Interior placement of LaBelle's...

I have made some progress on the project of LaBelle's....it has taken some time because alot of the cornices, and window frames and door has to be built from scratch.Though I enjoy it, it is time consuming. The mirrors in the shop are from Jim Coates Miniatures on Ebay, who does stunning 1:6 scale plaster carved fireplaces, cornices, and ornate ceiling plasters. His items are amazing, and he does has his own line he designed that was manufactured by Bespaq in 1:6 and 1:4 scales.

Here are some photos so far of today's work. I have alot to paint since deciding where everything will be placed in the boutique.

The last photo is my all time favorite of Cocktail, my newest Silkstone. Between Mattel & the W club coming out with such fabulous dolls, it is so hard to choose. I had to wait two months for her to arrive but she was worth it. 
The ceiling is Cupids with pink ribbons on a blue sky with clouds, very roccocco I think. It will look even more dramatic when I get the cornices figured out to go around the ceiling rounds where the lights/chandeliers will be hung. 
The stage will have an overhang and both still need to be painted. I have done the stoop for the interior painted gold and it is coming along better than expected. I am hoping to have drapes hanging on either side of the cornice. This stage will be either where the mannequins are placed with a display, or it will be used as the fashion show stage, when Romaine has his fashion shows/debuts in the shop. 
I do not know as of yet how I will show the fashions since there will not be enough room for a clothing rack, etc. I am going to think of using my Suzy Goosey wardrobe in one of the corners filled with clothing and having a display for shoes. I have seen plastic dividers that hold beads used to display the shoes and purses on, which would be great too. 
I am hoping to have it done by August, but my deadline is fast approaching- that willb e when Romaine debuts his 'Noir-BLanche' collection- for fall/autumn. So I may push it back to September for the Grand Opening...right now I'm enjoying this project and working/collecting for it. 

Sneak Peeks...........

I thought I would show a few 'sneak' peeks of the new project I am working on, and Romaine has been directing the work. He is one slave driver of a doll!  So far it is coming along nicely, and I can let you see the progress sofar...still have alot of details to attend to before the project is finished.

As you can see from the front of the project, it is quite large. I have been assembling this in my office and it sits on our conference table. The portico that Katniss is standing on is not yet attached to the structure, that will be the last thing to do on my list when the item is in place on its table. 
I have used one of my Hairuku? i don't know if I spelled that right- dress mannequins in the front window to gauge depth and scale . During the summer I am not that busy as far as committments goes, so I am attempting to get this done and in place before the end of August, as Romaine is planning his Grand Opening then. 

I will not be posting photos in Flicker or Ipernity until the project is most of the way done and I can start on the furniture and shop items placement.  Romaine is picky and is already having me design/build some furniture for this project! The divas have to have the best!
~Lisa

Meet Romaine...and new project on the horizon!

Meet Romaine Jean-Francois LaBelle du Plessis, my new fashion designer. Ever since I received this doll- Rock Steady he was called, I have not quite known how to include him in Barbietown. To me he wasn't over the top like the new face dolls and some of the  W Club dolls simply have a real aggravated/ ticked off look on some of their faces. 
But now I have re-named him and decided to keep his original name with a french twist added on. Though Agnes owns a fashion empire, and she owns the Manor in my doll town I have never really had an over the top boutique/shop or anything. So the project on the horizon is almost done and Romaine will be its star.
Romaine Jean-Francois LaBelle du Plessis  is a hot new fashion designer in the Haute Couture world. Very old school in the industry and has the ancestors to prove that fashion is in his blood. Indirectly descended from the Queen's milliner- Rose Bertin the first 'Minister of Fashion'  Romaine has followed in his illustrious ancestors' footsteps. Besides being from the first beginnings of fashion, he is also descended on his mother's side from 
House of Worth (Charles Frederick Worth) so dressing Queens, Princesses and Empresses is nothing new to him. 
As you can tell, I am a history nut and these two icons from the Fashion world have long, long fascinated me. In my research for Romaine's bio I knew the new project would have to be over the top- which it will be. Suffice it to say I am almost finished but it is too large to be situated in Barbietown...so it will have its own table. Rose Bertin owned Le Grand Mogol a shop on the Rue St. Honore and was the designer who designed most of the - for then, outrageous fashions that Queen Marie Antoinette wore. Many people do not understand how much of a break the rules in your face  Marie Antoinette was- or how much of a true stylist Rose Bertin was for the period. The Queen and other ladies of the royal family had a uniform of Court dress, corsets (called Grand Corps) and makeup they were forced to wear- which was not necessarily the most stylish or comfortable clothing to wear on a daily basis. 
House of Worth - Charles Frederick Worth was an icon in his time for the drape and fit of his clothing- as well as having models in his shop wearing the designs so the customers could see it. He was one of the first that unveiled the fashions on a season basis, with shows in his shop. He dressed the Empress Eugenie, as well as Alexandra, Princess of Wales, the Empress of Austria and more. Wealthy women changed their clothing up to four or five times a day- and usually needed a maid to help them in and out of the complicated bustles, corsets, hoops.
In doing all of this research for my project, I know I needed a doll to be the fashion designer and decided to make it a male doll and Romaine was the perfect doll. He is ambitious, handsome, but focused on his dream of being a Haute Couture designer- his attention to detail is astounding. He dates occasionally but never with models if he can help it- doesn't like to mix business with pleasure. 
So a few more days and I will be able to unveil the project soon. I have shown a few shots of Romaine working on the line that will be unveiled at Grand Opening of the project- his 'Noir BLanche' line of clothing ready for the runway. 
Romaine worked on the finishing touches on the models last night in a temporary studio, I have some more pics-- but he was very testy at being watched while he worked. So enjoy!

2 days of doll time!

Sorry I am late but a belated Happy Fourth of July here.....this week has been busy- with new Ebay Auctions being listed every day, as well as orders going out and also catching up on business email & invoicing with my husband's company LeoPaul & Associates , I have been run ragged. Doll time is scarce so this week I had two whole days of nothing but dolly time! Yesterday I began work on a project I have been turning over in my head and I got to work on it all day........my dream project is being able to work uninterrupted without answering email , phone calls or having to be at someone's beck and call. Though I and my husband love our businesses, it is a never ending thing and can sometimes be all consuming, leaving little time for anything else. 
Besides yesterday, I had a totally awesome Sunday with my Virginia Fashion Doll club. Our President, Vice President and other officers go all out each meeting they hold, everyone brings food, dolls for the theme/presentation & show and tell as well. Our meetings last from 1-5 pm- and they are a blast!
I forgot my camera so these pictures were taken with my phone. Our theme was Western- Wild West, country and western, and it was fun and unusual the displays everyone came up with. Our central presentation was on Midge, who turns 50 this year! 
First pictures of the Western theme- Linda's theme was Alan and Midge at the saloon

Jodie's was a teepee, totem pole, and she made the teepee from a grocery bag and sticks!

Mine was Little House, here I brought Pa, Ma, Mary and Laura 

                            Marina's was unusual, she had purchased most of her props at diorama heaven- Hobby Lobby!

Nita's display was a Johnny west Geronimo that had belonged to her husband-

Debbie, our President of the club, did a take on Mad Men back in time. she had not yet finished setting up her display but Don and other Mad Men dolls were in this.

Janet's was two little ones daydreaming by the campfire

Scarlet's doll was a cowgirl with a lasso rope made from wire-

            Karon's display was a Grand Old Opry barbie giftset

After eating, we had a grand tour of Linda's doll room. She had just moved to a new home so this was the first Barbie club meeting she was having and it was a lovely new place she had. Her Barbie room was on the first floor and had her desk and all of her dolls displayed.

In the corner of the room, near the two windows Linda had a seating area upholstered in zebra black and white fabric, with touches of pink. the curtain swags matched and the tables were black too.

I have to admit, this one was my favorite! Linda is one of the members who mainly collects vintage, reproductions and Silkstones. 
As I said before, our presentation was on Midge. There were two whole tables of vintage and reproduction Midge, most of our club collects vintage/repro dolls. There are only a few of us into the W club like Karon, Sandra and I.

                                      

Debbi, Lori (shown above) and Janet did our presentation and they covered what Mattel did to 'cushion' the fact of Barbie being 'too glamorous & sexy' for little girls to play with. Remember, it was 1959- 54 years ago and mothers were concerned about this doll. So Mattel came up with Barbie's friend Midge- the girl next door who was more 'demure' or rather safe. Midge could wear Barbie's clothes. We also watched a vintage commercial on Youtube on the computer how Mattel advertised Midge with Barbie. Midge was represented in her three hair colors- blonde , brunette and Titain. They also had pictures and references to how Midge got married later- and how Midge disappeared from the scene in the 70's since she didn't seem to fit in with Mattel's dolls or the look of the 70's, so Mattel came up with Casey, Stacey, and PJ.

i LOVE these vintage presentations that the members take so much time, the ladies in my doll club are so very knowledgeable about vintage dolls and fashions and are a wonderful resource. We have a facebook page as well, the group is private. It made me pull out my own vintage Midge that was my aunt's doll and who I used to play with = she would come home from high school and since I got home from school first, (my aunt was 11 years older than I) we would play dolls after watching TV and eating chips and dip! By dinner time my mother would pick me up after work- (my father died young in 1969 of a brain anorism so I was about four) and my Grandmother sometimes picked me up from school so Mom could finish work.

But my aunt and I would play Barbies! and she taught me how to carefully dress the dolls, open and fold up neatly the dream house made of cardboard . (this vitnage house as well as the barbie fashion shop is on my bucket list to collect!) I think my love of miniatures and dolls was born because by the time I was playing Barbie with my aunt, she was about 17 and I was six and I had Malibu barbie but even then I knew I loved her Barbies and their clothing better- more elegant , more sophisticated- or so I thought as a little girl. 'Groovy ' Baribe and Hippie Barbie were not that much fun to play with as there were no tuxedos, just swimsuits and surfboards. Though I still have all of my Malibu Barbies, I understand why little girls are attracted to the evening wear, and so on. 

More on my new diorama display I worked on yesterday when it is farther along- but it will be quite dramatic, I promise!

Quiche Lorraine commission and dolls!

Dolls have been invading the 'Patch here and more are still coming! I haven't yet deboxed Kyori- 'Love the One' but I did debox 'To the Fair' Poppy Parker. She's lovely.

The whole 60's stewardess 'Pan-Am' vibe she has going on with her outfit rocks. Hated that TV show, but I loved the clothes! 

On another note, I have started work on a very large 1:6 scale French food commission for a fellow doll collector/diorama builder from Flicker & Ipernity. She saw some of my 1:6 scale foods and asked if I would create some items for a project she has in mind. Take a look at her Flicker Albums 

The first item of this order I did is the four individual Quiche Lorraines, which I did as tartlets. Here is my inspiration photo:

Now here is the actual pieces. I plated the tartlets on small white china plates for these pictures. 'Bon Appetit, Madam!'

The quiche Lorraines are made with parsley flakes on top for seasoning

'Merci, Gaston!' 

Gaston serves Agnes and Romaine at table, the perfect butler.

If you are interested in commissioning me to create miniature food for your diorama or dollhouse, please email me at pumpkinhillstudios@msn.com  with pictures, or ideas. My prices are reasonable and I make sure with progress photos if what I create fits in with your vision of your scene, especially in 1:6 scale. 
~Bon Appetit!~Lisa