7.06.2021

shop spotlight | 3&3 handmade shop

Happy Monday!! I hope everyone had an amazing holiday weekend. It was so nice having Dustin home from work a few extra days with us girls; we enjoyed lots of beautiful weather, time spent as a family + with close friends and of course, yummy food.

This week's Shop Spotlight is near and dear to my heart because it is run by an incredibly talented & creative Mama, Brenda, who started her shop out of a desire to bless others with her beautiful creations. Using vintage fabrics, designing her patterns from scratch and being fueled by the joy that her pieces bring to each and every customer and family, 3&3 Handmade Shop is something real special.


Brenda, Mama of three with one on the way, so thoughtfully created a custom bunny for Miss Penelope, complete with a "P" stitched into the ear. 


I love the rich and unexpected yellow body, the dainty hand-stitched face and all the vintage floral she incorporated. The floral crown and lace collar + skirt make her so feminine and remind me of a doll I would have found at my grandmother's house from her childhood. It is truly one of my favorite pieces in Poppy's entire nursery, and every single time I see it I can't help but smile. I daydream about Penelope's sweet baby arms wrapped around her bunny while she sleeps, and then as she grows, her small hands carrying it by the arm on all her little adventures. A friend she'll always cherish.


Brenda shares more about her shop below

3&3 Handmade Shop was born out of a passion for creating and giving. In 2014 I came across an amazing organization called GoShoutLove and I was so inspired to reach out and help. I had done my first handmade doll for my daughter's 3rd birthday earlier that year and I thought how great it would be if I made dolls for theses kids being featured at GoShoutLove. Thats really what drove me to start making dolls, and honestly it came at such a great time! I am a stay at home mother of three little ones, ages 4, almost 3, 1, and expecting our fourth on November 9th. I absolutely love being able to stay at home and care for them but with that comes a lot of responsibilities and self-sacrificing decisions. Making dolls for others in need had really given me a sense of belonging and it helped me realize what my hidden passion was. I started sharing my creations on my personal IG account (@brenditastearns) and some of my followers showed interest, so I decided to open up an etsy shop and that's really how it all began. 

I designed my own pattern from scratch and I absolutely love being able to offer something truly unique. I am also a vintage lover so most of the materials I use are true vintage. My husband's grandmother was a famous puppeteer and she gifted me with a lot of her materials that I now add to my dolls for a special touch. Every single doll is unique in its own way. I use the same "body" pattern for all of them but their facial features and hair are unplanned and are born as I go. My favorite part is styling and stitching their hair and creating their little clothes. Makes me feel like a kid again!

My favorite number has always been the number 3. I have three sisters, I am the third daughter, I was born on the third day of the third month, and so on. I knew my shop name had to include that number. The second "3" of my shop name represents the three bundles of joy we had at the time. I really like looking at my shop name and knowing that there is a whole lot of me behind it.

The most rewarding thing about making these dolls is seeing them on my customers' IG feed. It fuels me to no end. It motivates me to keep creating. After all the hours I spent and all the love I poured on creating that doll, it fills me with joy to see how well loved they are in their new home. And knowing that I played a small part in that child's life, that my humble hands created something they will play with and make memories with. It's priceless!

Finding the time to nurture my passion for creating is definitely the most challenging thing right now. Setting time aside to care for my family and all their little daily needs, keeping the house clean and finding ways to keep them engaged while I work is very difficult. We limit our screen time to three hours a week which leaves me alone at home with three very hyper kids!! We also start homeschooling this year. This is one of the reasons why I don't necessarily create dolls for monetary compensation. I guess I treat it more like a hobby than a business right now. Most of my work is for donations to GoShoutLove and various other well meaning individuals who have children with rare or terminal illnesses. I also do a lot of trades with other handmade businesses. It is a great way to get to know other shop owners and try new products for me and my growing family. I do however try to have a few items on my shop available to those who are interested and I am always accepting custom orders, ALWAYS!


If you follow along with 3&3 Handmade Shop on instagram, Brenda is always posting peeks at her latest creations, which just melt me every time. Her imagination and skill never cease to amaze me and one of my favorite parts about each bunny and doll she creates is that one is never identical to the next, making the piece you are giving your little one as unique as they are. She offers pieces for both girls and boys and is wonderful to work with on custom orders. Even when I couldn't quite articulate what I wanted {other than lots of floral, surprise surprise}, Brenda completely brought my vision to life and P's bunny turned out more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.


coupon code || To save $15 off any purchase today through Wednesday July 8, use the code BLESSEDNESTFIFTEEN at checkout // start shopping here

giveaway || Brenda is so generously offering a custom doll to one Blessed Nest reader; the winner will be able to completely design and customize their doll or bunny just for their little one! To enter, simply complete the steps below in the Rafflecopter. Head over to my instagram for additional entries. The giveaway will run from Monday, July 6 through Sunday, July 12. All entries will be verified and the winner is responsible for contacting A Blessed Nest within 24 hours of being announced.

16 comments:

  1. These are the sweetest! So cute!

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  2. Rabbit dolls are always my favorite!

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  3. I would love one of these for Sawyer!

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  4. I'd love one for my daughter, Abigail! I love her girl dolls! Maybe a ballerina inspired one?

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  5. My daughter would love one of these! Something with lace, lots of color and crazy hair would be perfect!

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  6. These dolls are absolutely beautiful! My daughter would love one of these sweet bunnies. They are so perfect!

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  7. Love the story behind this shop!! If I win I'd choose the Frida for my baby girl. Frida would live in the nursey my in laws created for their first grandchild, I know grandpa would just adore this doll and he'd share lots of Chicano movement stories with our sweet little girl as she held her Frida doll close 😍

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  8. would love one of these. maybe a custom animal doll or even a mermaid or something like that, for my niece!

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  9. My daughter! She loves our chocolate lab, so maybe a doggy doll 😊

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  10. These are so cute! My daughter is really into dolls right now, soone that looks like her would be perfect!
    Though, the fox one is cute too.

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  11. I would love this for my daughter! She doesn't have any special handmade dolls or stuffed animals :)

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  12. This would be an awesome keepsake for my 3 month old baby girl. A Brown haired dolly would be precious.

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  13. I'd love either a boy doll or a doggy doll for my baby boy!

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  14. I would do one for my daughter and it would be a ballerina fox. :)

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  15. Love the story behind this shop! Brenda did a trade with me earlier this year and I can't wait to give the beautiful custom doll she made to my daughter for her first birthday in three weeks!

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  16. I already have one beautiful doll for my daughter, so if I won, maybe I would request a bunny.

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