Dollhouse work continues during 4th of July weekend

I am starting to work on my 1:12 scale dollhouse again this weekend. I had it on my coffee table all winter and spring. It just got too difficult to work on, because of the size and weight of it. I broke a couple of posts just moving it.
 I found a 4 ft. long industrial style heavy metal cocktail table by Ashley Furniture. The table has wheels and can roll about while I am finishing the trim and porch. I really love the new table, it suits my needs and my style. I pushed the whole thing under my oil painting to see how it would look if it had a background. I would love to one day have the time to paint a realistic background from the ceiling to floor that would work with any dollhouse. (That's my tools hanging to the side.) I have decided I don't have staycations, which is a stay at home vacation, I have playcations, which is a vacation at home playing.

I really like the table, because it also make it easier to vacuum. My poor little rattan coffee table looked like it was going to crash under the weight of the home and was almost impossible to move safely. My work benches are too small.

I didn't really care for some of the pieces that came with the dollhouse kit. So I am making the porch with 1/4 " thick dowel rods. I had to trim a couple of them, because I cut them too long. Then I wore out my Dremel blade and needed to order more. I also installed "real" marble floors that I made myself. I ordered some dollhouse hinges and lock for the door, so that it will really work when I get it installed. 

The original kit was from the 70's and was made from poorly stamped plywood. I had to cut out pieces that should have been punched out. I had to do quite a bit of work to this to make it more durable and seal up all the cracks. The kit came with a printout of a trellis for the bottom half of the porch, but I won't be using that either. I saw a youtube video of a woman making a much more realistic trellis with wooden coffee stirrers. That would be my preference "real wood". I get such a kick out of the real wood and stone phrases, but it does have a certain nostalgia too it "real wood". The kit had no instructions and a badly worn picture on the outside of the box, so I had to do quite a bit of puzzle work to get this far. I think the term is dollhouse bashing. 

In the photo below,it is shows I had to use popsicle sticks and balsa wood to fill in cracks and cover the ugly plywood. The top two floors are just the thin plywood with stain. The first thing I noticed was the stain doesn't take evenly, so I will have to work on that. My stone floors I made are grouted marble beads on thin boards so I can easily remove these floors right now. Later I may want to glue them in permanently, especially since one of them has a tendency to buckle a little. 

I used the styrofoam that came in the box with the table to put on top of the table to prevent scratching. Plus the styrofoam can be painted or flocked to make it look like real grass or stone. I will be keeping that I am sure.

The inside windows didn't have any frame and looks even more rustic with the popsicle sticks. So I traced around the outside windows on pieces of scrap wood from the kit. I used my Dremel to cut them out to make the inside window frames to match. I like rustic but not so much to the point it looks more condemned. I can smooth them out with my sanding bands.

This room is supposed to be a little kitchen. It's a small kitchen but will do.

 I used balsa wood to start a little day bed with a pull out drawer.I will probably break away from staining on the day bed and paint it more country with maybe tole art or something. The stain is a bit overwhelming at this point.

My Heidi Ott doll's story is she inherited this old country home for her and her new husband to fix up and possibly live in while they are going to college. They are studying art, so they are very creative and always working on their new home to make it fit they needs and their style.  

I think I need to get to work at playing now or this thing will be unfinished forever.

Posing Taylor

I got out early today to take advantage of the early morning light. I was posing my doll. I put a middie Blythe in her lap to see if that would make a good doll for her and oops,the wind blew. Taylor dropped down onto the bricks just like I did a couple of winters ago. She scuffed her nose and got dirt on her wig cap. I picked her up and cuddled her to me like a baby. We really bonded.  I buffed her nose with the cloth wheel and used 1000 grit 3M dry sand paper to touch up her nose. Fortunately, she was able to get well right away. She goes on to do her early morning exercises.

One more post about the MIM doll for today.

We really had some fun playing make over girl. I am not very good at this type of art but it is so much more personal than just getting a factory face up. Doing this work truly makes her mine.

I finally did it, pierced MIM Taylor's ears. While I was piercing her ears, I buffed her with a cloth wheel and blushed her with my Conte pastels. I highlighted her washed out little freckles with my pastels and a brush. I put blonde eyelashes on her. I tried to get eyelashes on with Elmer's glue but I ended up just using the glue that is on the eyelashes when they come new in the package. The Elmer's is usually recommended because it is not a solvent glue that may damage the doll. The school glue just didn't stick to vinyl. Taylor is still so petite and pale, I can barely tell I did anything to her. She actually looks paler now than when I started. I had to buff her because I scratched her a little trying to pierce her ears. So the sequence is pierce, buff, blush, spray with Krylon Matte Finish a couple of times, put on eyelashes, earrings and matching jewelry. Now I hope I get the guts to do something like this to the Minifee. I think I got the Goodreau doll for 25 bucks, so it wasn't too traumatic to take out my Dremel and get to work.

The posing is so much better for her when she is not on a slick surface. Here she poses like she is about to run and needs no support at all.

Today MIM doll is trying on her very last package of BFC Ink doll clothes. The skirt is a little loose on her as usual. The package has a white tee shirt, hoodie with flower design, leggings, backpack and, of course 1/3 scale shoes that fit my largest BJD. All 3 packets look fine with the MIM tennis shoes, so she has something to go with the outfits. Minifee can share the leggings and hoodie I am sure. She's already eyeing them for herself. I will try some on her.

The skirt has the sewn in panties and the leggings help hold the skirt on the doll. I think I will look for a MSD sized belt to go with the skirt. That would be so nice. The skirt didn't have a hem, but this packet had the best quality as far as the hoodie goes. The backpack opens and carries things for the doll. 

I just adore the poseability of the Goodreau doll. I didn't have to do anything but just take her out and start posing.  She is so fun and cheery.

My Goodreau is trying on another outfit from the 3-pack I got for her on Amazon this week. She is modelling another one of the BFC Ink club doll outfits made for the thin 18" dolls. In case no one has read about my Goodreau Make It Mine doll, she is a 16" American ball-jointed doll. 

The skirt in this package is low-riding and slips right over her hips. I will probably put a stitch in each side to keep it from falling off while she is walking the dog. Just joking about the dog walking. Of course the shoes in the package go to my 1/3 scale ABJD (Asian Ball-Jointed Doll). MIM is wearing her cheerleader tennis shoes. The skirt had panties sewed into it, so no need to buy panties with this pack. No socks or hose came with it. The sweater is the only thing in the package that could share with Minifee. Everything else is way too big. The top looked like it would fit a Minifee but the straps would have to be shortened, because the blouse hangs down below her breast. The blouse from the first package I opened fits Minifee but loosely like a hand-me-down. I do like this sweater pretty much. It has some unfinished edges but it was meant for play and is good for that. The shoulder bag is very nice and can really carry a comb and some other items.  

We have one more to try.

Goodreau Make It Mine doll wears BFC Ink doll clothes pack.

I was really disappointed when I couldn't find the jeans that go with the MIM dolls. The articles are no longer being made. I read somewhere that BFC Ink doll clothes will fit Goodreau dolls. I found a great bargain on Amazon for BFC Ink clothing packs.  BFC Ink 18" doll is no longer made either. So I knew if I wait around, I won't find these again. I tell myself this is the last thing I am going to do for this doll. I said that every time, of course.
Okay, the clothes fit perfectly on Goodreau's Make it Mine 16" doll. Maybe the pants are a little long on her. The shoes are large and no way fit MIM dolls. But I do have a third scale BJD from Magical Angel that wears the larger clumsy looking shoes.
These are nice packets for doll collectors. I did not like the packaging because of all the little tiny plastic staples I had to cut loose from the clothes without damaging them. The quality of the clothes was really quite nice and made my dolls look like sisters even though they are resin and plastic girls.

I just realized after the previous post that the wig I made was large on the 6-7 inch Unoa head, so I switched them. That really made a difference. The Goodreau wig looks pretty good on Unoa and the handmade wig fits the larger 7-8 inch head of Goodreau MIM doll. The color is good for the pale skinned doll also. I can't wait to customize the doll a little more. I hope I don't ruin her, because they are getting harder and harder to find anywhere. I really like how she can pose with knees bent. 

 Careful Minifee stole my panties.

I made a couple of doll wigs about 2 weeks ago and tried them on my dolls. I found tutorials on youtube that helped me along. It takes a lot of time and is very tedious work. I just got to take pictures this morning. I tried the red one on my Delilah Noir doll. I think Delilah looks good in red.

 Delilah is just casual today. Her school uniform is being washed, because it is dusty, so I put some Minifee clothes on her and some leggings that were really made for H4H girl dolls.

 The next little wig looks good but I felt like I butched it when I tried to give her bangs. I have never cut hair so I really need to learn styling the hair. The doll in this photo is a Unoa type of doll. I got her used with 2 face plates for open mouth and closed mouth, mature bust and small or flat bust. Plus she has teeth and a tongue that is used inside the open mouth. I didn't get the head mechanism that makes the eyes move though. I have looked around to find where it could be bought separately and haven't found it. I did find some pictures of them and thought it would be easy to make similar mechanism, provided I had the time. She wears the same clothes and shoes as Minifee and also Goodreau MIM dolls.

I got one more complete outfit for my Minifee from Goodreau MIM collection. This one I really wanted for the tennis shoes. The skirt is a little too big as usual but everything else fits just right.

I did a comparison of my Goodreau Make It Mine doll with my Minifee doll today.I was thinking I may want to sell my Goodreau doll, but I fell in love with her again. MIM doll was one of the first ball-jointed dolls I collected. I had really never heard of it until I bought a Heidi Ott doll for my dollhouse scenes. I was amazed that dolls could sit and stand and even pose. Collecting dolls became a renewed interest to me. I think I crossed a line from just collecting pretty dolls to playing dolls. I am a weekend mommy to all my mail order children now. This has to be the most laughter I have had in a long time besides raising my puppy. And the best thing is dolls don't steal the toilet paper or rummage in the trash.MIM doll Taylor's head doesn't really raise up and down but I managed to work the extra joint in her waist to make her look up at me and have her picture made.

 The dolls are very different in that Goodreau is an American Ball-jointed doll and Minifee is Asian BJD. Goodreau dolls are fashion dolls instead of art dolls. I think MIM dolls look like little girl fashionistas. ABJDs are more for artistic creations, customizations and just plain fun too. ABJDs are usually resin and Goodreau MIM dolls are vinyl I think. I do know Goodreau produced some resin dolls and that MIM dolls are not one of them. MIM dolls hands don't magnetically connect to her and they are a little more time consuming to dress. Sleeves should either be stretchy or open enough to share with Minifees. MIM doll becomes more fun as I learn to pose her. She doesn't seem to have the range of motion ABJDs have. I would really like to customize the MIM doll more than just buying a new wig, eyes and outfits. I would like to see her have more blushing and eyelashes at least. I am not sure how to pierce her ears either. She is hard vinyl and I don't want to break her. Maybe I will be able to find some ideas on youtube.

My dog is so happy I don't dress him like this anymore.

My Minifee Mirwen got silver boots from a Goodreau Make It Mine doll clothes pack. I have been buying her a few things while they are still available, because Goodreau has retired from the doll making. The clothes are cute as a button and fit okay. The skirt is a little big in the waist but the snap can be moved if needed. The boots are fabulous with little zippers in the back and tie up the front. The shoe strings were a bit long.

storm's a comin'. More later.

Mirwen got some new outfits from the Goodreau Make It Mine dolls again. I just fell in love with the silver shoes. The dress is a bit loose on her but Goodreau is bigger in the waist and hips than Minifees. I tried the stockings on her and they are also loose. The stockings have a noticeable seam in the back that really looks better than I thought it would.  I actually think the seams look more realistic. She got her first pair of panties from this package and these were a perfect fit. Also included is a tiny wrist corsage. Overall the outfit makes her look so girlish.  I talk to her all the time like she's a real person. Of course it makes me laugh when I realize I am talking to a doll.                                                  

The head size on Goodreau MIM doll is also larger, but the headband fits okay with the wig I put on Mirwen. I really don't know the name brand of the wig, because it was included in a lot of dolly things when I purchased a doll from someone secondhand. I thought I was going to sell the wig but when I put it on Mirwen, I was glad I kept it. It looks dollish. One of the good things about the outfits I bought Mirwen is they have snaps in the pants and shorts. I can either add a snap and make it so the dolls can share their clothes, or I can move the snap over. They are just dolls, and it's not like their britches are going to fall off in public.

The shoes have little elastic straps across her foot. The straps are white rather than silver, but it looks good in the pictures. They also have little silver ribbon bows on top. I hope to get the matching silver purse to go with this outfit. It must be bought separately but it comes with a little toy camera. It is like she is dressing up for a trip to go sightseeing. 

Another storm just came by and we will have to photograph some more of the things I got her another time. Coming soon is the silver boots!