What I've been up to. Long post, mucha fotos!

Do you ever have a project that just goes wrong at every turn and at the end, just when you think it's okay, it's actually crap and you want to jump up and down and scream and smash the dang thing into a ball? No? Just me?

I present to you, the outdoor areas.

Sidewalks. All in all, I like the paint job. Maybe I went a little overboard with the flocking in the cracks.

 The one in front of the record store is the only one that came out the way I wanted. Those white spots are that gummy stuff you use to hang posters. I plan on blackening them to look like discarded gum.

The sidewalk in front of Josephine's. There behind the chair, you get a sneak peek of the beautiful beaded jewelry sent to by my Alrunia. I've been meaning to show it, but decided to save it for the opening of my accessory shop.

The sidewalks here should have been cut out a bit at the corners to account for the type of shelf I used. Instead, they are elevated using some foam pieces for now.

Le sigh, this is where trouble really is. It is maybe my greatest success and my worst failure.  So many things went badly. First, I measured EVERYTHING wrong. Look at where the sidewalk ends. (Not in an optimistic Shel Silverstein way either). Who measured that?  Iris (the two year old)? The hedge bumps against the record store, so I moved all that over. Still it is sadness!

Really the balding flock is not so bad in some light.

Here is where some of the problems started. I used twigs at the bottom, but should have put it in the base, not the hedge. Twigs ripped through the hedge and I had to go over it like 100 times. It's still balding.  I added the stones and pebbles too early so that I still had green flock everywhere and now it's probably glued to the stones.

I had to cut of that section of foam, use a new piece and you can see the color toothpicks I used to affix the new piece of foam. Bah!

It just feels like a project I should just start over. It's easier than correcting all my mistakes.

Now for the good news!

You may recall that sometimes when I get a new doll, I photograph her against some hideous vinyl tablecloth. You see I inherited my grandmother's beautiful antique table but the finish has chipped away and rather than get shellac in the baby food, we cover it up with something from which baby food can easily be wiped.   Anyway, got a new tough table, so of course, any spare bit of furniture I just have to claim for the dolls!

So here is what the table looks like. This will be downtown Grandville which will consist of 3 shops. What? It's a small town!  We will have an accessory shop (ever been to London's Accessorize? Drooooool!), a witchy store, and a cafe.  Or maybe one of those will be sort of interchangeable so I can make it many things.

So step one is done.  Covering it with speckly contact paper. The masking tape is helping me map out the space. This will be the flooring of the shops. Then along the outer edge I'll have a cobblestone walkway.  Then again, if I'm putting all this effort into the cobbles, maybe I should make hardwood floors. I have been saving coffee stirrers for ages now. We'll see. For  now I'm working on the walls. And PLANNING. I love making plans (like writing long list of what I will do) but not like planning (measuring and math and such).

What else have I been up to?  I made my nightclub.  But before we get there, let's check out some silly stuff.   Iris loves to steal my cars and I let her because I never use them and the paint job usually looks like the one her Dora doll is driving:

Isobel is FINALLY at the age where not every single thing goes in her mouth, so she really gets to enjoy the doll room now.  

The Hubs cleaned up the kids' playroom the other day and he arranged their Barbies like so. Someone secretly wants to come to my room and play.

Mama Fear's bedroom. I have since added a large stork tapestry print on the back wall, as well as framed pictures of her and her sister (Comme ca du Mao Susie and Hanoi Hue Susie). I'm still going to build her a Buddhist altar when time allows. The human spine cane isn't working out. It's too thick and short for her. But I'm still building her a cane. We'll talk more about that later.

My aunt gave me a tiny Noah's ark tea set. A little large for one sixth, but the teapot might serve well. Josephine collects teapots. She does strike me as a Catholic though most of my dolls don't have much religion.

I fit this house in between Josephine's and the record store. I'm not sure how I decide who deserves homes, but this one goes to Zarrin Chen, Mama Fear's stepdaughter. (Stardoll fallen angel). As an party promoter, she has the tiny NY style apt.  Don't mind the floors, this is a mock up. It's a little homey for a girl like her, so I have to give her some edgy curtains and maybe paint the walls or something.

 Still working on DJ Nadia's room. Just hanging some posters for now. More to come. I think black and white checkered floors would be better.

Now, my friends, we have a party to go to.  Josephine threw this bash to introduce the new girls Valentina and Zarrin.  This is Ms. Fear's newly decorated, Andy Warhol's Factory themed nightclub, Population.

 

Mistress Ava judging Zeke for dating 17 year old Penny. I think she grows weary of Aragorn. He does cling so. She is a dominant woman for a living. She doesn't want to come home to that. Well not every day.

Dani: Look we've known each other a long time Hanna. Whaddya say we bury the hatchet?
Hanna: B*tch, have you seen my bangs? I have bigger fish to fry.  Oh and you need some sticky tape before that dress falls off.  [Hanna sporting two Alrunia bracelets]

Meanwhile, nerdboys attempt to get a drink from Janaina who is so hot, she makes them nervous.

Remi introduces his new girl Alisha to his sister Nikki and their aunt Josephine. Nikki mutters, "Hmm, well at least she's black this time."  Josephine (who is in love with a Spanish gypsy) tsks at her. [Alisha looks so happy with him! She's never looked prettier. I thought he was going to be a real ladies man. Not THIS Ladies's Man. But he turned out to really like her.]

Edward: So you're from China. I actually spent my junior year in Beijing...

Zarrin: Hold on a second, I just have to finish this text.

Meanwhile Ms. Fear watches this new girl that has captured Mama Fear's love, something none of the Fear daughters could accomplish.

 Valentina: Got any Lady Gaga?

(Just kidding, Valentina listens to classic soul and rockabilly)

Check out the set of decks I got from Cat at A Doll Affinity!

 

 Some of the Warhol decor.

 I like this pic because Hanna looks a little drunk and Morgan, the Momoko is checking out my nerd boys, Ian and Unnamed Star Trek Sulu doll.

Good God, her bangs need help. I dunno how many times I have given her the steamy dunk! I saw someone once lay a towel over a Blythe doll and iron her hair. Think that might work?  Elmer's glue?

Well my darlings, I have a full week off after Xmas so I'm going to make some serious doll plans!

Before that I'll post about my belated bday present from my dad that I guilted him into buying. My stomach is in knots just waiting for it.  Don't worry Hanna, you will soon have a present to make up for those sad bangs!

smooches!
Dani