What Have I Been Doing Lately?

Not writing, as you can tell. I've had projects lining 2 crafting tables. I've had a friend to help with editing. And cleaning up the clutter around the house. But I don't regret not blogging so much. These projects have been filling my time meaningfully. I feel accomplished when I get another one done. Take this one for instance....

My daughters wanted to have characters from the older Batman movies. The two with Michael Keaton. Then those two from the 90's. They learned about Cat Woman and Poison Ivy. So it didn't take long for the request to make a Poison Ivy dress came about. I have to say that for my first time making something like this with the sewing machine, it came out pretty nice. Now I want to attempt to make another for my own doll...

I've learned to make doll capes too. They wanted their own OOAK Attack on Titan dolls to be dressed like the Scouts. 

Not everything was doll related, however. I did finally create this marble art that hangs under our back porch. The kids had gotten a ton of marbles from a friend. They used the ones that would work with a marble run and the rest ended up in my room somehow. So I got to thinking... How could I use them?? Ta-da! This is what came from such a question. I used a round wooden charcuterie board, painted black. Wire for crafting, I suggest 16-18 gauge if you are making something for outdoors that has to withstand winds. I used old necklace chains from broken necklaces to hang them down.

It came out so well, that one of my sons even asked me to make him a pendant to wear as a necklace in the same style of the wrapped marbles for this project! Then he wanted to give some to friends and wanted some for the upcoming fundraiser. So, I made more. It was fun and has given me the know-how on making other projects! 

I promise more blogging will happen. Just not so frequently while projects are getting done! But I will share some of the better ones with you. 

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!

From a Long Haired Beauty to a Video Game Villian!

My girls fell in love with their Rochelle doll that I made them. They had created their own Ellis. But you know what other character they love from the Left 4 Dead 2 video game?  Not one of the heroes. Nope, they love the Witch. In the game, the witch sits alone, crying her heart out. There are a lot of fan-made theories about why, but I'm not even going there. 

She is a pretty simple design. Looks like she used to be a blond before she became a zombie. Hair to her shoulders. Yellow or red eyes. And the only clothes she has is the cropped tank top and... panties? This latest project was mostly being done by my oldest girl though. She found an older doll from their collection that they didn't mind modifying. Here is how we made this beauty into the Witch! 

Meet the original doll

Despite the years of love, her hair was still long and relatively in excellent condition. This makes cutting it into the right shape a lot easier. Her legs were stained red from clothes she had worn.

My daughter thought this was perfect - looks like bruising! Then the earrings had to be removed. She had the studs that were not meant to come out, so I helped pull them out with pliers.

Now she was ready for a haircut and to get the makeover started! 

Let the transformation begin!

The hair cut was super easy. But then her hair didn't want to stay flat. So we attempted to tame it by putting a rubber band around it overnight.  

My daughter studied the rest of the Witch carefully, though getting good game shots is hard to come by. Based on what she was seeing, she started repainting the dolls face. I think creepy is a fitting description, don't you? She even stripped off the original paint. All mom needed to do next was spray it with a clear coat to seal it. 

The Witch also has long claws. Or would you call them talons? Anyhow, my daughter decided to try sculpting them with some molding clay I had on hand. Since they had to dry overnight, this doll stood on my desk. While I worked on my own doll project. It was pretty weird, to say the least. 

Sadly, the claws kept coming off when they played with her. They weren't strong enough to really be used. So my daughter decided to strip off the modeling clay claws and just paint her hands the way it should be.

While the clothes you see in the photo are close enough, I suppose, to what she would wear in the game, my daughters like their undies for their other dolls. And my daughter wanted to try her hand at making some that looked a little closer to the real deal. By this, I mean she would wait for Mom to make some new ones...

I was able to complete the top before sickness took over the house. By that point, I was kinda thinking she needed to stay in those undies or I would have to order some... My daughter did add some black paint to the tip of her hair to give it shadows.

Here is how the Witch as she will remain! Being startled and staying creepy.

Pretty scary looking, am I right? Poor Ellis got knocked down. So Rochelle had to come to his rescue.

Survivors gonna live another day! I'm quite proud of this newest doll creation. Looking forward to starting my next one soon. Perhaps a lady in green who loves plants??

Time to Checkout Temu! (Discount at the End!)

Have you seen ads everywhere for the Temu app? I have. At first I thought it would all just be cheap junk from overseas that took too long to arrive. So I ignored them all with a bit of annoyance. But...

Well, the girls and I have been making a lot of things for the dolls. We have also been watching videos of other doll enthusiasts who make things. Some of them have been testing the waters with Temu. Not everything inspires confidence. However, I decided to take the plunge and see what was worth it. As well as what falls short of expectations. So dive in with me! 

My first order

I say first as I tentatively consider making another order. I have wanted doll clothes that inspire realistic looks. My daughters and I have a tendency to do doll photography when we can. With the colder weather, we came to realize that our dolls just don't have the types of clothes meant for that weather. After all, Barbie is from Malibu. Unless she went to a resort somewhere, chances are good she doesn't see snow. Or anything below 60 degrees. So Mattel doesn't make many winter items. This can be such a bummer! This is why I started looking on Temu to begin with. Then, as I'm browsing doll clothes, my daughters want babies for their dolls. My oldest wanted to buy some with money she earned in a cat-sitting job. Sure, why not? Add this to my search. However, this is where we learned our first lesson. Measurements mean something! The babies we ordered were NOT the right scale. I thought of them as being like the big baby in Spirited Away in comparison to your average baby dolls. Thankfully, the girls weren't too disappointed. They have great imaginations and just use them as babies that are... bigger than normal.

They were incredibly adorable! Each baby was $2.69. Hats and clothes are interchangeable, though the faces are all the same. But my daughters wanted to test that out anyhow. 

This coat is amazing! Well worth the purchase. My daughters have been asking me to get them one as well. It was $3.59 for the white one. The faux fur at the hood is incredibly soft. The tiny zipper works perfectly. I told my girls that when we finally take our out-of-state trip, we pack these so that they look like they belong in the snow zone! 

Another thing that our dolls were lacking where things that fit the smaller dolls. Those painted on clothes aren't so cute after a while. They need to be able to change. So I purchased this set for $4.49. The dresses are random, so you might get a different variety.

They are not finished around the edges, so you have to be gentle with them or you may soon find them fraying. The accessories, while cute, aren't really my style. The backpack opens and can hold almost everything in it. The straps on it are also adjustable. We found that these clothes also fit on my younger daughters My Little Pony Equestria Girls dolls!

Once she learned that, she didn't want them for the little dolls anymore. She has since asked me to get her some more too! 

The next set was this full outfit. The beanie has Home Made on it. The sweater can be worn as a short dress on the doll, or accompanied by something on the legs. It has a little Love embellishment on one shoulder. They send you the thigh high stockings, though my pair came apart at the seams on the first use. It also comes with cute little boots/sneakers. They fit well on the dolls. I bought the grey for me and my older daughter. The younger girl wanted pink. Great thing about Temu is that I can request a refund for the amount that they changed the price for! So, for this one, I spent $2.14 each. But now they are only about $1.93. So they refunded the difference to my account. Since I'm thinking about putting in another order, I requested it back in credit. This way I can just apply it to my next order! 

Final results are in...

This really was to test the waters. Everything that comes from Temu may not be what you hoped. But then other things might be better than you had hoped! My girls and I are excited about trying again. Who knows what we will show you next time? Maybe you can even request something for me to test out in comparison to the various dolls we have? Leave me a comment below! 

As promised....

I have a code that can help you save on your purchase! If you just want to copy the code: acd220483. But if you want to go the easier route, here is my link: https://temu.to/m/uqnvoeqksvu. 

I might earn store credit if you use it to purchase something. Honestly, I'm still learning how that works! But if it helps you save a little, that is plenty for me. 

What is something you have always wondered about getting from Temu? Let me know in the comments below! Better yet, have you purchased from them? Was it a positive experience?? Tell me about it!

From Amazing Hair to Video Game Character - Barbie Doll Transformation!

My youngest has been learning to play Left 4 Dead 2 (L4D2). She plays with her siblings and with her Dad as often as she can. This is the kid who fell in love with the Jurassic World, and then Jurassic Park movies. Who thought Disney princess movies were scary. Yep, she loves zombie movies and games. This is my kid! But don't worry, she has her girly side too. She still plays with Barbies with her older sister. What I've started noticing, however, is that her Barbie dolls are pretty much all characters from a movie or game she is currently in love with.

So... Rochelle and Ellis from L4D2 are her absolute favorite characters! She loves how Ellis talks, usually rambling in that southern hick accent about some memory he has of pre-zombie life. And Rochelle is the sweetheart healer that looks after the team. She found clothes among her doll collection and turned one of the guys into Ellis. I was so proud of her! But! She didn't have a doll that could be Rochelle. That is where Mama comes to the rescue. I started to look for a doll that could have potential in being her Rochelle. Since it is an intense zombie game, the characters are pretty simple. Rochelle wears a pink tee shirt and jeans, clunky boots and hair is up tight to be outta the way from the reaching dead hands. But I did have one specification that had to be met. She had to have at least one hand bent at the elbow if she couldn't be fully articulated. Rochelle needs this bent arm to better carry her weapons that she uses to fight the hordes. Personally, I prefer the Made to Move dolls. They are just hard to find and SO expensive.

But don't despair! I found this Barbie Amazing Hair doll at our local Walmart on clearance for $9. Quite the deal! I've wanted the accessories for my own dolls for a while. And the fact that she met my requirements to be turned into a Rochelle for the Megabits, made it even better. 

Now for the transformation!

I could show you all the cool things in this set, but I'm sure if you know dolls, you know this set. So let's skip that part and just dive into the doll itself. I hate the hair on this doll! No, seriously. Why did anyone think that tinsel in the hair is cool? It is annoying! So that had to change. Rochelle has these braids (?) that are pulled back into a tight... bun? No... not quite.

I'll let you describe it and just show you what she looks like. This is one tough cookie! I prefer to play her when I play too. Though there is one thing that bothers me about her. Zombie apocalypse and you were those huge hoop earrings?!  Um... Hello?! That would be extremely painful if they get grabbed, don't you think? Besides, the idea is that you don't want more things they can grab onto. But that is just my opinion. I suppose some ladies still wanna hang onto the bling and fabulous even after the world has come to an end as they knew it. 

Enough of my rant on her looks. Let's make this doll look just like her, shall we??

Starting From the Top

I had to cut the dolls hair, pull off the head and the pull out the remainder of hair from the very roots.

Rochelle is not a rainbow-haired kind of gal. So I had to get her down to bald and give her all new hair. From yarn! As you can see in these photos, I also needed to wipe the sparkles from under her eyes. I use 100% acetone nail polish remover on a Q-tip. Then I painted the head where the hair would go, black. This way, even if it shows through, it wouldn't be too noticeable. Something I forgot - you should add a clear coat to seal it. Otherwise you risk the paint rubbing off. Granted, only if you think the hair won't cover it well enough. 

If you can get a re-rooting tool for putting the doll hair in, that would be a great idea. I didn't get one in time. So... I improvised with some floral wire. It was an incredibly difficult task that took long enough to stiffen my neck and give me a headache. But I managed to make a solid line down the middle of her head at least.

Once I had the yarn through the holes, I knotted the end and pulled it taut. From there you trim to the desired length. And, lastly, you have to undo each strand of yarn.

Time consuming, but totally worth the end result and even the reactions of my little one! I then used a clear rubber band from doll packaging to give her hair a pony tail. Afterwards, trim to the right length. Ending up with a look like this!

What to Wear?

Her clothes are a lot simpler. A pink shirt and some dark, maybe black, jeans finished off with some boots. The accessories are something I will have to put a little more effort into, but even with that I'm feeling like it won't be too much trouble. 

I found this top at the local antique shop we frequent. They have a new booth that has baggies of sorted outfits. I knew this was the perfect shirt as soon as I saw it! 

My daughter had some blue jeans to use. I had this Barbie bracelet that just needed a silver paint job to look like her bangles. My youngest told me she didn't like Rochelle's earrings (she hates hoop earrings), so we won't be adding in that detail. 

I noticed that she had a big bruise on her arm. Not like you get into a fight without a single mark, you know? So I gave the doll one too! 

I painted her silver bangles and painted her a shiny pair of boots. I even made her a thin belt!

What will she fight with??

In the game, there are various weapons you can grab to take out the hordes as they come. I decided to give her a couple.

The fire ax is a great melee weapon. And then there is the MP5 which my husband suggested as he thought that was a favorite gun. I found some I could 3D print for her.

Afterwards, I gave them a paint job! I didn't go all out on the paint job. As my husband reminded me, the girls are bit rough on their dolls and accessories. But I did add in some black paint and then a clear coat to make it shiny. It became Ellis' gun. 

What do you think? Leave me a comment below and let me know! I can't wait to get started on the next doll transformation.