Hippy Chick Dolly

Love this Dolly. I got sent such a pretty little dress in this bundle of clothes that this Dolly's skirt ended up a bit hippy-long, in order to show it off beautifully.

Find out more about my Dollies at www.facebook.com/memoriesgro

New! Memory Canvases

I've recently launched a new product on my page: Memory Canvases. A collage designed especially children, using their garments. They're ideal for motifs, logos and designs that are too big for my Dollies as well as for using remnants left over from having a Dolly made! I'm doing a special introductory offer on them over on my page, www.facebook.com/memoriesgro

And these are for my girls

Cereal Box Handbags

I don't know how I came up with this idea but for once I don't think it came from Pintrest! (Unless Pintrest is now seeping into my brain without me realising!)

I'm always looking for things to do with all three of my girls. Big Girl (nearly 3.5yrs!) loves to do crafty stuff but if I let her do things at the table she'll always drop things that will find their way into the mouths of the twins, and anyway they prefer to be sat at the table joining in with us but their time span is short and obviously, only being 18 months old, their creative skills are limited.

So I started with some cereal boxes which I painted white to cover the labeling, I guess you could cover them with paper too. I used a plate to create the top shape of the bag.

Then used the piece I'd removed to get a pretty much identical shape to the other side

I punched holes in the sides and added fabric strip scraps to make handles (different ones so they knew whose was whose!)

Over to the children! Big Girl started off colouring hers

The little ones were content sticking stickers all over theirs!

  

Ta da! Not going to be sold by Louis Vuitton but still be played with in this house! (And a good place to put those stickers Big Girl got at the dentist last week!)

And Mummy made them cardboard combs and compact mirrors from tin foil and card to keep in their bags!

New Boy Dolly

This Dolly was special because his Mummy won the opportunity to have him made when she entered a prize draw at my stall. He is a combination of her two son's clothes.

Find out more at www.facebook.com/memoriesgro

Up, Up and Away!

I belong to a group of crafty Mummies and we recently had an exchange of gifts, a bit like Secret Santa, where we all made each other something. The theme was "Sky" and this is what I made...

Summer 2013 in Our Garden

Last year we didn't spend a lot of time in our garden, almost none as a family. The weather wasn't great and it really wasn't easy with two six month olds. So Big Girl (aka Bambina) spent a of time out there with PJ alone while I stayed inside with the twins.

This year proved even more of a challenge as the Little Ones are now mobile and eat EVERYTHING and I mean everything! But I really wanted to spend time outdoors with them. Big Girl really loves it. So this is what we have done...

It cost us £35, although our neighbour did provide the four extra metal stakes that I didn't realise we would need. Each side of trellis netting is about 5m wide, too long for there not to be another support in the middle.

I was thrilled to buy about eight garden toys, some of which you can see here, on Ebay for £15 and to get a playhouse from the local paper for £30.

Add a sun canopy, purchased with Clubcard vouchers last year and a water table, Big Girl's birthday present from her grandparents and we are all set.

We have spent hours out there, with lots of playdates too! The fact that the Little Ones can't go digging in the flower beds, falling off the deck or tripping up on the patio means that I can manage on my own during the week. I even get to sit down sometimes!

My project for me was to plant out this wall. It's only occurred to me, after five years of living here to look under the stones. And I found, beneath a membrane, that there was pretty good soil. So once I removed the soil I just added a bit of compost to top it up. I bought heather and ivy plants and got two thyme plants delivered with our weekly groceries. I already had the lavender in a pot and I grew chives, aubretia and bellis perennis from seed. As well as colours that I like I am aiming to cover up the wall, which I hate, a bit! I am so pleased with the results. I am definitely going to do the other half next year.

Pretty, pretty, pretty

My most recent Dollies, made for my friend Andrea. I especially enjoyed working with her youngest daughters floral garments and the cat themed babygros are very sweet too.

See more of my Dollies at www.facebook.com/memoriesgro