Annabelle's new dress...

Since I haven't been blogging much, I have been working on some other sewing projects. I finished Annabelle's fall dress, using the pattern from the two Gildebrief magazines I purchased on Ebay in August. They were Autumn 2010 and Winter 2010 issues and had the two part articles of a picnic with Six cousins and a Governess. 

Here is what the article looked like- a picture of it from the magazine,

Below is what the covers of the magazines look like. They run 18.95 each but come with complete instructions. They are printed in Germany so be sure you get the English version when buying on Ebay. You can order direct from the website in Germany, Karin is great to deal with and she has a facebook page. I have downsized some of the patterns to fit my FR dolls. These two magazines had 12 inch patterns that are easy to convert/downsize. If you are interested in antique dolls or antique dress patterns- these can be converted to American girl or my twinn dolls as well, just more in depth. 

I decided to set up a little kitchen diorama for Annabelle too. I want to take her out for fall when I get a little hat for her, as this dress screams pumpkins and scarecrows and hayrides. Right now, she is busy in her kitchen baking bread.

I hope you enjoyed it. The stove is a 1:6 scale metal replica, Crescent stove.  The washer wringer is an Ertel model 1:5 so it is not exact 1:6 it may be more 1:8 scale and not exact Victorian era as Annabelle's dress is more 1860's or late 1860's and the wringer washer is more late 1890's early 1900's. But it looks cool with the cookstove. I have a cream seperator with buckets that is cool too. I would love to set up her dollhouse with a true Victorian kitchen with pump sink. I love Victorian kitchens, and have been collecting a bunch of things for this scene. 
Maybe I can get something together where she is making a pumpkin pie or an apple pie since it is around that time of year!

Grail doll arrival, Prop alert, and large cakes....

Lots of stuff to blog about today! I'll get to Fourth of July later. But my Grail Doll
I blogged about a couple of weeks ago arrived like, last week, and with the registration dolls taking up so much of my time, and Ellowyne horning in, I just now got around to taking pics of her this morning. Plus I have other stuff to squeeze in here today too. 

She is a Barbie Basics Model No. 14 002.5 Collection known as the 'metallic' collection and a Black label doll. The collection I purchased her from had put her on a pivatol Elvis body- yeah! so no having to purchase another doll to body swap her! Thank goodness. I can save my poppy bodies now. I adore her face mold. I am always late to the party on the barbie basics model dolls though I do have a few good ones in my collection, I just haven't rebodied them. She looks so similar to Haunted Beauty if you changed her makeup. I am thinking of dressing her as the White Queen for fun for an Alice tea party dio I have planned in a few days. Stay tuned for that. She needs some 'buttered fingers', lol...watched too much of Tim Burton!

But she needs a name....I am caught between Harper, Tatum(after Tatum O'Neal- I grew up watching her in Paper Moon as a kid,we are almost the same age) or maybe one of my fans here can come up with a cool name. Demi, after Demi Moore who collects dolls would be neat too. This doll looks like a rebel and a great character actress. She's already beginning to clash with the Fashion royalty folks.

Onto the props!I purchased this Ashlawn birdcage shelf at 60% off at Michael's 
it was a one day only sale so I got it at about $13 dollars. It was insanely priced too high- at about $34+ no waywould I pay that for it. I figured it would not go any lower than that. It would make a great display shelf for my cakes and mini foods as well as for the vintage flea market diorama or craft fair for the dolls.
I also got the little pot of flowers of lilacs beside it on sale too, for $1.

Here it is filled up.

My new nameless doll declares she's exhausted from having to do the setup by herself. What a drama queen! 

I think this is a real versatile little shelf. It will probably also be large enough to put a mannequin in for a dress , hat boxes, shoes and purses for La Belle's, if I move stuff around. I am thinking about painting it and adding some gilding to it at the top to make it more glitzy. Just haven't had time. Maybe add some toile paper to the shelving for the pastries. 

I made some 1:4 scale cakes in pink and blue for my 16 inch dolls. This shelf works for them too.
Here is my Slipper Sybarite showing them off.

Enjoy, and have a great holiday weekend!~Lisa

New Props for the Chateau project & Victoire love

I acquired some new props for the Chateau project and have just had time to take some photos of them. I also deboxed Evening in Montreal Victoire and took some photos of her with my Monte Carlo Victoire. To date I have three Victoires, I really love this character the W club came up with. 
First acquisition- this came over a week ago, but I set it aside as I wanted to set up a proper diorama to showcase it. This is my new plaster fireplace, hearth, screen from 
Jim Coates Collection on Ebay His work is stunning and the go to guy for an artisan quality period fireplace- they are handcarved, poured and just exquisite. I also received some decorative pilaster shelves to display porcelains on as well, right now I am just showcasing the fireplace in all of its glory. The mirror is by him as well- his mirrors hang in my shop LaBelle's.
2nd prop is a working grandfather clock that is just simply amazing. I love this piece and it is perfect, perfect scale. 
Evening in Montreal- well she has been deboxed and is lovely. I won't be parting with this lovely. Only beef is like Monte Carlo, her shoes will not fit with her hose on. I did not try on her gloves.
Enjoy the pictures!