I am back to the building diorama table, Batman! and have finally figured out how to use a little prop I bought months ago and finally finished and figured out how to use for Poppy's condo.
I have long been fascinated with how Jatman did her apartment set up for the story Team Roommate . It was so neat that all she had to do was take walls away to film. So I have been playing around with the same thing myself for Poppy's storyline when she invites her parents and sisters over for dinner to meet Bryan. Ever since I purchased the new little office caddy to turn into a sofa/daybed, I have been obsessed with her apartment /condo that sits on the marina near the bay. Yeah, Poppy Parker is used to money and likes to be near the boats and go sailing, so I thought her lifestyle of photography should reflect that. I had started building an over the top modern beach house, but it just didn't jive last year.
Last year around Christmas I purchased one of those cheapo desk fountains at a bargain store for about $5 - you can get them at Dollar General, Ross, and other places too. I had to build a base for it but it really works and it I love it, I may get a much taller one for a church scene. They run on batteries. Here is the entry hallway to the condo where Poppy lives and the entry/hallway on the groundfloor.
The back wall is a blue panel of foamboard. The two brick panels are foam insulation carved with brick and painted white. I used mydremel to do the brick. Some of the white was spray painted some was just painted on with acrylic and a brush. The greenery and pots of cactus are from Michael's. I spray painted the base of insulation thicknesses for the fountain with spray stone texture paint and let it dry overnight. Tony and Poppy seem to enjoy the entry way.
It might need a bit of a splash of artwork on the walls on either side of the brick panels but I think it turned out well for a first time setup. Maybe more greenery? I was aiming for posh. I've been looking for nautical type of items that would be suitable in a condo type complex like this, maybe something like a simple net with starfish in it on the walls, or a painting of a sailboats, or oars crossed on either side that type of thing would work. Or even tattered fishmonger signs on the walls too.
Yesterday I showed off one of the new outfits that arrived in the mail for my girls that I showed on my my Edge Vanessa. That adorable dress was made by Susan Hall known as Toomanypictures on Flicker and smh223837 on ebay. The newest outfit was purchased from Dangerousdames on eBay. I have two of her outfits and they are well made. I love this one and stumbled across it on Ebay by accident. I love the little hat and it looks great on Fiorella.
The purple tones perfectly with her lip color and makeup and skin tones. It all came together perfectly. She looks so ready for Easter! I had been waiting for the right outfit to come along before I undressed her and I am glad I did. Her outfit will be going on one of my Agnes- probably my Agnes with the black hair who will look perfect in that black dress with red roses.
I hope you have a wonderful & Happy Easter!
I have some wonderful outfits arrive today so today was an even more wonderful Good Friday than it already was. I will share one outfit today, and the next one tomorrow, that way I will have two blog posts. They are by two different ebay sellers and arrived just in time to redress two lovely girls..
This one goes on Edge Vanessa...just on a fluke. I didn't think bright colors would suit her, nor the style with her freakish long legs because of the new FR2 body. (I simply hate the new FR2 long legs, I wish they they had kept the older Dracula body as the feet are easier to find shoes for and her breasts and unnaturally, er pointy) but the dress fit better than I expected. I had not redressed her since de-boxing her and she is lovely. Here she is in her new Easter dress! For fun I threw in Starlight Poppy and vintage Dramatic Living Skipper.
Photo props: Furniture- Disney Princess by Mattel repainted white by me, teacup, Rement, St. Honore pastry, made by me, Flowers, Dollar Tree, Michael's craft store. Bunny- Holland Barbie.
Backdrop and french doors are made/handcrafted by me. Floor is foamboard covered with marble contact paper.
~ Happy Easter! ~
Occasionally Michael's yields forth some wondorous items for props that were not intended for dolls but home decor. They have some from their Ashland decor home line and I picked up this little gem recently. I don't know if it was intended to be a shelf or a little desk caddy. Anyway, it is now going to be Poppy's daybed/sofa for her new nautical themed apartment that is in the works.
I picked up some other items too, red scrapbook paper, nautical blue and white striped denium and jean fabric quarters, and some nautical pendents from the bead section. All kinds of goodies. So far I've made up some pads and pillows. I also made up a denium pad for this too.
I thought the key would look neat hanging overtop of the settle daybed and the octopus theme was too good to pass up. It's like the theme of her apartment just came to me walking thru the store!
I also just purchased these little iPads and Apple computers in a set of four- 2 laptops and 2 ipads with screen options from ebay from this Seller who no longer has any more, but keep watching, he may list more. It was a really great deal. I have always wanted some iPads and better looking laptops for my dolls with more real looking screens.
The settle was 50% off which made it 19.99 so I wasn't going to wait for it to go down to any lower. It is a little taller than I like but it looks great for the dolls. Here is Tony lounging on it too.
I love how this bench looks so modern with the two of them. I am planning to begin her apartment after Easter as I cleaned off my dining room table today...yes, Easter is coming so we have to have family over to eat! That means I will have room to diorama build after everybody leaves! lol....
I am busily sewing more cushions and will take more pics of more cushion options with the solid jean denium cushion. I really love the striped one the best myself. Be sure to run out and get one of these while they are available!
Well I finished them and re-vamped the interior of LaBelle's with the Mattel closet. I was not sure at first it would fit but decided to try it. This diorama is bigger than I thought. It is a large structure and I need to get used to cramming it full, it is just very hard to stage as it is only open on each end and the door has to be removed from the front or thru the windows to stage which can be difficult.
I decided to go with making one window total Easter, and the other one make up and cosmetics and with a mannequin dressed picking up the colors of the nail polish and the other mannequin (black) displaying the silver necklace piece. More striking that way. I am going out today to look for more little vase jars, and more dollar tree flowers as the shop needs more color.
Anyhow, onto the pics!
The flowers were pulled directly off of the bunches and the eggs were cut off of the bunch with scissors. The grass is just the paper grass spread on the floor. The basket is a dollhouse miniature basket and the shoes that match the basket are tucked in. The bunny is from Holland Barbie. The flowers are tucked into a 1:12 scale dollhouse garden urn found in a dollhouse shop from my collection. I used one of my Picasso stickers on those plastic magnetic frames on the side of the closet to give color and interest to the display. the last two photos are taken with low light to make it look as though late night shopping in the evening.
The interior and the far end of LaBelle's with the Mattel closet and the Bespaq armoire. One of the Haruko mannequins are on the stage wearing a Fashion Royalty gown with a Bespaq chair. The Bespaq armoire is also staged open with a purse, shoe and accessory display. There are flower arrangements on the glass mirror tables beside the door, but they need to be larger and more vibrant. I want to put those flower arrangements somewhere else in the shop or in another diorama.
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Here are some closeups of the accesory displays. First in the Bespaq armoire, there is the Picasso print, a stardoll jacket, the zebra purse is a Hobby Lobby christmas ornament find, shoes, and sunglasses and shoe box. I will probably do a little more on this display with some more knick nacks like a Ruetter vase or some flowers or some Easter eggs in a basket or something. It needs a little bit of color.
The make up display in the window I really like how this turned out though I might take down the loungerie and place that elsewhere and put something pink to tone with the dress. Maybe move it over so it isn't so distracting.
One of the reasons I made LaBelle's into a permanent shop was shops like this just don't exist anymore. I remember as a little girl my mother putting on hat and gloves if she even thought of going into a place like this. (This type of shop was usually off of her budget level but she loved to go in and 'window shop' as she called it, or buy herself a pair of gloves or a hat if she had enough money which was rare). These types of shops sometimes had models who would model the fashions for you. The larger department stores wrapped your purchases in tissue paper in a BOX then put it into a shopping bag with their logo on it. If you purchased alot it would be delivered to your address. One of the things I would also like to do is have a doorman at the door as well. Shopping was an experience in those days. I guess that is why I enjoy shows like Selfridges on Masterpiece theater.
Enjoy the pics!
~Lisa
