What I have been up to- on the sewing board...

June has flown by so quickly and I haven't done a Flag day post, or a Father's day post, just totally forgot about those holidays! I have been totally immersed with projects that have taken a back burner for many years and I am finally taking the time in my limited spare time to do them. 

One is Marie Therese' and Annabelle's house which I have also decided to use for the Ingalls family dolls. Since Marie Therese and Annabelle reside on the shelf with Marcus and the Gene and Tonner dolls, and the Bespaq, I figure it is time for the Victorian and Civil war Barbies to come off the shelves and be displayed in the dollhouse that steps back into time, my favorite era. 

One of the projects was to spray paint the GAW bed my friend Marina had given me and create a mattress for it with the fabric striped 'ticking' which I did. I don't have progress photos, but what I did was used 1/2 inch thick foamcore for the mattress,and covered it in a 'bag' of fabric, very simple really. Then I made miniature pillows from the same mattress fabric and miniature pillow cases from white muslin. Mrs. Ingalls is plumping up the pillows. 

 Here you can see the master bedroom and the bed transformed. I used several coats of flat white spray paint on it, and sprayed each piece seperate , they came out looking ery well. The blanket is actually a pot holder crocheted I found in my stash that makes a nice little coverlet. I am going to be working on a quilt and sheets for this bed soon. 

Right now I am working on Fourth of July outfits for the Gene Marshall dolls and that is something that has taken precedence.

For now, here are more photos of the house-

I have been organizing this house so it is Victorian era only with props and figuring out what else is needed. I need more beds in the other bedroom and possibly a sewing machine for Caroline Ingalls, and chairs for the dining room. More to come!

More Miniature cakes!

 I have been busy creating more cakes for upcoming holidays- Easter & St. Patrick's Day! 

Click Here- Doll Food Pumpkin Hill Studios on Ebay to see all items listed 

This is a 1:6 scale Bunny Easter Cake with 4 Easter cookies #2 

Comes with cake with bunny cookie on paper doily, 1 cake slice, and 4 Easter cookies 

This is a 1:6 scale Chocolate Easter Egg Cake with 4 Easter Cookies, #1

Comes with cake with 2 Easter Egg cookies on top, on paper doily, 1 cake slice, and 4 Easter egg cookies 

                This is a 1:6 scale St. Patrick's Day Shamrock Cake with Cookie #1 

         Comes with cake with shamrock cookie on top, attached to paper doily, cake slice, and 1 shamrock cookie 

I hope you enjoy the photos, and I am preparing to 'cook' or sculpt more casual foods like hamburgers/hot dogs with fries, and Fourth of July items. I am attempting to stock up the doll food section with all kinds of yummy items for the dolls. Enjoy! 

My French Fashion doll Annabelle...

I belong to a French Fashion doll group that has its own message board 
French Fashion Doll Sewing Club and it is hosted on the IOS message boards. Many groups, like the Hitty Girls   (for those that collect Hitty Dolls) are also hosted here on the IOS boards because they find it easier than Facebook to control as not everyone does Facebook nowadays and more and more people are moving away from that brand of social media. Can't say I blame them. 

Recently, the group decided to do something called Sparrow Post, based on Tasha Tudor's Sparrow Post where the dolls will write to their dolly pen pal. The group is a group of people who collect French Fashion dolls, both antique and reproduction, and sew for them. Mostly 16 inch, 18- 21 inch - sometimes larger, and smaller ones like Mignonettes and Bluettes- there is a seperate group for those dolls. Mostly French fashion and some German ladies. Many share their latest sewing projects and the patterns that go around in the Antique Doll Collector, Doll News and at the latest workshops at the conventions. 

Annabelle, my 12 inch French Fashion doll which is a reproduction Francois Gaultier , is currently corresponding with Arlette, a French Fashion lady Barrois. 

Here is the diorama I set up for Annabelle to write her correspondence in, like a proper lady should. Her writing / or the room that will hold her desk at the Hilltop Cottage dollhouse is still under construction . 

Shown here are Marigold Finch, of Finch Express. Marigold delivers all of the correspondence amongst the dolls to and fro, and she is a very busy bird! She will take Annabelle's letters to Arlette to the other Sparrows to deliver to Sparrow post, post -haste. Dolls have a much more efficient delivery system than we humans. (Marigold is named after the Sparrow in the novel, Stuart Little) 

I hope you have enjoyed the diorama.

Now for the props and credits-
Walls- scrapbook paper on top from Michael's- bottom is spray painted with grey spray paint.
Wood stripwood stained with stain and glued onto foamcore walls. 
Windows cut out of foamcore and window panes made out of thin stripwood painted white
Curtains made out of Halloween cheesecloth available at dollar store or Michael's
Furniture- desk, chair and table- Bespaq, discontinued
Statues- purchased at local auction 
birdcage- purchased in jewelry findings at Michael's
Postal box- bank 
Bird- artisan item created by Patricia Cabrerea of Woolytales Miniatures 
Rug & poodle- dollhouse miniature item
Pugdog- Barbie scale dog 
Plants- Michael's 
teapot and teacup- Ruetters porcelain Peter Bunny rabbit purchased at Tuesday Morning
Picture- Souvenir framed picture purchased at Museum store in Williamsburg at the Visitor center bookstore 

Powder Puff Poppy Parker

I have been away from the blogging world, too much family stuff going on right now.  I have missed my dolls!! I have had this beauty and Ooh La La! Poppy for a while now, over a month and have had no time to play. Yesterday I took some photos and had time to concentrate and get the diorama just like I wanted. 

A few years ago I built and created this bed one rainy weekend from scraps but never had the proper doll to display it as I wanted. I've never built the proper bedroom setting for it either. Now I have the doll, so I might be on a mission. She is so matchy-matchy with the bed. 

Enjoy the pics!

A Witches' Tea Party!

Welcome, Welcome to the Witches' Tea Party!

Oh Dear, you are rather late. Good Evening...I am Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper of Dark Hollows Manor......

....'Do come in, don't be shy. The witches are waiting, I'm sure they won't put a 'spell' on you, cackle''.....

As you enter the Dark Hollows mansion, to the Witches Tea Party, prepare for some spicey tea that is smoking hot, with cakes of red velvet ....no need to ask their ingredients....mahahaha........

Inside, tea is indeed 'smoking hot' with tarts and red velvet cakes thick with cream....served by an elegant hostess Witch....

Oh the horror of it! Sarcophagus in the parlor! And our guest Witch of Oz is the Wicked Witch of the East, no less, waiting for her sister from the West who has not yet arrived...Morticia Addams, and Lucy, are both politely partaking of the Witchy tea and cakes....in this Gothic mansion.....

As the tea cools, and the guests chat over their ghoulish plans for Halloween, and all the rest of October, the witching hour of tea comes to a close as the hour chimes on the grandfather clock.....and the gargoyle statues brood over the door and the fireplace....and our witchy tea party comes to an end.....

Run, don't walk for that door! Mrs. Danvers will see you out!
 Hope you had a be-witching time at our 1:6 scale witches' tea party!
~Lisa

                   Be sure to visit Vanessa's Main Witches' tea at the
 Fanciful Twist Witches Tea Party where you can blog hop with a whole list of bloggers who are having a tea party today, on October 24th! Leave comments in the comment section of my blog and I will try and visit your blog too! 

             
                  **A note, for tomorrow----
Thank you for visiting my blog. I am doing this blog post on Friday so it will be up early in time for the tea party for Saturday, as I will be too busy in the evening and morning to post, and wanted to make sure it was up! So just a note, if I don't respond immediately tomorrow, I will eventually answer all of the comments. Lisa