A Part of That World!

I had a Disney Doorables. An Ariel one. Can't remember when I had gotten it. Maybe at the FiveBelow here. Anyhow! I had the idea for a shadowbox. And then thought it would make a really sweet gift for one of my sisters. I mistakenly thought they liked the Little Mermaid. But, even if I'm not gifting it, I still think it is the perfect project to work on. Once an idea gets going, it kinda snowballs for me! So here is the process. What do you think about it? 

I had this tiny frame. Took off the back. Cleaned it up nicely. And then made a box from foamboard to fit inside.  

Next came the paint. I had a matte teal to make the darker water from. The grey on the bottom, I added with baking soda so that it would have a gritty texture like sand. 

And then lightened the water going up. If I were better with painting, I'd have gone more ombre, but this is the best I can do. Since she is posed as reaching upwards, I had the idea to paint some sunlight coming down through the water.

I had some of these fake plants from a miniature kit my daughter didn't want. So I glued them, a black flat-bottomed marble, and a couple tiny shells to the sea floor.

I'm really liking the finished product! These are aDoorable! And they make such cute displays for the dolls' dolls.

Creating Doorables Shadowbox Displays

Watching My Froggy Stuff on YouTube can be so dangerous! Toya comes up with some crazy cool ideas. One of her most recent ones that has my attention was creating shadow bow displays for her Disney Doorables collection. While I have a grand total of just 2 so far, I would like to get others one day as they make great dolls for the dolls. And they are cute. My first one was an Ariel that I think we got from Five Below. But then we found out that Walmart has them at the checkout lanes for $1.98 each.  A single figure comes in that pack. This is how I got the Honey Lemon from Big Hero 6. She is too cute! And I decided to go through my odds and ends to make her a shadow box display. 

I had this box without a lid that came from packaging. I decided to use it as my first trial. And I'm pretty happy with the results! I painted the outside to be like a bronze frame. On the inside I tried to create a city scene. I painted the 2 sides to look like buildings. Don't laugh, I'm no good with drawing or painting.

The inner top was a sky. I just smeared blue and pink paints to try my best to copy sort of a cloud look. Though I think the blue ate the pink up.

The bottom was where I wanted a sidewalk with the rocks from a craft kit my daughter didn't need as rubble from the battle! 

In the background, I printed a city scene from the movie. I think the end product was just right! It is aDoorable *pun totally intended*. And if I get future Doorables, I plan to make others. For now, this was a much quicker craft to put together. See you next time!

My World in Miniature - Gamer Room!

While the kids were away, Mom will play! Okay, not really. But I had some fun moments while the kids were gone. And I have been trying to complete some of the started projects since then. Finding the will to want to has been hit or miss, but I like to think I've made great progress. 

What I started with

I started with creating a Barbie room. This is a space that I can rearrange and take photos in. I wanted to make it more gamer themed. But I had to do some repairs. Starting with the back wall. This was an old entertainment center my husband had before we got married. We didn't need it for that purpose anymore, so I decided to make it for the dolls. I glued paper to two of the walls that made it look like it was covered in bricks. This was a free printable from My Froggy Stuff. The Backgrounds, Nature, Windows, Room Stuff is the link you want to click for the walls. The flooring is contact paper from Dollar Tree. I repaired the back wall by inserting a foamboard piece from Walmart. I found they are only .98 in their craft section while Dollar Tree is, of course, $1.25 now. I also cut strips of the foamboard to create baseboards. This gives it cleaner seams. 

Finding supplies: Dollar Tree has great supplies. But don't despair if you don't find what you are looking for there. Check out the craft stores, especially in the scrap booking section for stickers and paper to do walls, floors or ceilings with.

Contact paper makes for amazing walls and floors! As do things like place mats. Which can be found at thrift stores and yard sales. 

Cleaner seams

But there are cracks that you can see between the sides and back. So I decided that since this is going to be a gamer room, I'd create some shelves to put in the corners that would cover up the seams. The red one is for my DC figures that are so tiny, they are perfect for Barbie to have her own nerdy dolls or figures.

I used triangles cut from left over foamboard to make the shelves. And yes, I went ahead and glued the figures to the shelves to keep them solidly in place. 

One wasn't enough to cover just one corner, so I made a yellow one too with Mario themed decorations from cardboard packaging. This one has more of a variety of figures on it. Including a handmade Demogorgon my daughter made me from Stranger Things. Another dragon guards the corner under the shelves. I'm still trying to decide how to do something like this for the opposite wall corner. 

Now for the walls! 

Walls aren't meant to be blank. I really believe that. So I made this tiny framed poster. I usually find these little frames at thrift stores or yard sales, but I know the Dollar Tree typically has some too. The quote comes from the Portal game. The second one, I think. And I hung an X-wing as though it is flying from the wall. 

At first, I thought I would leave the back wall white and not glued in. I had the thought that I might want to change things up from time to time. However, I started to change my view after arranging things. So, I painted. But when I painted the wall red, I found that it bowed inward. So then I had to try to attach it and keep it upright in the back. I also learned that this is not simple when the wall was kept in place by the bordering pieces that I forgot were attached at the baseboard level. So... yeah.  

As you can see, I had these shelf-like pieces that had come as supports to a 3D print job I did. I didn't want to throw them out. And now I'm glad I saved them! They were the perfect additions to the main wall. Now, I can start adding more fun finds there. 

And a Harley Quinn poster.... I have some ideas to even make a smaller sized shadow box next. Yes, another Froggy idea! This time on a much smaller scale to fit inside the doll room. But to hold the Doorables figure still. I'll post about it next if it works out.

Furniture

Every room has furniture, yes? Mine is no different. The DVD shelf was made by my husband. He even designed the file so I could 3D print it, using dimensions from the DVD's I made!  

But you know what I'm most proud of?? The gamer chair! I have these capsules from Mini Brands. And I hate to just toss them out. After seeing a video by My Froggy Stuff on making chairs with them, I was inspired. But my husband really made it better for me. He designed the file so I could 3D print the base. You have to prime the the capsule before painting, tilt and attach to the base. Inside is where you can cover a piece of cardboard with material to make the seat.  

Using pieces from a wood kit that I got from Dollar Tree, I have made an entertainment center too. I took pieces from headphones that didn't work to make the built-in speakers. As for the game consoles, they were tiny boxes. I either painted them or covered them with black construction paper. Then added details. I have been thinking to 3D print some in the future so I can have better shapes and more of a variety. But these work well for now.

You know those little boxes with a slide-on glass lid? Well, I turned that into a shelf. I meant to make it a curio cabinet, but one of the shelves was a little too wide. The wood for the shelves came from those Dollar Tree kits too.

But it's all good. Because! I'm adding nerdy things little by little as I find them. Or make them. Curious about my knickknacks? The horse was a chess piece. Next to that is a triangular dice I found. The head? A Transformer pencil topper. I had 3D printed a weird shaped thing that didn't work out well, so I added a dice bead to make a sculpture. On the next shelf we have another thing I attempted to 3D print and then added a clear marble to. Just looked cool. The Minecraft pickaxe came from a toy set my kids had. The little jar with a pink ball inside is Navi, the fairy I made, for you lovers of Legend of Zelda. The R2-D2 came from a board game. The other bottle has a tiny treasure map. It is a charm from the craft store. And finally, the lamp. This was 3D printed! I can't wait to find other things to add. 

Time to add some windows!

A room with no door or windows comes off strange. Now, while I haven't decided about the door, I knew I needed some windows. I chose a beautiful fall scene and printed some window frames.  You can get the file HERE. I resized to 134.8% of the original file.

I printed out a lovely fall scene, added some clear plastic from toy packaging, and you have the finished look of beautiful windows! 

Not finished! 

This is where I end the posting on the blog. But it is not where I end the room. Little by little, I'll add more things as they are found. And maybe I'll let you know about it. I just hope you got some ideas for your own creations. Which - I would love to see if you ever want to share!

When You Can't Afford the Mini Verse Capsules

My daughter came up to me and says, "Mom, can you buy or make doll foods? Our Barbies need some."

Hmm.... Not like I'm Made of Money (even though that's what my kids think Mom means). So... I need to figure out how to make them. I've watched some My Froggy videos on YouTube. It is where I get all kinds of ideas. And I decided to give it a go. After all, my dolls need a variety of foods too. Here goes! Let's check out some ideas.

Key Lime Pie

I started with a pie. After all, they are usually easier. I cut some thin foam to fill in the pie pan - which was the top of the poster tube.

Originally, I thought the bottom pieces needed to be tan for the crust, but you can't see them, so any color would work. The top is lime green, which is why I thought of the key lime pie. I mixed some white paint with Elmer's glue to make the white around the edges for the meringue.

This also allows me to glue down some 'limes' made from tiny bits of the foam I had leftover. The first one definitely came out messier... I thought I could just use a toothpick to dribble in the white. Turns out, that doesn't work so well when you shake too much. 

I made a couple of things a while back from some art mousse that came with an art kit my daughter had. I made a little ice cream. This was from a piece of plastic from a pen, the mousse, and a dot of hot glue on top. It is a little small, so my daughters use this one for their tiny dolls. 

In the jar, I made cookies from the mousse. You have to work quick and roll it before it starts to dry. Then I painted them. The little jar was found at the Dollar Tree in a pack. 

Taking the easier path...

I am so thankful to my dad for giving me a 3D printer! Us... sending us... a 3D printer. It is amazing how many things you can find the files for. Tiny foods included! So I have been printing things almost nonstop. 

How about turkey for Thanksgiving dinner? Except I printed it a little small. So, Thanksgiving for two! This is where you can find that file. 

I have also printed bottles that can be used as soda, or if your dolls are adults who want something stronger - alcoholic beverages. This file has to be resized to fit the doll, but came out great!

I made a couple Romulan Ale bottles as well as a Quantum Cola bottle from Fallout. My dolls are total nerds. Don't judge.

Donuts were next on my agenda as we have sweet tooth galore in this house. I had to fiddle with the sizing and after about 3 tries, finally reached the appropriate fit. I chose to upsize it to 400% of the original file. Great thing about the sizes that came out too small is that the smaller dolls my daughters have now have donuts too! And they have something to stock their food truck with. Now to find a file for a donut box.... But here is the donut file. I also told my daughter that we would get some acrylic paint and make them look glazed. 

I'm not a huge soda fan, but since I found the file, I figured I might as well. Again, had to resize until I found the right dimensions for the dolls.

I was able to resize and print some labels too. They came out pretty good.

I printed some lemons that came out a little larger than you would think. They are also not as easily identifiable. But I love them nonetheless. HERE is the file. I would suggest trying to resize it to 15% of the original.

While I'm with yellow colored foods, I knew that bananas had to be included. So I found a file for those too! These I resized to 209%. Otherwise you are talking about a super minuscule banana! 

I figured yellow was close enough for waffles. And since I love them, my dolls do too! I found this file and printed them at 20% the original. 

I have been looking for things that could also be useful for the holidays that are coming up. I have a turkey, but what else? I saw this platter of what I decided to make cookies and knew it would be a perfect addition. I painted them to resemble chocolate chip, my favorite kind. These can be used for all kinds of photos later. The one I printed for my daughters, they turned into cinnamon rolls! 

I swapped to red. And began printing red foods. Like apples and tomatoes.

And tomato slices! When my husband saw the slices, he said I was going snowflake... This is an inside joke that essentially means I'm getting a Moms version of cabin fever from being stuck inside with my kids for too long. I had to play with resizing on each one to get the size I wanted. I chose to go larger on the apples and tomatoes.

Don't forget your kitchen accessories!

Some days, you just want to chill in bed. And when that happens, you need a tray to enjoy your food in bed. That is why I printed this nifty little tray. (And yes, I 3D printed those eggs too!)

My goals now are to try my hand at making playdoh foods. Make, dry, paint and play! Not sure how well that will work, but can't hurt to try, right? What suggestions might you have? Leave me a comment below and I'll see what I can do.

A Mermaid Crown Fit for the Queen of the Sea

Do you love mermaids? Or the idea of them? I do. And for as long as I can remember, always have. Swimming in the oceans, unbound by the need for oxygen. A tail powerful enough to cover vast distances or fight strong currents. And of course, the best part may be the crowns and tiaras you imagine one would wear. I mean, let's face it, they live in the ocean! You know how much gold, pearls, and gemstones has been lost at sea? Oh and the clams that make amazing pearls down there?? So yeah... they would probably look fabulous all the time. 

My daughters and I love cosplay. Creating characters or becoming a favorite character. It is all fun for us. I had the idea to create a mermaid crown when I noticed a couple things in my crafting bin. 

1. A plain headband. Nothing special about it. Just your average, plastic headband. 

2. A bag of spiral shells. These were from my mom. And I had been meaning to make something with them... well, since I got them! But time and ideas have been short with me until now. 

So, I went online and looked at various creations that others have done and thought.... Why not? 

My first course of action is...

Create a Pinterest board. This is where I store my ideas when working on a project. And there are SOOOO many ideas! So click HERE and check out mine if you like, or create your own. Crowns and tiaras aren't the only things you will find on my board. I'm planning to test out makeup and costuming tricks as I come across them too. They will be added to the board as I continue down this path.

I found a video and also some great creations that helped me get an idea of how to even manage this task. I decided to go with the foam idea from a video. I don't have regular crafting foam or eva foam, so I went with packing foam I happened to have on hand. I created a brace along the top of the headband that I would attach my decorations to. I couldn't find a better, or cleaner, way to attach the spiral shells I had.

Not too fancy, but I already feel like a princess! This is the beginning of a great cosplay. I hope. As also seen in the video, I added material that had that mermaid vibe to it onto the back. This way, no matter which side you are looking at me from, you won't be seeing my foam base.

I'm not too worried about perfection. My hair will help hide that. Besides, I don't think folks around me are going to be concerned with how perfect it is. I mean how often have I worn my elf ears and shocked those in this small town? And yes, I have a feeling I'll be wearing this publicly at some point. Not just for a cosplay event. 

Checking my inspiration... 

So originally, the crown that caught my attention first was this one. And I have to say, this is a lofty goal at best. I know my skills are no where near this good, but I thought it would make a good reference towards making my own. I loved the way the spirals are given an ombre look. And that they incorporated such beautiful jewels. 

I decided to start with the shell painting and slowly build the look. For the pink ones you see in between the spirals, I actually 3D printed those! They are light and flatter than a real shell. I painted the fronts with a mermaid nail polish. I also painted the spirals with the same, but they didn't come out as pink. Then I added a dark blue shiny nail polish to the bottom of the shells. Once I complete the crown, I plan to spray the whole thing with a clear coat that will seal the colors as well as add strength. I hope. 

Now to fill in with some pearls. I started this while trying to think of what other shells I wanted to use and how. I quickly came to decide that just pearls on the rest is enough. I tried to randomly sprinkle seed pearls on the printed shells after I painted them. As you see, my OCD kicked in on both in different patterns. Random and my OCD do NOT get along. 

See that big gaping hole in the middle shell? So... learned something about these shells. They are super pokey! I didn't glue it high enough, so it poked my scalp when I would put it on. I had the brilliant idea to then cut the point off. It was easier said than done. So I then had this hole to contend with. I filled it in with hot glue. And added a bunch of pearls into it. 

What do you think? Have I made this well enough? Now that I have done this one, I have the desire to make two more. So that the girls and I can all be mermaids together.