Blog Archives

Formal Wedding Photos

2/28/2023

With the actual wedding date at the movie studio quickly approaching, I seriously needed to take the formal wedding and reception photos. Naomi had always dreamt of a garden reception, and it was going to be held in Miho's garden (our backyard). It was already September and my garden wasn't going to stay looking good forever, so it was now, or wait until next year.

I dressed Baron and Naomi, and all my Fashion sized dolls and their families in their formal outfits. I needed a bright, sunny day, with the table setting in the shade. In September the sun is low enough in the sky that much of the back lawn is in the shade from the giant chestnut tree overhead in the afternoon, so that would be perfect. I didn't want the fence around the patio showing up in the background, so on the morning of the planned photo shoot we moved the table to the middle of the lawn. Then we put a large, old counter top on top to give me a bigger surface. I covered it with my usual 'flooring' fabric, and arranged baskets of million bells around the outer edges...

I had wanted more architectural detail, so we had made a styrofoam arch to fit on the tops of my three Styrofoam pillars...

They would make the perfect addition to 'Miho's garden terrace'. But in the afternoon, the backyard wasn't quite as shady as I had hoped, and I definitely didn't want mottled shade, since it makes for terrible photos, so Jan volunteered to shade my set with our large beach umbrella...

Then I took all the formal photos - at the doll's eye level...

the Reception

After taking the formal photos, it was time to bring all the guests out for the reception. I would set up a scene with all the dolls...

Then take close up shots of the various groups...

Then I'd rearrange everyone and take some more....

Behind the Scenes

2/27/2023

Today we start taking a look at the behind the scenes photos from Baron and Naomi's wedding. The entire process took almost an entire year, from first starting work on the costumes, until the story was finally posted. There's a lot of behind the scenes photos taken throughout the year - too many for a single post - so this post is only the first in a series, with photos presented in the order they were taken.

In the Scillas

I had made Naomi's wedding gown, and Baron's wedding suit in the early months of 2022, fully expecting their wedding to take place in the summer. The very first photos taken for their story were taken in the end of April in the field of scillas along the town line. It was going to be the final scene in the wedding story when she tells him that she's pregnant.

It was actually the morning of my birthday when we went to take the photos. I set up the dolls in the flowers...

...then sat down on the ground to take the photos... at their eye level...

Hunting for a 'Cathedral'

In 2021 I had created a 'hall' of some sort on my dining room table for Lawrence's coronation, but I really wanted something far more grand this time. After our son invited me to bring some of my dolls to his movie studio back on Mother's Day 2022, and being very impressed with the results, I got the idea that maybe we could shoot the wedding there. He was game.

I spent much of the summer getting things ready, and then it was time to look for backgrounds.
We looked through hundreds of royalty free stock photos...

....but none were quite right.

Plus, I really needed more than just the one view of an interior.

Then Jess, Immersion Room's 3D artist, found this 3D Fantasy Gothic Interior set. It was perfect, so they purchased it. That way we'd have legal rights to any photos taken with it.

What exactly is a 3D set, you ask? Well, it's a digital program where one can move around in the 'interior space' just like it was a real place. I suppose it's much like being inside a computer game. Any of the interior walls can be rotated to be the background, and all the elements can be changed, including the lighting. There's also an entire furniture package of elements which can be added or removed, like thrones, pews, candle stands, etc.

There's also a lot more to the package than just this one great hall. Jess ran the demo which had a little man running through the set, through the Great Hall, out a door, down a hallway, up some stairs to balconies overlooking the Great Hall, then down some more hallways to musty abandoned bedrooms. Then he ran down the stairs to the dungeons underneath. Each and every one could be the background for a movie or set of photos.

More Pyjamas

2/26/2023

So, all my Mini Kaye Wiggs girls had night clothes, but what about the four Tiny ones? They needed them too. So I shrank the pyjama pattern and made Tiny Talyssa a pair of pink flannel PJs. Then it was Tillie's turn. I chose a cute elephant print for her pants, and made a pale pink T-shirt top, onto which I painted a matching elephant.

For Cinnamon I chose a baby onsie I'd been saving. I cut out the top so the tiny lion would be right in the front. I made matching striped pants but they turned out too tight, and there wasn't enough fabric left over to make a second, larger pair, so I went with a chickie flannel print that was the same colours.

Then for Raillie I shrank the nightgown pattern and made her a blue teddy print nightgown. Just like with the larger nightgown, the ruffle stood out way too much, so I soaked the bottom of the nightgown, gave it a squeeze, and let it dry so it would be better in scale.

So then all nine little girls were ready for some sleep-over fun.

Pyjamas

2/25/2023

One of the main reasons the baby dragons have stalled, is because I went down the PJ rabbit hole. Last Sumer when I purchased Mini Layla, she came with a pair of pyjamas. Layla wore them in a little story at Christmas...

Well, at the end of January I received a surprise package in the mail. It was from Layla's former owner. She had come across several cut out PJ parts that she didn't want to throw out, so had sent them to me thinking I could sew them together for my dolls. Well, I don't really care for unfinished projects lying around, and wanted to show my appreciation, so started on them right away.

There was one complete PJ set in pink flannel, which I shortened a little to fit Little Lenny. The second pair of pink flannel pants had a white T-shirt top with a caterpillar print on the front. Then there was a sole pair of PJ pants with a unicorn print. So I made a T-shirt top for them, and painted a matching unicorn on the front.

That left one more Mini size girl, so I went to Fabricland to see what tiny flannel prints they had. There were lots to choose from, so six small lengths (1/3 metre each) followed me home. Then I designed a nightgown pattern. Flannel is a rather stiff fabric, at least for such small dolls, so the bottom ruffle ended up standing out way too much, so I wet the bottom of the finished nightgown and it dried much better in scale. So now all five Mini girls were ready for bed.

Baby Dragon Update

2/24/2023

My baby dragons have stalled due to some other projects I felt compelled to do. However there was some progress earlier this month. Almost four weeks ago, they were at this stage....

Then I wondered how they'd look with tiny teeth...
so I made a bunch and temporarily glued them on...

In the meantime, I wasn't all that happy with how two of them resembled little cows, so I sanded off the Apoxie and started over. I built op their nostrils and also gave two of them pointed eyebrows like their parents.

Then I painted them all...

I continued with the beading on their bodies, and gave them all tiny teeth...

In the meantime I started on their legs, drawing up a pattern, making a test sample, and then cutting them all out of the proper fabrics, sewing and stuffing them. Then I sewed on little Apoxie claws and built up their toe area with Apoxie...

Pinned in place to see how they look...

Then they stalled again, since they would need their wings first, before their arms and legs. The wings will be tricky to attach, and it's challenging enough doing the beading, with the thread catching on something with every stitch. The last thing I need is more appendages for the thread to catch on. But because I undertook three other projects in February, the dragons have not progressed any further. More on those next.....

Ready to Leave

2/23/2023

The next morning Baron and Naomi got ready to leave on their honeymoon in modern times...

Some Wonderful News

2/22/2023

Naomi was getting tired, and took Baron aside...

"Do you think we could steal away for a few minutes? I have something I want to tell you."

So they slipped away, and took a stroll in the meadow...alone together.

"I love you so much, and it's been such a wonderful day..."

"...and I have something I want to tell you..."

"What is it?"

"Well...."

"You're going to become a father."

"Really?!? Are you sure? When?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Some time in early summer, you will become a father."

And he took her in his arms, "That's wonderful news!"

"I love you so much!"

Winston

2/21/2023

Winston had been patiently waiting to talk to Naomi...

...but he knew everyone else wanted to talk to her too, and he didn't want to interrupt.

Then he finally had his chance...

"I just wanted to tell you how beautiful you looked coming up the aisle...."

"I wouldn't have missed your wedding for the world..."

"...and I know you and Baron will be very happy together."

"Thank you Winston! I'm so proud to know you as a friend, and am so happy that you could be here with us today."

More Desserts

2/20/2023

All dressed up, and with nothing much to do while their parents mingled and chatted, the children spent much of the afternoon gathered round the dessert table...