giggleface studios

Meet Louise

This is Louise! Isn't she pretty? I named her after my beautiful mother, and plan on giving it to her for her birthday. I have been working on her for about a month now, and finally just finished her the other day. She is my first EFA (Edith Flack Ackley) doll.  I had so much fun making her and I am already thinking of what I want the next one to look like! The possibilities are endless.....oh this could be dangerous!

  I used some really small ric-rac and embroidered a zig-zag through it. I saw this technique in the book Gingham Aprons of the 40's & 50's.

I had a lot of fun making the shoes! I bought a bag of leather scraps at the craft store. It cost about $3 and was packed with different colors and textures of leather. I could probably make at least 50+ pairs of shoes!

The eyelet petticoat was made from an old bed dust ruffle that happened to be the perfect width! Yay! I love when that happens.

But my favorite are the panties. Polka-dots and vintage trim!

Doll Heaven

Recently I have become interested in making cloth dolls, and purchased a very old copy of Edith Flack Ackley's (EFA) Dolls to Make for Fun and Profit. I have been working slowly and carefully on my doll for over a month, and calling my mom numerous times for help. She told me that she had some doll-making supplies that I could have and try my hand at a few other types of dolls. I was ecstatic!

So, she called me the other night and told me to come pick this stuff up. I was thinking a small handful of things. Well, it was more like 2 large paper boxes and a few smaller boxes FILLED with patterns, fabric, yarn, and a few doll wigs! I had no idea my mom had collected these patterns for over 24 years. I was a little overwhelmed! I told her when I got home and a little more organized I would call her and let her know just how many patterns she had ordered. Okay, are you ready? 74 patterns, 3 books, a hair loom and a ringlet loom that you can't find anymore. Most of the patterns are a mix of Carolee Creations Sew Sweet, and Rainie Crawford Pattern Plus. They are the sweetest looking dolls!

So, for my first project outside of my EFA doll will be a pattern for a topsy-turvy doll called Mary-Ellen. The faces are iron on transfers. The dolls are dressed in a really sweet Christening Gown, with lace and ribbons.

Yum Yum Delights

Look at these delicious cupcakes that my wonderful honey brought home for me! He knew I was having a rough day with the kids, and brought these home as a surprise. They are from Yum Yum Delights in Denver. They have so many tasty flavors. I am going to eat all of them after the kids go to bed. Okay, I will give my husband a nibble.

Peanut Butter Cup, Strawberry Cloud, Bananas Foster, & Joanie Loves Chai Chai

Mini Masterpieces

I am so lucky to have three artists that live in my house! They spent the majority of yesterday painting and gluing and sparkling their canvas'. It was so fun to see their eyes light up as they were adding 'this and that' to their pictures, and you could see the wheels turning in their heads.

This project was given to me by a friend who had taken a class with her kids at the local Michael's. It's pretty simple, all you need is a canvas (any size), hot glue, acrylic paints, and some do-dads.  Start by drawing a design or squiggles on your canvas with the hot glue and let it dry. The hot glue give the painting a raised texture. Then, paint away mixing and layering colors. You can add glitter, tissue paper, or anything your little heart desires. Let it dry completely. Now, this is the important part: before gluing on do-dads you need to spray the canvas with a clear varnish. After this is dry you can glue your treasures on.

My friend framed her little masterpieces in beautiful frames, and it really added and extra punch to the picture! They were breathtaking! This was a wonderful  project, and each one is different and special. I can really see my kids personalities  shine through.

I am proud to display these masterpieces' in my house, to be admired by all who enter.

*Note: These have not been framed.

Sparkles and Swirls

Olivia: Age 9

Mysterious Painting  

Lauren: Age 7

Bloodskull

Calvin: Age 5