little dear tracks

nature buttons

2012-01-28T12:08:00.001-06:00

I got out the tiny brushes and painted a slew of mini nature watercolors to create these 1- inch buttons! They're coming 2 by 2 today to little dear.

www.littledear.etsy.com

xo aimee

Friday inspiration: Chinese New Year 2012

2012-01-27T10:31:00.002-06:00

1. Dragon, 2. Happy New Year!, 3. 2012 作開運龍‧得好彩頭, 4. Year of the Dragon 2012 USA, 5. Getting ready for Chinese New Year, 6. Awesome mural in Chinatown, 7. The Celebration of Ryūjin, 8. Happy New Year 2012!, 9. Happy Chinese New Year! Happy Dragon Year! 恭喜發財! - pandas papercut

2012 is the Year of the Dragon! I love seeing all the beautiful decorations. One day I want to live somewhere close enough to go to a Chinese New Year celebration. :) For now I'll enjoy pictures on the internet.

If you missed it, I created a free 2012 Dragon embroidery pattern! It's available for you right here.

xo aimee

bird and tree

2012-01-27T10:16:00.002-06:00

2 jointed dolls I have made. :) birdie is paperclay and tree man is a painted wooden artist's model with clay accents.

<3 aimee

NŌM update

2012-01-25T11:26:00.001-06:00

2 shroom cottage, a NŌM habitat

and two tiny friends

www.littledear.etsy.com

bluebirds and rainbows

2012-01-24T09:13:00.002-06:00

more love and pink filled Blythe dresses, perfect for Valentines Day!

www.littledear.etsy.com

love fairies

2012-01-23T17:36:00.001-06:00

Love fairy dresses full of pink and red, hearts and flowers, are here just in time for Valentine's day!

www.littledear.etsy.com

xo aimee

Happy Chinese New Year!

2012-01-23T08:53:00.004-06:00

Happy Chinese New Year!

2012 is the year of the Dragon, and I made this free Chinese Dragon embroidery pattern to help you celebrate. (and because I'm a Dragon. ;)

Click here to download it.

Love and Luck, Health and Happiness to you this year!

~aimee

Friday Inspiration: handmade owls!

2012-01-20T11:32:00.001-06:00

1. Free owl embroidery pattern., 2. family barn owl, 3. Fat Sleepy Owl, 4. owl for Brit, 5. Owl pinnie finished!, 6. Flower Owl, 7. Scallyrag, 8. Forestsage big Hoot, 9. Owl

What crafty person doesn't love making owls?

:) aimee

new guys!

2012-01-13T12:01:00.000-06:00

new NOMs and friends at www.littledear.etsy.com

NOM SALE

2012-01-09T15:01:00.002-06:00

All NŌM habitats are on SALE at little dear!

It's a great time to buy NŌM real estate.

Each tiny NŌM home has been marked down by $10.

Buy your NŌM a home today!

xo aimee

new dresses for Blythe

2012-01-09T13:15:00.002-06:00

Valentine Fairies and Rainbow pockets! new at www.littledear.etsy.com

xo aimee

new dresses!

2012-01-08T10:59:00.000-06:00

new fox and deer felt face dresses at little dear.

<3 aimee

2012-01-07T13:33:00.001-06:00

Unicorns and Dragons: new fantasy felt face dresses for Blythe!

www.littledear.etsy.com

xo aimee

Friday Inspiration: pretty color circles

2012-01-06T12:44:00.000-06:00

1. Vintage cotton reels, 2. most anxious bouquet - 5 cm x 4.7 cm, 3. Sempervivum tectorum 'Tokajense', 4. Doily Delicious, 5. day 8, 6. My search for the Ghost Dragon

a bunch of new dresses

2012-01-02T12:12:00.002-06:00

all at www.littledear.etsy.com

<3 aimee

Friday Inspiration: handmade nativities

2011-12-30T14:19:00.002-06:00

1. Nativity, 2. Nativity '09 in Progress, 3. Handmade Nativity Hanging, 4. nativity, 5. nativity after, 6.nativity, 7. Nativity Ornament, 8. Nativity, handmade in 1980s Kinshasa. A childhood memory sent to me by my mother., 9. Mondorfment Nativity 2010 Complete set forward detail

meant to post this last week. :)

hope you all had a joy filled Christmas!

xo aimee

some Christmas cheer

2011-12-22T16:40:00.003-06:00

We don't have a ton of space for Christmas decor this year but we've got two little white trees, and I made a Christmas candyland on a shelf! They make me smile when I walk by.

a white tree is perfect against our green wall!

We love vintage ornaments, we've got some shiny brights, sitting elves and this awesome santa J's mom sent us last year.

NŌM elves and a Littlest Pet Shop pink deer fit right in my little candyland.

Like me? :)

2011-12-22T11:42:00.002-06:00

Did you know little dear has a Facebook fan page?

It's been there for awhile actually, largely neglected since I pretty much dread having to use facebook at all. ;P

However, recently etsy changed their settings so that shop owners can post new listings directly to Facebook pages. This is perfect for me since I've never been a big FB fan, I don't have to actually go there to post updates (heheh.) But if you are, you can now get regular little dear shop updates at Facebook, and also Twitter! I may even have some special deals there from time to time as well. ;)

I hope you'll stop by and Like me!

<3 aimee

www.littledear.etsy.com

new guys!

2011-12-21T16:46:00.002-06:00

new NŌMs and friends today at www.littledear.etsy.com

<3 aimee

new headbands

2011-12-19T16:32:00.002-06:00

new felt headbands with needle felting and embroidery! perfect for your woodland elvish Blythe girl. :)

www.littledear.etsy.com

xo aimee

Friday funspiration: Handmade Christmas

2011-12-16T09:19:00.002-06:00

1. Color Me Pretty December, 2. , 3. Holiday Greeting Cards, 4. mini phone book wreaths, 5. 2011 Holiday Aki Doll, 6. scrumdilly-do!: my retro tissue tree, 7. PAPERBICYCLE_LINDSAYNOHL_paperornament_octagon_SM, 8. Shirt Pocket Advent Calendar, 9. DIY Adorned Glittered Clothespin Gift Toppers

Here are some wonderful ideas for handmade Christmas decor! Isn't handmade always far better than anything mass produced? And lots more fun. Take a break from holiday stress and create something original and special. :)

xo aimee

snow fairies!

2011-12-14T09:33:00.002-06:00

new Snow Fairy dresses at little dear! Perfect for your little winter ice princess. :)

www.littledear.etsy.com

xo aimee

new guys!

2011-12-12T11:28:00.001-06:00

NŌM Christmas ornaments and necklaces, today at www.littledear.etsy.com

<3 aimee

Christmas NŌMs round 2!

2011-12-08T10:31:00.001-06:00

another batch of Christmas gnome ornaments at little dear!

www.littledear.etsy.com

xo aimee

NŌM Christmas!

2011-12-07T09:38:00.001-06:00

limited edition NŌM Christmas ornaments are back!

plus a couple of new necklaces too!

www.littledear.etsy.com

xo aimee

woodland friends

2011-12-06T13:03:00.001-06:00

OOAK woodland plush friends available at www.littledear.etsy.com

Including Olga the owl! Hellooooo!

xo aimee

some new headbands...

2011-12-03T08:56:00.002-06:00

A couple of new Blythe headbands for the holiday season!

www.littledear.etsy.com

xo aimee

Friday funspiration: Kimono

2011-12-02T08:45:00.002-06:00

1. momoko kimono no.14, 2. Kimono wearing at Legends, Fort Canning, Singapore, 3. collar, 4. Kokeshi Doll (Ohana-chan), 5. Japanese Antique Pattern Fabric, 6. .Stunning Vibrant Vintage 1940s Silk Japanese Kimono, 7. chakai, 8. showing off in Gion, 9. Tatsuko II

Japanese Kimono, aren't they beautiful? They are always so elegant and made from the most amazing, colorful fabrics. A few years ago we went to see Andy Williams in Branson (yes, he was awesome and yes we were the youngest ones there! ;P) He has some very impressive artworks in his theatre and at the time they had a display of vintage kimonos. (of course I stupidly didn't have my camera.) It was amazing to see them up close, they were all intricately hand embroidered. Maybe one day I'll own a kimono of my own, even if I just wore it around the house I would feel so special. ;)

xo aimee

glimpses of my craft room

2011-12-01T09:02:00.002-06:00

Today I thought I'd share some corners of my little craft/studio room. :) Here's my messy sewing table, as usual I'm working on several projects at once.

Revisiting the Yard Stick Shelf above my sewing machine, these are so easy and perfect for displaying ATCs, and NŌMs! ;)

and of course, some nostalgic and colorful 80s toys on a shelf next to my desk. :)

Little things make me smile!

xo aimee

new NŌM necklaces

2011-11-27T10:43:00.002-06:00

new cute tiny guys to wear around your neck!

at www.littledear.etsy.com

<3 aimee

new blytherflies!

2011-11-25T12:49:00.001-06:00

new purpley Blytherfly fairy dresses in the shop today!

www.littledear.etsy.com

<3 aimee

Friday funspiration: Buy Handmade

2011-11-25T10:06:00.004-06:00

*Click here for etsy links*

Well, today's the day when Americans traditionally go out and wildly spend money. (the day right after you're supposed to be thankful for everything you already have ;P) If you must buy lots of stuff this year, please consider supporting independent artists and crafters!! Unlike big no-name corporations, these people lovingly create each item by hand and often make their living doing so, which isn't always easy. But, it's worth it to be able to do something you love!

You can find pretty much anything on etsy, or a number of other sites that sell handmade items. Give something unique and extra special this year. :) Or, even better, make something yourself!!

xo aimee

Candy Land Lane

2011-11-23T11:10:00.002-06:00

I've designed a fun, new pattern you can use to create your very own Candy Land! Included are patterns and instructions to make a Gingerbread house, trees, decorations, everything you see here. And, it is completely customizable! You can use the patterns to decorate your house any way you wish. Create a whole sweet candy village. It's a perfect display for the Holidays, or any time of year you need a little extra sweetness around.

It's the perfect Christmas craft project! You could stitch it up this weekend if you're not brave (or crazy) enough to venture out into the shopping madness. (I know I won't be. :) The pattern is available now in my shop: www.littledear.etsy.com

Enjoy!

xo aimee

mini garlands

2011-11-21T11:22:00.003-06:00

I've been making mini garlands! They're cute and easy and a great way to use up felt and fabric scraps (which you know I love.) These are little, the flags are about 2 inches long, perfect for hanging on the edge of a shelf or over a picture frame.

I got the idea for these from the new Holiday issue of Stitch Craft Create magazine:

Which, btw, also features an original embroidered ornament project by yours truly. ;) This magazine is packed with all kinds of pretty eye candy and great holiday craft projects. I highly recommend picking up a copy!

Love the autumny colors, perfect decoration for Thanksgiving!

They even look pretty in a pile! I'll be giving most of mine away in some of my etsy orders.

:) aimee

Fall Felt Face dresses for Blythe!

2011-11-19T10:37:00.001-06:00

today at www.littledear.etsy.com

xo aimee

Friday funspiration: Thanksgiving food!

2011-11-18T11:23:00.002-06:00

1. Field Roast, 2. Mini mashed potatoes made by me, 3. Candied sweet potatoes, 4. cranberry sauce!, 5. Fresh Rolls for Thanksgiving, 6. Tempting Pumpkin Pie Recipe, 7. roasted vegetable salad, 8. stuffing, 9. Vegan Thanksgiving Plate o' Goodness

I love Thanksgiving food. I'm hungry for it all already. Here are some of my favorite standards. We are vegetarian so we do a mostly vegan Thanksgiving, which includes a Field Roast. These are sooo good! Especially the pastry wrapped ones. I seriously don't miss turkey at all. I've never eaten Tofurky and don't plan too since we discovered these. Mashed potatoes are probably my favorite Thanksgiving food ever. I also guiltily love canned cranberry sauce, haha. I've loved it since I was a kid, how it splorches out of the can in a can shape. :) I always buy organic now though. Also, home made rolls, pumpkin pie (pumpkin anything really) and any choice vegetables round out the table.

If you want to make a veggie Thanksgiving this year, I highly recommend vegweb.com, you'll find tons of great ideas (for any time of year really.) That's my standard recipe stop.

What's your favorite Thanksgiving food?

:) aimee

more new dresses!

2011-11-17T19:58:00.003-06:00

I've been making Blythe dresses like crazy lately! Hope you like them. :) They are lots of fun. Here is a robin's nest pocket dress and one with autumn fairy wings.

Both in the shop: www.littledear.etsy.com

xo aimee

new NŌM necklaces!

2011-11-17T11:05:00.002-06:00

One of a kind NŌM (and one owlet) necklaces are here! I've wanted to make some of these for a long time and they've finally come to light. Now you can carry a NŌM around all day long to bring you smiles and luck and to share your adventures. These guys are one of a kind and the same size as regular NŌMs, made into little charms and strung on an 18" silver plated ball chain.

all available today at www.littledear.etsy.com

<3 aimee

new fantasy dresses

2011-11-16T11:33:00.002-06:00

new Blythe fantasy dresses in the shop today!

www.littledear.etsy.com

xo aimee

new NŌMs today!

2011-11-13T10:49:00.002-06:00

a gang of new autumny acorn hat guys and friends have arrived in the shop today!

along with this tiny acorn hut habitat, with a little NŌM to live there.

www.littledear.etsy.com

<3 aimee

Friday funspiration: garlands!

2011-11-11T10:29:00.002-06:00

1. Fabric flower garland, 2. ze final garland!, 3. fabric garland, 4. chain in action, 5. a whatnot garland..., 6. DIY DIY Scandinavian Inspired Star Garland, 7. pom pom goodness..., 8. leaf-garland-2, 9. papercraft and crochet garland, 10. white yellow and green crochet floral garland with leaves_1, 11. crochet garlands, 12. crochet garland in pink, 13. night and day bright and cheery garland, 14. Penny garlands..., 15. Mini vintage hand embroidered bunting, 16. Patchwork Flower Garland

I love crafty garlands, just one more thing (or ten) on my list of stuff I want to make sometime. You can make a garland out of about anything! I especially love ones made from scraps or re-purposed materials. (Jek in the Box is particularly awesome at this.) They're the perfect simple decor to brighten any room. What kind of garlands have you made?

<3 aimee

wolf and fox

2011-11-10T11:28:00.001-06:00

wolf and fox are friends.

two new dresses for those girls with a wild streak!

www.littledear.etsy.com

autumn oak faery

2011-11-09T15:40:00.003-06:00

another faery dress for your lucky Blythe girl! Dress her up like an autumn oak faery with this one of a kind little wing dress. It's a perfect match for my needle felted acorn headband!

Both are only at www.littledear.etsy.com

xo aimee

fantasy blythe dresses

2011-11-09T10:23:00.002-06:00

Purple Unicorn

Cloudy with a chance of Rainbows

After a whole day and night of constant rain, the sun is out today! I'm ready for something cheerful. :) These happy dresses are new in the shop today. www.littledear.etsy.com

<3 aimee

new fairy dresses

2011-11-07T18:12:00.000-06:00

new Blythe fairy dresses! at www.littledear.etsy.com

<3 aimee

cozy scarves

2011-11-04T18:19:00.001-05:00

3 cozy fleece scarves newly re-listed for those chilly days ahead! These are so soft and warm, and embellished with one of a kind hand embroidery (of course.)

www.littledear.etsy.com

xo aimee

Friday funspiration: orange

2011-11-04T10:05:00.002-05:00

1. Paper Skirt - detail, 2. Lantern, 3. arigato, 4. Fox brooch by Alisa of Ink Caravan, 5. Romantic Autumn, 6. Zingy Orange Poppies, C365/265, 7. '70's oven mitts:), 8. Foxes / Cáo, 9. kiki

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

I don't know, I just like orange lately. :) It's very autumny.

<3 aimee

more of the foxes

2011-11-02T10:11:00.002-05:00

Some more pics of the foxes!

I learned a new embroidery stitch for this one, bullion knots! I made roses with them. :)

and the baby ones. :)

all available at www.littledear.etsy.com

xo aimee

3 little foxes

2011-11-01T10:23:00.002-05:00

I've stitched up 3 new, one of a kind plush foxes for you to enjoy! Marigold, Briar Rose and Copper are available to adopt today at www.littledear.etsy.com

Each is completely stitched by hand with unique embroidered embellishments.

Pumpkin Pie Pattern

2011-10-31T15:01:00.003-05:00

This is one of my felt projects from the upcoming book, Heart-Felt Holidays from Lark Crafts!

Sew Mama Sew is featuring the pattern for free and a chance to win this piece at the blog this week! Be sure to check it out, and stitch up your own piece of pumpkin pie. (almost as fun as eating one. ;)

xo aimee

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T14:15:00.001-05:00

Baby's first Halloween costume! ;D

Have a fun and safe night!

xo aimee

Green Forest Fairies

2011-10-28T13:39:00.002-05:00

new in the shop today!

One of a kind with hand embroidery, vintage plastic flowers, beads and felt wings. Perfect for your little Blythe absinthe fairy!

xo aimee

Friday funspiration: Halloween crafts!

2011-10-28T10:09:00.001-05:00

1. wire arms, 2. Tatted Halloween Garland, 3. sock jack-o-lantern, 4. Spider Spinner, 5. free pumpkin carving patterns 2011, 6. A Little Batty Halloween Embroidery Sampler, 7. Halloween Cookie and Candy Display - 12th Scale Miniature Food, 8. Thrifty Halloween Craft, 9. OwlFred the Candlestick Home Decor or Plush Stuffie Owl Crochet and Felt Pattern by Peggytoes

In case you need some last minute Halloween craft ideas, here you go! Follow the links for more info. Have a happy, spooky weekend!

:) aimee

NŌMs waiting

2011-10-22T09:29:00.002-05:00

Here are some more NŌMs waiting on my shelf to be adopted! Also owlets, froglets and NŌM habitats. Create a whole NŌM village!

all available at www.littledear.etsy.com

Friday funspiration: Crewel

2011-10-21T08:57:00.002-05:00

I recently won this vintage crewel throw blanket from ebay, and I've been working on a crewel embroidery project for my next book, so I made today's inspiration mosaic from crewelwork!

1. crewel embroidery pillow, 2. God Bless Our Pad, 3. crewel sachet, 4. Framed Crewel Embroidery Owl circa 1960s, 5. Crewel World, 6. thrifted crewel pillow, 7. littlevillage, 8. Cruel Crewel Love — wool crewel-worked owl with heart in shabby painted frame, 9. daisychain-AtoP

Crewel is traditionally stitched with wool thread on linen fabric. It has a great, puffy, 3 dimensional look to it! not to mention lots of fun, vintagey patterns available out there. :) I've only recently started working in crewel myself and I really like it. If you're interested in trying it out, I highly recommend Katherine Shaughnessy's book, The New Crewel. Also check out her website: www.woolandhoop.com There are also lots of vintage crewel kits and patterns on ebay and etsy.

Autumn Acorn NOMs!

2011-10-20T16:11:00.003-05:00

It's Autumn and special edition Acorn NOMs are back! They have real acorn tops for hats. These guys and their friends are available today at www.littledear.etsy.com

xo aimee

new tiny studio

2011-10-19T09:05:00.004-05:00

so we're all moved into our new little house, finding a place for everything and settling in. Josh and I both work at home, so a room just for our studio is a must. Here are some pics of our new little space!

Here's our wall o' toys and computers. Lots of shelves to display all our "inspiration" are a must! (haha) We painted it aqua blue (actually a bit darker than it looks here) put up lots of shelves and Josh built our desks to go along one wall.

Here's the corner next to my desk.

and here's my little sewing corner. Everything fits in nicely! you can see a couple more photos on my flickr.

I love seeing other peoples' creative spaces! Here are some flickr groups with lots of inspiring pictures:

Creative Spaces

Corners of my Home

Art Studio

enjoy! xo aimee

Friday funspiration (on saturday): tiny houses

2011-10-08T09:58:00.004-05:00

1. tiny house, 2. tiny house w/ siding done, 3. tumbleweed tiny house, sebastopol, california, 4. Tiny House, 5. handmade truck house, 6. small viking house, 7. Small House in Victoria, 8. the small house, 9. Kilfane glen

this week's inspiration is late because we've moved! I've been spending the last week unpacking and trying to put things away (not to mention fighting off some horrific allergies.)

I decided to feature some cute, tiny houses, something I've been intrigued by for a long time. (see my post last week on gypsy wagons.) The house we moved into is half the size of our old house and it is challenging to fit all of our stuff in, but in a good way I think. :) I actually love being able to downsize, get rid of unneeded stuff, and generally simplify things. we're finding that the key to living in a small space is lots of shelves, finding a place for everything, and keeping things put away as much as possible. Clutter is 100x worse in a small space! "Bigger is better" is how most people seem to think, but really, how much stuff, and space do you really need to live in? The more you own, the more owns you.

xo aimee

stitch craft create magazine

2011-10-06T09:31:00.002-05:00

I just received the first issue of Stitch Craft Create magazine (which features a project I designed) and it is so much fun! There are so many fun Christmas projects in here that I want to make now. :) I was particularly impressed with the overall look and design of this book, the colors are so pretty! It really sucks you in. I highly recommend picking up a copy and get started making Christmas crafts and presents early this year!

Here's my project, a set of three tiny embroidery hoop ornaments. I think these little Christmas motifs would be cute stitched up on a variety of different things. :) The patterns and instructions are all there in the magazine, of course!

xo aimee

friday funspiration: pale pretties

2011-09-30T08:54:00.002-05:00

1. "Floral Girl" set. Tomorrow :), 2. Untitled, 3. for Jessteen, 4. Vintage Mother's Day Card, 5. Siberian eagle owl, 6. midsummer night's dream, 7. Unicorn Sidewalk Art, 8. Elements of an Installation, 9. Sky Balls

just some lovely, happy things today. :)

♥ aimee

Friday funspiration: Gypsy wagons

2011-09-23T08:06:00.002-05:00

1. Sur la rou(lot)te des vacances, 2. Mas de la Beaume, 3. Gipsy Caravan, 4. Gypsy Jodi, 5. gypsy wagon, 6. Jeanne Bayol, 7. The Old Gypsy Caravan, 8. Traditional English horse-drawn Showman's Wagon, 9. wagon 48

In honor of my newest finished embroidery pattern, today's inspiration is Gypsy wagons! (I couldn't resist putting my own little stitchy version in here too. ;)

Also called caravans or vardos, these little horse drawn wagons were traditionally used by the Romani people for living on the road. I love the way they are so brightly colored and decorated, and contain a perfect tiny living space inside. I want one! :)

You can find my new embroidery pattern at my shop: www.littledear.etsy.com

♥ aimee

Gypsy Wagon

2011-09-22T16:59:00.003-05:00

I finished a new embroidery pattern for you! It's a colorful gypsy wagon. Here's the perfect thing for you to stitch up while dreaming about traveling adventures, or to decorate your own little trailer! :)

I used a lot of different stitches, double lines, and beads to enhance my sample version of this pattern. Be sure to check out my Painting with Thread tutorial for descriptions of some of the techniques I use to spruce up my stitching!

You can purchase this pattern and start embroidering your own gypsy wagon, right here:

www.littledear.etsy.com

Enjoy!

♥ aimee

woodland headbands

2011-09-21T15:11:00.002-05:00

I made a couple of new needle felted headbands for Blythe!

Robin with nest and clay eggs, and autumn acorns.

Both are in the shop today!

www.littledear.etsy.com

xo aimee

custom plush

2011-09-20T17:12:00.001-05:00

Here are a few commissioned plush I've recently finished. They're always fun to do! Pink pig, fatkitty, knitty kitty and mermaid sisters are all off to their new homes.

♥ aimee

friday funspiration: Fairy houses

2011-09-16T09:15:00.002-05:00

1. Better Fairytale Teaparty table and chairs, 2. Fairy House, 3. fairy house , 4. Fairy Houses, 5. Miniature Fairy Table and Chairs, 6. Fairy House 1, 7. dining room, 8. Fairy House, 9. Fairy Houses

You can build a tiny fairy house out of any found naturey things! how cute are these? You can find lots more by searching fairy houses on flickr or google. Fall is the perfect time to build one in your backyard!

:) aimee

fancy felt

2011-09-15T14:09:00.003-05:00

I got new fancy felt in the mail today from Giant Dwarf on etsy! I love this stuff. It's the best felt I've used. it's a wool blend and very durable, perfect for any craft project. Plus it comes in lots of great colors that you don't see anywhere else. It looks pretty even before you make anything out of it!

:) aimee

Friday funspiration: Forest Fairy tales

2011-09-09T09:44:00.003-05:00

1. hensel and gretel, 2. First Anniversary, 3. books are full of surprises..., 4. Polluted Naiad, 5. :), 6. Guardian Dryad and 2 Gnomes - Ooak carved natural toy, 7. A real hobbit hole, 8. Whimsical Forest Deer Necklace, 9. Su Blackwell

I want to live in a forest... they are so magical!

♥ aimee

new autumny Blythe wear

2011-09-08T10:14:00.002-05:00

I'm so ready for fall! can you tell by these dresses and headbands I've been working on? :) Thankfully it's been nice and cool here these past several days, such a welcome break from 90s and 100s. Autumn is my favorite time of year.

I dug out all my best fall colored fabrics and put together these cute Blythe things. all are in my shop today: www.littledear.etsy.com

enjoy!

xo aimee

pretty owl

2011-09-07T09:17:00.002-05:00

I recently finished this custom owl plush for a baby girl and her mother who collects owls! I think she turned out nicely. :) She is about 8 inches tall and completely hand sewn from felt with embroidery.

Here is a group of my one of a kind owls. I've made all kinds of plush owls over the years that have gone out all over the world. it would be fun to see them all together! did you know that a group of owls is called a Parliament? :) fun fact for the day.

xo aimee

creepy girl

2011-09-06T12:01:00.002-05:00

I finished my Dia de los Muertos girl, I'm pretty happy with her! she was really fun to paint. AND, her skeleton glows in the dark! Here she is under our blacklight:

pretty spooky! She's made from a Monster High Ghoulia. They are fun to customize, not too pricy and with a unique shape. I want to do more now!

:) aimee

Friday funspiration: Day of the Dead dolls

2011-09-02T09:21:00.002-05:00

1. Candy Calavera, 2. my fifth little dead girl, 3. female day of the dead art doll figurine---SOLD!, 4. 233/365 My Little Ghoulia Custom, 5. la dia de muerto doll 001, 6. This is Os, 7. Zombuki Dia Outside, 8. sugar skull close, 9. pink calavera 002

The Day of the Dead is aways off but I'm being inspired by these awesome custom dolls this week anyway. :) I'm going to paint my own Day of the Dead doll and these are such motivation! I love all the different designs on calaveras.

enjoy!

xo aimee

new dolly dresses

2011-09-01T18:00:00.001-05:00

3 new Blythe dresses with 3D embellishments! needle felted mushroom, acorn and a felt nest with tiny clay robin. All are available in my etsy shop today: www.littledear.etsy.com

♥ aimee

recent commissions...

2011-08-29T13:16:00.002-05:00

a lovely lady commissioned a whole NŌM family recently, complete with owlet and hedgie pets! looks like they're enjoying themselves. :)

This is Thomas, a custom fatkitty made to look like a real pet cat! He's living in Australia now.

I love doing commissions! If you have something special in mind you'd like me to make for you, send me a message!

♥ aimee

friday funspiration: religious art

2011-08-26T11:48:00.002-05:00

1. Custom painted winged sacred heart for Sandra O., 2. Sand Mandala Day 2-73, 3. Ganesh Cross-Stitch Piece, 4. Itsukushima Shrine, 5. Sacred Heart of Jesus, 6. Thunderbird House Totem Pole, 7. Our Dear Swinging Krishna is 5000+ years old,, 8. Sand Chenrezig-Mandala , 9. Mary crowned

I subscribe to the teachings of Jesus myself, but I've always been fascinated by the art and philosophies of religions around the world. Here are some especially striking pieces of religious art. Obviously faith inspires lots of creativity. :)

xo aimee

new NOMs today!

2011-08-21T10:57:00.001-05:00

new NŌMs today! plus hedgies, owlet and a mushroom habitat.

all at www.littledear.etsy.com

♥ aimee

free project day!

2011-08-19T11:22:00.002-05:00

Lark Crafts blog posts free projects from their books frequently, and today it's one of mine! You can get the pattern to make this fun

Caliente! oven mit right here.

enjoy!

xo aimee

friday funspiration: longing for autumn

2011-08-19T08:47:00.000-05:00

1. Autumnal Maple, 2. The Darkening Pine, 3. Autumn Carpet of Maple Leaves - Fall Colours, Germany, 4. surrounded, 5. Herbstbaum - en France, 6. rods and cones, 7. autumn wandering, 8. Renaissance Autumn 4, 9. Hopes

Dear Autumn,

Please come back soon, I miss you so much!! <3 (and I'm really tired of 100 degree weather! XP)

xo aimee

angel and batwings

2011-08-18T13:14:00.002-05:00

dresses for the angel or not so angelic. ;)

available at www.littledear.etsy.com

new blytherflies

2011-08-16T16:25:00.002-05:00

Blythe fairy wing dresses in blue, green and pink.

www.littledear.etsy.com

♥ aimee

newly re-listed

2011-08-15T11:42:00.002-05:00

one of a kind, handmade items at www.littledear.etsy.com

xo aimee

little jointed art dolls

2011-08-14T09:48:00.003-05:00

I've just finished two new mini jointed art dolls, Deerlet and Flitter! They are each one of a kind, with moveable arms (wings) and legs. Deerlet has tiny antlers made of real twigs. They were hand sculpted from paperclay and painted with watercolors.

They're both awaiting adoption at my shop: www.littledear.etsy.com

you can bring one home today!

♥ aimee

stash happy

2011-08-13T12:13:00.003-05:00

Here is a fun new craft book that's just come out from Lark, and I did a couple of projects for it!

Scrappy owls! they are so much fun to make and a great way to use up little scraps. But, if you don't want to make them yourself, these two are available now in my shop. www.littledear.etsy.com grab them up, they're famous!

I've called them Dennis and Martha. ;)

And some super easy and quick bookmarks. Complete with a bit of embroidery, of course. :)

Definitely check this book out, it's full of lots of great projects you'll be itching to make!

♥ aimee

friday funspiration: favorite artwork

2011-08-12T11:05:00.001-05:00

1. Winter Vigil, 2. *poise, 3. fox, 4. IMG_2547, 5. Mizna painting, 6. 46/365, 7. fairy, 8. birdTreeGirl, 9. woolward going carry your club 4 pinkytoast painting

Keeping the inspiration simple today, just some wonderful artwork by such talented artists. :)

xo aimee

sew a stuffed toy

2011-08-05T12:51:00.010-05:00

I was totally inspired when I saw Carina's Dala Horse Craftalong, so I grabbed her free pattern and started on this little Dala plush! I thought it would be a perfect project to show you how to make a super easy plush toy out of almost any shape.

You'll need two pieces of felt or other fabric, stuffing, plus embroidery floss or anything else you want to embellish your toy. I traced Carina's applique pattern onto my felt pieces and cut them out, leaving about 1/2 inch around the edge.

Next, decorate one side (or both) however you like! I used felt applique and embroidery on my horse.

Now pin both sides together, right sides facing in, and sew around the edge on your pattern line. I use a sewing machine for this part, but if you want to do it all by hand, you can use a tight back stitch. Leave about 2 inches open, somewhere at the bottom is usually best.

Now snip off extra fabric at any corners, and cut notches along curves. Be careful not to cut through your stitches! This will help your seams look smooth when your toy is turned right side out.

Now turn your toy right side out and stuff it firmly. It's helpful to use a chop stick or knitting needle to poke out the small areas. Last, stitch up the opening. This stitch is called the hidden stitch, and will barely be noticeable when you use it to close up your toy.

Start with a knot on the inside of the seam. Bring the needle out and across the opening, then in and along the inside of one edge. Now come back out, straight across the seam, and back in and along the inside on the other edge. Keep stitching along the opening, when you've closed it up, tie a knot close to the seam.

All done! my Dala horse is about 7 inches tall, you can use this technique to make easy plush toys almost any size or shape. Such a fun project! (thanks Carina!)

:) aimee

friday funspiration: handmade dolls

2011-08-05T10:21:00.001-05:00

1. Untitled, 2. owl doll, 3. Untitled, 4. maya front, 5. Untitled, 6. WAWAYAmermaid#5#6, 7. ...., 8. My deer girls, 9. A is for Acorn, 10. Spring, 11. pinkytoast Redheaded Felt doll, 12. Ethel doll

today's inspiration is a collection of wonderful, handmade dolls by some of my very talented flickr friends! enjoy!

xo aimee

felt face dresses

2011-08-04T16:41:00.002-05:00

new woodland felt face dresses for Blythe! matching mini plush sold separately. all in the shop today! www.littledear.etsy.com

♥ aimee

woodland animals

2011-08-02T11:30:00.002-05:00

Some of my mini woodland critters are featured in the Fall 2011 issue of Stitch Magazine! They're famous!

Here is the whole gang, they are all available for adoption at my shop today: www.littledear.etsy.com

OR, you can get the patterns there to sew up your own!

♥ aimee

blythe color faery dresses

2011-08-01T13:14:00.001-05:00

only at www.littledear.etsy.com

:) aimee

Friday funspiration: some awesome embroidery

2011-07-29T10:36:00.001-05:00

1. Pig commission for It's a Lovely Cake, 2. My practice napkin!, 3. Crafting Shelves, 4. rococo cinderella, 5. lg mutation, 6. french knots, 7. sew lovely fox 010, 8. Doodle Heart, 9. home, 10. Shooting Star Embroidery, 11. textural wool stones, 12. Five cameo pins and one necklace

Here's your Friday inspiration, some awesome embroidery! Enjoy!

xo aimee

headbands!

2011-07-23T13:09:00.001-05:00

new needle felted headbands for your Blythes! in the shop today.

www.littledear.etsy.com

choose from mushrooms, bird's nest or love birds. :)

xo aimee

Friday funspiration: Custom dolls

2011-07-22T10:35:00.001-05:00

1. Merripen - Fairweathers, 2. strawberry shortcake, anyone????, 3. My Scratch cat, 4. This is Os, 5. united colours of dolls ahoy, 6. Zombuki Lil' Head Fortuna Outside, 7. Cerisedolls Dreaming Sandre n°1/8, 8. Faux Bois, 9. OMG! Premiere Tula-Dil on sale 01/10/11

you might know that I am a total toy geek, I love dolls and toys of all kinds. :) There are some amazing artists out there who customize or make from scratch, their own unique dolls! Here are some of my favorites. I'm so inspired to make more of my own dolls!

♥ aimee

dresses

2011-07-21T10:20:00.002-05:00

some new dolly dresses! in the shop today: www.littledear.etsy.com

xo aimee

little una

2011-07-16T11:16:00.002-05:00

Here is Little Una! She is a one of a kind art doll with jointed arms and legs, hand sculpted from paperclay and painted with watercolors. She is available in my shop today: www.littledear.etsy.com

I've got a couple more little jointed dolls in the works, they are so much fun to make! Each will be one of a kind, my favorite way to make things. :)

♥ aimee

new NŌMs today

2011-07-15T10:49:00.002-05:00

a gang of new guys and some tiny friends are in the shop today! Plus a leafy hill habitat, the perfect place for your NŌMs to live.

www.littledear.etsy.com

♥ aimee

Friday funspiration: Alice Love

2011-07-15T09:44:00.003-05:00

1. Alice in Wonderland & the Garden of Live Flowers, Campbell Grant, 1951- Dog and Caterpillars, 2. Kamio : Alice wonderland pad, 3. Alice In Wonderland Postcards, 4. Monster, 5. Alice in Wonderland, Al Dempster fro Disney, 1951- 1980's Cover, 6. down went Alice, 7. Advice From a Caterpillar - Alice in Wonderland, 8. In Wonderland, 9. www.flickr.com/photos/scandalustwolfe/2525565660/in/galle...

Who doesn't love Alice in Wonderland? It's always been one of my favorite stories, in it's many incarnations. Check out these fun flickr groups for more Alice photos and art:

Alice in Wonderland

Wonderland Dolls

Aspects of Alice

orangey

2011-07-14T12:41:00.003-05:00

I snapped some pics of all the orange flowers in my yard right now! it's odd how colors come in bunches here, early spring it's all purple, then yellow and now orange. I had daisies in white and multicolors a few weeks ago, but they've all died from the heat now. I'm glad zinnias at least like it warm! they should last into the fall. they're one of my faves. :)

xo aimee

headbands!

2011-07-13T20:07:00.002-05:00

one of a kind with needle felting and hand embroidery.

www.littledear.etsy.com

♥ aimee

blythe fairies

2011-07-12T09:53:00.001-05:00

new Blytherfly dresses at the shop today! perfect for your little Blythe fairy.

www.littledear.etsy.com

♥ aimee

fancy embroidery

2011-07-11T15:50:00.002-05:00

I've been practicing some fancy embroidery techniques (for a big project coming up!) It's always fun to try something new!

cross stitch...sort of a freehand counted. It's a bit of a challenge to keep all the Xs the same size without aida cloth or a pattern, but I like how it looks on patterned fabric.

shisha... attaching small mirrors, coins, etc. I used some large sequins.

cutwork... stitching a buttonhole around the edge of a shape cut out of the fabric.

have you tried any of these before?

♥ aimee

recent custom orders

2011-07-10T11:23:00.002-05:00

Here are some custom order projects I've completed recently. I love doing custom orders, it's so much fun to create something special and unique for someone! I'm always taking custom orders, so if you're interested in commissioning a special something, feel free to contact me!

xo aimee