Mini Popsicle stand- Happy 4th of July!! 🎉🎇🎆

Hi! Welcome to my blog!

I am currently in the process of planning for a dollhouse- if you're new to my blog, check out my previous posts- that's the best I can do to catch you up, since this is just an update.

My mom (Jen Shears from Jen Shears Designs [Yes, that's a blog! Go check it out, she's awesome!]) won a gift card from a challenge (Where Creativity Meets, which is a Concord & 9th Challenge) and bought the Sweet & Cool die cuts to go with her Sweet & Cool stamp set. 

Wanna buy the stamps and/or dies? Check out this website (sorry, might have to copy and paste into a browser): 

https://www.theheartdesires.com/search?q=Sweet+%26+Cool&submit=

Any way! So my mom got the die cuts and is using them and loves them, and she told me I can use them. Yay!

I came up with an idea (don't worry, it's awesome! 😉) to make a teeny-tiny Popsicle stand!! No, I don't have any idea what scale it will be in. It might be totally random!

I started by making the sign, which is the mini Popsicle die cut and stamp with the stand's name written on it. (And yes, for any stampers that recognize it, that is a Misti!)

 Before I cut it out.

 After I cut it out!

Then, I made the stand. It's really just kind of a net (that's a math term, in case you don't remember) of a rectangle. (Basically a template for a counter without a backside- pictures will explain better!)

 My counter template. This is really the best way I can describe how you'd make it. I used the Popsicle sign when I was drawing the template for proportions, and I made sure to use a ruler on all the important lines. I cut it out with some of my mom's really nice scissors. Just fold on the lines you drew to be folded on, and apply glue to the tabs and stick them to the inside.

 Here it is all folded up! Not glued yet, but folded!

 Here it is drying. I also cut toothpicks to fit the inside on the folds for extra support.

That's all for today! I'll continue to work on it. Hope to see you back!

Paint colors have been decided!!

Hi! Welcome back and thanks for stopping by!

In case you haven't read my previous posts, I'll catch you up. I got a Beachside Bungalow dollhouse kit by Real Good Toys for my birthday recently, and I'm planning for it since we're moving and building a house this summer. (And then living in a trailer for a while).

 

I just love the beautiful front porch and elevation of it!!

 

The inside is kinda perfect for what I'm thinking... 😉

So because we're moving and I may not have a lot of time or space to build it, I've been doing lots of research on what I want my first dollhouse to look like, inside and out. I picked up a couple paint booklets from Home Depot to see what I liked. In one of the exterior books, I found the prettiest combination for a dollhouse. I'm still not sure if I want to do wallpaper or paint on the inside. I'm thinking hardwood floors all the way through except the landing and bedroom ( left to right: the second and third rooms on the top floor) because they're the most logical places (to me, any way) to have carpeted floors.

Here are the booklets and the combination I'm thinking for the exterior.

Behr interiors color collection

Behr interiors whites and neutrals custom color collection

Behr exteriors custom color collection (the book in which I found my exterior-to-be)

Behr Marquee interior one-coat hide collection

Flagstaff Green, Spun Cotton, Black Garnet (body, trim, accent)

The colors I chose on a house

As I said before, I still haven't picked a color or wallpaper or picked between a color or wallpaper for the interior, and I haven't picked a floor or carpet or picked between floor or carpet for the exterior. I'm super excited about decorations- especially the front porch because, y'know, first impressions- and am so, so happy to get to show all of you the process!

One more thing before I go- I decided to do this thing right and get some input from the experts! A bit of my research came up with a blog called "Call of the Small"- it's simply amazing! If you haven't already heard of or seen this mind-blowing blog, please, please, please go check it out! It's to die for!! Any way, I sent the author an email about a matter I've been pondering- whether she would paint the pieces of the dollhouse first or put the dollhouse together and paint it. I know that's probably not very important, but I wondered, since she has so much experience, what her preference was or at least which one is normally easier. I have not yet received a reply, so I cannot tell you any more about that.

That's all for now! Thanks for stopping in, and I hope to see you back soon!!

DIY WORKING mini doll/dollhouse Fidget Spinners!!!

Hi guys! I'm so happy that you've discovered my blog, and I hope you enjoy learning how to and hopefully making your own teeny-tiny functional awesome fidget spinners!!!

I used:

-Toothpicks (I happened to have the plain ones, but make sure that they'll fit in the bead!!!!)

-Nail art gems or just small craft gems

-Beads (the kind that have 3 corners that you might've used as a kid)

-Glue or nail polish top coat (I was too lazy to go get glue so I used a fast dry top coat)

-Tweezers (totally optional, I used it for getting the gems straight)

-Scissors

1. Cut one end of the toothpick so that it's flat, not pointed.

2. Put one bead on the flat end of the toothpick.

3. Decide how long you want the toothpick to go through the bead and cut. Make sure to leave a tiny bit of room so that it can still spin easily.

4. Glue a gem on one end of the toothpick that fits the bead. Let it harden.

Optional- glue more small gems to the corners to make it look even more realistic.

It's too cute!!

5. Once you're happy with the body of the spinner, put the toothpick piece through the center again and glue a second gem onto the other end of the toothpick. 

Tip: be super careful about not letting the glue touch the body or else it kinda sticks to itself and is harder to spin.

Let it dry for a while- depending on how long your glue takes to dry- and don't spin it or play around with it too much while it's drying or else it might get screwed up and that's never good. 😊

And you're done!!! This is just the most adorable, awesome little Fidget Spinner you've ever seen!! You can vary the color and kinds of gems for a different style. You can paint it with nail polish or some sort of paint if you really feel like it needs it. I wonder what a galaxy mini spinner would look like... We should totally ask a nail art YouTuber to paint one in some really cool way- I feel like they're the best at painting tiny awkward things! 😜

Thanks again for checking out my blog and I hope to see you back here soon!

Also, if you really like tiny things, then you should check out my post "Building the previously mentioned doghouse kit!!!" (It lights up- it looks like a mini-dog's party house!) and stay tuned to watch my Beachside Bungalow dollhouse kit come together!!

Building the previously mentioned doghouse kit!!!

Hi guys! Welcome back!

In my post where I announced the dollhouse project, I talked about a doghouse kit I found at Hobby Lobby the other day from Mayberry Street for $2.99. Here's a link:

http://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Dollhouses-Miniatures/Miniatures/Miniature-Dog-House-Kit/p/80745458

I painted it with Anita's acrylic craft paint in True Red:

http://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Stencils-Craft-Paints/Acrylic-Craft-Paints/True-Red-2-ounces-Anita's-Acrylic-Craft-Paint/p/533

I painted the roof black, with B B Frosch chalk paint.

Here are the pieces after paint. I didn't paint the inside floor or the dog bone, but I painted all the other parts of the pieces that will be on the outside of this house.

I simply put together the pieces based on the diagram and came out with an adorable doghouse. You can glue it if you want, but the pieces are so tight-fitting and therefore pretty sturdy; so I would say the glue is optional, and I did not glue my dog house.

I also decided to make a cute little bed from scrap fabric by cutting 2 equally sized pieces that will fit on the floor of the doghouse, placing them good side to good side and hand sewing them all the way around, leaving a little gap so that I could turn it inside out, stuff it with pillow stuffing, and finally, sew the opening closed. I placed it inside the doghouse and it's awesome!!!

Just for fun, I added a little gadget that lights up when you push this little spring against itself- I'm so bad at explaining technical stuff, but I think it came out of something. I taped it to the inside wall if the doghouse so you can't see it looking in. I tied a piece of string on it to be a little pull so that when you pull a little string in the doorway it looks like the dog is having a party!!! It's just AWESOME!! Pictures don't do it justice.😄

But here's pictures of it with and without it lighting up. 

   

I still have some touch up to do on the roof and on the red, and I still haven't glued the bone on (should I paint it?) but the dog is so adorable in it and I made it 2 rope toys. As you can see, it lights up blue and red. Awesomeness! 😂

I can't wait to see how it looks on the porch of my dollhouse!! (Or if I figure out how to give it yard, in the yard!)

Thanks for visiting my page, and I hope to see you back soon! Bye!

Dollhouse Project (soon to be started)

Recently, I received a Beachside Bungalow dollhouse for my birthday- this is my first dollhouse, so I'm super pumped about it!!! You can find this at Hobby Lobby, or likely at miniature shops. Here's a link to it: 

http://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Dollhouses-Miniatures/Dollhouse-Kits/Beachside-Bungalow-Dollhouse-Kit/p/28921

I decided to share the process with you! (Well, at least as much as I remember to share 😉)

Right now I'm trying to decide what colors to paint it, and if you are in the same boat as I am and have never built a dollhouse before, I suggest looking to the internet for some inspiration on jus about everything! So far, I'm thinking a cute light blue with white trim or an pretty orange-yellow color with an off-white trim.

My family is in the process of selling our current house, building a house and after our current house sells, we'll be living in a trailer while our new house is getting built, so I'm not really sure how much time or access to space I'll have for this dollhouse. 😥

Since I don't know what the exact plans are for the move and what we'll have time for, I decided to start planning for it, but not necessarily building the whole thing right now. I found the cutest little doghouse kit and painted it red. I'll glue it together, and put it on the porch (once there is a porch😜). I even found a little dog at Ben Franklin that looks almost exactly like mine!

    

In a later post I'll show the pieces after paint and how I glued them together, made a bed and made a collar for the little dog.

I bought a couple little accessories for it because whenever I go to Hobby Lobby I just can't help how amazingly awesome the tiny adorable things are. So I have a few small things like jam, honey and marmalade resin-made jars and obviously the dog house and a large selection of animals (cats and dogs) that I got when I was little. (That way I can change out animals depending on what I'm feeling like 😊).

That's about it as far as my planning goes for now!

Thanks for stopping by, and see you later! 😄

Happy Mother's Day from the Breyers!

Have I said before that I also collect Breyer horses? They're so beautiful! My mom collected them as a kid and passed hers down to me (we recently found a large closet space-maker-thingy box Full* of Breyer horses in her parents' attic. So that's where I got all my classics from.) 😊 I also collect them, so I've grown quite a collection.

*With a capital "F"!!!

So anyway, the Breyers just wanted to wish y'all a Happy Mothers Day! Here some of them are!

Here are the beautiful Clydesdales. Gotta love those gentle giants!

This is a family of smaller scale horses... Can't remember what that scale is at the moment....

And of course, the Chincoteague ponies, Misty and Stormy. Super mom Misty also has an adoptive child below, Sea Star. He's just so lonely without his momma that Misty took him in. 😄

These are Arabians- I like to think that the stallion is the Godolphin Arabian (Sham, from The King of the Wind). They're so cute all together.

Hope you all are having a happy Mother's Day! See ya later!

The Heart Desires Guest Designer!

I'm sharing a card today as a guest designer at The Heart Desires!
I took inspiration from the current challenge:

I've put the Lawn Fawn Winter Unicorn (Thank you, Lenae!) to use here- jumping over a rainbow! That scarf looks like a fashion accessory here!

The scallops peeking out are from the edges of Gina Marie Stitched Scalloped frames.

The rainbow was made with zigs; can you see that die cut 'thanks'? 

This one uses Winter Bunny from Lawn Fawn & prismacolor pencils. 

I was really happy to have a chance to guest design for The Heart Desires! Thank you so much for having me!

Don't forget to play along with this fun challenge!