Joyce’s Beautiful Doll – A Story of Love and Adoption.

One of the things I love about setting up Dolly Donations is that I have been privileged to meet such kind and compassionate women from all over the world.

Thanks so much to all of you for getting in touch with me and sharing your stories! (I respond to every e-mail I receive.)

-----------

Joyce’s Story – Her very special doll.

Hello Sarah,

I sent a doll for your project this past Thursday ........ This is a very special doll that I made several years ago. She is a Waldorf doll …… I made her dress and pinafore from scraps of polished cotton. Her sweater is made from one of my old Shetland wool sweaters that shrunk with handmade felt flowers. She has been sitting in my sewing room up on a cabinet watching over me and when I heard of your project to send dolls to the orphanage I decided that she should be in the hands of a young child who will love her dearly instead of a doll that sits on a shelf.

My three children all came from an orphanage in South Korea when they were less than six months old and each received a Waldorf doll that were well loved and patched back together when the dog got ahold of them or they just started to wear out. They are all now my little guardian angels sitting in my sewing room waiting for grandchildren to someday come along into their lives.

……… I was so inspired by your dedication to bring happiness to children living in a world none of us can ever imagine that I decided to send this doll to be loved by a child.

Thank you again for your generosity and abundant love of children and their needs.

Sincerely,  Joyce   (Portland, Oregon)

-----------

Thank You Joyce for letting me share your beautiful story and dolly with the DD Community!

Thanks everyone, you are all truly inspiring! 

Happy Sewing!

Read more...

Meet & Greet Melinda!

Let me introduce Melinda to our Dolly Community!

I'm Melinda. I think my Barbie dolls were my favorite toys when I was little. I always made my own clothes for them, cut their hair and colored on their faces until they were just right. I really think they started me on the path I'm on today.

I am what most would call a homemaker, but I'm so much more than that. I make toys, clothes and quilts for my children, friends, neighbors, family and sometimes total strangers. It's no small accomplishment with a two year old, an almost nine year old and one very needy, very dumb, black lab.

I make my home in Grand Rapids, Michigan...a new home, that we just moved to. I think my husband looks at the increasing pile of dolls, and the very slowly increasing pile of unpacked boxes and wishes for March 31, but he supports the cause and doesn't complain too much.

I blog mostly about what I create and sometimes about what happens when I'm not creating at Peppermint Grove.

Thanks Melinda! It's a pleasure to meet you!

Happy Sewing!

If you would like to take part in the DD Meet & Greet posts Click here for details!

Read more...

Meet & Greet Aleta Wills

Let me introduce Aleta Wills to our Dolly Community!

What was your favorite Doll, Toy, Blankie as a child?

A stuffie bear with plastic face and hands and he sucked his thumb. I was devasted when my little sisters were fighting and ripped an arm off - that my Grandma thankfully sewed back on. And now he sits in my craft room.

What do you do, e.g. Crafter, Doll Maker, Super Mommy, Home School Teacher
All of the above! LOL! I am a Mommy of four girls who sews, crochets, scrabooks, crafts in general, and homeschools.

I am a military wife stationed up in North Pole, Alaska. My 7 and 5 year old helped me make a doll, and then my 7 year old decided she wanted to make another one - and then I decided they were too fun and cute that I made one more (the boy). Link to blog - Aleta's Art

Thanks Aleta! It's a pleasure to meet you!

Happy Sewing!

If you would like to take part in the Dolly Fans, Meet & Greet posts Click here for details!

Read more...

Meet & Greet Vonnie Sandlan

Let me introduce Vonnie Sandlan to our Dolly Community! She’s the first to take part in my Pay it Fwd Idea!

What was your favorite Doll, Toy, Blankie as a child?

Actually I was more of a book kind of girl! I adored a beautifully illustrated copy of The Owl and The Pussycat that I had as a youngster but misplaced between being a tiddler and being a Mummy!

What do you do?
My 'day job' is working as a manager in the Civil Service but I'm about to strike it solo with my husband Bob (http://www.theapochrypha.co.uk/) to open our own shop.

Tell us a bit about yourself!
Well, I started knitting and sewing sat at my Nana's knee. As the eldest of seven grandchildren I had a special place in my Nana's heart particularly since her only daughter wasn't really a fan of the 'traditional' crafts that she'd honed and my affection for yarn started as a 3 year old who used to fill an old Pepsi icebucket with scraps of leftover wool that I'd cut into little sections and make pompoms with. I remember with comfort all the fabulous hand-knitted jumpers that I sported as a child of the 80s and wish I had appreciated it that little bit more. I now have four children of my own who I hope will be keen to follow in my crafty footsteps! I am also being gently encouraged to make a doll or two for Haiti, and that is my goal for this week!      

 http://www.blottedcopybook.co.uk/

 

Thanks Vonnie!  It's a pleasure to meet you!

  Happy Sewing!

If you would like to take part in the Dolly Fans, Meet & Greet posts Click here for details!

Read more...

Paying It Forward: Help Me, Help You!

 
I’m all about paying it forward, and I have wanted to write blog posts on all of you and your efforts to make and/or spread the word about Dolly Donations. But it’s just little old me on this end….…..and time just seems to disappear!  Not to be defeated I came up with a plan.
 

What was the saying in Jerry Maguire: Help Me, Help You!

Answer a few simple questions, send them to me in an e-mail, attach a photo or two and a link to your blog/website and I’ll post your very own ‘Meet & Greet’ blog here on Dolly Donations!  And/or you can always let me re:blog a post you’ve written about your Dolly Donations experience (here's a brilliant example!)  This way we get to know who is in our fabulous Dolly community!

Here’s what I’ll need from you:

• Your name.
• A photo: you or your creations.
• What was your favorite Doll, Toy, Blankie as a child.
• What do you do, e.g. Crafter, Doll Maker, Super Mommy, Home School Teacher, etc .
• A small bio– and if you like, how you have helped Dolly Donations.
• Link to your website/blog if you have one.

This is open to everyone who has added a dolly donations button, written a blog and/or made a dolly!

Ok I’ll get the ball rolling....

----------------------------------

I’m Sarah.  My favorite dolly was a rag doll named Holly Hobby.

I was born in the UK, but moved to the US about 10 years ago …. Wow has it really been that long?! I’m a very lucky stay at home Mummy (UK spelling but I do make a lot of typos due to sleep deprivation) with a passion for sewing! I’m an artist, love acrylics …. You can see some of my work here SarahLHanson.com

I’m the lady behind Dolly Donations, a dream to help underprivileged children around the world, and now thanks to all of you and your help, a reality! We are All Sending Love, 1 Dolly at a Time!!

-------------------------------------

Ok now it’s your turn :)

Enjoy, and let’s see who’s the first to send in their Meet & Greet bio page!

Read more...