AmericanGirlFan

American Girl Throwback: Imagine Magazine Summer 2006!

It's time for another American Girl Throwback with Imagine Magazines! For the ones who don't know, Imagine was a free magazine American Girl sent out (yes, free!) between the years of 2005 and 2007. It encouraged girls to play with their dolls and had so many cool ideas.They aren't available anymore, but I absolutely LOVED them! (You can check out my other posts on them here, here,here and here.)

Since it's been literally freezing where I live, I've been dreaming of Summer (I know, already...haha!). So, today we're going to look at the Imagine Magazine from Summer 2006.

Here's the first page when you open it up, Jess the Girl of the Year 2006 is the cover girl since she was the newest American Girl doll. (If you've never read her book, I recommend it--one of my favorite AG books!)

The Smile File was photos of girls traveling with their dolls on vacation.

Next up was Doll Play, filled with ideas to play with your doll the entire day! On the first page are: lay a piece of craft foam down to make a yoga mat (much like my craft, here!), brighten her summer outfit with a sparkly ribbon belt, give her a manicure by cleaning her fingers and toes with a cotton swab, keep your doll cool with a nifty knot hairstyle, shape clay into a little lunch, today's special: corndogs on a stick. :)

On the next page: invite dolls over to play hide & seek, put her a Summer parade float with a cardboard box, arrange stuffed animals so she can volunteer at her pretend animal shelter, color pictures and tape to the wall so she can visit an art gallery, practice gymnastics by laying a wood board across a stack of books and give her a routine with music, open a cute cafe where she can dine, decorate a diary cover with a mini notebook so she can write about her day (much like my craft, here.), finally put on her pjs, tuck her in and turn out the lights! Shhhh....

On Cute Crafts, there were tons of ideas on how to bring the beach to your doll! They are:

• Beach Towel--Spread a colorful handtowel.
• Sand Castle--Cut a sand castle from sandpaper and glue together.
• Sovenir T-shirt--Apply Summer Stickers to create a special T.
• Tote--Press Summery stickers onto a tiny tote found at a craft store.
• Flip-Flops--Use a pencil to trace around your doll's feet onto craft foam. Cut out the shapes, glue ribbon straps to bottom and add stickers. (Find more detailed instructions and printable I made, here.)
• Beach Umbrella--Cast shade on the scene with your own rain umbrella.
• Frisbee--Use a small plastic lid.
• Saltwater Taffy--Wrap small plastic ponybeads with wax paper. (I actually took inspiration from this and made my own taffy craft, here.)
• Cooler--Fill a plastic container with clear plastic beads. Add a mix of candy sodas.
• Boogie Board--Cut out a boogie board from an old plastic place mat. Make a hole at the top with a paper punch, slip ribbon in the hole, and make a knot in the back.

Next, was photography tips and tricks on creating doll vacation pics. And, an advertisement for the Jess doll.

Here's a close-up on the doll photography tips. I love how they used real non-edited beach photos, so cute!

Moving on, then there was this "Who Am I?" game about the historical characters. (You can click on the picture above to read them and guess!)

The Fashion Pages featured traveling outfits and I love the behind-the-scenes in this one!

They interviewed a designer for American Girl who makes the display windows at the stores. I never realized how much time and work it takes to create those beautiful displays!

The following pages were of an Molly and Emily advertisement and a cut-out for doll travel posters, but as you can see, I cut them out. haha ;)

Oh dear...the Doll Hospital page this time was of a doll who had a little too much Summer fun.

Good thing Dr. B. Kind saved the day!! :)

Of all the amazing Summer things featured in this magazine, the last page is too perfect! I love the sweet details. 

I hope you enjoyed another look at the Imagine Magazines! What was your favorite part? :)

American Girl Throwback: Imagine Magazine Winter 2007!

It's time for another American Girl Throwback with Imagine Magazines! For the ones who don't know, Imagine was a free magazine American Girl sent out (yes, free!) between the years of 2005 and 2007. It encouraged girls to play with their dolls and had so many cool ideas.They aren't available anymore, but I absolutely LOVED them! (You can check out my other posts on them here and here and here.)

 

Now let's get into the magazine! This issue was Winter 2007 and it's packed full of fun Christmas and Holiday ideas inside.

Here's the first page when you open it up, Julie is the cover girl since she was the newest American Girl doll historical.

The Smile File this time was girls dressed fancy with their dolls for the Holidays.

Next up is Doll Play! American Girl show doll craft ideas for Hanukkah and Christmas, New Years, and Valentine's Day. 

The Hanukkah doll crafts are how to make a beauty barette, dazzling dreidel, and gift basket.

The Christmas doll crafts are how to make a jingle bell tiara, Christmas cookies (I've made something similar at this link, Here), and a silver platter. 

The New Years and Valentine's Day craft ideas are too cute!

The New Years craft are how to make a silver crown, a noisemaker, and  party blowout horn (I took inspiration and made that at this link, Here).

And the Valentine's Day doll crafts are how to make a sweetheart headband, precious purse, and a heart pin. :)

Then there's an advertisement for Julie and a fun game called "Find It".

Here it is close-up! Can you find everything listed? (Blue heart, blue boot, purple slipper, tiara comb, spoon, Addy's doll, Molly's heart locket, hairbrush, purple barette, Molly's glasses, blue key, blue butterfly.)

Next are more crafts to give your doll a Holiday table to celebrate with her friends. The crafts are 

• Punch Bowl: Glue clear beads onto the bottom of a votive candle holder.
• Punch Ladle: Glue half of a bendy straw to a lip balm lid.
• Punch: Use red sand and add clear beads for ice.
• Punch Cups: Glue a bead onto the bottom of a gumball prize cap.
• Napkins: Cut squares from real napkins.
• Vegetables: Cut vegetable strips and shapes from fun foam and paper. Add seeds with a pencil. 
• Serving Dish: Turn a punch cup upside down and glue to the bottom of a coaster.

Then there was a Josefina mystery story to read and solve. Click on the photo above for a close-up that you can read if you'd like. :)

The fashion pages were Julie and Ivy themed! But, what I always loved the most was the behind the scenes.

They interviewed a design director who helps create the many doll clothing and accessories American Girl makes. So cool! 

Next page is an advertisement for the Holiday dress at the time and there was some cut-outs of doilies and paper to wrap around pretend candles for the Holiday table crafts, but I had already used them awhile back. :) 

Poooor Emily! Looks like she had a little too much fun in the snow.

But Dr. B. Kind took care of it! (There's the answers to the games too)

The final page is SO CUTE! I love how Christmas-y it looks.

I hope you enjoyed looking back at the Imagine Magazines! What was your favorite part? :)

American Girl Throwback: Imagine Magazine Winter 2006!

It's time for another American Girl Throwback with Imagine Magazines! For the ones who don't know, Imagine was a free magazine American Girl sent out (yes, free!) between the years of 2005 and 2007. It encouraged girls to play with their dolls and had so many cool ideas.They aren't available anymore, but I absolutely LOVED them! (You can check out my other posts on them here and here.)

Now let's get into the magazine! This issue was Winter 2006 and there are lots of great Christmas and Holiday ideas inside.

Here's the first page when you open it up, a very cute doll and Coconut are seen.

The Smile File this time was girls with their dolls out in the snow! 

Next up is Doll Play! Some of the ideas are; have a gift exchange, make hot chocolate by putting brown and white pom-poms in a doll mug, braid a bracelet with Kwanzaa colors, use colorful beads and string to make holiday lights, use a baby sock as a doll stocking, and make ice for your doll to skate on with aluminum foil.

 

More ideas: make a mini Menorah with birthday candles, pose for a family photo, make Christmas cards by trimming old greeting cards, and make a doll hat by cutting off the sleeve of an old sweatshirt (size large) fringe the cut edge, then wrap a small scrunchie around the fringes.

Here's a holiday hairstyle on the page too!

On the next page was a Molly Movie advertisement (the new movie at the time) and how to make glittery doll ornaments. From the page: "Make mini ornaments with small, lightweight objects (like jingle bells, plastic candy containers, metal rim tags, charms, and foam stars), glitter, and glue. Rub glue over the objects, sprinkle on glitter, and let dry. Hand ornaments with lanyard clips and paper clips."

On the Doll Craft Page, they tell how re-use American Girl catalog pictures by cutting out the pictures and gluing them to cardstock to make photo frames. They give the idea to cut out catalog pictures and glue a face of yourself over the doll's face too. So funny! 

On the AG Characters page, there's a photo gallery of pictures girls drew of the Historical characters. :)

The Fashion Page has winter outfits to color and another behind-the-scenes...

This time there's an interview with an American Girl Editor that helps create the Girl of the Year character. 

Next page has a Jess Girl of the Year 2006 advertisement and beside that was a cut out of a doll envelope and letter, but I cut it out a long time ago...and I'm not sure where it is now, haha ;)

Poor doll! She has a bad haircut...

Good thing Doctor B. Kind could fix her up! :)

The final page is so beautiful! Makes me eager for Christmas! 

I hope you enjoyed looking back at this issue! What was your favorite part? :)