Bamboletta Blog

If you have one of my dolls or look at them you’ll notice some of my Nonna’s handiwork. Nonna is a pretty cute lady. She spends her evenings watching Coronati0n Street and Italian Television knitting up sweaters and things for the dolls. I love it when she gets creative. Last time I spoke with her she was so excited because one of the ladies on her Senior Tours showed her a new type of knit stitch and she was keen to try it out on a doll sweater. I try to have at least one piece of Nonna love on each of my dolls. She loves making things and for her to know that her handiwork is going to children around the world makes her pretty happy. I know she’s pretty happy to be helping out her granddaughter too..I’m a lucky lady.

Today I taught John how to stuff the dolls. So his offical titles will now be ‘headmaker’ and ‘body stuffer’ along with ‘best husband..ever!’. I’m slowly working him into sewing, something he says he will never do. Hmm, I have other plans for him!

It must be really weird to be a celebrity. I’m on a new blog program where I can see who’s said what about my dolls, where they come from and a million other stats and I have to admit..it’s weird (for me anyways, I was always the shy kid). It’s all good, but still very strange to me. Goodness, if I were a celeb I’d probably buy 50 acres and hideout from everyone and every paper and not read naughty things online like JustJared or TMZ….not that I have ever read those things (blushing).

I’ve finished up 5 sweet tan dolls. I’m working on my tan and dark dolls at the moment as I have run out of my fair fabrics. I have more on the way, it should be here either today or tomorrow. I buy things in pretty big quantities so it’s not often that I run out. I guess with having Jasper I was a tad preoccupied. Next week I’m working on more med and large Bambolettas and then I’m starting on the Babies – this will make many people happy I’m sure, I get at least one request a day for Babies! While doing all this I’m trying to get some seasonal figures made for our nature table at home, I’m working on a little autumn gnome. I have all these grand ideas for our nature table but time seems to be moving so quickly that I just can’t keep up with it. By the time I finish  the autumn gnome will have to have a quick makeover to become Saint Nick!

Here it is!! This is so exciting – my new website. It’s been a work in progress for a few months now and I am just thrilled with the results. I feel as though I’m entering the next phase in my business right now. We aren’t quite ready for John to be leaving his work yet, but we are heading in the right direction. I’ve hired on two mama’s to help me out a few days a week which is a huge help. It is so much fun with them around, drinking tea, chatting and making dolls….this has been my dream for years! They are the sweetest ladies, I couldn’t have two better mama’s by my side. I found a lovely girl to watch Benjamin while I work in the workshop downstairs and he is just in love with his ‘Rachel’. He’s got a playmate that will make voices for all his trains for hours on end!

Lately I’ve been hanging around a few 2 year old girls with mama’s that have incredible style and have become inspired by them. So, I’m working on developing some new styles of clothing for my dolls. Think organic fabrics and simple, clean design. My friend Constance is doing all the pattern drafting for me as I write. Gillian (one of my mama’s) used to be a costume designer in New York and is going to start sewing up some samples for us to play around with. I’ve always wanted my dolls in very simple clothing- kind of like clothing that kids would wear themselves. I’m not really one for aprons.

Trucks

This little video was taken a few days ago. Ben is teaching Jasper about trucks. My little boy is obsessed with trucks. I never knew the difference between a backhoe and a frount end loader before Benjamin came into my life 🙂

I put a new doll up for sale on Natural Pod. Her name is Eva. I knew an Eva in my childhood and she really liked pink. I don’t usually do my dolls in all pink, I think the market is saturated with pink for girls. But, sometimes it’s pretty darn cute. Like my boy and trucks..lots of little girls just like pink. Is it us as parents that push it on them? I don’t think so. I mean go into any kids shop or toy store and you are bound to see the stereotypes but there is some reasoning behind it. I used to think it was social conditioning that had boys playing trucks and girls wearing pink but I know ,as a parent myself, I certainly didn’t encourage it. I make dolls for goodness sake!! It seems to just be something innate, from when Ben was about 9 months old his face would light up when a truck rumbled past. And his first word…truck.