Inside The Barbie Craft Room

Non-Traditional Barbie Furniture Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 03:59:00 +0000

In my last post, I discussed my top five favorite mass produced doll furniture pieces for Barbie & friends. (in case you missed it click here.) Today I'm expanding on a past post regarding looking for doll furniture in more unusual places. (To see that post click here.)

I have found some of the most incredible and unique doll furniture pieces and accessories in a variety of resale shops and big box stores. Don't head to the toy aisle though..my secret? The home decor aisle!

Trinket box dresser found in my local thrift store.

Some of my favorites are ready to go items such as the painted dresser pictured above. This little gem has three actual working drawers and I found it at my local favorite thrift store. These highly decorative trinket boxes can be found on-line, in stores and even at garage sales. You just have to develop what I call the 1:6 scale eye. To demonstrate scale, I have photographed this dresser next to an actual Barbie chair so you can see how perfectly suited this treasure is for my dollhouse.

Another example of a home decor item re-purposed into doll furniture.

This particular vignette includes a resin candlestick table base, rectangular craft sign-faux painted to look like a concrete table as well as a faux finished Barbie wicker piece of plastic furniture. It's amazing what a little paint can do to transform a few pieces!!

Oh, and the little drink holder? It is a fun little fairy garden accessory! I just filled with faux ice cubes and a variety of fun beverages. (mine pictured above is a slightly different style).

And can we just mention pin cushion chairs again?? This sweet little pink plaid chair is one of my all time favorites. I finally have a matching pair of these beauties. The seat removes for storage and it comes with a matching ottoman. Be still my heart!!

This lovely nautical themed vignette was another altered piece I've created. The cabinet began life with the drawer & doors and just a plain wood finish. I added the decorative trim detail to the doors, changed out the knobs and created a distressed painted finish. A few accent pieces and coordinating piece of artwork, in a thrifted miniature frame of course and the vignette is complete.

What are some of your favorite home decor pieces you have found to add to your doll collection? Any items you've transformed into something new? I'd love to hear about it!!

Until next time...
Stephanie

Realistic Barbie Furniture-Top Five Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 02:19:00 +0000

As a collector, one of the most frustrating aspects of finding realistic furniture for Barbie is that most of the mass produced furniture on the market is truly too small.

I’m here to take the guess work out of it for you. I have bought & sold hundreds of Barbie furniture pieces over the years. My personal collection has grown quite substantially during this time. I have gotten fairly selective in what pieces remain in my collection. Not every piece that stays is 100% suitable for Barbie to use. However, my goal is to create realistic miniature scenes so the realism of the piece outweighs the usefulness of it. I own a mix of mass produced doll furniture pieces and a large collection of non-doll items suitable for playscale use. In this post I will detail the mass produced pieces that I use on a regular basis. These items will be easier for you to find on the secondary market. Some pieces are rare and may command a high price. However, do not be discouraged. You can usually find gently played with items at garage sales & thrift stores. All they need is a little cleaning & maybe a coat of paint and they will be good to go.

Opinions expressed in this post are genuinely my own. I am not affiliated with any doll manufacturer nor am I compensated by them. Let’s get started!

My number one, most favorite 1:6 scale realistic furniture piece(s) is the My First Kenmore Kitchen set. This is NOT produced by Mattel and was not made expressly for Barbie. However, it is perfectly made in scale to fit Barbie and friends. Made by Sears and sold in 2005, this limited run playset was very popular among doll collectors and remains so today. There are a number of lower cost knock off’s of this kitchen in a variety of bright colors. I have not purchased any of the colorful knock off sets, but have heard from other collectors that they are a good substitute.

Here is what the set looked like as sold in stores:

My First Kenmore Kitchen Playset New In the Box

Here’s an example of the set in use in my studio. Notice that I painted the cabinet doors a solid white color rather than the black fake glass that was originally there.

Customized My First Kenmore Kitchen Playset

My second favorite piece is the My Scene My Café play set sofa. This piece is gorgeous in person. The scale is perfect to pose dolls on. The tufting detail, the rolled arms the turned feet, make this a prized piece in my collection. My only complaint is the back of the sofa. There isn’t one. It’s hollow. If you only need a piece that will be photographed from the front, then this is it.

The sofa is from this set originally:

Barbie My Scene My Cafe Playset New in the box

Barbie My Scene My Cafe Playset details

And here is a pic of the sofa in one of my diorama scenes:

Barbie's guard dog.

My third & fourth favorite pieces are from the same set, the 2008 Barbie french door refrigerator and kitchen cart. This refrigerator is even better than the My First Kenmore Kitchen fridge. Double doors to access the interior of the fridge, pull out drawer for the freezer and the amazing little kitchen cart are must have pieces for any serious Barbie furniture collector. The color isn't exactly my favorite, but for now it stays until I decide what to change it to.

2008 Mattel Barbie Kitchen Fridge & Cart Playset

Here's the same fridge used in a diorama scene:

Barbie's Farmhouse Kitchen

Rounding out the top five favorite mass produced furniture pieces for Barbie is the wicker settee found in a variety of 1990's garden playsets.

Barbie So Real So Now Summer Garden Playset

I have several of these wicker pieces and have updated with paint. Here is an example painted white:

Kelly Ladybug Picnic Diorama Scene

And here's an example stained brown:

Barbie's Christmas Porch Scene

Whew!! That post went a little longer than I had intended! This list is far from all inclusive and I will continue my list at another time. What are some of your favorite mass produced doll furniture pieces to use in Barbie scenes? Do you agree with my favorite choices? I will have to say though that part of the reason for my choices thus far have to do with the fact that I LOVE kitchens!! They are my favorite rooms to create and photograph. Probably why I have such a large collection of Rement miniatures as well.

Until next time....

Stephanie

A Little Red Carpet Tablescape...Night At The Oscars Barbie Style

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 15:44:00 +0000

And the Award goes to...BARBIE!! That girl has everything. Happy Oscar's weekend.

How to Repaint Barbie Furniture The Basics

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 03:55:00 +0000

Tired of all the pink plastic mass produced furniture for fashion dolls? Like the details of a piece but dislike the color? Don't discard it, transform it!

It is quite easy to update a piece of Barbie furniture to suit your needs. Now I am not saying that my way is the only way, but I have been repainting Barbie furniture for 10 years and this is the process that I have found works best for me. In the above scene I customized the red sofa quite simply with two colors & some embellishment.

I started with the purple chaise from the My Scene Chelsea Getting Ready Playset:

Then I gathered my supplies:

Drop cloth or cardboard box for painting
Spray Paint for plastic
Rubbing alcohol
Plastic furniture to be painted

Step 1: Separate your furniture into pieces if it is applicable. Many sofas, tables, beds are made with pieces that can be removed such as the legs or seats of chairs. It's easiest to paint the individual parts-especially if you are trying to paint them different colors. In the example above I removed the legs so I could paint them silver.

Step 2: Clean your furniture. If you are not buying the item new give it a good scrub with some hot soapy water & let it dry thoroughly.

Step 3: Wipe everything down with rubbing alcohol. This removes any soap residue and ensures a good adhesion with the paint. Let it dry .

Step 4: Prep your paint area with drop cloth or cardboard to catch the overspray. I like to use an empty cardboard box.

Step 5: Paint! Make sure you follow the directions on the can. Keep the can far enough away that you avoid drips. Light coats work best!

Step 6: Multiple coats. For best results let each coat dry at least 20 minutes before the next coat. Don't add coats after 24 hours. I have found that the paint will bubble if you do. It should be fully painted within a few hours of when you start.

Step 7: Let paint cure for 7 days before handling too much. I have found that this is key to prevent paint scratches or chipping off. I know it's hard to WAIT!!

Step 8: Enjoy the fruits of your labor!!

I generally do steps 1-3 a day or two ahead of time. That way I can make sure everything is dry & ready to go. Tip: Do NOT spray paint outdoors on a windy day. Not that I have ignored my own advice or anything. **Ahem. All I will say about that is wet paint attracts every particle in the air. But I digress.

You can achieve some really terrific results using just two colors of paint.

That's it!! Super simple. Time consuming. Exhilarating. Empowering!

Now, I'd love to see what pieces you transform!!!

Thanks for stopping by and as always,

Happy Crafting!

Stephiejo

Prop Alert! Cute Miniature Lanterns

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 03:40:00 +0000

One of the best places I have found to source realistic miniature props is in the Christmas ornament section of any store. That is the first place I head these days when I am out shopping. Actually I start looking in July when the craft stores start stocking their holiday items. I like to look for things that can be used as is without any alteration as well as items that can be updated to suit another purpose in a miniature scene.

This year I found these adorable red glitter lanterns at WalMart. I will say that these are what I consider low-quality in the realm of ornaments. They are made of cardboard, glitter and thin plastic sheeting for the "glass". However, they are cheap, $1.97 each so they suit my budget and are detailed enough to make an appearance in a diorama scene. The greenery on top of the lantern came with it, but the candy canes did not. Just a little extra touch I added when setting up this diorama.

The lanterns are quite large so while they are great as oversized props for the 1:6 scale crowd such as Barbie, Monster High and Fashion Royalty, they would be perfectly suitable for the larger dolls-American Girl, Tyler Wentworth, Gene, Dollfie and similar 16-18 inch range. Multi-purpose props are the best!

Without further adieu, a quick front porch diorama dressed for the holidays.

Here's how I made this scene:

Shingle siding: printie (found image on Google & printed multiple copies & taped together)

Porch floor boards: printie (found image on Google & printed multiple copies & taped together.

Door: Barbie dollhouse door. (no idea which house but it has a B logo on the top half). It came in a bag from the thrift store without a door handle just a long hole where one should be. This is what the detail looks like.

Door Knob: I printed the face plate from Google & sized it to cover the hole. Then I used a round knob from a jewelry box. It has a nail sticking out of the back so I just cut out a piece of foam core for it to stick into. The foam core is the size of the door plus the surrounding trim. I then glued the trim to the foam core. The door is stuck in place with the knob. (so I can use it again).

The trim & threshold are also made of foam core covered in scrapbook paper. Isn't that crackle look divine?

The hole I had to cover (from the back)

Merry Christmas Sign: Printie from Google. (you can see I didn't even bother with adding trim to the top of the door for this scene!)

Mini Pine Trees: loot from the thrift shop

That's it. Easy peasy.

Thanks for stopping by!!! What are your favorite sources for mini accessories other then traditional miniature retailers?

Have YOU played today?

Stephanie

Baby It's Cold Outside

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 00:55:00 +0000

Brrrr…I hope you are all staying warm! This early dip in temperature has me reaching for something to warm me up on the inside. What better way to do that then with some yummy hot cocoa!

I have enough to share. Please help yourself.

There is warm milk in the teapot and hot cocoa mix in the tall apothecary jar. Don't you just love those jars? I wish I had ten of them to fill with all kinds of sweet treats.

Marshmallows or whip cream? Which do you prefer? Me, I'm all about the whip cream. And maybe a splash of a little something, Rumchata perhaps? That will really get you toasty!

I'm so glad you stopped by for a visit and to enjoy some refreshments. Bundle up and stay warm. This is just the beginning of the cold weather round these parts.

Enjoy!!

Have YOU played today??

Stephanie

Staying Warm...With A Teddy Bear Winter Tea Party

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 02:45:00 +0000

The weather outside is certainly frightful. We have had sub zero temperatures for a few days along with plenty of fluffy white snow! It is cozy warm inside and I am thankful for blessings.

While I wait for the weather to improve, I'm so glad you stopped in. Please pull up a chair and join me & teddy for some tea and sweets. Hope you are staying warm!

Reader Question: What Material Can I Use for Walls in a Barbie House?

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 01:29:00 +0000

Hello my lovely blog readers!!! I can hardly believe that the holiday season is upon us once again. It has been a whirlwind of a year. I won't bore you with all the details but I am BACK with ideas to share! Thank you all who emailed me asking if I was planning on returning to the craft room.

A reader by the name of Rhonda recently sent me an email after discovering my fun little blog. She is constructing some condo units for her dolls using shelves & was wondering if using cardboard would make the finished project cheesy.

First of all, kudos to you for your vision, your energy to tackle this project & brilliant idea to use readily accessible inexpensive materials to create a charming space for your dolls. Many miniaturists use non-wood materials to create backdrops in miniature scenes. I personally find that it is much easier to work with and I do not need specialty tools. I am an instant gratification kind of girl so this works for me on so many levels!

In addition to cardboard, one of my absolute FAVORITE mini wall surface is FOAM CORE. The picture above is a quaint breakfast nook scene that I created with foam core. It is light weight, inexpensive, and found at most Hobby stores (even at my local dollar store!). The window that you see...shhhh...I'll tell you a little secret. You know the pre-school MATCHING card game? When you get a set new you have to punch out the little cards. What is left is a piece of cardboard with evenly spaced squares that resemble a multi-pane window! Add a little wood trim & a window sill & you are DONE.

I use foam core extensively to create backdrops for my photography. I cover in appropriate scale wallpaper or scrapbook paper to transform the space into a realistic setting.

I even use it to build furniture. It really is quite versatile & creates a sturdy alternative to wood. The upper cabinets in the photo below were constructed out of cardboard & trimmed with wood.

And the countertop. It's cardboard. Wrapped in faux granite contact paper. Bah-bam!

This entire Chicago Bears Themed room was built with cardboard. I even created faux stones with recycled egg cartons. (tutorial to come)

You can either glue the edges together to form your walls, use T-pins or even duct tape to secure the corners together. Even better-use the walls to create some architectural interest. Add in a closet, a bay window-complete with a seat, a fireplace or any other structural element to help reinforce the wall to allow each one to be free standing within the shelving unit.

I also like to use old Barbie boxes to add a niche to an otherwise flat wall.

The beauty of constructing a dollhouse in this matter is that it is flexible. You can move the walls around without having to dismantle the entire thing. How is that for ultimate creativity? Could you imagine being able to do that in your real house? I know I LOVE to rearrange furniture, décor & artwork frequently. Having the ability to do so in my mini projects is a MUST.

I really want to thank Rhonda for reaching out to me. I am thrilled you found my blog and are INSPIRED to create your own fabulous rooms! As always I love pictures! If you would be so kind as to share your project once you are finished I would be thrilled. I enjoy seeing the creativity my readers produce. You all are so talented! I am humbled that I inspire you to get creative with your doll spaces, but truth is you all inspire me as well!

Thank you for stopping by

Happy Crafting!

Stephiejo

An Apology to My Readers

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:10:00 +0000

I didn't want to have to do it, but I've been forced to make a few changes to the comments section of the blog. Comments can be made by registered users and you will have to submit a word verification. I really hate to have to do that because I do not want to discourage my readers from commenting on posts. However, the spam posts have become ridiculous and Blogger is missing 90 percent of them. I apologize for any inconvenience but it's the only way I can combat the rampant adult oriented spam being put in the comments section. Thank you for your understanding!

Diorama Prop Alert

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 21:22:00 +0000

With winter holiday season just around the corner, check the Christmas ornament aisle at your local retail stores. Craft, big box, hardware, home decor and even grocery stores sell tree ornaments. You can find many items suitable for Barbie in amongst the holiday decor.

Wally world is selling these adorable faux chandeliers. I found black & blue. They are covered with glitter and have the most charming sparkly beads. You can make these even more charming by stringing beads between the arms. Even though they do not light up, they still add a layer of glamour to your dollhouse or diorama scene.

They also have these delightful trees that look like they are made out of peppermint candy ribbons. Look for this tree to make an appearance in an upcoming holiday diorama.

Picture frame ornaments are fantastic too. These black ones are from Wally world. I love the ornate details. Made out of resin, they are meant to hold a photograph. You could put in a craft mirror, printable artwork, images from cards or old books, and even your own photo to create custom art for Barbie & friends.

What great treasures have you found lately? Any tips for using non-doll items in a doll setting? I'd love to hear your comments!

Thanks for stopping by~

Happy Crafting!

Stephiejo

Independence Day

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 03:30:00 +0000

Happy 4th of July! To all my American readers, a little red white and blue to celebrate our nations Independence!

Happy Crafting,

Stephiejo

Kitchen Littles Stoves: White 1996 vs. Pink 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Mon, 07 May 2012 00:53:00 +0000

The topic of the original KL stove verses the newer one came up in conversation with a customer of mine. I thought that I would share the comparison with all my readers.

The Kitchen Littles brand appliances are darling, realistic replicas that work well with the 10 to 12 inch fashion dolls.

It measures 6.5 inches high, 5 inches wide, and 4 inches deep.

The cooktop is 5.75 inches from the floor. The center of the burners are metal with black grates around the outside. The back of the stove has a detailed sticker decal and a silver painted dial that is molded into the plastic. The dial is decorative not functional.

The four dials in the front of the stove are actually buttons that when pushed will give realistic kitchen sounds. The button on the far left makes a ticking timer sound that dings when it's finished. The second button makes a sizzling bacon sound. The third button sounds like a whistling tea kettle. The fourth and final button will turn on the oven light. The oven is operable with a cute silver rack so that Barbie can bake her cakes and casseroles.

The drawer at the bottom opens up for storage of pots and pans, a must have in a small Barbie kitchen!

I really like the depth of this stove back. It creates a ledge that you can prop spice jars on to make a realistic looking display.

The battery compartment is in the back and there is no on/off switch.

The Hot Pink KL stove is equally cute, although slightly different in its design. It measures 6.5 inches high, 5 inches wide and 4 inches deep. The stovetop height is slightly shorter than the original at 5.5 inches from the floor.

The back stove panel incorporates a control panel decal, although I am disappointed that the back of the stove lacks the depth of the original.

The burners of the newer model look more like a gas stove. The knobs on the front of the stove all turn and make a clicking noise as you move them.

The knob on the far left will raise the "flame" in the left front burner. The knob on the far right will raise the flame on the right front burner. The two middle knobs turn but do not provide any function. The really neat part of this newer model is the way the stove makes sounds. If you put an item on the left rear burner, it will make a sound like a whistling tea kettle. (no more button pushing!). If you place an item on the right rear burner it will make a sizzling bacon sound!

The battery compartment is also in the back and includes an on/off switch. This is a great addition if you want to use the stove without hearing the noises. Sadly there is no kitchen timer feature with this model, but you do get a faux digital clock!

The oven is also operable and I like that the oven grate is more centered in the oven rather than at the bottom of the original. (oven decals are NOT included-I added after I purchased) A bonus feature, the light in the oven turns on when you OPEN the door! No button to push.

There is a storage drawer as well and it's quite a bit smaller than the original.

Side by side comparison of the drawers:

Overall I think both stoves are fantastic. I added a rub on decal to the glass door of my pink one to give it a little attitude.

One more look side by side:

If I can get my hands on any more of the original KL stoves I will certainly add to my store. I have the pink version in stock new in the box.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Crafting ~

Stephiejo

Red Hot Penthouse Decor

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:05:00 +0000

This is what I imagine Barbie's Fifth Avenue penthouse apartment might look like.

Red leather chaise, modern glass coffee table, acrylic nesting end tables, chrome wall sconces and a fabulous damask wallpaper accent.

The perfect retreat and sanctuary...

A place to entertain guests...

Or just a place to relax after a long day of work.

You can achieve this look with a few simple techniques. The papered walls are two silver colored doll boxes. If you do not have any boxes that are already silver-cover them in grey construction paper, contact paper, gift wrap or scrapbook paper. The damask pattern is a scrapbook piece. I left a large section of the grey visible to visually heighten the room. The chaise is a piece from the My Scene Party Pad. Originally purple, the legs were finished with a chrome color. The faux leather look was achieved with layers of paint. Each tufted button is a sparkly crystal accent. The coffee table base began as a bench in another My Scene bedroom playset. I removed the seat-painted it to look like wrought iron then used a smoke colored piece of oval glass for the table top.

The wall sconces are custom made using mirrored tiles, beads, jewelry findings, plastic pieces, super glue and silver paint.

Thanks for stopping by...

Happy Crafting!

Stephiejo

Featured Fan Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:12:00 +0000

This weeks featured fan is Tara who has created some really unique Victorian style rooms to showcase her Victorian Barbie collections. She is currently in the process of creating a website to showcase her work. When the site becomes available I will let you know. She has graciously sent me some photos as well as some valuable historical information to share with all of you. Tara has some very creative ideas on adding realism to your dollhouse and diorama settings. The following is written by Tara. All photographs belong solely to her, posted here with permission. Enjoy!~

Front Entrance Hall

The Entrance Hall set the tone of the house. Every Victorian dwelling had one, even if it was a tiny closet-sized anteroom fit only for wiping boots and sheltering the guest from inclement weather.

Very civilized, if you think about it!

In wealthier homes the Entrance Hall, or foyer grew larger and more elaborate, and was an indication of how comfortably well off the owners were. It served as a formal waiting area where the visitor could be officially greeted by the head parlor maid or, if they were really affluent, the butler, who would then announce your arrival to the mistress of the home.

If you knew your hostess was home and expecting visitors you would take off your coat or cape, hang it up with your bonnet and store your parasol or walking cane. While you waited you could warm yourself by the fireplace they often had one in the foyer check out the mirror to make sure you were tidy and admire the wealth of your friend and ponder how well she had married.

Victorian women operated under a burden of protocol most gals of today would find incomprehensible. In the days before telephones.....and certainly Twitter!! }A typical middle or upper class woman socialized by having "Home Days" and "Visiting Days". These were official specific afternoons when you were prepared for guests to drop by, so you made sure the house was clean and tidy and perfect. Every woman had her own visiting card, called a "carte de visite" with her name and her Home Days available printed on it, so everyone knew who was home when, and they all took turns visiting each other.

A lady would make the rounds by herself, with her daughters or perhaps another friend usually between 3 and 5 pm. They would go specifically to the addresses of friends they knew were having "Home Days" which meant the lady in question was ready and prepared to receive visitors. On Home Day a friend could drop by unannounced, be received in the front hall and then wait for the hostess to appear doubtless in an elegant "at home" outfit to usher you into the Parlor for a nice chat.

A visit was supposed to last no more than 15 minutes, unless subtle signals by the hostess invited the visitor to stay longer for tea and cake, or perhaps cucumber sandwiches.{Yes, you heard right, slices of cucumber on buttered bread.} It was a severe breach of protocol to outstay your welcome, so great attention had to be paid to the parlor clock on the mantelpiece. Should you drop by the house of someone who was indisposed at the moment or decided she wasn't in a socializing mood you could always leave your card on a little silver tray in the Entrance Hall to indicate you had dropped by and was most interested in a reciprocal social call at some time in the near future, thank you very much.

The wallpaper and decor of our Entrance Hall is rich, dark and somber, almost churchlike, and an indication of the sober righteousnes of the owner's personalities.

The mirror is actually a little mirror/sconce object we got at a garage sale for 2 dollars. I painted and stained it with Minwax to give it that rich dark look, and marbelized the flat surfaces using black and white hobby paint and just swirling them together. It's Gothic style echoes the ecclesiasticle theme of the room.

The most expensive thing I purchased was the front door which was part of a Byers Choice Christmas Carolers display set, I paid about 40 dollars {ouch!!!}for mine. It was a splurge, but since evrything else in the room was so cheap I felt ok about it!!!!

The painting above is nearly four inches high, I simply purchased a birthday card and an inexpensive dollar shop frame.The wallpaper was two dollars a role at our local outlet store.The border was from an old border role I already owned and just cut the bottom off of.

Mini Hint: copy centers like Staples and Office Max can shrink or enlarge your pictures to match whatever frame size you want. For the best effect, ask for high gloss finish on sturdy card stock.

A chair actually, a trinket box awaits the visitor's tired posterior although the house pooch {a refrigerator magnet} seems to be taking up space on it at the moment. A column from the wedding cake section at the Ragshop {and glued to a small tile for weight} is topped by a miniature Japanese vase sporting tiny plastic fern fronds. The stained glass window was a purchased at a Hallmark Store and produced by the Amias Glass company. We painted the reverse side white for contrast and framed it with stained wood trim.

Mini Hint:Clink of the link for more stain glass patterns from the Amia website.http://www.collectorsaddition.com/gentu/AMIA9790.htm

OR.......if you're on a budget and you love our background, print out this stainglass pic on study card stock, you can print this yourself although for maximum quality{and perfect sizing} you should put it on a CD and take it to Staples. Remember to insist on high gloss card stock, and glue 1/12 mini wood trim{ stained or gilt} around the edges for a nice frame.Or simply have it sized to fit one of your own existing windows.

Detail of ceiling.The "plasterwork" is a standard thick,

textured wallpaper available off the shelf at most

wallpaper or hardware department stores.

Invest in one roll for about 20 bucks and you can do

several ceilings or even cut it into strips to create your

own wainscoting. Itcan be painted,gilded or stained to

look like tooled leather...the possibilities are endless!!!!

I glued a regular plastic fancy picture frame from a

dollar shop and then painted it in oil based satin white.

{But I'm sure latex would work too}

The chandelier was a Christmas ornament

from the now defunct Treasure Island craft chain. The

ornamental wood work was purchased at a hobby crafts

store {in my case, Joanne's} and stained with Minwax and

combined with fancy edges I cut off from from various

borders I've picked up cheap in flea markets and outlets,

ie Big Lots, Family Dollar etc."

A big Thank You to Tara for sharing her pics &

techniques! She has some great suggestions on where to

find miniatures in ordinary places.

Happy Crafting!

Stephiejo

Mr. Bunny Spring Tea Party

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:13:00 +0000

It is almost time to celebrate Easter! Children will be dressed in their pastel finery, gathering eggs hidden by the Easter Bunny. Such a fun way to welcome the arrival of Spring!

Welcome to Mr. Bunny's humble home..won't you come in and have some tea?

That is Mr. Bunny himself seated in the wicker chair. The backdrop is Barbie's fold up cottage with the insides removed and painted white. (original color was blue). The wicker is real and was made for 11.5 inch fashion dolls in the 70's. I found mine second hand and spray painted it a rich chocolate brown. Hand sewn pillows add a vibrant pop of color. Coffee table is a plastic Barbie piece faux finished to look like wood. Most of the dishes are made by Re-Ment. The exception is the green rimmed plate which is made by Kitchen Littles.

The incredible details on the Re-Ment cakes make my mouth water....mmmm....so yummy! Notice the tea inside the teacups? Yeah...great attention to detail by Re-Ment.

**Love**

Re-Ment even made the little daisy boquet...and that leaf plate...one of my favorites!

Oh, and Mr. Bunny...he's a miniature I found at Michael's Craft store a few years ago. He's jointed too!

Hope you all have a very Happy Easter!

Featured Fan Friday will have some great eye candy and fabulous history lesson & miniature tips!

Happy Crafting!

Stephiejo

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 15:38:00 +0000

Find us now on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/pages/SS-Designs-Doll-Interiors/260723439694

More fantastic tutorials and featured fan posts coming this week.

Thank you loyal visitors! :)

Romantic Tablescape

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:35:00 +0000

A little eye candy to tide you over...it is almost Valentines Day after all.

Happy Crafting!

Stephiejo

New Store Open for Business

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Announcing the Grand Opening of SS-Designs Doll Interiors. New items added every week. You will find a variety of unique and hard to find furnishings and accessories for fashion dolls. We also carry a variety of other items, including vintage toys, dolls, doll clothing, puzzles, games, plush, and many more. You never know what you may find when you visit! Add me to your favorite seller's list to be the first to see my latest inventory.

Check us out at: www.ss-designsdollinteriors.com

I will continue to create tutorials and vignettes for this blog so stay tuned for lots of fabulous fun in 2012!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Are you ready for some football?

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:52:00 +0000

In honor of football season winding down I thought I'd share a favorite diorama I created in 2009.

Da Bears Den

(yes, that's how we refer to the Chicago Bears around here!)

Want to know how I did it? Well...that back wall there..it is a large piece of cardboard covered in scrapbook paper. The bar is from the Bratz London Pub playset, I just covered the beverage dispenser with beer labels printed from the internet.

Barbie says hello..and welcome!

The wooden shelf was a thrift store find. Bears helmet from a gumball machine. Liquor bottles courtesy of the Gloria bar playset found on the auction site.

These fabulous little chairs were from the My Scene Mall playset. They were in the food court. Love the style and shape of these. Bistro table is a candle holder with a wooden coaster on top. Sandwich and soda are from a Barbie set.

There is an abundance of artwork to be found on-line. If you are planning on using these in your own dioramas you may print for personal use but I do not recommend printing art images and selling them. That would be copyright infringement.

This stone wall I created using a foam core base and hand cutting "stone" out of egg cartons! (the paper kind-not foam) I applied with regular old white glue, used spackle for grout, white washed then sealed with three coats of poly.

Scrapbook embellishments make great decorative frames. (see picture at top)

My middle son loves football and collects mini figurines. This is one of his treasures that I borrowed for my photo shoot. You can get a better look at the beer labels in this photo.

That's it! Cheers..and thank you for visiting. What are some of your clever recycling tips for creating fun and fabulous dioramas? Do share! I'd love to hear from you.

Happy Crafting!

Stephiejo

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:03:00 +0000

Featured Fan:

You have to check out this amazing Barbie dollhouse makeover by one of Inside the Barbie Craft Room readers. Amy from PA has transformed a High School Musical playset into a fantastic rendition of Monster High.

Amy designed all the graphics herself. I love how this is so unique, colorful and ties in so well with the running on-line episodes of this popular new doll line. Aren't the wooden doors such a fun touch? Oh, and you have to look closely at the coffin-bean vending machine! Too cute! This lovely playset is currently on auction. Hop over & take a peek!

Auction: http://www.ebay.com/itm/250947012000?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Amy also sells her graphics in wallpaper form so that you can transform an ordinary bookcase into a OOAK Monster High playset of your own. Check out her other items while you are there.

If you would like to be a featured fan on Inside the Barbie Craft Room drop me a line! I love to hear from my readers.

ssdesignsdollinteriors at hotmail.com

Happy Crafting!

Stephiejo

Happy Halloween...Trick or Treat 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 03:17:00 +0000

Welcome to the Black Widow's lair. She is ready to celebrate all Hallows Eve.

Dressed in her finest gown and ready to hand treats to the little ones who dare to venture to her door.

We have our first visitors..pardon me while I tend to their treats.

"Please help yourself to your favorite chocolate bar"

"Thank you"

Won't you have a chilling cocktail or tasty arachnid cookie?

Don't mind Norbert...he had an unfortunate accident

I have some tasty arsenic tea for the end of our evening.

Why leave in such a hurry? Was it something I said?

Please come visit again soon!

Happy Halloween to my faithful readers..now that fall sports are winding down and my running six days a week are coming to an end I will again have time for more frequent blog posts & most importantly more tutorials!

Thank you for sticking with me!

Happy Crafting

Stephiejo

Back to School

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:20:00 +0000

Mom: "Sally, are you packing your lunch like I asked?"
Sally: "Yes, momma..I have everything right here"
Mom: "Do you have healthy snacks?"
Sally: "Ummm...yes...I think so"
Mom: "You think? Do I need to come help you?"
Sally: "NO!! Stay there momma..I can do it myself!"
Thump..thump..thump...thump...
Mom: "What the what?"
Sally: "BUT MOMMY..they are my favorites!"
*shakes head in disbelief
Mom: "Nevermind. I think we will take hot lunch this year"

New Dollhouse Project: Barbie's Dream Mansion

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 01:06:00 +0000

I'm so excited, I can hardly contain myself. My birthday gift came early this year.

My hubby bought me this A.M.A.Z.I.N.G custom built Barbie mansion. It is HUGE! Roughly five feet tall by four feet wide by two feet deep.

It is solid and constructed with 1/4 inch plywood.

Traditional victorian style with bay windows on either side of a main entryway.

This was a previously loved home that has seen a lot of play time over the past ten years. A completely blank slate for me to finish and customize in whatever way I choose!

The doorway is 12 inches tall so even in heels Barbie clears the opening. I may make the opening just a little bit bigger so I can install an operational door..which I will have to build from scratch since there are no ready-made doors in the 1:6 market large enough to work.

The stairs are built just like in real life with stringers, risers and treads. Need to build window frames too.

Testing out a dry fit of the kitchen layout. The entire Kenmore Kitchen fits along the outside wall but it makes the eating area a little cramped. With the fridge on the other side there is room to move around the breakfast nook. I can just imagine this kitchen filled with all kinds of re-ment! The ceiling height is 16 inches.

One optional layout for the bedroom. The room is large enough not only to house a full canopy bed but a sitting area as well.

**This is a new custom bed I've been working on which will be available for purchase soon! Just need to finish the mattress and sheet.

And a full view of the left side of the dollhouse just because it makes me happy. :-) I have the MOST amazing husband!

Follow along with me as I finish this house! Can't say for sure how long it will take. I have never finished a wooden dollhouse before.

I would love to hear from anyone who has finished a proper dollhouse for advice! Suggestions? Opinions? I love comments! Don't be shy.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Crafting!

Stephiejo

Tablescape: Sushi and Seafood Smorgasbord

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 16:50:00 +0000

Welcome...please come in and have a seat.

All kinds of delectable treats await you...

My master chef was busy all afternoon preparing this feast for my guests.

I hope you brought an appetite...

We have sushi...and seafood...tropical fruit...a veritable smorgasbord feast!

Perhaps I can interest you in a glass of white wine?

I so enjoyed our visit.

Thank you for stopping by!

Happy Crafting!!

Stephiejo

Barbie Craft Project: Farmhouse Table

noreply@blogger.com (Stephiejo@Inside the Barbie Craft Room) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:42:00 +0000

Super simple craft project. Inspired by a recent trip to a fabulous little craft store where I found some fun little 3-D letters made out of MDF. This cute little table popped into my head and I knew I had to have them.

A little nod to Pottery Barn farmhouse style.

Supplies:

3-D Letter X (2 of them)

Wooden Dowel

Pine Craft Wood

Wood Glue

Paint

Stain

Wood sealer

Craft knife

Drill / Drill bits

Step 1: Find the center of the X.

Step 2: Drill a hole in the center of the X large enough to allow the dowel to pass through.

Step 3: Determine the length your dowel needs to be to support the two x's. To figure the length out I set up the x's and set the pine board on top. I left about a quarter inch overhang on each side, marked the dowel and cut to length.

Step 4: {Optional} I wanted my table top to look like boards rather than a solid piece of wood. I divided my wood into three sections with a pencil. Then score over the pencil lines with a craft knife be careful not to cut all the way through.

Step 5: Stain the tabletop (both sides so it doesn't warp). Or if you prefer you can paint it or leave it natural.

Step 6: Glue the dowel in place. Allow to dry thoroughly and paint the entire table base.

Step 7: Seal the tabletop.

I left my tabletop separate from the table base for ease of storage. You could attach yours if you wish. This particular table is just a smidge taller than an actual Barbie table so if you do not have any chairs that fit it you could use it as a kitchen island.

Here's my new Barbie kitchen. A tutorial on that project in the near future.

Linking to Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Chic Cottage

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Crafting!

Stephiejo ♥