Beauty of Creating has come so far in four years. But we have so much more room to grow. Because we are inspired daily, sometimes we get overwhelmed with excitement to show it all to you! Sometimes we get a little disappointed when we fall short, and have to say 'that won't happen this week, this month, or this year'.
For 2020, we are celebrating our 20th, my 50th, and JGs 5th! And we plan to do it by bringing you more designs, continuing to expand the BOC UNLIMITED line, the Doll Stars Series, along with delivering on the promise of more themes and giveaways. Thank you so much for your support and patience with us! We are looking forward to dressing your favorite doll(s) in 2020!
Does it seem like we're making you hurry up to wait? Do not fret...things are underway to get the American Girl/Our Generation, and similar sized doll fashions to you soon!
In the meantime, I want to introduce you to the B.O.C. Unlimited label if you have not heard about it. Beauty of Creating started crafting gifts for babies, which debuted over 20 years ago. About 10 years in we started designing and merching for Barbie brand 11.5" fashion dolls. When we started our exclusive rebranding for larger dolls in 2015, we meant to be inclusive of all dolls. However, because our flagship doll is the Journey Girl, many collectors/shoppers/friends did not quite understand that we were always inclusive offline.
About two years ago we started expanding our collection to include BFC Ink., My Sibling/My Pal, Our Generation, and American Girl. Each of these dolls have their own unique body and require special attention to make sure their garments are especially made for them.
Journey Girls will always remain our flagship, but in order to distinguish our exclusive merch for other dolls (most notably Our Generation/American Girl) we decided to create the "B.O.C. Unlimited" division, which will debut this Christmas 2019!
Usually in the current season, I start thinking about the decorations or theme for the next. Last year, I found a lovely roll of blue wrapping paper with silver foil writing on it. I immediately knew this was going to be the colors for 2019!
And so, it all commenced about three weeks ago. I am accustomed to getting my tree up fairly early. The motivation is that my tree is fiber optic and about 18 years old, thus it requires advanced notice to when the bulb that illuminates it requires replacement. Strange thing, I purchased several spares 1-2 years after I purchased the tree. I am not sure if the bulb ever went out on it.
Always a fan of Ralph Lauren, believing he was a designer with an impeccable ability to create looks that were timeless, this look inspired me to create a signature BOC replica for our favorite, the Journey Girl Dolls.
Hey guys! I'm back to share another Sew What? with you. This is not really a sew idea, but more of a crafty idea. Many of us crafters/sewists love working with lettering techniques, so this might help you.
Did you ever want to reproduce a lettering style or procure one into your fonts folder, but you really have not the clue 'what font is this?' I know I did for a few years. But thanks to the information age, you may now struggle no more to finding that cool font!
If you can retain the image and get it uploaded to a site like WhatTheFont!, they will help you unlock the mystery and direct you to the varied options of fonts across the net, similar to the one you desire! Sometimes it's a deadringer, other times it is so close that only the original creator can tell the difference.
Some fonts are free, others you may have to subscribe to the site for a free download, and then there are the fonts you must outright purchase.
If you have not discovered the Cricut craft cutting machine, or really any DIY home craft cutting machine...you are missing out, totally and until then, I am issuing you a citation!!!
That's right! If you are not on the Cricut, I am giving you a ticket...an official notice that you are violating your own right to be more efficient with your crafting ideas!
I purchased mine around July 2018. If you recall it took me a few months to actually 'unbox' it for you. But once I did, I immediately put it into service. The trouble with me, is that I have functioned the 'hard' way or the 'old school' way before the fancy technology simplified everything for me, and life was good!
But if you want small scale reproduction, you want a digital craft cutting machine.
As a part of my 'bucket list' on actually using the machines in the workshop, Cricut will receive some much needed usage this holiday...stay tuned!
Sew What? will become a new series to the blog, in order to highlight things I wish I knew, thought I knew, or learned in the recent, or felt...wow, how cool is that? I found this topic interesting simply because I want to encourage young sewests to dive right in but never stop learning!
In other words, just remain teachable. YouTube was not around 40 years ago.
I absolutely love YouTube and blog tutorials. Google Search is my bestie. If there is something challenging me or I feel I need to 'see that again', I turn to my bestie. In the adventure, YouTube is not far from the home of the solution to my dilemma.
You will say...sewwhat? How did you not know that after 40 years? Trust me. I know you will say it, and that is why I want to share these "sew what's" to encourage others to use the learning at your fingertips. You never know what you might latch onto that is right in your sew box or a google search away!
Let's get this party started...right!
This has to be the most exciting share, the first of many. Needle Position.
Sew What?
Sewing now for over 40 years, I always stuck to the idea that if my multi-purpose sewing foot would not allow it, then it is impossible to achieve. Wrong! Needle position allows you to get into the closest position to the target without losing security of your fabric under the presser foot.
Imagine me now, a crafter of sort, who needs to get really close to the zipper teeth, but the zipper foot is 'hip to hip' to the teeth, and yet the needle is not close enough, still? Sew What? In comes the needle position lever. It's not just for making zig zags and satin stitches. It is the trusty maneuver to help get your needle closer to the teeth and wallah!
Yeah...you're likely thinking...sew what?
Imagine not using a zipper foot and you need to get a narrow hem and not lose the security of the fabric under the foot...here comes that needle position option to earn you that narrow hem!
The Journey Girls have brought their Japan tour to completion and their time in the Pacific was well spent! The friends dined mostly on ramen, vegetable tempura, and a variety of teas, as they experienced the tradition of the Geisha, toured the Osaka Castle, along with the temples and shrines of Kyoto. No vacation is complete without a little shopping and a bit of pop culture in Tokyo!
Beauty of Creating presents a tribute to celebrate the Journey Girls
tour of Japan. The kimono designs are originals of Beauty of Creating,
crafted from authentic imported Japanese fabrics.
The Journey Girls have now stamped "Japan" in their passports. This adventure is officially done! They look forward to more travels in the future. According to tradition, Toys R' Us books an annual vacation for their Journey Girls. No matter what, the girls will continue to travel and experience the culture of the world, one stamp at a time!
Their swag bundle includes: kimono & sash, kanzashi (hair jewelry), tongs, tote, tee, bracelet, leggings and BOC 'n' Stock sandals!
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We want to thank you, our friends for your patience as we prepared and designed this collection for you! Inspired by the travels of the Journey Girls, we are so pleased to see the doll friends return for the holiday. Journey Girls Japan Tour are available to purchase at Amazon, with free shipping for Prime members.
After purchasing your doll, you are welcomed to peruse our eBay Store or contact us direct, and let us design something especially for your favorite Journey Girl Dolls!
The long awaited tribute to the Gingham Paper Dolls has finally arrived to showcase...listings will be available soon!
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The Gingham Paper Dolls were chock full of different clothing pieces, and those presented here are just a small representation. We'd love to continue building this collection. Follow us on this journey to see what comes next!
Most of the year we're busy...but during the holidays we're uber busy! When we're not busy...we're on vacation, and that means the shop is closed for business. There are times we seek ideas and open dialog to generate customer feedback. Ideas and inquiries are not formal agreements to do business. Purchase orders and remit payment invoices are business agreements. Let's outline the differences.
Ideas and Inquiries
Ideas and inquiries are always welcomed, however, they are not purchasing orders. An idea is an effort provided to Beauty of Creating for a design suggestion. An inquiry is a question of whether Beauty of Creating is able to fulfil an idea or item. But they are not agreements or proposals for service. At best, they are casual greetings that generate conversations between two or more persons.
Purchase Order
A purchasing order is a request for a type, quantity, and price sent from the customer to the vendor. Once the purchase order is received, the vendor accepts or declines to fulfil the purchase order based on the resources available.
Invoice: Remit Payment
Before an invoice is drafted, the vendor or seller may provide the customer an informal proposal that is either accepted or declined. An accepted purchase order translates then to an invoice, or request for payment to the customer from the vendor. We honor purchase agreements as priority over inquiries, and closed invoices (paid) are prioritized over open invoices.
Disclaimer: Purchase orders are not casual, they translate as a business agreement. In order to have your order received as a real agreement, it must be drafted as such to the vendor.
If you desire to submit a purchasing order or request for service do so formally. Thank you for visiting and we look forward to dressing your favorite doll!
If I posted all great finds, this blog would be overrun with them. I always find great things because (1) I am always looking and (2) I am always looking! š¤£š¤£š¤£
I do feel guilty because many of my great finds get shelved. They are great to hold, but scheduling prevents me from totally enjoying them. I am committed to dusting them off and getting them into full service mode!
But on with it...starting with the smallest, to the largest, in size...
Great Find #1
Veyette Electric Pencil Sharpener.
Veyette Electric Pencil Sharpener.
Small
Runs on 2 AA batteries
Runs on USB
Runs on electric wall plug
Sharpens fast
Quiet
Visible sharpening in action
This was a quick and recent impulse. My trusty old sharpener failed and started chewing up pencils. I searched YouTube for instructions on how to fix it. I tried everything and decided to dump it! I was not ready to get a new sharpener nor spend the freight to invest in a really good one. Sharp points on pencils are a must for me and having a dependable sharpener is extra important! I read the reviews, saw the price tag, and finally decided to go with it. So far so good!
Great Find #2
ABOX A4 Laminator Machine.
ABOX A4 Laminator Machine.
Portable
Fast warm up (2-4 mins.)
No bubbling effect
Comes with laminator sheets
I had a laminator machine years ago in my business office, but somehow in all of my movement it was either left behind or gifted out to a teacher. A recent project pushed me to look for a machine and I found this one. With this, I discovered just how much I really needed this machine for other things. I couldn't resist the price and it has not failed me yet!
Great Find #3
American Girl WellieWisher - Ashyln Doll
American Girl WellieWisher, Ashlyn Doll
14.5" tall
Fully plastic Body
Stands on her own
Gorgeous hair
Cute freckles
Okay, so what did you expect from my review of a doll? I was never really planning on bringing in a WellieWisher. As I was searching for a petite doll in this height range, my first stop was Hearts for Hearts. If I had acted on my first impulse and adopted a Hs4Hs, I probably wouldn't be here reviewing a WellieWisher. But I waited on the Hs4Hs to reduce in price, and they only increased. Bummer! This lead me to make a really tough call and go with the American Girl. The deciding factors are marketability, availability, and definitely the price!
Great Find #4
Brother XM2701 Sewing Machine
Brother XM2701 Sewing Machine.
27 Built-In Stitches
Lightweight
6 presser feet
Drop-in bobbin
2019 Women's Choice Award winner
25 Year Warranty
Price
I had two Brother machines, one I purchased and one that was gifted. Both failed me. I need a fine tuned assembly of machines. Beauty of Creating cannot exist with diva-like episodes from my machines. Considering the age, and their finicky flaws, I re-gifted them and moved on. This Brother XM2701 is priced under $100 and is the perfect mechanical in a lightweight convenience! I'm not big on stitches because that was not required in this replacement to old fails.
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Glad to share! Feel free to comment and share your recent finds of greatness! If you have any of these items, let us know what you think of yours!
A few months back we promised you that we would debut an American Girl Doll collection. In keeping with our promise, we're extending our invitation to the Wellie Wisher Doll, a 14.5" doll created by the American Girl Doll franchise.
Joining Truly Me 47, is none other than Ashlyn. This special event will act as a market test. Many visitors have expressed the desire to have our clothes and accessories in sizes to fit American Girl Dolls.
Because this years theme is wrapped around gingham, the first pieces to debut will derive from that theme! We want to do this early enough so that if these pieces test well, we will have plenty of time to extend the AG collection, adding a few more of our most popular Journey Girl outfits sized to fit the American Girl Dolls.
In the meantime, here is Ashlyn...let's give her a hearty welcome! ššš
Chavonne is styled comfortably cute for her work in the lab at Wallace Academy. Her outfit is customized to include: dark blue jeggings, lavender & pink butterfly printed bell-sleeved blouse, dark chocolate penny loafers, lavender glasses, navy blue socks, lilac earrings, lab coat, and her very own lab identification card.
You too can have your own "Scientist" outfit, with many options to choose (blouse, glasses, id badge lanyard) for your Journey Girl Doll! Simply, drop us a message on Pinterest, Instagram, or Twitter, and we will have your request ready to go!
In the continuation of celebrating the childhood classics, one cannot take that trip back to the 70's or 80's without talking about the hours spent playing with those adorable Gingham Paper Dolls.
Before learning to sew doll clothes, these colorful and delightful dolls: Sarah, Katie, Becky, and Carrie, along with their treasure chest of quickly installed outfits filled many hours of playtime!
Oh what fun it was, popping the dolls and their clothes out from the pre-cut pages! Back when I was a kid, the 'activity books' were a feature in the Scholastic Book Club. Come to think of it, the Gingham Paper Dolls were the first group of friends I ever collected!
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This fall, Beauty of Creating brings to you, just in time for the holidays, our rendition of the four friends, modeled by our flagship Journey Girl Doll's by Toys R Us/TRU Kids.
Stay tuned as dissect, recreate, and bring this charming collection to life!
The Wizard of Oz original release was August 25, 1939. In the few years that followed it became an autumn tradition, usually airing on television between Halloween and Thanksgiving. This movie is one that I will always cherish, because it brings back such fond memories of the season and its holidays!
I always wanted that blue gingham dress and ruby red slippers to call my own. I considered it as my 'this year Halloween' costume for years, but it never manifested. Bummer!
This year, in celebration of the 80th Anniversary of the theater release, Beauty of Creating pays tribute to the time honored classic. Early this summer, we honored the movie classic dressing Goodfellow Dolls in gingham plaid dresses!
Now, our flagship Journey Girl Doll, by Toys R Us (TRU Kids) in her best rendition of Dorothy's classic gingham blue jumper and ruby slippers, makes it debut!
Only two complete costumes exclusively designed for Journey Girl Dolls (that includes underpants), will release to our online shops! Stay tuned!
Upon seeing our fashions for Journey Girl Dolls displayed throughout various social media locations, many viewers have expressed a desire for the Beauty of Creating/Journey Girl Doll Clothing Patterns and sometimes follow with disappointment to hear they are unreleased.
But we hear you!
Drafting patterns for commercial use takes time to ensure all points and details are expressed for consumers to recreate the look as it was intended. So, when we say 'not available yet' we are not being persnickety!
Not all patterns will be released, but as soon as we have them available, we will release them for you to purchase. In the meantime, feel free to shop leisurely at our eBay store for your favorite Journey Girl fashions, using the image/linked below:
They are complete and ready to ship to the warehouse! In the tradition of this years Fall/Winter theme of 'gingham' and 'childhood classics', Beauty of Creating is thrilled to include the Detroit Goodfellow Dolls.
Beauty of Creating presents,
the 2019 Detroit Goodfellow Doll Dressers submissions
"There they are, and there they'll stay..."
Stay tuned to see the Journey Girls, our flagship dolls round out this years fall/winter theme!
