GIVEAWAY: FIRST FRIENDS CUSTOM TOY PORTRAIT


Could you just die? If your baby has a lovie, you understand how this photo melts my heart. That’s Clare (the one with the green marker on her face and the shaggy Feral Child from Road Warrior hair) holding “Mermaid” and a portrait of “Mermaid” painted by Erin Chainani of First Friends Custom Toy Portraiture. Even Mermaid sees the resemblance…

Here’s what Erin says about First Friends:
First Friends celebrates children’s love for their favorite toys. Formerly a Yale-trained NYC-based professional costume designer, I’m now a Miami-based mom of three-year-old twins searching for new ways to stay creative and keep painting. I was inspired to create First Friends after painting portraits of my kids’ favorite stuffed animals — when they saw their paintings for the first time, they jumped around and screamed with joy….and thus First Friends was born. Dollies, stuffed animals, trains, action figures, or even toy garbage cans (seriously – one of my real commissions!) – whatever the toy, kids and adults love to see their favorite first friends memorialized in a unique, hand-painted portrait.


You can choose to order your portrait unframed or custom framed with a white mat and white recycled wood frame. I offer three portrait sizes, with prices ranging from $65 to $165. All portraits are hand-painted in watercolor, gouache and ink on professional-grade watercolor paper. Gift certificates are also available (and are a great option for grandparents, friends, uncles, aunts or anyone else who may not have access to a photo of the special toy). And for kids who have more than one true love, I’ll paint multiple toys together in the portrait for no extra charge.

Aren’t we going crazy over these portraits!?! I still can’t get over the cuteness and I’m so I’m excited to announce that Erin is giving away a Framed 6″x9″ custom toy portrait here on Prudent Baby!

Read on to find out how to enter this WORLDWIDE giveaway and see more adorable toy portraits.
Go to Erin’s site and peruse the gallery (Mermaid is there!) then come back here. Leave a comment anytime between now and midnight next Wednesday, March 30th. We will randomly select a winner and announce next week. WORLDWIDE!!! Tell us what YOUR favorite toy was as a tot. I was big into Smurfs, like psychotically into Smurfs. For additional entries every day, Stumble, Tweet and Facebook “Like” this giveaway. Leave an extra comment for each.



Good Luck!

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240 Comments

HollowSquirrel

oh my GOSH this is amazing! Honestly, I'd get one done for my husband so we can finally part with his bedmite-ridden dustfest toy that is tucked away in our closet.

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Jenn

I loved my barbie- we'd go on the weekends to garage sales and it seemed like we were always finding little accessories for her.

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Tristin @ Two Girls Being Crafty

I have a matryoshka doll (but not from Russia, it's from Turkey where I lived as a child) that my dad gave to me–and now my little one loves it, too. I imagine it will be passed down through generations, but it would be so neat to have it as a portrait.

It sits on a shelf in my living room, and when my little one asks to play with it, I oblige her. I mean, why should it be only decor?

What a wonderful concept Erin has created.

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Brianne

I've never entered here before, but this one is worth it. My favorite toy was Fox. But my kids have White Bear and Banky.

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Sarah Jane

What a great idea!!! Lily would love a picture of her favorite monkey! When I was little, my lovie was a little white bunny with big floppy ears.

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JenR

Oh, what an awesome idea! My girl would flip to have a painting of her beloved Moo! Mine was a teddy bear and a quilt that was made by my great-grandmother. I still have both and they still make me feel safe. πŸ˜‰

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hollymade

I had a stuffed puppy that was my favorite toy. I love the pictures of me as a baby smiling brightly at that little puppy. I still have it, and have passed it down to my son. He hasn't latched on to a favorite toy yet, but there are a couple in the running that always go to bed with him.

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me

I have wanted to have a portrait of both of my daughter's blankies. I know one day they won't be 'whole' as they are now even with the love they show already but I want the girls to always remember that feeling of a cuddle from something that special.

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yumi-dude

I love it…. It would be great birthday present!! My favorit toy was Snoopys uncle.. I took him everywhere with me… One day I decided to take a bath with him and then he was no longer cuddly….. I was so sad and disappointed…..

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Kristin

Such a sweet idea without worrying about hanging on to the raggedy toy 15 years down the road. Capture it in all it's glory! πŸ™‚

Love this idea, and Claire's mermaid is so pretty!

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Stephanie

What a fantastic idea! I love all the pictures and the happy kids!
Penelope loves her Bla Bla dolls too. She has Mrs. Fox, which she thinks is a cat and call her Mow, Mow. Two mermaids and a monkey. She likes to line them up, and hand them to me one by one so I can nurse them.

I had lots of pound puppies as kid, loved them!

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Cate Lindsey

HA! I love the toy garbage cans. Kids are so original!
My favorite toy when I was young was a terrycloth bunny my grandmother sewed me. She actually made me a whole family of them, but one was really special to me. My stepmom found it in the attic years after I'd moved out, and gave it back to me at my wedding. Very sweet.

My son (just turned 2 on Tuesday!) doesn't have a favorite toy. He's been nursed on demand all along so his favorite source of comfort is, um, not the kind of art Erin does. If I win, I have twin nephews who would just *die* for an ironman portrait!

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Timmi

Absolutely perfect! I was lucky enough to bring along my daughter's 1st lovies as a baby and the photographer did a wonderful job incorporating them. She set them up to have a tea party and it such a precious picture! I would love to do this with her new lovies though!

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Timmi

Oh I guess I was supposed to tell about my own lovie ha it was scrappy dog that looked like a rabbit with a long tail. Still have him and no touches him!

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Naomi

I still treasure an adorable purple knitted bunny my mother made when I was a baby; all the more special to me (along with many other things she made for my and her first grandchild) since she passed away 2 years ago.

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Wendy

Those are so sweeet! My fav when I was a girl, was a little babydoll that had a string pul – she said things like I love you, I'm hungry, night night – I loved her. And now my daughter has her!
My daughter's real favorite is a little blankie, but if I asked her, she'd probably shove all her stuffies in a pile and have them all painted. That actually might be cute – a portrait of a pile of stuffies!

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Stephanie

Ooooh, I need this! I have a 32 year old Grover doll that would make a great painting. He even went to basic training with me when I joined the ARmy. :o)

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The Mulvihills

What a great idea! Both of my boys have special lovies. My oldest has Lammy, who would be perfect for such a talented artist! When I was little I loved Cabbage Patch dolls…with handmade clothes, of course!

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Veronica

My son (now 9 years old) has a bunny that he still sometimes sleeps with and it looks like it's been chewed up, spit out, and run over, oh wait, it has. I would LOVE a picture of "Bunny".

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Amanda

My Cabbage Patch Kid (circa 1984) was my best friend since I was 1 year old. Her name was Star Zeena. I kid you not, it was on her certificate of authenticity. πŸ™‚ She had my hair and eye color, and wore a grren gingham romper. Now my 8 month old little girl owns her, and loves her just as much

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EG

What a great idea! My son's "Puppy" has started to wear out so it'd be great to have him immortalized this way. πŸ™‚

Wondering if "'Creepy Baby' for Ree, a grownup" is for Ree Drummond.

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Meadowlark

I don't personally have a favorite toy πŸ™ So I guess my favorite is my son's old favorite, ET or perhaps daughter's Lil' Foot. They both hang out in the basement bar (no drinking, they're just babies) and keep us company to this day.

πŸ™‚

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Kristen

So adorable! My son's cheetah would be perfect portrait 'material'.
My favorite toy has always been a cradle my grandpa carved for me. He died when I was 3, so I cherish the link to such a special man. After grabbing my kids, it would be the first thing I took out if our house was burning (heaven forbid). In fact, it would be a great subject for a portrait, too!

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Abbykins

My favorite toy was a little lamb that would play Mary had a Little Lamb when you wound it up… After a while however, the song sounded a little more sad than sweet!

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Catherine

My favorite lovey was a well-worn Winnie the Pooh. My son cuddles with a panda bear that I owuld love to see as a portrait. What beautiful pieces – – and a unique idea, too.

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Adrianne B

My favorite toy as a child was a stuffed brown bear named "Radar" after Radar O'Reilly on M*A*S*H.
I love the idea of a portrait commemorating the favorite childhood toy. My little girl's stuffed besty is Sailor Babo from the UglyDoll universe.

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Krista

Probably a Cabbage Patch doll…. My favorite was a brown-haired girl in a red dress. I think she came with the name Tina.

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Ashley

My favorite toy was "Beary" the Bear. Yeah, original, I know. But I still have him, and he is still just as precious as when I accidentally left him on top of the pet zoo feeding box and cried hysterically the entire 10 miles back to the zoo to get him (don't worry – he was still there. With about a gazillion geese swarming him wondering what the crap he was doing on their birdseed).

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Unknown

Love these – such a sweet, artistic tribute to cherished toys!

My favorite toy was a tiny stuffed bear – I still have him, although he's showing his age a bit (who isn't?!).

πŸ™‚

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Kelly

I honestly did not have a toy I was particularly attached to as a kid but my 4 year old sure does! "Zagawa" is a stuffed baby penguin that she got on a trip to the zoo at the beginning of her (now going on 2 year) penguin obsession! She could identify all 17 species at age 2-no kidding-and may seriously become a marine biologist one day!!!:) she would adore a picture of her buddy "Zagawa!" thanks for offering this giveaway and letting us know about this ingenious business!
Kelly
lkellywoods@hotmail.com

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eboot camp test

Too cute! We just celebrated our daughters 1st birthday party with a theme surrounding her favorite toy Mr. Waddles (Ty beanie penguin with HUGE eyes) we had pictures of him all over and even did some iron-on crafting and made t-shirts of him for all the family to wear πŸ™‚

Jessica
jessica@ebootcampbook.com

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Jade

I love this! I had a bear that was white (bad choice) and strangely had no neck. Not sure if it stretched out from love or never had one in the first place. My oldest's love is Geoffrey, a little stuffed giraffe they stuck in her bassinet in the hospital, and became her favorite from the start. How fun to have a portrait of him, and what a sweet idea. jadelovesbrynn (at) yahoo [dot] com

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Jenn/hippygoth

My true toy love was my blankie that I wore to a shred (and then it disappeared!) but second would have been my Cabbage Patch Kid, Lynnea Francoise. I gave her away to a boyfriend in high school, and if I could give my daughter one piece of advice, it would be to keep her Tigger and save him for herself. Right now they are inseparable.

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Sweet Simplicity

This is such a cute idea!!!! My daughter has a wocket (Dr. Seuss) that she loves it would be so cute in a picture!

My fvorite toy was a bunny that my great great grandma made for me. I still have it and it's in perfect condition.

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sarah

I had a teddybear with a jingle bell in his ear, originally called 'Jingle', my mum said she always knew if it was me that had got up as he jingled as I walked. My daughter is 9 in Ma and her favourite is a soft baby doll she picked up in a shop when she was about 7 months old, she cried when I tried to put it back, it has been with her everynight since, has had holes patched and has received a new head, we found a boy version, but baby's head is inside, so it is still her, bless my little Charlotte for that.I know she would cry with happiness at receiving a picture of her Baby.
This is a lovely giveaway x

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Tamara

My favorite lovie was a soft blankey but I can't stop thinking about my 4 year old and the incredible bond he has with DoDo. (Yes, you read right) This bear means the world to him! What a beautiful way to preserve his memory! Great work.

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Megan

My favorite "lovey" was a little teddy bear named Bobby, or "Young Robert" according to my dad. My daughter, on the other hand is in love with a little lamb named…Lamby.

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Cori

My favorite toy was a handmade Cheerbear carebear my grandma made me when I was born. I still have her. One of her googly eyes is yellowed and her tuft of hair is super short since I chewed it off when I was 3. She's got a hole in one leg, her "handmade by grandma" tag on her butt is starting to come loose and she is flat as a pancake but she's moved with me everywhere I go and still gets a "i love you" cuddle whenever I move her from her spot to dust.

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Amy

Growing up, my stuffed toy penguin was my best friend! He went everywhere with me, patiently listened whenever I needed to vent about being a kid, and kept all my secrets.

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Tiffany

How cute are these?! My two children both have multiple stuffed toys/dolls that they love, but could definitely narrow down to their favorite ones! I was into barbies as a child.

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Elizabethwi

My lovie was Sunny Bear from Gummi Bears. My daughter has a pink bear and a white lamb that she LOVES, I would have the portrait made of that!!

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Rachel

My favorite was my purple puffulump. I still have her and I'm 24. And I have a husband and a son. She's missing one nostril. Yeah, it may be time to let her go, but I just can't do it.

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Luch

My favorite toy was my Cabbage Patch Doll, Michaela. I swore that when I was older I'd name my daughters Michaela, but alas (ha ha), I chose Katie and Sam for names instead. They both still play with this doll at Grandma's house. Sam has a particular favorite toy, also a blabla, that she adores and will not sleep without. Art commemorating "Dolly" would be so cute! =) Thanks for the chance!
Heather

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kelly

I didn't have a favorite toy or doll that I remember. My daughter on the other hand has a few special babies she loves. That would be great to capture in art. πŸ™‚

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Melissa

Paperdolls!!! My dad is a printer and we had access to all of the leftover paper that they would recycle! I still have some of those dolls we made somewhere…

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the Schmidts

this is a great idea! My 3yr old has a toy doggie that he has named "Bobby" – and he talks to him like he's real and he sleeps with him at night… Bobby is his best friend. Thats what I would have done.

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Shannon

My favorite toy as a child would have to be handmade stuffed dolls from my mom's cousin. I played with them more than any store bought doll. This is a SUPER idea. My daughter's Baby (beloved since birth) is not holding together all that well (even after multpile visits to Mommy's Surgery and Repair Center. Beautiful work and so creative. Straight from a Mommy's heart!

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Karen

This is an amazing idea! It's a perfect way to immortalize that loved toy and the warm and fuzzy feelings it brings. It's a great way to show your own children what your favorite toy was as a child. Even more so, it's ideal for cutting down on clutter when Mom just can't get rid of *any* of your favorite toys!

I had a handsewn doll that my aunt created to look just like me. Her name was Tootsie (which, incidentally was my nickname). She's not as beautiful as she used to be, and I'd love to have a portrait of her so that I can confidently give her to my daughter to love as much as I did, without the fear that Tootsie might be totally destroyed!

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Jenny

ah, what a cute idea! I loved my blankie as a child and embarrassingly, still have it in my closet. But I also loved anything to do with crafts. I referred to them as my "studies".

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Hollandra

Does anyone remember Poochie from the 80's? I still have a ton on my old toys that my daughter now plays with-care bears, barbie, strawberry shortcake, cabbage patch, and more- yes, we saved it all! All except Poochie, the pink poodle. How I miss her. I often tempted to buy another one on ebay for myself. She was awesome and I'm sad that my original one did not make it into the "save" pile.

My 4year old totes around a bassinet crib sheet called "Sheet" and a leopard named Jasper. To have those framed, oh she would love it!

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Susan

I liked this doll called "my child" that was supposed to look like my kid would look like (it actually kind of does!)

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Charmingfox

This is the cutest idea EVER! How is it that no one thought of this before?! My favorite toy in the whole world is still my incredibly old sheep dog puppet Henry. He is made by the folktale company and so is a full bodied stuff animal that is also a puppet. I still remember carrying him around the airport when we moved from NY and having people think I was carrying a real sheepdog puppy!

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EHC

Even though I often play second-fiddle to my son's lovey, it would be wonderful to have a custom portrait of it! (Just hoping she would ignore all of the stains on it). πŸ™‚

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jeni

Oh this is awesome! My daughter has 2 toys that she is in love with – her Curious George and her kitty she calls "Meow". I would so love this for her!! Thanks for the chance!

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Dakota

I played with playdoe. And I played make believe. And I made art and rode my bike. That was my fun. No actual toys that I remember loving. Lol. It makes me kinda sad. But I still have some paintings from kindergarten. πŸ™‚

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Kristin

I am dying here….adorable. I hope I win, I hope I win! And, I gasped when I saw the photo of "Lala" because that is my daughter's lovey (well, hers is called "Lamby" but its the same toy).

When I was a girl, I had my "Teddy Blue Feet", a little teddy bear with a bell in his ear. I loved him so much I rubbed the fur off his feet and the stuffing started to come out. So my mom sewed a bit of one of my first dresses onto his feet as patches–and thus was born Teddy Blue Feet. My daughter loves playing with him today as well. If I win, I might even just have him painted.

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Sarah

Absolutely, drop dead GORGEOUS! What a fabulous idea! My two-year-old daughter Lily is obsessed with her dolls – my only problem would be choosing one or two out of eight favourites! Oh how she (and I) would love to win this! Good luck everyone!

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Carol F

Mine was a monkey named Zip. He has a squeaky thing in his arm and is holding a banana. I chewed the end off the banana, of course!

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kim

Mine was a garishly pink stuffed elephant called Ellie. Somehow amongst all that pink, and the girls name, he was a boy elephant. I remember many times sitting in the laundry watching him go around and around in the tumble dryer after my mum had washed him in the washing machine (the price he paid for sticking by me through thick and thin, vomit and tea parties, mud and first aeroplane rides). He was a great best friend.

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Stacy

My absolute favorite toy growing up was anything My Little Pony. I even had a mini purse to carry my friends around with me everywhere I went!

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Aura

My bear on fire (grey bear and pacifier)! In almost every picture I have from my childhood from newborn to age 6 I have my bear and fire. when I got married my husband threatened to throw out whats left of my bear so it's tucked away in a safe place in my mom's house but I would love a picture of him for my kids room

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JoyandTren

This is a wonderful idea.
My favorite toy growing up was a patchwork cat that my babysitter stitched for me. I had it until I got married. I miss it now! πŸ™
My daughter has a bunny, well 3 of the same one now, she can't go to sleep without it. What a precious idea.

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kimpo76

My 5 year old was just asking if I could find her another "Piggy", which they no longer manufacture anymore. She's old enough to know that Piggy was replaced once and then she lost him again, but even a year and a half later she is still asking about him and tearing up when she talks about losing him. It would be awesome to get a fancy painting of Piggy for her! She currently sleeps with MY lovey from childhood – a GIANT, not-so-soft-anymore floppy bunny that my parents brought to me in the hospital when I had my tonsils out.

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faith drobinski

I loved my purple Popple and my Pound Puppy. Those 2 got me through a childhood with 4 brothers and no sisters. What a great idea to have a painting as a keepsake. Sometimes the toy itself gets quite ratty after a long period of time, but this is a great way to keep it in your memory forever. ANd when they get older, I 'm sure they will smile every time they look at it and think of all the great memories they had with it.
My son would be the one to ask for a painting of the trash cans.
But seriously, that creepy baby picture was really creepy.

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Laura

Elizabeth the cabbage patch doll was my favorite. She was part of the 1st wave of dolls back in the 80's and I had every accessory possible for her as well as a fabu wardrobe hand-sewn by my mom. She is still up in the attic of my childhood home because I just can't let her be thrown away!

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Aubrey Rose

Very cool! When I was 2 years old (eccck… 34 years ago) I was given a Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal that was made for me and was totally my lovie. I still have my Poo and gave it to my 2 year old daughter last year. It's so neat to be able to see her doing things that I loved to do when I was her age.

Thank you so much for this great give away offer.

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Mischelle

I had mostly homemade dolls…my favorite was a little brown velvet mouse…satin ears, embroidered eyes and nose and the cutest little pinafore with tiny mice all over it…She was tiny Tina!
BTW….my daughter also has the Bla Bla mermaid~ first and favorite lovey~ her name is Maiden. Love the portrait, we may need our own too!!

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Ceciel T

i love these paintings and the description of happy children jumping up and down with joy when they view their first friends…i had a doll that was loved til raggedy–coarse, crazy colored hair, skin color a strange pink, body completely floppity; now my daughter is working on making her "little bebe" raggedy!

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Jennifer

My favorite toy was my blanket named "Ricky Cece" (I named it after my cousin's hamster). I carried it everywhere and liked to fold it into quarters and smooth it as flat as possible.

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Mandie

I STILL have my bunny! I've had it since the day I was born. It's ears are so soft and I always used to sleep with bunny's cheek on my cheek. I cuddle him when my hubby is away.

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Kelly

This is an amazing idea! I love how being a mommy can bring so much creativity. My own daughter hasn't quite hit the age where she is attached to anything, however growing up I had a teddy bear that my big brother gave me for my birthday right before he went off to college, I was in first grade, I LOVED that bear and I always had a little part of my big brother around.

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felicia

I had a stuffed dachshund named Peanut Butter that went everywhere with me. I still have him, one ear is falling off and his plastic eyes are all scratched but I love him. My kids both have special animals too! It would be hard to pick who would get a portrait.

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Erin

This is such a great idea. If I don't win, I am going to have to paint my son's giraffe for him. My favorite toy growing up was Rainbow Brite.

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Pam

What a wonderful idea!! My 7 year old granddaughter has a beanie baby cat that I bought her when she was 2. She named the cat Noodle and yes Noodle is also a girl. Up until she started to school Noodle went everywhere she did. Now Noodle waits patiently for her to return home from school each day. She loves Noodle dearly and still carries her around and sleeps with her. I would love to win this for her!!!!

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Nicole

You are so right! This is the cutest best idea ever for moms (ah hmmm) I mean our babies lovies! Our littest ones lovie is Missy Mouse a teeny little white mouse with a pink bow and a tiny ribbon tail.

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Sarah Kirkland

My daughter would love her lovie bear in a picture! I loved my American girl dolls…they were my fav. My Grandma would get the catalog and make me and my dolls matching outfits that were identical to what was in the catalog. πŸ™‚

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Angela

A kangaroo that my father took me on a special journey to FAO Schwarz to pick out a toy, I picked him and on the way home he and I came up with the name Francis Alouicious Oliver Schwarz for him to use the letters of FAO Schwarz. He is now a favorite of my own children now and is worn out and cuter than ever!

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Melissa Lewis

Oh my Lordy these are precious! I love these. What a wonderful and creative idea for our little ones. I would love to hang one in my boys room.

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The Heberts

So cute! I would have never thought of making a portrait of a favorite toy, but it's such a good idea, because heaven knows that if it's a true favorite it won't last πŸ˜‰ I had plenty favorites when I was young. One fav was a stuffed platypus and my younger brother also took it under his wing…by the end, poor platypus had not stuffing and a broken neck πŸ˜‰

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Jessica

Could these be any cuter? OMG. My 5 month old already has a favorite doll. My favorite was a stuffed bunny with glow in the dark stars on her. Her name was Sparklins lol. I was 11 or 12 when our new puppy chewed her up and I cried even then! She was so raggedy and old and I was far past dragging her everywhere with me but I was still sad to loose that part of my childhood

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Passionatetraveller

I had a little blue bear that l use to sleep next to his now worn and old but he sits on my chair still. When my grandmother died my boyfriend now husband Adam bought me a teddybear called fudge. He had floppy legs and arms that you just hugged into. It has now become the family bear and poppy my 15 month old loves to have her bedtime song sung to her, her dolly sally and fudge the teddy each night before she shuts her eyes at night. Such simple and beautiful moments captured.

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Sal

How beautiful are these!!! My favourite was a much loved Cabbage Patch Kid called Anita .. when Santa brought her one Christmas night I loved her so much that I slept with the BOX!

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tartankiwi

My favourite toy was my much loved Snoopy. He is now grey with one eye and has ears that have been sewn back on many times. I still love him though.

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denise gisele

My lovie was a lavender hippo that was the same size as I was at 2 years old. I still have it. My grandmother had to re-stuff the thing 3 times in my childhood. Now my little boy plays with it on occasion. His lovies are a monkey and caterpillar (aka snake).

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Yana

I remember my lovely rubber puppy – with him I bathed every day! My Filya, where are you now?:) Now I adore my son's soft fox, really cool toy

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moomi

such gorgeous portraits! i'd have a hard time choosing which softie to have done, my youngest son's "foxy" or my little purple bunny my husband (then boyfriend) pulled out of his pocket for me when he accompanied me to hospital 15 years ago for a colposcopy procedure. i've had bun-bun ever since and she's now been claimed by my 5 year old (since he was baby) πŸ™‚
x candice x

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The Queen

I had small bear named "Mr. Bear" (I was SUCH a creative child) that had a lot of beans in him and they would all end up in his paws and butt.

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Krista

I love this so much! My almost-5-year-old would flip if she saw her beloved Tiger in a work of art. Hmm, favorite toy as a kid? I was really into Strawberry Shortcake, and my Cabbage Patch Kids.

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Michelle G

I love this! My 1 year old has "Doll" and if we ever lost her I don't know what would happen. I was in love with my "Big Baby" or the Gerber baby doll my parents gave me when my sister was born so I could be a mommy too.

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Mary Teresa Israel West

This is so sweet. My grandmother made sock monkeys for both my boys and I would love a picture to commemorate them before they're utterly destroyed by toddler affection… My favorite toy as a kid was a large stuffed "Littlefoot" from the land before time. My mother was horrified.

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dddhokie

Oooohhhhh….I would love one! Both for my daughter and her precious Foo Foo bunny and (shamelessly admitting) myself and my blanket that I still have from when I was born. πŸ™‚

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Amelia

These are gorgeous! I'd love a picture of my girl's baby doll. She and her doll have matching dresses and it melts my heart.

My favorite, by far, portrait that Erin has done is "Puff" for Charlie. Just darling!

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Christine

I loved, loved, loved my Baby Beans dollies. My mother saved these for me and I still have them, with their dirty faces, worn out fabric, melted hair (I tried to style with a curling iron!) There's nothing like your first lovey!

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Lotte Lu and Brother Too

I had a cute baby alive doll that was given to me when my little brother was born. His very imaginative name was "Big Boy". I wish my daughter's lovey was as cute as Mermaid is. Alas, we will have to have a picture of Mr. Otter or Blankie if we win!

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Little Missy

This is such a sweet idea! My favorite toy was my cabbage patch doll, Irene Pauline. I dragged that doll everywhere I went! Needless to say, I got her quite dirty and when my dad tried to wash her, the drier cut huge gashes into the back of her plastic head. My grandma crocheted her a pink and white dress with matching bloomers and my great grandma patched up the holes in her arms and legs over the years. My mom still has her "birth certificate" – remember those? I still have her, and she's all sorts of tattered and patched, but I love it. Those patches and scratches are the marks of a well-loved toy and she serves as a connection to my childhood and the people I loved when I was little. I would love to get one of these for my husband. He had a teddy bear named John (my husband is a Jonathan, or Jon for short, so he named the bear John with an "H"- funny kid) when he was a kid. I guess his mom decided one day that he was too old to play with toys so she told him to box them up for good will. In his anger at her, he boxed up John, too. A few weeks later she asked him where his bear was and he said "you told me to get rid of my toys," to which she replied "I didn't mean John!" To this day he still misses that bear (and resents his mom for being the impetus) – I tried to buy him a new white teddy bear for our anniversary one year, but it just wasn't the same. We're trying for our first baby right now and I'd love to get a portrait of John and Irene Pauline for the nursery. I think that would be such a sweet way to connect the generations!

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SpartanGirl

Oh my, I love this giveaway!!!

My favorite toy as a kid was my Care Bear and it warms my heart to see my oldest daughter with HER care bear lovey.

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CycloneMomma

I had a stuffed dog named Suzie. A lady at our church made her for me right before my family moved to Mexico. Suzie had "lasix" before it was fashionable, and many episodes of "facelifts" and "collagen fillers" courtesy of my mom.

Suzie is quite the traveler having gone to 6 countries, 14 states, and three universities. She currently sits in her place of honor on the bookshelf in my daugther's room.

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jessica

Yes PLEASE! I had a plaid teddy bear that had a big red felt heart on it when I was young. Someone made it for my Mom's baby shower, and it is so well made! No stuffing in bunches, no eyes missing, she was a crafty lady. Can't wait to make one for my own!!!

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Betsy

My little girl has a puppy I would love to have a picture of!! That puppy has been through a lot! He needs to be memorialized!

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Julia

This is the best giveaway yet!! My daughter would absolutely freak out to see her "foof foof" (stuffed dog) and her teddy bear in a portrait! My favorite toys when I was younger were my twin baby dolls (boy & girl) that I named Sonny & Fluffy and my doll, Abigail, who is still missing an arm even after my grandmother sewed it back on about 10 times (teaching me to sew in the process) I loved her so much that I named my daughter, Abby!

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Genoa

My favorite toy as a child was a curly-haired doll I named Zachary. I sent Zachary along with my dad on a trip and it got left behind in a hotel. I am still sad 30 years later! My daughter's favorite toy is a baby she has dubbed Grandma Baby since her grandma gave it to her. She feels like a member of the family because she goes everywhere with us!

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Tot Riser

My Perry loves his “dog”..,
A scrunched up stuffing deprived log,
Now Marty loves his Froggie…,
A bed pal bigger than a moggie. xxx

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rachel

Wow, I don't even remember what my favorite toy was as a kid! There were a lot of us kids and we liked alot of things but didn't get many of them. But I remember when I was old enough to read staying up every night with a book and a flashlight so I didn't wake up whatever sibling was on the top bunk. πŸ™‚ I think it would be adorable to get a portrait done of my 10yo daughter's dolly that she loved to pieces.

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Aussie-merican Adventures

I had a giant stuffed dog named Lisa. After years of taking her to school 'read-a-thons' (to use her as a pillow), slumber parties (also for a pillow), and just dragging her around the house she turned into a giant matted furball with no discernible features… But I still loved her! My daughter is still just a baby but I can already see that she's picked out a favorite toy! I hope her and her bunny have the same great relationship as me and my 'Lisa' dog did!

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Alecia

My favorite was a handmade doll from my mom. I still have it up in my closet. My little girls don't quite understand why mommy has a doll that she doesn't share!

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Meredith

I had a stuffed mouse doll that I dragged around with me everywhere! My dad wanted to throw it out because he thought it looked like a dead animal laying on the furniture, but my mother, god bless her, wouldn't let him.

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badmummynocookie.com

My lovie was a little teddy bear with a brown body and a white belly. He is 32 yrs old and is still alive and well. My daughter is 5 yrs old and has re-named him Brownie and is a favorite teddy of hers. I would love to have a portrait done of her 'teddy', a much loved once-white teddy bear that is her nearly constant companion. It's the one toy that goes back and forth with her between my home and her dad's.

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Ajaire

I love this idea! Such fun portraits. I had a doll called Patrick Patrick that I was obsessed with as a little kid.

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Sarah

I had (still have!) Sandy bear- made for me by my Mum out of an aunt's camel hair coat. My daughter now has Rufus (aka Ruffie) who is her beloved teddy-dog.

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Katie Fennimore

What a talented artist! My favorite was strawberry shortcake (and I still have them in a shoebox in our garage) ….but my son's is his monkey…he can't sleep without it!!!

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TracyMB @ Crow's Feet Chic

What warm & fuzzy subject matter!! My favourite toy was my Barbie Country Camper (circa 1973) which DD still plays with alongside her 2010 version. Our favourite stuffy may be the little Curious George she received at 3 months. We'd stuff it in with her in the jolly jumper – he's probably still dizzy.

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Joe

I had Bernard, the mouse from "the rescuers". My daughters each have a stuffed animal, dragon and alligator, that we took pictures of with them each month for the first year. It was so fun to see them grow with their best friend. They still sleep on the bed with the girls, 7 and 9 years later. Kim

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Regan

What a fabulous artist! I absolutely LOVE the mermaid featured. As a child I was attached to Big Bird, who when I first acquired him, was larger than I was! LOL My baby girl, Lindsay, is just 9 months old so she is not truly attached to any one item in particular, but she definitely gets really excited everytime she sees her pink Silly Buddy Bunny. So cute!

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Babes Mami

My favorite was my cabbage patch doll and my mother had purchased tons when they came out (I don't know why) and she came across a blonde haired/blue eyed cabbage patch in storage and sent it to me while I was pregnant and it's funny because my blonde haired/hazel eyed boy has been attached to that baby since he was a few months old!
smartinez03 at live dot com

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Shirley

She is an amazing artist, I love how she puts the age of the toy owner with each piece in the gallery. πŸ™‚ My favorite toy as a child was my bicycle. I remember longing for one so badly (we were pretty poor) and when I finally got one I just rode all the time – it was my freedom and I never felt so good as when I was riding my bike.

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tracyrosen

Oh dear, the Creepy Baby on her site is … er … creepy!

My favourite toy? I had an Annie that my mother's friend gave me when I was born. Annie is still around, her face is slightly (ok, more than slightly) on the dirty side, her legs are different than the rest of her (my sister tried to grab her from me when I was in our babysitter's arms, luckily we had a family friend who made Raggedy Anne dolls who could replace the legs that tore off (sniff) in said grab.
I wonder what Jack's favourite toy will be πŸ™‚ He is only 9 weeks old, right now it is mommy since I'm the milk machine!

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okdoki

I was into Care Bears as a kid. If I won, I'd get my daughter's bunny done. She has that bunny with her everywhere. Its rather ratty with holes in it now. But she just can't go to sleep without it.

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Barb A.

How amazing this would be as a gift! My 3yo son only has eyes for Giraffe – he's his best friend, he says. My favourite toy was my dollhouse my parents made for me and the little dolls that went with it.

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Katie

My favorite toy was a large wheat-colored stuffed dog with dark brown ears that I named Star. He was a Christmas present when I was 5. I wanted to name him "Starlight" but my grandma said it was too long and I'd forget it. I shortened it to "Star" but never forgot his full name.

He was the "star" of my kids playroom, until they got a little rough. My 2-year old boy ripped off his nose and Star started leaking fluff. I wish I'd seen this painting site before I sadly tossed him in the trash (he was 28 years old!). I would have had him painted and kept my star pic forever. πŸ™

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bunmama

My daughter would love this for her "mimi lion" lovey! my favorite toy as a child was my barbie dreamhouse – still remember being so jealous of her amazing funiture.

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Kandice

I LOVED Strawberry Shortcake! I just recently found all my dolls and I haven't even been able to let my daughter play with them because they are so special to me! Thanks for the giveaway!
bufordkyle at hotmail dot com

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SusieQ

This is such a fantastic idea. My favorite toy as a child was a stuffed white elephant named "Nicky" that I received when I had chicken pox. While I was confined at home for a week, my mother read me every name in a baby name book until I decided on the right name for him!

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Val

I had a stuffed walrus given to me by my stepfather while he and my mom were still dating. He brought it home from a trip to northern Alaska and gave it to me in the airport thirty years ago! My daughter still plays with it on occasion, although "he's kinda old".

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momtoem

I had a Care Bear when I was a kid!!!
My daughter's 3rd birthday is coming up in a couple weeks and she'd be so excited to have a custom portrait of her stuffed dog! She loves that dog so much and it never leaves her side, EVER! I'd be thrilled to be the lucky winner of this beautiful giveawa! πŸ˜€
lejn05 at yahoo dot com

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Abby

What a great concept and memory keeper! I love what creative people think of. My fav toy was a cabbage patch kid, and I also was pretty fond of my barbies πŸ™‚ My kiddos both have special lovies, and it just melts my heart to see them cuddled up in bed with them.

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eireann

Oh, I just love Erin's paintings and I've been thinking about getting one for my daughter (of her Wubba) so this would be perfect. πŸ™‚ (And, she has the best name – HAH!) My favorite toy as a kid was Legos. Legos Legos Legos. Always Legos. Is it any surprise that as an adult I am not always building/creating stuff? πŸ˜€

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Bec

I would LOVE one of these for my son's Kitty. πŸ™‚ As a wee-one, my favorite toy was a Baby Alive doll- one that you filled with water (like those old school hot water bottles) and therefore had a heavy and "life-like" doll. πŸ™‚ Her name was Elizabeth Ann. She's still mine- and sleeping in my hope chest. lol. Thanks for the chance to win!! Very cool.

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Melissa

That is so cute!! My favorite toy as a kid was my doll Kayleigh. I loved her so much that when she wore out, my dad searched for several weeks to find a new one just like her. (I have a great dad!!!)

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Katie Davis

My favorite toys were my two babies–Susie the plastic faced, wild blonde haired doll and Mikey my curly haired, yellow suit wearing Cabbage Patch. Mikey now belongs to my 3 1/2 year old son and I hope to gift Susie to my 9 month daughter when she gets a little older. What a wonderful giveaway. Erin does beautiful work!

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jillmarie916

My favorite toy(s) as a child was my collection of MY LITTLE PONYS. I had a pony in every color and a barn to store them in. I can remember like yesterday brushing their colorful long hair. I love Erin's painting!! And would love to have my son's very first stuffed giraffe animal he received from my mother while we were still in the hospital.

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Anna Claire

Definitely "Brownie" the bear. Just a plain brown teddy bear with oddly tiny feet. I dressed her in my Cabbage Patch doll clothes and whenever we traveled, I'd bring a small bag with all of her clothes inside.

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Aurora

My favorite toy as a little girl was Tiffany Taylor. I thought she was SO Beautiful and I loved that I could change her from Blonde to Brunette with just a twist of her hair. I still have her and by some miracle I have both of her shoes too.

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Meridith

I had a Curious George that I loved as a child. Could she paint a picture of a satin nightshirt? That is my daughter's lovey and has been since she was a baby. We joke that she is going to carry it down the aisle with her wedding bouquet.

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Haley

Umm, absolutely LOVE this idea! Even if I don't win I will be buying this for my baby. My favorite stuffed animal as a child was a pig named "piggy." She even went to college with me!

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Jamie Lott

My Lambie Pie stuffed animal was my fav. Of course, that was before my Barbie phase. My son has a lovie, a bear named Sherbet. I am keeping all my fingers and toes crossed because we simply must have his portrait!!

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Alex

I had a Care Bear that was left behind During a move πŸ™ My 16 month old has a Cookie Monster doll, who she adorably calls "Nom Nom Nom". I guess I was also a Cookie Monster enthusiast because when I played a YouTube video of "C is for Cookie" at grandma's house, my mom started singing along!

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sunny

I love these!! My son woulda love his 2 monkeys both named Bob! Found out about this on Jellycat FB page!!

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Andreina

This is adorable! My boys have a pair of bunnies that they can't live without πŸ™‚
As a kid I loved snoopy!!!!!!!!!!
andreina.bates at gmail dot com

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Cory

Omg, this is literally making me choke up, what a cute idea! Even if I don't win, I'm buying one for my daughters second birthday.
My lovey was a little soft doll with a pink gingham dress and little painted on "asleep" eyes and a mouth. I still have her! And, no, I will not let my daughter have her. ;D

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slaint

I had a little velvet-y pillow that quickly lost all of it's stuffy and became a raggedy old blanket called 'softie' that i had until college! my son so far loves a little white lamb. Would be so cool to have a picture like this for when he's older!

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VW

My favorite toy as a kid? I seriously don't remember! But my 3 year olds is this old, gray and tarnished teddy bear that used to be white! I would LOVE to get this done for her!! πŸ™‚

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CErickson

My daughter has an entire menagerie of stuffed animals that must be in the crib with her at bedtime. I was never really into toys when I was little so she's making up for me.

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jill.mal

wow. what a wonderful idea! what a fabulous way to preserve such sweet memories. the mere thought of my 15 month old son losing his monkey, sends me into a anxiety attack…. he loves that worn out little stuffed animal so much that when he wants to cuddle with it, he walks right over to his crip where monkey "sleeps" and makes a monkey noise. silly, but such a sweet display to witness. love, love these. best of luck in your endeavor!

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Marisa

I had a pink/bandaid colored bunny that had brown "X"s for eyes. Shortly after it was given to me, I ripped it's ears off. It looks like a drunk bald newborn baby. I carried it everywhere until I got "too old" for it and now it resides in a box in the attic. I can't bear to look at it.

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Carrie

I love this idea! We have a Mr. Bear almost identical to the one in the gallery.

As a kid, I loved my Cabbage Patch Doll. Her name was Amelia, but pronounced Emily, despite my mother's attempts to convince me otherwise πŸ™‚

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groundskeepers

I ordered a custom portrait from Erin and turned out beautifully. My nephew and his parents love it. She was so fast and nice to work with.

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