Tween Fashion Friday - Faye

I cannot believe how fast this summer is going by!! It's already time to start shopping for school supplies....

We live in Massachusetts and there's a group here called the Highland Street Foundation that sponsors free Friday programs all summer. It's a great way to sample the rich cultural experiences here in MA.  The boys and I have been to several museums (we're here today) and it's been great!

Download Tween Fashion Friday - Faye pdf here

Today I have a spring/summer-ish set. I love pink & blue together like this! I really wanted to draw some ruffles so I threw that in there.

Tuesday should be a Josephine, barring any catastrophes this weekend!

Tween Fashion Friday - Laurel

It's been a rainy summer here in New England.  Not so terrible that we can't go outside, but just enough to be a nuisance. I have very active sons who love being outside.  As a family, we try to go to state parks & low-key hiking.  Camping....well, not so much.

Today's set is inspired by our outdoor adventures.

Download Tween Fashion Friday - Laurel pdf here

There are some practical pieces in this set - like those hiking boots - and some that would be pretty useless outside.  On a bit of a side note, if you like that mountain pattern, it's available on actual, real fabric here.  I've been trying to take some of my original pattern designs & put them on fabric.  I'm not great at sewing, so I've never actually used my own fabric! The samples I have are really nice, though, so maybe I'll learn to sew sometime!

Tween Fashion Friday - Black and White Coloring Set 4

Summer is now in full swing at my house! We went to Boston to see the tall ships, we picked up our summer reading kit at the library, and we're off to the Peabody Essex Museum today.  The local lake opens for the season tomorrow & we'll be spending plenty of time there, too!

Today's download is another tween coloring sheet.  I'm hoping these coloring sheets provide a fun distraction for all of you this summer!

Right-click to download and print

I'm still working on the At the Beach companion paper doll.  I'm also eager to start a new paper doll series but I'm not sure what.... Hopefully that'll happen soon :)

There's one more coloring sheet for Josephine on Tuesday, and then another collaboration paper doll coming up after that!

Tween Fashion Friday - Black and White Coloring Set 3

I know I've said this before, but some months of the year are WAY more busy than others in my house.  December is a tough one (two birthdays, Christmas, a ton of family, etc).  May is busy but manageable.  This June, however, I am convinced is never going to end! We have three birthdays, Father's Day, and end of the school year activities (school and Cub Scouts).

Honestly, it's kinda fun.

Most of the time, my days are pretty quiet.  My husband goes off to work.  My oldest son goes to school.  My youngest son & I are home. We do a little preschool work and keep the house running.  And that's pretty much it. So a change of pace is fine.

Today I have another black and white tween paper doll.

Right-click to download and print

I've been working on some stuff in between the craziness.  Not all of it's paper doll related - I've painted two rooms in my house this month - but some of it is.... I'm putting together a Josephine book.  There are a lot more pages to Josephine than I remembered!  The first book is going to be just the contemporary mix & match stuff.  I'd like to make a second volume of fantasy stuff.  And maybe a third with historical fashions.

Anyway, the first volume is almost done.  I'll let you know when that's ready!  Tuesday will be another coloring sheet for Josephine!

Tween Fashion Friday - Black and White Coloring Set 2

Ok, I need to confess: I spend WAY too much time online.  There.  That felt pretty good :)

Often, I run across awesome stuff.  Like this.  I will warn you now, you will lose half a day to this Google Arts & Culture site!! Totally worth it, though...

For today, I have a black and white tween set to download and print.  This one is a bit less summer appropriate, but I love her hair!

Right-click to download and print

What does everyone think of black & white sets? I don't usually color (my mother loves it....maybe I'm an outlier....) and so I rarely make black & white sets.  But if all of you are loving these sets, let me know.  I'll make more!

Tween Fashion Friday - Black and White Coloring Set 1

Happy June! Can you believe it?! I feel like it was just barely December and I was working on the angel paper doll series....

Today is my oldest son's first field trip and I get to be a chaperone! My husband is home with my youngest and they're both pretty happy about that arrangement.  Noah & I are going to the local library -- a perfect first field trip, in my opinion. I love libraries! This library is one of the reasons we bought a house in this town.  It's beautiful, full of amazing staff, with a fantastic assortment of activities & services.  Really can't say enough nice things about it!!

Right-click to download and print

For this first Friday in June, I have the first black and white coloring sheet for the tween paper dolls.  I'll put together a PDF at the end of the month.  In the meantime, feel free to download and print it from the image.

Tuesday will have another Josephine coloring sheet and more tweens to follow! 

Tween Fashion Friiday - Linnet

It's the last Friday of the month and typically I'd post our paper doll collaboration project.  We all decided to postpone it until Wednesday, May 31st.  Here in the US, we're celebrating Memorial Day so most of us 1) have a lot of things that need to get done before the holiday and 2) have a bit of time over the 3 day weekend to work on fun stuff!! It'll be worth the wait....

Instead of the collaboration project, I have another tween set for today.  I wanted a fun, peachy colored set.  I actually kinda forgot about Memorial Day, so I didn't go patriotic on this one.  Just fun and summery.

Download Tween Fashion Friday - Linnet pdf here

I love peach and grey.  I found a peach and grey fabric at a store a couple of years ago and bought ever top that used that specific fabric!! LOVE it!

So enjoy the long weekend if you have one.  We're using this weekend to bunk my two sons in one room and decorate it with an awesome Minecraft theme while they're off at my parents' house. Look for the collaboration set Wednesday!

Tween Fashion Friday - Serena

Yesterday was my birthday, so I thought I'd bring out the birthday pattern from the Maybelle doll.  Like most years, I had a relatively quiet day.  The boys and I skipped my son's baseball game (shhhh, don't tell!!).  Instead, we went to see an ice cream social/art show at my nieces' s school.  They were excited that I visited their school and we had a blast!!

Download Tween Fashion Friday- Serena pdf here

I didn't get to see much of my husband today -- he worked late and I was in New Hampshire with the kids.  We have plans to go out this weekend for a late celebration (without the kiddos!) so that should be fun!

Tween Fashion Friday - Soledad

I knew exactly what I wanted to create for today: a sun and cloud pattern.  It's not a complicated pattern but I like how it turned out.  I made both the sun and cloud out of circles -- just circles. Might not look like it, but really, that's it.

I also thought, let's have a bright and sunny name! So I found "Soledad"....and discovered it means "solitude" instead of something sunny.  That's ok. I still like the name.

Download Tween Fashion Friday - Soledad pdf here

Isn't this just the epitome of summer?! Despite the ongoing 50 degree/overcast/rainy weather here in New England, I'm ready for some bright colors! And I'm already counting down to summer with the kiddos.  I'll admit, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with summer vacation -- it's nice to have both boys home with me, except when it isn't.  They're good brothers (and genuinely good friends) but the petty bickering over things like who gets to be Player 1 in the video game or who gets the last granola bar (seriously, we can just go to the store and get more!!) eventually gets to me.  We already have some summer adventures planned and THAT will be fun :)

Tween Fashion Friday - Coral

For some reason, I'm loving nautical colors & patterns right now.  It's not like I spend my summers on the Cape or anything!! It's just such a classic color scheme & fashion style, I guess.

Aside from that, I don't have much to say about this set.  She's a super pale blonde because my boys always have super blond hair in the summer.  We've got a busy summer ahead of us and I'm already trying to come up with a plan to fit everything in! We'll see how it goes....

Download Tween Fashion Friday - Coral pdf here

I'll have another Josephine ready for Tuesday.  Not sure what yet....but it's coming.

Tween Fashion Friday - Maia

My oldest son has been home on his April vacation this week.  It's nice to hang out with both of my boys and we've done a ton of fun stuff this week including a trip to the zoo & the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  It's been a busy week!!

Today's doll isn't terribly elaborate, simply because I've been so busy this week.

Download Tween Fashion Friday - Maia pdf here

In order to meet my own deadline, I used a pattern from my collection of graphics.  I customized the colors with a bright spring palette.  All of the trees around here are budding & blooming and I just HAD to use some spring colors!

There should be a Josephine on Tuesday, so look for that!

Tween Fashion Friday - Darby

Happy St Patrick's Day! My mother's family is of Irish descent & I live north of Boston, so St Patrick's Day is definitely a thing around here.  My grandfather's family settled in northern Vermont during the 19th century Irish immigration.  We have very little actual ethnic heritage in any of my family but once a year, my mother and grandfather have corned beef & cabbage.

I actively avoid corned beef and cabbage.

Honestly, I can't even be in the house when they have it. I'm glad they love it and somehow feel connected to their heritage or whatever but really, I just can't.  I'll take my green beer and curried chips, thank you very much.

Download Tween Fashion Friday - Darby pdf here

Today is the last of the green/Irish mix and match sets.  Not sure what I'll do next.  Maybe something bright and spring-ish....even though we have 20 inches of snow here. Again.  Anyway, enjoy your St Patrick's Day and hopefully (HOPEFULLY!!!!!!) spring is around the corner!

Tween Fashion Friday - Delia

So....anyone else ready for spring? It's cold again here in New England. And dark. And the time change is Sunday. And I am utterly unmotivated to do much of anything.  I'm calling it End of Winter Malaise.  You would think that the middle of winter would be the worst.  Nope.  For me, it's usually March.

Today's paper doll was an attempt at motivation.  I decided to piggy-back off of Moira when I created this set.  I really liked the colors & patterns of Moira, so why not?!

Download Tween Fashion Friday - Delia pdf here

I added a shamrock pattern to this set with colors that coordinate with Moira.  It's fun making these mini-series for more mix & match possibilities.

Hopefully I can snap out of this funk of mine and refocus.  Winter can't last forever!!

Tween Fashion Friday - Moira

Happy March! When I was a kid in northern Vermont, March was still fairly chilly but all of the tapped maple trees were a clear indication that spring was on its way.  Today, however, in northern Massachusetts, I've been walking my kiddos to school in unseasonably warm weather. 

The weather seems like a silly thing to talk about and yet, I do. A lot.  I'm the sort of person who thinks a lot about place & history, and weather is a big part of a place.  My place has always been New England and something we Yankees love talking about is the weather. When is the first snow coming, the first thaw, when are the trees getting tapped, when will the corn spring up, are the apples ready for picking...etc, etc. I love it.

Today's doll is a bit of an homage to place and history.  It was brought to my attention that I should make a Celtic or St Patrick's doll.  (I have. A couple of times. Like here. And here.)  When I think of St Patrick's Day I think of Ireland, of course.  My grandfather's great-grandfather (so 5 generations back....) left Ireland for northern Vermont.  We haven't retained much "Irishness", honestly.  So when I think of my Irish roots, I really think of my Vermont roots.  I suspect that the green hills & agricultural nature of Vermont was at least somewhat familiar to these immigrant families.

Download the Tween Fashion Friday - Moira pdf here

There were a few things I wanted to avoid with this set: no redheads (I've done that) and no stereotypical symbols (though I did slip one in).  My Irish ancestors had black hair and dark eyes.  Funny enough, my Scottish ancestors were redheads -- as is one of my nieces!

I knew I wanted to make a cozy sweater.  I love green, so that was a natural choice.  And I slipped one little shamrock.  The shorts & sandals are there partly because I had the space for them and partly because of the northern Atlantic Ocean.  If you have ever been to the northern reaches of the East Coast, it gets cold! The range of temperatures can be extreme.  Shorts at midday and a heavy sweater by evening is not unheard of!

So long story short, this is my New England interpretation of an Ireland I've never visited but hope to one day.

Tween Fashion Friday - Jaimee

Here's round 3 of the Valentine's Day series! I didn't actually set out to make this a series, but it's worked out rather nicely, I think.  It's so much easier to work with a theme than a blank computer screen!!

Download Tween Fashion Friday - Jaimee pdf here

So here's Jaimee.  There isn't a whole lot to say about her. Same colors, same patterns.  I even borrowed the hair from one of the angel paper dolls.  Speaking of....I really need to get that compiled into a book.  Any angel requests for the book? Now's the time to suggest them!

One more Valentine's Day paper doll....even though it's over & done with. Why not?!

Tween Fashion Friday - Hollee

As promised, I have another Valentine's tween paper doll.  Sometimes patterns & colors are too awesome not to use again!

Download Tween Fashion Friday - Hollee pdf here

That heart pattern is so cute!!

I went with another "ee" name.  It was sweet & cute, like Valentine's Day itself. I'm not a big fan of the day, myself.  Seems kind of silly honestly. But my kids love it so I enjoy it more now than I ever did.

Come back next Friday for more "ee" names and mix & match Valentine's outfits!

Tween Fashion Friday - Aimee

Happy February! I can't believe it's already February.... Time is just zooming right by and I don't feel like I've accomplished much of anything yet this year! I've been traveling a lot -- my grandmother is in the hospital. She had a stroke but her recovery is going really, really well.  She's 86, looks at least 10 years younger than that, and is very, very independent.  She'll be just fine!!

Today I have a pink Valentine's day themed tween paper doll. I really like the pattern. It took me about a minute to whip up in Illustrator. Which just goes to show that things don't have to be super complicated to come out nicely.

Download Tween Fashion Friday - Aimee pdf here

I may very well use this color scheme & pattern for the whole month of February. I love how it came out & I wanted to make WAY more outfits than would fit on a page.  We'll see how that goes.

Tween Fashion Friday - Alexandra

I recently read a phrase that really resonated: art - no matter how small the audience - has value.  That's a paraphrase and not an exact quote, but like I said, it really spoke to me. This little blog is a reflection of what I believe.  I believe there's beauty and value in all people, of all colors, creeds, etc.  I want people to come to this site and find a paper doll that looks like them.  It's an on-going project and there are more kinds I've people I'd like to include. I'll keep creating for me and, hopefully, for you, too.

Today's paper doll has a cool toned winter wardrobe.  It isn't the most elaborate paper doll I've ever made, but I like the coat and I liked the pattern -- it's from my ever-expanding asset stash.

Download Tween Fashion Friday - Alexandra pdf here

How are you liking the new Josephine series? I'm having so much fun creating it! As always, if there's something you'd like to see, let me know. I don't always get to every suggestion but I do try!

Tween Fashion Friday - Inez

Happy January! I did not expect to miss almost half of January without a post, but I needed a bit of a break after December.  I loved making the December angel paper doll series (you can grab the entire series as a PDF here) and, much as I loved it, it was exhausting!   The feedback on the doll was fantastic -- thank you to everyone who commented, shared, etc. It makes my December project worth it every year!

So today I'm back with a new tween doll.

Download Tween Fashion Friday - Inez pdf here

The pattern on today's doll is from a from a bundle of graphic design resources I bought a while back. It isn't a secret that I create some of the patterns that I use and that I buy others.  I do more than just create paper dolls and these design resources come in handy for a variety of projects, personal and professional.

The other reason I mention that is because I'm starting a new doll. Stylistically, it's similar to the Victorian Mix and Match book. I've been eager to work with some new digital paper and patterns, so I created a paper doll in Photoshop specifically for that purpose.

Do you want to see a preview?

Of course you do!

The doll is ready to go. And that's it. I have no idea what day of the week I want to post this on. No idea what to call the series. And she has no wardrobe yet! I also have no theme for the doll. Might be contemporary one week and Victorian the next. Thoughts??

There are more surprises for 2017 and I'm excited to do some new things in this new year!

Thanksgiving Fashion Paper Doll - Gwen

It recently occurred to me that any international readers probably wouldn't have much interest in these paper dolls.  I will argue that they're all pretty cute anyway. And who doesn't love an apron for a paper doll?!

Download Fashion Friday - Gwen pdf here

If  Gwen's hair looks *exactly* like Mercy's hair, that's because it is! It was too cute not to use it twice.  I gave Gwen some more girlish bangs.  You'll need to cut along the shoulders to fit tabs for the clothing, but that isn't really a big deal. If you have the orange top and orange skirt together, that outfit is very similar to Mercy's dress/apron set.  Just so you know! And yes, Gwen got an apron, too!

The last of the set goes up on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. And then it's time for the marathon December paper doll!!