What Happens When I Discover Panorama Button On My Iphone

Greetings Doll Friends!

So, a lot of ya'll are probably going to laugh at me for having just 'discovered' the panoramic button on my iPhone. I guess I've noticed it before but, being as I wasn't in market to sell my home, I couldn't see any real or practical application for it, I never used it at all.

Until the other day when I was taking photos and accidentally set it to that setting and took a very strange photo. However, it made me see the panorama button in a whole new light!

With panorama setting, I can take a really neat photo of the doll room and get a lot of the little details of the room that you'd miss in a standard photo! Awesomeness!

This was my very first attempt to do one and it looked kind of 'Twilight Zone' so I decided to keep it. 

On this one, I even left it where you can see 'outside of the Doll House' into the 'real world. Just thought the perspective was fun. 

I love how it get's every single detail into the photo! 

I had to try a few group photos! It's very difficult, with regular photo, to get all their faces into the shot, someone is always half hidden. In this photo, Ariel is a bit hidden but otherwise, you can see most everyone!

So I moved her around and now you can see every single doll in the photo! I'd like to say I have all the dolls in this photo but the Doll Sorority has gotten so large, it is harder to do! I think I'll set them all up and take a panorama of them soon but... For now, here's a lot of the gang!

I even had three up on the top bunk and tried getting them in the shot but couldn't pull it off without showing the top and over the 'wall' to the Dollhouse. Phooey!

Ok, I'll stop. I am thinking there will be lots of panoramic photos in my Doll House future! Look, you can even see the little dolls in the dolls' dollhouse! Sweet!

See you next time! 

Makeover of a Liberty Landing the Brass Key 18 inch Doll!

Greetings Doll Friends!!

I know I've posted "make-over" blogs before, one with Ariel  and one with Belle, both Princess and Me 18inch Dolls. However, this recent project is the most 'make-over' I've done with any doll before so I feel like I've entered a brave new world!

I will likely be more likely to pick up a doll that I might have, before this project, considered 'too much work' to help. If the price is right and doll presents itself that is. I am getting ahead of myself though, aren't I? Let me first tell you about my project restoring a Liberty Landing the Brass Key 18inch doll! 

Here she is in the new bathroom we made last week. You missed that post? You can find it here.

Back to the story... I was on eBay, researching again. Yes, I know, I need to stop researching on eBay, I always get in trouble there! So I stumble across this doll on an auction that is ending soon and her price was pretty low, at the time it was $5.50. With an hour left in the auction, off I go to Google this kind of doll. I'd never heard of Liberty Landing dolls! I found a review of Liberty Landing dolls that intrigued me enough to want to get my hands on one if I could do it for $5.50. So I went and placed a bid, topping my bid at $7.50 because, face it, I am cheap. Naturally, I get her but at the $7.50... Oh well, that is what it costs to get a fast food meal now, so it's not that horrid, right?

Here is Liberty with Saige and Anne, getting ready to get all cleaned up. I named her Liberty because it was just so perfect. When she arrived, I was unhappy to find she had a bit of an 'odor', like she'd been stored in a musty attic or basement for a couple of decades. I don't think it was malicious on behalf of the seller, she flat out said in the post it was her granddaughters doll from the 1990's and I'll be she stored it for her all that time. She described her as 'in beautiful condition' and that is a relative thing, I guess. I wouldn't have described her quite like that. 

I would describe her as a bit of a train-wreck! Her wig as a total rat nest and was a pretty low quality wig to begin with. I should've noticed this in the review I read and mentioned above, if you look at the photos of the dolls there, the wigs are very obviously kind of cheap. Ah well... Since it kind of smelled, I would've wanted to change it out anyway in all likelihood. 

Still, I hadn't researched changing wigs yet and so I did my best to clean her up and make her hair as presentable as possible. Here she is, all cleaned up, with her smelly clothing in the washing machine!

I found that what the review also mentioned, that they are not articulated at all, was absolutely true. She had a very hard time sitting on this little bench unless I hooked her foot into the edge as you see here. Still, she was pretty cute. 

Another thing I noticed, and didn't like, was her face coloring. At first I thought she must've faded over the years to look this way. Her cheeks have almost a yellowish hue to them and her lips were as flesh colored as the rest of her face. She also had her teeth painted to make them look like they had very wide gaps. Sometimes that looks cute on a doll but on this one, it just made her teeth look puny. So... I felt I didn't have much to lose at this point and researched how to make her mouth look prettier. It's amazing what you can find on YouTube! I found several tutorials on how to paint her mouth but this Link was the most helpful I thought. 

So here she is with her lips all re-painted. I painted her teeth all white too, with no gaps and I think it makes her look much better. No offense to anyone with gaps in their teeth, some people look quite adorable with them. This doll, no so much. 

Have I mentioned I have the attention span of a toddler? Well, after having what felt like success in the repainting of her, it immediately brought to mind another doll who I'd always thought had a gorgeous face mold but her lip color always bothered me. Her lips were purple! It made her look like she wasn't getting enough oxygen all the time! Troubling to say the least. So... Since I had the brushes all out and the paint all mixed (I mixed my own colors, be brave, try it yourself!) I went ahead and gave her a new look as well. 

It made her look like a whole new doll! I am so pleased! Ok... Back to Liberty!

Knowing I'd be giving her a whole new wig, I decided to 'try on' other colors of hair. I just used my other dolls and sort of lay them over her so I could see how the hair color looked. I thought she looked nice as a blonde since her lashes are light colored. I thought it would match her skin tone better too. Normally, I would never make a doll blonde, the world has enough blonde dolls really but... It just looked right. I didn't want it to be quite as light as above but blonde felt right. So I went and ordered a wig on eBay and worked on getting her wig off. It was incredibly easy, it almost came right off with no pulling! None of the 'spoon method' and nail polish remover required of most re-wigging projects. 

Still, her cheeks bugged me. It's hard to see but if you look in the photo above, you can see how her left cheek looks a bit jaundiced. Her right cheek has been treated with a procedure I also found on YouTube. You literally use 'real' blush and stain the cheeks. Again, I felt like I had nothing to lose since she was kind of a mess. I don't recommend doing any of this on a doll you're afraid you may ruin! As with all doll projects, make sure you have your parents permission before you alter your dolls in any way!

So now she has a nice blush! Note that her right shoulder, where her head was attached, has a bit of a tear. I am telling you she was not treated well! Poor Liberty! I've decided she will just have to live with her scars though... I may try and whip stitch over it but am not sure if it will make it worse? It will be under her clothing anyway so for now I am leaving it be. 

Here she is, all dressed in modern clothes. I made the skirt in an upcycle project much like this one. Here she is, all cleaned up, her wig removed but with a nice warm hat to help her maintain her dignity. She had unsightly glue marks all over her scalp. If she had a nice bare scalp, I'd let her wear it with pride! They even have them as an option on American Girl Dolls now Linky. They look pretty neat I think and it is a reality for many little girls who are ill. So kudos to American Girl Doll for that, I say. Way to keep it real for all girls!!

Back to Liberty. Her wig came! I was so excited I yelled Thank You to the grumpy post man. I think I almost gave him a heart attack. Oops. Be the bearer of dolls and doll wigs and you get what you get I say. 

I had to put it on immediately and see how she looked. I. Loved. It!! She looked like she was made that way, I thought! It's not glued on in these photos. As you can see, I was also so excited, I didn't even set up a 'scene' for her, I just photo'd her on the fly in my real life house. 

It came in a pony tail, the wig did. I knew I was taking a bit of a chance by gluing it on before I took down the ponytail and making sure I liked it down... I am a bit of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants type when it comes to such things and since I liked it so well up, I went with it. I would've had to have pulled a wig that was 'down' up into a pony tail to keep it safe from glue, so I figured I was just getting to skip a step. 

Isn't it pretty?! It reminds me of Nellie in the Little House on the Prairie. I always thought she was a little jerk but her hair was amazing! 

So it was time to take the plunge and apply the glue. I was so nervous!! I mean, I guess I don't know why, now... If I'd have messed it up, I'd just have taken it off. It helps to have tried the wig on in first!! That gives you an idea of where you want it to sit on her head and how it 'feels' to go on. You don't want to find out when you're working with the wet glue, that it's tricky to put the wig cap on. Better to get the procedure down while there is no glue! But, when ready, slather glue on your dolls scalp. I used Aleene's Original Tacky Glue because it was the one I heard recommended by YouTube teachers most often.

I took this photo on the fly because I was afraid my glue would dry before I got wig on! So the glue is a bit more spartan than it was when I put on wig. I slathered glue into those crevices created by her former glue. I used her old glue line as guide for where to put it on and used a brush to apply it so it wouldn't be too messy. I should have probably wrapped her in a towel before I did this to protect her and her clothing but I was so excited, I didn't even think to. Luckily, nothing got spilled on her. 

Here is the wig inside out. It looks kind of like a hat and it fits on very snugly. I ordered a size 10 because, again, that was the one I heard most recommended on tutorials. 

Then, in what would be the hardest part of the entire process nearly, I set her on a shelf for 24 hours to let her dry. Or, well, OK, more like 21 1/2 hours because I only have so much patience over here! I recommend waiting the whole time though because I could have been wrong! It seemed dry enough to me though, it had no 'give' to it at all.

Here she is, back in her original dress, with the wig's curls down for the very first time. Looks pretty!

Again, she looked just like Nellie!!

Here she is with her curls finger combed out and in her original dress. She looks like a wholly different doll!

Her hair length was now a lot like Saige's was, so I decided they would have breakfast together. I put her back into her original, now freshly laundered, outfit and hair bow. They are actually pretty top-notch in quality and if I am honest, the dress is probably worth the $7.50 I paid for the doll. A dress of similar style/quality at the aforementioned famous and popular doll company would cost more than what I paid even with shipping. So... Not a bad deal really, to get a doll thrown in to the bargain.

Getting a make-over makes an appetite! Here she is eating a waffle and she asked for a donut and eggs as well! 

She agreed to allow me to put that dress on her just this one last time and then she never wanted to wear it again. I guess wearing the same dress for twenty years might do that to you. She insisted she wanted to wear some fun socks with it though, you can kind of see them peeking out from under the hem of the dress. The other girls think the dress is fabulous though, so I am pretty sure it'll get it's fair share of wear in the Doll House. 

Here she is in a more modern outfit! I think she looks swell! Happy Liberty!

I think she feels like a whole new doll!

Well, that's it for now! Thanks for stopping by the Doll House! Stay Tuned for a Re-Visit of Belle's makeover. I recently decided to try and tackle her unfortunate doll hair. Hope to see you then!

Make a Bathroom For 18inch American Girl Dolls!

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!

As I may have mentioned before, I am a member of a group on Facebook called "My Dolls House". It's a group of people, mostly women and their daughters or granddaughters, who love all things American Girl or other 18" Doll related. They make the most amazing and intricate houses for their dolls! I get so much inspiration from them. Which leads to today's post! It had never even occurred to me to make a bathroom for my dolls before having joined the group. I mean, I guess I always thought one of the perks of being a doll is you don't need a bathroom. Teehee. However, after seeing all the clever and imaginative bathrooms being created by the ladies in the group, I started to think it might be fun. Didn't really pursue it though because you really do need to buy a few very specialized components for a bathroom. The most important thing, which makes it look like an actual bathroom, is a toilet! 

Well, I guess this doll bathroom was providence because, low and behold, I found this toilet at Goodwill for $2.99. It's made to be a change bank but the bottom door, where change is meant to be kept, is broken off. However, was perfect for my intended use!! Nearly perfect scale and even more like a real toilet than a lot of the ones actually made for dolls! So I bought it and set it aside to think of how I might make the other components of a bathroom... A bathtub is really, well, a large tub of some sort. 'Real' bathtubs come in all shapes and sizes after all. I just needed to find the right basin or tub to make it. Another trip to Goodwill later, I found this awesome silver box that I am guessing came with gifted bath products or something. It was only 99cents and so I figured I had very little to lose! Ironically enough, I found the roll of fancy printed duct tape during same Goodwill trip for 99cents too! I thought they'd make a perfect tub when put together!

As an aside, two things; First, yes, I go to Thrift Stores a lot. It is, I find, one of my best sources for things to make over for dolls but you have to go pretty often to find the gems. I stop in a couple times a week as I am out on errands. Secondly, about the duct tape, it was a really great find because I am pretty frugal and would never probably spend the $4 a roll it costs in the stores. So, it was providence, truly, that it be part of my tub design. It's even in a 'modern fun print' as I wanted to make my bathroom a bit modern as a nod to my sweet daughter. She loves the doll house but the kitchen and living room's are certainly decorated to my taste, not hers. She, like many girls her age, loves bright colors and fun prints. So, I figured the bathroom would be a great place to do those fun colors.

So here are the first components of my tub. The regular duct tape I owned already. I wanted to tape around the whole thing so it would cover the "handle" holes and wanted it to be sturdy so I figured I'd do the plain tape around it and then cover it with the fancy type.

It came out pretty great! The tape is a bit puckered in places which drove my TypeA personality a bit nuts but it looks good enough. I wasn't sure how I'd do the "plumbing" on my tub and it looked pretty un-tub-like still without it. (Forgot to photo without, sorry! You can imagine it though right?) So I asked my dear husband if he had any thoughts and/or supplies I could use to make a faucet and handles? He is a genius! He also has a lot of plumbing supplies in our garage because of his job. So he helped me out with this faucet handle combo and I love how it came out. It looks old fashioned because of the copper! He used 1/2inch copper tubing (I think, I'll come back later to correct if I am recalling correctly but Dear Husband is still sleeping like most normal people at 5AM) and some various hardware to create the plumbing. As you can see, the 'handles' needed to be put in place with hot glue because they were 'loose' around the pipes. I'll try and find names for all of the hardware and come back to tell you the information... Essentially you can to just try and find hardware or whatzits around your house that might work but I realize that not everyone keeps such things around. Sometimes, it pays to be a packrat. Eh?

So here is the completed bathroom!! In these photos, I hadn't 'plummed' the sink yet. I was so excited about the tub that I just put it all together and took photos because I was excited to show it. What's funny is it didn't even occur to me immediately that the same 'pipes' that worked for the bathtub might also work for the 'sink' but... After I took these photos, the light bulb went off in my head.

So here is a photo with the 'plumbed' sink. It's just a length of that copper tubing, cut to size and bent over to make it look like a tall faucet. It doesn't have handles, the sink but I don't think it's all that big a deal. I used the 'bowl' as the sink because I wanted it to look like a lot of the modern day bathroom sinks that have a 'bowl' basin. The bowl is an old school melamine sugar dish, minus the lid. I think it's perfect and I, being me, had it on hand. You could find any bowl that suits you for your 'sink' though. The 'dresser' portion of the sink was also found at, you guessed it, a Thrift Store! It was only $2.99! I am considering re-painting it to match the bathtub and/or using some of the fancy duct tape on it so it really matches but I am holding off because I could also use it as a dresser in the 'bedroom' of the house... So I am holding off on painting it for now.

As you can see, I am very technical! Um, no. I just duct taped the faucet to the back of the dresser. Another cool part about being able to take off the faucet is that I'll be able to use it to make a 'kitchen' sink in my kitchen scenes. A lot of the ladies that are in the My Doll House group make every thing in their houses more 'permanent' because they actually have big 'box like' rooms that they keep everything in. So if that is you, you'll just have to make two of the faucets! 

I am really pleased with how it turned out. I need more 'art' for the walls and may make a special background.... but all things in good time. It's fun that it's all always a work in progress. It always keeps me coming back to create more fun stuff!

In an upcoming Blog post, I plan to tell you all about the recent arrival we had in the doll house. I bought a Liberty Landing doll on eBay recently. She was only $7.50 and I was very curious about her because I guess Liberty Landing dolls were a 'cheaper alternative' to Pleasant Company (American Girl) Dolls back in the 1990's. However, when she came, her dress smelled a bit musty, like she'd been in storage a long time and her wig was a nightmare. Just horrid! So, she screamed "I need a makeover!!" to me. I am working on her as we speak and will have the big reveal soon. The reason I bring all this up, other than to let you know what is coming, is to say that it was a perfect time to have a new doll bathroom! Liberty needed to clean up!!

Here she is in a nice hot bath run by Saige, who, like all the other dolls, is trying to make her feel right at home. Always room for another doll in the Doll Sorority! Love abounds!

I forgot, earlier, to take a good photo of the 'plumbing' on the tub, so here it is. I will photo the back side of it too and update later! My husband was so clever in how he did it!

Doesn't Liberty have the cutest feet? I think she does! Can't wait for the big reveal of her makeover! Stay tuned!!

Thanks again for dropping by, Doll Friends! We will see you next time!