Les Petits

If you've seen the latest issue of Babiekins Magazine you will have probably have noticed these beautiful dolls by Kelsey-Garrity Riley which I included in my "What's Hot, What's New, What's Now" picks. I love Kelsey's illustration work and was excited to see that she had started experimenting with textiles.

 

Kelsey has been busy sewing new dolls for her etsy shop  (where she also sells her beautiful postcards and prints) and is also working on some new finger puppets, which I find absolutely delightful.

Another one to watch out for me thinks!

Rise & Shine

 Bonjour !

Slow, lazy mornings,

Breakfast in bed (my mum's over!)

Cuddles with the kids,

Making sheet tents,

A dip in the pool - for the bravest 

(The sun is shining today),

A quick shower,

Another coffee,

And I'm yours...

 Love this new travelling doll set by JUIME!

Raspberries

There are dolls and there are dolls

I came across these sweet little ladies browsing Pakamera the other day and thought they were something a little bit different.

I love the colours, fabric and Autumnal feel to them.

Handmade in Poland by Raspberries (88-117 ZLY)

Fresh Talent: Masha Brick

I'd like you to meet Flee, she loves balloons

Her friends prefer to travel the world by car

 Eya, Pia and Mia love to lounge around in the sun

And Sonya likes to stay at home and play with her nice handmade wardrobe

Every little detail counts!

Masha Brick, a young artist and doll-maker living in St Petersburg, Russia, recently started blogging in English and selling her work online. She's a storyteller, a sewer, a crafter and a magician. I shall be following her from now on.  

Shop Watch: Lieschen-Mueller

Oh, Anneliese,

One look at your pinatas

And my heart goes a-flutter

A glimpse of your dolls

Has me swooning

 I'm telling you,

This is it -

I'm well and truly smitten!

Gosh, I couldn't believe me eyes when I came across Anneliese Müller's work last week.  Every single thing she makes is beautiful, or at least I think so. Grab yourself a little something to drink and spend five minutes looking at her work. A mum of two, Anneliese has been making small limited-edition and one-off creations for over a year now. She lives in Germany and sells through her blog (pinatas vary from 42-65 EUR depending on their complexity and her dolls are priced at around 58 EUR).

She's on holiday at the moment but will be back with some new stock  in a couple of weeks.

Eyes peeled everyone...

Anneliese is going on my list of all-time faves!

Miko Design Doll Kit Giveaway

 I Love Paris Doll Kit Giveaway

 If you've been following Kickcan & Conkers for a while, you will know that I have long-admired Miko Design. Erika Harbert's handmade dolls and craft tutorials regularly make an appearance in my 'I Like' sidebar and I picked one of her doll sew kits as a favourite for Babiekins Magazine.

 

Erika's blog is a constant source of inspiration, it's a happy, colourful and creative place where you always feel at home.

She is particularly good at organising children's parties, carefully planning every single detail. You may recall seven year old Mila's Paris birthday party, which I think was one of the most memorable on the web.

Erika loves Paris and France in general.

In keeping with her passion for all things French, I am delighted to tell you that she is offering one of her beautiful I Love Paris Doll Kits as a giveaway today.

Available in Erika's etsy shop*, this DIY Doll Kit includes everything you need to make your own Parisian beauty with matching skirt and tote bag.

If you'd like a chance to win a Miko Design I Love Paris Doll Kit

1) Leave me a comment below (making sure to leave me an email address)

2) Spread  the news via twitter, facebook or any other means and you will get two names in the hatI 

This giveaway runs until Tuesday 22nd of March at 6 pm, CET

I will announce the winner the same evening.

 Si vous voulez une chance de gagner ce kit de poupée Parisienne, laissez-moi une commentaire. Vous avez deux chances si vous relayez l'info par twitter, facebook, ou tout autre réseau. N'oubliez pas de me laisser un email. 

Merci, et bonne chance!

 

* Erika is running another giveaway on her blog which ends tomorrow! 

She is also offering a free handmade tissue holder to the first ten customers in her etsy shop this month.

Shop Watch: Le Train Fantôme

Shop Watch, yes, definitely,  

Le Train Fantôme  is one of my favourites

But I also mean that literally

Fanja will be adding her new mini, limited-edition Spring collection to her shop this afternoon at around 3.30 pm GMT

 So, keep your eyes peeled for Little Ozzie, handprinted on vintage French linen

 

  May, a beautiful cushion screenprinted in pink and beige

And Babette, available in six different outfits, digitally printed on linen

I'm telling you

Watch out

They'll fly off the shelves in no time!

Dents de Loup Giveaway Winner

The suspense is over!

Thanks to Random.org we have ourselves a winner...

Congratulations Kirsty in Australia, you have won Paula's striking set of dolls.

I'm sure you'll have fun with them.

A big thank you to Dents de Loup for offering this prize, I'm sorry you all can't win.

Watch this space tomorrow though, I have another beautiful giveaway lined up for you.

C'est la fête !

Los Musgoamigos

Image: Camilla Engman

Thank you Camilla Engman and Karin Eriksson for introducing me to Chilean doll maker and textile artist Francisca Robles. I wish I could have seen this exhibition at Manos last year.

Combining traditional Latin American doll making techniques passed down from her grandmother with modern, vibrant recycled fabric remnants, I can imagine Francisca's original but also timeless Los Musgoamigos appealing to young and old alike. 

I think some of you will enjoy browsing her blog, chock-full of wonderful textile creations (just look at this quilt inspired by a child's drawing, for example). I am particularly impressed with these dolls below, made from old newspaper. Amazing what you can make when you put your mind too it, isn't it?

, 

 

Francisca"s work is available in a couple of shops in Sweden and a number of places in Chile (see list of stockists and prices on her blog). She also has a small big cartel shop so keep your eye out for updates there. I have a feeling we'll be hearing a lot about this doll maker in 2011.

Reduce-Reuse-Recycle!

Beautiful Warrior

I love this photograph of Valeria Dalmon's Beautiful Warrior.

It's My Image of The Day.

Visual arts, sculpture, puppets, dolls, theatre... the list is long.

Push the door and step inside this Argeninian creator's strange and beautiful world.

Off the beaten track.

Where I like to wander.

Work In Progress: Quinn

I'm so pleased to see Jessica blogging again.

And just look what she's up to...

My images of the day!

 

All images copyright Jessica Quinn

Jasmine

She looks a little sad here Jasmine, doesn't she?

Maybe she spent most of yesterday ill in bed like Miles and I -

Ahh, winter bugs, who needs 'em eh?

Un Grand Merci to all those that nominated me yesterday, it was all very last-minute...

I found Justine and her beautiful friend thanks to another very gifted soft toy maker Rose Miniscule. You really need to go have a look at her recent work  La Musette

Just what the Doctor ordered!

Chic Filles

Bertille is now sporting a beret

Snow White looks so pretty in ribbon

 and Ania Maikina has a whole wardrobe to choose from...