My first successful reroot, I've experimented and ripped out on the Malibu Skipper. As always it's done on the "cheap". You need hair, I use those bagged curls from the craft store. I'd reccomend two small bags or a big one because it's better to have too much hair. Have matching thread, and a doll needle which is basically a really long but no bitter around than a regular sewing needle. I suppose you could try a beeding needle but some holes can be really tight and you might need to poke a few more. First prep the Monster by... | Continue »

All the hair in the world and I might not have time to use it. Still no word how soon everything, including most if not all of the Monsters, gets packed up to move. There's only room for one 'Objects' box and the residents of the dollhouse go first. So here's Draculara and the nylon hair, so far this looks to be the DL to get this hair but that could always change, except for the beach one who's decided she's Lilac. Fairy's Breath is about as close a one is going to get to her and you can see... | Continue »

I have had this tutorial on my mind for so long! I love little houses and creating wee villages, definitely a carry over from my childhood, and have been wanting to make some of my own to play decorate with. I figured I could make houses from all the cardboard boxes in my recycling so now I have finally taken pictures and written up a tutorial to share with you! There are a lot of pictures but the tutorial is actually very simple. Once the house is made it can be painted or covered with paper or even left plain. You can also leave one flap open and use it as a gift box, part of an advent, or just a hiding place for treasures :) Supplies: cardboard box from the pantry straight edge pencil scissors thick white glue something to score with Optional: clamp, clothespins, or painter's tape for holding pieces until they dry *click on pictures to enlarge* #1: undo all the seams and lay your box out flat with the unprinted side facing up #2: draw a line across the box at least one inch below the mid line #3: cut the original vertical fold lines from the top to the marked line; lines to cut are marked with a white dot in the picture #4: score across the box on top of your drawn line #5: cut off the little flap at the arrow; cut off two of the top flaps - where the X's are in the picture #6: turn over and apply glue to the small side seam flap #7: fold up box in reverse and clamp or hold until side seam is dry #8: fold and glue the bottom of the box #9: here's the box all glued up in reverse and the top is cut and ready to make the roof #10: fold all four sides down on the score line you made earlier in #4 then fold back up straight #11: apply glue to the small flap at the top of the short side panel (see arrow in picture #10); put glue on the unprinted side and glue together as above #12: lay box on its side, then mark and score angled roof edges against the front and back panels of the box (all four angles) #13: cut off top section of each front and back panel at the peak of the roof #14: cut side panels along the angled roof line about 3/8" away from your marked and scored line (do this for all four angles) #15: cut off an angled tip at the peak of the sides (four times) #16: fold all four flaps that you just cut towards the box; apply glue on all the flaps and tuck into the roof #17: here's your house all glued and ready to be decorated! Experiment with a variety of boxes; the small house in the middle is made from two pudding boxes glued together and the square house on the... | Continue »

I was having a browse on trade me (NZ's version of ebay) the other day when I came upon these stray black-and-white photos for sale. I don't know why, but I felt straight away that I had to buy them... | Continue »

I only discovered Mary and her kaleidoscope of colorful art a few months ago but it has become a very important source of inspiration and art education for me. Mary describes herself as a multi-dimensional, self-taught painter and artist with... | Continue »

That is the subject of this next interview, Helle, the beautiful woman with the amazing smile and handcrafted hat to match. She is better known as Gooseflesh and is one of my absolute favorite eco artists. I first discovered her... | Continue »

One of my stones from the " missing pieces " collection I did last fall is now famous having appeared in the April issue of Country Living. I haven't found it yet at our local bookstore or newsstand but Karen... | Continue »

I found this treasure under a table in the corner covered in some old linens at our local church rummage sale. I paid for it immediately before anyone had a chance to inspect it closely or break my heart by... | Continue »

Some readers may remember an earlier post about a wooden hand painted Austrian box I found filled with treasures at the flea market in Vienna . I paid one euro for it. Well I have been back to Austria (surprise)... | Continue »

Last year I went to the flea market in Vienna and there was one stall where everything was being sold for only one euro . Most of the things were very dirty , smelly and water damaged but something caught... | Continue »

Well aside from the obvious things like whether they are edible or poisonous, their colors, shapes and sizes the thing that I discovered this weekend is that not all freshly picked mushrooms leave spore prints. I also discovered that those... | Continue »

First off if you haven't heard of this amazing project you should first read about it here. It was actually a few of my wonderful readers who first brought it to my attention many months ago. As soon as I... | Continue »