Basket Pet Bed

I’ve been making up beds for all the pets of the Manor, after watching loads of videos of My Froggy Stuff’s pet stuff. They're so easy to make and such fun! I’ve already made up two dog beds but for my next one, I wanted something new and fresh, so I made this ‘basket‘ version of the bed. 

Materials:

1 half of a small cardboard box (I used old jewelry boxes)

Scrap fabric

Printout of a woven basket design

Stuffing

Glue

Scissors

Sewing materials

1) Cut out a small square in the middle of one side of the box

2) Cover the box sides (outside and inside) with the basket printout.

3) Using the scrap fabric and stuffing, make a small pillow the shape of the bottom of the box. When done, put inside the box for your doll pet.

Doll Crafts: How to Make A Wall Mirror

I’ve had these plastic bangles for a while, and thought the pearl like texture would make a great doll sized mirror frame. It’s super easy and fast to make, and any bangle that isn’t too wide would be great!

Materials:

Round bangle

Tinfoil/ reflective scrap booking paper

Cardboard

Pencil

Scissors

All purpose glue

1) Trace the outline of the bangle onto the piece of cardboard and cut out

2) Cover the cardboard circle with tinfoil/ reflective scrap booking paper

3) Glue the bangle onto the reflective side of the cardboard around the edge

Pixie Manor Bio 1: Klara Dior

Star sign: Aries

Background: Hades and Persephone, Gods of the Underworld

Unique Ability: Sensing and summoning ghosts, phasing through solid objects

Fav Color: Magenta, Dark Purple

Style: Historical-particularly Gothic or Edwardian with vintage tones (hey, she’s surrounded by the souls of some of the greatest designers to live, she might as well take advantage of their advice!)

Current Employment: Antique Shop Owner/Ghost whisperer

Hobbies: Reading gothic horror

Phobias: Friends liking her only for her royal status

Pet: Viola the hamster

Heirloom: Her father’s ring of Darkness

Fav Food: Red velvet cupcakes

Reason for Coming to Earth: To follow her mother but also to get away from her royal lifestyle

The natural gothic beauty of the Underworld, Klara is the royal heir to the Underworld dynasty. Brought up in a pretty restricted childhood, from being surrounded by guardians of the underworld, advisors and even ghosts, Klara couldn’t wait to follow her mother on her eight month departure to walk the surface world, along with her pet hamster Viola. Now she is desperately trying to hide her Princess title and just be a regular girl for once in her world. With her mother currently residing in the mortal realm, Klara gets annoyed when she tries to interfere with her new life, but remains proud of her haunting heritage...

Klara tends to be a bit of a loner, since her phantom like presence sends to unnerve people. Especially times when her natural affinity for spirits, seeing ghosts where other people see nothing. But she is keen to learn just as much about the living as she knows of the dead. Being born in the spirit world, Klara has the ability to ‘go phantom’, making her corporeal form phase through solid objects, though she doesn’t completely have control over this in the mortal realm...causing a few mishaps like falling through the floors of the manor.

In the mortal world, Klara works in the vintage boutique Hidden Treasures. She loves sourcing preowned item and passing them on to people who will appreciate its history. Her nature knack for vintage fashion, thanks to being surrounded by the ghosts of some of the greatest designers, makes her the perfect spokesmen for the store. But nights she often spends finding poltergeists and sending them to the Underworld where they belong.

February Doll Review: Ever After High C.A. Cupid...aka Glimmer Armani

As more Ever After dolls come out, I have to pace myself in my growing collection. First, because a lot of the time more are coming out in cooler outfits (I’m holding out for Ashlynn Ella in her Legacy Day outfit right now!). Seriously Mattel needs to get a move on and get these ladies out faster, or they’re going to fall behind keeping up with their own story line! Also I’m making it a little self gift to myself as a motivation throughout the month. As they come, I’m planning on having a review with my thoughts on that doll, and also give the bio I’ve assigned them. 

Last month I decided if I lost a certain amount of weight I’d get my next doll. And yesterday she arrived.

I got C.A.Cupid, or Glimmer as I’ve renamed her, in her standard edition. I was relieved that the heart detail on her lips is more blended and subtle, and that her wings are detachable, in a really clever way, attached to her choker. Not to mention her bow and arrow set will make a great prop. But mostly I adore her wavy pink hair, though I think Mattel shouldn’t make it so neon pink, and more softer pink as seen in the webisodes. But she’s gorgeous! Wait patiently for her full bio.

Salem Witches Collection and Dolls Biographies

Happy Halloween! The day when the veil between reality and fantasy is lifted, imagination is steered and one can be anything they wish for one night. 

After being truly inspired by the scenery and culture of America’s halloween town, Salem, I really feel I’ve gotten the full dose of Halloween this year! Also I’m glad I got started on this collection so early, and avoided my usual mad rush. Each outfit is as special and unique to it’s model as I’d hoped it be. And the set has been great! The cauldron casts the place in an eerie glow with a tea candle inside. The trees, cut out from cork board, are decorated with quotes from Macbeth. Finally various items made the final touch-the perfume bottles as potions, the remnants from the trees as fallen branches and even some plastic spiders crawling into the blew. As a final touch I made some ‘spirits’, made from muslim squares and stuffed, hovering throughout the air from jewelry cord.

And so, without further adeu, I wish to introduce you all to my girls...I should probably note that the summer when I received these guys as a graduation gift, I had an internship in New York at the time. As such, they were all given surnames after areas in NYC.

Blanca Brooklyn

Name: Blanca Isabelle Brooklyn

Age: 17

Star sign: Saggitarius

Fav Color: Purple

Fav Objects: Travel size haberdashery kit

Occupation: Milliner

Pet: Venus the Cat

Style Icon: Westwood and Chanel

Phobias: The Dark (yes, she’s a witch whose scared of the dark!)

Magical Inheritance: Witch 

Blanca became friends with the girls late. Often an outsider, she always had a hard time relating to people, and was hesitant whether or not she were meant to have friends. She expressed herself through her millinery passion, loving how hats can express one’s nature. She especially admires artists such as Westwood and Channel as inspiration.

Eventually, the others found Blanca and encouraged her talent and passion, often turning to her for fashion advice. Though the one who is still sometimes insecure, Blanca is learning to blossom with the sisters, often joining them for Tea and dressing sessions. 

Blanca is also a witch from her mother’s side, although from a distant past when she was eccentric about her powers of telekinesis. She nows tries her best to hide them, though there are days when she tries to control her powers by occasionally practicing them, knowing she shouldn’t completely reject her magic inheritance.

Jaime Madison

Name: Jaime Christina Madison

Age: 16

Star sign: Taurus

Fav Color: Teal

Fav Objects: She’s not really materialistic-maybe her iPod?

Occupation: Personal Trainer

Style Icon: Any of the women from Marvel Comic Books

Pet: Harley the Rabbit

Phobia: Small Spaces

Magical Heritage: Valkyrie

Jaime is the boyish, confidant and head strong one of the group. Sometimes rushing into things without considering the outcome, Jaime learns to explore. She is passionate about trying anything, some odd foods to exploring different parts of the world. She is the one who absorbs and respects other cultures, and learning more. She is fluent in several languages, from Japanese to Sign. However, she loves to wear a dress or two sometimes, just to convince her friends that she can pull it off once in a while. She is often seen plugged in, listening to her rock music. While she plays keyboard, she bashes tastes sometimes with Rosalind’s demour style. Spunky, punky but always ready for action, Jaime is to go-getter.

Also being part valkyrie, Jaime is the best fighter, about to adapt and use any weapons within her reach and able to plan perfect battle strategies-and she doesn’t even have to work out all that often to stay in shape!

Erika Lexington

Name: Erika Lavinia Lexington

Age: 16

Starsign: Virgo

Fav Colour: Sky Blue and Green

Fav Objects: Her lace umbrella

Occupation: Runs a tea shop/Florist

Style Icon: Persephone the goddess of spring

Pet: Leo the turtle

Phobia: Being in crowded places

Magical Heritage: Fae

The sweet, fun loving, smiling one of the girls, Erika is gentle natured and optimistic. She loves bright colors and lots of light. She will almost always be found in her garden, nurturing her plants and creating her various teas. She has a strong wish to be a Botanist or a florist, and has accompanied Jaime on her journeys at times to discover new plants to bring back to add to her collection. Her philosophy of plants applies to people; give them time and attention, and they will thrive. She has a hard time connecting with Rosalind because of her love of the indoors, but Erika is confidant in their friendship. 

Her love of plants comes from her Fae heritage-she is a distant offspring of Titania, the Fairy Queen. She has had many suitors, but her mother has made it clear there is no rush for Erika to marry! Erika in the meantime is keen to better tune her fairy gifts of nature to the finest.

Rosalind Lafayette

Name: Rosalind Beatrice Lafayette

Age: 125

Starsign: Scorpio

Fav Color: Dark Red, Purple

Fav objects: Her violin

Occupation: Musician, song writer

Style Icon: The Vintage classics-Queen Victoria

Pet: Hermione the Hamster

Phobia: Being made fun of

Magical Heritage: Vampire

Poised, prudent and elegant, Rosalind is the aristocratic picture of a lady of the 18th Century debutante. At 125, she has seen a lot of the world, and finds it a little over-rated, her immortality. But her time on earth has served well, and she is grateful to have witnessed the great masters of fashion in their prime. A true vintage fan, her wardrobe pays homage to all the ages, though she is particularly drawn to the Victorian era.

She is the 75th child of the vampire Leopold, and as such, surrounded by her siblings she has a determination to prove herself the worthiest of them all in her poise and perfection. She believes in mind over matter, and is often found reading in her library, studying philosophy and such. She is a famed musician, skilled with the violin and piano and loves writing music and loves the classics, but lately has come to find herself appreciating the talent of one Idina Menzel. 

Once Upon a Zombie Doll Review

Is it me or was I was totally ahead of the trend last year when I created my Twisted Fairy Tales collection for Halloween? Now it seems everyone in the doll industry is jumping onto the Fairytale band wagon! First Mattel’s Scary Tales line for Monster high, followed closely by the Ever After High dolls, and now Once Upon a Zombie.

These dolls have a really compelling backstory, where the Fairytale world has been cursed, and all its inhabitants, including the classic Princesses, have been transformed into shaded living corpses. I’m drawn to the idea of these glamorous characters being stripped of their natural beauty and being forced into these circumstances. It’s in sync with my Twisted Fairy Tales, though mine was focused on the idea that these stories didn’t happen in the way we’ve been told, ‘twisting’ their legends in a gothic retelling.

I loved the design of the Once Upon a Zombie characters, as it seems the designers make a point of making them being prettier in their zombie form. I can see people being drawn to them, in character and design, seeing them so defiant with their bare feat and tattered ball gowns. I particularly love the running mascara their faces are painted with! But they could have gone into more details in so many ways. For example, the Little Mermaid in particular is kinda boring with just her shell bra and starfish hair clip. True, maybe the designers wanted to steer clear of copying Monster High’s Scary Tales line, but fairytales are so rich in detail, the imagery could have been played out waaaay more! It seems more like a great foundation for a spooky Fairy Tale concept.

That aside, my one real bone to pick with this line, I’m afraid, are the physical dolls themselves. I have a real problem with companies that show drawings of their characters, but when manufactured into dolls disappoint in how much they couldn’t resemble the original design, like the Mystixx Vampires line. For example, the character drawing of Sleeping Beauty has flowing straight hair, so why does the actual doll have ugly crimped hair?

Overall, though, I like the line in that it’s a fresh approach. However, unlike the Ever After High line, I won’t be rushing to the store to get my hands on one of these creepy little ladies. Basically great concept, poor execution in the production. However, I can’t help hoping to finish my Twisted Tales collection sometime before the 31st.

Halloween Collection 2013: Witches of Salem

The time has come once again! I’m pulling out my special DVDs saved only for the month of October-Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, Dark Shadows etc, and measuring myself for costumes. But what is making this year freakin’ amazing is that I will be spending Halloween in the most bewitching town in the world-Salem! Sorry, England, you’ve got loads of catching up today before you’re even in LEAGUE with American Halloween! I am looking forward to some unique shopping for witchy crafts and handmade goods, walking tours around the city honoring the poor souls wrongly condemned and what I expect to be some wicked cooking.

And in light of this trip, my Halloween collection this year will be honoring the infamous craft as I transform each of my girls into gorgeous witches. But not just any witches...

Last month I wrote to Sister Diane, whose Podcast Craftypod offers brilliant advice to crafters worldwide, from crafting techniques to offering ideas on making a living in crafting. Check out her stuff at Craftypod.com. If anyone could give us suggestions on the next step for Punkee Pixie, she could! And as silly as it sounds, a part of me felt as if I were writing to a celebrity. Within 24 hours she’d written back with some great advice! But one thing she urged was showing more of the stories behind the dolls and the characters I’ve created. My girls all have a story behind those gorgeous eyes, as you will soon find out. So part of this collection is really thanks to her!

Here’s my mood board. Many ideas came instantly, such as color palettes and trends. I liked the idea of having a gorgeous catwalk worthy look, but when toped with a pointed hat makes an instant modern witch. 

A new idea just dawned last night. I was watching Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters on Netflix last weekend (finally they uploaded it!) and was really inspired by the design of the witches’ wands. They all looked clearly handmade, and personal. So I thought why not give the girls each a wand, or some sort of handy item that’s a prop to represents their personality? 

There’s a lot of details going into each girl, so I’m trying to get started asap. Only four weeks to go...total rush job, right? haha!