HUGE American Girl Doll Summer Wardrobe GIVEAWAY!

You guys! Have I got an AMAZING Giveaway for you!!

You've been waiting for it and the time has arrived for our third American Girl Doll Handcrafted Wardrobe Giveaway. This time the contributors have outdone themselves and created an incredible summer wardrobe. You are going to love it!! This fabulous giveaway is brought to you by the following co-hosts, sponsors, & contributors~

1. Diana of Diana Rambles - Diana aka FreeStyleMama, the coordinator of this giveaway, is a self-described creative crafty mama of 3 who blogs about food, crafts, family & fun. She also is a blog designer & seamstress.
2. Amy of SewsNBows - Amy is a fabric hoarder and sewing pattern collector who enjoys sewing children's clothing and accessories. Her beautiful creations are showcased on her blog.
3. Millie & Kristina of 2 Crochet Hooks - Millie and Kristina, a Mother and Daughter team of Fiber Crafters, Entrepreneurs and Environmentally Concerned Parents. Blogging about Crochet, Crafts, Recycling, and Fun!
4. Stephanie of The Tip Toe Fairy - Stephanie is a stay-at-home mommy to 3.  She blogs about crafting, cupcakes, book reviews, and more.
5. KC of The Real Thing with the Coake Family - KC is a stay at home mom of two cuties who are 11 and 7. She blogs at The Real Thing with the Coake Family which is about living the creative life with her family, while keeping it real along the way.
6. Debbie of Heartbeats~ Soul Stains - Debbie is a wife, mother of 7 and a nurse that has survived many obstacles. She share stories about her life living in controlled chaos.
7. Janell of Saving you Dinero - Janell is a stay-at-home mom and blogger at Saving You Dinero, a blog dedicated to "saving you time and money, from kitchen to store and so much more." Janell enjoys baking, shopping online, and saving money by scouring the internet for the best deals and coupon codes.
8. Lynn of Turnips 2 Tangerines - Turnips 2 Tangerines is Lynn's Little Kitchen in the Big Woods of Northern WI is where she shares with you, her family tested and approved recipes, kitchen tips and many adventures traveling throughout Wisconsin.
9. Emily of Naptime Creations - Emily is an adventure loving mom who lives in Hong Kong with her husband and two boys. When she's not with her family or friends you can find her sewing, cooking, taking photos and blogging.
10. Jenny of Learning and Growing the Piwi Way - Jenny is a proud wife and mama who enjoys blogging about teaching her kids, the books she reads and food. With another job relocation always just over the horizon most of the projects she writes about are an attempt to distract her from packing.
11. Laura of Laura Kelly's INKlings - Laura Kelly is a licensed artist and creative project designer for ilovetocreate.com. She blogs her journey with hopes of inspiring and stimulating creativity in others.
12. Stephanie of A Geek in Glasses - Stephanie loves all things Vintage and crafty and her house shows it. She just got AG Doll Molly McIntire for Christmas because she wants to have a Victory Garden and loves all things 1940's!!!
13. Lisa of Crazy Adventures in Parenting - Lisa Douglas is an Army wife raising seven kids sharing humorous parental war-stories, yummy homemade family-friendly recipes, craft tutorials, hilarious family videos, and much more at CrazyAdventuresinParenting.com. Lisa's on a journey to savor every "small" moment, finding the humor in the joy in everything (even diapers and laundry).
14. Char of Doll Diaries - Char is the founder and blogger at Doll Diaries where girls of all ages are inspired to create, play and share doll related activities. She is excited for the second summer of Camp Doll Diaries - a free, online summer camp with new themed activities for girls of all ages each day.
15. Ayelet of The Graceful Rose - Ayelet is the owner of The Graceful Rose shop, is a wife and mama to two adorable girls. Her blog is a bit about her daily life, with tips and tricks that she's learned along the way.
16. Anna of Doll It Up - Anna shares projects and inspiration to sew, craft and create for dolls. From easy to advanced projects come and create, repurpose and PLAY!
17. Rachel & Donna of Once Upon a Sewing Machine - The sewing machine has always been a place for us to come together as mother and daughter team. It is a place where we can brainstorm, laugh, cry, catch up after being apart and share new projects.
18. Michelle of Crafty Little Me - Michelle is wife and mother to two cats and one playful pup. Her site is a way for her to document and share her passion for big projects, events, etc., and more importantly, planning and organizing these things and seeing everything come together in the end.

Sonnet of SohoSonnet Creative Living   Becky of Plushie Patterns
Allison of Dream a Little Bigger   Lizzy of The Muddle-Headed Momma
Lindsay of My Creative Days   Harriet of Posh on a Budget
 Lisa of Chronically Content   Carmody of Paper & Fox

FreeStyleMama - Hawaiian Collection & Embroidered Tote Bag
Naptime Creations - Mushroom Outfit   Doll Diaries - T-shirt & Pajamas
Laura Kelly's INKlings - Patriotic Outfit   SewsNBows - Pet Set & Outfit
Darlin Girl Creations - Snoopy Outfit   Tickie's Treasures - Vintage Outfit
123 Mulberry Street - Outfit & Hat   A Bee Line - Beez Shoes
Jazzy Doll Duds - Romper Outfit   Karen Mom of 3 - Floral Outfit
  Gina's Craft Corner - 4 Bags   Aunt Sissy Originals - Patriotic Outfit
Once Upon a Sewing Machine - 2 Outfits   2 Crochet Hooks - Bedding Set
  GiGi's Doll Creations - Patriotic Outfit   Jessie's Girl Clothing - Polo Outfit 
Pickled Okra - Reversible Outfit   Meatloaf and Melodrama - Flower Outfit
Doll It Up - Tutu Set   The Graceful Rose - 2 Dresses
Cats Meow - Floral Dress   The Real Thing with the Coake Family - Dress Form
The Tip Toe Fairy - Skirt Set   Camelot's Treasures - Shorts Outfit

Enter the giveaway using the Giveaway Tools entry form below.

18+ yrs, US & Canada Only. Official Rules at bottom of the entry form.
Bonus entries unlocked after required entry.
The more entries, the better chance you have of winning.

Entry-Form

This giveaway was coordinated by Diana of Diana Rambles.

Some Doll Sewing!

When summer vacation comes in just a few short weeks (!!!), our family will be doing what most families do - summer camps, swim lessons, and traveling.  My girls love to bring their American Girl Dolls with them wherever we go, and I like to let them take a few outfits to change their dolls into along the way.

I just sewed up a few of these adorable Bow Dresses - this is one of my favorite doll patterns and it's from Ruby Jean's Closet (the girl version is a great sew as well!  You can see a few in my shop here).  I love this pattern - the bow is just too cute, and I love that it's interchangeable - you can change the whole look just by adding a new bow!

I love these fabrics, from Micheal Miller's Bella Butterfly line.  So sweet and summery.

I'm giving these two dresses away as part of another HUGE American Girl Doll Wardrobe Giveaway that starts in a few weeks, so stay tuned for details.  There are some seriously adorable items donated by some very talented sewists!

Doll Tutu Tutorial

Happy Friday!  Have you entered the American Girl Doll and Wardrobe Giveaway yet?!  Hop on over and do it now!  It's OK...I'll wait ;-)

OK, now that you're back, let's talk about today's tutorial.

This sweet little tutu is simple enough that your kiddos can make one too.  All you need to make 1 tutu are:

• roll of 6 inch wide tulle (really, you can make tons of tutus with one roll!)
• 12 inches of 1/2 inch wide elastic
• sewing machine OR needle and thread
• scissors OR rotary cutter/healing mat

First, you're going to cut two different lengths of tulle.  The short pieces will be 3 inches wide and 6 inches long.  I just snipped pieces off of the end of my roll every 3 inches.  The long pieces are going to be 3 inches wide and 10 inches long.  To cut these, I cut 10 inch lengths and then cut them in half lengthwise.  You can do this with scissors or a rotary cutter - whatever you have.  Don't worry too much about being exact - you're going to trim the edges of your tutu when you are finished.

Next, you're going to overlap the edges of your elastic by 1/2 an inch so that you have an 11 inch wide circle.  Sew around the edges in a square to secure. 

Now, alternating short and long pieces of tulle, tie the pieces in a double knot around the elastic.  I like to pull the knot on the long pieces to the bottom edge of the elastic, and leave the short pieces facing forward, like so:

Keep going until you can't fit any more tulle strips on the elastic - the bunchier, the better!

And voila!

This is a great craft for kids - my 8 year old daughter made this while watching a movie.  As long as they know how to tie a knot, they're set.  This would be a fun craft to make at a slumber or birthday party - just sew those elastic waistbands and cut the tulle ahead of time, and you're all set!

Be sure to enter yourself for the American Girl Doll and Wardrobe giveaway!

AHHHHH-Mazing American Girl Doll and Wardrobe GIVEAWAY!

You Guys!  This is HUGE!  If you have any doll loving girls in your family, this is your lucky day!  I'm proud to be sponsoring and contributing to This fabulous giveaway where you can not only win a fabulous doll wardrobe, some amazing accessories, but the American Girl Doll of your choice!  How amazing is that!?!  Amy at Sews N Bows has a great line-up of all of the outfits and accessories that are listed, so go check that out!

I'll be back on Friday with an sewing tutorial that you can your doll-obsessed girl can do together!  Be sure to check out all of the sponsor's shops and blogs and show them some love!  If you just can't wait for the contest to end, I've got a few doll outfits listed in my shop right now.

 Back by popular demand is another American Girl Doll & Wardrobe giveaway. Our first one was so successful that we've decided to make it a series. This second giveaway is Valentine's theme. This fabulous giveaway is brought to you by the following co-hosts, sponsors, & contributors~

1. Diana of Diana Rambles - Diana aka FreeStyleMama, the host of this giveaway, is a self-described creative crafty mama of 3 who blogs about food, crafts, family & fun. She also is a blog designer & seamstress.
2. Amy of SewsNBows - Amy is a fabric hoarder and sewing pattern collector who enjoys sewing children's clothing and accessories. Her beautiful creations are showcased on her blog.
3. Charlotte of Saving with Charlotte - Saving with Charlotte is family friendly and if it doesn't pass the grandma test, it doesn't get posted on my blog. Charlotte blogs about a variety of topics, including: Kids Crafts & Activities, DIY, Simple Household Solutions, Recipes, Misc. Deals & Promotions, Product Reviews, Free Samples, and Much More!
4. Linda of Crafts a la mode - Linda loves to make things.. crafts, DIY, even fun food.
5. Lisa of Crazy Adventures in Parenting - Lisa Douglas is an Army wife raising seven kids sharing humorous parental war-stories, yummy homemade family-friendly recipes, craft tutorials, hilarious family videos, and much more at CrazyAdventuresinParenting.com. Lisa's on a journey to savor every "small" moment, finding the humor in the joy in everything (even diapers and laundry).
6. Lynn of Turnips 2 Tangerines - Turnips 2 Tangerines is Lynn's Little Kitchen in the Big Woods of Northern WI is where she shares with you, her family tested and approved recipes, kitchen tips and many adventures traveling throughout Wisconsin.
7. Stephanie of The Tip Toe Fairy - Stephanie is a stay-at-home mommy to 3.  She blogs about crafting, cupcakes, book reviews, and more.
8. Stephanie of A Geek in Glasses - Stephanie loves all things Vintage and crafty and her house shows it. She just got AG Doll Molly McIntire for Christmas because she wants to have a Victory Garden and loves all things 1940's!!!
9. Gina of Gina's Craft Corner - This blog follows Gina on her journey as she learns to sew.  She mainly focuses on turning upcycled material into something beautiful.
10. Kristin of A Thrifter in Disguise - A self-described thrifter, Kristen blogs about finding creative ways to find savings without sacrificing style. A mom of 3, she loves creating crafts and activities to keep her kids busy.
11. KC of The Real Thing with the Coake Family - KC is a stay at home mom of two cuties who are 11 and 7. She blogs at The Real Thing with the Coake Family which is about living the creative life with her family, while keeping it real along the way.
12. Laura of Laura Kelly's INKlings - Laura Kelly is a licensed artist and creative project designer in addition to being the resident dyesigner for the Rit Studio and an inaugural member of The Sharpie Squad.  She blogs her journey with hopes of inspiring and stimulating creativity in others.
13. Jenny of Learning and Growing the Piwi Way - Jenny is a proud wife and mama who enjoys blogging about teaching her kids, the books she reads and food. With another job relocation always just over the horizon life most of the projects she writes about are an attempt to distract her from packing.
14. Janine of Janine's Confessions of A Mommyaholic - Janine is a wife and mom to two little girls 16 months apart. She blogs about being a mom and so much more, and also designs blogs and offers blogging advice.
15. Corinna of For My Love Of -Corinna is a bold and eclectic DIY decorator. She loves to reinvent and create pretty things and blogs about it at for my love of blog.

Emily of Naptime Creations  Harriet of Posh on a Budget
Ayelet of The Graceful Rose  Millie & Kristina of 2 Crochet Hooks
Nina of Mamabelly's Lunches with Love  Sonnet of SohoSonnet Creative Living
 Lisa of Chronically Content  Barbara of Barbara's Beat

FreeStyleMama - 2 dresses  SewsNBows - 2 outfits
CatsMeow1 - dress  The Graceful Rose - dress & headband
The Tip Toe Fairy - tutu & fairy wings   Gina's Craft Corner - doll tote
Domestic Bliss Squared - crocheted accessories   Tickie's Time - coat & boots
  xoxo Grandma - dress & necklace   2 Crochet Hooks - poncho & accessories
Eden Ava Couture - complete outfit   GiGi's Doll Creations - bedding
Meatloaf and Melodrama - outfit   Keema Kids - outfit
Pixie Dust Doll Clothes - outfit   Two It Yourself - matching chair envelopes
Doll It Up - complete outfit   Laura Kelly's INKlings - ladybug costume

Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter entry form below.
US Only. Official Rules at bottom of the entry form.
Bonus entries unlocked after required entry.
The more entries, the better chance you have of winning.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Instafriday #15

Whew - it's been a busy week!  My littlest little turned 6, I took my Girl Scout Troop all over downtown Seattle, and we ate lots of ice cream.  I'm linking up with Life Rearranged for Instafriday.

My oldest and I had fun with some Crayola Air Dry Clay and made these cute little critters. 

We got the directions for the latest American Girl Magazine - so many fun ideas in there!

We LOVE sushi in our family and now that the kids are older, our orders get pretty huge.  I couldn't even fit the whole boat in my shot!  Yep, it all got inhaled quickly :)

This girl turned SIX!!  Where did the time go?!  Also, I *heart* Rhonna Designs' new app!  So fun!

My geeky husband's gift to the birthday girl.  This book is HILARIOUS, especially if you've been forced to watch Star Wars over and over and over again ;-)

Our Girl Scout troop went on a scavenger hunt through Seattle, and ended at the Great Wheel.  Picture me in a tiny compartment with 5 squealing little girls for an hour.  I still have a headache, but all in all, it was a great time :)

My own girls had so much fun!

The birthday girl could not believe how high up we were.

After all of the weekend excitement...I felt lazy and decided to let the girls have ice cream for dinner.  Of course I needed some too.

Another AG Magazine find - a recipe for no-bake cookies that my big girl made all by herself :)  And they were delicious, too!

We had our family pictures done one evening, and I caught the girls on the walk back to the car.  Yes I made their dresses...big stuff coming, so stay tuned!

This meal was one of the best I've made in a while.  There's a huge error in the recipe (1 teaspoon of salt, not 4!), but the rest of it is perfect!  I highly suggest you make it while the weather is still perfect for grilling!

Yes, I've already done some of our back to school shopping.  Our school basically requires us to buy everything but the desk, so I like to do it in spurts based on the ads.  Of course, I always have to buy a treat for me - sharpies in neon colors?!  Yes, please!

I was craving pie, but didn't want to work that hard or wait that long, so I made this cherry apricot crostata a few nights ago.  No recipe...just my favorite pie crust, the fruit, and a sprinkle of sugar.  YUM!

This was breakfast this morning: chia pudding made with almond milk, a splash of honey, and topped with fresh blueberries.  YUM!

Head on over the Life Rearranged to check out what the rest of the folks have linked up!  You can follow me on Instagram here.

http://instagram.com/thegracefulroseshop

Tutorial - How to make a backdrop for doll play scenes

Today I'm going to show you an easy way to make a simple backdrop for playing with your kids' dolls (or any toy, really!).  My girls are super spoiled lucky in that we have a huge (and generous!) family AND an American Girl Store down the street.  They are at the age where they are both focused on 1 or 2 things, and for the past few years, it seems to be Legos and dolls.  Of course, their favorite thing to play with their dolls is either school or tea party.  We found a huge school play set at Costco a few years ago (can't find it online anymore), but the girls have been asking for a tea party play set.

Here's how we made it:

First, we started with a tri-fold board (this one is Elmer's brand).  We used a few for our recent school science fair, and it's the perfect thing to reuse.

I removed the pictures, but left the other stuff on...it's just going to get covered up ;-)

Next, I got out some cute and girly wrapping paper - this is from Target Dollar Spot.  It's super cute and you can't beat a dollar for a whole roll of wrapping paper! 

Cut a few pieces of paper that are a little longer than your board is tall.  Wrap the excess around the board and secure.  I just used scotch tape, but you will probably be smarter than me and use something fancy like glue.  Make sure to score your paper on the other side where the board folds.  It helps to have cute helpers, too ;-)

Keep adding more paper, and try to match the pattern if you can.  I used double stick tape to tack the ends down on each other on the front, but I doubt if my kids would have cared if I'd just used regular tape.

Voila!  Now get your dolls in their fancy dresses and set them up at the table for a tea party!

 

I think this would be fun for an ice cream parlour - I've seen cute ice cream wrapping paper out there as well!  Or you could do a spa-theme...whatever your girl wants!  If dolls don't live in your house, you could easily do some tree paper for a train track or something with animals for a pretend vet office.  The possibilities are endless!



 

 

**linking up with Sun Scholars, Sew Chatty, Girl. Inspired., and Tatertots and Jello**