Crate sofa project...

So I have been working in between popping advil and applying ice packs to my face after oral surgery on some crate furniture I have been experimenting with creating. Today I finished the crate sofa for one of my Poppys and her boyfriend, whichever doll she picks. 

Yes, it is my Starlight Poppy who was the inspiration for this, Daphne. She is so hippy and bohemian. 

I plan to do a few other pieces to go with it, and some modern art too. Maybe a cool loft diorama with some pop art, a la Andy Warhol.  That would be fun for something different. Alot of distressed wood, exposed brick, cinder blocks, etc. Real avant guarde. 1970 crashes into 2015, lol. 

I finished the cushions and pillows today, the seat cushion did not turn out as nice as I wanted it to but the pillows were nice, it is a white jean fabric that goes perfect with that dark stain on the wood. 

All for now- Enjoy!~Lisa

IFDC Isn't she Loverly has Arrived!

My IFDC lottery doll, Isn't She Loverly? has FINALLY arrived. I paid for this doll back in the end of July as I was afraid of not being able to function during my recovery from oral surgery. (sometimes I'm a wuss. lol)  after not hearing from Integrity, I sent  a short email asking about delivery and they said the dolls would not be shipping until the first week of August. Well, that came and went. No shipping notice. I also, noticed everyone else was getting their dolls but me. So I checked my account and to my shock the doll had been delivered to  MY GARAGE OR OTHER LOCATION . WTH?? what other location? 

Hubby immediately remained calm and said, check the pickup truck, as we had gone out today and sure enough, our kind postal lady and put the box in the seat of our pickup truck. whew. 

So..here are some pictures of her. She is a NuFace Fantasy. I love her already. I am thinking of getting the Mattel version of this doll to have to display with her. She is a vision of pink. 

IFDC & Integrity hit it out of the park with this one. I know my buddy Karon will probably try to get all three, and I don't blame her. I would love to have all three now that I have this one, the main one I wanted. She is simply gorgeous. 

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

It seems I've been nominated by Farrah Lily of Cozy Comforts & Dolls for the 
Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award! 

Here are her ten questions:

1) Do you collect anything other than dolls?

Yes, way too many books and magazines about dolls. and miniatures, and dollhouse miniatures! I am also partial to antique china, and crystal, alot of which I have recently downsized.2) Why did you start a doll blog?

I started a doll blog in 2005, I think, maybe earlier so people could see my projects on my dollhouse that I had acquired and was refurbishing and it was fun to connect with other collectors. 3) What doll line is your favorite to collect?

Fashion Royalty, Silkstone Barbie, Poppy Parker, and Hot Toys action figures are my favorite lines of collecting at the moment.4) Your favorite American Girl doll accessory?

I would say my overall favorite is the Felicity carriage, even though I don't own it. 5) If you could have any "career" what would it be?

I already do- I am a miniature artisan.6) Do you play any instruments and if so, what?

I don't play any instruments. 7) Where is your most favorite place you've ever been?

The mountains of Asheville, North Carolina8) What is your most favorite thing about yourself?

My ability to work on a deadline, and under pressure. 9) Favorite Movie?

This is a toughie, since I have so many. Gone with the Wind.10) If money were no object, where would you most like to travel to?

I would most love to see Versailles, in France, that has been a dream destination for a while. 

The Rest of the award says to nominate 10 people, but not doing that- will keep it to 5.So here are my five peeps.

1- Vanessa at Fashion Dolls at Van's Doll Treasures

2-Muff  Hey It's Muff

3- Kat A Doll Affinity

4- D7ana A Philly Collector

5- Wendy Miranda Wandering

My questions for you are:

1- What started you collecting dolls?

2- Do you collect anything other than dolls?

3- Do you have any other hobbies that you enjoy other than dolls? (THINK hard, this one was hard for me, snicker)

4- What Doll line is your favorite to collect?

5- What is your 'holy grail' of dolls that you've always wanted?

6- How long have you been collecting dolls?

7- Are you a deboxer- yes or no?

8- What do you do to unwind or de-stress?

9- Do you belong to a doll club?

10- Favorite type of music to listen to?

Now pass it along....!

Divergent Tris on sale at Target!

Some of my dolly friends were bemoaning the fact, unbeknownst to me, that they had not been able to get Divergent Tris, on sale at their local Target. I was amazed as I didn't even know this doll had been put on sale, or to put it more bluntly, on CLEARANCE. $7.48!!!!

So I went Tris hunting.....

She is so gorgeous and so new...this doll is still going for 24.99 on Barbiecollector.com!  I thought, why stop with just one. 

In for one, in for three....

LOL....

I also picked up some of those cute little pack fashions. Target is selling them for 2.99 but they are far cheaper at Walmart. Even the packaged ones that come with shoes, 2 outfits, and a purse are 7.94 where Target sells them for 9.99. Target is doing specials on all their dolls as they are hauling in the new dolly items like those hideous Bratz dolls. Hopefully one of these Tris dolls can be rebodied either on a Poppy body or another Divergent body, there is a sale on the other Divergent jointed dolls there, and even though it isn't a body match I would rather put her on a Mattel pivatol body than waste a good Poppy body. Have to see how much I like her! 
~Lisa

Hat Commission

I promised pics of the Hats I had been commissioned to make as table gifts for a client attending the upcoming Ken Convention. I have four more to make.

The original hat was different in that it wasn't lined underneath, this one is lined underneath with a different color fabric to give it more weight. Each hat has two roses and three feathers and a veil on the front. They are the same design, but each is different as you can see as it is fairly impossible to make each one exactly alike. So all the hats are different but similar. Each hat will come with a straight pin though they can balance on the doll's head. 

Here is my silkie, Fabulous in Floral, shopping in the market...

I'm working on yet another project as well, it's a surprise so I should have that finished and pics of that up in a few days as well. I'm on a roll with new stuff I'm making. I think it is all the fabulous photos of the Barbie convention my friends in my fashion doll club and on Flicker have been posting. I was really bummed I was unable to go to the convention since I am only a few hours away from D.C. ...BUT ..Last year I went to Fashion Royalty convention and just couldn't afford both registrations at once. I have heard it is going to be in Florida in 2016 so I am hoping to go to it AND the fashion Royalty convention if it is on the East coast in 2016 AS WELL...lotsa money needed!! And hopefully hubby won't mine me taking that much time for dolls....I have never been able to attend Barbie convention, just never- since they allow people to sign up first at the convention who are at the convention, making it next to impossible to get in when they open the registration the next year. Hopefully, I will be able to get in this year. Fingers crossed.  
Enjoy the pics!~Lisa

Miniature Hats...

I promised pics of miniature hats and so yesterday I got some pictures taken of some of my ladies. I am currently working on a Ken Convention commission as someone saw my pink hat creation and wanted 10 of them! My commission pieces are in the works and will be much better than that prototype but here are the current ones I have finished. 

This all began because I recently had some rather horrid oral surgery I am recovering from and have been bored so I between icing down my mouth and surfing the internet and looking at pretty dolly pics and Pinterest, and eating soup, I decided to take some materials I had and try my hand at making some miniature hats. 

This is the pink hat that was commissioned by my client for her table gifts for Ken Convention. It has a gather around the edge that I am doing away with and it will be lined underneath. The tulle is vintage.  I already have two of these done, just need to finish the other eight. 

This is a 20's styled cloche hat with a jeweled hand beaded detail on the side. It molds to the head but you can use a pin to hold it on the doll's hair. 

Agnes wearing a red feathered creation with black silk bow detail on the upturned brim on the side. I think she does look smart in it. Especiallywith the black gloves and red purse.

Victoire is wearing a sporty little pheasant hat, perfect for those sporting events at the polo club or at the hunt club. I didn't have time to redress her in some equestrian togs. She looks spiffy enough to go hunting pheasant under glass, wouldn't you say? lol.

I think this looks so totally Dasha. Someone on facebook said it looks Prada...I was thinking Ralph Lauren. Oh Well, shows how much my fashion sense is dated, LOL...I am so 80's, LOL... anyhoo, she looks so snotty and sloane  ranger. See, see I am an 80's girl I betcha that term hasn't been used in America or the UK since the 80s or since Princess Di has been alive. 

I will take some pics of the finished commission hats on some of my ladies when I get time. Off to get some more materials today and do some errands! Enjoy the pics!~Lisa

Interesting links and video- doll and train related

I have been working on some doll hats! I will have pics of those up after today, but I wanted to share some links here for today. 

First up is an incredible video my husband ran across. He belongs to several European and American train collector boards on Google and facebook. No, he doesn't collect trains (we don't have the space) but he loves them and so do I. We have always toyed with the idea of building a garden railroad for the dolls and action figures but because of cats and others who let their dogs wander, we scrapped the idea. 

He stumbled across this incredible ridable train for sale! with the property in Oregan that was advertised on facebook and google. I can only surmise it is 1:6 judging by the size of the train- the gentleman is riding on it but that would make it sized to fit GI Joe and our ladies too. I have seen pics of one like this at shows like Joelanta.

There is music with it, that makes it better, I have watched it so many times. It is on my facebook page too. I tell you, if this was in my back yard, and I had my own mini train station, I would never leave it, much less sell it. I would have my food delivered by Amazon, lol. Especially if I could afford to have this! lol. 

The second video goes in depth with more photos explaining about the interior of the estate and who owns it and built it and why. The owner is a master builder of trains and works for the publishing company of modeling railroad magazine of what I can gather, but he has had people from all over the world visit the estate. In the above second video you can see people riding the train.  His wife created all the foliage in the indoor train set which is O scale I believe. The estate comes with a machine shop (which would make my husband salivate right now) where he builds the trains. 

Me. I would just happily commission him to make passenger cars for my Fashion Royalty dolls before buying it and become the private reclusive doll hoarder I have always wanted to be, LOL..sort of like Hugeuette Clark. Only with this estate, you would have everything you would need. Privacy, transportation for the dolls, lots of trees, your own private railroad to get you to the doll room. It is nice to dream fantastical dreams. LOL...I thought all of my doll friends would enjoy these videos and the possibilities. 

I also have some new Pinterest boards, that might interest you.

My newest one is my most interesting one, I think. Entitled

Children and their Dolls

It is all about historic and modern pics of children and their dolls or toys. Woefully, I have found few, if any pics of modern children and their dolls to add to this board. I might make a seperate board of 1970 and up to see if I can find children and their toys. I know I would find kids my age and up but I have found few pics of children from now 'playing' with toys or dolls. It is a sad commentary I think of how technology has taken over and imagination has lost.

Evangeline Ghastly & Friends

Ellowyne & Friends

A Girl For All Time Dolls

Antique Toys

Famous Doll Collectors

Hot Toys Action Figures

Sybarite Dolls

Tonner Dolls- Deja-Vu

PoppyParker

I have many other Pinterest boards relating to dolls and miniatures, dollhouses, and 1:6 dioramas, as told in another blog entry-

Who Loves Pinterest? from May 8th of this year, and that lists ALL of my 1:6 scale diorama Pinterest boards if you have not already found them by subject, living room, dining room, bathroom, bedroom & closet, garage, great outdoors, stage and theatre, boutique & shopping, etc. I constantly find great pics on the dolly boards, flicker, my own pics, etc. and do not mind if you pin from my boards, that is what Pinterest is all about- Sharing. I do not block people if they share- only if they claim my work is theirs. I've only had to block ONE person on Pinterest who persisted in doing this and that was a big name miniature company, of all things. ?? lol. 

Anyway, Happy Sunday and have a Happy idle day of Pinning. I will be taking pics of my miniature hats and getting those pictures up and and a blog post to follow!~Lisa