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Palatial Playline - by DeeinNJ
(January 2006)Well, today’s discussion is not too involved, but I hope it offers even a glimmer of inspiration for your more exotic dioramas. I am very drawn to exotic dolls. I have Mattel’s Arabian Nights set and I Dream of Jeannie. I also have all three Isha dolls from Fashion Royalty and recently purchased the Genie Magic Bratz dolls (my first Bratz!) because I just couldn’t resist those exotic little costumes.
Issued with the Bratz Genie Magic dolls is a Genie Magic bedroom. Well, knowing me, could you even think I would not run out and buy this asap? I have in the past used the My Scene Miama Getaway daybed to create an exotic bed for Isha, but the Genie Magic bed just takes exotic beds up one notch, so I just had to buy it.
Here’s a previously posted photo of Isha with her daybed and sequinned fabric draped as a canopy.
Notice the use of a candle holder as a table (which funny enough IS displaying candles!). Candle holders make great little tables or benches.
Today I have posted photos of how I set up an exotic room and also used a few items to customize it a bit. Eventually, I will create arches and a backdrop and have my Arabian Nights Barbie & Ken lounging around in the Palace, but for now, I just set up this quickie scene and snapped some photos of Isha.
The Bratz bed itself is awesome, but it came with a pale yellow top, which I thought needed some jazzing up, so I just folded a piece of ornate fabric to create a cover for the bed. Next I used the pillows from the Fashion Royalty Decadent Lounger cushion/pillow set to fill the bed with exotic beaded plumpness. I also used a dangle earring to hang from the middle of the bed for that extra bit of detail. I like the bed as is, but if you didn’t like purple, you could certainly repaint this beautiful piece of playline furniture.
Notice that the fabric I formerly used as the canopy on the daybed is now a backdrop for the room. I just draped the fabric over the walls of my diorama set. If you get large pieces of fabric at the fabric store, you can use them in all sorts of ways... curtains, backdrops, rugs, cushions, tablecloths, etc. Keep a bunch of different fabrics on clip hangers in the closet so they won’t get creases in them, then when you are ready to set up a display, they’ll be ready to go!
The jeweled and mirrored table is actually a lidded candle from the craft store. when I flip the lid over, it makes a nice tabletop. It only cost 75 cents. The folding screen is another Indian-style screen I made from card stock and decorative paper.
The bedroom set also came with a cute little vanity & bench, but of course, I couldn’t leave well-enough alone. I wanted to add beaded trim, but I wasn’t sure if I would like it. So, I just adhered it with clear glue dots and it’s holding marvelously. Then, if I want to remove it later, I can. I also glued some flat-backed gems onto the mirror frame to match the gems on the bed. I added gold scrollwork decals to the sides and drawer front.
The next project is making or painting exotic perfume bottles to decorate this little vanity.
So, you can jazz up your playline stuff and use some things from the craft store or things you have hanging around the house to fill your dioramas. If you want EXPERT advice on finding great things for an exotic room, maybe Caren will offer some tips since her Isha residence is the zenith of ornate opulence!
Have fun creating your rooms!
