Hello- hello! Just so you know I've moved my blog over to my website at www.bamboletta.com :) I'm gearing up for the Summer Markets right now..lots of dolls to be made!

I was going to close this blogger account and move everything over to my website blog but I can't figure out how to upload photos and a few other things on the new one. So, I'm keeping this one for now and just import these posts to my new blog..until I figure things out.

Today I taught John how to stuff the dolls. So his offical titles will now be 'headmaker' and 'body stuffer' along with 'best husband..ever!'. I'm slowly working him into sewing, something he says he will never do. Hmm, I have other plans for him!

I've moved my blog over to my Bamboletta website. Please come by and take a look at my new website!

Trucks

This little video was taken a few days ago. Ben is teaching Jasper about trucks. My little boy is obsessed with trucks. I never knew the difference between a backhoe and a frount end loader before Benjamin came into my life :)

I put a new doll up for sale on Natural Pod. Her name is Eva. I knew an Eva in my childhood and she really liked pink. I don't usually do my dolls in all pink, I think the market is saturated with pink for girls. But, sometimes it's pretty darn cute. Like my boy and trucks..lots of little girls just like pink. Is it us as parents that push it on them? I don't think so. I mean go into any kids shop or toy store and you are bound to see the stereotypes but there is some reasoning behind it. I used to think it was social conditioning that had boys playing trucks and girls wearing pink but I know ,as a parent myself, I certainly didn't encourage it. I make dolls for goodness sake!! It seems to just be something innate, from when Ben was about 9 months old his face would light up when a truck rumbled past. And his first word...truck.

Wool Glorious Wool

This beautiful handspun wool was sent to me from a customer wanting to use it on her daughter's custom doll. I love the result! I am quite the wool collector, perusing wool shops is really one of my top favorite things to do in life. I get so excited when I see a new wool and can immediately imagine the doll I will create with it, or the sweater that my Nonna will knit with it. This wool comes from the Spun Monkey it is very delicious!

Experience

A few days ago John and Ben went into Vancouver leaving me alone with Jasper for the whole day. When Benjamin was this age I remember feeling so proud if I managed to get a load of laundry done. Now, alone with Jasper, I went and did a massive grocery shop (at the bg yellow store..has anybody checked out their kids clothes? Organic baby clothes..at the big yellow store!! who knew?!) did 2 loads of laundry, made cookies, finished up a doll, organised Ben's playroom and my new workroom AND managed a shower. Hmmm, if I knew then what I know now..lol! I'm sure mom's with 3 children say the same thing about mom's that only have 2 children!

This pic is of ben's new playroom that used to be my old workspace. I moved my workroom downstairs to seperate my work from home. I have an lady starting to work for me on Tuesday 3 days a week doing some cutting and sewing, I really like her and hope that this will work out. More about that on my next post, Ben is begging me to make voices for all his trains...again!!

Business

This week has been really interesting. John and I have been looking at the business side of the dolls, material costs, time costs, etc. It's all a huge mathematical equation. I am so impressed with my husband and his business knowledge, I have no idea about this stuff. I'm so lucky to have him.

I should be posting a new 12'' tomorrow, I just have to make her clothing today and I'm working on 2 14" dolls, one for sale and one custom fairy. I look forward to doing the fairy, the customer supplied the hair (yarn) and it's a beautiful handspun cotswald yarn, all twirly and bumpy..it'll look great. This pic is of my new pouchy dolls that I just put up for sale on naturalpod.com, some of them use my new fabric from superbuzzy.