No Skeletons In This Closet

Raleigh has been accumulating a lot of things lately. Her latest are from Canada, but I will tell you more about that later. Right now, I had all of her clothes, jewelry and other things in plastic shoes boxes. It kept the dust and pet fur off, but it was hard to find things. I had to come up with a better storage idea.

If you read my other blog: Colleen's Cottage Crafts, this wine box will look familiar to you.

I found it in the garage when I moved in with my fiance. I wasn't quite sure what to use it for, but I knew it would come in handy at some point. Suddenly it came to me. This box was going to be the solution for Raleigh's storage problems and the closet project got under way.

Since Raleigh and my other dolls keep me company in my sewing/craft room, I wanted it to coordinate with the decor in there. I went shopping and found 2 different shades of aqua acrylic paint that would work perfectly. I decided to paint the outside of the box the darker of the two shades and do the lighter one inside.

I was going to do two coats of paint, but I decided I like the time worn look of the wood after just one coat.

As you know, I don't have much in the way of funds for doll things right now, so if I have something on hand I can make work, I am delighted. I didn't have a thin enough dowel for closet rods, but I had these heart things and I thought they might work if I took them apart.

The heart came off the top, after a bit of persuasion, but unfortunately, the dowel was to short to span the sides of the box. Once again I had to get creative. I cut squares of foam core and stacked them on each end of the dowel until it fit the box perfectly. I painted them the same color as the inside of the box.

I glued the dowel into the stacks of foam core and glued them into the box. I didn't like the way the edges of the foam core looked, so I found some ribbon that was a good color and glued it around the stack of squares.

I made some tiny hangers using jewelry wire and started to hang some clothes.

 

Her dresses and longer things will go on the top, while tops and skirts will go on the bottom. I put some of her shoes on the bottom, even though she has a big shoe organizer. They just looked cute there. Raleigh got a new skate board (Dollar Tree, scored a package of 2 boards and extra wheels) this week, so maybe I will store that there instead of her shoes.

I needed a place to store Raleigh's jewelry, hair accessories and glasses. On the door portion of the box, I attached a ribbon at the top and bottom with push pins. Glasses and hair accessories go on the top ribbon and earrings hang at the bottom. I also put some push pins on the slats to hold necklaces.

I really think this was a great way to use the wine box. 

My LPS Blythe dolls are jealous and want a closet too. I think I have something around here that just might work for their tiny things. I can even make hangers tiny enough. LOL!

Now, as for the new goodies from Canada. I belong to a group called Blythe Kingdom. They have swaps there that you can sign up for. Last month I participated in the Beach Babe Swap and my partner was from Canada.  You can see some of the things she sent by looking at my Flickr Album. I loved everything she sent, but I will share a sneak peek by showing you my favorite. Donna T., my partner, hand knit this mermaid outfit for my LPS doll.

Isn't it amazing! The stitches are so small and delicate. She did a wonderful job. I have left it on my doll and don't think she will ever have it off. I can't wait to sign up for another swap, if was so much fun!

 

Pink is Best for Pigs!

I bought a Barbie vanity at a flea market at a great bargain price. Of course it was bright Barbie Pink and had glitter stickers on it. It was not Raleigh's style or mine, so something had to be done about it.

There are some great tutorials on the web for redoing plastic furniture. This one tells you how to make faux woodgrain:  http://www.dolls-n-daggers.com/Dolls/Forum/index.php?topic=297.0.

I decided to just paint it white. Normally, I would use spray paint. I didn't have any and as usual my budget is tight, so I just hand painted with acrylic paint. The key is to use several thin layers of paint to get good coverage.

The other problem with the vanity was that the only part of the stool that was included was the top.

I cut a section from a toilet paper roll to make a base.

Then I covered the entire piece with fabric and lace to match Raleigh's bedroom diorama. Here is the repainted vanity with the new stool.

I think it gives it a cottage look, which is much more to Raleigh's liking and mine.

While we didn't want the vanity to be pink, there are some things that color is perfectly suited for - PIGGIES! I adore pigs and one day I hope to have a teacup pig as a pet. In the meantime, there was no reason that Raleigh couldn't have one. I searched the internet for a pattern and found one here:
http://dollmaker.nunodoll.com/pig/pig.html. The pattern I used is on the second page. Raleigh is very happy to have a new friend.

Her piggy doesn't have a name yet. Could you help her come up with one?

Little Did I Know

Little did I know that I have had 3 Blythe dolls and not just one. How could it be possible not to know this? Well, a couple of years ago, a friend gave me 2 dolls for Christmas. They were in sets called "Blythe Loves Littlest Pet Shop".  I love them, they are tiny little dolls withe BIG eyes and they have little pets. I have them displayed in my craft/sewing room so I see and enjoy them every day. I saw the big eyes and saw the relationship to my Blythe doll and to me that was it. That was until a week or so ago. I joined a group called Blythe Kingdom. It was on that site that I discovered that the Littlest Pet Shop Blythe dolls, also referred to as LPS, were made as replicas of the original Blythe dolls. They are approximately the same size as the Petite Blythes and are collected, customized and loved my Blythe collectors. I have Playfully Plaid

and Buckles and Bows. She is wearing the new dress I made. It is available on my web site Blythe - The Big Eyed Girl

I think there will be more of these little cuties added to my collection in the future.

Raleigh had some more items added to her living room diorama, from the office supply section of Dollar Tree, as usual. This is meant to hold paperclips and such.

I thought it made a great end table, so I bought two.

Here's a close-up with a new table lamp I made from Peruvian beads.

There are other items made with these wonderfully, hand painted beads on my site, on the Accessories page. Here is a picture of one the vases made with these beautiful beads:

Raleigh also got a great vintage piece this week - a manual typewriter. She thought it would be fun to doing some writing old school style.

 

I have also been working on Raleigh's bedroom this week, but we will save that story for next time.

Two Debuts!

Exciting and fun week in Raleigh's world this week. I have been very busy creating a new room and a new fashion statement!

Being a seamstress, I thought it was only appropriate that Raleigh had a sewing room too. While I was out shopping, I found the perfect start for the room. I bought this package of sewing themed erasers at Michael's.

I knew the size of the sewing machine would work, but the appearance needed some adjustments. I painted it white with LOTS of coats of white latex paint. I wrote the word SINGER with red pencil on white paper and decoupaged it to the machine. I coated the whole thing with clear nail polish. I glued a mini black button on the front and dabbed on some latex paint to cover the holes.

It's a chair!

 

It's a chair!

 

Actually, it is a cell phone holder

But it makes a perfect chair for Raleigh and was the perfect addition to the sewing room.

For a desk, I bought a pre-primed wood plaque and some wooden spools and glued the together and painted it black.

I used the spools and some craft sticks to create a shelf, which I also painted black. 

I used a tag die and my Sizzix and cut some corrugated cardboard to create bolts to wrap fabric on for the shelf.

The card of buttons was also made using my Sizzix and some mini buttons.

Excuse the blobs, the glue wasn't dry when I took the picture.

Another project using my Sizzix was the wall shelf. I use the same die that I did for the bolts, except a longer tag and cut some cardboard. The brackets were made with a photo corner die. That die is too thin to cut cardboard, so I cut card stock and glued layers together until I got the desired thickness. I covered the edge with mini ball fringe to cover the cardboard. 

 I repainted the mini dressform eraser to use as a decorating accent in the room. For other decor, I used some decorative buttons. I cut the shanks off and used mounting tape to hang them on the walls. 

I also used a clock face button and glued it to a larger button for a wall clock.

 

The last project using my Sizzix was the dress form in the corner.  I used corrugated cardboard again and glued it to a button. I added gathered tulle and a string of beads. I will probably add some color contrast to it in the future.

The room is a binder, just like the living room diorama. It is scrapbook paper on the upper wall. Since I only had 1 piece of the button papers, I cut it in half and used coordinating card stock for the bottom of the wall. I used ribbon for the border between. The floor is also scrapbook paper, decoupaged to foam core.

 

I am happy with the  way the project turned out. I am going to keep it on display in my sewing room, whereas the other dioramas I make will be used as needed. I would like to make some more little accessories pieces for the room in the future.

As if this wasn't enough for this week, I have more! A fashion debut as well. Raleigh has wings! I have created wings that can be worn by your doll.

The wings can be pinned on your doll's outfit, so they are very versatile. They are available on my web site in various colors and styles:  Blythe - The Big Eyed Girl. Come check them out and let your Blythe soar!

 

Confessions of a Pinterest Addict

Hi, My name is Colleen and I am addicted to Pinterest. Glad to have that off my chest. LOL. As if I didn't have enough things I want to make, I discovered Pinterest and found thousands more. There are ideas for all sorts of crafts, decorating, food travel, etc. You name it, it is on Pinterest.

Of course I was very happy to find lots of beautiful pictures of Blythe dolls, great outfits, customization, accessories and more. Certainly sparked my imagination and gave me great ideas to work with. I will share a few of the projects that I have made from Pinterest inspirations.

Oh, before I forget, I have decided to rename my doll. My friend Sharon, of Little Rose Creations, is in the process of building a Blythe doll, that she is naming Ophelia. I loved the idea of the doll being called something other than Blythe, since there are 1000's of them. After some thought, I decided to name her Raleigh. This is the original Gaelic spelling of my maiden name, Riley. She is an Ashton Drake Pinafore Purple, so she is a natural redhead. I thought a Gaelic name was very appropriate for her. Have you named your doll? Would love to hear what you have called her.

Ok, so now on to the projects. I mentioned before that I wanted some sort of diorama to photograph Raleigh indoors. Pinterest to the rescue! I found an easy, inexpensive idea at: Southern Disposition. And here is mine rendition. Please note the inside of the binder is completely covered in scrapbook paper. The white is glare from the flash.

 

Look how great Raleigh looks in her new space

Yes, that's a new couch and ottoman that I made. After looking at beautiful Blythe furniture on Pinterest, my paperback book sofa just didn't cut it. The couch is made from Styrofoam, covered in fabric and has clear push pins for feet. Below are pics through the various stages of construction.

If you have any questions about how I made this, drop me a line. 

 

The ottoman was also inspired by Pinterest, but not anything specific. I used an Altoid tin for the base, covered it with alligator textured felt and a satin ribbon and then added pony beads for feet. Here is the completed piece

For the last Pinterest inspired project for this week, I made Raleigh a new suitcase for summer vacation. Here's a link to the inspiration: Life in the Craft Lane and here is Raleigh all set for her trip

If you would like to purchase a suitcase like this, it is available on my web site: Blythe: The Big Eyed Girl.

Here is a link to my boards on Pinterest, Colleen's Pinterest Boards, I hope you find some inspiration there too!

SHOES!!!

This week's blog posting will be short and sweet because I have several exciting projects in the works that aren't quite ready to share.

I did find a great way to organize all of Blythe's shoes. Before I show you that, did you know that Blythe can wear a variety of shoes belonging to other dolls? She of course has shoes that are made for her, but she can also wear some Barbie shoes, as well as shoes made for Tiny Betsy McCall.

I am limited in what I can wear for shoes because of several previous surgeries, so to quell my love of shoes, I live vicariously through my dolls and Blythe is no exception. I was tired of rummaging through a box trying to find a matching pair. Blythe needed some sort of shoe organization and I found it in the office supply section of my local Dollar Tree. As you see, it is an ordinary, plastic desk organizer.

I turned this up on its end and it made the perfect place to store ALL of Blythe's footwear.

If you look from the side, you can see she can even fit her figure skates in. You may have noticed the wooden shoes on the top. They are actually souvenirs from Holland that fit Blythe perfectly. The blue wooden shoes with the red and white heart design (second row from the bottom) are souvenirs from Finland which also fit her perfectly. You never know where you are going to find goodies for your Blythe, so keep your eyes open.

Don't foget to visit my web site: Blythe - The Big Eyed Girl