mermaids

Here is what I created for the 
pegdoll swap I hosted last month...

Mermamas & mer-tots!

***

I will have a blog post showing dolls created by other swap participants soon, and the photos will also be posted in the pegdoll photo gallery.

pegdoll inspiration

Yes, I've launched another pegdoll swap!  If you'd like to join in, you can read all about it here.  For fun and inspiration, below you will find a small selection of a few of my favorite pegdolls.

dolls & photo :: painting pixie

doll & photo :: painting pixie

dolls & photo :: this cosy life

dolls & photo :: anna branford

dolls & photo :: mama westwind

doll & photo :: mama westwind

dolls & photo :: morning sun rae

dolls & photo :: morning sun rae

doll & photo :: painting pixie

dolls & photo :: mama westwind

doll & photo :: giants, wizards & dweebs

Nope, these are not peg dolls.  They are music boxes made by Ostheimer (however, both my children used them as teething toys).  I think they are rather pegdoll-like, don't you?

dolls & photo :: soft earth art

You're right.  These are not pegdolls, either, but with their round heads and bodies wouldn't you say they are pegdoll-like?

doll & photo :: forest fairy crafts

Okay, this is also technically not a pegdoll, but I can't resist the sweet smiles of Lenka's forest sprites... and since my current swap is pegdoll-style, let's just stretch the criteria and say that pipe-cleaner bendy-dolls are allowed, too...

Are you feeling inspired?  

You can find out more about the pegdoll-style swap here...

pegdoll-style swap

photo & dolls :: the chocolate room

The flat-item swap I hosted last month was fun, however, I received several wistful emails asking when I would be hosting another pegdoll swap.  I'm a sucker for wistful. I'm also game to facilitate anything which inspires fun, joy and creativity.

 So, here we go!  A pegdoll swap with a new twist.

photo & dolls :: the chocolate room

For this swap you are welcome to create pegdolls of any style, or anything pegdoll-like.  When looking for ideas, you might find inspiration among crafts based on matryoshka or kokeshi style dolls.

photo & ornament :: my sparkle

In fact, for this swap, you are welcome to create something which is not a pegdoll at all, however which contains pegdoll-like elements.  The most distinctive elements are, of course, a small, round face and a rounded body, usually with no arms or legs (however, it's all negotiable!).

Over the next week, I am planning blog posts with some ideas & inspiration: photos of a few of my favorite pegdolls, plus links to matryoshka & kokeshi influenced projects.  Note -- there are many wonderful matryoshka & kokeshi style projects, and this is why I am highlighting them, however, participants are NOT limited to matryoshka or kokeshi designs.  Choices for decorating pegdoll-style creations are endless...

kokeshi embroidery :: kristen doran

Why have I broadened the theme beyond traditional pegdolls?  It's the same reason I initiated the flat-item swap: postal rates have climbed so high that the cost of mailing parcels deterred people in certain countries from joining swaps.  By broadening the criteria, participants will have the option to create pegdolls OR to create something which is flat and hence less expensive to send via post.

NOW FOR THE DETAILS

 -- Sign-ups are open starting today (Monday April 21st.)

-- To sign up, please email me margaret (at) flyingteapot (dot) com with 1) your name 2) mailing address 3) email address 4) blog URL if you have one 5) a few sentences about yourself; you can mention your family, information about where you live, what kind of crafting you like to do, materials you like to use, etc... Even if I have all your information from a previous swap, please send it to me again.  This way I can cut and paste your information from the email instead of hunting through my archives.  Thanks!

-- This swap is open to anyone anywhere in the world and to participants of all crafting levels.

-- Each participant will be matched in a group of three (i.e. you will create a pegdoll or pegdoll-inspired item for each of your two swap mates and you will receive a pegdoll or pegdoll-inspired item from each of them in return.)

-- Sign-ups will close Monday, May 5th at 9 p.m. PST, and information about your swap-matches will be emailed to you by Tuesday May 6th.

-- By signing up for this swap you agree to create, with you own hands, a pegdoll or pegdoll-inspired item for each of your swap-mates and send them off in a timely fashion.

-- Preferably, parcels should be posted to recipients by Friday May 23rd.  If you are delayed in sending your parcels, it will be important to communicate this directly to your swap-mates.

-- Any questions?  Please feel free to send me an email!

NOTE: SIGN-UPS FOR THIS SWAP ARE NOW CLOSED.

dolls & photo :: griottes

P.S. Are you looking for pegdoll making supplies?  You can find some sources here.

flat-item swap: my contributions

A month ago I launched a craft swap. Because the cost of sending items via post has been steadily climbing, participants were encouraged to create flat items which could be sent at the lowest postal rates.

For the people with whom I swapped, I stitched up brooches.  There is a safety-pin at the back of each brooch which lies flat to conform to the flat item swap criteria.

And in my parcels, I also included paper butterfly ornaments.  When devising these ornaments, I was excited to find tiny butterfly-shaped crystals to hang at the ends; however, because the crystals were made of glass & slightly bulky, they required a small bit of bubble wrap for safe shipment.  oops. I failed to adhere to my own flat-item swap criteria and had to pay slightly higher postal rates!

I've heard rumblings from participants that, although this flat-item swap has been an interesting challenge, what they are really hoping for is another peg doll swap.  I am taking this into consideration and will likely host another peg doll themed swap... sooner? later?  At this point I'm not sure when.  If you are interested in participating in another peg doll themed swap, please check in regularly via my blog or facebook so you don't miss the sign-up deadline. 

Or send me an email with 3 good reasons why I should host another swap and tell me when you would like me to launch it. I'm a sucker for good persuasion.

Another reason to keep your eyes on my blog: it looks like book #2 will be released in October.  This means a blog tour in November with book give-aways and a few other surprises.  I'm usually rotten at keeping quiet about about good surprises, but I've been sitting on some really special ones, brewing since late fall.  All the more reason to stay in touch around here!!

cheers!

join me for another swap?

A year ago, for my third blog-iversary, I hosted a peg doll swap.  It was very popular, and during the past year several people have asked whether I would be hosting another swap.  The answer has been "no," and my reason was as follows: I was told by several participants outside the US that, with postal rates ever climbing, it had cost them outrageous sums to post their parcels (and these were domestic rates, not international!)  I felt terrible and vowed never again to host another swap.

However, after gentle persistence and some brain-storming, my friend Anna came up with the idea of swapping FLAT items! Most countries have a much lower rate for flat items.  Generally the envelope must be less than 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) thick to qualify, but best to check with your local post office for exact specifications in your country.

All this to say... won't you join me for a FLAT item swap?  At first glance, this might seem boring.  Let's see... we could swap Popsicle sticks. Moth wings. Oak leaves and feathers. But then I opened myself to the challenge of imagining interesting things I could make which were also... flat.

embroidery & photo :: knitty gritty homestead

A piece of embroidery which could be framed or turned into something useful like a pincushion?

mitts & image :: purlbee

 Mitts knit at a very fine gauge...

mitts & image :: purlbee

 Or sewn from fine wool...

headbands & image :: totally stitchin'

headscarf bandana and image :: purlbee

needle book & image :: tiny happy

brooches & image :: purlbee

coffee cup cozies & image :: purlbee

finger puppets & image :: purlbee

banner & image :: martha stewart

ornaments and image :: martha stewart

a garland of stars and image :: path less traveled

lariat necklace and image :: martha stewart

A delicate necklace, bracelet or earrings...

brooches & image :: tiny happy

paper cut :: homemade happy

Right then.  I think you've got the idea! The choice is up to the creativity of the sender -- the main criteria are as follows: the item should be hand made by you, it should be the sort of thing you might like to receive yourself (or which you think the recipient would like), and it should be flat enough to meet postal rate specifications for shipping a flat item.

ALL THE REST OF THE DETAILS

 -- Sign-ups are open starting today (Monday March 3rd.)  To sign up, please email me margaret (at) flyingteapot (dot) com with your name, mailing address, email address, blog URL (if you have one), plus a few sentences about yourself; you can mention your family, information about where you live, what kind of crafting you like to do, materials you like to use, etc... 

-- This swap is open to anyone anywhere in the world and to participants of all crafting levels.

-- Each participant will be matched in a group of three (i.e. you will create a flat item for each of your two swap mates and will receive a flat item from each of them in return.)

-- Sign-ups will close Sunday March 9th and information about your swap-matches will be emailed to you by Monday March 10th.

-- By signing up for this swap you agree to create, with you own hands, a flat item (the sort of thing you might like to receive yourself) for each of your swap-mates and send them off in a timely fashion.

-- Preferably, parcels should be posted to recipients by Monday March 24th.  If you are delayed in sending your parcels, it will be important to communicate this directly to your swap-mates.

-- Any questions?  Please feel free to send me an email!

Peg Doll Swap Wrap-up: Wee Folk & Magic Critters

doll & photo by Tanja: Watermellish

Wecome to day #2 of my Blog-iversary Peg Doll Swap Wrap-up. Below you will find more wee folk (and charming critters) made by swap participants.  

To start off, Tanja (VIC, Australia) modeled her dolls after the character of Pelle from the book Pelle's New Suit.  She wrote:
 

I based my peg dolls on a favorite story in our house – Pelle's New Suit by Elsa Beskow. 

It's the story of a little boy, Pelle, whose clothing is becoming too small. He finds a solution to this problem by shearing his lamb and trading his labor (weeding gardens, feeding animals, running errands) to have his grandmothers card and spin the fleece. He dyes it blue himself, and again trades his labor to have his mother weave the yarn into cloth. Then the tailor sews him a new suit. The book ends with Pelle wearing his new blue suit and thanking the lamb for it.  

I painted the Pelle and made a simple lamb from a pipe-cleaner and carded wool.

photo & dolls by Dee: Triskele Threads

Dee (VIC, Australia) of Triskele Threads created these sweet autumn folk.  I love the leaves and acorns embroidered on their gowns, and the distinct reminder that, as we in the Northern Hemisphere are turning towards Spring, our friends in the Southern Hemisphere are in the thick of Autumn!

 And here is more autumnal beauty from my darling friend Clare (ACT, Australia.)  Clare calls these wonderful little folk "beechlings," and about them she wrote:

Heath, Myrtle, Fagus and Tanglefoot are the common names given to two Tasmanian deciduous Gondwana cool temperate rainforest species that grow as either a shrub (in poor conditions) or tree (in sheltered, nutrient rich and warmer valleys) of Nothofagus cunninghamii and Nothofagus gunnii. As the weather becomes cooler, like all deciduous plants the leaves change colour as the plant begins its Winter domancy.

The leaves are dark green to olive green becoming tan, tangerine, rust, orange coloured as the temperatures drop. They are slightly transparent when the sun filters through almost like living tissue paper. The leaves don't always fall in winter leaving an extremely colourful spash of orange across grey/green/olivine/white lichen encrusted boulders high on the exposed slopes in mountainous Tasmania (and some parts of Victoria).

photo and dolls by Kelly: Happy Whimsical Hearts

I grinned wildly when saw these peg dolls by Kelly (ACT, Australia.) Kelly's dolls are patterned after the characters Snugglepot and Cuddlepie from a book her mother read to her when she was "a little tacker."

illustration from Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs

Here is an illustration of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie (after which Kelly styled her dolls.) Are you grinning now, too?

photo and dolls by Karen: Bridgit's Bell

Karen (New Hampshire, USA) of Bridgit's Bell created this royal family of peg dolls.  The details on these dolls are meticulous.

photo and dolls by Karen: Bridgit's Bell

I especially love how Karen used tiny punches to create the designs on their wee royal cloaks.

photo & dolls by Lacey: Life as a Schoolhouse

Lacey (NC, USA) of Life as a Schoolhouse has very cleverly used colored string to decorate the bodies of her peg folk.

photo & dolls by Jen: SEWNnatural

Here is a work-in-progress photo of matrioshka style peg dolls by Jen (Ontario, Canada) of SEWNnatural. I love their traditional red headscarves (and am always a sucker for gold embroidery...)

photo & doll by Melissa: Wild Faerie Caps

Melissa (FL, USA) of Wild Faerie Caps created this wee mousie peg child...

photo & doll by Melissa: Wild Faerie Caps

And also a golden version of a peg child critter -- this one seems rather leonine to me...

photo & dolls by Amanda: By Hook and Thread

For a swashbuckling, romantic tale (and close-up photos of these sweet dolls) you can visit Amanda (Nova Scotia, Canada) at her blog By Hook and Thread.

photo & dolls by Amanda: By Hook and Thread

Amanda also created this porcine trio -- you can read her hilarious version of the traditional piggy-tale here.

photo & dolls by Kat: The Awakened Heart

Kat (VIC, Australia) was inspired by the work of Mama Westwind when she created these love-bunnies.  Do you see the pocket that Kat has added to the back of the cape to hold a jelly bean egg?  Ingenious!

photo & dolls by Megan: Giants, Wizards & Dweebs

Last but not least are these snail folk by Megan (CA, USA) of Giants, Wizards & Dweebs.  When I first saw this photo I did a happy dance to the tune of an idiotic little song, the lyrics of which went something like this -- oh my, oh my, oh, love, love, love!  These peg dolls make me think of my toddler who has recently learned about snails and slugs.  When he finds one, he likes to give it a gentle poke, which causes it to retract it's antennae.  Then he waits patiently for it to put out the antennae again, and gives another little poke.  Did I already mention how much I love these peg dolls?  (oh, yeah, I guess I did...)

To see all the peg dolls from this swap (and also peg dolls from the swap I hosted in 2011) you can have a look here. All the photos are now posted in the Peg Doll Gallery -- Cheers!