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Deck the Malls with Boughs of Holly
Posted by Audrey of Diva Details on November 21, 2006, 9:52 am
152.163.100.198
| As always, many thanks to DeeInNJ, your Diorama Diva, for encouraging me to share my ideas and guide you through another Doll Divas Tuesday Diorama Discussion. The focus of today's tutorial will be on the plethora of 1:6 scale props which become available at this time of year. On that note, here we go:  Isn't that a great lamp post? Although the website I bought it from says it's approx. 18" high, it's actually 22" or 23" high. What you can't tell from the photos is that it has an optional orange flickering "flame". Just plug it in and flip the switch on the electrical cord. I'll get to the “who makes it and where do I get one” later. For now, lets move on to this next fantastic prop: "Taxi!"  Standing approx. 6 1/2" tall and 21" long, this free standing black "wrought iron" fence comes with holiday wreaths made of Holly which are glued on, but can be easily removed by gently pulling them off. Continuing on with the outdoor decor theme, here is one tree two different ways:  I bought them at Michael's Crafts. The branches are made of silk covered wire and can be easily manipulated. With the addition of a few details from the silk floral/craft department at Wal Mart . . .  these all season favorites take on an even more fun and festive feel:  Pictured below are four more props garnered from Michael's Crafts in the last two weeks:  The silver mirrored ornament in Vero’s left hand could be used as a light fixture, while the peach/peridot beaded ornament hanging to her right would make a romantic canopy topper for a bed. Simply attach some sheer fabric to its circular base and suspend it over a doll sized bed.   The red and green jingle bell wreath comes in a red/white version as well as a red/white/green version. Use it to decorate a window, a front door, a mantle, whatever. Speaking of mantles, here's another incredible prop made by the same company that manufactured both the street light and the fence:  The fireplace comes pre-decorated with the evergreen roping and holly leaf detail. Like the flickering flame in the street light, the Yule log and end irons (which are glued into place) are incredibly realistic looking. The only drawback to this particular prop is that it's deep:  The solution is to create a foam core wall to display it against. Just cut out a section of the wall and push the fireplace all the way back until all you see is the mantle and VOILA! Not only does it look nice, but if you make the fit snug enough, the one-piece wall should stand up all by itself. The street light, fence and fireplace are all part of the collectible brand, Byers' Choice. I bought mine here: http://www.citylightscollectibles.com/citylights/dept.asp?s%5Fid=0&dept%5Fid=3642&WT%2Esvl=deptnav2&mscssid=QVCVXLUV77868JVMW1VAJ4W3CFW2BPB8 but you can also find them at www.JOSEIRENE.com, which is an awesome site for fashion doll props. Other than that, try entering the words: Byers Choice in your web search engine. The tray with precariously stacked Martini glasses is part of this year's Hallmark ornament collection. Here's a close-up:  If you haven't been to Hallmark this year, go, go, go! You'll find a miniature cloth apron filled with baking utensils which looks like a good fit for Skipper size dolls; a box of chocolates which seems well suited to Tyler sized dolls; a step ladder with paint/tools as well as barbecue grill filled with food/accessories which is perfect for Kelly size dolls, and much more. While we're on the subject or Martinis however, here's a practical item I found at Home Goods:  The shaker (including the removable silver top and strainer) is 100% plastic and comes with the cutest collection of martini glass swizzle sticks. Granted, the garnishes are too large to 1:6 scale, but the stems of the glasses have an interesting sculpted detail, and overall, the drinks themselves are wonderful. Simply snip off the top of each swizzle stick with wire cutters and then rub the cut end on some sandpaper to flatten it out. Hint: don't sand down so much that you scratch the bottom of the glass. A glue dot or bit of putty is just the thing to hold a tipsy, wayward glass, straight. To give you an idea of the scale, Versailles Vero offered to lend a hand. Literally. By the way, the gold brocade upholstered chair she's perched on was also purchased from Home Goods this year. Believe it or not, it's an ornament):  Getting back to the fireplace once again, not only is the size fantastic, but the extended back end makes it perfectly counterbalanced for hanging Christmas stockings:  Many thanks to Rosi in NJ who made me aware of those fabulous pups (as well as the lamp post, fence and fireplace). If you're in the US, you can find the dogs at your local Stop 'N Shop supermarket. Here's what they look like in the package:  Made of sculpted resin, they’re heavy (and non-removable), but still light enough for my French Maid silky to hold them up simply by suspending them over her wrist. Here are some close-ups:    The teddy bear organ in the center of the mantle is another ornament available through Hallmark this year. When you turn the handle, it plays music. Well suited to an antique store or museum display, you can also use it as part of a toy store or a Victorian Living Room holiday scene. Here's a close-up:  High on creativity but low on skill? Why not try your hand at making this Kleenex brand box display counter:
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