Packages, and the Project still goes on!

Hello!

Dunno why, maybe because of the spring? but I've been really tired lately. So annoying. I'm not into sleeping at all. I hate taking naps, I hate sleeping late. Id o like sleeping when I'm tired, at night. And funny thing, I enjoy sleeping while watching movies. Specially at the movie theatre! I do have a explanation to that: When you've paid to see a certain movie you really want to watch it, right? So, if you're so tired you are willing to miss the movie and waste your money then you must be really tired and the sleep is the sweetest ever. Logical?

So, I hate being tired during the day. That's when I'm supposed to be energetic and active and all that. Being tired is kind of like being hungry or cold. It takes over everything and that's all you can think of. Grrr! So annoying!

I hope it'll pass soon! I'm feeling just a tiny bit groggy at the moment, that shouldn't stop me from doing what I've planned for today. Maybe I need some fruits? I wanted to have fruits for breakfast, but we didn't have any. Just bread. Uh, I'm getting sick of bread.

Sorry! Enough about that! Yestarday was all about packages! I had a huge list of things to do, but I only managed to do ship my orders. It's insane how much time it takes! Seriously! Want to hear more about it? (If not the skip the following paragraph - I hope that's the correct term!)

First I write down the addresses and what they've ordered. Then I look for the ordered items, make sure they are free of wrinkles, dust, bunny/dog/faux fur hair. I wrap the item into a tissue paper (usually hand stamped by me. I stamp them while watching movies, if I'm not sleeping ;), also if needed I wrap some details or the whole product into (recycled) bubble wrap, write a Thank you -note, add some stickers or other "freebies", put the freebies in a small (recycled) and also hand stamped plastic bag, maybe add a brochure and/or business card. Quite often I wrap some sort of ribbon or yarn (from a thrift store) around the tissue paper, to make it look like a gift. Then I fill in the customs declaration form (so the ink has time to dry). Lately I've been using old wall paper I found while organizing the Tehdas as my wrapping paper. It's not the best thing to use, since it tears quite easily, but I'd reinforce it with tape anyways, so it doesn't matter. So, I roll open the wall paper on my handy packing table and stamp it with carefully chosen stamps. This is quite silly, but I actually try to match the stamps with the content. I was so bummed when I realised yesterday I had given away my bat stamp! It would've been perfect for the bat sleepsack orders! Last week a customer ordered a vintage horror movie themed pouch and I stamped the package with spider webs and such :).

Yestarday I used bird who "sang the address".

Then I reinforce the paper with clear tape. And then wrap the order in it. And that's about it :D. I know it's silly, but guess what! I like doing that! And I also like to think it makes the receiver happy! Most of the mail I get makes me mad/sad/poor, so when ever I get something "special" in the mail it makes me super happy. And since I'm using quite a lot of recycled/upcycled material on the packing I feel I "have" to make it look nice. It would be so easy to buy pink bubble wrap envelopes and just slip in the product in and print out the address and call it done. But oh! That's would be so boring!

After all that I usually beg for my hubby to walk the dogs to the mail box, but sometimes I have to walk/ride my bike to the post office, usually if I miss the four pm deadline.

I've gotten a lot of positive feedback from my packages! So it's really worth all the trouble!

I love Mondays!

My project is not doing as well. Well, I don't know. Maybe it is. I still have two closets to clean up and declutter and organize. That's not that bad. But I don't feel like doing those at all. I enjoy the room the way it is right now, I'm getting used to the new places for certain tools and supplies. So it's kind of done, but then not really. Two more to go!

The last two pictures are of the doll closet. I can't even open the door anymore. Mainly because of the boxes in front of the door, but also because of the mess that's about to fall all over the place if the door is opened. The other closet is really not that bad at all. I know it looks like a mess, but actually it's just the bottom shelf that needs to be organized. Maybe I'll do it today!

Here's what I did recently. Dusted Kitties and the top of those cabinets and also the dish drying cabinets organized.

Four weeks until my trip!! I'm so excited!!

Take care! Oh, also would anyone of you have any ideas how to organize the doll closet? I don't! I have doll clothes in two suitcases, boxes and boxes full of furniture that I MIGHT need, bags full of food items, Barbie's dogs, cars, a boat, fake grass, rolls of fake dirt and so on...too much everything. But I'd use quite many of them, if I just could open the door without fearing getting it all all over me.

Okay, take care!
xoxo,
Raisa

Blythe Fashion

This is kind of funny - me writing about fashion. I don't know anything about it. Not that much about dolly fashion, either. I like what I like and that's it :)

But what I do know about is sewing. And I guess my post is not so much about fashion as it is about the amazing talents behind the doll fashion.

Sewing doll clothes is basically the same as human clothes. But then again it's nothing like that. I know the basics of sewing human clothes, and I know the basics of sewing doll clothes, too. But to make the fabric obey me - I don't know how that is done. I've mastered sewing pouches and am now on my way to mastering sleepsack carriers as well, but dolly clothes - no. Seams are never straight enough, nor are the stitches in place. Everything is just so small it makes it impossible to get it neat. The fabric must be thin enough to look good on a tiny doll, and the thinner the fabric the more difficult it is to make it obey.

So I make the occasional doll clothing, mostly dresses for my own fun. Then I don't have to worry about them being less than perfect. But when I want something perfect--and trust me, I do love perfection--I'll head for a seasoned doll seamstresses. There are some amazingly talented people out there that have the skills to tame fabric, make it work for them, and not the other way around. They can add amazing details to their clothes that never stops amazing me!

Some of my favorites are Eurotrash, whom I've written about before, I think. Maybe it was on my Finnish blog, not sure. Her seams and stiches are close to perfect. And she has incredible eye for details. Just check her supersweet helmets (made out of wool, so no-no to me ;). Look at these dresses! Aren't they superb?!

Another favorite of mine is Pommepomme. It's fairly new brand for me. I know it's been around for a lot longer, but I just got my first dress just a couple weeks ago. And I have to say that the stiches are perfect. Ah! I could spend hours just admiring them! Perfection! And the dress looks so cute on Kevin, too! And just yesterday I saw another Pommepomme dress, and that also was so well made, and with very thin (which means it's difficult to work with) fabric. So beautiful!

For different reasons I also like BA. Button Arcade. I don't like these because the beauty in the very careful stitching. No. I like these cause they are so much fun!! All of the ones I have now are second-hand dresses, but I have two dresses that were made just for me somewhere above the Atlantic, heading for home! I'm also about to get two tutus, made by BA. Note the pockets, which are kind of the whole point! So cute!

And for the same reason as BA, I like Megipupu's wraps because they are so goddamn cute! Just look at these. Megi, the sweet lady who used to make these makes the most amazing crocheted seam on all of them! So much work! Too bad she can't make them anymore. :( But that's what happens when you get old and your fingers won't do magic tricks that easily anymore.

Some of my first dresses were from Devout Dolls. Sara, who makes these super cute dresses, is very talented and I'd hope to see more of her work out there, worn by pretty dolls!

Some other favorites of mine are HOP, House Of Pinku, Sweet Crochet by Leshan, Biscotti Vintage and La boutique de Lupi. The last one I really don't know that well, but I'm a bit obsessed with re-creating a scene from a post card and it has one of her dresses on it, and the cat dress pictured is the closest I've gotten so far. She still makes clothes for Blythe, but not these dresses anymore. :(

Okay, that's about it! I hope you enjoyed reading a bit about these talented people, and looking at pictures of their creations!

Take care!

xoxo,
Raisa