New Muslim Doll Design.

I have just finished a new purple gingham Muslim doll, and she is looking ultra cute, especially with her matching purple shoes and oversized bow.  Like all the girl dolls she is all trimmed up with lots of lace.  I would like to make a few more of these in different colours.  I think a Muslim boy doll in matching gingham clothes would also be a good idea.  What do you think?  Any ideas? What colour would you like to see this doll wearing? I would love to read your comments under this post, or on facebook.

By the way she is available to purchase on the Muslim Dolls page.  I have one already made, which you can have if you get in quick, otherwise you can order one.  If you would like a different colour, just let me know.

Salam, from

The New Niqabi Doll! All Finished and Waiting to be Collected.

Meet the new Niqabi Muslim doll, handmade by Hijab Sparkle!

Please note:  This article is a slightly older blog post, therefore some of the information and prices of the items featured here may have changed since I wrote it.  For more updated information about the Muslim dolls, please refer to the Muslim Doll page. Thank you.

Assalamu alaikum all!

Insha Allah I hope you all had a lovely Eidul Adha. Alhamdulilah we made it to the Eid prayer at 8am at our local masjid (always an achievement for us with 3 small children, as I'm sure many of you understand ) and then had a barbeque the next day as the weather has been great lately alhamdulilah.  On the Sunday after Eid I took my two eldest children to the model train exhibition which we all really enjoyed.  My 4 year old son, in particular, was so excited when he realised exactly what a model train exhibition really was when we arrived there, I have never seen him so happy. He was literally spinning with excitement!

 Living in a non-Muslim country here in New Zealand,  and not having any public holidays for Eid, we sort of have to break our Eid up to fit in the weekends.  So this weekend Eid activities will continue here in Wellington, with get-togethers and community Eid events planned, insha Allah.

This photo shows the size of the doll in
comparison to my 6 year old daughter,

So...to the photos!  A friend of mine, a Muslim sister from New Zealand who is now living in Saudi,  asked me to make her a 'Niqabi' doll wearing Saudi-style dress, and this is what I came up with, alhamdulilah.  She loves wearing iqab herself, so this doll is just perfect for her.

This little cutie was a lot of fun to make.  She has a long black abaya with silver and white lace trims, and long black matching pants underneath.  Everything, including the shoes, scarf and niqab, is stitched on securely, so that insha Allah the clothes will never get lost and the doll always looks generally at its best.  With every doll I have been carefully re-designing and changing different aspects to make it safe and strong for all children to play with.  I have changed the eyes from buttons to small circles of black felt which have been stitched on with very strong thread.

This doll features a beautifully detailed black abaya, with a silver wave motif trim down the centre, finished off with a tiny pom pom trim at the sides.  It has a delicate lace trim accented with a narrow cream coloured ribbon and tiny bows.  There are also rainbow coloured silver sequins around the ends of the sleeves.

Closeup of the detailed trim decoation
on the front of the abaya.

Closeup of the shoes and pants.
Click for a larger photo.

This doll is a little more expensive than previous dolls, because it has quite a bit of detail, and some expensive trims included, as well as the extra time involved in making it.  If you would like to order a doll the same as this one, it will cost $45.  This is still very cheap compared to many of the other Muslim hijab dolls available, which are often mass produced and not made by hand.  Each one of the dolls pictured on Hijab Sparkle are completely hand designed and hand made by me.  If you would like this doll with different coloured abaya or trims, I can also do that for you if you wish.

I have been getting more requests like this one, for Muslim hijab dolls wearing clothes from a range of different countries.  Subscribe to my blog and facebook page so that you don't miss out on seeing the new designs.  Some which are coming soon include dolls with Yemen hijab clothes, and Somali hijab clothes.  My  friend in Saudi has also asked me to make a Saudi Muslim boy doll, which I am working on now.  If you would like a doll wearing a particular type of hijab style, please let me know and I will see what I can do.  If you email me a photo of what you are looking for, that will help give me an idea.

Please let me know if you have any questions or ideas, and I would love to see your comments about the dolls in the comments below or on the Hijab Sparkle facebook page.  You can also read more about the dolls and see more photos of different designs here.

Salam for now,

Regards,

Vote on Facebook for your Favourite Filigree.

Choose a  number, and vote for your favourite filigree on facebook!

Salam everyone!  I thought it would be a good idea to add numbers to the filigree components (see photo above), so that if you are interested in any it will be easy for you to tell me which one/s you prefer.  If you head over to my Facebook page, you can even vote for your favourite!

Want to know what these fabulous filigree are for?  Read more about them here.

Fabulous Filigree!

Some of the filigree components which
will soon be made into gorgeous stick pins.
Click to see larger image.

 I promised I would show you some of the filigree components of the new stick pins I am designing in time for Eid.  These will be available very soon insha Allah.

Prices will range from $10 to $15, depending on how much work is in each one.  I will be adding many other beautiful dangles to these, including gold and silver hearts, stars, feathers, teardrops, and flowers.

If you like a particular design but would prefer it in a different colour, I may be able to fulfill your request in some cases, so just ask and I will see what I can do.

Click to see larger image.

An example of a stick pin.
Click to enlarge.

There are a limited number of these particular designs, so if you would like to order now you are more than welcome. These make great Eid presents, and they are very inexpensive to send to friends and family overseas, as they fit nicely inside an envelop and are very light.  Just send me an email or write a comment under this post if you have any questions. 

Wassalam

Where It All Happens!

I thought you might be interested to see the space where I make many of the items on Hijab Sparkle.  This is where I spend long nights, often until 2 or 3 in the morning, making handmade jewellery and hijab pins. 

I use hundreds of small jewellery components called 'findings' which I source from a variety of locations, and use them to create all sorts of designs.  People often ask where I get my beads and components from.  I order them from the internet from local and international websites, and the beads come from as far away as Asia, North America, and Africa.  You can see in these photos some of the tools that I use, in particular the long nosed pliers which are used to close the tiny 'jump rings' which connect the different components.

As you can see I am a bit of a hoarder, collecting anything I can find that I can use in jewellery making.  I have a bit of a thing for storage boxes and organisers, which I always keep a lookout for.  Everything fits nicely in the shelves like a big jigsaw puzzle.  Move one thing out of its place, and...well...let's just say it is not the best place to stand next to if there is an earthquake! hehe.

My 'studio' as I like to call it, is just a simple computer desk with a book case placed on top of  it.  Not very fancy, but it does the job!  Many of the storage boxes and containers you see I found in second hand shops around Wellington.  I also find the most beautiful vintage beads and findings which I incorporate into my designs from time to time.  I'm sure the second hand shop owners are curious about this strange Muslim lady who comes in once a week to gaze for hours at the jewellery diaplay, and leaves with bags of broken jewellery and armfuls of organiser boxes!!

If you look carefully you can see some really beautiful filigree 'drops' on the desk.  These are some new sitck pin designs I am working on in time for Ramadan, and I will show you a close up in the next post.  The finished designs will be posted very soon, so make sure you subscribe to my blog and facebook page so that you don't miss them.

Well that's all for now, I'm off to make some more sparklies!
Hope you are having a day full of sparkles :)
Wassalam

A Brand New Look!

Salam and Hi everyone.  Hope you are somewhere warm and toasty in this cold weather...in front of a fireplace, or tucked up in bed with your hot water bottle.  Or perhaps you are reading this from somewhere warm and tropical?  I hope you are having  a great day whatever the weather. 

I have been busy creating a new look for my Hijab Sparkle products.  I have added a label to the top with the HS logo.  What do you think?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, I love to hear your feedback :)

I have also decided to make a new batch of stick pins.  I feel inspired, as Eid will be here soon insha Allah, and many people like to have new pins to go with their Eid Hijab.  They also make great inexpensive gifts to give to people here in New Zealand, or to send overseas.  They are very light and fit nicely into a normal sized envelope.  Stay tuned, and make sure you are following on Facebook, or subscribe to this blog, so you don't miss out on the new designs which I will be bringing out very soon insha Allah.

Im just going to throw another log on the fire.
Keep sparkling!