Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Doppelganger Doll of Grace Vanderwaal Moves In To Doll House!

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!!

As you know if you've read this little blog for long at all, I love to make Doppelganger dolls ofl loved ones and people I love or admire. We have  Doppelganger Doll Heather and Josh who are my versions of myself and my husband. I actually have a post about My Doll Family and when I got Lilly and Vito was one of my very first custom dolls. 


I've gone on to make dolls for friends like 

and family like:

Real life people I admire like:

And even fictional characters:

You get the idea. Heehee. I am probably forgetting one or two that I've written about and I haven't really officially 'told the story' of a lot of my dolls that are named after people either. Do you name your dolls after people in your life? 

So anyway my latest doppelganger is fashioned after a singer and songwriter that my daughter and I both admire quite a lot. Her name is Grace Vanderwaal and she's one of the best singers to ever play a ukelele!


Here she is ready to play us a great tune like Beautiful Thing or Clay.


I think she is pretty cute. 


What do you think?



Here is the 'real' Grace. I love that she allows herself to stay a little girl even though she's famous. She wears 'girl' clothes and keeps her own sweet look... Good for you Grace! 


Well I better run! 


Hope this finds you having a wonderful day!
Till Next Time!
XXOO
Heather










Much Needed Nap for Jacxine!

Hi Doll Friends!

As I was searching in my camera for another photo yesterday it occured to me that I hadn't shared this one.. The other day after Babysitting Club poor Jacxine was exhaused! She went in to just 'rest for a moment and read a few scriptures...' and before she knew it, she was asleep. Sometimes you just need a good nap. Right?


Till next time!
XXOO
Heather

Monday, January 30, 2017

Tea Set From Dollar General for Doll House!

Greetings Doll Friends!!

As I mentioned, this past weekend I spent time sorting through the Doll Room... I had apparently tucked away a few sweet treasures that I'd totally forgotten about. Case in point? This adorable Tea Set I got at the Dollar General in December during one of their many 50% off toy sales!


My only regret with this set is that I didn't buy two! I recall at the time looking high and low on the shelves to find a second one because $2.50 for a 'real glass' tea set is unheard of but alas, it was the only one I could find. I love it because they remind me of polka-dotted Fiestaware and will be so cute for tea parties and dinners alike. As you can see, it comes with four cups (in four different pastel colors), four plates/saucers, a tea-pot, a creamer and a sugar bowl. 


I plan to keep the box to store it in because the 'blister pack' is actually two separate pieces of plastic that open like a box and have perfect 'spots' for each item. I hope to find another one like this at Dollar General sometime too because I'd love to have more 'place settings'. As you know, there are usually quite a few dolls at parties in the Doll House! Right?


Here are Frann and Heather after the Castle Ball getting a bit of tea and cake to discuss the evening with friends Lisa and Pam when they arrive back... Isn't it a great tea set?

Better run!
XXOO
Heather


Sunday, January 29, 2017

Castle Photography Backdrop From eBay!

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!

Monday morning already! I usually get a lot of my blog posts posted on Sunday because I have more free time then but alas, yesterday my son was sick and I was feeling a bit poorly in the later part of the day and so I mostly just did 'other' things for my blog when I felt up to it, like photography and changing dolls clothes who are due for a fresh outfit and such. My not feeling well manifested itself in a head ache and something about screen time and headaches don't mix well. Am feeling much better this morning though and the good news is my 'other' work yesterday yielded about five drafts that now just need to be written. 


One good thing about my wanting to do 'other' work is that one of the things I did was to dig into my desk drawers in my doll room and sort out what I have in them. Oftentimes I'll get a 'doll item' in the mail, look it over and then tuck it into the drawers to pull out at the right time to photograph or use in a specific scene or what-have-you...


So last June I got a really nifty Hobbit House Photography Background from eBay and, at the time, kind of became obsessed about them (Who me? Never...!? lol ) and ordered another one then. However, as you may know, when you order something on eBay that is coming from overseas, you often don't get it for four to six weeks from the time of purchase. So I apparently got this cute background in July or early August and, by that time, I attention was elsewhere and so into the drawer it went. Untill this weekend... I pulled it out and was like "Why haven't I ever used this adorable background??" I immediately unfolded it, hooked it to a display board and took a photo of it with Grace V as my model! It was really wrinkled from being folded but even still I knew it was going to be adorable and perfect for the dolls once I got it ironed. 


Here it is after I ironed it (on low heat with the photo side down). As you can see, I just sort of layed it over the tri-sided carboard display board and held it in place with a clothespin. I also put a hard floor board under the black and white 'floor' of the backdrop where they are standing so the dolls would have good footing and be able to stand well. 


Since I bought it so long ago, I wasn't able to find the original listing on eBay of this particular purchase and find out what I paid for it. However, knowing myself, I am sure it was about $5 including shipping. Being me, after setting it up and remembering how cute they can be, I decided to buy a couple more. I am getting the forest scene so I can do 'camping' photos and the graffitti just because it'll be a fun backdrop.


Here are Lisa (Lotus) and Pam (Espari) all dressed up in their finery and ready to walk to the Ball at the Castle on the magical black and white path...


Here is Hemalayaa (Journey Girl) in a gorgeous dress and fur, waiting for her girlfriends to arrive so they can walk up together... 


Here's Aliyah (Espari) in a beautiful blue gown. Hemalayaa took a photo of her while they were waiting for Karen to show up...


Oh here is Karen (custom Journey Girl) all dressed up in pink!


All ready to walk up the path together.... The Ball is going to be so much fun!!


Have fun girls! If you're wanting to find this background for your dollies, here is a listing on eBay for the same one. I am not sure if it's the same exact seller as I bought it from but it seems the seller has decent enough feedback. (Or just search 'Photography backgrounds 3x5 and you'll find oodles of different ones too) 


Here is Cat (Lotus) Frann (Lotus) and Heather (Madame Alexander) all ready for the Ball themselves!!


Don't they look pretty! What would your favorite thing about attending a fancy Ball be? 

Better run! Hope you have a great week!
XXOO
Heather


















Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Frann Visits The Treasure Trove Antique & Tea Shoppe!

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!!

As I told you in my previous post we had snow in our sweet little town today... So Frann Doll decided to walk downtown and finally visit the Treasure Trove like she's been wanting to do since she first saw it driving by one day. She looked up the The Treasure Trove on Facebook and could tell it was a magical place! Sadly, Heather Doll wasn't able to join her in her adventure because she had other plans so she made Frann Doll promise to take her along next time! 


She knew the moment she walked in that she'd been right! The The Treasure Trove was magical indeed. She loved all the beautiful treasures, trinkets, dishes, glassware, crystal and jewelry and and and and and... Oh so many things to see!! She knew she would need to take her time in this beautiful shoppe or she might miss the perfect treasure for the Doll House or as a gift for a friend. She needed to buy a gift for Beth Doll and knew she'd find just the perfect thing here today.


She spotted what she had come in mind with right away! Vintage linens are one of Beth's favorite things! She'd have to look them over more closely after she browsed around more and choose the perfect ones for Beth. 


Everywhere she turned there was beautiful glassware, tea cups, dishes and every manner of thing you might need to set the most elegant and formal dinner party! 


This cabinet of gorgeous glass and stemware was like art to look at with the light coming through! So pretty with the amazing selection differently shaped formal wine or water goblets, champagne flutes, burgandy goblets. Frann also loved the little statue of the children with the little girl holding a doll. 


"Look! This chair is nearly my size!!"


How fun!! An antique toy phone!! Frann had to give it a try! Do you remember phones like this? 


Frann loves books and so she spent a little time glancing through the vast selection of vintage and antique books... So many to choose from! 


More stemware was displayed on this fabulous mirrored marble topped dresser and Frann just had to have a photo by it! The lamps are so perfectly displayed on the shelves that I imagine that must've been their original purpose. Frann noticed they had crystals on them which always remind her of the movie Pollyanna with Hailey Mills and how she strung the crystals in the window to make prisms. Have you ever seen it? 


Frann saw the tea sets and knew she'd be back some other time to pick one for the Doll House! One can never have too many tea sets in a house so full of girls to have tea parties afterall, right?


So many lovely sets to choose from!


An old school gumball machine!! Awesomeness. 


There was more downstairs!! Frann decided this is a store she would need to come back and visit often and so she wouldn't miss the treasure that was meant just for her!


Frann saw this dresser and said "Wouldn't this be great for accessories at the doll house?" Indeed... Indeed..


Just look at this!! A doll sized old fashioned phone as well! The Treasure Trove  has everything!


Frann Doll never imagined she'd make friends at the store!! She probably chatted with these gals for twenty minutes. She told them all about the Doll House and they told her all about their life in the store and where they'd all lived before. They were all great friends before Frann left. 


Frann loved this little statue of a wolf! The downstairs display room was so fun!


Just as she was about to go back upstairs to pick out linens she spotted more adorable doll sized items!! 

She went back upstairs and picked out two beautiful antique embroidered pillow cases, two embroidered tea towels for the kitchen, two vintage handkerchiefs and a sweet silver key chain for her friend Beth. She knows they'll be just perfect!

So if you ever happen to come to our neck of the woods, you must certainly stop in to The Treasure Trove yourself. The owner Patti is good people and will help you find just the perfect thing for your house or as a gift for someone you love. If you stop in before the end of the month she is having a sale on most everything in the store!! Tell her Frann says hi if you stop in! 

That's it for now Doll Friends!!
Till Next Time!
XXOO
Heather











A Walk In The Snow!

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!

It snowed last night! So... A couple of the dolls decided to go out for a short walk and to play in it a bit!


Here are Frann Doll and Heather Doll out in the blustery cold winter day!


The snow was so pretty and it really didn't feel all that cold with warm coats on. 


Heather always loves seeing the beautiful American flag and thought it looked especially pretty with all the white snow to contrast it's bright red white and blue. They decided to take a photo with it!


Of course they had to make Snow Angels!


The snow wasn't all that deep and so it wasn't easy to make really good Snow Angles but it sure was fun trying. 


Here they are!


Time to go back in and have some hot chocolate to warm back up... Has it snowed recently where you are? 

Till Next Time!
XXOO
Heather