3 Behind Scene - Fav Photos 2022

Behind the Scene 3

A continuing series looking at how I make things for, and photograph, my dolls....

Stone Arches

Still preparing for the wedding of the year, I wanted some new architectural detail for the castle gardens for the reception. Both of us are getting rather 'lazy' in our old age, so I came up with the simplest idea possible; to make a removable arch unit to fit on top of the three styrofoam pillars I already had. I bought them years ago at Value Village as Halloween decor. Two had skulls on top, while one was missing on the third. I always placed the pillars so the backs of the skulls were showing and they'd look like 'stone balls' instead. So I removed the skulls.

I drew up an arch pattern, and Jan glued a sheet of pink insulation foam onto both sides of a sheet of foam core - for strength and support - then cut out the basic shape. He routed the inside edges to give it some more architectural detail, and then I sanded in the 'mortar' spaces between the 'stones', and knicked the surfaces to give it more of a 'stone' texture. We also bought some smooth styrofoam balls to replace the skulls. The arch, styrofoam balls, and skulls were fitted with dowels, to fit into the tops of the pillars. And everything was underpainted with gray paint....

Then I sponge painted all the stonework to match the pillars. and I was ready to try it out..

The arches worked great to help add architectural detail to a castle interior as well..

the Fall Trip

Having getting to the end of Iris and Steve's fall trip, it was time to share a couple of behind the scene photos. Since it's hard for me to get down on the ground anymore, most of the scenes were set up on picnic tables or rocks. Like the Pizza Dinner scene....

I tossed some pine needles on the table to help disguise it a bit, and when the scene was all set up, I could get in close, walking around to take the photos I wanted, always remembering to bend down to take them at the doll's eye level....

When we were at the Big Loonie, there were no picnic tables around, so Jan had the idea to use the RV cutting board, balanced on the top of a garbage can, for me to set the dolls up on...

Then it was just a matter of using a big depth of field, and getting in close to take the photos.

One of my favourite photos from the trip was the one with the kids on their cellphones...

When getting ready to take my dolls out for a photo, I'll pile them carefully in as few boxes as possible, to transport them out to where I want to set them up. I have a small container of eye putty which I use to help the dolls hold things - like their phones. After having taken the photos, and having piled the dolls back into the boxes and returned to the RV, I thought the kids looked very funny still looking at their phones, so had to take one last photo....

A Cradle for Twins

It had been three years since there had been any doll shows, and I'm always excited to look for new props and furniture. At the Toronto Show I picked up a pewter set, and a wooden wash tub. The tub would need some work to remove paint, and fill cracks.

Then at the Cambridge Show I picked up a Victorian stroller, and a wooden cradle. When I first spotted it, it seemed a bit too long out of scale, but after walking around the dealer's tables for the third time, it dawned on me that the extra-long cradle could be used for twins, with one at each end. So I bought it....

I wanted the cradle to look the same at both ends, so asked Jan to shape some matching wooden pieces, which I painted to match...

Then I made a second set of cradle bedding, identical to the one I already had, tucked in the babies, and Jan made a wooden base to support the lace cradle drapery. Then I took a photo with the babies' future Mom...

I decided to make a new afghan without the white in it. And the bed was ready for whenever I was going need it...

A Sweater and Afghan

I enjoy knitting or crocheting in the evenings while listening to the TV, so I usually have at least one project on the go. In September and October, I was working on a new larger afghan, and a sweater set for my newest Kaye Wiggs girl...

Iris, nice and warm wrapped in her cozy afghan...

...and Layla in her nice warm sweater set...

Dinner with Dominic

Miho had invited Baron and Naomi to come for dinner and meet her new friend Dominic. So I set up the castle dining room on the table and pushed it into the bay window....

I love the lighting I get with the table pushed into the bay window so the light comes in from outside. Then the lit candles and fireplace add just the perfect atmosphere...

Emily Carr

My sister and I were putting together another book, and it was featuring photos I'd taken with my BJDs with our old art dolls from my personal collection. I had taken one featuring Emily Carr years ago, but it wasn't very good, and sine her birthday was coming up, I thought I'd take another set, So I set up her studio on my dining room table. I filled the space with art supplies, easels, native artifacts, and printed out some copies of her paintings. Then I added some little girls like Emily was giving an art class...

I pushed the table into the bay window to take advantage of the light coming in from outside...

Photos with the actual window in them always have such great light....

New Dresses

I had purchased a KID Lisa at the Cambridge Doll Show, and thought she'd make a good live-in help for Naomi, so she was going to need an 'everyday' type medieval style dress. And a wig. It was also approaching the arrival date of KID Fay, and I was planning on throwing her a birthday party. But the only spare dress I had was one of the flower girl dresses from the wedding, so she would need something new. So I chose the fabrics for both dresses, and start work on them together...

It was early December and it just made me so cold to see poor Lisa standing there with just her petticoat on, and Steve's sweater was lying around in my work space, so I slipped on her. Much better!

With all the pre-holiday things going on, the dresses took a little longer than usual, but I got them both done...