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.