Isabella

This one was fun. A lot of fun.
I started this doll a week ago. It was a very motivated project for me. See, I sent the momma who had ordered the doll (someone I consider to be an online friend) a photo as a bit of a joke -- just the doll's pieces, sewed up but not stuffed. "Here's your doll. Har, har." She showed her little girl the photo. Her little girl declared the empty doll skin gorgeous, said she loved it, and instantly named it Isabella.
At that moment, I knew this one was special.

Last year's giveaway saw a first for Making Friends - the rainbow haired doll. When she saw that rainbow beauty, the little girl mentioned above fell in love. She's been patiently waiting for a whole year for a rainbow baby of her very own. A whole year in Tiny Town -- is a lifetime.

Momma and I worked very closely on this doll, and as a result I feel like I know this little girl . . . at least a little. She loves Iron Man, and the colours orange and purple. She's been making up adventures that Isabella has been having right under my nose, but without me ever knowing. Isabella rides rainbows and (exciting!) eats dinner!

Most heart-rending for me - even though her momma told her that Isabella wasn't ready yet, even though she knew that there wasn't a chance, EVERY DAY since Isabella's order was placed, little girl has accompanied her mom to the mail box to see if she's arrived yet.
If there is nothing else that will get someone moving, it's the thought of disappointing an excited child. My wrists actually ache from the pace of the work I did on this doll.

Today her mom showed little girl the photos of her finished doll. "I AM SO READY TO LOVE HER!"
<3 <3 <3
Well hello, gratification.
I certainly hope there are no mailing hiccups.

Prize pool #2 - a dragon or monkey!

General Rules:

• You are not required to like Making Friends on Facebook, favourite Making Friends on Etsy, follow this blog, or pin anything on Pinterest. That said, if you like what you see well enough to want one of your own, then I would hope you will like, favourite, follow and/or pin my work. 
• 2 entries per household permitted. You're on the honour system here - don't break my heart! You choose whether you want both entries in pool 1, both in pool 2, or one in each pool. I will be checking that the winners only have 2 entries total. Additional entries mean instant disqualification. That's just cheating. 
• To enter, leave the following via comment: Your choice of prize, and a contact for yourself - either email or Etsy. Please keep in mind that while you CAN comment anonomously, I will need a way to contact you. Please manually enter 2 comments to get both of your entries - I cannot keep track of posts requesting 2 entries for the same pool. Sorry, and thanks.
  
• Winners will be selected via random number generator at noon EDT on June 25th, and contacted immediately. They will then have 48 hours to respond, or the prize will be passed on to a new winner. 

Pool rules: NO RUNNING ON THE DECK! Just kidding.
Winner of pool #2 gets their choice of either:

A dragon - to be made in blue and aqua, or red and yellow, with eye colour to be decided. This is a DIYFluffies pattern, and is super cute! Dragons are made with fleece and stuffed with polyfil.

Or a monkey made from a Dinky Baby pattern by Vicki Riley. The monkey is made with craft velour, and stuffed with polyfil.

Or if you'd like, you can be the first to try out a baby dragon - born of Sweet Pea's imagination and still in prototype stages. It will be made with fleece or cotton velour and stuffed with - you guessed it - polyfil! No photo because it doesn't exist yet. I'm not sure if that makes it more exciting or not.


Good luck to everyone, and keep the enthusiasm and love coming! You all make me smile.

**Comments are closed, and the winner has been notified**

Prize pool #1 - a Making Friends doll!

General rules:

• You are not required to like Making Friends on Facebook, favourite Making Friends on Etsy, follow this blog, or pin anything on Pinterest. That said, if you like what you see well enough to want one of your own, then I would hope you will like, favourite, follow and/or pin my work. 
• 2 entries per household permitted. You're on the honour system here - don't break my heart! You choose whether you want both entries in pool 1, both in pool 2, or one in each pool. I will be checking that the winners only have 2 entries total. Additional entries mean instant disqualification. That's just cheating. 
• To enter, leave the following via comment: Your choice of prize, and a contact for yourself - either email or Etsy. Please keep in mind that while you CAN comment anonomously, I will need a way to contact you. Please manually enter 2 comments to get both of your entries - I cannot keep track of posts requesting 2 entries for the same pool. Sorry, and thanks.
• Winners will be selected via random number generator at noon EDT on June 25th, and contacted immediately. They will then have 48 hours to respond, or the prize will be passed on to a new winner. 

Doll Pool details:
Prize consists of your choice of either a soft sculpture doll, made with a Dinky Baby pattern by Vicki Riley. Skin is synthetic content - craft velour, and the doll will be stuffed with polyfil. You choose skin tone (light or dark) and eye colour. Baby will come to you wearing a diaper and hat.

Or you can choose a 16" cloth doll - made with some Waldorf techniques, a layered wig, and basic outfit (no fancy costumes, princess details, superhero capes, etc.) Skin will be 100% cotton interlock just like Waldorf dolls, but it will be stuffed with polyfil. You choose skin tone, eye and hair colour, and suggest clothing colours.

OR a 10" Waldorf doll

This will be a semi-custom doll - you choose the hair and eye colour. The body is already made up with fair skin - just like the 2 pictured above but is NOT one of the above pictured dolls!! It will be made to your specifications, once you and I have discussed your preferences. Once again, it will be a basic outfit - no costumes.


Good luck to everyone, and thanks so much for your support, your clicks, and your enthusiasm!

**Comments are closed, and the winner has been notified!**

DOUBLE GIVE-AWAY! In which a second birthday, and 500 likes co-incide!

Tomorrow marks the second birthday of Making Friends. The day before yesterday saw the Making Friends Facebook page hit 500 likes. Both of these things are pretty significant - and both of them make me very, very happy.
To celebrate, I'm doing a double give-away! 2 chances at a loveable hand-made creation of your very own!
I think that the best way to do this is in 2 pools. Prize pool #1 will be for a doll. Prize pool #2 will be for a monkey or dragon. Each person will be permitted 2 entries - you choose whether you want them both in one pool or not. I'll open this up tomorrow, and it will close on June 25th at noon EDT.
Further details will be provided tomorrow with the kick-off posts - I hope to have them up by noon EDT, but you know how life and kids can postpone things. Check back in tomorrow!

Your chance at a smile this big, beginning tomorrow!

The month of May (and a bit of June, too)

Looking back, this month has been pretty busy.
There was this ballerina outfit --

And a little rainbow-y doll dress

Both are shown to their best advantage by Becky - who is still hanging around, waiting for a home.

And then I decided with all the skirts going on around here lately, I should probably start offering underpants for these dolls.

Unfortunately, fabrics are quite limited for the time being - hopefully that will change soon.

And I made two Cuddle Beans, but neglected to photograph one of them before sending it off.

And then there are the big items for the month.
I really enjoyed making these up -- a mommy and her toddler daughter. These were sent off to a family with a little girl who is currently awaiting the arrival of her baby brother (any day now!!)

The receiving mommy made up a little doll-sized sling so Momma can wear Little around -- how cute is that??

And just a few days ago, I finished my first dragon.

He's made from the Yoki the fat dragon pattern by DIYFluffies. It's a finicky pattern, but the dragon is just so charming!

Sweet Pea adores him - but to be fair, she adores everything handmade by her mom. This one will be going to her gymnastics club as a raffle prize, but rest assured there will be more dragons!
Right now, I'm working on a baby dragon design since Sweet Pea wants this guy to be a baby. She's been carrying him around swaddled and singing him lullabies.