Tiptoes for petite Blythe.

Oh, I'm still here!  Definitely here.  Here with another tutorial but on something a little different.  This year, I went crazy gaga over Littlest Pet Shop Blythes.  Didn't mean to, but now I have over 20 of them!  It was all too easy as they're pretty cheap compared to the Takara version.  I really thought I could stop myself there, but eventually, I found a couple lavender-haired Takara petites I had to have.  Yup, no shame about it, I've neglected much for these dolls!

Yesterday, I got two more from a dear friend visiting from Hong Kong.  She brought me Magical Wand and Playful Pigtails!  I was over the moon, but my glee quickly subsided as I soon discovered that Pigtails was broken below the waistline.  She was brand new, securely clamped to her package insert, but her pelvis was in smithereens!  I was crushed, heartbroken and couldn't even tell my friend, so I quickly stashed her away.

Soon as I got home, I unpacked her for a closer look.  I was relieved to find her torso still completely intact, so I promptly started on her repair.  It took some ingenuity but I was able to successfully restore her.  I was even able to preserve her with underwear! You can do the same for your handicapped dollie, or if you just want to give your flatfooted girl tiptoe feet, so she can also show off in heels!

You'll need:

broken Takara petite Blythe

donor Littlest Pet Shop Blythe

flexible spray paint for vinyl, like SEM products

fine grit sand paper

super, two-part epoxy

painter's tape

container filled with dry rice or beans or sand, etc.

1.  With broken Takara's head removed, clean off jagged parts by carefully cutting away with a small, craft saw at the waistline.  Then sand this area flat.  Take donor LPS body and cut at same waistline.  Take this lower body and also sand waist area flat.  Ensure both body parts are sanded flat, so they make complete contact when gluing.

2.  Mix well super, two-part epoxy and apply evenly a thin bead on both prepped surfaces.  You'll notice the Takara torso is hollow; dab just enough epoxy inside for additional support but not too much that it spreads to her arm joints.  Gently press together torso and lower body parts, aligning production, seam lines to ensure she's straight.  Wipe off excess epoxy with ethanol or rubbing alcohol.  Stand assembled body in a container filled with rice until epoxy is fully cured according to its directions.

Many of you may already be happy with your new petite body after the second step, but if you're in a treating mood and would like to properly cover your girlie's parts, you can follow the next few steps.

3.  Wipe away existing panties with acetone or ethanol.  Actually, if you're proceeding to this process, I highly recommend doing this prior to gluing body parts.

4.  Mark panty lines by masking off the rest of the body with painter's tape.  You should still have your dollie's head detached at this point (even though I show mine with hers attached).

5.  Create panties by spray painting with desired color.  Remove tape after paint dries.  Reattach her head, and viola!  Your previously ailing girl is once again alive and kicking!  Enjoy!

paper ornaments.

Recently a good neighbor endowed me with her collection of champagne tops. I hesitated to take them at first as I thought these would only find their way to my batch of dust collectors. Then a couple of days ago, I stumbled upon some pretty paper ornaments whilst browsing online for holiday decor. I've made all my tree ornaments but they're from a few years ago and I wanted a more modern theme this year.

When I found several online instructions, the bottle caps immediately came to mind. The tops would make splendid finials for the ornaments! Very soon, the process became even more exciting as not only would I be upcycling bottle tops but old greeting cards too! I followed this tutorial and prepared both champagne and soda caps by driving a small nail through the center of each with a hammer. I used 22 gauge wire, looped at each end, instead of a hat pin; and for stability, I threaded the wire through a plastic straw. I've been preoccupied with this project in the last few days, and needless to say, I've accomplished a few good deeds indeed. If you don't have any crowns saved, I'm sure the local bar/restaurant will gladly part with theirs. -_^ Happy hunting and since you're already there, yes, you should treat yourself to a fine cold bottle of beer!

how to pluck a kokeshi's eyebrows.

Here are some tricks to painting clean thin lines, especially for those delicate facial features on your small figurines.

Before painting on the bushy eyebrows below, I sealed the face with two coats of non-toxic varnish* and then lightly drew the features with a pencil.


With the paint dry and a damp pointed wooden tool (like a toothpick), carefully trim away rough edges of eyebrows. Keep scraping until you achieve the desired shape and use a damp cloth to wipe away smudges. You can use this subtractive technique for all the facial details. After completing the face, apply several more coats of varnish to seal your work but remember to erase first all your pencil marks. Viola! Now your gal's got the prettiest brows!

*Sealing the face with varnish makes the removal of paint possible since this prevents paint from seeping into the wood.

eureka.

bvI have not been able to stop making these apples. I kept adjusting the pattern for a curvier, tapered body but I think I've finally come up with the perfect shape. This green apple has the narrower bottom I'm looking for.


More importantly, I have more exciting news. Tonight, as I was getting ready to secure the leaf and stem to this gorgeous fruit, I saw something else. A pear!!! Yup, a pear and the pear below is actually the apple, upside down, sans puckers! It's a simpler task since it won't require the tricky thread tugging necessary for an apple's puckers. With a pear, attaching stem and leaf finishes the job. One pattern for 2 different fruits - that is brilliant! (There's a very impressive lady who sells these patterns in a kit and I bet she offers a single pattern for both fruits.) Hmmm....


I certainly look forward to making lots of pears this weekend, but for now I desperately need to do some snoring ^_-. I do hope these tutorial and tips have been encouraging. Perhaps you too will discover something new - happy crafting!

handpicked giveaway.

To celebrate the Summer and as a token of my appreciation for the crafts community, I'm giving away an apple pincushion of your choice from this batch. To enter, please leave a comment. The winner will be randomly picked and announced on Aug10. Enjoy!!!

Don't forget to check out the tutorial.

apple pincushion tutorial.

I have been wanting to make my very own brightly colored fruity pincushions for some time but haven't because I didn't have a pattern. Although there are certainly enough patterns online and in stores available for these, I prefer developing my own patterns so I don't have to worry about being bound to certain limitations. It's far more rewarding and comforting knowing I'm working with templates of my own. In the end, I control the fates of my creations - keep, gift and yes even sell them.

The pictorial tutorial shows a quick way of creating your own pattern. You can also apply this method to other bulbous articles; yes, a pear, an egg (use a styrofoam/cardboard egg please and perhaps 4 parts, instead of 6, is best), a tomato. Whatever you choose, I'm sure you'll find this exercise quite encouraging and liberating. Have fun!!!

Add an additional 1/8" seam allowance to your fabrics when cutting. For the stem, cut 2 pieces of felt in 2 colors, 1" x 1.5", with the inner felt just slightly narrower and roll them, stitch closed. The leaf also uses 2 shades of felt, the underside being darker. Sew leaf to one end of rolled stem. Secure stem and leaf with fabric glue to apple; also attach a button on apple's bottom with fabric glue. With perle cotton and doll making needle, (or the longest needle you have) go through stem, apple and button at least 3 times. Pull taut to create puckers and knot.