Monster High Gloom Beach!

So I have been looking out for the Gloom Beach line of Monster High for what seems like forever as I wasn't prepared to pay the ridiculous prices that I've seen online for a mass produced playline doll. Argos got them in stock for £7.99 which seemed fair and they've been selling like hotcakes from the looks of it. 

I picked up a Frankie Stein as I thought she looked awesome with the blue lips and I have to say I was a little disappointed when I took her out of the box. Her body is floppy and she has very obvious seams which my first wave Draculaura doesn't have. Her sandals have a horrendous paint job on top of that. I was all ready to be quietly disappointed with her and then I took some pictures!

She is beautiful to photograph and looks gorgeous in every shot. Honestly, this has taken all the disappointment away as I had a lot of fun. This is a great line from Mattel and if they just took a little more time on the finish it would be even more brilliant.

Blythe Meet at the V&A

This saturday I went to the London Blythe meet at the V&A. I had been a little apprehensive as I'm not so bulletproof to some of the stares as others can be but I decided I would try to do my best to ignore the reaction of the uninitiated when confronted with the sight of grown women playing with dolls, because I wanted to have fun, dammit! I did decide that I would just turn up in case I wimped out on the way and nobody would have to know my silliness about attending! Yep, what a loser.

Anyhow, I'm so glad I grew a pair because I got to meet up with some of the lovely ladies from the last meet I attended which was a good eight months ago now (I agonised about last time too, ha!) I had a lot of fun chatting Blythe and Non-Blythe whilst enjoying the beautiful dolls that had been brought along. 

The hot blonde is Suzy's Kenner and the gorgeous redhead is Laura Kate's. Your eyes are not deceiving you, there were TWO Kenner's at the meet. 

I also got to meet Laura Kate's Kiss Me True. She had the softest hair and I was totally impressed with her face-up. When she had been released I'd been put off by the fact the description said she had shimmery lips. They were not what I'd been picturing in my head and had  a lovely rich colour.

Next up is Pen's (Suzy's Goldie) minion Kuma. Last time I was at a meet I was bowled over by Sai's Odeco, Momo and ended up with a Chotto Punk not so long after and now it's mini Kuma that has stole my heart!

There were two Goldie's as well (Spoiled I know!) and this is KidCrayola's Megumi! I loved her apple dress and spiffy headband.

I just want to say thank you to everyone at the meet for bringing their lovely dolls (I didn't take enough pics by far!) and themselves! I had a great time and can't wait for BlytheCon UK! Roll on October!

The Ministry of Silly Flossie

My re-root finally has a name! I have named her Flossie after Becky suggested Candy Floss due to her sugary soft hair. Thank you! Now she has a name she has found a bit more of her personality as you may notice from these snaps! There was a bit of a fight over the Treeson T-shirt but as the 'new' girl she got dibs.

I found these snaps on my camera this morning and it looks like I missed out on an impromptu modeling shoot! I'm loving the way she styled her hair ;)

You also get to see her lovely ice blue eye chips in this shot. She is such a cutie!

Raspberry Sorbet!

(images: Here)

I was going to do a different post today but having seen a link from ericahduh's twitter feed to the final design pics of Raspberry Sorbet I knew I had to post about this beautiful new Blythe!

I was all up for ignoring her release but now it might be a little harder to pass her by. Her stock is some of the best in a long time, in my opinion and could be very versatile.  Her little pink coat and her beret are my favourite pieces and look great with her special brown chips. Dolls with fringes do appeal to me a lot and when you add blushy cheeks it just melts my heart. You can read her official description here.


All in all, I'll probs hold back because I think I'd be tempted to re-root her to a more fantasy colour (my poor Very Vicky is awaiting this fate at the moment) and FBL's are more interesting to me at the moment. I'm sure she'd be a great addition to any collection especially for the cute box. It's one of my favourites with the cute illustrations and layout (below) which really shows off the doll and her stock.


Good times at CWC!

(Image: Here)

D.I.Y. Cushions!

So here is my first tutorial! I have been looking forward to doing something like this ever since I started my blog. I'm going to show you how to make your own seat pads, like the yellow gingham one above, which are both cute and practical!

I find they are really helpful for keeping my dolls on their seats as they give a bit of traction. Not the sexiest word ever but I've found them really useful and hope you do too.

What you need:

Make-up pads
Fabric scraps of your choice
A compass and a ruler
Scissors
Fray check
Needle and thread
A piece of thin card (I used a bit off a cereal packet)
Fabric glue

I dare say you could get away with not needing all the bits and bobs in the list but have a read through and see what you think.

First you want to place your make-up pad on your fabric scrap and draw a circle around it about 1.5cm larger to act as a seam allowance would. Cut it out and it should look like the picture above.

Next you want to create two smaller circles. Measure the diameter of your make-up pad and cut out a circle of the cardboard to the same size. Then cut a slightly smaller circle (by about 2mm) out of the fabric you would like to use on the base of your cushion. 

 Fray check the sides of the fabric circle and leave to dry.

Next you should use a running stitch around the top of the large fabric circle you cut out at the beginning. Use stitches between 2-3mm for a neat look. You should then place your make-up pad on to the fabric circle and then place your piece of cardboard on top of that. Pull the thread taut to gather.

You now want to use the fabric glue as shown in the picture. Be sure not to get too close to the outer edge as you don't want it to ooze out. Place your backing fabric on top and carefully press down. 

I wish I had used a thicker fabric as you can sort of see the gathers through my selection which was a light weight cotton.

Finally you should whip stitch around the edge to secure the fabric in place that little extra. It is also neater.

Now you have your own cute little cushion like the one Ren is sitting on in his lovely green chair at the top of this post! Hope you have fun!

Crazy Label Stash

I was so excited to finally get my hands on my Crazy Label goodies I ordered over Christmas!

I think the postal delay coupled with the fact they may have been hiding out in the shop (They are always so nice to take my parcels in!) under my flat for a little while is what took so long. Oh well, I'm over it!

I was bummed I couldn't go to BlytheCon UK in the end last year but was really happy I was still able to find a Treeson T-shirt! It's brilliant! I was also lucky enough to get what I think was one of the last mixed bubblefun packs. I got A LOT of repeats but it's a perfect opportunity to do a little D.I.Y. bubblefun. My little mind is in overdrive at this prospect already! I also got a blindbox of the second Treeson and Other Stories which had Ren inside. He is super cute. I've been surprised to see that they've not turned up in Playlounge or Kid Robot yet unless I just missed them.

Ren settled in immediately under his favourite tree in the nearby forest surrounded by his favourite bubblefuns for a relaxing afternoon of games and dreams.

My Top 5 Re-Ment Pieces

When the weather was nice on Friday I decided to take some nice pics of my five favourite Re-Ment pieces. I don't have a particularly big collection but as each set comes with a fair few bits you can build up quite a lot of tiny, easy to lose pieces quite quickly!

I am not a hardcore collector, I just buy the individual sets that catch my eye and here are my favourite pieces (in no particular order!) from each although I have cheated a little bit :P

The shape of this cup is what really catches my eye, along with the bright colour of course! This was from the Pineapple Airlines plane food part of the Re-Ment Airlines set. I think that was it's name?!

I got these bowls in the sundries section of Blythe Kingdom. I had been after them for a while because they are so cute.

Re-Ment PYREX! That's all I have to say on the matter.

These washing-up gloves were also something I had hoped to find cheaply for a long time. They also kick-started a love of miniature cleaning products!

I love all the little details in this sewing box set. It is so well made and comes with a pin cushion that you can remove the individual pins from, a pair of scissors that can make a convincing cutting motion and lots of other lovely pieces. O.K, so maybe this is my ultimate fave but look at it, it's amazing!

I thought I'd upload a bright, fun shot to cheer myself up this gloomy Thursday in London. I hope it's nicer weather where you are but that this pic makes you smile too!

Modeling one of my fave miniature t-shirts is Poney M. My boyfriend Michael thinks that's a stupid name to my Lampe Nico but what does he know. Although, he's usually right but don't tell him I said that!

Sugarless Gum Re-root!

A few months ago I started and finished a Sugarless Gum Re-root that was my second attempt at the lock and loop method. I am so happy with how it turned out! I don't have a before picture but the base doll is a Fruit Punch who I'm sure you all know.

I used a needle this time which worked out sooooo much better than using a crochet hook. I also made a new part line which made the whole thing a lot neater looking. 

I'm tempted to do a hot water treatment because it has turned out quite thick and it might tone down some of the poof but I'm happy with it for now.

I also repainted and glossed her lips which I might also redo at some point but again, I'm really happy with as a first attempt and changed three of her eye-chip sets. Unfortunately I lost some of her eyelashes trying to fix them from being bent and decided to remove them all but it suits her I think! She also got Liccafied!

Also, I haven't been able to think of a name for her and any help is appreciated!
 

Bookmarked: with Pippin PART TWO!

Time for Part Two of Pippin's bookmarks. Five more of her cutest current faves.

(via: TTYA)

1. These overalls look really comfy and seeing as we've got the t-shirt floating around our shared wardrobe already... Although, Squiddly Dot keeps hogging it!

(via: Zara Carpenter)

2. Every now and then I just love something really girly. It might actually be bigger than my head though.

(via: Twiggy Twiggy)

3. How about a nice new pullring to look brighten up the rainy days before Summer?

(via: Crazy Label)

4. Treeson is one of my ol' mates on the big desk we share with that giant girl with only one set of eyes. I don't trust people that squishy.

(via: Sweet Vegan)

5. Sometimes (i.e. everyday) you just need something sweet to keep the day upbeat!

Who Wore it Best? Crazy Wrap Edition

Billie (on the left) goes head to head with Rhiannon (right) in the 'Who wears the crazy Ahcahcum Zukin stock wrap best' stakes. Only you can decide. Although it'll probs be down to me as I'm not sure if anyone actually reads this blog except me. If you do, leave your vote in the comments!

Bookmarked: with Pippin PART ONE!

It's Pippin's turn to show off a bit about herself via what she's loving at the mo. Take it away Pippin!

(image: modcloth)

1. These shoes are a bit out of my price range... O.K a lot, but that shouldn't stop me staring at them multiple times an hour, right?

(image: playlounge)

2. This plush looks so soft I just want to cuddle it and use it as a pillow and eat it. In that exact order.

(image: thisisblythe)

3. I reckon I could pull off the Charlotte Eyser look in these glasses. Nearly, right?!

(image: apartment therapy)

4. I love the colour of this settee. Who even knows if it's comfortable. Who even cares. I can definitely envision doing a ton of lounging on that. Hand held electric fan in one hand, tub of sorbet in the other.

(image: Wah Nails)

5. If they can work on nails as small as mine down at Wah, I'll be there in a heartbeat. No Joke.

Makeover!

My Odeco received a new wig from me for Christmas and it arrived last week. I decided to create a little makeover story today because I was surprised how big a difference the wig made to her look although I don't know why! Full length pics below.

The 'before' pic is my Chotto Punk Odeco in her stock wig and outfit and the 'after' is the same Odeco in her new Petworks wig and cute outfit I made her.

I kind of wanted the blue wig in this series but couldn't get hold of it but I think the bright pink has really worked out with her vivid eyeshadow. It is an exceptionally close match for Prima Dolly London Blythe's hair.

Both looks warm my cockles though. Ringo has to be my favourite doll at the mo.

What's In My Bag?

Squiddly Dot dropped by my studio today and I convinced her to let us have a glimpse into what she carries around in her big bag all day long. My apologies for the not so brilliant pics, my camera is dying a slow and painful death at the moment.

1. My bag was a steal from the Blythe Kingdom boards. It is the Ahcahcum Zukin stock bag designed by the clothing line Muchacha. I thought it was pretty cool but my Japanese is a little rusty so I'm not sure what it says. Let's hope it's not something like "I love kissing bumholes" or anything.

2. I am going to a party straight after work today so I threw in some spangly leggings and a nice cardi to get changed into. I'm going for the smart casual look... I hope.

3. I always keep some hairclips in my bag as my room mate Parkin is always stealing them and you never know when you might need some!

4. I like to keep hydrated. Preferably by something sugary.

5. I keep a set of plastic cutlery in my bag at all times in case of food emergencies. I like to eat out a lot and so I like to be on the safe side. I plan ahead, what can I say!

6. Aaah, you've found another essential element in my sugar stash. I know, I know but it's not like I have teeth to rot is it?

7. Old travelcard, housekey, old receipts and my wallet. You know, the stuff that's probably in the bottom of your bag too. (Hey, no need to get so defensive Squiddly. Although I'm not going to say it isn't true...)

8. It's been pretty rainy in London town lately and these are my only waterproof footwear. I cannot stand walking around in wet shoes, trench foot alert. They're pretty heavy though so I hope it brightens up soon!

And with that Squiddly Dot was out the door, probs to stock up on hairclips.