It's Halloween Party Time!!!

Painter Doll by Maria Narbon

Degas self-portrait photograph

I visited her shop on Etsy https://www.etsy.com/shop/marianarbon I saw her doll of the artist Monet in her catalogue. He is well made and his hair feels real and clothing is extremely detail. He came with the brush and towel. This doll is not Monet but I'm going to pretend that it is Edgar Degas. I love his work and he spent some time with his mother's family in New Orleans. A copy of his work also hangs in the hat shop and in the New Orleans dollhouse which makes him the perfect choice. I have always wanted to do an art studio. I had the easel and the table already. The house that will be his studio, I bought at Ernie's Attic sale in Atlanta a few years ago.

I knew he was home when he could stand in the attic

My New Piano

I bought this unfinished piano from my favorite brick and mortar store http://miniaturedesigns.com it will go in the bay window in the living room of the Painted Lady Dollhouse.

They are always very helpful in assisting me with hard to find furniture pieces to complete sets I have purchased and they also carry many unique pieces in their store and online. They are very friendly and helpful. The piano was out of stock at the time, so I had to wait a couple of weeks. I wish I lived in Atlanta so I could go more often.

I have never stained furniture before so I'm a little worried about messing up such a lovely piece. As an alternative I'm considering painting it an off white color and adding gold accents to tie into the furniture.

I'm not sure when that happened but it was an easy fix.

I am really concerned about finishing the inside. 

Any tips or suggestions how to finish????????????????????????????????

What's Halloween Without the Treats!

This lovely pumpkin pail filled with candy and treat bags are made by CuteinMiniature! I realized my Halloween party was missing the treats for the kids. I asked Beverly to come up with something and as usual she delivered with her wonderful creativity and amazing talent.

Halloween Party Preparation

The neighborhood kids are busy getting ready for the "Not So Scary Halloween Party", as part of the invite to the party every child is asked to wear costumes of their own creation. All costumes are to be homemade, no pre-packaged commercially produced costumes, however commercially made items are allowed to create or assemble the parts. Prizes will be given out for the prettiest, most original, scariest and imaginative costumes. Here are some of "their" creations (I used color pencil for "face paint" and to add detail to clothing):

I also covered my dinning room table with a DIY table cloth made from candy corn patterned wired ribbon and an orange handkerchief.

Faux Stain Glass Using Paintable Clings

I found these paintable clings made by Martha Stewart in the clearance aisle at Michaels. I used Sharpie Markers instead of paint because I was impatient and wanted to see the results more quickly. Twenty clings came in the kit and they have a raised edge like lead. I plan to use them on the front and balcony doors. I have not trimmed them yet just placed them to get an idea of how they will look.

I need to cut a piece of acrylic to fit the front door, so I have a piece of plastic temporary in place.

I don't like how they interfere with looking inside the regular windows, except the bathroom. 

From Suction Cup to Ceiling Light

I wanted to try to make customized ceiling lights for the bedroom. I bought the bare bulbs that come two in a pack from Hobby Lobby $3.99 and then I started looking for things that might work in the store. I found these suction cups in a pack of 24 and they come in various sizes for $3.99.

I removed the wire hook and used my mini drill to punch a hole in the top and removed the plug from the light and inserted the cord in through the hole. 

You could draw a design with sharpies to create the look of stain glass on the bare suction cup or cover with paper/fabric. I wanted to tie the light into the decor of the room and look more victorian. I was watching one of my favorite movies, "My Fair Lady" and the wonderful hats and flowers, so it may be a little over the top:) I used a circle template to create a cone big enough to match the diameter of the suction cup which is going to become the light's shade.

I covered the suction cup with scrap paper and paper flowers and glued on some trim/fringe. 

I covered the cord later to look more finished