Jasmine and Prism Take a Walk

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!!

Happy Monday! I hope this finds you having had a lovely weekend! I had a great one. Mothers Day was yesterday and my family sweetly spoiled me all day long. My daughter made me some paper flowers and a pretty vase for them to live in and gave me a box of chocolates and two cute erasers that she knew I'd love. My sweet husband bought me a new doll wig (he asked what I wanted!) that is currently on it's way to the Doll House and my son, being a teenager, got up and went to church without a word of grumbling! Sometimes you have to take what you can get! Right? He did give me a great hug and a "Happy Mothers Day" too. So, all in all, a pretty terrific day! Hope yours was fantastic too!

It was nice weather this weekend and so I decided to take my two newest OOAK girls Jasmine and Prism outside for some photos in the pretty sunlight. 

Here they are! Aren't they pretty? As I mentioned, I have another new doll wig on the way in the mail from my husband for Mother's Day... It's a stunning wig that I am going to put on one of my very favorite older dolls. Then I already had one on the way from the very last few cents of my May Doll-Mad-Money because I found it for an amazing price. So... Have you noticed I get on a bit of a 'roll' with things? Right now, I am obsessed with making many of my dolls into OOAK dolls. I mean, not all of them obviously. However, I decided recently that I can only keep dolls I really really love and so I determined to either weed out or re-make the dolls I am lukewarm about. If that makes sense. Haha. I was telling my friend (Hi Frann!) this weekend that it's getting to where, in my collection, no doll is safe from being customized!!! 

I am having a lot of fun with it though and I suppose that's the point of all of it isn't it? Playing dolls should be fun. Right?

Between customizing and doll photography, I think those are two of my more favorite doll passtimes at the moment... Speaking of doll photos, have you checked out the PCR American Doll YouTube channel yet?  In a somewhat frenzied pace, I created and posted videos, initially, made from whatever good doll photos I happened to have in my phone still from prior blog postings. I decided to 'cut my teeth' on them with regards to how to edit and post them and whatnot. Despite not having been photographed specifically for YouTube, some of them ended up very cute. I also had a really fun time photographing the very first sequence of photos specifically with a video in mind that is named Cala's Big Day that came out well. So, I am chomping at the bit to make another little 'movie', I just need to find the time to do the photos. I am sure that at least one or two of my OOAK dolls will be in the next one! I am amazed by the stop motion photography movies I see posted by some young women but don't know if I'll ever be patient enough to make one of those? I think of the ones I want to make as more like the old school silent movies or 'progressive photography' I guess. I am rambling... Back to Jasmine and Prism and their walk!

Jasmine is wearing a cute OOAK I got as a gift from Frann! Isn't it perfect on her? She said to tell you it's so comfortable too!

Here are the girls next to a tall tree in the middle of some huge hosta leaves!

I just love the way they look in the natural light. 

The colors in their wigs look so much brighter outside don't you think? 

Jasmine tried to talk Prism into climbing a tree but Prism is terrified of heights. She couldn't even watch Jasmine climb up there without getting light headed!

"Please come back down before you fall and break your neck!" Prism says to Jasmine!! Jasmine just laughed and told her she was missing a great view!!

That's it for now Doll Friends!!

Have a fantastic day!
XXOO
Heather

***OUTTAKE PHOTO!!***

*PHOTOBOMB!* My dog decided she wanted to be in the photo as well!!
Haha!
💓

Meet Prism! My Latest OOAK Doll!!

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!

I seem to be on a roll lately with custom OOAK dolls... As I mentioned in my last post about the kitchen remodel in the Doll House I got a bit of a windfall of Doll Mad Money and decided this time, instead of buying any new dolls, I would focus on re-making dolls I already own but am not utterly in love with over into dolls I love. 

I've always wanted to buy a Beautifully Custom Doll Wig but they are generally nearly $50 each and that's more than I ususally pay for a whole doll! However, for whatever reason, when they restocked this time they offered a beautiful rainbow colored wig for only $26 with free shipping! So I knew the time was right to try them and was so excited to get my pretty new doll wig.

It arrived very quickly, just a few days after I ordered it! I couldn't wait to open it up and put it on!!

It was packaged up so nicely in a really pretty fabric draw string bag and you can tell by just the weight of the wig that it's a good quality one. 

Look at all those pretty colors!! I knew exactly which doll I was going to use the wig for.

I'd recently found an American Girl Felicity at Goodwill and had cleaned her up and put a wig on her... But I wasn't totally in love with her in the new wig. So, Felicity it was!

So... Meet Prism!! My newest OOAK Doll! I love love love her!!

I am sure she will be a favorite in the Doll House now because I think she is just so pretty! What do you think? I sure hope you like her too.

Better run!
Till Next Time!
XXOO
Heather

Introducing Spectrum! Another OOAK Doll In The Doll House!

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!!

Uh oh... I've seemingly become somewhat obsessed with doll wigs and customizing lately. I mean, I've done many doll makeovers in my time writing this little blog here but the further I get into my doll hobby, the more bold I get in my choices. Since I do have quite a few dolls (And isn't that a nice calm way to say that about this Doll Army I've been building? Hahaha!) I guess I have decided that some of them deserve a bit more attention rather than collecting dust in their wigs. Right? All dolls need some love afterall. 

So finding the 'fantasy' colored wigs has been so much fun! I say 'finding' them as if I hadn't seen customized OOAK dolls on Pinterest and such. However, I guess I found the wigs so 'expensive' when compared to, you know, an entire new dolls (hair included!) that it seemed silly to buy them. If that makes sense? That being said, now that I really feel I need to stop buying dolls so much, spending 'doll sized money' on new wigs for the dolls I already own started to make more sense. Not to mention that I found the 'first' fantasy wigs I bought  were a really great deal. Finding those made me start to watch eBay for other pretty and affordable options in the fantasy wigs. So that's how I happened to find this one... For some reason, the night I found and bought it, it was marked only $13.99 plus $4.95 shipping! So less than $18 shipped!? What?! Naturally I bought it immediately because the other wigs in the sellers online shop were all in the $30 range save one that I also wanted to buy that was marked a dollar more than this one. However, sometimes when you've spent quite a bit of money on doll stuff your Doll Mad Money can run low and even another $18 isn't in the budget so I just purchased the one. When I went back to look the very next morning, the prices were both back up to $30?! So... Suffice to say I am totally stoked to have gotten at least the one for such a great deal!! (And trying not to kick myself for not buying that second one for such a steal too! LOL) 

So what is the shop? It is called Exquisite Doll Designs and they have both that Etsy shop and an eBay Store for Exquisite Doll . I linked the Etsy shop first because it seems she sells them a few dollars cheaper there (likely because lower fees than ebay I imagine).

So here is the wig as it arrived. I loved the little chevron printed bag and the wig was also in a plastic ziplock bag and a hair net with tissue paper in the cap of the wig to holds it's shape. Very top notch all around.

I decided that Adilyn (on the left) was going to be the one who would be getting a new wig. I originally found her for only $2.99 and brought her home and cleaned her up and admired her... But mostly she just sat on the shelf especially since I got her sister Aliyah  as a gift from my husband. Because I am not trying to play favorites but naturally the doll I got from hubby means at least a bit more to me than her thrifted sister. Is that wrong? Eitherwise, she was collecting dust in her hair. Poor dear. So... It was time for a whole new lease on life! 

Here are the two sisters next to one another for the last time where they both have the gorgeous jet black hair. Don't they nearly look like twins despite Adilyn being a Journey Girl and Aliyah being an Espari doll? Actually, poor Adilyn had been rather roughly played with at her last house and I suspect her hair was quite a lot thinner than it might've been when she was new out of the box. So a new wig wasn't totally out of the question in any case. 

They really are pretty sisters! They are named after a couple of sweet girlies I know in real life who used to be in the Awana program when I was a teacher so they really are special to me for that reason too.

So meet Spectrum Adilyn!! I gave her a new 'fantasy' name but kept Adilyn because I didn't want her to get some manner of identity crisis. Hahaha. She, in my 'doll stories' will still be Aliyah's sister... Just with fancy rainbow hair. 

Isn't she gorgeous!?!?! I know she is going to see a lot more time in Doll House photos now because I smile every time I look at her. 

The wig is really nice and I love it. I am positive that, as soon as June comes and my Doll Mad Money is replenished, I going to be purchasing at least one more. Maybe that is what I'll do, buy one a month as I slowly re-make dolls in the doll house who need more love? So if you're looking for a great doll wig at a great price, check out this great seller. I am sure they'll become a favorite of mine.

I changed the photos to grayscale like I like to do sometimes and thought it was so interesting that in these photos, you'd think she had blonde hair with highlights! Don't you think?

Better run!
Till Next Time!!
XXOO
Heather

To Wig or Not To Wig, That Is The Question?

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!

So recently, as you know if you read this little blog regularly, I've been on a bit of a 'kick' where I am going to force myself to purge some dolls from my somewhat embarrasingly huge collection. Either that or force myself to make over whichever dolls I have that collect dust in their hair into dolls that I love too much to leave on the shelf. If that makes sense. So quite a few of my dolls have gotten makeovers into OOAK or One Of A Kind Dolls lately and I've been really having quite a bit of fun with it!

So Electra here really has always been a favorite because she is a Tolly Tot Doll and a doll named Rose was my very first 18inch doll. She was a garage sale doll but was my first 18inch doll, a gift to me from my daughter from her small collection way back when I made my very first upcycled doll clothes to use as a 'fit doll'. So even though they don't make them anymore, Tolly's will always have  a special place in my heart. I got Electra on eBay for a steal once but her hair was always a bit of a mess. 

I'd hot water dipped her hair and everything but it never sorted out the sad bushy frayed ends. I had always considered just cutting off the horrible ends but worried I'd mess up and make her worse and so she has spent her entire time in the doll house with her hair pulled back into a ponytail. However, I still loved her silver and purple hair and so I never really wanted to take the plunge and re-wig her. Until recently as I realized she hardly ever leaves the shelf or the doll rack and so it was time to do something about her hair. So, I ordered a 'white' wig (it was my mothers day gift from hubby cos he asked what I really wanted), determined to just cut off her hair and put a new wig on.

I saw in mail tracking that the wig would likely be here the next day and so I figured I'd get her out and perhaps cut her hair off so I'd be able to just put the doll wig on when it arrived. 

See? Isn't it dreadful?? There was no way she could ever wear her hair down with it looking like this. As I pulled it down, knowing I was probably going to cut it all off, I thought "Well, why not at least try to see what it looks like if I just cut off the damaged parts". So I did that...

And after I was done, I couldn't decide what I thought. Upon looking at the photos this morning (I cut her hair last night) I realize it likely needs to be 'shaped' just a bit better on the ends but... Honestly, I think she looks pretty cute like this. I am going wash it tonight and give her another hot water dip but.... I might just leave it as her hair. Like I say, I always loved the silver hair with purple highlights and so if I can manage to keep it, I likely will. What do you think? Be kind, I am not a hair stylist by any stretch of the imagination! I just tried to do what I've seen them do on my own head a hundred times... I pinned up the top portions and worked from the 'underneath' out. If that makes sense. 

All in all, I think she looks pretty cute! So let me know what you think? I'll show you how she comes out after her shampoo and hot dip too... If I don't end up using the pretty white wig on her, I am 99% certain some other doll in my collection is going to end up with it because it's super pretty too!

Better run!

Till next time!

XXOO

Heather

An Evening Of Chess At The Doll House! Also, Doll Plants DIY Ideas!

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!!

Happy Tuesday! I don't know about your neck of the woods but in mine today is the last day of school! Hallelujah! We made it through another year. Looking forward what will hopefully be a laid back and restful Summer this year! I'll pray you have the same!

There have been so many things I've wanted to tell you about in Doll House happenings that I am sort of doing a multiple purpose post here. Recently I discovered Be Chic Forever YouTube channel and she has so many clever ideas! I just adore her Doll House and her sense of style. It's a bit different than my own, she is very 'minimalist' in her decorating scheme and I am more 'hodgepodge collector', but that's half the fun of making a Doll House is that you get to decorate it to reflect your own tastes. 

One of the crafts she showed how to make was doll sized planters and vases and I absolutely adored the way hers looked! Having 'plants' in her doll house made it look so much more 'real' that I knew I'd have to give it a go and try and 'make' a few of my own! So... In the photos in this post, you'll see what came of my attempts. 

Here is a vase of flowers I put together... The vase, naturally, was thrifted somewhere along the line... The picture of the bird and the two ducks are recent (like in the last week) thrifty finds! The picture of the duck is a OOAK Art Card! Isn't it pretty? It was only 50cents with the frame included! The ducks were 25c each, not a bad deal for $1.00. I think the ducks look like they were made to go with the vase, don't you? See that very faded photo of the girl in the heart frame? That was me when I was younger, on one of my first Military ID cards as a young Army wife. The other side has a photo of my husband from same place... Or maybe these were from when we were teens as AF Brats? I don't recall for sure. But I've had that frame since I was like 19 and a newly wed. So, as you can see, I've always loved miniature things!

This Tea Set was also a thrity find. I thought it was kind of funny that it was 'pre-priced' $2 from whereever it was originally purchased and then Goodwill marked it $1.99. No matter to me though, I thought it was certainly worth $1.99... Cos goodness knows I need more doll dishes. Right? Teehee.

Here it is in the box in case you like it and want to try and search for one yourself.

I love that it says you can use it with food! How funny.

Now, if you take a look at the top of the beautiful glass front bookcase you'll see a couple of 'potted plants'. The planters are wooden napkin rings I got at the Thrift Store!! (see photo on this link) I simply glued a circle tags I already had on hand that were the correct circumference to the bottom of them so they'd hold plants. There was a small hole in the tag but it wasn't like I was using any dirt. I used the leaves off of some flowers that I used to put in a vase for all three of them. The taller of the planters (on the clock) I simply glued two of the napkin rings together to make a taller one. I love how they came out and I have another batch of napkin rings I got at same time that I plan to make more 'planters' out of. How fun!

The adorable chess set that Josh and Frank are playing with? Also a thrifty find, it's meant to be a travel sized game for 'real people' but it makes a perfect doll sized chess set! I love it!

Frann is pulling out a few extra cups now that Spectrum and Oliver have arrived! 

I am going to have to let the rest of the 'story in photos' tell the story because Blogger ate up all my writing time this morning by taking half an hour to upload this post... Bummer.

I made this bouquet and so of course Josh Doll had to present the very first doll bouquet I ever made to Heather Doll. Right?

"I better get these into some water!"

"Thanks Josh!" 💓

I took a lot of these with a YouTube Video in mind... So once I get that to upload, I'll come back and post a linky in case you want to see it!

These are kind of funny photos but I wanted to show you the flowers on top of the hutch and the pink flowers in the vase below... Another couple I put together. I can see this might get addictive, this flower and plant thing because they are so cute and pretty easy to put together. Coupled with my apparent talent at finding little vases and vessels, I think I'll have more in the future. Haha.

Better run!

XXOO
Heather