Rainbow Dolls Giveaway!

Giveaway closes on Monday, August 9, 2010, at 11:59PM PST

Winner will be announced on Tuesday, August 10, 2010, at 12:00 noon PST

Earlier this month I featured an interview with Megan Dendinger about her beautiful, handcrafted, Waldorf-inspired Rainbow Dolls. As promised, she is giving one away right here!
Meet sweet, sweet Alison, the cupcake fairy!

Alison is a cute, blush skin, green eyed, 12" Rainbow Doll made from all natural materials. She is stuffed well with clean carded sweet smelling eco-wool that is 30% organic . Her skin is made from 100% organic cotton high quality anti-pill interlock. Her face is hand embroidered with french cotton floss and her hair is made from spun wool in a honey blond color and a mixture of beautiful handspun woodland colors. Her cheeks are blushed with an all natural bees wax crayon from Stockmar. She will come with a swatch of that crayon on fabric so that you can re-blush her cheeks when needed and a care sheet.

Alison is wearing an adorable, one of a kind outfit made created especially for her by Alison of Avi and Tali (Yup! Alison is named after Alison!) The red t-shirt is embellished with a cupcake applique on the front and snaps in the back. Her removable felt wings can be repositioned. They have cupcakes on the front, to "sprinkle" everyone below, and the word "SWEET" on the back. Alison's tutu skirt is made with nearly 100 feet of multicolored tulle. It has an elastic waist so even the tiniest hands can dress and undress her. The tutu is finished off with some beautiful hand tied ribbons that give it a lovely accent!
She is the perfect cupcake fairy for lots of sweet dreams!

Alison is valued at $125.

Three Ways to Enter the Rainbow Dolls Giveaway 

(Do one or do all three! The more ways you enter, the more chances to win!)

As always, make sure I have a way to contact you! Leave your e-mail address or your screen name of a place where I can message you (Etsy, Facebook, Twitter) in the comments, or email me with your contact info: sadsilver@gmail.com

1) Become a Facebook Fan of Rainbow Dolls, then leave a comment here - ONE ENTRY. Go to the Rainbow Dolls Facebook Fan Page and "Like" Rainbow Dolls. Then come back here and leave a comment on this blog post telling me you're a fan. (Already a fan? Great! Leave a comment and let me know!)

2) Check Out Rainbow Dolls on Etsy, then leave a comment here - ONE ENTRY. Go to the Rainbow Dolls storefront on Etsy and check out all of Megan's adorable handmade, Waldorf-inspired dolls (Eep! The dolls are selling fast! See her sold dolls here). Then come back here and leave a comment on this blog post telling me which one you like the best.

3) Refer a friend and get an entry for him/her and yourself when your friend leaves a comment here - ONE ENTRY EACH (PER REFERRAL). Post about this giveaway anywhere--your blog, Facebook, Twitter. Heck, post fliers around your neighborhood! You'll get one entry for every person who mentions your name in these comments. Both you and the person who leaves a comment will get one entry each, as long as your name (or screen name) is mentioned! We'll even make it easy; just copy and paste one of the following into your Status Update of choice (replacing your real name or screen name with YOURNAME):

For Twitter:
Win a Rainbow Doll, $125 value @stinky_crafter. Comment on http://bit.ly/rbdoll YOURNAME sent me and I want a Rainbow Doll!

For Facebook & other sites:
Help me win a Rainbow Doll, $125 value, and get yourself an entry by leaving this comment on http://bit.ly/rbdoll: YOURNAME sent me and I want a Rainbow Doll!

Official Rules:

• Giveaway closes on Monday, August 9, 2010, at 11:59PM PST. Comment datestamps must be recorded by that date/time to be eligible. 
• Winner will be chosen by random drawing and will be announced on Tuesday, August 10, 2010, at 9:00AM PST.
• The giveaway is open to both US and International participants. However, Rainbow Dolls will provide free shipping to US participants only. INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS PLEASE READ: International participants must pay for shipping costs above cost of USPS Domestic Priority Mail Flat Rate Shipping, which is $10 USD payable via PayPal.
• Minors under the age of 18 must have parental/guardian permission to enter (if you are under 18, we will need to contact your parent(s)/guardian if you win and make sure they said it was okay-so ask permission before you enter).
• I will announce the winner on my blog and make every attempt to contact the winner. You may wish to leave your email address in your comment, or a place where I can message you via Facebook, Twitter, Etsy, etc. If the winner doesn't respond within 10 days, a new winner will be chosen.
• Item will be shipped directly by Rainbow Dolls via USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Shipping. Expedited shipping and/or insurance may be purchased by the winner for an addtional fee (per Rainbow Dolls Shop Policies). Item will NOT be insured against damage by the postal system unless additional insurance is purchased. Payment is accepted via PayPal.
• Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky! (Marigold Haske) is not responsible for loss/damage and/or disputes concerning the winning item. If there is a concern about the giveaway itself, please contact Marigold. Once the winner has been selected, all concerns will be handled between Rainbow Dolls (Megan Dendinger) and the winner. All Rainbow Dolls Shop Policies apply to the winning item as if it was a purchased item from Etsy.
• By entering this giveaway, you are complying to the official rules as they have been laid out here :) 

Good luck to everyone! Special thanks to Megan of Rainbow Dolls for doing this giveaway, and to Alison of Avi & Tali for the custom fairy dress. Please check out their Etsy shops (previews below) and support handmade :)

Wedding Present for Mr. & Mrs. May

My friend Mandy got married on Saturday! I really, really wanted to go to her wedding, but we had a few big financial hits over the past couple of months (blew a couple of tires, major dental work--those kinds of fun things!) and we just couldn't swing the extra cash to fly out. So, like any person burdened with guilt, I way overcompensated and went nuts on her gift. A picnic blanket for two!

The clouds are made from fleece and the birds are connected by a skinny piece of lace trim. The heart is made of a sparkly red vinyl and the name banner is trimmed in gold thread. The rest of the blanket is made with cotton quilting fabric and the batting is natural organic cotton.

 In addition to the quilt, I made a carrying tote that included plates and utensil sets for two. I also made roll-up napkins for the utensils to be tucked into.

And, in other news, it looks like the lunch sack tutorial won out over the coasters. I have to make a few design tweaks, but that will be coming up soon!

Pollster

It has been a long time since I have done a tutorial, and I'd like to make a new one soon. I was planning on doing a variation of the Portrait Coasters that I made last April and providing templates to make a mix'n'match series of bearded and mustachioed men. But this Snack Sack I just made is so darn cute and a lot of people have expressed an interest in making one-so now I kind of want to do a tute on it instead.
Help me out! Which one would you rather see? I've set up a poll in my side bar and I'd appreciate it if you'd take a second to vote. Thanks!
Oh, and it looks like the Rainbow Dolls giveaway doll is in the works and should be up by the end of the month, if not sooner! Be sure to join Rainbow Dolls on Facebook for some sneak peaks. She's going to be a beauty! Megan has also generously donated the doll Molly to a charity auction for Andy Atwood, a 3-year-old boy with Alper's Disease, a degenerative disease of the central nervous system. You can read Andy's story on Kumfy Kozies and click here to bid on Molly. All proceeds will go towards helping Andy's parents with their extensive medical bills.

Snack Sack

This is a quick little project I whipped out for Huck. He needed a snack sack for summer school. It is a little smaller than a regular lunch sack-just big enough for a juice box,a pack of animal crackers and a clementine. It has a little strap on the back (that matches the lining) that he can either hold or sling over his shoulder. If I did it again, I'd probably add a stiff rectangle of something (heavy interfacing? plastic? something washable.) to the bottom of the sack so that it would hold it's shape better when it is picked up and loaded with yummies.

Friday Find: Rainbow Dolls

Everybody, please say "Hello" to Megan! Megan is one of the first friends I made when we moved to California from Savannah, Georgia. She is a crafty mama and she recently opened an Etsy storefront selling beautiful, handmade Waldorf-inspired dolls. I recently asked Megan if she would mind telling us a bit about her dolls and she graciously agreed to an interview.

Molly

Hello, Megan! Thanks for coming over to my blog to talk about your dolls. Can I offer you something to drink? A cushion? Foot massage, perhaps?
Oh Marigold, you are quite the hostess. A massage…anywhere…would be fantastic!

So let’s start by talking about you a little bit. Give us some of your vital stats.
I am from Huntington Beach, California. My husband, Dan and I have lived in Fountain Valley, then to Long Beach, and over the last two years, Rancho Santa Margarita. Yes, I know what you are thinking…where is that? I didn’t know either until I moved here. It’s east of Mission Viejo towards the foothills in South Orange County. There isn’t much that goes on here, but it’s very pretty and mostly quiet. I have had my cosmetology license since 2004 and worked in a nice salon for a few years before getting married and having my first child, Lily. Then in 2009, we had our son Joshua. I have always been very artistic and pick up on different crafts here and there. I have never had an art class since grade school because I pursued singing in a chamber choir during high school instead. I enjoy painting with acrylics, singing, making jewelry, sewing, and making cute Waldorf inspired dolls!

Cecilia

I know that Waldorf dolls have a whole philosophy behind them-can you give us a quick rundown of the basics?
Well, Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf Educational Schools said, “Simple toys made from natural material are recognized as being of great importance for the wholesome development of young children.” The typical Waldorf doll is made from sheep's wool and cotton knit fabric. It has a unique inner head that gives the shape to the face. Wool stuffing is wrapped around and around to form a ball shape. Cotton string is then tied around the head to create a distinctive shape. Then an outer stockinette skin is pulled over the head onto which the eyes and mouth are embroidered. The appearance is intentionally simple in order to allow the child playing with it to improve or strengthen imagination and creativity and to meet the child’s needs at the time, whether the child is happy or sad. The face is usually somewhat neutral in the expression.

Why did you get interested in actually making dolls, and how did you learn how to do it?
I started getting interested in Waldorf Education because it is based on a profound understanding of human development that addresses the needs of the growing child. The Waldorf philosophy strives to transform education into an art that educates the whole child—the heart and the hands, as well as the head. It is also based a lot around the arts, which I am fond of, as well as my daughter Lily. I am also so tired of having to worry and second guess everything I buy that is from a large manufacturer. I have learned a lot about the dangers of certain plastics and toxins in the home and I wanted to get away from those things. So, after getting rid most of our plastic toys and getting mostly wood and other natural toys, I started seeing these cute Waldorf Dolls around. I started to buy a few and realized that I wasn’t really seeing the exact style of doll that I would like to have (errhmm..for the kids!) and I always like a new challenge. I researched for hours finding everything I could find about Waldorf doll making online and read through numerous tips from here and there. I found the best resources for buying materials and started ordering everything I would need. I drew up a pattern and was set to start making my dolls.

Raif

Tell us a little about your creative process. (For example, do you sketch out a doll before you make it, or does it just kind of come to life as you’re working?)
I usually look through Etsy for handspun wool yarn to use for hair, and I start imagining what the doll will look like with the hair and whatever skin color I feel like using. I like to coordinate with the material and eye color, when its totally up to me. Sometimes the doll’s face will make me want to pick a different yarn or fabric. Even though I do plan this stuff out, sometimes it just changes mid-making them.

What is your favorite part of making a doll?
I would say my most favorite part is picking out the hair and materials to go together and actually sewing on the hair. It fulfills my lack of being behind a chair in a salon now that I have two babes to shape into decent people.

Least favorite part?
My least favorite part is embroidering the eyes because I am such a perfectionist and want them to be exactly the same on each side and it’s really hard to do that! Also, sewing up the shoulders is difficult and can be a very frustrating task.

Handmade Waldorf dolls can be pricey, and a lot of people balk at the $150-ish price tag. Can you tell us a little bit about the materials you use and the time it takes to make these dolls? For instance, how many hours would you say it takes to make one doll? And where do all the cute clothes and accessories come from?

Forest

I, too, scoffed at first when seeing the price of the first Waldorf doll that I saw, but the more I learned about them and why they are so great, I realized it was really worth the money. Most families that collect Waldorf dolls for their kids don’t have a ton of other toys and don’t buy other kinds of dolls. So the price really evens out because of that. For my dolls, I use 100% organic cotton, anti-pill, high-quality interlock for skin. To stuff the dolls, I use sweet smelling clean, carded Eco-wool that is 30% organic and is not treated with any harmful chemicals. Wool is an ideal material to fill a doll with because its naturally anti-bacterial, warms to the touch, and absorbs the familiar smells of the home. For the facial embroidery, I use high-quality, 100% cotton French floss. The cheeks are blushed with a natural Stockmar bees wax crayons. I use handspun and dyed wool for the hair, which can be quite expensive, and sew it in by hand in three different layers while using double thread to sew it in very securely. Joshua, my 13-month-old son, often takes my daughter’s dolls by the hair and drags them around the house like a cave man. They hold up quite well! It usually takes me 2-3 days to make a single doll because I am also a full time mommy but because it takes a long time for each step to make sure it is done correctly. I sew all the clothing and shoes. For some reason, I don’t even have any patterns for the clothing. I just make a pattern for the clothing for each doll as they need clothes. Some of the accessories, like buttons and sweaters, are handmade or hand painted and purchased from Etsy sellers.

3-year-old Lily modeling matching headband sets

What does your 3-year-old daughter think of the dolls? It must be hard for her to have all of these adorable dolls around and not be able to play with them all! Do you have to hide them?
Each doll that I make, Lily asks me if it is for her. I sadly have to say no and she responds by saying, “Well, if no one wants to buy her, then she can be for me.” She has a few of her own that I have made, so I can’t feel that badly for her. I am sure I will be making her more as well. I keep them in our downstairs hallway on the bookshelf so that no one little can get to them. She does like to go in the hallway and tell me how pretty the hallway is because I also keep all my materials there at the adjacent desk.

Are there any dolls that you’ve made that you just can’t bear to part with?
I really love each doll that I make. I am especially fond of Hana, Cecilia, and Forest. I think that when I have to send them in a box to their new homes, it’s going to be hard, but I am very much looking forward to seeing pictures of them with their new families!

Thank you so much for doing this interview, Megan! Is there anything else you’d like us
to know about your dolls before we say goodbye?
Thank you, Marigold, for offering to do the interview with me! I am looking forward to your blog hosting the doll giveaway once I get to 200 fans on Facebook! I want everyone to know how much I really love making these dolls and that you feel that love when you bring them into your homes. I hope to provide a safe, natural and cute companion for your child that they will love the rest of their lives. Thank you everyone for your support!

Lily holding Chloe

Aren't they just the cutest things? So sweet! You can visit Megan's Etsy shop, Rainbow Dolls and adopt one of your very own. Or, if you think you're lucky, try to win one! Once Megan hits 200 Facebook Fans (Megan hit her goal of 200 Fans just before we went to publish! Congrats Megan!) , she'll give one away right here. In the meantime, check out the Rainbow Dolls Facebook Fan Page, and you can be part of making the giveaway doll-fans can vote for the size of the doll and the colors for the hair, eye and skin. How cool is that?

Exciting! Blog Happenings!

Howdy! I have added a couple of things to this blog that I wanted to point out, just in case you haven't noticed:

Subscribe via Email If you already have a feed reading service (Google Reader, Bloglines, etc.) you probably don't need this, but if you are my sister or my mother-in-law and you don't really read anyone else's blog, you can now subscribe to Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky! and every post will go directly to your inbox! Simply enter your e-mail address in the little box under "Follow, Bookmark, Share & Subscribe" and hit "Subscribe" and you'll start receiving updates every time I post.

and. . .

Sponsorships I am now taking sponsors! Check out my Sponsorship Page for rates and all the info. Right now I am offering a sweet intro deal where you can get a free month with a 3-month commitment and two free months with a 6-month commitment. For my readers, I want you to know that even though my rates are competitive, I am very selective about who may place an ad on my blog, and I only take sponsorships from shops and businesses that I think would truly be of interest to my readers. So check them out because there are some cool shops on there :)

Rawking the Raw

The Summer of No Pants is going well! Sometimes it is a pain because it requires a little more coordination/clean laundry than my regular jeans and t-shirt get up, but I feel much better about myself. Much cuter. It is going so well, in fact, that I'm going a little nuts and making it a Summer of Getting Myself Back To Being Healthy and Cute. Or, as some might call it, The Summer of Mid-Life Crisis. My weight has been ever so sloooooowly creeping up since I stopped nursing Milo. At first, I blamed it on that and figured my weight would eventually plateau out and then I could lose it again. Well, I hit a benchmark on my scale that made me shriek. I'm not much of a shrieker, and I have a pretty good body image (excepting my fat arms) and I don't freak out over every pound, but like I said, I saw a number that made me flip a little. So I started an aerobic kickboxing class. I haven't done any kind of structured exercise program since Steve and I did Taekwando together over five years ago (six? seven??). I love martial arts, but I can't commit to any kind of real training right now, so my fake martial arts aerobics class will have to do for now. At least I get to kick stuff! I've only had one class so far, and I was sore for three days after it was over. I was sad at just how *not* flexible I am, but damn if I didn't have the best form in that class! It's amazing what comes back to you and how muscle memory works, even all of these years later.
The other thing I am committing to is The Summer of Raw Vegetables. I do not eat nearly enough veggies, and I eat even less raw vegetables. I'm pretty good at having fruits in my diet, but my veggie intake is sorely lacking. Now, I could never go all Raw, and frankly, I could go on a whole angry rant about self-imposed food restrictions. But I won't. What I will do is commit to having at least one serving of raw veggies every day. That doesn't seem like much, but I am truly a processed food addict. I love to cook, but it is often a big process that makes a mess of my kitchen (and OH! how I hate doing dishes!). So things that I can pop into the microwave or pour out of a box and boil are much too prevalent in my diet. My goal then, is to find easy raw vegetable recipes. Of course, my raw veggie serving is very often baby carrots dipped in hummus or celery and peanut butter, but I want more creative recipes. I've been trolling foodgawker and vegan foodie sites looking for creative ways to go Raw. Simple is important (I know won't do it daily if it isn't easy), although I'm willing to try an occasional gourmet recipe if the mood strikes. I found several recipes that I'm excited about and I'll share below. If you have any links (your own, or someone else's), please feel free to add it to the list!

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