Work begun on the kitchen....

After posting my updates on Ken & Barbie bridal giftset arrival, I began work on the kitchen. I have long been collecting items to go into the small kitchen in the dollhouse, but have never figured out my color scheme, etc. The more I looked, I have come to realize I want an old world, country french look, with marble, tiles, etc. in the kitchen of the dollhouse. I began today working with a salesman sample sink I had scooped up on Ebay that was the correct size for 1:6 scale, and began making a long cabinet to hold the sink and also pots, pans, and to be a regular gourmet area to chop veggies, hold appliances, and cookware underneath. (making lots of room for Re-ment!) I have three rolls of the wood like contact shelf paper I used for the floors, so I decided to make the floors match the cabinets in the kitchen, which would be light colored, and to make the top of the counter a faux marble.

This was as far as I was able to get today-- I am hoping to have some time Monday to really spruce up that kitchen and garage area- and make it ready in the shop for all of the Barbie folks who will visit. Luchia is really enjoying the counter, I used the fashion royalty dolls to use as a guide for the dollhouse kitchen - I will probably get a Re-ment table for it with the chairs, and keep this room furnished fully- but the living room area, or parlor, I plan to change around quite a bit- also Skipper's room will be turned into a nursery from time to time, since I discovered my Happy Family dolls and also the Sears baby sitting set that came with a tiny baby for Barbie to babysit- I still have all of the pieces! lol. So rooms may change about a bit depending on the story line.

Lisa

They arrived!

Well, the 50th reproduction Barbie & Ken wedding giftset arrived- just like I said it had! Hubby had not unpacked it, I am so glad!

I have extremely fond memories of playing with this set, the tuxedo and the wedding gown, which belonged to my aunt Gayle. My family is odd in that my mother is about 11 years older than my Aunt Gayle, my Aunt Gayle is 11 years older than I, and I am 11 years older than her daughter, my cousin Amy. What is even more odd is my grandfather is 11 years older than my grandmother....I guess 11 is a repeating number on that side of the family....lol. It made for lots of fun when I was 6 or 7 years old and Gayle would come home from school........chips, dip, and playing Barbies! I loved the late fifties and early 60's Barbies, they were much more elegant than mine- I had the ugly Malibu and hippy barbies, no style, no beautiful hats.... lol. I guess that is why I am still addicted to Silkstones!

Well, they arrived and I have taken some pictures. Their arrival has spurred me to start working on finishing items for the dollhouse scene- I am also working on their wedding cake, and a wedding cake for the Tonner/Gene dolls too. June has sparked a series of wedding projects- I'm also customizing a $2 80's barbie I found at the Goodwill store and dressing her as an elegant bride.....another bridal project in 1:6 scale.

Enjoy the pictures!!

~Lisa

Agnes plans the wedding.....

From what I understand, my bridal pair have arrived via the post office today...I can hardly wait to get home to unwrap them, and bring them here to the shop at the dollhouse. Agnes has been feverishly planning the wedding with Marta (Fashion Royalty Body Double Veronique) and Penelope (Pretty in Pink Silkstone) while her Uncle Giles, (Sideshow Giles the Watcher, Buffy vampire slayer series) and his new fiancee, another watcher who is retired (Tweed Indeed Silkstone) watch sedately.

Today I created the drapes, and took some of those plastic chairs that comes with the round table in the Home series, and altered them a bit to be in keeping with my Bespaq Viceroy chairs, the drapes, etc. I had saved many pieces of the fabric from the Viceroy l &ll chairs, so I used this to make the drapes and recover those little side chairs. They make wonderful ballroom gilt chairs for against the wall for guests coming to the wedding to sit in. Here are some pics of how I made the valances - from foamcore, then covered them with the fabric. I used hot glue to put the valances together, make the pleats in the white chiffon drapes, and also to adhere the piece to the wall over those ghastly windows. I used gold leaf rub and buff- the only thing that gives a good coat to these cheapy plastic chairs. I will probably cover the table with white tablcloth for the wedding cake, wine glasses, etc. I am thinking of spending the extra money for the new skinny long barbie table, which I can also alter those chairs like this too. I need a really old action figure for the priest to marry them, I have some black cloth to create the vestments. The curtains are not that great, but after they are in place they make the room stand out- since the blue satin material carries over the wallpaper fluer-de-lis motif over it- and I like that- since I'm part French. I loved doing the pics for this scene today, it really looked like Agnes was having fun picking out the furnishings with the two decorators, and I have been itching to get in here and really create a good diorama scene for the dollhouse and its many inhabitants. I have decided to use this room for a variety of elegant scenes, etc. so it can be altered to fit my needs, such as a ballroom/party scene, comfy living parlor, office, boardroom, or even dining room. I am still working on the kitchen/dining room, but that may take a bit longer.Will post more when I get to the next step of the dolls dressed to attend the wedding of the year for the one sixth scale dollhouse!

~Lisa

Dolls getting married soon...

I have started planning the next or rather, first offical diorama scene/photo story for the dollhouse with the purchase of the reproduction 50's wedding gift set today from www.Barbiecollector.com .

I so remember playing with this set as a kid- it belonged to my aunt and her Barbie collection, the 60's Barbies were so much more stylish than the hippy barbies of the 70's. I have long wanted this set, but with so many new dolls, it was hard to decide. And my Jason Wu Poppy Parker dolls still havent' arrived yet....

Planning this scene I will probably use the drawing room with the chandelier. I'm thinking of purchasing the new long dining table and painting it white, and working on drapes with corded tiebacks for the drawing room/reception room of the wedding scene. I have recently begun to create wedding cakes in both 1:6 scale and 1:3 scale- I simply adore the Tonner Convention doll, 'I take thee, Matt...' and really wish I could afford her- I am working on a marvelous wedding cake for the Tonner size dolls. Larger scale foods are something I have recently become enarmored with creating, and a really over the top wedding cake for hte dollhouse would be great. Luchia will be a bridesmaid- that simple blue gown from the silkstone giftset will be awesome along with a beautiful bouquet.

The kitchen work has stopped- mainly because I really dread getting on my hands and knees to work on it. I have thought of just making it a dining room without a kitchen-- after all, Barbie doesn't really cook , does she? And neither do Agnes or Vanessa- they just order take out. lol So that is one alternative I have thought of for this room, make it a dining room of sorts.

No pics to show right now- but will b e posting some soon!

~Lisa