Friday, November 18, 2011

Sunday, November 6, 2011

In Which We Learn Michiru Has A Sister

Nothing much in the dollhouse world. Little projects here and there and that's about it. Oh, wait. I do have a new girl coming for the house. Unlike Michi this is a "real" Blythe. As in, she can be customized unlike Michi. Not that I will, it's more likely I'll just make sure she and Michi have some nice new clothes. She's got no name yet. We'll see when she gets here. She's a Petite Blythe Totally Tartan and no, I didn't pay even close to that for her.

In other Blythe news, I have a head coming. It's a Basaak head and I'm so OK with that I'm reverse snobbery about it. Much as I'd love a "real" Blythe again at some point, they are investment dolls.  I have to get this new head a body, I'm thinking another body like Maude's would be great and is my goal. I also have two extra heads coming for Obitsus. One is the 60cm but it and a 27cm head were only $7 so I grabbed them.

So this winter will hopefully mean some dolls and more on the crafting front. I'm thinking of making a bunch of glitter houses for swaps and extra gifts. I have to gather up my cardboard soon I suppose.

And yes, Tarquin (aka Pookie) is currently in boot camp for the US NAVY. Anyone who wants his address to send him mail, I'm sure he'd be very pleased. Just ask and I'll send it to you.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Meet Michiru




Well, meet Michiru! She's been on the phone since she got here. Probably calling family in China to tell them to come visit!

Her boots come off, her dress comes off. The gloves and tights do not. And her bangs are annoying me right now. New clothes I'm hoping soon along with a solution for those damn bangs.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Apartments

One thing I really enjoy and is a rare item in the world of dollhouses is the dollhouse apartment. Even as a kid with my Barbie dolls, the dream house had it's three sections strictly divided so that all the residents could decorate their own way. I never cared for Victorian monstrosities (I'd had so much exposure to Victorian furniture and culture that I developed a well educated loathing of it.) and while I love modern dollhouses, it's always been the dream to have an apartment.

Oh, nothing elaborate, maybe 5 or 6 units maybe 20. Simple. And discovering the Toadstool Studios pattern (yet never finding it) I've made it my mission to find out about apartment dollhouses as much and as many as I can.

I'm currently waiting on a book written sometime in the 80's the promises a "skyscraper" plan but until I have it in my hands, you'll have to be happy with that I have.

The concept of an apartment dollhouse is hardly new. But they are so rare, I've only seen a few. The Henry Ford Museum has one, a duplex that is really charming. Dark green on one building, and tan on the other, it is probably a labor of love to a little girl who lived in the exact type of house the dollhouse is. Perhaps her cousins lived next door and this was a way to replicate her world. I hope she appreciated it, and didn't long for a Victorian mansion.

I've debated recreating this house a few times. It's a very simple house and a roof garden or what have you would look great. Wonderful as the Ford duplex is, it's rather simplistic for my taste but then, it's over 80 years old and they just didn't have the wonderful stuff for dollhouses that they do.

The other day however, I discovered this one.


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I had mentioned how I had seen a plan for a stacking dollhouse but couldn't recall where. This is not it, but this is along the same lines as the one I had seen on Facebook, Elizabeth has recently purchased a stacking, 1970's era handmade house. This picture shows three sections, stacked to complete an apartment in the finest of Edwardian styles (I'm a lot more patient with Edwardian, after all, they gave us Art Nouveau and Art Deco)


The layout is simple yet elegant. All the rooms a dollhouse should have, in a way that allows for multiple dwellers in the micro world. The dining and master bedroom have wonderful bow windows. A kitchen AND a pantry! A pantry! Something neglected in this day and age in all homes. Even though we spend billions on storage solutions! The reception hall is also a nice Edwardian addition. Ladies would meet here and have informal meetings, guests would be received here. This is the height of elegance, much like the elegant Dakota which was one of the first in elegant apartment living when apartments were thought cheap nasty places for tenement dwellers. This dollhouse was the height of fashion for some little girl who saw the Dakota being built and probably heard her father harumph about the way the world was going to hell. I think this building is newer than the Dakota, but I'm still researching the book. (update! This is the book, Home-Made Toys for Boys and Girls take that eBay)



This shows how the units are placed, and how they would stack. I need to get a hold of this plan and really go over it. This might be just the elegant apartment solution I've been searching for.

Giving Bieber a Bong Hit

I want to make something clear before I share this next picture. I do not "hate" Justin Bieber. What I "hate" is the rabidness of the fans. I probably would have felt the same over screaming Beatles fans, or Elvis fans. You fans scare me. So this is a mockery of the fandom, not Bieber hatred.



First, I bought my "magazine" at June's Miniatures Mart. Yes I can make my own mags, and yes, I know how, but no printer ink means no mags or other printies. (don't forget you can donate to me at paypal to help offset the costs of some of these things like ink and stuff) The bong is also from June's. I dipped the bong into some pretty foul dead and rotten soda and then stuck it to the magazine. Pretty simple. Now when the bong is lifted, a brown disgusting stain spreads across the magazine. Let's face it, we've all set something wet on magazines.

The last is a freebie picture. The (clean) magazine is sitting on the bed. And can you tell my dolls are a family of readers or what?

In other news, I am still waiting on my new resident. Not sure when she'll be landing in the US just yet, and I'm hoping she enjoys the new room box. But she has a resident visa and subsidized housing waiting for her and her orange locks when she gets here!!

Haven't named her yet either. And no Maude, we are not calling her "midget bitch! This jealousy over the furnishings has to stop!

Friday, August 12, 2011

Room Box Started!

So today I bit the bullet and put together the room box. I'd been avoiding doing this because I really wanted my tape wire first, but the place I plan buying it from is on vacation and my patience wore out.





First thing was, careful wallpaper trimming. I've made the mistake before of cutting first then gluing. No more. First, I glue it down, get the bubbles out, let it sit, then I trim.







Getting ahead, this is the window area to the room box. By the way, this is scrap-booking paper and not dollhouse paper.












The window'ed wall with it's paper.







I still intend on wiring. I've been told that TW is pretty sheer and I could go over the paper and no one would say anything, but I simply left about an inch unglued on each wall.




I accidently glued some down. But no big. The walls were then glued on,, and the "ceiling" when I wire that, I'll cover it with some white paper to look like a painted ceiling should. The floor was not glued because I didn't have anything to cover it with yet. I'm torn between some sage green carpet and some red. I also have some dentil molding to add that I need to paint. I'm seriously leaning towards the red carpet and red trim.







And, there you go. This will become the "living room" box. Most of what you see in here will be staying in here. I do have to get some wall art and mirrors in, and I'm working on getting a couch. The fireplace already has it's new flickering logs and as soon as the wiring goes in, it'll be crackling away. This room has an overall "red green" thing going on. Which is great for the green marble pieces. The barrel chairs also work great in here along with the gold. I'm very unsure about the blue. I'm not into those being in here and they'll be going into another room.

And, as you see, I have not stuck to the "Petite Princess" only rule. There are several items here that have no PP connection at all. Magazines and bong and lighter are courtesy of June's Miniatures.



Saturday, August 6, 2011

Sticky Saturday and New Goodies

Another gross sticky Saturday. You'd think the winters around here would make heat a pleasure but it really isn't.

So today I received some goodies. Not only from http://www.miniatures.com/ but a couple of eBay purchases.



So this was one item, the room box. At $11.99 it is a deal. Yeah, I could make one cheaper but why. This one holds Housework's size windows and doors and I have plenty of those. But, this is just taped (or rather was) I need a roll of tape wire before I'm willing to put this together totally. I also need to get the wallpaper I want and some flooring. I'm thinking carpet.



Another angle. The mirror is real, it happens to belong to the PP dressing table. It's pretty battered. I only keep it for when I get some glass cut for the PP table. The little animals by the way, are TY Beanie Eraserz. I really need to put a cushion in the brocade chair too.





The books were an auction, the little ormolu clock is from http://www.miniatures.com/ very cute. The bong is from www.junesminiaturemart.com along with an issue of High Times, and a Vanity Fair with Justin Bieber on the cover. Never fear, things will happen to dear Justin's face. He's going to get a bong stain.




Inside the pink PP room box. My biggest issue with this room box vs the wooden one is that the PP one is cardboard (duh) and nothing sits evenly. While I love my room box from PP it's just not practical. The jukebox is a Christmas ornament and plays Elvis Christmas songs. Kinda stupid but it looks cute and lights up and plays music.




It comes down to, I really like the room box. I think it's very versatile. I may invest in a couple more to hold me over until that dream house is built.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Reac, Thoughts on Housing and a Petite Princess Bed Pattern

Well, the heat is getting me down today, but I wanted to do a fast update.

I realize I talk mostly about Maude or the Petite Princess stuff, but you talk about what you have. And I don't like adding more stuff to an already packed house. My one goal for the last 2 years and for the next 4 is to minimize.

This doesn't mean I don't see stuff that I want, I do. All the time. But the PP stuff currently lacks a house, it's currently housed mostly in the Ikea Fros until I find the PERFECT house for them. I think what that will be is a townhouse. I'm debating a house based on the actual Princess Patti house. Yes, I've seen the vinyl houses and etc, but I don't like them. They are hideous. I think though that the original townhouse is far too small. The height is decent, the design is nice, but 5 oddly proportioned rooms would never keep me happy. So, I've been working now and then on designs using Google Sketch Up.

Then we have my old dream house, the apartment building from Toadstool Studios. I have one of their other patterns, a very nice house, and interestingly, they use Chicago style balloon framing as the method for constructing the house. I'll be making it at some point just to test it out. I hate the porch on it and it could be slightly bigger. But if I'm reading the pattern right, both are easily fixed. But the house is not PP suitable. At all.


But the apartment on the other hand, I can indulge in my love of modern stuff. Like the Reac Chairs. Or this yummy couch that I'd love to have in full size. Reac furniture comes in "volumes" not sets. And you can buy them a piece at a time, or check eBay for entire volumes so you can have a complete set. Lucky for my fellow modernists, there are only a few volumes of Reac. The stuff is as addictive as Re-Ment though.






My last thing is PP related, of course. I'm in the process of redoing an extra PP bed I happen to have. I had 2 powder blue ones, I haven't begun on it yet beyond getting a pattern. But I figured I'd share it. I'm hardly the only one who updates PP's look, but hopefully this can simplify it for those who were unwilling to tackle it. Make sure to print the picture at 100% otherwise, you'll really have some serious scale issues. Hopefully in the next few weeks I can post a tutorial on what to do with the patterns. I also have a dressing table, not in the greatest shape that I'll be re-doing to match the bed. Broken pieces are great to experiment on. There are some pieces I won't touch, like the Patti television, but the rest is fair game. There's a lot out there. Anyone have any broken pieces they want to get rid of? I won't buy them, but I will at least pay for shipping.


Monday, August 1, 2011

The Ikea Fro, 420 for the Princess and New Residents

So where to begin? Let's see, nothing new added really to the collection. I did eye a couple of pieces but common sense and a lack of desire to go without food overcame me and I passed up a chance to buy a complete set.


But, my biggest issue now with my PP
is, no home for them. I have temporarily solved this issue. Lucky are those who live near Ikea. I do not. Luckily, eBay let me know that someone had a pair of Ikea Fro for sale. Now, about.com had an article that I had read first. Really? I don't agree at all. These are not that flimsy. They were not difficult to put together. I did crack a window. But that was because I was putting it together and being stupid and dropped one end of the house onto the end. And crack. It was pretty simple to put together once you realize that all you need to do is to line up the bottom groove that holds a wire floor. Leave one end open to slide a floor in and bam, you are done. Like any other Ikea product, especially this one, grab your wood glue. This will get some paint later, I'm going to add more trim to create the "windows" to a truer scale and I'll replace the one broken window. Or put a miniature baseball in it.



I do plan on changing the floor in the Fro. The Fros will not be remaining a holder for my PP collection, but they are going to be dollhouse sized greenhouses or sun porches. I'll be sliding a piece of luan in there as soon as I can cut one. Then the floor will have some kind of floor. I'm torn between doing real tiling in DH size, or just investing in a nicer flooring paper or lino from HBS. Also, as you see in the picture, I'm still experimenting with trying to photograph realistic dollhouse scene. As real as possible considering it's tiny furniture and dolls anyhow.


Speaking of HBS, I did place a nice order with them. A few manuals, and some other items. One being a fireplace set up. It's a lighted one, and I bought a grate to hold it. So, the PP fireplace better brace itself. It's going to be modified this week. I've had a few people flinching over my loose talk of modifying PP pieces but really, piffle. I'm very careful to use really broke down pieces. I have a bed for example that has had it's main part removed and the satin looks like a cat played with it. That'll be stripped and recovered in purple satin. Just because I can.

I also in other news, purchased a couple new items for the eventual PP house. Until that is built, these can be part of the greenhouse displays.


First was a bong. Yeah, I know. But really, it's no secret. The only difference between mine and the picture is that I am not getting the bag of tobacco, mine will have a little bowl of "green". Those who need one themselves can find them thanks to June's Miniature Mart. I tried to get 1:6 scale, but sadly, June does not carry this size. Maude is pretty depressed over it. But her's might be getting blown by a real glass blower. So she can relax.



Maude's nose is actually pretty strongly out of joint right now. The PP furniture has a new owner coming. No name for her yet, but Maude keeps calling her "that orange haired hussy". She's not. Isn't she sweet? General opinion from the friends however, is that she is creepy.


And, last but not least. There are two props coming that are only coming because of pure irritation factor. The People will more than likely get shoved into a dresser, but the Vanity Fair is going right onto the coffee table. The
bong will sit on top of Justin's face, and there will be a stain from the bong on the cover.

My goal is, that while the furniture is vintage, the setting won't be. The house has been decided on, I just have to stop being lazy and create it in Sketch Up, and then get cracking. But you'll see modern magazines, the Blythe dolls will eventually take over the furniture, and it will be the setting for the modern 21st century. I think it'll be fun.


And I think I'm getting the hang of interiors? Yes?

Friday, July 15, 2011

Maude Makes an Appearance and More PP Love






Lots and lots of things today. First, a new picture of Maude. Her "pets" are Ty Beanie erasers. Cute yes?

In other Maude news, she's debating adopting. But because of her porn star lifestyle, she's also demanded a nanny or au pair. I'm voting nanny using my veto power because really, bad things happen when you have an au pair.

And it might happen that she'll get two children and a nanny. So far, this is baby number one. She's a Hujoo baby. I'd like one of the Obitsu babies, and that WILL happen but this little Hujoo is just so damn sweet she begs to come live here. Tarquin thinks she's creepy. But like with everything, I need sales at my Etsy shop before I can make too many grand plans. After all, Maude still needs a home.



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In Petite Princess Land, new pieces and a new room box. I'm pretty happy about it, this means I can take a look at the box carefully and try to reproduce it for people who can't get a box. But, all these new pieces also means that a new house is a must.

Speaking of which, while it wasn't Toadstool Studios High Rise plan, I did get my hands on TS Farmhouse plan yes, I wish badly it was the apartment house, but it's a step in getting together the patterns this company made.


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So, do you want a cute corset for your dresser? This is an unwearable 1" scale corset. Only $2 for this item on my Etsy Shop - Dirty Girl Designs.




Thursday, June 30, 2011

Petite Princess Love

As you might know more from personal experience than my blogging I'm a huge fan of the Petite Princess line. I only had three pieces though.

Recently I had remarked that my girlfriend had found a house in her garage attic and wanted to furnish it. I wanted to put in Arcade but she's actually starting to really eyeball the Tootsie Toy stuff and I mentioned in passing how I really liked PP. It's not to her taste though. But, a fellow group member says, "hey, I have extras give me shipping and they are your's. I figured one or two pieces. Nope. Check out what she sent.

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As you can imagine, I'm giddy. I never expected this. So thank you to Maureen from the Dream Dollhouses group on Yahoo. She really shook me out of some really bad depression with this.