Bring on the Glitz

I found this quick tutorial for making headbands for a Barbie doll and thought it was just perfect.  The tutorial uses soda or water bottle cap rings, but I was fresh out.  I did have some for gallon size jugs though, they were larger and I thought maybe they would work on a slightly large head.
So I made them for my Bratz dolls.  Their heads are noticeable larger than most fashion dolls.  This one was made using a purple ring from a 2% milk carton.  It’s smothered with glitter, and I decided to use my glue gun to attach all that glitter which was odd at first but seems to be working well.
This one was made with the ring from a gallon size water bottle.  I think the blue color looks great with the glitter.  While I was putting it on this doll, I noticed something that made me think that they are over doing it with the makeup on these dolls.  At a certain angle she kind of looks like a drag queen, but that’s just me. 
Here’s the updated list:

• doll headbands
• halters
• camera
• stamps
• painting supplies
• knitting supplies
• video
• face magnets

One down, seven to go.  More doll stuff to come.

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Fun with Noodles

Remember when we all were little and we’d make macaroni jewelry at school, or decorate other things with various noodles.  Here’s something that rekindles that same enthusiasm for creating with pasta.  A while back I discovered this post on Fuzzington.  It’s a noodle man, he’s name is apparently Rick.  It was made based on an episode of Seinfeld, I must have missed that episode.  Anyway, it is surprisingly adorable to look at, almost enough to make you want to check out the pasta aisle at your grocery store.  Long live pasta people.

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Number Ten

Finished the last list on time, so I want start the new one as soon as possible.  The new one does have miniatures on it like the last one, but they aren’t for my doll house.  Don’t worry, you will see what they are for in due time.  So here it is:

Craft Project List #10

• doll headbands
• halters
• camera
• stamps
• painting supplies
• knitting supplies
• video
• face magnets

I plan on having them done in three weeks or less, it’s not that much so it shouldn’t be a problem.

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Kitchen: Check

The list is completed and so it the kitchen for the doll house.

As I mentioned before, it is an unbelievably tiny little kitchen, but it has all the necessities.  I made the curtains the same way as the other rooms because I like the way they look from the outside of the house.  Instead of “papering” the walls like I did with the bathroom and bedroom, I painted them to match the ceiling.  The floor is a little different, I cut squares from cardboard for tiles and glued them down.  I painted them and sealed them too.  The color matches the cabinets and doesn’t show dirt, a great quality for a kitchen :)
In the middle of setting this up, I noticed something.  I forgot to add the stove to my project list, so it wasn’t made until the last minute.  It was fairly easy to whip up.  It kind of reminds me of a washing machine though.  That would be kind of cute, maybe I should make a mini Laundromat after I finish the house.  Would that be too weird? 
Here’s the updated list:

• Rosettes
• Doll aprons
• Zipper charms
• Refrigerator
• Heart purse
• Doll
• Kitchen sink
• Cupboards
• Clothes
• Vase
• Dishes
• Curtains

Twelve down and out.  Another completed list.  Yay!

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Main Dish

The cardboard doll house kitchen needed some dishware, but how do you make cardboard dishes?

You don’t, these are made from paper.  I used a used envelope to make these plates and mugs.  The plates were made by cutting two circles from paper and gluing them together.  I folded up the edges little by little and coated them with Mod Podge.  Then came the paint and more Mod Podge.  For the mugs, I rolled strips of paper in little tubes for the cup shape.  I glued them leaving a little bit of the end of the strips loose, that part was cut in the shape of the handle.  I glued them to another piece of paper that I cut into a round shape for the base.  Multiple layers of paint and Mod Podge later, and they are surprisingly durable mugs with matching plates.  I chose to paint them pink on a whim.  They kind of remind me of some plastic toy dishes I used to have when I was little.  I don’t know what happened to those.  Oh well.
 
While I was at it with the dishes, I whipped up a little vase for the doll house too.  I twisted paper to make the top of the vase and used two different beads for the bottom part.  I painted it pink to match the dishes and coated it with Mod Podge.  It will really brighten up the little kitchen, if it doesn’t totally clash with the other pieces.  I can always repaint them if that happens.
Here’s the updated list:

• Rosettes
• Doll aprons
• Zipper charms
• Refrigerator
• Heart purse
• Doll
• Kitchen sink
• Cupboards
• Clothes
• Vase
• Dishes
• Curtains

Eleven down, just one to go.  The end will come tomorrow.

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More for the Dude

No too long ago, I made a cute little doll for my nephew (see Dolls for Dudes).  He absolutely loved it, and since has grown more fond of it.  I decided to make some more items for the doll, makes it more fun.

I made an extra top with another old t-shirt I had laying around.  The irony being that the old shirt said “princess” on it and now it is for a “dude”.  I made a simple pair of shorts cut from a polo shirt that belonged to my nephew’s mom, he doesn’t know that.  And I still had scraps of the t-shirt I used to make the original shirt for the doll, so I made it into a drawstring backpack.  It’s perfect, it holds all the doll’s accessories so they won’t get lost, plus my nephew really likes it.  He said it was just like his backpack.  It isn’t, but who’s going to argue with a three year old?
Here’s the updated list:

• Rosettes
• Doll aprons
• Zipper charms
• Refrigerator
• Heart purse
• Doll
• Kitchen sink
• Cupboards
• Clothes
• Vase
• Dishes
• Curtains

Nine down, three to go.  Almost done, and I’m back to making the minis.

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Please Save my Planet

Actually not a planet, a site.  Get Crafty use to be a great site to post and read about anything, crafty or not.  It was one of my first resources when I fell in love with crafting again many years ago.  Going back on my roots, I discovered what once had been a fountain of knowledge and mutual sharing of love and ideas has turned into a ghost town with only the occasional visitor.  I can’t stand it.  What happened to make it so barren, there are posts with people asking for help on projects that have gone months without any views.  That is so wrong.  Please check this place out, keep the dream alive.  And for the love of all things crafty, don’t ignore them any longer.

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Ruffled Fun for Feet

This the cutest tutorial ever, for interchangeable shoe ruffles.  At A Lemon Squeezy Home, there is a tutorial to make cute little ruffles for a pair of shoes that stick on with Velcro and can be changed for different outfits and such.  Imagine, you would almost never need another pair of shoes.  I thought it might be cute if you used the same technique on a purse to coordinate.  Of course that might be going a little overboard.

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Kitchen Storage

Even a doll house kitchen needs places to store away stuff.  So I made some cabinets in the same chocolate colors as the sink to match.  You may be thinking “that’s all the cabinets and counter space?”  Well the kitchen in my cardboard doll house is unbelievable small, even for a doll house.  So it will be a very humble kitchen, but at least there will be plenty of room for food still.  You did see the refrigerator right? (See A Frig to Raid)
Here’s the updated list:

• Rosettes
• Doll aprons
• Zipper charms
• Refrigerator
• Heart purse
• Doll
• Kitchen sink
• Cupboards
• Clothes
• Vase
• Dishes
• Curtains

Eight down, four to go.  Next is a break from the kitchen interiors.

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The Good and the Bad

Some good news and bad news.  First, the other day I just happened to notice that I now have 100 followers.  Yay!  Quite the surprise too, I guess I’ve been too preoccupied to notice how close it was to 100.

Now the bad news.  It’s the end.  Disney’s blog, ~Ruffles and Stuff~, has come to an end.  She did her last two posts the other day stating that she is leaving the blogosphere, possibly permanently.  It is such a shame, no more new and cute tutorials and pretty photos, but at least the old blog posts will be staying up for everyone to enjoy.  That includes all her pretty tutorials, check them out here.  And maybe in few years she’ll come back, cross your fingers.

Update:  I should have mentioned this much sooner, but crossing our fingers worked.  ~Ruffles and Stuff~ started up again sometime ago and has been going strong with plenty of new posts.  Yay!

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Everything and The Kitchen Sink

I got the sink for the cardboard kitchen all together.  It kind of resembles the the bathroom sink for an apartment I used to live in though.  Whatever, it’s for the kitchen.  Of course, it’s made from cardboard too, just like the rest of the house.  I mixed brown and white paint to form the various colors used, they remind me of chocolate which I think is perfect for a kitchen.  I used plastic beads for the knobs that look like the ones at my house, the facet is made from aluminum foil.  I decided not to make the cabinet doors open up, who in their right mind would actually want to go under the sink?  Nothing good goes on down there.  I’m already working on making the rest of the kitchen, also in chocolate colors.  Yum.
Here’s the updated list:

• Rosettes
• Doll aprons
• Zipper charms
• Refrigerator
• Heart purse
• Doll
• Kitchen sink
• Cupboards
• Clothes
• Vase
• Dishes
• Curtains

Seven down, five to go.  Pretty far along on the list.

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Dolls for Dudes

My nephew has a thing for dolls, mainly my dolls like my Ken doll.  However, he only recently turned 3 and I don’t think he is quite old enough for Barbie and Ken, so I decided to make him a more appropriate doll that has that same appeal to him.

Here is our little guy,  when my nephew saw him he loved him.  The hair is embroidered and is the same color as my nephew.  In fact the doll does bear a great resemblance to him except for the tan, that’s thanks to tan-ish shirt I used to make the doll.  Wearing a simple tank top and elastic waist jeans made from fabric scraps, it’s a casual outfit that is easy for a 3 year old to put on and take up again.
 
I am particularly proud of the shoes, a simple pair of slide-on sandals that are easy to put on and stay on surprisingly well.  To make them, I cut strips of fabric and glued the ends on the bottom of a round piece of cardboard.  Then glued another piece of cardboard underneath to cover, and then I glued a similar shaped piece of fabric as a lining to make it look better.
The must have for this doll that’s missing from most fashion dolls, a pair of boxer shorts.  My nephew has a thing about “big boy” underpants, I figure his new friend should wear them too.  I made them the same way as the the jeans except a bit shorter and with cotton scraps instead of denim.  It really completes what I hope will become a life-time friend for him.
Here’s the updated list:

• Rosettes
• Doll aprons
• Zipper charms
• Refrigerator
• Heart purse
• Doll
• Kitchen sink
• Cupboards
• Clothes
• Vase
• Dishes
• Curtains

Six down, six to go.  More doll house stuff is up next, so stay tuned.

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Heart that Holds

I got the idea for a small heart shaped purse some time ago, I thought it would be cute for my niece.

I made it from the leg of an old pair of jeans and part of a cotton dress for the lining.  I shredded strips of of denim to make the strap and the little ruffle.  I love the contrast between the denim and the shredded edge.  My niece absolutely loved it when she saw it, she stuffed it full of little odds and ends.  Maybe I’ll make her a matching wallet someday.
Here’s the updated list:

• Rosettes
• Doll aprons
• Zipper charms
• Refrigerator
• Heart purse
• Doll
• Kitchen sink
• Cupboards
• Clothes
• Vase
• Dishes
• Curtains

Five down, seven to go.  Today was something for my niece, tomorrow is something for her little brother.

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A Frig to Raid

Dollhouse or real, the heart of the home is in the kitchen.  And the pit of the kitchen is the refrigerator.
So, of course I started the cardboard doll house kitchen with the refrigerator, also from cardboard.  I could have just glued on the doors and left them at that, but I decided to make them so they can open.  I love miniature food and really what to fill this sucker up.

On the inside, I carefully placed little shelves, mostly on the doors though it was a little tricky.  I had to carefully line them up so the door wouldn’t get stuck.  It was easier with the freezer since it only has the one shelf on the door.  It’s now all set for stocking of tiny little foods and beverages, as soon as I get some made.
Here’s the updated list:

• Rosettes
• Doll aprons
• Zipper charms
• Refrigerator
• Heart purse
• Doll
• Kitchen sink
• Cupboards
• Clothes
• Vase
• Dishes
• Curtains

Four down, eight to go.  The next two projects are so cute, you just have to check them out.

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Charm and Character

Today is my brother’s birthday, he is younger than me although I look much younger than him.  For the past few years, whenever I gave him a present it was always a CD/DVD holder.  I would decorate them in different ways and last Christmas I made one from scratch.  Will just how many CD holders does one guy really need.  So I decided on something different.

I hadn’t touch the shrink plastic in so long or made my zipper charms in a while for that matter and thought they would be perfect.  I found some images around the internet from some of my brother’s favorite anime and manga series.  I found the image from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya here, Lucky Star here, School Rumble here, and K-On here.  I did have a bit of trouble trying to trace them on to the plastic.  Thankfully pictures on shrink plastic always look great after being shrunk, it hides all the flaws.  They came out pretty good, I might make a few more with other characters.
Here’s the updated list:

• Rosettes
• Doll aprons
• Zipper charms
• Refrigerator
• Heart purse
• Doll
• Kitchen sink
• Cupboards
• Clothes
• Vase
• Dishes
• Curtains

Three down, nine to go.  The next one will be up in a couple of days, no worries there, I have loads of time since my externship ended.  Of course I still have to job search.  :(

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Fun-sized Aprons

I discovered this quick little tutorial on making some adorable little aprons for Barbie dolls at Brassy Apple.  Since I love aprons for myself I just had to whip up a couple of doll-sized ones.

I decided to gave my Barbie dolls a break from modeling my creations.  This is a doll produced by Takara, I forget which one, I got her from Bookman’s a while back.  For the first apron, I used scraps of this polka dot print I love so much.  It’s great to be able to find uses for even the smallest scraps of my favorite fabrics.  In the tutorial, it suggests using some tulle for a ruffle, but I decided to use more of the fabric instead. 

For the second apron, I use this fall print which coincidently also came from Bookman’s just like the doll.  I love how the reddish color brings out the doll’s eyes.  The only problem with this one is that the elastic at the waist seems to be too loose, aprons are suppose to be snug around the middle.  Other than that, I think they both came out well.  I might whip up a few more just for fun.  And I started thinking that with a few adjustments to the pattern, I could make some cute halter tops the same way.  Maybe a future project?
Here’s the updated list:

• Rosettes
• Doll aprons
• Zipper charms
• Refrigerator
• Heart purse
• Doll
• Kitchen sink
• Cupboards
• Clothes
• Vase
• Dishes
• Curtains

Two down, ten to go.  The next one will be up tomorrow to celebrate a special occasion.  Come celebrate with me.

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Zip a Dee Doo Dah

Remember sometime ago I mentioned something about a tutorial I found for rosettes made from old zippers (see Something about Zippers), well I decided to try it out a bit.  Remember the tutorial is here at Ucreate.
This is the first one I made, it is modeled here by my niece.  I found out that these rosettes aren’t quite as easy to make as they look.  They can take a bit of time to get it just right too, but they are worth it.  Just look how cool it came out.  I decided to make it into a pin despite the fact that I might have way too many pins in my collection already.  What can I say, I love pins.

I found it was easier to make this second one since I had gotten the hang of it.  This one is also modeled by my niece.  I made it into a cute little hairclip to tame her tangled, messy hair.  Maybe it will give her an incentive to sit still for detangling.
Here’s the updated list:

• Rosettes
• Doll aprons
• Zipper charms
• Refrigerator
• Heart purse
• Doll
• Kitchen sink
• Cupboards
• Clothes
• Vase
• Dishes
• Curtains

One down, eleven to go.  The next one should be up by tomorrow evening, don’t miss it.

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Bargains by the Pound

I mentioned yesterday about discovering a new thrift store in my area that I thought was really cool.  It’s call the Good Store on Main St and Robson in downtown Mesa, and what’s cool is they price their clothing by the pound.  It’s $2.50/lb and it drops to about $1.75 after ten pounds.  As promised, here are all the goodies I managed to snag.

I got this for my niece, I am assuming it is intended for sleepwear judging by the bear appliqué.  I thought it was adorable, and luckily she thought so too. 

This one I actually wore today because I think it is so pretty.  It ties in the back with a decent sized bow.  The only problem I had with it was that I think it might be a little to low in front for comfort reasons, but there are ways around that.

Here’s the solution, this pretty lacy top would look great alone or layered underneath that blue one.  I especially love the sleeves, they flare out like lacy bells or something in a pretty romantic way.

 

This one is so cute.  Again, more lacy sleeves only this one could actually be worn in this warm weather.  I’m a little unsure about whether or not it really suits me though.  It seems a little more like my sister’s style than mine, assuming I have a specific style, I’m not really sure about that either.

 

This one is cute, but odd.  It looks like a cute little dress, but it is actually a shirt, one that’s big enough to fit me.  I think it does look really good on me, except for that ruffle and those pockets.  I gave it my niece to wear as a dress, works better that way.

This is another one for my niece, a lovely blue polo shirt.  It would be great for school, that is if they actually will allow her to wear this color.  That’s the funny thing about school uniforms and dress codes, I mean what’s wrong with this color anyway?  Well, she can still wear it for Summer Vacation.

 

I got this one for my nephew so that he wouldn’t feel left out, it is so hard to find cute clothes for little boys.  He also really needed more warm weather clothing, his drawers are full of long sleeved shirts or sweaters and almost no t-shirts.  Poor boy.

 

I wore this today too, sorry about the picture, black colors hate my camera.  Anyway, this skirt has a drawstring waist that isn’t bulky like some and has two pretty ruffles that swing when I walk.  I just adore it, and it’s so versatile too.

 

I know it really isn’t the season for these pajama pants, but I just had to add them to the pile.  The little penguins and ice cubes were too much to resist and I know it will be cozy when winter returns.

And the final piece.  This skirt goes to the knee without looking super frumpy which is great.  Plus, the embroidery on it is gorgeous along with this unusual color.  I was a little unsure if I would actually be able to find something to wear it with, but I do already have at least one black t-shirt that I know will work with it.  Also, that white lacy shirt I bought actually looks lovely with it, so problem solved again.

Now the grand total for all these lovely items is……$7.60, that’s including the tax.  That averages out to 76 cents per item, that’s why I love thrift stores.  Aren’t bargains wonderful?

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Getting Down with Your Stars and Stripes Part 2

I am typing this in the middle of that Arizona Celebration of Freedom festival I mentioned before (see Get Down with Your Stars and Stripes). 

It’s been great, except for all the crowds.  Some guy stepped on my foot and he didn’t say anything, and I know he noticed.  And I had a coughing fit because some guy was smoking in the middle of the carnival game area, surrounded by children too. 

Other than that, it has been fun.  Plenty of great music, with a surprise performance by Belle of Beauty and the Beast.  A children’s party place had girls dressed like Disney princesses perform the songs from the movies.  Too bad my niece wasn’t there, she would have loved it. 

They had a bunch of these huge inflatable statues of monuments and the Congress building and such.  One of them you could walk inside and get a bit of a history lesson.  Benjamin Franklin was standing outside of it.  I wanted to get a picture, but there were too many people blocking him.  Super popular guy. 

They were tons of classic and not too classic cars, some of them were for sale.  Others seemed to be there to advertise other things though. 

There was this one car that shot flames and stuff, sadly I wasn’t able to get a picture of it in the act.  Again, too many crowds, but the owner was super pleased.

There were of course plenty of craft booths and vendors, including a guy who was doing spray paint demonstrations the whole night.  The fumes from the paint got to me though.  And the most unusual thing I saw were these hats.  They appear to be made from boxes for beer cans.  Ummm.

There was also a rock climbing thing which was great and horrible at the same time.  Great because I love these things, and horrible because I had decided to wear a skirt instead of something more sensible like jeans.  Bye-bye rock wall, at least I looked really cute.

One of the best discoveries I made was this really cute new thrift store.  It’s called the Good Store and it’s here in Downtown Mesa on Main St between Country Club and Robson.  They have a ton of cute clothes and they price it by the pound.  I got a bunch of cute tops, I’ll post some pictures tomorrow.

And a great way to finish the night is fireworks.  They started going off while I was still browsing in the thrift store, they shook some of the walls a little.  They were wonderful, and what was really fun was watching all the people standing outside their stores and homes or in there cars in traffic as they stopped to watch.  It really makes you feel united with your neighbors knowing you are all doing the same thing at the same time.  Overall a good festival and a great holiday so far, enjoy it tomorrow.

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Number Nine and Doing Fine

I have compiled my newest list, carefully considering my current schedule and whether it can realistically accommodate these projects.  I have included items for my cardboard dollhouse because I feel like working on it, and I am dying to finally use my new glue gun.  As promised, I will be working on the kitchen this time.  So here it is:

Craft Project List #9

• Rosettes
• Doll aprons
• Zipper charms
• Refrigerator
• Heart purse
• Doll
• Kitchen sink
• Cupboards
• Clothes
• Vase
• Dishes
• Curtains

Should take a little over three weeks to finish it all up, assuming it doesn’t get delayed like the last list.

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