Time sure has sped up. Another year is drawing to a close. I sit here wondering where the time has gone. Contemplate the little accomplishments that have passed by. And feel blessed by each one. I have been trying to work on a single project at a time. To try to catch up on my back log. I fit these in between the times I spend on maintaining my family's needs. One of the most recent ones, was a picture frame.
This wasn't meant to be a frame (that I know of). This bamboo thing was given to me as part of a trade I made. He counted it as junk he didn't need. But I saw a treasure in the making. After cleaning it up, I didn't quite have an idea formed though. So it sat in the crafting bin. Then I saw a new purpose to give it. A picture frame! I tacked the photo in, using semi-permanent glue dots. Well, why write it out when I can just explain it in a video? Enjoy!
Remember, it is the little things. Giving us joy. Purpose. A sense of accomplishment. I don't have to spend hours working on something to feel like I'm doing something worthwhile. So take a moment to appreciate a small accomplishment you have too.
My mom sent me 2 of these Mini Brands Create capsules. Let's see what we are making and how it might be used in the doll world!
This first one turned out to be a lovely Strawberry Cake.
I was able to put it together easily and the smell from the resin wasn't nearly as overwhelming as the one I had gotten in the Chocolate Cherry Cake one.
However, this one did not come with a UV light, so I'm not sure if that is a random thing? Also, there were defects on the cake stand.
I thought it was beautiful though and loved adding it to my Leia's Sweet Buns shop. What do you think? It adds more elegance to the confection array I have going on in here.
In capsule number 2 we have...
The tropical fruit parfait! I decided to modify this build according to how I would want to make a parfait. So I did not use the chocolate sprinkles pieces. Sadly, the cake pieces aren't as visible as I would have wanted them to be. But I think I might try to make another version with air dry clay. I plan to make more fruit pieces and cake pieces to fill the containers so that I can put them into the store I built.
Sometimes you just want a moment to make something fun. In miniature. Or maybe that is just me. It brings me joy and helps me when I'm stressed out. Then they are fun for photos with the dolls! I tried some of the Make it Mini Lifestyle capsules for the first time. The first one... well, it didn't go according to the instructions. But it did turn out rather cute. And my daughter loved it!
I took a video of this first one to show the process of making the little calico cat teapot. Instead of an hour or less... we had about 3 days for the whole thing? But it was different!
Now, let's check out the second capsule, shall we? I showed it partially in the end of the video, but this teapot came out quite beautifully and will look lovely with the doll tea party scenes.
It fits really well with the doll too! I love it. The little silver tray adds to the elegance of it all as well.
Well, I have showed you the Smarties and Dum Dums versions of Teeny Tinies Candy Shop. Now, let's see how well the Bazooka variety fits with our 1/6 scale world, shall we? You can check your local Five Below to see if they still sell these near you. I think they have been sold out in ours to make room for new products.
Still not a huge fan of the shelf, but one of my followers had given me advice on making the backing stay in place. So I think I will give it a try and move things around soon. She also had a great idea for making a stand for the lollipops.
A little bit of foam makes a great way to display the tiny lollipops! Thanks to my reader/watcher Robin for the idea. This will be on display in the shop with the others. In the meantime, I will happily have Grandma carry around some candy!
I really hope we get to take a vacation next year. To get away and see some sights. We had talked about doing weekend trips around Texas, but that has not been happening. So instead, I dream on! Part of that includes making doll-sized travel accessories. And this time, it is the luggage set.
I had picked up 2 of these tiny rolling luggage cases that were actually Barbie activity sets. They were on clearance and looked like the perfect thing to doll up (get it, doll up?) for those future trips we may try to take.
I highly suggest using the spray paint + primer to make it easier to paint the plastic. From there, decorating it is however you might want it to be. They do roll and they can be too tall. However, just don't raise the handle up all the way. I decided to go with rub-on transfers. You can see that in this video I made. What are your thoughts?
Okay guys, I am a HUGE Phantom of the Opera fan. I've read the book. I even read the fan fiction short story of an alternate ending (definitely a better one than the original). I've seen multiple movie versions (including a truly gruesome horror flick...) AND my dad once took my mom and I see to see a theater version. I even cosplayed as a Lady Phantom once. Planning on doing it again! I also did a Steampunk Lady Phantom. But you know what I'm even more proud of?
My mom and I created the OOAK (One Of A Kind) doll versions way back when. While the Christine doll disappeared, I do have the lacy dressing gown outfit that my mom made for me. I love these so much. Which is why, when I was moving my dolls to my crafting shed, I decided to make a dedicated space just for them.
I had imagined shelf box that would be absolutely perfect. I wanted to have the Phantom reaching through the mirror to draw Christine towards him. So buckle up and let's dive into my latest craft!
First off, we needed a frame. I found my large frame at the local thrift store. It has a great hardware piece on the back to make hanging it easy and sturdy.
Next thing I had to do was get more foam board. I grabbed mine at Dollar Tree. $1.25 gives me plenty to work with on this project.
I measured and wrote out some notes for what I wanted to do in this project. Then I started cutting the foam board to create the scene. I will say that foam board and I are not very good friends. I have a difficult time making this work and it never cuts smooth. If you know any tricks, leave them in the comments below so I can try to get better!
Gluing comes next. I started with the hidden room walls, floor and ceiling. As I mention in my video, it did not come out smooth, so I covered the dressing room facing pieces in a Fleur-de-lis wallpaper pattern. It was the closest pattern I could find that I liked. Her dressing room was pink. Most rooms back them were also gilded. But I'm not usually big on things like that, so we are taking some creative liberty here and making it a.... calmer toned room. I don't have to worry much about the hidden room pieces. However, I at least wanted to cover the sides with paper so that you can't see the raw edges.
You can follow my progress a little quicker in these videos I put together. Easier than reading the steps. However, I'm not the best for videos and I also don't have a dedicated space yet. So be warned! What do you think? Did I pull off the right look? Let me know in the comments below! I have another project coming soon. And this time I will try to do better with the videos.
Okay, I've been watching My Froggy Stuff again. This time, she had the brilliant idea to create a doll shelf to display a couple dolls by using a frame. You can check out her video HERE. So.... I decided to make one of my own.
And I have to admit, I think it came out beautifully! I see myself making another one. Though I would tweak it some more. Like make the railing taller, for instance. And give it a different theme. You get the point though. So let us take a walk through the steps, then watch a video where I show you my design elements!
Decide a theme
I chose something medieval. Fantasy style. Because why not?
I had thought about a Fallout version, with a vault door, but I was having trouble coming up with the right design. Maybe next time.
I think this weird frame got a great new life. What about you? I'll stop talking and show you now. Enjoy!
Barbie shops. Often. Right? But where does she go? How does she come home loaded with new items? She goes to the store of my imagination, of course! I have put together a store box room to allow Barbie to shop to her hearts content. But it also serves a practical use. This store of mine holds my minis. Neat and orderly! Walk through the steps with me, and I will show you how I created this room.
Do you watch My Froggy Stuff on YouTube? No? You are missing out! That lady is super talented. My husband says even crazy to some degree, as her builds are SOOOOO DETAILED! There are things she will build that I'm thinking... Nope. Not necessary. But I keep watching, because more times than not she makes something that I'm thrilled with. She has a ton of printables on her blog that you can find HERE. For this project, I used the Target wall background under the Shops and Stuff list. It will take you to her Google document list where you can print those out for free.
I glued those to foamboard that were cut to create a 3-sided room box. On the right-hand side, the wall isn't full. I'm considering a door option to go there.
I used dimensions from My Froggy Stuff that were in one of her videos to create the free standing shelving unit. The platform is 3 1/4" wide by 8" long. The middle part is 5" wide by 9 3/4" tall. I think the base ones were about a 1/4"? I didn't write those down and mostly eyeballed it. The shelves I made just to fit.
Then I covered mine, because I haven't been able to get smooth cuts on my foamboard. If any of you know a trick to doing it smoothly, feel free to leave me a comment! I like that these can move around while offering extra shelving. I think they will also work well for photos. But they take me a really long time to make. Partially because of everything else I have to do during a day... The wall on the left-hand side has shelves that go from top to bottom, as well as all the way across.
One thing I found is that some of my minis are a bit on the large size. As long as we aren't talking mega here, I was thinking it suits that family or economy size. Back when I was a kid, it was also called institutional size. How do I know this? Because I'm the oldest of 10 kids and we bought that size before places like Costco and Sam's Club were cool. But I'm not satisfied with calling these larger minis by those names. I'm thinking... Survival Solutions. A play on the prepper mind.
My daughter has helped me with setting up this store. We found that attaching the minis to a clear plastic piece by using glue dots worked best. Once the layout was just right, I hot glued the strips to the shelf. This way, I can remove minis and move things around as needed. However, you can just glue them down too. Or if you have doubles sitting one in front the other, just glue the front one down and make the back one removable. Do it how it works best for you.
The first set of moveable shelves are being used for the toy aisle. Don't mind the naked doll in the background. I asked my daughter to grab a doll for comparison in heights. That was the only one she could find apparently. *insert face palm here*
Next, was the checkout counter. I just used foam board to create the open-sided box. That was then glued to the floor. I used various card stock and paper to make it look prettier. I had a small cash register piece that I painted and glued on as well. The card reader that we have came from a Mini Brands capsule. As you can see on the left side, I tacked the Mini Brands coolers to it with Glue Dots. This way, I can remove them if I want to later. They hold juices and sodas, like you would see near checkouts normally.
For the rest, like that cooler you see in the back, I'll be leaving you with this video to see. I'll walk you through it and show you how it looks on a closer level. Hope you like it!
I still have not decided on a name, so if you have one in mind, leave me a comment below!
About a year and a half ago, we built what we affectionately called the Tiny House. Its first purpose was temporarily house my mother and sister-in-law while they searched for their happy place, or forever home. After they did, it became a temporary home for another woman we knew. Then she found her forever home too. Now, we stand here looking at the progress we have slowly made. We also see all the incredible potential it holds!
Time to make this Tiny House my She Shed!
Now, don't get me wrong. It won't just be for my things. But that is the main goal. My crafting and cosplay-making supplies will move out there. So will the girls' dollhouse stuff. And then part of it will house the solar power system my husband is working on installing. I'm so excited about it all! First things first, though. I want you to see what we are currently working with. This also gives you a glimpse inside, something I didn't get to show you when we finished originally.
I've already finished fixing those lines in the walls. Turns out, skipping the taping and mudding process is NOT the way to go. So take it from me, do it right the first time.
I decided to start in the closet. But... the red paint we had gotten before had gone bad. Bummer!
I ended up having to toss it. So what to do? Hmm... get creative! I pulled out some gold spray paint and thought I would make it look like an antiqued map.
I mean my whole theme in here was supposed to be Steampunk. So I thought I would just wing it. I don't have the money to be buying supplies. Which means I need to use what I have on hand. What is that saying again... 'Necessity is the mother of invention'. With this in mind, I gave it some slight naming and my poor excuse for drawing to make it look slightly like a map... A very old one.
My kids gave me some ideas on locations to add as we went along. With more names slowly adding as I go. Once I had finished that, the cosplay closet is open for costume designing!
I think I will add some shelves with storage bins to really organize it. I know it isn't truly 'finished', but it is enough for now. Eventually, my husband will install the baseboards. And maybe some carpet for me.
I was sent this mirror for a review. This will be our cosplay mirror where we can try things on and create the costumes of our dreams! It is a gym wall mirror that we enjoyed hanging up. Simple, yet highly useful.
We have painted! 3/4 sides are now ready to be worked on as far as bringing in shelves and adding to the layout. We got this paint on clearance and I plan to go back for more to finish the last wall.
Next on the agenda was putting together a shelf my husband bought me to put some of my books out here. Trying to clear up space inside the house for the kids' book collections. However, after my son and I put this one together, we came to realize it is SOOOO cheaply made. I don't know that it will be holding books after all.
Even two of the parts broke while we were installing them. So you have been warned if you were looking at acquiring this particular one.
I also have to move the metal shelves around and bring out the doll rooms and dollhouse. But it is coming along! Can't wait to show you when we finish doing that.
I couldn't pass up this Goodwill find. It made me immediately think, What a perfect store starter! However, after looking it over and having a poll on Instagram, it seems more people wanted to see what kind of an upgraded closet I could come up with. So... I have all these little Mini Brands set aside to recreate a store in 1/6 scale when I find another one. I even have a Re-Ment set my husband got me on clearance recently. International section, perhaps?? But back to my closet. Let's see what we can create with this!
The original is Barbiecore to the core! I'm not a fan of Barbie colors. I prefer something a little more realistic. First steps I took were to paint the outsides with a paint+primer blend. This adheres well to the plastic and was how I did things with the Jurassic Park jeep makeover.
I taped off what would be a window. I know it is pink, but I have no choice. I want something that resembles a window or glass door. Maybe one day I will get to swap that part out. For now, it stays and won't be covered with paint.
Front and back were painted with the grey I had on hand. Don't worry about the cardboard inserts. I have a plan for changing those later.
So here is the front. That marbled design is from a card stock page meant for scrap-booking. But I think it adds a pretty outside look. This was glued to a thin cardboard piece. On the other side of that cardboard is where I put my inside paper. This was printed and gives off that calm, almost Japanese-styled look I was wanting.
In order to get this to work, I did have to pry the white shelving units out. That was no easy task, by the way! And yes, the seams make it a little less how I envisioned. But for now, I'm going to roll with it.
So this is where it is was at after adding the new background pieces. One side was painted a darker grey. I ended up having to buy more paint and could only find a different shade. Then I salvaged the mirror from the original cardboard background, but decided it needed a nice frame before I added it to the new background.
Using cut popcicle sticks, I painted them white before adding a green glow-in-the-dark paint. Then I framed the mirror. After digging into my bits and bobs drawers, I found some wooden pieces that were included as spares to a Steampunk clock I had received a while back. After arranging, painting and gluing in, I think they add to the Japanese style. What do you think? As an added bonus, I like having it glow in the dark. Kinda like a portal.
I made the hair dryer from a broken headphone piece and some craft foam. Then I used a broken off piece from jewelry to make a hanging hook for it. Now Barbie can do her hair at the counter. But enough reading! Let me show you, in my video, the rest of what I did. Well, there you have it! Barbie has a new dream closet that actually works well for storing things. What do you think? Is there something else you'd have added? Leave me a comment below and let me know! Another project is on the way.
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