New Blog

I have decided to move my blog elsewhere, so if you'd like to continue to read about my BJD adventures please visit me here.

Thank you!

~Louisa

Day 14 through 18 of Tiny BJD Photo Challenge...

Here you go!  The most recent photos from the Flickr Challenge:

14/31 Watching TV.

 

15/31 Hiding

 

16/31 The Mailbox

 

17/31 On the Phone

 

18/31 An Instrument

 

Still having fun taking these photos! :0)

 

 



Days 9 through 13 of Tiny BJD Photo Challenge...

Here are this week's photos:

9/31  In a Tree

 

10/31  Something Handmade

 

11/31  In Your Bag

 

12/31  Writing a Letter

 

13/31  In Public

 

 

I'm still enjoying this challenge very much.  The fun part is spending all day at work while I sew trying to come up with something fun and interesting to photograph with that day's theme and then getting to go home and do it.

 

If you want to join in the fun you can here at Tiny BJD 31 Day Challenge on Flickr.

 

 

Have a great weekend! :0)



 

 

 

Days 3 thru 8 of Tiny BJD Photo Challenge

Here's an update of the photos I took for days 3 thru 8:

3/31 With Her Toy

 

4/31 Eating

 

5/31 Outside

 

6/31 Making Something

 

7/31 Computer

 

8/31 Reading

 

Columbus Doll & Bear Show and Spoilin's

Today was the Columbus Doll & Bear show up in Columbus, Ohio and I finally got to go after 2 years of wanting to!  Every time it's come around something has come up and I wasn't able to make it, but today, despite cloudy and then rainy weather, I made the 2 hour drive up there and was able to enjoy it.  There were hundreds if not thousands of dolls and their accessories of all sorts for sale.  There was also a group of BJD collectors from all over Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky there as well and we took over a corner of the sales room. 

 

 

 

 

There were so many dolls on the table in our corner by the time we arrived that there wasn't room for ours, so we made a little display on the floor.

 

 

I also got to do some shopping and Kess & Nell got spoiled!

 

 

 

Kess got a new tea set and dresser and Nell got a pair of shoes and a teddy bear.

 

All in all, it was a fun day spent with good doll friends enjoying the things we like :0) 



Day 2 of 31 Day Tiny BJD Photo Challenge...

Okay, so my original plan was to just post a collage of 5 photos per week for this challenge here, but I had so much fun with today's theme I can't help but post a couple of the photos I took.  Here's Day2:  With an Animal.

 

 

31 Day Tiny BJD Photo Challenge.

So, I've been wanting to do one of those photo challenge things on Flickr lately just to get into the habit of getting my camera out for more than listing photos and to be more creative with my photo taking.  I was invited to join a Flickr group called 31 Day Tiny BJD Photo Challenge and thought this was exactly what I've been waiting for! 

Basically, we're given a list of 'themes' for each of the 31 days that we're a part of this challenge.  Most folks seem to be choosing a particular doll to feature in these photos so I've decided that Neely could use some extra camera time.  A tiny BJD is a BJD that is 26cm or 10.2 inches and under.  Neely is 15.5cm or 6.1 inches tall.

 So without any further delay, here's Day 1/31: In Her Bed

Commissions and Challenges

So lately I've had a few commissions from some customers from my Etsy shop.  I find commissions fun and challenging because they get my creative juices flowing and problem solving skills a work out.  Last week, I had a customer ask for a pair of MSD Jammies I already had available BUT done in a pale blue fabric.  The challenge: Find a suitable pale blue fabric in the right scale for this size doll that would work for jammies! This meant going to a couple of different fabric stores hunting down just the right fabric.  Here's the result of that commission:

I need to make Kess this set too- it looks so good on her!

 

 

Next challenge: Make Yo-SD sized boxer shorts for a boy.  Now, I've made boxer shorts for Pukifees and MiniFees, but none in Yo-SD or LittleFee size because I don't have a LittleFee boy- yet!  I wanted to do something a little different than I had for the other two sizes, so back to the fabric stores I went.  This is the result:

 

            

 

 

 

My favorite has to be the Avengers Boxers!  :0)  Poor Nell!  She had to pretend to be a boy for these photos!

 

 

Another commission this week was for Yo-SD boy and girl pajamas.  This meant - you guessed it!- another trip to the fabric store!  This time for flannel fabric.  Here are the results:

 



Nell in a flannel nightgown for Yo-SD/LTF sized BJD's.  She gets to keep this one :0).

 

 A bald Nell pretending to be a boy so I could photograph the boy pajamas.  Made with the Avengers fabric as per my customer's request.



Great Finds!

So yesterday my daughter Valerie wanted to go to the local Goodwill to look around.  Saturday is usually a zoo at Goodwill because they have everything 50% off, but if you don't mind standing in line for a while to check out or a crowded store, then it's well worth it.  I hit the jackpot yesterday!

Our Goodwill has a little gift shop that's separate from the Goodwill itself and it has mostly new gift items in it.  Amongst their items for sale, they have miniature instruments and most of them are music boxes.  I decided that Julian, my Minifee Shiwoo, needs to play the violin.  They had several; a couple of music box types which were too big, and a few that were actually Christmas ornaments. I decided to get one of the Christmas ornaments but it didn't come with a bow.  So, last night I set to making a bow out of Polymer Clay, wire and silver thread.  It came out well I think.  Here's Julian playing his new violin.

 

 

After purchasing the violin, I went back to the Goodwill's household section while Valerie looked through the clothing.  I've been looking for one of those compartmented wooden shelves to display my Mini & Micro Lalaloopsy collection in for months now and I finally stumbled on one!  And since everything was 50% off, I only paid $2.00 for it!  Awesome find!

 

 It needed a polishing, but it's just perfect for these little gals and guys to hang out in.  Now I just need to paint my workroom so I can hang this shelf up and they can be displayed properly instead of in their plastic container. :0/

Thistledown

So, I need to do some backtracking.  It seems that I got the order of arrivals mixed up when it comes to Neely and Thistledown.  Who is Thistledown? you ask.  Well, Thistle was a little girl who came to live me for a brief time before Neely arrived- the product of the need for a new doll while enduring the 10 week wait for Fairyland to ship Neely to me! 

Thistledown is a Tiny Mina by Sleeping Elf on Etsy.  Carrie Atwood is the artist who designs and sculpts these delicate bjd's and has Bobobie/ResinSoul cast them for her.  She is located in the UK and is very happy to work with her customers. 

I wanted a tiny fairy like doll and The Sleeping Elf Tiny Mina fit the bill.  I purchased her from Carrie's Etsy shop and she was home in no time.  Of course by then I already had Eswyn, my ResinSoul Mei, and Kaili, my Fairyland Ante, waiting for her.  Thistle turned out to be smaller than Kaili in many ways.  She was very slim and MUCH more delicate compared to Kaili.  I've always liked the look of the more delicate doll but have found over the course of time and a few dolls later, that I really like solid feeling dolls.

Thistle on the day of her arrival December 1, 2009.  So tiny in my hand!

 

 

Thistle stayed with us for a little while and she and Kaili had some fun together, but I really couldn't make myself love her the way I wanted to so she decided she wanted to travel to a new home. 

 

Here are some photos of the adventures she had with us:

 

 



Eswyn reading to Thistle and Kaili.

 

Christmas of 2009 Mendokusai of DOA had a photo contest and this was my entry.  I won First Place! :0)

 

I made Thistle a lantern house. Here you can see how much bigger Kaili is than Thistle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Trip Down Memory Lane...

This evening I decided to move some photos from one photo storage site to our external drive and I got caught in a trip down Memory Lane.  Specifically, my Fairyland Ante Twins.  I've had a lot of fun with these two, especially when they first arrived.  They haven't seen too much camera time since I got my Minifees and I do miss them.  I really need to spend some time with these two and come up with some new photostories...  Kaily & Neely had a way of getting into mischief with not very much effort! ;0)

Kaili is the oldest of the two and is a Fairyland Basic or Red Hat Ante in White Skin.  She was my second BJD and arrived on October 14th, 2009.  She was my very first experience with Fairyland and started my love affair with their dolls.  Her resin was paper white and so smooth, she posed wonderfully and felt very solid right out of the box.

Kaili on her "birthday".

 

 

She was soon asking for a sister, but before I got Neely I had another arrival from another company that I'll talk about in another post.  Neely arrived three months later on January 28th. 2010.  That's when the trouble started.  Neely, being the younger and more curious of the twins, got into all kinds of mischief which Kaili felt the need to try and prevent but never quite could.  Neely is a Fairyland Sweetbunny Fullset in White Skin.  I got the fullset mostly for the wig and because their faceups are just a little different in the color scheme. 

 

 

Kaili & Neely on Neely's "birthday".

 

 

If you'd like to see their adventures check them out here:

 

Unauthorized Used of a Cell Phone

A Spirited Game of Hide & Seek

 

I think it's about time I come up with a new photstory for them.... :0)

 

 





 

A Package Arrived!

I've been wanting to find a bench for my MSD's to put out by the pond for photoshoots and ran across this one in the Castaways Marketplace.  It's perfect for them!  It's also very solid but I'm not so sure that I'll keep the red paint though.  Will have to figure out what I want to do as far as painting it before the weather turns too cold.  Anyway, I took a few photos with Julian & Kess just to try it out. 
Enjoy! :0)

 

"Come sit next to me."

 

 

 

A Tender Moment.



Props & Accessories

So, ever since I can remember I've really loved miniatures.  What better way to enjoy them than to have dolls that you make room settings for and fill with tiny versions of what you may find in your own home?  I've added a few new items to Kess's apartment this last week:



I found the vase with the roses in the minature section of Hobby Lobby.  It's a smaller scale than what would normally be good for an MSD, but because it's on her nightstand it looks better smaller.  Besides, the flowers match her room perfectly!
I also bought the little glass bottle at Hobby Lobby.  I found it in the scrap booking section and it came in a package with several other bottles in various sizes.  I filled it with some beach sand from my collection and set the tiny sea shells (from my collection as well) next to it. 

 



This evening I made a little doggy bed for Kess's puppy Puff.  I found a pair of miniature baskets at Hobby Lobby (it's one of my favorite craft stores, can you tell? ;0)).  This is the smaller of two baskets.  I cut off the handle with a pair of wire cutters and made the cushion with cotton fabric and fiber fill.  It was a quick and easy project that took me about 20 minutes to make. I think he likes it!

 

Last week I worked on these canvas totes for MSD sized BJD's.  They are fully lined with a contrasting or matching fabric on the inside.  You can find them in my Etsy Shop. 

 



 

Here are Kess & Puff modeling one of the totes.

 

Kess's Apartment... A Little More Progress.

Today I worked on a few accessories for Kess's apartment.  I bought a plain wood trunk from Hobby Lobby and painted it, adding the filigree decorations which are actually stickers meant for scrapbooking as the decoration on the front.  I added the seat cushion made of one inch foam and covered with cotton fabric and made the pillows.  This is for extra seating in her apartment seeing as I don't have plans for a big couch or anything in her one room, one bath set up.

 

 

I also made the pillow that's on the rocker.

 

Next I worked on the night stand and lamp that is next to her bed.  The night stand is made out of a paper mache box also found at Hobby Lobby and square dowels painted and decorated with a brass Vintaj filigree.  The lamp is made with a wooden candle stick base that I painted.  The lamp shade is made with a cream colored card stock and white rose ribbon for decoration.

 

 

This side of her apartment is almost done.  I just have to paint and glue the baseboard around the bottom of the walls.  I want the apartment to have "hardwood" floors, but that won't happen till I know how big it will actually be once it's done.

~Louisa

Kess's Apartment: Part 2

So, I've made some progress on Kess's Apartment in the last few days.  Specifically the window and window seat.
Tuesday and Wednesday was spent doing a lot of measuring, cutting, painting and glueing of the window frame.  It's tedious work but rewarding when you measure twice and cut once!  When the frame was all set I cut and glued in the window pane- a sheet of clear Acetate.  Now, when I bought the Acetate I forgot that I was working with an area greater than the 12"x12" size that it comes in.  Needless to say, I will have to go back to Hobby Lobby in the next few days to get another sheet as the top panes don't have Acetate in them :0/.  Ah well, live and learn...

 

I also painted and added the center medalian under the seat.

 

Today I worked on the window seat cushion, the curtains and a pillow for her bed.  The curtains are just basic panels that are hung on a dowel rod that is concealed in the cornice box just like real curtains would be.  I picked this Poly-Satin fabric in this deep wine color because it brings out the pink flowers in the quilt nicely.  I tied them back with some beads strung on stretchy cord.  The window seat cushion is a piece of 1 inch foam covered in some left over gold silk fabric from another project.  It's fairly neutral and seems to work well.

 

 

 

I just have a few finishing touches to add to complete this side of the room.  All in all, I'm quite happy with the result! :0)

 

 

OMAKE:

 

My dog Molly likes to hang out with me as I'm working on a project in my workroom.  Well, I worked on this project on the floor and she would come over and check in on me occassionally.  Here she is peaking through the window before it was completed.  She also enjoyed stepping through it to come see me :0)

 



 

Rainy Day Project: Kess's Apartment

So yesterday we felt the affects of Isaac and spent most of the day indoors because of all the rain.  Don't get me wrong, I'm very glad that we got the rain- our yard REALLY needed it- but it made for finding something to do indoors a little challenging.

I've had this idea for a photo story in my head for about a year now.  I'm a very visual person and haven't gotten past the very general outline as far as characters are concerned.  Kess is by far the most fleshed out of the characters so I thought I'd start with her living space.  In the story she rents an apartment on the top floor of a renovated Victorian style house not too far from the university she attends.  It's basically one big room with a bathroom attached, but it suites her needs.

I had gathered up some of my supplies with a genral idea sketched out in my notebook and started by doing a lot of measuring.  Kess has had a bed since before she arrived home last year.  It's a second hand American Girl Doll bed for Samantha I found on Ebay while I was i the midst of the eternally long wait for Fairyland to get her to me.  I just bought the basic frame.  I made the quilt, pillows, mattress and dust ruffle.  Kess is a quiet girly girl and likes feminine things so the colors I chose are soft and nature based.  Having the bed and the basic color scheme really helped in my choices of paper and accents for the room so I just needed to find patterns and colors that leaned towards Victorian. 

Tri-fold foam core board (like you'd use for school presentations etc.) makes great wall material.  The larger sheets can be a bit pricy, but that's where my Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon came in handy! ;0)
I used a sharp exacto knife to cut the foam core down to size and cut out where the window seat would be.

Next I made the actual window seat.  I scored a section of the bottom part of the window instead of cutting it completely free and folded it out of the window.  Then I just cut pieces of foam core board and created a 'box' for the seat.  I used clear packing tape to adhere the pieces together.  It works great and I have a ton of the stuff!  I also added the side walls and the top to the window seat.

Then I started papering.  Scrapbook paper is awesome and it's even better when you can get each sheet for 50% off!  I used the larger 12"x12" sheets and started with the top and worked my way down.  Had to make another trip to Hobby Lobby because I miscalculated and had to get more paper. :0/  After that I mitered and painted my wood trim for the chair railing.  I bought the trim at Michaels in the wood craft section.  I got the medalians there as well.  Once the paint was dry I glued the trim and the medalians with Aleene's Quick Tack.  That glue is thicker than regular tacky glue but it seems to dry a lot faster and holds quicker.

I also added and papered the cornice piece over the window seat area.  I thought 2 medalians would be enough, but I was wrong.  Need to make another trip to Michaels....

                     Here's Kess enjoying some computer time on her bed in her in progress apartment.