happywonders

Latest Posts by happywonders

sorry for romanticising the mundane. i have little else

from the official sylvanian families' twitter

"sunsets are a promise that every day can end beautifully."

🎃 Kirby’s Guide to Enjoying Fall 🍂

Samantha wishes everyone a very Happy and Bewitching Halloween!

Toy Sunday’s Theme: Halloween

“Samantha Stevens in Bewitched merely twitched her nose and turned the mortal world upside down. Forever charming and fun, the show features the light-hearted antics that happen between a beautiful but strong willed witch named Samantha and her eternally bewildered mortal husband, Darrin.

Endowed with a wonderful cast of wacky characters, this classic 1960s television series still continues to delight television audiences with its funny stories and whimsical hocus pocus.”

As dusk approached, Rutledge hurried home, wondering if the mushrooms he saw were there before or had recently appeared, much like how they were described in a poem he had come across:

“Overnight, very Whitely, discreetly, Very quietly

Our toes, our noses Take hold on the loam, Acquire the air.

Nobody sees us, Stops us, betrays us; The small grains make room.

Soft fists insist on Heaving the needles, The leafy bedding,

Even the paving. Our hammers, our rams, Earless and eyeless,

Perfectly voiceless, Widen the crannies, Shoulder through holes. We

Diet on water, On crumbs of shadow, Bland-mannered, asking

Little or nothing. So many of us! So many of us!

We are shelves, we are Tables, we are meek, We are edible,

Nudgers and shovers In spite of ourselves. Our kind multiplies:

We shall by morning Inherit the earth. Our foot's in the door.”

Poem is: Mushrooms by Sylvia Plath www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/poems/mushrooms

I made a custom Tintin doll! I used a Chat Noir doll as a base because that's the one petit male doll I could find that was articulated and still affordable. The amazing @bubblekidaesthetics photographed him as seen above!

Details about my process below. Warning for weird doll photos.

His jumper is made out of a pair of baby socks, his plus fours are made from an old tablecloth, his shoes are made from cardstock, his socks from some trainer socks and his trench is made from a pillow case I found on offer during a sale! The shirt is the one item I didn't make, it's a Ken shirt but as a result it's a bit too big for him.

I had to hack Chat Noir's head down with a box cutter because I found the vinyl too tough to pull off, then I sculpted over the remaining head stump with tin foil and a mixture of milliput and green stuff.

I painted him with acrylics for that vintage doll feeling rather than using pastels and MSC - he's orange in the second picture above because I was colour correcting the green putty.

Snowy was made with a My Little Pony, armature wire, tin foil and hot glue!

SylvanianStoreKeepers has awesome activities over on there page here This one is Halloween costumes!

Finally finished working on the 1980s Barbie haul I got from Goodwill a couple of weeks ago (didn’t really have to do much work all but one were in really great shape). I had to use a flash for these pictures since the weather has been so gloomy lately so these pics aren’t optimal but the dolls still look beautiful I think.

First up, Beauty Secrets Barbie from 1979 ( I consider this an honorary 80s Barbie):

Then the fabulous Golden Dream Barbie from 1980. This doll has all her jewelry but the ring was missing its crystal so I replaced that - tried to get a good picture of that but only partially succeeded. I’m looking for the arm sleeve things right now but will probably end up making replacements for those:

1981 gave us gorgeous Pink & Pretty Barbie and Sunsational Barbie and Ken:

From 1982, which was a great Barbie year for me personally as I got all three of these dolls over the course of the year for Easter/birthday/Christmas - Twirly Curls Barbie, Dream Date Barbie, and Angel Face Barbie (poor Angel Face had a classic broken neck/knob stuck in head/head shoved down neck situation so I made a replacement neck section out of Sculpey and fished the knob out and stuck it back in the neck and glued the replacement part in place. It actually worked out great, and since the replacement piece is in the back of the neck I didn’t bother to paint it for now):

Everybody knows these two released in 1983, Crystal Barbie and Great Shape Barbie (who I personally think is so so pretty). Crystal Barbie was missing a jewel from her earrings so I replaced that, again not a great pick couldn’t get the focus on the earrings really well:

1984 gave us one of the most iconic of the 1980s Barbies, Peaches ‘N Cream. This doll had her beautiful gown and boa but was missing the belt/sash. I made a quick replacement from some chiffon I had on hand. It doesn’t look like the original belt but I think it works for now and has the same general spirit:

And finally, the other doll that really defines Barbie in the 1980s - Day to Night Barbie. The scarf was missing from this dolls outfit so I made a quick replacement from some ribbon I had on hand until I can get the real thing:

a mini guide to mini dolls

i'm making this because i love smaller dolls (between 4-7" tall) and i wish there were more options that aren't toddlers/children😔 if anyone knows of a doll line i've missed, please let me know!!

MGA Dream Ella Extra Iconic Mini doll

articulation including elbows and knees

more realistic adult proportions

brushable hair

6" tall

available on Amazon (but discontinued I think)

only 3 doll models were made

Barbie Extra Mini doll

articulation including elbows and knees

big, rounded head compared to body

brushable hair

5.5" tall

available at retailers

Magic Mixies Pixlings doll

articulation of arms and legs but only elbows, not knees

big, rounded head

molded-on clothing and supernatural features like wings, ears, horns, fins, etc.

6-6.5" tall

available at retailers

My Little Pony Equestria Girls Mini dolls

articulation including elbows and knees

Big head, but balanced out with big feet

Molded-on plastic hair, clothes, shoes, and horse ears

4.5-5" tall

discontinued, have to buy second-hand and can be expensive

Disney Store 5.5" Mini dolls

only basic articulation: head, legs, arms.

Proportions are realistic, close to a 12" doll like Barbie or MH

Brushable hair (although male dolls have molded hair)

5.5" tall

discontinued, obscure, and can be expensive second-hand

Winner's Stable playset dolls

articulation of knees but not elbows

budget dolls (not the best quality)

brushable hair

5" tall

discontinued but affordable second-hand

Breyer Freedom Series 1:12 scale dolls

I'm pretty sure they're articulated to the elbows and knees?

proportions similar to Barbie or MH

brushable hair

hands in reins-holding pose lol

6" tall

available but overpriced imo

Kuu Kuu Harajuku Mini doll

only basic articulation at arms and legs

oversized head and feet

molded-on hair

4-4.5" tall

discontinued but available second-hand, not too expensive

Capsule Chix

LOTS of articulation, including even hands and feet

All joints pop easily on and off

fairly realistic proportions

body has molded-on details to look like a robot

some have molded-on clothes, all have molded plastic hair

4.5-5" tall

available at retailers or second-hand, although a bit overpriced imo

Enchantimals 6" dolls

only basic arm and leg articulation

brushable hair

huge head with slim body

molded-on animal features like ears or horns

6" tall

pretty easy to find on Amazon or second-hand, affordable

Sonic Prime Action Figures

according to the box, 13 points of articulation

(obviously) molded to look like the Sonic the Hedgehog characters

lots of molded and painted details

5" tall

available at retailers, usually around $15 each

I'm including these even though they're action figures because if someone wanted to swap the heads, I think the bodies would be a fun and unique choice for a custom doll

there are actually lots of interesting articulated action figures that have customization potential!

Goddess of the Moon (Cháng’é)

“Every year around September in the Gregorian calendar, people across Asia and around the world gather with their families to celebrate the Moon Festival (Mid-Autumn Festival).

The festival involves the serving of mooncakes and, in some places, like Taiwan, often involves barbecue parties with family, friends and neighbors. Central to the folklore of the Moon Festival is the telling of the story of the moon goddess, Cháng’é.

According to this ancient story, a long, long time ago, the heavens was home to ten blazing suns. The ten suns scorched the surface of the earth mercilessly and the earth’s inhabitants – the animals, plants and people – struggled desperately to survive in this fiery world.

One day, a brave and powerful archer decided to take matters into his own hands. His name was Hòu Yì and he took his bow, climbed up the highest peak he could find and challenged the suns.

One by one, Hòu Yì succeeded in downing the fiery orbs. Just as he was about to shoot down the tenth and final sun, however, a beautiful village maiden appeared and begged him to stop.

“If you shoot down the final sun,” she pleaded, “the world will be plunged into icy darkness forever. Spare this last sun and the world will thrive – neither too bright or too dark, too hot or too cold.”

Hòu Yì heeded the maiden’s advice and permitted the last sun to remain in the sky.

The gods rewarded Hòu Yì’s bravery by gifting him with a bottle of elixir which, when imbibed, would turn mortals into immortals and enable them to join the gods.

In addition to the heavenly gift, the village maiden, thankful for Hòu Yì’s bravery, pledged herself to be his wife. The maiden’s name was Cháng’é.

When Hòu Yì received the elixir, he did not immediately consume it. He put away the bottle in what he felt was a safe place in his home and went on a hunt, leaving his dear wife to guard the elixir. The two had decided that, at a later time, they would both take the elixir and be able to live with the gods together, never to be separated.

It was at this time that bandits who knew of the elixir’s existence, intruded upon Hòu Yì’s residence, demanding that Cháng’é give up the elixir.

The maiden, unwilling to hand over her husband’s hard-won prize to bandits, took the decision to consume the substance herself.

This ill-timed and supposed blessing of immortality had become a curse – forever separating Cháng’é from her husband who must remain a mortal man.

Cháng’é felt her body become lighter and lighter. She began to float up towards the sky, eventually landing on the Palace of the Moon, where she took up residence.

Hòu Yì, separated from his beloved wife, could do nothing. But thenceforth, he began, on the anniversary of his wife’s ascent to the moon during mid-autumn, to place fruits and cakes on altars to honor her.

This practice began by Hòu Yì during this time of year is the reason, this story says, behind the mid-autumn festival so popular throughout East Asia.”

Reference: islandfolklore.com/the-bunny-girl/

(Barbie is wearing Over the Moon Chang’e doll’s dress/headpiece) (Moon is a mini moon lamp)

Let’s go Fishing!!

Equestria girls should have been

I made a tutorial! Hopefully this is useful to somebody out there. This method would also be useful for modding other “plug connector” heads onto much nicer bodies.

Beginner's guide to building dollhouse kits

Since it's the season when people get dollhouse kits as gifts, I finally put together a guide that covers the questions that come up a lot on r/dollhouses. I even interviewed Dad to get his wisdom!

It's a Google Docs document that you can find here. As the footer notes, you are welcome to share and distribute the guide, as long as you don't remove the attribution.

Did you know the Internet Archive has some scans of DollyDolly and associated publications?

and a few DollyBird scans, too

Where can I find patterns for making Fashion Doll Clothes?

A friend and I were chatting tonight about doll clothes, and it occurred to me that if you've never dabbled in making doll clothes before, you may not know where to find patterns for them. So I'm sharing a list with you guys of every resource I know of.

Paid-For Patterns:

Requiem Arts: https://raddollclothes.com/

This is one of the big go-to's of the community. Requiem Arts has patterns for so many different fashion dolls, from Monster High (G1 and G3) to Rainbow High, to a number of BJDs, to Barbies, and even several for the boy dolls. I've gone to them for many a Descendants pattern since not a lot of places offer them. Her blog also features a number of great posts on size differences between dolls, fixing articulation, and more.

Dollightful: https://www.etsy.com/shop/DollightfulPatterns

If you need Monster High and Ever After High patterns with easy to follow instructions, this is the place to go! Dollightful only has a handful of patterns up, but her instructions are super easy to follow. They're just as enjoyable as her YouTube videos.

Moonlight Jewel: https://moonlightjeweldolls.myshopify.com/collections/ebooks

This artist has an interesting mix of patterns for fashion dolls, once again it's a lot of Monster High, but also a little bit of Rainbow High. I have her two pattern books, and they've got some wonderful picture instructions that put into perspective how to follow along. I hadn't realized until making this post that she's released a couple of individual patterns from her YouTube videos, that's really cool!

Enchanterium: https://www.enchanterium.com/shop

The Enchanterium sisters are a delight, and their patterns for MH, EAH, and Smart Dolls encompass a wide variety of genres. They even have some 3D printing files for shoes and accessories.

Cosmomoore: https://ko-fi.com/cosmomoore/shop/sewingpatterns

Cosmomoore is great if you need patterns for Rainbow High, Barbie, or G3 Monster High. All of the G3 patterns are under the Creepy Class tag. I've tried their skirt pattern for G3 Draculaura, it was a breeze to put together when you know a few basic stitches.

Free Patterns:

Enchanterium: https://www.enchanterium.com/shop/freebies

Enchanterium offers a number of freebies at this link! Most of them are patterns from their older YouTube videos, so there's those as a resource to follow along with.

Cosmomoore: https://ko-fi.com/cosmomoore/shop/sewingpatterns

Once again, this artist has a number of freebies, but they don't have a specific tag.

Poulpe en Ciel's Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1lkI6inme4K6wxw0IqTSGGju2bIQMln_A

This artist is known for having some truly extravagant patterns for Monster High and Cave Club dolls. And she offers them in both English and French! Highly recommend checking out Poulpe on Instagram, her dolls are absolutely to die for, and she puts so much heart into making her stuff accessible for the wider community.

Chellywood: https://chellywood.com/

Chellywood's website is a diamond in the rough. If you're looking for a doll pattern for a doll most people don't make patterns for, Chelly probably has it. Her website is organized by size and goes into individualized pages for each doll line. It's fantastic. And on top of that, she has YouTube videos!

MyFroggyStuff: https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOJWM4ft-CgHQI3fhqNJzWLG30C45Xl3xs-tgatId430gKVW-J8w5cB9ViW2jRPFw?pli=1&key=Y2Y2UDJ6S01Gb2EwUHRZUVJDdm9FanpMdDZzY1RR

Barbie lovers rejoice, this is your kingdom! While there's no tagging system here, Toya has patterns for everything, from mermaid tails to cute easy dresses, this is a great place to go. Her YouTube channel is also an endless resource of creativity.

If you have any resources for patterns, or for places to buy doll clothing, feel free to reblog! I'd love to include more people from our lovely doll community so people know about them!

Audrey Hepburn shopping with her pet deer, Pippin, in Beverly Hills (1958) by Bob Willoughby

𝟣𝟢𝟣 𝖣𝖺𝗅𝗆𝖺𝗍𝗂𝖺𝗇𝗌, 𝟣𝟫𝟨𝟣

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."

Cora, Caramel and Cocoa wish everyone a beautiful and Happy Valentine’s and Galentine’s Day!

Hi guys! Meet Lilu the gecko lizard. It's a 3d printed articulated toy that has cartoonish rounded shapes. The lizard also has 2 faces - Cute and Funny ones. By the way, which face do you like more?

The heads have a new head attachment system that allows to attach the head to the pin strongly without gluing.

The legs look more attractive thanks to a new way of designing them.

The lizard is available as STL and pre-painted 3MF files on Cults3d, Creality Cloud and soon on MyMiniFactory (we're going to create an account there during a week).

“We are like snowflakes, all different in our own beautiful way.”

Lumi and Icelyn wish everyone a warm and wonderful winter!

2005

"Abandoned" Dollhouses by artist Juli Steel