December Already!

I've been incredibly lax recently with my blog and thought I'd get a post in quickly before it's the end of another year!  I last wrote that it was Autumn already....and here we are, it's winter!  Thankfully though, the winters here in southern Spain are short and mild, we've had some rain, which we really, really needed, but apart from that it's been sunshine during the day, temperatures of around 19C - 21C, and cooler nights.  Perfect winter weather for me!

So what's been happening in my world since I last posted on here?  Well my husband Brian was really sick about 5 weeks ago and I was extremely worried as he's rarely unwell, but he was bad, really bad, collapsing a couple of times, which was very scary and this was just before he was due to go to the UK to visit with his family.  He wanted to leave going to the doctor until he returned from his trip but I was concerned that he was sicker than he was letting on...so I made an appointment and it turns out I was right, the doctor took his blood and his sugar levels were sky high....he was immediately diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and she injected him with insulin straight away in the surgery.  Now, 5 weeks later he's doing so much better.  Obviously he had to cancel his trip, which was a shame for him but at least if he's going to be sick then he is close to home.  But thank goodness he's doing well, he's testing his blood and injecting himself every day and although his legs aren't great, they're at least working to hold him upright!!!

Brian also bought himself a mobility scooter which he's enjoying!! He tells me he's named it Thunderbolt 2!!!  It means that we can get out together, he can ride his scooter and I can walk along next to him with Lucy, our Miniature Pinscher, which is great!

On the dolly front, I have been enjoying my new Dandelion by Bimong and also I recently received my Xiao Yu head from Black Cherry dolls, a Russian artist.  The head sculpt is beautiful and has a gorgeous faceup by Blisslacosta, who is also Russian.  Four months ago I ordered her an Elf body from Dollstown and hopefully that will arrive soon.  In the meantime she is using my Volks SDMidi body, the colour match is really good (the head is Oriental Copper and the body is called Sunlight).  But my Volks girl is looking forward to getting her body back I'm sure!!

I love the way this faceup artist paints the lower eyelashes on dolls, they looks so incredibly realistic.

I have also received some gorgeous gifts from two of my lovely dolly friends.  One of my friends in the US said that she wanted to send me a gift as she enjoyed reading my blog.  I don't like the idea that people think I 'deserve' anything for the fact that they enjoy my photos, I just am happy that people do enjoy them....but this lovely lady asked me what I would like.  I finally suggested that maybe she would like to send me a fat quarter of fabric which I would use to make an outfit for one of my girls and would think of her when I looked at the dress.....and then lo and behold not one fat quarter but THREE fat halves (I think that's what they're called) arrived from her, such pretty fabrics, thank you so much my dear....you know who you are!!!

Using two of the fabrics, I made this dress for my Dandelion, I hope you like it D, and that you think I'm making good use of your very pretty gifts!

Another present I received was a complete surprise from my friend J who also lives in the US.  She sent me a box and inside were two BJDs (ball jointed dolls), both BIDs (Yosd size) from Iplehouse, an extra BID head, another manikin doll (you'll remember seeing two others that she sent me earlier in the year), some outfits, a wig and a pattern!  

Here is one of the new Iplehouse dolls, she is a Elin and I enhanced her face a bit as she was a little pale, I gave her some new eyelashes, new eyes and new wig.  She then went through the dolls clothes box and found herself something to wear!

I haven't taken photos of the other doll and the spare head, but will get to that soon.  

Thank you both, D and J, for my lovely gifts, I'm just so incredibly lucky to have the dolly friends that I have. 

I'm off to the UK on Saturday for nine hours....yes you read that right, just nine hours!! I'm going over to meet my mum and brother and bring them back to Spain with me on Sunday morning and they are spending Christmas and New Year with us.  I will then go back with them to the UK on the 3rd January and spend a few days there meeting up (hopefully) with my friend Sue and my son :)  

Well hopefully I will get to post maybe one more time before Christmas.  Thank you so much in advance for visiting and have a great week ahead!!

Big hugs Sharon xxx

 
                          

Curly topped girls!

I haven't been up to much at the moment but firstly, wanted to share a few photos taken yesterday of two of my BJDs who are both curly topped girls, wearing Tibetan lambswool wigs that I made. 

First we have Mouse, my newest girl, wearing a new dress that I made for her last week.  I am not that happy with the style though, I don't think it is really 'her'.... or maybe it is the shoes that just don't go with the look of the dress.  I will make something more 'modern' soon and see if I like that look better on her.

Secondly, we have Brodie, my little Iplehouse BID Bordy.  I made this wig particularly for her from a small scrap of lambswool that I had left over from another wig.  I would like a bit more curl in this wig but am happy with how it looks on Brodie.

I have a few other girls who've had curly hair styles over the years and thought I'd share some photos of those below too!

Firstly we have Kaye Wiggs Hope who for a while wore a blond lambswool wig that I made for her, this photo was before I gave her a new custom faceup:

 

Then below she wears a brown lambswool wig with her new faceup.  In fact this wig is actually the same wig being worn by Mouse above!  

Fiona, my Little Fee Ante, wore a brunette lambswool wig for a little while back in the spring of 2009.  I think she looks quite sweet as a brunette but I always preferred her with fairer hair.

Riley Mai, my Ppinkydoll girl, wears a ginger lambswool wig with paler ends,  that I was given as a gift some years ago.  I think the colour suits her quirky face and pale skin.

And finally for this post, a photo of my lovely Little Darling Ellie wearing a lambswool wig.  I loved how she looked in this wig but then I realised she wasn't 'Ellie' any more with this look!  So she went back to her regular wig.  This wig is now being worn by Mouse above!!! 

Thank you very much for visiting and viewing the curly haired girls!  Well we are almost at the end of another week so I hope you all have a great weekend!

Big hugs Sharon xx

And Brodie comes too....

This is the sight that greeted me this morning when I went out of the door:

Me:  "Hey little one, where do you think you're off to this early in the morning?"

Brodie:  "I'm getting ready to go on holiday with you to Yoookay!"

Me :  "Yoookay?  Oh you mean the UK!"

Brodie:  "Yes, that's what I said didn't I! Mari and Fiona said they're going, please mummy, let me come too!  I'm only little!  I'm just THIS small!"

Me:  "Oh Brodie, I've got so much to carry, you'd be better off staying here with dad and the dogs, I'll only be gone a week!"
 

Brodie:  "But I don't want to stay here, I want to come with you!  Pleeease, I want to see nana!"

Oh dear, how can I refuse this little face?  

Looks like yet another member of my dolly family will be travelling with me to the UK in two weeks time then!!!


Doll: Iplehouse BID Bordy in Special Real Skin
Faceup: Default Iplehouse
Height: 26cm
Wig: Tibetan lambswool made by me
Overalls: by TTYA
Shirt:  vintage Sindy shirt from the 1960s
Socks: by me
Shoes: by MimiWoo
Backpack: clone fashion doll
Little bead doll: gift from a friend in the US!

Some bonus photos of this little sweetie:

Thank you very much for looking!

Curls for Brodie...

I had a spare couple of hours today so decided to make up a second lambswool wig, this time for Brodie my Iplehouse BID.  When I ordered her, my plan was for her to have curls but so far I've not seen a wig that I like enough to order.  So I decided to make my own using my tutorial that I posted  here .

The second piece of lambswool that I bought from FUNwithTROLLDOLLS
is dyed the same colour but the curls are slightly looser and are shorter too, at 3 inches in length.  The skin also has a sewn seam in it, which isn't a problem when making a small wig, you just work around it or place your pattern so that it runs through where it won't cause a problem.

I had to make a pattern as I'd not made a wig for Brodie before, so I did that using exactly the same method as previously except that I was more careful not to flatten or damage her applied eyelashes (basically I just left the cling film a little loose across her face.

This time I also decided to cut the finished wig into a chin length bob as I didn't want her with long hair.

And here is the finished result.  Brodie is enjoying playing with her new 'hand' puppets that I got for my dolly kids in IKEA.  The size of these 'finger puppets' is just perfect for dolls to use as hand puppets!

And she can even fit her sailor hat over the top of her curls!! :) 

I hope you've liked seeing Brodie's new hair 'do', I'm really pleased with her new look....I love her cute face and think the curls really suit her :)

Thanks for visiting, and enjoy what's left of the rest of the week!


  

Brodie goes to the playa....

I'm trying to be more brave about taking photos of dolls in public so yesterday took Brodie, my new Iplehouse BID Bordy, out with us when we went to Torrox Costa for our lunch.  The lunch itself was lovely, we went to our favourite Chinese restaurant there and had Peking Crispy Duck, it's delicious....and the restaurant itself is on the promenade next to the beach, so it's a great place to relax and watch the world go by!

It was very hot so I didn't take that many photos really but what I did take I thought came out well...being tanned Brodie is perfect to photograph in the bright light here.

You'll see she got to wear the sunhat today!!!  This hat is worn by so many of my dolls, it's a wonder it's not falling apart!!!

Firstly she sat for a while and watched the kids practising their basketball moves!

Then she wandered along the wall above the beach, the sand here is lovely and fine but Brodie decided to keep her socks and shoes on....she didn't want the scratchy feel of sand between her toes!  

  She has the cutest profile, don't you think?

Watching for dolphins....unfortunately it was a bit late in the day for dolphins, they tend to be seen more in the mornings!

Thank you for visiting, I hope everyone has a good weekend!