Time to Go Around the Curve

Happy New Year's everyone.  I thought I'd end the year with a few hours in the workroom.  I gave staying up past midnight a trial run last night, with a little time spent researching how to curve wood without breaking it.  Did you know the ammonia in glass cleaner will do the trick?  Of course that is provided your wood is not too thick or the grain of wood is not too loose.  It was certainly new information to me.
So this morning I was ready to tackle that curved sofa I'd been dreaming of making.    I won't bore you with the details but after several hours the sofa came together.
I can't wait to design an entire room around it.  But for now, here it is in its most minimal form.  I could not resist upholstering the legs.  I must admit it was tedious.  Just as with my last sofa, curved needles are helpful at certain points.  I decided to hand tuft the back too.  That also was tedious.  I was determined to "stick it out" (Literally, my index fingers endured a few sticks.) and finish the project today.  I started around 9 am and finished around 2:30.  I am pleased with the way it turned out.
Hope you like it!

After Christmas Markdowns

Hope everyone had a great holiday.  Sometimes it pays to take a stroll down the holiday decor markdown aisle.  The wall art birds and silver stool were found on the Christmas ornament aisle.  

The birds were formerly mini tree ornaments.  I removed the hooks and gave them another wash of gold paint. Then I applied backers so they could be wall mounted.  These would also look great in a white lacquer.

The stool was a formerly red ornament.  A little spray paint and removal of the hanging cord and voila, a perfect 1:6 scale stool.

How do  you like the fireplace?  This one was handmade from plywood.  Rocks were applied to the front.

I think some birch logs will be the perfect finishing touch.  Time to find my handsaw!

Stay tuned for more fireplaces in varying styles which will be for sale.  Email me if you have an interest.

A Recycled Room in Red and Black

Sometimes the materials to make one of your creative visions a reality can come from the oddest places.  I had been wanting to tackle constructing a chaise lounge.  I had seen a tufted black patent upholstered sofa in photos from the Barbie Malibu Show House in Las Vegas a few months back.  I couldn't get that sofa out of my mind.   I wanted to marry the idea of the black patent with the style of a chaise.

Fast forward a couple of months and here I am going through some outgrown clothing items.  Viola!!!, there it was... my daughter's funky jacket she'd long since outgrown.  It had the perfect black sheen and was quilted.  What a bonus.  So after a couple of second thoughts about cutting it up, out came the scissors.  The chaise fashioned from a coat was the perfect compliment to the red modern credenza I made a few days ago.  So a little recycling mixed with red magic, mirrors and silver paint and here's what materialized.  It is for sale for $78.00 plus shipping.  It is listed on Etsy.  

Hope you like it.

She is wearing a festive crocheted dress, perfect for the holidays.  Where are the cookies and milk?
http://www.etsy.com/listing/88760106

Have a Seat

Do you love ottomans?  Round? Tufted? modern?  Here's a little set of three straight from the workroom.  I threw in a little lamp I've had in the works.   I may apply a shade but I somehow like it as is.  The chandelier is a little found item I repainted.

The last picture is to prove that not all things are glamorous.   You should see the kitchen right now.  Thank goodness for the crock pot :).

I wonder what this is going to be?

Coming to a 1:6 Scale Room Near You

Wanted to share a few pieces that will soon be coming to a 1:6 scale room near you.  I made these little pieces over the weekend, between finally getting the tree from the lights only to fully decorated stage.

I love the modified cantilever style bookcase.  I applied a stain wash with gold finish supports.

I made two sconces.  They are very glamorous.  I haven't decided if they are going in a dining room or bedroom.  Maybe I'll make a second set.

The table features a few little accents I made over the past few weeks.  I made the striped table a while back.

Santa's Workshop

Morning All!

Can you believe Christmas is less than two weeks away? Hope Barbie, Tonner and all their friends have finished shopping. For those of you coming into the home stretch or still possibly searching for the perfect holiday piece, I wanted to share a link with you.

One of ReallifeMinis pieces was used in this Santa's Workshop Room. Check out Santa's workshop table, it is one of mine.

Boudoir Barbie did a beautiful job. Santa would be proud to make toys here. By the way, she has the item for sale on EBay.

http://boudoirbarbiesienna.blogspot.com/

Don't forget I still have a few items for sale on EBay ending today and tomorrow. I also have my Etsy listing. Look for ODesign on EBay OOAK Barbie Furniture listings and the Reallifeminis shop on Etsy.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OOAK-Barbie-Fashion-Royalty-Momoko-Happy-Little-Place-Workroom-Office-Furniture-/150713579016?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item23173ab608#ht_500wt_1413

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OOAK-Barbie-Fashion-Royalty-Breakfast-nook-banquet-bench-table-furniture-room-/150713587021?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item23173ad54d#ht_500wt_1413

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OOAK-Barbie-Fashion-Royalty-cottage-bathroom-tub-sink-furniture-room-/150714144106?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item231743556a#ht_500wt_1413

http://www.etsy.com/listing/87842777/16-scale-fashion-doll-diorama-custom?ref=ss_listing

Bye for now!
Some of the content on Boudoir Barbie's blog is best for adult eyes. By the way, Ken has some great dating tips out there too.

A preview of 2012

Just wanted to check in and give you a little preview of some things I will be working on for 2012. I spent a little time yesterday trying to find a muse or two. Did you hear tangerine is going to be a big color trend next year. Perfect for me since my favorite piece of life size furniture is a vintage 1976 Heritage tangerine chenille covered sofa.
Purple seems to be getting a great deal of coverage as we close the year. From velvets to chenilles, geometrics and oversized designs, it' passionate purple.
Be on the lookout for chaise loungers, daybeds and a few other thing in these colors. I'll also be working with more glass and plexiglass. A modern dining room and fun art pieces are also on the design pad.


My new fan page is up on Facebook. Be sure to check it out.

Handy Link

Just checking in...Thought I'd go ahead and provide the link to my Etsy shop.  Although there are many ideas in my head, they haven't become a tangible item as of yet.  So there is only one item there now.
But, here's the link.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/reallifeminis

A Cup of Tea and A Bubble Bath

Just thought I'd share a couple of little rooms I finished up yesterday.  I love the challenge of redoing an old  plastic piece of furniture.  I took the banquet and refurbished it.  I should have taken a before photo.  This was formerly a plastic love seat with arms.  I removed the arms which proved to be difficult because apparently someone superglued them on at some point.   This was an item I found on EBay.
Anyway, arms were removed and the connectors were removed with pliers.  Batting and fabric were applied.  I added a bottom to increase the height and added a backer board to allow for a more life like upholstery of the back.  This took about an hour.  Since I love Anthropologie, although I wish their prices were a quite a bit lower, I applied a fabric that reminded me of some of their home goods.  I think it is a nice vintage look.
Some of the other pieces in the room are made of recycled home items which have been paired with wooden objects.  That is all I am going to say about that.  I'll let you imagine what they are.
The second little room is a cottage bath, again made of refurbished plastic pieces.  I have had the sink for several months. It has been sitting in the laundry room with a primer coat just begging to be completed.  It originally had an attached mirror.  I played with it for a while but ultimately chose to remove it.
Hope you like the items.  I couldn't resist throwing in a shot with the poodle!

With Christmas coming up, I decided to list these on EBay.  Check them out.  You can search them under OOAK Barbie furniture.  I am ODesign on EBay.

And here it is....

Hello all.  Just took some pics of the completed glam living room.  I am so pleased with the way it looks.  Now if I could just shrink myself down and curl up on the sofa.

I hope you like it.  

It is for sale.  If you are interested please email me or you may visit my Etsy shop at Etsy.com.  The shop is reallifeminis.  

Have a great day!

Four hours and a couple of needle sticks later

Wow, four hours is a long time to spend creating a little chair under 6 inches tall.   Yes, four hours later and couple of needle sticks later another piece to the glam room puzzle is complete.  I don't know, is this the typical amount of time something like this takes?  The sofa seemed to go a little easier albeit about the same amount of time.
Lessons learned...
1.  Call your upholsterer and see if you can come down and observe a few large chairs being done.  You might pick up a few time saving tips.
2.  Use the curved needles.   Your fingers will thank you.
3.  Don't run out of band aids.
4.  Don't choose a slick, silky fabric.  Oops...that is exactly what I used.  There it was tempting me in the fabric store.  My head said NO but my heart said yes.  Oh well, maybe next time it will be a breeze.
Hope you like it.  Pillows, rug, lamp and accessories are next.  Stay tuned.

The PIeces are Coming Together...

Hello all...thought I'd share another piece of the puzzle as my work continues to evolve.  I just couldn't resist getting right to work on a "glammed up" mid century style sofa to go along with the mirrored chest.  I love the versatility of the linen like fabric with the silver threads running through.  Tufting and trim are two of my favorite design details so I decided to add both to this piece.   This is my second from the ground up sofa.  No painting or refurbishing here.  

Stay tuned to to see the remaining pieces for the room.  I am working on a chair.  It's in the "still in my brain" stage right now.  

The coffee table is a little further along.  I have an idea and a few components put together.  

Of course the room has got to have a fluffy rug and fabulous lamp.  Beyond that I guess we just have to wait and see.  Hope you like what I have so far.  The finished room will be for sale.  If you are interested please email.  I don't think this room will be on EBay.  

Also if you'd like to be the first to know about upcoming creations, email me and I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for stopping by.  

A New Furniture Piece Preview

I just love it when the ideas swirling in my head finally make it into the touch and feel zone...to a piece of wood, a few pieces of mirror, some paint and a little bling.  Viola...I finally got over the little cold bug that kept me on the couch for the past 3 days.  Today was the day I had the pleasure of mixing these odds and ends and making something beautiful.    Not sure what it will be paired with but for sure this is the first of many versions of this to come.  By the way, this is not the best pic, no natural light, hopefully you get the idea.  I can't wait to explore more outlets for my little real life creations.  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Sharing a Few Pics from a happy home

A Happy Home for the Thanksgiving Feast Room


Just got permission to share the lovely diorama room that is now home to the Thanksgiving feast.  She has some beautiful dolls too.  Hope you enjoy.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/girlleastlikelyto/6401042359/

In Honor of Thanksgiving--May you have a blessed happy day

Happy Thanksgiving in miniature. This happy little setting is on it's way to an excited owner in Illinois.  She has always wanted a Thanksgiving diorama for her dollies.  So now she will have one.

Happy Thanksgiving.

I'd love to hear your comments.  If you'd like something special in 1:6 scale please contact me via this blog.

Time to do a little laundry

When I redo a set of generic washer and dryers I like to infuse a little fun.  I also like to take the ordinary and apply real life applications, as if you were living in the room, thus the little countertops I made with the sinks.  I hope you like these.  They both have happy owners.  I am thinking of making another.  Ideas are swirling.  I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Country Chic Nature Inspired Dining Room

It's been a long day.  I just finished a cozy den for Barbie.  My mind is going to restful places.  I thought I'd share these pics from a room I completed a couple of months ago.  It now has a wonderful home.  This is my favorite room I've done thus far.  It gives me a sweet restful feeling.  I'd love to know your thoughts.

Have a good night.

A Beautiful Coastal Kitchen

It's been a little while since I've posted.  I can't seem to get out of the workroom/laundry room.  My mind is bubbling over with ideas.  Here's a formerly blue and yellow stock Barbie kitchen I redid in a coastal yet nostalgic way.  Actually, I used the blue paint that I have on my own french country kitchen chairs.  The little soup bowls are a nod to my favorite dishes.  The life size ones are actually shaped like birdnests with the same cream and blue coloring.  I guess you could say I feel right at home in this kitchen.
Since I last posted I've had a bit more interest in my little redo's.  I've sold everything I've made.  Albeit my labor has been for free.  The detail that a redo takes, or that I desire to put into it, sometimes covers a 2 to 3 day period.  That doesn't account for the brewing time in my mind. Yes, as all of us know, we are sometimes our own limiting factor.  If we could duplicate or triplicate ourselves we could do a whole lot more.  Oh, well enjoy the journey.  I hope you like my little mini creations.  I'd love to hear your comments.
Thanks!

Food That Looks Good Enough to Eat

Hello again,
As I mentioned in my first post, I began experimenting with sculpt and bake clay.  The first items I made were the Halloween treats in photos from the last post.  I was in a homey mood so I made a homestyle gingerbread cake with drizzled icing and sprinkles.  Sometimes one thing does lead to another.  I had remodeled a barbie size country kitchen and thought it would be nice to incorporate some food.   It was fun and zero calories!
My daughter loved the cake so much, I had to make a second one for her.  I guess the food was the magic touch for the kitchen.  I sold it a few days later.
I was feeling so good after my first attempts at food.  I decided to check out the web for inspiration from other creative folks.  I remembered a tutorial I had seen about a year ago on miniature food making from The Garden of Imagination.  I spent the next hour watching more of her videos on YouTube.  I would recommend you check her out.   She is so patient and it is cute that her daughter is in the background talking during the videos.  I also came across an artist out of New York.  I believe her name is Ann Marie.  I'll have to check my bookmarks.  She makes some of the most beautiful creations I have ever seen.  I believe she has a store on Etsy as well.  My creative soul was definitely fed by these ladies.  Thank you all for sharing.  With that I began a new set of pastry making.  Again, what was supposed to be about an hour of messing around with clay turned into a quick clean up of the kitchen in a rush to get to school carpool on time.  That same day I received an adorable set of kitchen items I had ordered.  I decided to use a few of the pieces to setup a bakery.  I took some crude photos without the best backdrops.  So I will not be sharing those right now.  However, I wanted to share some pics of the pastries and cakes.  I hope they bring you some inspiration.  I'd love to hear from anyone who has an interest.  Best to you!!!  Have fun and be open to inspiration.  Something small might lead to something bigger...you never know.

Homestyle iced cakes and pastries

More delicious looking pastries. 

Beginning

Hello to anyone who may have stumbled onto my blog.  They say life is a journey and over the past few months I've been wondering where I was headed.  I stepped off the corporate ladder 10 years ago to become a stay at home mom to my one and only child.  As she has gotten older I have found myself a bit restless wondering what is to come next.  I'm sure many of you can relate, or maybe you cannot.  Anyway, I have always loved textiles, design, repurposing furniture and rearranging my home.  I could spend hours immersed in a textile store or devouring a decor magazine.  Yes, I do love mixing patterns, Tobi Farley is one of my favorite designers.  Her combinations are genius.  To think I used to live in the same town as she does.  Too bad I did not stumble upon her until I no longer lived there.  In addition to these grown up creative pursuits, I have always enjoyed miniatures. My daughter and I had a great time decking out a Playmobil Victorian Mansion with vintage Petite Princess furniture.  I scoured EBay for weeks finding everything miniature that I would love to shrink myself down to size to enjoy.  I can't forget Barbie.  She is another thing I played for hours when I was growing up.  So...this is how we get to where we are now.  One evening I stayed up way past my bedtime surfing the internet.  I discovered many sites devoted to miniatures and Barbie.  I decided to try my hand at making more grown up, fashionable re-do's of Barbie sized furniture and accessories.  I started experimenting with sculpt and bake clay to make edible treats for the dolls and got out my sewing machine to make stylish textiles.  This was so fun.  I found I could not stop once I started.  I would plan to spend about an hour working on something and before I knew it the day was over.  I found myself staying up late and working again early the next morning.  As silly as it sounds, all this playing and creating was exhausting.  I thought it would be a great thing to market on EBay or other internet sales sites like Etsy.  It turns out there are about 5 others who seem to be listing the Barbie size items on EBay.  I have a few listings out there now.  But there are no bidders.  What am I doing wrong?

My vision expanded another step with this blog.  I'm not sure what I will write on each new post.  But, I have to start somewhere.  Hopefully, some other people who like this little hobby will send some comments my way.  I will be sharing photos of my favorite creations.  I'm sure I'll also share some flops too.

Have a great day! Happy creating.

Here are a few photos to start...

Skipper's Retro Tween Room

This Halloween goody table used to be tan with stickers affixed to the top.  I think the new finish works well with the Fall colors.

Halloween treats