sugarplums Giveaway

Hello friends!  

Today I'd like to welcome you to the third annual Visions of Sugarplums! It's a blog event created by Lori Hairston from:  http://lorihairston.blogspot.ca/, where bloggers and unique companies share Christmas ideas, packaging, recipes, and traditions.  The best part is that there are giveaways every day!!

This is a very exciting week in the crafty blog world with so many great designers sharing and giving away wonderful things and ideas.  

For my part of this event, I'll be sharing a pattern for a darling little Santa ornament that is super easy and fun to make. Please click here to find the pattern tutorial.

I am also giving away a copy of my Gingerbread Folk pattern, just in time for Christmas!

Please make sure you visit everyone to get some great ideas for the Christmas season and don't forget to leave comments in order to win!!

Lori – lorihairston.blogspot.com/

Debbie - debssimpletreasures.blogspot.com/
Maria - joyfulstamper.blogspot.com/
Mitra - mitralee.blogspot.com/
Lauren - www.laurenhairston.com/
Jane - jane-janesjournal.blogspot.com/
May - mayshappydaze.blogspot.com/
Shelly – gingermelondolls.blogspot.com/ - You are here.

Giveaways:

1 set of choice - Paper Sweeties - www.papersweeties.com/
1 set of choice - Moonlighting by Mary - www.etsy.com/shop/MoonlightingByMary
Christmas Creation - Mitra - Mitra - mitralee.blogspot.com/
Into the Woods Stamp Set - Lawn Fawn - www.lawnfawn.com/
Gingerbread Folk Pattern - Gingermelon - www.etsy.com/shop/Gingermelon

Best wishes and have fun!
~Shelly

Exciting News!

Hello dear friends!  I have some great news to share with you all!  Many of you have written to me in the past requesting that I come up with a little mouse pattern, so I finally decided it was high time to get busy on one!  Once I had the pattern figured out, I just couldn't stop making them!  Oh my goodness, they are so easy and turn out so cute that I decided to make five of them, each with a special little something to add a bit of fun and variation.  What do you think?

 Each little mouse measures about the same height as my thumb - so just under 3 inches tall and each one has a little tail made from all 6 strands of embroidery thread with a tiny bow sewn on the end of it.  These could easily be made into ornaments for hanging on a Christmas tree, or you could make a pretty little match box - you can find a template for one here and tuck a little mouse inside with a scrap of felt for a blankie and a teeny pillow.

 These little cuties were so much fun to make and I really could've made a whole bunch more, but I figured I'd better stop and get started on writing up the pattern so that you could give it a try too:)

I recently revised my Gingerbread ornament pattern and am planning on putting together pattern kits  for them.  There will be a couple of different colour options available and each kit will contain the felt, eyes and trim to make a set of two - a lady and a gent.

I'm also very pleased to announce that I'm adding a new line of 100% wool felts to my shop very soon!  Squeal!!!!  I cannot contain my glee!  Seriously!  The range of colours I've chosen are amazingly gorgeous and the felt is extremely soft and durable.  It is non-toxic and ecologically friendly, completely biodegradable, non-flammable and safe for babies, children and pets.  It is also Oeko-Tex certified and free of harsh chemical dyes and lead.

Before I say goodbye, I'd like to share a request from my dear friend Kathleen Burke.  She has designed and created a pattern for a little doll that she's making for needy children around the world.  They are being donated to Operation Christmas Child, an organization that has helped so many people through the wonderful work they do.  If you'd like to help by making and donating dolls for this purpose, please contact Kathleen at kat.burke2u@yahoo.com.  She will be happy to give you more info about this project.

Have a lovely weekend,
~Shelly  xo

PS  I almost forgot about one more thing!  My Hansel and Gretel patterns are now available in my shop.

Congrats to the Winners!

Thank you all so much for entering my Little Lady pattern giveaway! 

 The winners are:

Pamela Robbins
Polly Elmbaro
Elena
Ionica Dauz
Dottie Rubalcaba

I've sent an email to each of you along with the pattern and you have also received an email from my mom with the little cardigan pattern.  Have fun making them!

The pattern for the Little Ladies is now available in my shop, and you can find the cardigan pattern in my mom's shop.

Have a great week!
~Shelly xo

Free Pattern Giveaway!! Little Ladies

Oh I'm so excited to be announcing this Giveaway!!  For the past few weeks, I've spent countless hours perfecting my next pattern - the Little Ladies!  Although these dolls are based on my original pattern, I've added new elements to the design which I think have added a fresh new look.  I hope you love how they've turned out!   

This pattern is very detailed...  There are step-by-step photos throughout that include options for creating a hand embroidered or painted face, making the hair and sewing a sweet little pair of undies, a pretty sun dress and a pair of Mary Jane shoes. 

 My wonderful Mom has even designed a little cardigan pattern for those of you who'd like to knit one!  Please visit her Etsy shop for details.

These little dolls are the perfect size for cuddling or displaying and measure about 12 inches tall. 

If you'd like to be one of five lucky winners of this pattern, please leave your name and email address in the comments section below, or on my Facebook page under the link to this blog post.  I'll draw the names of the winners on Tuesday, October 15th.  Best of all - winners will receive the pattern for the doll and her outfit AND the little knitted cardigan pattern from my mom!

Best of luck to you all and Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadian friends!  Hope you have a lovely long weekend!

Oh, and one more thing:  I just had to share the photo below - it's a progressive story if you will on the evolution of my doll making.  From left are my very first attempts at creating my own sort of style.  And yes, do feel free to have a good laugh!!  Some of them are downright horrid!  As you look toward the center of the photo, you'll see my very first Little Lady, she's the one with the pink hair and periwinkle dress on, and then on to the right you'll see how my dolls have progressed to the very last one on the right which is the newest Little Lady!

~Shelly  xo

Halloween Ghost and Kitty Shrink Plastic Brooches - Free Tutorial

Here's a fun project for you to try!  These cute little Halloween brooches have been made from shrink plastic and once you see how easy they are, you'll want to make a bunch for your friends and family!

Before you begin, you'll need to download the images for the Ghost and Kitty which you can find here.

List of things you'll need:

:  A sheet of shrink plastic (I used Shrinky Dinks Bright White)
:  Fine sand paper (SandBlaster flexible finishing pad - 220 grit)
:  Coloured pencils
:  Permanent adhesive (E6000 clear)
:  1 inch brooch pins
:  Sharp pair of scissors
:  HB pencil
:  Eraser
:  Parchment paper or brown paper
:  Cookie sheet
:  Varnish 
:  Paint brush
:  Face mask (optional)
:  Q-tips
:  Pre-heated oven to 325 F (163 C)

 .:*NOTE*:.  I have found that using felt markers on the shrink plastic does not work for me.  I don't like how dark they end up once the plastic has shrunk and I find that they smear easily.  So, I did a bit of experimenting and found that by sanding the plastic sheet first, I was able to use an HB pencil to make the outline of the designs and coloured pencils to colour them in.  Without the sanding, the pencil marks did not even show up on the plastic sheet - so sand that sheet really well before you get started!  I wore a face mask while sanding so I wouldn't breathe in the dust.

Once you've sanded your sheet of plastic, trace the image onto it with your HB pencil.

Use your coloured pencils to colour the image in.  I like to keep my colouring very light because the images darken up quite a bit during the baking process.

 Once you're done colouring, cut out image - I've cut about 1.5mm away from the outline of the design.

Follow directions on your shrink plastic info sheet for baking.  Basically, you're going to place cut-out images onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or brown paper.  Put into pre-heated oven and bake for about 1 to 3 minutes.  You'll see the pieces start getting smaller and then curl up.  Once pieces lay flat, bake for an additional 30 seconds to complete the process.  Remove paper from cookie sheet and lightly press the images down with a folded piece of paper or pad of paper till cool (about 15 seconds).  Coat each image with a thin layer of varnish.  Allow to dry for about 10 mins and apply another coat.  Allow to dry completely.

Lightly sand back of image.  Spread a thin coat of adhesive onto brooch pin with a Q-tip and then apply adhesive to the area on the image where you'll be mounting your pin. 

Wait approximately 2 minutes before mating the two surfaces.  Position pin in place, press down for a few seconds and allow to dry.

 And there you have it!  Hope you have fun making them!
~Shelly xo

A Special Gift Just for You!

I owe a great many of you a lot of thanks for all the support, encouragement and wonderful compliments you have given me along the way.  So, to show my appreciation, I have a little something special to share with you!

 This adorable paper doll and her little outfits are all ready to be coloured and embellished and cut out and assembled!  To download and print them, all you have to do, is click here.

 I have also created this paper doll in honour of my dear Nan who passed away recently and who shared my love of dolls.  I know she would've loved this little girl whom I named after her - Edna May, and all the little outfits that she'll be able to wear! 

Please make sure that you print the doll onto a thicker card stock.  She is quite delicate and the heavier card stock will help to keep her nice and sturdy.  I printed her outfits onto regular printer paper and used coloured pencils and fine glitter to embellish them.

I hope you or whoever you've printed them out for will have many hours of fun!
~Shelly xo

Pocket Poppet Pattern Winners!

Many thanks to all of you for entering the draw for the Pocket Poppet Doll and Outfit patterns!  The lucky winners are:

Superstitchers - summer outfit
Karen - Bohemian outfit
Deb Multerer - Winter outfit

Congratulations ladies, I've sent each of you an email and I hope you enjoy making them!

Patterns are now available in my shop!
~Shelly xo

New Pattern Giveaway!!

Hello to all my dear friends!  I have some wonderful news to share with you and I hope that you'll be just as excited as I am about it!  It's time for another pattern giveaway!!  Yahoodile dee doo!!  Many of you have already seen photos of the newest Pocket Poppets that I've just finished working on.  The basic pattern for this doll, which measures about 8.5 inches tall, will include a pretty sun dress and a pair of ballet shoes, as seen on the little blue haired doll on the far right with the polka dot dress on.

I have also created three additional outfit patterns that will be available separately:  

 A Summer outfit, with scalloped sleeved dress, floppy sun hat and shoes,

A Bohemian inspired outfit that includes a tasseled skirt and scalloped camisole, slip-on sandals and a flowered headband,

And lastly, a Winter outfit, complete with a pair of capri's, camisole, jacket, scarf and shoes!
















Now here's the scoop... There will be 3 lucky winners - each winner will receive the basic doll pattern, as well as an outfit pattern of their choice!!  How fun is that??  For your chance at winning, please leave a comment below along with your name, email address and the outfit of your choice.  For those of you who are unable to comment on my blog, please leave your info on my facebook page below the link to this post.  The draw will take place on Wednesday, August 21.  Each winner will receive an email from me containing the basic Pocket Poppet pattern and the outfit pattern of their choice.

Best of luck to you all!!
~Shelly xo

Mini Stay-cation

The last four days have been absolutely wonderful!!  My hubby and I decided to take a few days off and enjoy a mini stay-cation right here in our own neighborhood!  We live in such a beautiful part of British Columbia and we don't really take much time to appreciate all the wonderful sights and events it has to offer.

If you've ever been to Vancouver, you'll know how pretty the downtown area is.  On our first day, we enjoyed wading through the warm waters of Spanish Banks Beach, wandering through Granville Island Public Market, where we stopped for dinner at Bridges, and then ending the evening off with a leisurely stroll along Kitsilano Beach.  The following day was spent paddling our canoes around False Creek.

  Here we are at the start of our adventure, underneath the Burrard Street Bridge.

Found this fellow sunning himself on the back of a boat!  Look at how he's holding his wings for maximum sun exposure!  He did not blink an eye, or move a muscle the entire time it took for us to pass by!

At the far end of False Creek - Science World.

Looking towards Downtown Vancouver from Science World.

At the end of the day, we tied our canoes up to the docks at Granville Island Market and picked up a picnic dinner for two.  It included a half rotisserie chicken, roasted veggies, artichoke salad, potato salad, a bottle of sparkling cranberry juice and individual creme brule's for dessert.  We then paddled over to a nearby beach were we spread out our towels and all the yummy goodies and enjoyed our little feast!

Today we spent the day at the Show and Shine classic car show, were we showed our little '63 VW Beetle for the first time!

We spent hours cleaning, waxing and polishing her up yesterday and she received many compliments from people who passed by to have a look at her.  It's amazing how many people have fond memories of owning one of these little cars many years ago!

My second favourite car at the show, a Morris Minor Tiger!

And this was my very favourite!  A Ford Frontenac, one of only a very few still running!  Definitely on my Wish List!

My honey and I had such a great time together, and I hate that it all has to come to an end!  The weather was perfect, the days long and sunny and each moment we spent together will be treasured forever!

Now it's back to work for both of us, till next time...
~Shelly xo