More updates on the dollhouse restorationi....

Haven't been doing too much lately with the dollhouse....other than finishing Kit's attic, that is when I last did anything, I have been so busy. The house is moved in to the display room and is on the dresser, where I can reach it easily. Today I started moving in the tinies, and seeing what furniture would go where. Most of the furniture is from Olde Shelby Cottage, which I sold to a customer as I didn't have room for the house at home. Some other items may have to go as well, since I do want to do another tiny shop for the dolls next to Minuette's sweet shop and also the 1:6 scale McDonald's diner for the diva dolls.
The tinies moved alot of items into the rooms that were finished- the windows haven't yet been put on this house, so right now I'm looking at placement

Minuette loved the shopping cart, just the thing for carrying the groceries and the mail home! Wren loved the regridgerator, (a Hallmark ornament that really lights up when you open the door) and Maizie loves sitting in the kitchen. April Mae was sitting on the steps and Dixie, well Dixie isn't happy because there is no place for her computer yet. The mini American Girl dolls have not yet moved in, (they spend alot of time in Skipper's bedroom diorama or the 1:6 scale Sindy kitchen) but once Kit's bedroom gets started, I imagine we will see more of them.

All for now- enjoy the pics!

Lisa

Barbie Basics hunk No. 15...

So I thought on this post I would finally post the pics of the Barbie Basics Model no. 15 I purchased about a week or two ago...and he is a hunk. He was destined to be hunked up some more with a re-paint, but my W club girls and the Silkies pounced upon him....lol they are love starved for nice looking plastic men...So I posted some fun pics of my Favorite Agnes Von Weiss (Concerto in M) as well as my Loungerie Silkstone #4? (I think- can't keep track...) and he looks really good with her. I myself haven't been rushing to the Target to buy out all of the Basics dolls, there are a couple from the first collection I really like, but can't bring myself to pay $19.99 for an ICK! Model Muse cheapo plastic body.

Enjoy the pics!

Lisa

Grace Kelly to Catch a Thief...Deboxed.......

Well, she's here...arrived on Monday. Sometimes Mattel hits the mark, and then drops the ball. To Catch a Thief I was really excited about- I had seen the wardrobe and the movie, and this dress was a culture classic.
I knew I had a problem when I opened the shipping box and the doll's box was literally covered in popcorn fuzz. She was not wrapped in tissue like other dolls from Mattel. I had planned on keeping her box she came in for display and just taking her out for scenes and dollplay......after attempting to wipe the fuzz off the box, I immediately saw another problem- the dress is made of chiffon, and the edges are RAW,..yep, that's right. If you are deboxer, and like to play as I do, this dress has an unravel factor.
So onto the deboxing nightmare........a word of warning- don't get overexcited by New Doll arrival...use small scissors and be very careful when pulling threads out of this dress. She is sewn in extremely tightly. Considering they did not set the pointed edges of the gown, I do not understand how she's worth $34.95....but maybe the packaging is. I have shown pics here of my doll and the visible holes in the organza /chiffon panels on the darker blue. Underskirt is a cheap taffeta tube. Doll- Lovely lovely facemold, hair is lovely, but that Model Muse body. ick. Grace may receive a body swap --- I'm seriously contemplating this.

Just a word of warning...doll is lovely, but probably better not to debox. I am hoping for better things from the Silkstone Grace Kelly who hopefully will not be overpriced as this doll was.
Thumbs up- Facemold
Thumbs down- gown, packaging, Model Muse body

Custom 1:6 scale Skateboard figure ...done!

I am really proud of the result of this figure. What started out as a well played with doll for a $1 from a yard sale goes to looking like this!  I have felt my creativity stifled for a while now, due to alot of stress from last year, both in my professional business life, as well as in my personal life. Sometimes, negativity stifles or drowns us artists.........well, I'm back, and this figure proves it. lol. I really like him and am ready I think to do more. I don't know what I liked creating more- the doll or the backdrop! I was so psyched about this custom I submitted photos for the custom figure weekly contest at Cotswold Collectibles on Facebook which they do each week. I don't know if my figure has been added or put on their page yet, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. I'm hoping my pics get on the page, if not, oh well, try again and have fun doing it!
I think I covered everything inmy last post on the tutorial of how I did it, etc. I waited for better lighting and it was such a difference from those previous ugly grainey pics I had...ugh. It was well worth a little patience to wait and get great pics.  I would really love to try something cool with wire so it looks like I have caught him in motion...need more time for that, and setup.
I have been cleaning out the display room and there is no end to what I will find ....I have to make room for my other dollhouse I'm refurbishing, which is almost done. Time to move it to its spot. The One Sixth Scale dollhouse has a spot all its own, I needed to move some small shop scenes so this incoming dollhouse for the tiny bjd's would have its own spot off the floor. Right now what was formally the kitchen in the one sixth scale dollhouse is storage for extra 1:6 scale furniture.
Hope you enjoy the pics....now am working on Indiana Jones accessories from paperclay!
~Lisa

Custom 1:6 scale Skateboard figure almost complete with backdrop

*Note: & Disclaimer: No action figures or dolls were harmed in the process of creating this custom figure- also, No Inappropriate Plastic Behavior was promoted while figure was being filmed*  ROTFL............however, we can attest the artist had fun!


...which needs a little more tweaking. I have always wanted to do a custom figure that walked on the 'wild side'...maybe not so elegant or fashionable, but more hip-hop, urbanite, a real bad boy with tattoos, cigarettes, and into extreme sports...this one is into skateboarding. From my last post, which was tame, you could see the basic figure was done...now he just needs his environment finished, which I worked on today. You can see my 1:6 scale brick wall backdrop with sidewalk Tutorial -click on Tutorial and it will take you to my Flicker album.

 

Recipe for my Skateboarder....

$1 yard sale find 'Flava' doll

Jeans,watch and sneakers - Fashionista Ken fashion paks from Walmart

(plastic watch repainted)Jeans were weathered or 'ripped' with my exacto knife to simulate tears at the knees

Earring- jewelry jump ring

Skateboard $3.97 Walmart 'Tek Dek' (comes with extra wheels, decals and screwdrive in 1:6 scale)

Tattoos- painted free hand by me, Lisa Neault with acrylics

Backdrop materials

Large piece of cardboard, 24 high x 28 wide, painted white on one side

Black spray paint Michael's

Red spray paint tractor machinery red

Sheetrock joint compound Home Depot (for brick)

Sculpting tool

Exacto knife

popsicle sticks for spreading compound

paintbrushes

cup of water

paper towels

Brown and black and red acrylic paints

foamcore scrap for sidewalk, 28 long 5 inches wide

Scrap of muslin, unraveled on ends for grease rag. 'Grease' stains are black acrylic paint dry brushed

Magi Brik or Stone tape, available at your local dollhouse shop

                                                                     Ruler if needed
Extra embellishments-  Since my backdrop is not complete, it needs to resemble the side of an old warehouse or building in a 'downtown' area, I will be adding graffiti, with acrylic paint, and probably a cigarette or beer sign along with an old fashioned Coca-Cola sign, since alot of the old warehouse buildings have these signs painted on, or in a billboard style, which I might do. I will post more pics here when that part is finished and when the sidewalk is aged as well.
I hope you have enjoyed the pics....name of the figure coming soon!
~Lisa

New Project: Custom Extreme Skateboarder..

Just a few quick pics of my 'Extreme' Skateboarder....these pictures are really not all that clear to the detail that went into this custom. With his 'shades' on you can't see his hoop earring in the right ear. Ever since finding the One Sixth scale Warrior message board I have been amazed at what people do with their customs....especially the dolls ,,oops, 'Action Figures' (ahem) from movies like Indiana Jones. One of my wants is a Sideshow or Hot Toys Indiana Jones, but I may end up making my own, instead of spending the $175+....lol.
My recipe for this custom was an old 'Flavva' doll purchased at a yard sale for $1 years ago, and who I used with my Fashion Model Barbies for a photo group shot long ago. He has languished with other dolls who are headed for the swap a body chop shop (no dolls were harmed in this customization.)The jeans, sneakers and shades are from Fashionista Ken fashion packs, and the skateboard is from Tek Dek? I think. I ripped the knees on the pants, rolled them up, and used jewelry findings for his earring. The tattos were done by me, as is the blushing or shading of his pectorial and abs. His hair was originally flocked , which gave him a rather goofy look, so I took fleece mohair and made him a cool, urbanite hairdo, with a bleached in look, like he's spent too much time in the sun.
I will be taking better pics of him once I get a suitable backdrop for him...he also has a barbed wire tattoo around his left ankle, and also a grease cloth with 'grease' paint on it from fixing his skateboard.
Hopefully, I will finish some prop items for the Indiana Jones figure I want to create...waiting while the paperclay dries!
~Lisa

Skipper bedroom diorama- almost done!

I am pleased that I finally got most of this diorama's major work finished -- today! Nothing like having a holiday weekend to make the creative juices flow and get some hurdles finished! Today, I completed the coverlets and decorative pillows on the bunkbeds, as well as the closet for Skipper's bedroom. This was a real milestone...the only other things left are to add a window and interior door into the bedroom, as well as 70's posters, and other little accessories. This diorama will sit on top of hte One Sixth Scale dollhouses' rooftop, as there isn't enough room to have a really nice bedroom for the younger dolls.
First, the bed- I chose two coordinating quilt square fabric pieces from Ben Franklin, and made reversible coverlets.

As you can see, the patterns are basically the same color coordination as the wallpaper. The bedroom will have posters of Donny Osmond and the Osmonds, the Partidge family, perhaps the Brady bunch, and maybe Scooby Doo, since those were some of my favorite pop culture things when I was small and played with Barbie & Skipper in the early 70's. This diorama will hold a mixture of today's SKipper, Stacie, and Chelsea- ugh, I don't like that they did away with Kelly- as well as Tutti, Buffy, Kelly and Scooter and Todd.
The closet doors were from Ebay, from a vintage Barbie dreamhouse, and they were perfect for the closet I had planned. I made the closet a removeable box/structure so if I wished, I could alter the placement of the room. Usually in homes back in the 70's, the closet was stuck near the door to the room, in a corner so it was not taking up most of the room.
I have finished or made so much headway- not just on the Skipper bedroom but I am currently still working on my custom Shriner dolls, in two larger scales, as well as a custom male figure with tattoos. I worked on him yesterday-- this is the first time I have ever fully customized a doll, so will have more pictures together when he has his outfit and accessories finished. More later!
~Lisa