Staying Warm...With A Teddy Bear Winter Tea Party

The weather outside is certainly frightful. We have had sub zero temperatures for a few days along with plenty of fluffy white snow! It is cozy warm inside and I am thankful for blessings. 

While I wait for the weather to improve, I'm so glad you stopped in. Please pull up a chair and join me & teddy for some tea and sweets. Hope you are staying warm!

Reader Question: What Material Can I Use for Walls in a Barbie House?

Hello my lovely blog readers!!!  I can hardly believe that the holiday season is upon us once again.  It has been a whirlwind of a year. I won't bore you with all the details but I am BACK with ideas to share!  Thank you all who emailed me asking if I was planning on returning to the craft room.

A reader by the name of Rhonda recently sent me an email after discovering my fun little blog.  She is constructing some condo units for her dolls using shelves & was wondering if using cardboard would make the finished project cheesy. 

First of all, kudos to you for your vision, your energy to tackle this project & brilliant idea to use readily accessible inexpensive materials to create a charming space for your dolls.  Many miniaturists use non-wood materials to create backdrops in miniature scenes. I personally find that it is much easier to work with and I do not need specialty tools.  I am an instant gratification kind of girl so this works for me on so many levels!

In addition to cardboard, one of my absolute FAVORITE mini wall surface is FOAM CORE.  The picture above is a quaint breakfast nook scene that I created with foam core.  It is light weight, inexpensive, and found at most Hobby stores (even at my local dollar store!).  The window that you see...shhhh...I'll tell you a little secret. You know the pre-school MATCHING card game? When you get a set new you have to punch out the little cards. What is left is a piece of cardboard with evenly spaced squares that resemble a multi-pane window! Add a little wood trim & a window sill & you are DONE. 

I use foam core extensively to create backdrops for my photography.  I cover in appropriate scale wallpaper or scrapbook paper to transform the space into a realistic setting.

 I even use it to build furniture. It really is quite versatile & creates a sturdy alternative to wood.  The upper cabinets in the photo below were constructed out of cardboard & trimmed with wood.

And the countertop. It's cardboard. Wrapped in faux granite contact paper. Bah-bam!

This entire Chicago Bears Themed room was built with cardboard.  I even created faux stones with recycled egg cartons. (tutorial to come)

   

You can either glue the edges together to form your walls, use T-pins or even duct tape to secure the corners together.  Even better-use the walls to create some architectural interest. Add in a closet, a bay window-complete with a seat, a fireplace or any other structural element to help reinforce the wall to allow each one to be free standing within the shelving unit.  

I also like to use old Barbie boxes to add a niche to an otherwise flat wall.

The beauty of constructing a dollhouse in this matter is that it is flexible. You can move the walls around without having to dismantle the entire thing. How is that for ultimate creativity? Could you imagine being able to do that in your real house? I know I LOVE to rearrange furniture, décor & artwork frequently. Having the ability to do so in my mini projects is a MUST.

I really want to thank Rhonda for reaching out to me. I am thrilled you found my blog and are INSPIRED to create your own fabulous rooms! As always I love pictures! If you would be so kind as to share your project once you are finished I would be thrilled. I enjoy seeing the creativity my readers produce. You all are so talented! I am humbled that I inspire you to get creative with your doll spaces, but truth is you all inspire me as well!

Thank you for stopping by

Happy Crafting!

Stephiejo

An Apology to My Readers

I didn't want to have to do it, but I've been forced to make a few changes to the comments section of the blog. Comments can be made by registered users and you will have to submit a word verification. I really hate to have to do that because I do not want to discourage my readers from commenting on posts. However, the spam posts have become ridiculous and Blogger is missing 90 percent of them.  I apologize for any inconvenience but it's the only way I can combat the rampant adult oriented spam being put in the comments section. Thank you for your understanding!

Diorama Prop Alert

With winter holiday season just around the corner, check the Christmas ornament aisle at your local retail stores.  Craft, big box, hardware, home decor and even grocery stores sell tree ornaments.  You can find many items suitable for Barbie in amongst the holiday decor. 

 Wally world is selling these adorable faux chandeliers. I found black & blue. They are covered with glitter and have the most charming sparkly beads. You can make these even more charming by stringing beads between the arms. Even though they do not light up, they still add a layer of glamour to your dollhouse or diorama scene.

They also have these delightful trees that look like they are made out of peppermint candy ribbons. Look for this tree to make an appearance in an upcoming holiday diorama. 

Picture frame ornaments are fantastic too. These black ones are from Wally world. I love the ornate details. Made out of resin, they are meant to hold a photograph. You could put in a craft mirror, printable artwork, images from cards or old books, and even your own photo to create custom art for Barbie & friends.

What great treasures have you found lately? Any tips for using non-doll items in a doll setting? I'd love to hear your comments!

Thanks for stopping by~

Happy Crafting!

Stephiejo

Independence Day

Happy 4th of July!  To all my American readers, a little red white and blue to celebrate our nations Independence!

Happy Crafting,

Stephiejo

Kitchen Littles Stoves: White 1996 vs. Pink 2009

The topic of the original KL stove verses the newer one came up in conversation with a customer of mine.  I thought that I would share the comparison with all my readers.  

The Kitchen Littles brand appliances are darling, realistic replicas that work well with the  10 to 12 inch fashion dolls.  

It measures 6.5 inches high, 5 inches wide, and 4 inches deep.  

The cooktop is 5.75 inches from the floor. The center of the burners are metal with black grates around the outside.  The back of the stove has a detailed sticker decal and a silver painted dial that is molded into the plastic. The dial is decorative not functional.

 The four dials in the front of the stove are  actually buttons that when pushed will give realistic kitchen sounds.  The button on the far left makes a ticking timer sound that dings when it's finished. The second button makes a sizzling bacon sound.  The third button sounds like a whistling tea kettle.  The fourth and final button will turn on the oven light.  The oven is operable with a cute silver rack so that Barbie can bake her cakes and casseroles. 

The drawer at the bottom opens up for storage of pots and pans, a must have in a small Barbie kitchen! 

I really like the depth of this stove back. It creates  a ledge that you can prop spice jars on to make a realistic looking display. 

The battery compartment is in the back and there is no on/off switch.

The Hot Pink KL stove is equally cute, although slightly different in its design.  It measures 6.5 inches high, 5 inches wide and 4 inches deep. The stovetop height is slightly shorter than the original at 5.5 inches from the floor. 

The back stove panel incorporates a control panel decal, although I am disappointed that the back of the stove lacks the depth of the original. 

The burners of the newer model look more like a gas stove. The knobs on the front of the stove all turn and make a clicking noise as you move them. 

The knob on the far left will raise the "flame" in the left front burner. The knob on the far right will raise the flame on the right front burner. The two middle knobs turn but do not provide any function. The really neat part of this newer model is the way the stove makes sounds. If you put an item on the left rear burner, it will make a sound like a whistling tea kettle. (no more button pushing!). If you place an item on the right rear burner it will make a sizzling bacon sound!  

The battery compartment is also in the back and includes an on/off switch. This is a great addition if you want to use the stove without hearing the noises.  Sadly there is no kitchen timer feature with this model, but you do get a faux digital clock! 

The oven is also operable and I like that the oven grate is more centered in the oven rather than at the bottom of the original.  (oven decals are NOT included-I added after I purchased) A bonus feature, the light in the oven turns on when you OPEN the door! No button to push.

 There is a storage drawer as well and it's quite a bit smaller than the original.

Side by side comparison of the drawers:

Overall I think both stoves are fantastic.  I added a rub on decal to the glass door of my pink one to give it a little attitude.

One more look side by side:

If I can get my hands on any more of the original KL stoves I will certainly add to my store. I have the pink version in stock new in the box.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Crafting ~

Stephiejo

Red Hot Penthouse Decor

This is what I imagine Barbie's Fifth Avenue penthouse apartment might look like.

Red leather chaise, modern glass coffee table, acrylic nesting end tables, chrome wall sconces and a fabulous damask wallpaper accent. 

The perfect retreat and sanctuary...

A place to entertain guests...

Or just a place to relax after a long day of work.

You can achieve this look with a few simple techniques. The papered walls are two silver colored doll boxes. If you do not have any boxes that are already silver-cover them in grey construction paper, contact paper, gift wrap or scrapbook paper. The damask pattern is a scrapbook piece. I left a large section of the grey visible to visually heighten the room. The chaise is a piece from the My Scene Party Pad. Originally purple, the legs were finished with a chrome color. The faux leather look was achieved with layers of paint. Each tufted button is a sparkly crystal accent. The coffee table base began as a bench in another My Scene bedroom playset. I removed the seat-painted it to look like wrought iron then used a smoke colored piece of oval glass for the table top.

The wall sconces are custom made using mirrored tiles, beads, jewelry findings, plastic pieces, super glue and silver paint.

Thanks for stopping by...

Happy Crafting!

Stephiejo