Happy Thanksgiving!

I am writing this blog entry early this morning, as we are going to be busy today. We have already had our early morning Thanksgiving breakfast , which doubled as a 'welcome' breakfast for our Elf on the Shelf Beau who has come back to celebrate Christmas. 

Sadly, I didn't get any Thanksgiving photos of the dolls this year but hope to get some new ones. Here are some from last year.

I found these vintage pop up Turkey centerpieces, this year in my yard sale finds. One large Turkey and two small miniature ones, all for a quarter! This is one of the miniature ones.

Our Breakfast this morning included biscuits and sausage gravy,(warming on the stove) grilled bacon and sausage, maple syrup, butter, apple butter, blackberry jam, coffee, water with lemon, and grapefuit, and apple pie with cheddar cheese. Beau sat in his place of honor next to Mr. Vintage Tom turkey. The two little mini vintage Tom Turkeys were at each placemat. 

That's all for now. Later today I will have some more pics. I will continue tomorrow my Thanksgiving adventures....
Lisa

Cover Girl Veronique Decorating the Tree...

I have finally deboxed my Lottery doll Cover Girl Veronique that I tried for that Integrity offered after the convention. I did not order as much as I did last year, though some of the Poppy dolls were wonderful this year. I thought Cinematic was the best convention. Actually, I ordered nothing  this year except trying for the two lottery dolls. I got this lovely. 

Earlier in the month I had won a $10 free gift card on Facebook at 
Through The Garden Gate Antiques where I used it to purchase this wonderful little white Christmas tree. Perfect for the dolls! I've always wanted to do a display in my dining room with the dolls in their evening gowns around the tree decorating. Veronique decked out in blue just screamed for a change this year. I had previously gone to the doll show before stopping in at Through the Garden Gate that day and this tree was one of my treasures I picked up. 

Some of these were taken with my phone and some were taken with my camera, so the first three are more clear, funny how my phone has a better camera. 

I have more pics to show but will post those on a later time. I haven't finished the Santa's bakery yet, it is slow going. Seems there is so much real preparation to do for the holidays that I don't have enough time to do all the holiday dioramas that I want to do!
Enjoy!

Progress on Santa's kitchen/Bakery

I buckled down and made alot of progress on Santa's kitchen/bakery today. I'm going to need some more supplies but I think I will be able to knock out the exterior in a few more days. Then it is onto Thanksgiving photos in the Gothic Mansion. 

Here is the progress photos on the front.

Here is Sooki standing outside . There are some of the little charms with the 'icing' over the door and window. 

Above are the details on the window and door. I'm not yet finished with the roof, I have some more detailing to do to that. I want to find some smaller charms to scatter over that. I was thinking of maybe adding glitter to the top with some spray glue. 

The charms around the door and the window and at the top edge of the bakery are Christmas ornaments, mini, from Hobby Lobby that I cut the strings off of. I wanted the bakery to look like a Gingerbread house. I want to add alot more decoration to the outside so I will need more embellishments and dimensional paints. My main objective was that it should look like a gingerbread house, and I looked at Pinterest at Gingerbread houses. Gingerbread Houses on Pinterest is my board.  

Just a sneak peek. I have so many pics to take it's not funny- my Supermodel Covergirl Veronique just arrived as well. 

I haven't had time to take her out of the box yet! I'm planning to take photos of her with my new little white Christmas tree! She is so beautiful. 

Enjoy !
Lisa

Doll show finds...and a Pool table for the Gothic Mansion

There was a doll show at the Richmond Raceway complex called the Christmas Doll & Teddy bear show that is something I always attend and several members of my doll club always make a habit of selling at. I picked up some cute outfits that were really cheap, some Barbie horses for $3 each that I intend to customize, and a cute pool table and backdrop for my dolls from my friend Leslie who was selling with the club and had picked up these items at Kenvention and brought them back for me. 

First up, was the shop backdrop. It was two sided and folds up. 

the other side was a ladies' boutique

Here are the horses-

They are a little small for Vanessa and other fashion Royalty ladies but great for Harry and Poppy

Here is the pool table. It came with two cue sticks and the balls, which can really roll into the holes on the sides and fall into a little triangular black tray underneath and be stacked like a real pool table. 

It is a little short, but I love it. It looks impressive in the mansion.

The Professor and the Count got quite competitive during the game. 

Here you can see how large the room is in regards to the props.

I decided to experiment with Christmas decorations so I redressed Vanessa and posed her in a Christmas outfit on that staircase. She looked stunning.

Here it is with the tree at the foot of the steps. I am thinking of putting a dining room table where the pool table is, with chairs, and a server with the maid and butler serving the meal and presents everywhere for the holidays. 

One more of Vanessa...she looks so lovely against the red velvet and brocade wallpaper. 

I got alot done today as far as dioramas went. I even worked on Santa's kitchen!! Here are the photos of the back roof!!!

Know this doesn't sound like alot, but I wasn't sure it would turn out looking as good as this on a first try. I have to let it dry and then do the front tomorrow. I have purchased the little candies from Hobby Lobby so am going to try to finish the exterior this weekend in between getting the house ready for Christmas this weekend with the hubcap's help. 

All for now- enjoy the pics~Lisa

Re-Assembling the Gothic Mansion

I had meant before Halloween to have a kick-a$$ Halloween diorama, complete with the Gothic Mansion, stage, staircase, cemetary, abandoned chapel with the zombie bride, party in motion, you name it,  BUT...ONCE AGAIN...my grandiose diorama ideas went out the window when I realized the work involved. It simply takes a huge amount of time each day, to assemble and create and build that kind of diorama. sigh. 

But my progress has been made. I was perplexed when my 2nd floor was once again too high for my stunning staircase. So I hit on the idea of raising the stair with a platform and making steps up to the platform, which worked. I used a box about 7-8 inches high, covered in wood contact paper and used foamcore to make the steps leading up to it. It isn't stunning but worked. 

Here is the diorama with the staircase up to the 2nd floor, on the step platform I made. 

I used a box one of my big lights I use in my studio to light up my dioramas and covered it with contact paper. This is before. 

And then he sees a vision of loveliness on the staircase....

Count Dracula is enchanted when he first sees Eugenia on the steps. He must have her!

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Count Dracula..."

"I am pleased to meet you. I am Eugenia..."

Their eyes meet, and the Professor, Eugenia's husband, has intercepted their looks of longing as well...

Some of these stunning pictures I took with my cell phone, some with my camera. I had a brain storm to do a grouping of Egyptian items with my mummy cases around the staircase to give it an Egyptian /profressor/archeologist  feel.  I picked through my stash for unusual ornaments like the deer head to to hang on the walls with pictures/portraits of Napoleon, that give it that old world, creep factor feel. The touches of the red velvet paper, red velvet brocade on the walls, with the dark stains, and the black dress on Eugenia really make everything elegant from a cult classic horror noir movie. Just the look I'm going for.