Temu Times Three

Okay, last post on Temu items for now. My daughters had requested, and the older one even bought, the dolls. I grabbed the miniatures for a project I plan to start. The hat was a bonus for my hat/cat loving little one! Let me know what you think! 

Pink hair doll - My daughter is in love with this doll! After seeing how great it is, I really want to get one for myself. Her eyes are gorgeous. Her hair is so soft! I love how well the joints work. And her face painting is stunning. Great quality! 

Anime doll - Her hair is so soft! Though once you pull her hair down from the two side parts, you can see she has a massive bald spot splitting those from her bulk of hair. It also has a tendency to come out easily when the girls brush it. Her eyes, have amazing details - purple with white stars. She reminds me of an anime girl. The paint job on her face is stunning. Her joints are well done too. 

Cat ears hat - My youngest daughter has been in love with this style hat for a while. So when I saw this one with the ears, I knew I needed to get one for her. She couldn't wait to show it off! The ears are a little far back and a little floppy, making it difficult to see them, but she's in love with it so I'm happy.

Dollhouse test tube set - Amazingly enough, I think they really are glass! Well, all but the stand, corks and stir stick thing. That made me so happy. I love realistic miniatures. This one was for a future project I'm working on. A 1/6 laboratory!

Drink set - these are the kind of things we love to find! Little drinks that are cute and doll sized. Made to be charms, the have the little holes, but are easily used for dolls instead. This particular set is now sold out. But there are lots of other options that were similarly priced.

This lingerie set was a little bit of a miss. The underwear were supposed to be for the Witch doll the girls made, but they were lopsided and didn't fit well onto the doll. The bra and nightgown at least were decent. The one I purchased was sold out. So you might have to find another seller anyhow. Maybe it will be better!

And finally, we come to the miniature doctor tools set. I got this so that I could enhance the Plague Doctor doll I created. 3D printing the tools wasn't working out. And these work great - except for the stethoscope which is slightly small. Unfortunately, this was also sold out. However, I did find other sellers with sets just like it. 

This last item, was actually something I had hoped would be like the Make It Mini capsules. But instead it was a kit for making things with crafting mousse. Instructions were in another language and mostly covered up by a seller sticker. But we managed to guess our way through it.

Temu Take Two - How Well Do the Products Work?

Okay, okay. I totally placed another two orders. One was because I wanted to try other items. The second was because my daughter wanted to buy something. So here I am again. Testing out the quality. I think you might be surprised. I know I was. I paid a little more attention, though still not enough. Want to see what I got? Keep reading, or watching, to see the report.

I ordered some clothing items, mostly. Even though I have been sewing more things since a friend gave me the sewing machine, I can only make simple things so far. Like skirts. Making lots of skirts... And those are also in the sizes that an average 11.5" doll can wear. Making things smaller than that will take me more practice. 

The blue dress with snowflakes was for Skipper or Stacy to wear. While it had the unfinished edge, it is so well made that I haven't been afraid of unraveling. I told the girls to be careful with the sleeves too. It is a little snug on Skipper's torso, but not to the point of pulling it apart.

The wedding dress reminded me something from a live action princess movie. My daughters have been playing their dolls have lots of weddings. But there was never a white dress to use. I thought it was interesting that after purchasing this one, they sent a product instruction manual in PDF form. Have to be careful with the sleeves when sliding hands in. Material is stiff and crinkly, but this makes it hold form well. Veil just rests on the dolls head. My daughters loved it. And I loved that the edges were finished! Sadly, this one may not last long. It is a little too snug on a MtM doll body.

The traditional dress is absolutely adorable! You can tell they cut it from pre-printed patterns as they left some of the black lines on the bottom part of the dress. But my daughters fell in love with it. The flower pattern is cute. And it fit 2 of their dolls' different sizes just fine. 

This full outfit was something I knew my oldest girl would love. Though I had thought to steal the pants... The half shirt isn't something I'm interested in, but it and the red jacket were both well made. The pants were too small for your average 11.5" doll. They were the perfect size for a Skipper doll instead.

Now we come to the umbrella. I only saw that it was for a BJD doll. I keep forgetting that this covers the larger dolls too. Something like the Smart Doll. So my daughters got this as well. They say it works for the "family umbrella". And it can be used with their 18" dolls as well. I was impressed with the details. It functions just like a real sized umbrella!

Okay, here is probably the only thing I got for myself out of this batch... You know those really popular to-go cups these days? They have straws that you might not want dust to get into. So you put these straw caps on. But! They look like tiny cups too. Now, we follow My Froggy Stuff on YouTube. She made her own and they looked amazing. But I don't have the little bits around here that I can make one. Yet! So I decided to get these and modify them. And they work perfectly!

You recently saw the Witch doll we made, right? Well, she wears undies-like clothes. But that meant the girls had to take them from another doll. So I decided to try out the ones on Temu. I forgot to mention them in the first video, but I'm showing you them here instead. 

Getting to the end of this order... I promise! This one is my favorite and I totally want to get another for myself. The girls took this one. This little pink dress is perfect for Chelsea dolls! BUT - it also fits smaller big dolls like the Equestria Girls dolls. So my youngest has been over the moon about it. The details with the roses and lace are so cute! I envision turning a tiny Chelsea into a Belle fan.... 

Finally, we come to the last item! Thank you so much for hanging out this long. This is a DIY kit. While I would love to get the Make it Mini capsules, I just can't afford to do that. About 2 of those would have equaled this entire order! So I'm hoping this set will work instead for some fun that is similar. We shall see. But I will put that in another blog post when we actually test it out. 

What did you think? What product did you find the best? Have you ordered anything from Temu? Let me know in the comments below! I'd love to hear from you!

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!

Christmas Gifts for the Doll Lovers

I have been keeping really busy preparing for Christmas, while maintaining the day-to-day life. It hasn't been easy. And I've walked away from projects more than once.

Everything I have been putting together is while using what I have on hand. Though I'll be glad when I can take a trip to Hobby Lobby and the Dollar Tree again! My mom and little sister have been building a 1/6 scale mall. My mom found a Barbie house at a steal and has been giving it a renovation in her free time. But what to put in it? Each floor represents a different use. When she told me the plan and showed me her progress, I knew exactly what I was going to do for her! 

Mall needs! 

Malls have shops, no? So each store needs items for the customers. This is where I started making boxed products for the shelves. But let us not forget that when a customer makes a purchase, they need to be able to carry it out comfortably. So bags as well! 

 Some are simple Google finds. Or even through Pinterest. 

As I mentioned before, I have walked away from projects repeatedly. Fit them into brief moments of freedom. I feel like most of the time that has been after the kids went to bed. I would work while my husband gamed. 

Nightmare Before Christmas vibes

My little sister likes NBC. So I got the idea to paint these support pieces from a 3D print job and add other things that she could make her own diorama with.

I had a larger piece that came from a chair I printed. It was the perfect shape for Zero's doghouse. Then I printed pages for the floor and background that she can attach to the boards to make a mini 'room' with. I couldn't find the Jack, Sally and Zero figures I wanted in the right size. It is amazing how void stores were of characters that I had thought were a staple between Halloween and Christmas. Apparently not anymore! I also missed my chance to find her some mini pumpkins. But I had the thought that later on down the road, I will find them and send them. And she can create her own room!

Then there are my own doll creations...

But I was also distracted by my own doll decorating. My dolls are prepping their living room with all the fixings for a great (and nerdy) Christmas! 

These gift tags were at our local HEB in the Christmas decorating section. They are the perfect size for the dolls! The first one I did was in pastel colors as my daughter chose those. 

I'm working on a second one, but needed to find my tiny gears as it will be a steampunk version. Still feeling like I might be missing something else for it.

Then of course my husband gave me my gift early. A Legend of Zelda themed Christmas tree!! It even lights up!!! I LOVE this! 

Under the tree, we had to have gifts. Which meant that I needed to wrap small boxes. Mostly tiny boxes that held little things before, but are now the perfect size for the dolls to hold after wrapping them in scraps of paper.

Back to Christmas gifting!

See how easily distracted I can be?? I'd say it has been worth it. I can't wait to see the finished project that my mom and sister will have. And I wish I could see how much my little sister enjoys it. My daughters love when I make things. It makes their play time even more realistic! I plan to keep creating more things and send them as I'm able to. At least play time won't be on pause for now!