Etsy Sale

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.  Just wanted to pass along a quick post to blog readers or those who might have just stumbled onto this miniature world.  The Reallifeminis shop on Etsy.com will be having a 10% off sale in honor of Black Friday.  The coupon code is BlkFri.
Stop by and check it out, starting now.

Accessory Market Stand

Blythe, Barbie and a few furry friends had so much fun at the Flea Market Saturday.  It was a lovely sunshine filled day and the grand opening of their accessory stand.  

A Rustic Robin's egg blue arbor and the last few blooms of Fall were the perfect backdrop and inspiration for these Shabby Chic Cottage findings.

Friends new and old stopped by for a taste of Blythe's fresh baked lemon squares and fruit pastries.  Yummy!

Stop by again soon...
If you'd like to take a peek at more of these tiny house treasures say hello at the Reallifeminis shop on Etsy.com
Have a great day.

Hollywood Glam

 Happy Monday everyone.  It was a beautiful weekend here, a great time to enjoy the outdoors.  It was also a great time to pull out all fabrics, wood, bangles and bobbles and craft the first  in a series of rooms  called Hollywood Glam.  I love the Regency style in life size and miniature.  

Some of you may recall another Hollywood Glam room from last year.  Perhaps the mirrored chest from that room will be appearing again in this series.

Hope you like the first room.  It is called
Hollywood and Blue
Azure sea blue, rhinestone tufts, silver cord detail and acrylic legs make up the cozy chaise lounger.
It is sized perfectly for Barbie or Blythe to curl up with her furry friend, read a book or take a nap.

A geometric twist on the parsons chair gives it a clean, modern feel.  The linen seat is a classic.

The credenza in gold is one of my favorite pieces.
It would look great in any room.

The mirrored coffee tables were brought back.  You may remember these from another room in the past.

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you like the pics.

Halloween Fun With Polymer Clay

Who's ready for a Halloween party?  Looks like Sophie could not resist unrolling the mummy to get the party started.

Here's a little Halloween display I made a while ago.  The polymer clay treats look good enough to eat.  These are somehow just as gratifying to make as real treats, without the calories.

If you've never worked with sculpt and bake clay it is a fun endeavor to try on a Saturday afternoon.
There are endless tutorials on YouTube to get you started creating just about anything your dolls would enjoy.

Play around and have fun.  Sometimes little scraps of clay turn into something unexpected.  Just add a little imagination.  The bat cookies were a happy accident from some leftovers.

How to make the Lollipops:
To make the lollipops roll out two skinny snakes of clay and place them side by side.  Start coiling them together until you get a look you like.  Insert wooden sticks and pop in the oven to bake.  Once cooled glaze them for sheen or leave them unglazed for a matte finish.
Enjoy!
Stop by my Etsy shop via the link on the sidebar to check out this item and other recently added goodies.

Needle Felted Doll Companions

Happy Thursday.  Thought I'd share a little today about needle felting, specifically doll sized companions.
I am so often amazed at the abundance of creative artisans one can stumble across on Etsy.  I love to browse for inspiration, food for my creative soul and one of kind items.
On one of my browsing expeditions I came across  a treasure trove of adorable felted miniatures...from mice, fox, kittens, bears...on and on.
Anyway, I often use vintage cats and dogs in my doll dioramas but I thought it would be fun to personalize things a bit.

Our little Havanese is like a member of the family.  

Now she is part of Blythe and Barbie's world too. 

A big thank you to Nodsu.  Check out her shop at:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/nodsu
Check out my shop at:
http://www.etsy.com/reallifeminis
I'd love to hear from you...leave a comment.

Chicks love Petite Princess

 Yes, I know it is not 1:6 scale but I have never been able to resist the charm of Petite Princess furniture.  Many of you probably know it was manufactured for a very short time in the 60's.  I'd have to double check but I believe it was only available for a year.  Despite it lovely detail it was considered a bit overpriced.  As a result, sales were sluggish and it was pulled from the market.

What's a chick to choose?

I started collecting a few pieces about three years ago mostly from EBay.   Aside from decking out my daughter's dollhouse with a few pieces the others have been confined to the attic abyss of Rubbermaid containers.

So Hollywood

It seemed like such a shame to not display the pieces.  So I converted a plate rack my father had constructed to a Petite Princess curio. The backs of each cubby have been lined with scrapbook paper to mimic wallpaper.  I had a little fun with a few chicks left over from my Easter decor.  Oh yeah, and who wouldn't want a T-Rex in their garden tub?  Anyway, it is a conversation piece and a lot of fun.

Thanks for stopping by today.  I'd love to hear your Petite Princess comments.

She should be in an old movie.

I think he needs a larger towel!

Every Picture Tells A Story

As you've probably noticed from my last post date I have been on a little blog hiatus. I've been new creations for Barbie and Blythe. I thought I'd share a few photos. More photos are available at my etsy shop. Type in Etsy.com and go to my shop, reallifeminis
Here is my first suitcase wardrobe conversion. I love this little piece. It has such great portability and function and it is pretty darn cute. I plan to make a few more of these. It took about 10 hours over a few days to pull this one together. I think it turned out great.                                                                                       

The story behind this little banquette sofa and table began with a discarded wooden bed footboard I had decided not to use in another design. It had been sitting in my work area for a few months and I kept thinking there must be something I can use this to create. Finally I picked it up and decided to apply a few layers of paint and distressed silver leaf to the posts. Next, I upholstered the front and back center inserts. I built a custom base, applied upholstery, some trim and a decorative box pleat skirt. It is a unique piece that reminds me of a couple of the grown up pieces in Ballard Designs.

Robin's egg blue is one of my favorite colors. It invokes such a feeling of calm and serenity. I couldn't resist building a cottage style table and finishing it in this cozy color. Blythe and her kitty look pretty cozy too.

Oh and the lamp...I love pulling together different parts and pieces to make these.  Sometimes the balancing act of getting it to all stay together is a trick.

 All dolls love to party.  This next room is ready for ghoulish good times.  Beverages are chilling in the coffin cooler.  A cottage style island serves up some cider and tasty treats.  I love getting out the clay and making these fun foods.  The bat cookies and drink decanter are my favorite.

Here's a fun grouping I pulled together by up-cycling a couple of plastic furniture pieces.  Paint can transform anything.  It was a lot of fun to experiment with different paints and layering techniques.  Last year I built one of these pumpkin topiaries.  It was so much fun I just had to make another one.  This grouping has a happy home with a collector in Michigan. 


That's all I have to share for now.  I hope you enjoyed seeing my creations. Maybe your creativity has been sparked a little along this photo journey.

All items are for sale. Check them out on Etsy or email me.
Smiles.

Gardening Joy to Brighten A Rainy Day

Hi All,
It is a rainy day here so I thought I'd share some mini looks at Spring.  The seedlings are sprouting and the Spring Bulbs are budding.  Sit down and enjoy some lemonade with Sophia, June and Callie...their faithful, furry friend.  Callie is ready to romp and play in the garden.  Careful not to trample the flowers. Julius the cat is ready to curl up for an afternoon nap.

A few design details...The rustic garden cart (formerly a pink storage cabinet from Barbie's veterinarian set) is filled with seed packets and wooden marking stakes. The patio is made from tiny rounds of wood I found at my local super store. The settee was a formerly white plastic piece which has been given a little paint redo. Several up-cycled items were used for the planting bed. Think twice before you throw something out to the curb.



It was so much fun to make the little planter box.
I just finished a similar egg box which you can see on my Etsy shop page.

Hope this brightens your day.

I Love Turquoise

Happy Valentines Day!  On this day of love,  I thought I 'd share a little room in Veronica's Malibu Escape.

I do love the ocean, the swirl of the turquoise water and the warm sand and sun.  That was the inspiration for her modern dining nook
Things I love...
The table with its driftwood inspired table base.
The two modern cube ottomans in turquoise, sandy tan and sunny orange.

The buffet with its beautiful turquoise lattice design front panel, top and sides of gold and accents of white and silver on the legs and pull accents.  A girl always needs a little touch of glam.
The little lamp that actually flickers.  This is the first time I've actually made one functional.

Hope you like it.  Looks like it's time to get out the box of chocolates.

So Here's the Answer

Hi All.  I mentioned in my last post that the orange side chair was made from a recycled item. Here is a picture of what is left.  It is a watch box.   The cardboard is extremely sturdy and pretty easy to cut.  It makes a great chair form.  Just add a little creativity, fabric, some plexiglass legs and trim detail.  I only wish I had another box so I could make a pair.
I have to thank my husband because it was his new watch.

Rest of the Story and Bedroom Beginnings

To quote Paul Harvey..."and now you know the rest of the story", or something like that.  Anyway, here is a little chair I made to finish off the menswear sofa room I shared last week.  It still needs a matching upholstered seat cushion.  I would have loved to have a made a pair of these chairs but I only had raw materials for one.  Do I dare give away the secret component I used for the bones of the chair seat???
I think I'll share that in the next post.  I'll give you a few hints. 1.  It is cardboard. 2.  It is a form of packaging. 3.  It was going to be discarded.    Now let's get some comments posted with possible guesses.

Moving on to another room...I thought I'd share a few pics of the beginnings of a beautiful bedroom.  Lots of creating left to do but I think it is off to a very tranquil beginning.  I made the lamp.  The table is a repaint.  The headboard is also an original.  I added upholstery and  trim detail.

Hope you like it.
Next time I'll be revealing how the chair was made and sharing a few other trash can bound accessory ideas.  I might also throw in a little garden project mini style.

Not Quite the Whole Story...But Close

Mini greetings to you all.  My fingers are covered in glue residue and gold paint that wouldn't quite wash away.  But  I couldn't wait to share part of a room story that it not quite the whole but close.   A few minor details need to be buttoned up or sewn up.  Hopefully before too long the pillows will be hemmed and a decision will be made regarding accessories.

This story begins with a desire to build a feminine high back, curved arm sofa.  I thought it would be fun to collide the femininity of lines with a menswear feel in grey suit fabric.  Of course I do love tufts and nailhead so those details had to be in the story.   

To create a little added tension I wanted to add elements of "glam" with gold vinyl.  I've been seeing gold ottomans everywhere.  Just take a look at this over the top chair and ottoman in gold.

http://interiorconnector.com/product/mis-en-scene/11.10.10/mini-brazil-chair-w-ottoman

Well here's my story.  Check back soon for the ending.

 A little animal print is always interesting.

Leather and exotic wood are unexpected.

Dara's Office for Etsy

As I mentioned on the Facebook page last week, I've been trying to finish up Dara's office for my Etsy shop.  Yay!!! It is finished.  It combines elements of wood, leather, zebra and metallics.

The desk which could double as a dining table or library table features and "X" base with gold metallic trim.  I gave it a white wash finish.  The rug is real leather, cut in an irregular cowhide shape.  
Don't you love that computer!  I ordered that a while back from Elf Miniatures.  That one is a keeper for my personal collection.

Before Christmas I began experimenting with bending balsa wood.  I took a piece I had bent to form the curved back for the desk chair.  I applied a gold finish and upholstered the inside seat back.  The seat itself got a little padding and was topped with the same cocoa zebra print.  I had been hanging on to a piece of the pale blue and gold trim.  I thought it would pair nicely with the zebra.
I made the lamp before Christmas, too.  It has just been waiting for the right room.

The art pieces were fun to make.  They are held up with a little double stick tape.  Tiny mounting squares work well too.
I had a little help from my dad with the bookcase frame construction.  (He has more power tools.)  I added the dividers and gave it a nice navy finish.

Too bad my own office isn't as pulled together.  Hope you like it.

Beautiful Clothes for Beautiful Girls

Andy was doing a little on-line shopping recently and found a little clothing shop she had to share with Muffy.
Andy is wearing an outfit from Chic Barbie Designs cruise wear collection.  The detail in the 3 contrast fabric design is superb, right down to the bead button detail.  Here's a link to her shop.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ChicBarbieDesigns

Your girls would look beautiful in these fab and affordable fashions.

Muffy's Moving In

Time for the reveal....Paint fumes and Scotchgard are still in the air.  Give Muffy a little time and she will have the smell of fresh cut flowers and perfume wafting down the halls.  Two Bright Boys Moving just finished bringing in the last few furniture pieces.


Dex and Andy did a great job with the design and construction.  I'm sure Muffy is toasting to those two.







Andy took a few vintage, mod pieces and worked them in with the new pieces.  The retro bar stool was given a little overhaul with the addition of a silver base.  The green seat is original.  I believe this piece is from the 70's.  If you know the actual year I'd love a comment.
        

The entry hall also features two vintage swivel base chairs and matching ottoman.  Muffy's friend and gallery owner, Veronica found the black and white abstract piece.

Back in the living room, Muffy is putting the custom bar Dex and Andy designed to good use.  She does love to entertain.  She picked up her favorite cake and pastries from Dara's Cupcakes and Such.  It's almost party time.  Cheers!

Accessory Sale

It's a new year and the saying out with the old, in with the new may be something you are looking to embrace for your dollies or other action figures.  So I thought I'd officially post a few accessories that have been featured in some of my rooms over the past months and have a little made to order accessory sale on the blog.  If you'd like to order any of these items email me at the link odonnellmail1@knology.net.

From Muffy's Townhouse...

Black lattice, non-electrical sconce.  Made to order.

Price $10.00

Shipping to U.S. is $5.00, Canada $9.00, Everywhere else $15.00

Can be customized to gold finish, silver finish or white finish with black shade.  Finial shapes may vary slightly.

From Fireside Chat with Dara & Veronica...

Cowhide Print Rug.  

Shape is irregular and may vary.  If you need a particular dimension let me know.

Price $8.00  Made to order

Shipping to U.S. is $3.00, Canada $7.00, Everywhere else $10.00

From Glam Living Room ( As seen on Etsy)...

Set of two Botanical Art Pieces (1 Set Available)
Price $10.00 for the set of 2

Shipping to U.S. is $3.00, Canada $7.00, Everywhere else $10.00

From Coming to a 1:6 Scale Room Near You

Mirrored Wall Sconce (2 available) 

Price $10.00 Per Sconce

Shipping to U.S. is $5.00, Canada $9.00, Everywhere else $15.00

Happy Accessorizing.  I hope to hear from you.

Stairway to Heaven

I'm not sure if Muffy is a fan of Led Zeppelin, but her own little stairway to heaven got a little closer to completion today.  Dex added a textured wall finish in beach sand to the stair wall.  He also completed the custom banister.  I mentioned to Dex that I had never constructed a banister.   He was all for having a helper.  In fact, he gave me the challenge of figuring it out on my own.  I must say the finished product looks a great deal simpler than the trial and error I went through constructing it.  Muffy saw this design in the latest issue of Big Idea Decor on a Small Scale and simply had to have it.  The silver finish is a nice touch.  

The black lattice sconce arrived from Shine, an online lighting boutique.  It is a one of a kind.

Maybe that seamstress can get those drapes hemmed and hung soon.  After that it is time to explore furnishings and most importantly have a housewarming party.

What's Going on with Muffy's Remodel?

Just a quick pic update on the remodel progress at Muffy's townhouse...
Dex went on a deep sea fishing trip last weekend.  Needless to say, all work was idle until his return.  Muffy's interior design friend, Andy, just stopped by to check some measurements for drapery panels.  She was happy to see the green panels had been installed on the stair wall and framed out so nicely with trim.
Muffy thought the original windows were too small so they have been replaced with a large picture window.  What a lovely view she will have of her patio garden.

Muffy's New Townhouse

Hope everyone is enjoying a nice weekend.  Just wanted to share a few pictures of Veronica's dear friend Muffy.  Muffy is relocating from NYC.  She just purchased a townhouse and renovations are well underway.  Here she is with her contractor, Dex. It's time to pick paint colors and fixtures.   She can't wait to move in and have a big party.
Stay tuned for the big finish.

A Good Night's Sleep

Lately I've been obsessed with geometrics and regency style.  Actually, I've always been a fan.  It just seems that is a constant style "fav" for me.  I've also been dying to do a little bedroom with an upholstered headboard.  A while back I made a template and cut out some forms.  Then those ideas got a little bit lost in the Christmas eggnog.
But every time I would walk into the workroom (a.k.a. laundry room) I would see headboard forms. They kept calling out...finish me.  So finally, the time came to do just that.
I decided to use a soft, neutral diamond print for the headboard.  I used the same fabric to upholster the bed's platform.  Then came the hard part, choosing the color pops for the room.  At first I thought purple.  After messing around with some swatches I tossed that idea aside.  I decided to go with orange.  The purple somehow had a more romantic feel than I was intending.  (Stay tuned for a more romantic purple bedroom with a larger size bed.)  This room is for the doll with an energetic, edgy confidence.
As for the other components of the room, I had finished a little glam style chest/nightstand a few days ago.  It's geometric design on the faux drawers complemented the textiles.  Yay!!!
The little Chair in the corner is a Gloria chair with new upholstery.  It is probably going to get a different paint job.  I don't really like the matte of the white factory finish.  For now, it is going to live in the room for a bit as is.
So here we have the modern orange bedroom.


Time for Veronica to enjoy her chocolate cup of orange sorbet and say goodnight.