Shop Owner Spotlight / 10

Hi!

Just in time for the first day of fall, we are back with another round of Shop Owner Spotlight! Both Lulu and I are delighted to welcome Lori; she owns the online store Nini Says Sew, a shop that not only sells adorable clothes for dolls, but pieces for young kiddos as well {can you say impressive?!}. We haven’t bought anything from her yet, but Lori’s eye for vintage styles has us excited for future roll-outs. We’ll keep the rest of our introduction short and sweet, because you surely know the drill of the feature by now: we ask Etsy shop owners a series of questions on their behind-the-scenes work {think outfit inspiration and doll models}, they kindly answer with interesting responses, and we give them a shout-out in the latest issue and right here on the DM blog. Here’s Lori full interview!

What inspired you to start your shop?

I have been sewing for many years. I used to make matching outfits for my daughter and her American Girl doll. Now my granddaughter has a doll so I am making clothes for her. I also have a collection of 18″ dolls, and I love all the clothes I can make for them.

How do you come up with the ideas for your outfits?

I love vintage patterns and dresses. I look for vintage style outfits when looking for patterns.

What are your favorite color combinations?

I like to combine bright colors. Lately I have been sewing with a lot of fabric that has teal in it.

What are your favorite pieces to make?

Dresses!

Finally, we would love to know a little bit about your dolls.

In our family we have:

• American Girl of Today circa 1994
• My daughter’s Bitty Baby doll
• Circa 1995 Just Like You doll purchased 2014
• My granddaughter’s doll Molly
• My doll Kit {my favorite of all my dolls}
• Just Like You doll with dark hair and blue eyes {purchased from Ebay}
• Bitty Twins
• Many other dolls from Our Generation, My Life, My Twin, and Madame Alexander!

A HUGE thank you to Lori! I’d imagine vintage sewing patterns are an excellent source of inspiration, and her doll family seems like a tight-knit collection :)

If you’re interested in being featured as an Etsy shop owner, read more and sign up HERE! We have interviews booked throughout the spring, but we’ll fit you in as soon as we can.

Have a lovely evening!

Shop Owner Spotlight / 09

Hello!

We say it all the time, but Lulu and I adore interacting with the Doll Mag readers. Whether we strike up a conversation in the comments, receive a sweet note in our inbox, or interview others in the doll world, as with Shop Owner Spotlight, we love talking with other doll fans! :) Shop Owner Spotlight is a sporadic feature, but a fun one; in our latest issue {read it HERE}, we were happy to Etsy store owner Lizzy. You may recognize Lizzy from her blog, Journal of Two Dolls, or from her online shop, Kittykat Workshop, both of which showcase her strong sense of style. Although we haven’t purchased anything from Lizzy, we might have to change that once her store returns from vacation tomorrow. Here is her full interview, continued from the small bit in the July/August issue.

What inspired you to start your shop?

I love making American Girl doll clothes and seeing various shops on Etsy devoted to doll clothes inspired me to start my own!

How do you come up with the ideas for your outfits?

I am always trying out new combinations on my dolls. If I like one a lot, then I make one to sell.

What are your favorite pieces to make?

I love making button-up collared shirts.

What are your favorite color combinations?

Peach, sage green, & cream!

Finally, we would love to know a little bit about your dolls.

I have three dolls. Kirsten is old-fashioned, quiet, and mother-ish. Sylvia is sporty, active, outgoing, and can be quite silly at times. Saige loves to paint and hang out with Sylvia. She also adores riding horses :)

Thank you so much to Lizzy! Kirsten, Sylvia, and Saige all sound like an entertaining bunch, and peach, sage green, and cream is such a classic combination of colors.

We love to interview Etsy designers for Shop Owner Spotlight. If you’re interested, please take a look at the form HERE. We received quite a few responses since the newest issue’s release last week, so if you haven’t heard from us yet, keep an eye on your email.

Thanks friends, and happy Monday!

Shop Owner Spotlight / 08

Hello!

Although our bimonthly feature, Shop Owner Spotlight, took a hiatus in the beginning of the year, we were delighted to introduce it once again in the latest issue! Virginia, owner of The Lady’s Resource Shoppe on Etsy, just opened her shop last year, but if her blog is any indication, she’s been sewing for quite some time; we’re sure her experience ensures quality products with attention to detail. Even better?  Virginia makes outfits for our modern and historical friends, so there’s no need to worry about which doll to treat to a new outfit. As always, we highlighted Virginia and her shop in the issue, but here’s the full five-question interview. Spring shopping awaits!

What inspired you to start your shop?

I had been making doll clothes for my little sister, her friends, and myself for a long time and really wanted to make a go of my own little store! I was inspired by the idea of having my own designs, my own lines and collections; it was something I had dreamed about putting together for a very long time.

How do you come up with the ideas for your outfits?

A lot of them are inspired by the fabric; I like to get together a great stack of fabric and trims for each collection and go from there. Sometimes I will have my own design in mind; sometimes I have a particular idea inspired by a historical event or activity. And some of my dresses are replicas of film costumes or retired American Girl doll outfits.

What are your favorite pieces to make?

I love the challenge of remaking original doll dresses or film costumes in doll scale. Finding the right fabrics, the right colors, the right trims is an adventure! I also love making historically accurate garments. That’s a big passion of mine.

What are your favorite color combinations?

Oh, there are so many! Anything that looks good, rich, interesting, harmonious. Pale blue and brown; turquoise and white; olive-green and cream, navy and coral.

Finally, we would love to know a little bit about your dolls.

Certainly! I have my old favorite, an American Girl Today doll, with brown hair and green eyes, whose name is Rosemary. I “co-own” an Addy and a Felicity with my sister, and I also have a gorgeous #55 named Starr. I’m lucky to have sisters with a wide variety of dolls to model my outfits; together we have Felicity, Marie Grace, Addy, Kit, Molly, Chrissa, Mia, and three Just Like You dolls.

Thank you so much to Virginia! It sounds like she has some pretty amazing sisters who are into dolls as well, just as I have Lulu :) Her color tastes are spot-on as well; they all sound so spring-y!

We love interviewing Etsy designers for Shop Owner Spotlight. If you’re interested, please take a look at the form HERE. If you have entered information in the past few weeks, we apologize for not getting back to you. We’ll be in touch soon!

Have a lovely Monday!

Shop Owner Spotlight / 07

Hi!

Happy Tuesday everyone! We’ve been extremely busy lately (Bella is at a tech rehearsal as I write this), but we’ve started to get back on our normal blogging schedule for the month with plenty of fun posts to come. Today, the two of us have a wonderful interview to share with you from the November/December issue with Teresa from the Etsy shop, Pippaloo! We adore her doll food (we just ordered some mini baked potatoes – one of my personal real life favorites :)), and the two of us encourage you to check out her blog. Let’s get to the interview, shall we?!

What inspired you to start your shop?

When I started making foods it was just something fun that my girls and I would do together. I had always sort of envisioned opening a shop where I would design and make clothing for the dolls, not food. Eventually I saw that there was a market for realistic looking food for the dolls.  It all just sort of came together in a kismet sort of way for me. I really enjoy making the foods.  Which is sort of funny, because in my real life I do not enjoy cooking at all.

What are your favorite products to make?

New items, definitely.  When I get an idea for food in my head, and it’s something I am pretty sure I can get to look realistic – and then I turn it into reality – that’s what gives me the biggest rush. I don’t think any artist, or otherwise, enjoys making the same things ad nauseam.

What is your typical process in preparing for your monthly release?

First, I decide on a theme. Next, I make a list of the items I want to produce. Generally I try to incorporate a mix of popular shop staples, new items and a few of my own personal favorites. I try to include lots of different price points too. Then I get to work. Most months my list goes unfinished, as I just plain run out of time to complete everything. Next is the fun part: when I start setting up the scenes and taking the pics. I love getting out-of-doors and taking pics when I can. Most of the year here in Ohio, the weather is too unwelcoming for that though, especially the winter.

Now each month in my shop I choose one historical doll and offer foods for her, based on my theme. This gives me an opportunity to stretch a bit and squeeze in some history lessons as well.

Do you have any tips for beginning Etsy shop owners?

No matter what you are selling, offer amazing customer service, pay attention to the little details, and most importantly, take great photos.  Presentation always matters.

Tell us a little bit about your dolls.

The first American Girl doll I ever bought was the Girl Of The Year, Marisol.  She is really the one that started it all for me.  With two real life girls, the list quickly grew over the years and now I have more dolls than I care to admit. My girls are now 13 and 10. The oldest will help me occasionally dress them for a photo shoot, but that’s the extent of her interest now. I love having a wide variety of different face molds, hair colors, ethnicities. Most of my dolls have distinct personalities. There are some that love to model when it comes time to take pics, and others who are sassy or shy away.

Thanks so much Teresa! We love creating detailed scenes for our photo shoots too.

Do you own an Etsy shop? Do you want to be featured in Doll Mag? Enter our Shop Owner Spotlight survey here. As always, entering does not guarantee an interview, but we would love to hear from you! :)

Have an awesome rest of your week!

Lulu

Psst. We wanted to thank all of the readers that have awarded Doll Mag in the past few weeks! Bella and I are oh-so grateful, and we will do a big round-up of them all soon.

Shop Owner Spotlight / 06

Hi!

As we head into the autumn season, one holiday that will soon be on everyone’s mind is Halloween! It’s always fun brainstorming a costume, finding or making the pieces, and of course, showing it off on Halloween night. Even doll fans who no longer go trick-or-treating know that it can be just as fun of a process for dolls too! And so, the two of us couldn’t think of a better shop owner to feature in our September/October issue than the lovely Jaclynn, owner of Bitty Beanies on Etsy. Her shop is stocked with plenty of high-quality costumes {and a few everyday items as well} – from a pirate to those amazing Frozen-inspired outfits above – that you may have trouble choosing just one for your doll. Snippets of the interview were featured in the latest issue, but here’s all Jaclynn had to say!

What inspired you to start your shop?

My mom taught me to crochet and when she saw that my products were of great quality, she encouraged me to start selling what I made, so I could earn money doing what I love :)

What are your favorite pieces to make? {e.g. t-shirts, skirts?}

I don’t really have a favorite item to make, but I absolutely love creating new outfits and costumes!

How do you come up with the ideas for your outfits?

Most of my outfits are costumes, so I get my inspiration by looking at pictures of the Disney Princess dress I’m making. However, all of my pirate costumes are inspired from movies and then my own imagination, which is super fun!

What are some of your favorite color combinations?

Oh, I could go on forever with this question! I love green and purple, pink and brown, pink and black, red and black, etc. I really love so many colors together, that it’s hard to pick just a few!

Finally, we would love to know a little bit about your dolls.

Here’s another one I could go on and on about! I have 13 AG dolls, 3 sets of Bitty Twins, and 1 Bitty Baby. My very first doll was Felicity and I got her for my 9th birthday in 2008. I chose her because we both share a love of horses and she is just so pretty! Since then I have started saving up my money and buying my own AG dolls. Every year I go to the Los Angeles American Girl Place and have a huge birthday shopping spree! Whenever I buy a doll I give them each a special personality. Saige is artistic and enthusiastic, Marie-Grace is quiet and shy, and Rebecca is dramatic and outgoing. When I play with my dolls, I play with them as if they are my “kids.” I love my dolls so much and I expect to still be obsessed and buying more dolls when I’m old and married :)

A huge thank you to Jaclynn! Giving your dolls a unique personality is the best part of getting a new doll, totally agree.

Do you own an Etsy shop and want to be interviewed as well?! We are always in need of shop owners to interview; we are currently looking for someone to feature in the November/December issue. Feel free to email us HERE, and we’ll get back to you if we believe you are the right fit. Emailing us does not guarantee an interview.

Have an amazing rest of your day!

Shop Owner Spotlight / 05

Hello!

One thing I love coordinating for each issue is the Shop Owner Spotlight interview! As someone with limited sewing ability, it’s such fun getting the behind-the-scenes look of each talented seamstress. This time, we’re showcasing the incredibly kind Anjanette, who sells adorable AG clothing in her Etsy shop, Love Ellie Bean. Just one peek into her shop will show you how much effort and care goes into making each item, and the styles she has are perfect for some early back-to-school shopping for your doll {I have no shame in starting now for myself :)}. We highlighted a few of Anjanette’s responses in our current issue, but here’s the full five question interview!

What inspired you to start your shop?

I have been sewing since I was about 11. I have always loved it, but I just recently realized how it puts me in a “happy place” and so my hobby became a place for me to find peace and contentment. When my daughter turned 7, I bought her a Madame Alexander doll and made an entire wardrobe to accompany “Ella.” A year later, we bought her an American Girl doll, Lanie, and the clothing requests kept coming. I was so delighted with the fact that I could sit down and have a completely new piece of doll clothing done in about an hour.  Sewing human-sized clothing takes considerably more time!

My friend, Sara, was the one who first encouraged me to open an Etsy shop.  I was very reluctant. Up until this point, my sewing was very personal and I didn’t need to worry about if anyone else liked it. I was a nervous wreck when I first opened Love Ellie Bean because I was very scared that people wouldn’t like what I made. It seems silly now, but it’s the truth! My daughter’s name is Ellie and I call her Ellie Bean (because it rhymes with Jelly Bean!) as a nickname. She is, after all, my sewing inspiration!

What are your favorite pieces to make? {e.g. t-shirts, skirts?}

I adore making dresses. I think that, really, I should have been alive during the 50’s because that is my favorite fashion era. I wish we all still wore circle skirts and sweater sets and that dressing up was still what people did. I live in Southern California and people here think they’re “dressed up” when they put shoes on instead of flip-flops.  Sigh.

How do you come up with the ideas for your outfits?

Usually I find fabric I love first and wait for the fabric to “tell me” what to make. That sounds so mystical, but what I really mean is this: different fabrics lend themselves to different types of clothing pieces by their color, drape, weight, texture, etc., so I really try to make things that suit that fabrics that I have fallen in love with.

What are some of your favorite color combinations?

I adore light pink, so most of the fabric I buy is either pink, or goes well with it. Pink goes so well with brown, light blue, lavender, light green, black… see? It’s hard to branch out when I’ve found such a winner starting color!

Finally, we would love to know a little bit about your dolls.

I know I’m going to shock you here, but I don’t own a single American Girl! Those all belong to my daughter. She has three: Saige, number 55 (named Luna), and Lanie.  I mostly use Luna for my photo shoots because I love her coloring and her face has such personality. I do own my own dolls – they are beautiful Madame Alexander dolls named Ming, Nichole and Juliet. I don’t use them for photo shoots though, because their bodies are slightly different from the AG dolls and I want people to know that my clothing will fit their dolls. I have heard rumors about American Girl releasing a historical 50’s doll and if that happens I just may have to buy her!

A big thank you to Anjanette! I too would love it if dressing up took an entirely new meaning, and I am in agreement that pink is a terrific starting color.

Do you own an Etsy shop and want to be interviewed as well?! We are currently looking for a shop owner to interview in our September/October issue. Feel free to email us HERE, and we’ll get back to you if we believe you are the right fit. Emailing us does not guarantee an interview.

Have a lovely Sunday!

Shop Owner Spotlight / 04

Hello!

We knew Christina from her amazing blog, Simply Dollightful, but we loved learning a little bit more about her in the latest Shop Owner Spotlight interview!  Her Etsy shop, Daisy Chains, sells the cutest dresses and shoes for dolls, all of which are perfect for the coming spring and summer weather. {The shop is currently on vacation, but it will reopen on March 28th – no worries! :)} Below, Christina shared with us how she got her shop started, her favorite clothing pieces to make, and more! Read on, especially if you didn’t catch part of it in the March/April issue.

What inspired you to start your shop?

About five years ago, I made sundresses for my own dolls, and my mom suggested that I sell them at the Farmers Market. Because I was a kid, I got to do it for free on Kids’ Day. I sold my dresses there until 2013, when I no longer counted as a kid. I had often been asked whether I owned an Etsy shop, and since the dresses always sold well at the market, I decided to finally open one!

What are your favorite pieces to make? {e.g. t-shirts, skirts?}

Probably sundresses. They’re the easiest, and they always turn out super cute!

How do you come up with the ideas for your outfits?

Most often, I think about the outfits that I would have wanted for my dolls when I was younger. I also go by what’s popular, but still classic and cute.

What are some of your favorite color combinations?

I love turquoise and brown and pink and grey :)

Finally, we would love to know a little bit about your dolls.

I have two, Kirsten and a retired Girl of Today named Rebecca. Rebecca is sporty but girly; she loves to play outside, but baking is her favorite hobby, and pink is her favorite color! Kirsten is quiet and sweet; she loves to read fairy tales and play piano, and her favorite color is turquoise!

A big thank-you to Christina! I love those same color combinations; pink and grey and turquoise and brown are always stunning combos.

As always, if you own an Etsy shop too, and you wouldn’t mind answering five questions, we would love to interview you! Our next open space is for the July/August issue. Email us HERE if you are interested – we can’t wait to hear from you!

Have a terrific night!

Shop Owner Spotlight / 03

Hi!

Today, we are showcasing the lovely Miri who owns the Etsy shop, Amberfire Inspire. Her shop has some awesome, trendy pieces for dolls, like that lace shirt shown above. Anyhoo, she agreed to answer a few questions for our bi-monthly feature in every issue called Shop Owner Spotlight. Part of Miri’s interview was in the January/February issue, so here’s the full edition if you didn’t catch it!

What inspired you to start your shop?

I have a doll instagram {@amberfirestudios}, and I noticed that many of the people who I follow have Etsy shops where they sell doll clothes. Knowing how to sew, I thought that this could be a fun and interesting opportunity.

What are your favorite pieces to make? {e.g. t-shirts, skirts?}

I especially like to make dresses because I always love wearing dresses but don’t get many chances to do so. It’s fun to make dresses that my dolls can wear whenever I want.

How do you come up with the ideas for your outfits?

The main things on which I base the outfits I design are the outfits that I see people wearing around me and the outfits that are currently being sold or have been sold at American Girl.

What are some of your favorite color combinations?

I really like the way that blue and purple go together. I found a blue and purple blended fabric with sparkles at the fabric store near me, and I bought four yards of it.

Finally, we would love to know a little bit about your dolls.

I have five dolls: Julianna {Julie} Rose Albright loves basketball and music. Mia Cecile St. Clair loves ice skating and playing with her cat. Kit Margaret Kittredge loves photography and writing. Rebecca Sara Rubin loves acting. Finally, Susan Jane Auburn loves art, sewing {like me!}, and fashion.

Another huge thank-you to Miri! I also love wearing dresses, and I am seriously counting down the days until spring, or what I like to call it, dress season, arrives! :) Hehe.

Do you own an Etsy shop and want to be interviewed too?! Feel free to email us HERE. A bit of a heads-up first – we are currently booked for interviews up until the May/June issue, so your shop will next be featured in July. However, don’t let that stop you; we really do love connecting with different Etsy owners!

Have a fabulous rest of your day!

Shop Owner Spotlight / 02

Hi!

As you probably know, in our Bits and Pieces section of our magazine, we have a feature called Shop Owner Spotlight, where we interview Etsy shop owners that create doll clothes or items. In our November/December issue we interviewed Momo who owns the Etsy shop, Made by Momo Couture. Here is the full interview…

What inspired you to start your shop?

I have a dear friend who liked my sewing efforts and she insisted that I try doing 18″ doll clothing- I gave it a shot, though I was skeptical…and soon facebook was just not enough so I gave Etsy a go. The rest is history! Etsy is just amazing.

What are your favorite pieces to make?

I love making doll sandals and hope to graduate to shoes someday! And anything miniature is appealing to me as well (doll drinks and food for example).

How do you come up with ideas for your outfits?

I get alot of inspiration from Pinterest…its an addiction I can’t resist! And 80’s cartoons!

What are some of your favorite color combinations?

I LOVE (love) black and pink and they always pair so well together. Zebra is also great and always popular as well as plaid, I think.

We would love to know a little bit more about your dolls.

I often use a particular doll ‘model’ because she’s my favorite- AG #29. and I own a My Life doll but WILL have at least 2 more American Girls as soon as I can get my hands on some deals! The other two girls are my daughter’s- Josie and Missy, a blonde AG and a Madame Alexander favorite
friends model.

Thanks again to Momo! If you are a shop owner yourself, and would like to be interviewed, email us here.

Lulu and Bella

Shop Owner Spotlight / 01

Hi!

If you have read our recent issue, you’ll notice a new section in the Bits and Pieces! It’s called Shop Owner Spotlight, and our goal is to showcase all of the amazing designers across the doll world. The first shop owner we interviewed was the lovely Katie, who is the owner of Soda Pop Street. She’s also behind the blog, Adollable Dolls. Here’s the full interview, where you can find Katie’s favorite things to design, her favorite color combinations, and more!

What inspired you to start your shop?

I was inspired to start my shop because I have always wanted clothes for my doll that looked like clothes I would wear and not doll clothes.  I also want to be a designer so I thought this would be a great way to start.

What are your favorite pieces to make? {e.g. t-shirts, skirts?}

My favorite pieces to make are shirts.  There is so much variety for tops.

How do you come up with the ideas for your outfits?

I come up with ideas for my outfits by looking on Pinterest and by thinking of what I what I would want to wear.

What are some of your favorite color combinations?

Some of my favorite color combinations are different shades of blue together, black and white, and pink and red.

We would love to know a little bit about your dolls.

I have 10 dolls.  (Yes, I know that is a lot!)  I have Marisol Alicia Luna (GOTY 2005), Josefina Maria Montoya, Elizabeth Sarah Cole, Kirsten Annalia Larson, Sonali Hope Matthews (GOTY Friend 2009), Nadia Rahab Jakes (MAG#39), Devin James Parker (boy doll), Cecile Jolie Rey , Ivy Rose Ling, and Tianna Jade Lee.

Thanks again to Katie! :) If you are a shop owner yourself, and would like to be interviewed, email us here.