Presents from PlushPussyCat

Dear Readers,

A few weeks ago, I received a big package.   I was really curious about what it could be because I was not expecting anything.  It wasn't my birthday and it wasn't any special day at all. Turned out it was Jennifer from PLUSHPUSSYCAT who sent me a box full of miniature goodies!  Jennifer is a very sweet friend from whom I learned a lot about miniature.  I actually found out about other miniature blogs thanks to her.

I was in the middle of my cabinets renovation so I couldn't post anything for quite a long time.  Then I was busy creating my Sylvanian Families village so that took a while as well!  Finally now that it is setup, I can properly show you the gifts she has sent me!!!

It was a fantastic selection of miniature items including a super cute Re-ment Hello Kitty convenience store food set!   I was also impressed by the clay miniatures because it's handmade and each piece is unique.  I also received stickers, candies and stencils!

Here are the handmade minis!

I had to show you a close-up of the chocolate cake because it's so tiny but so perfect.  Look at those cherries and the frosting!!!  I can't even make real-size frosting curls that well!

The wedding cake was also gorgeous and it's perfect for a Sylvanian Families wedding reception!

And my favorite is the flower bouquet!!!  

Hello Kitty ribbons ♥

Kitchen pots and pans (Iwako erasers!)

Miniature Rabbits (they look like Mini Sylvanians!)

To give you and idea about the size of those items, I have displayed them in a Barbie dollhouse.  Can you spot where they are?

Yes! On the kitchen stove and counter!

Let's play this game again!  Can you spot something in the room below that's from Jennifer's package?

The Iwako Rabbits on Licca's bed!

If you noticed the Re-ment's dog in the previous picture, then you probably remember it was  a gift sent to me by MoonRabbit_Ly's Miniature World!  It came with the heater which I am also using in the bedroom.

Thank you Jennifer and Chloe for sploiling me so much and sending me those wonderful gifts!  I have setup another Barbie dollhouse to show more of the items I have received but it will take a few more days.  It was very humid this weekend and I feel quite ill because of this hot weather.  Hopefully it will cool down soon.

Have a wonderful week everybody!

I Am a Witch's Cat by Harriet Muncaster

Dear Readers,

I have been following the websites of some very talented miniaturists and artists since I started my blog.  Three of them have recently released a new book and it is very exciting because you get to see how the hard word and creativity of these artists are being recognized and displayed in print!  

Today I would like to showcase on my blog one of these book: "I AM A WITCH'S CAT" by Harriet Muncaster, an incredibly talented young lady who has created a wonderful miniature world from scratch, made with paper, clay, beads and other simple objects she finds around her.  

I think her art is simply genius and you can see on the picture teasers of her book how this tiny world comes to life!  Harriet has given me permission to show some of her pictures here on my blog :)

The two following photos are from her new book but you must go on her blog VICTORIA STITCH to see the rest and also to see how she has created the COVER!!!

How adorable is this?

I just love love love this scene!

And Harriet has also created a very unique and decidedly loveable doll named Celestine!  You can see some photos of Celestine in this post HERE.  I enjoy reading about Celestine's adventure on Harriet's blog VICTORIA STITCH because she is so small and finds herself in the most quirky and fun environments with tiny props, which are usually handmade by Harriet!

This is a book that is truly inspiring for miniature lovers, cat lovers and doll lovers.  I will never be as talented and patient to build a whole world made of handmade paper objects but I sure wished I could!  I'll just enjoy what Harriet has to offer instead and dream that my dollies could one day walk in such a great display :D

Gift Exchange With Chloe

Dear Readers,

How are you this Monday? I am so excited because I want to show you the gifts I have received this weekend from Chloe, a fellow blogger who writes about Sylvanian Families, Miniature and Blythe dolls on her blog:  MoonRabbit_Ly's Miniature World!

This is my first gift exchange in Blog Land and I must say that it was a fantastic experience thanks to Chloe!  I have received wonderful presents before from bloggers but they were presents for my birthday or other kind of presents but this time is was a gift exchange in which I send something to a fellow blogger and she sends me something back.

But the surprise is that I never expected what was to happen next.

You see, it was initially agreed that she would send me the great Re-ment sets below: a brown cabinet with glass door, a TV with four different channels and a heater with a very cute dog!  These items are super rare and it's impossible to find them on the market nowadays!  

But this is not all.  I had expected only two Re-ment items... and this is what I received!!!  A motherload of goodies!!!!

Super tiny dollhouse furniture!  This is a gem!  They are so detailed and it's amazing because they are such minuscule furniture!   I have a few dollhouses for dolls so I'll try them inside (once I find those tiny dollhouses... they are somewhere in my new cabinets!)

Mini bread and pastry, a Sakura-chan doll and a Blythe dress too!

The Kokeshi dolls are Iwako erasers!  They are so pretty and I love love love their kimono design!  They are tiny but so well made.  I can't wait to put them on display! 

 A Sylvanian Families membership outfit available only in Japan!  It includes a dress, a cardigan, a purse and even a hanger!  This set is extremely difficult to get, especially oversea! 

Of course I had to try the Sylvanian Families Dress and Cardigan right away!  Mother Squirrel was very excited to be the model!  But she protested after I only took one picture...

So here is another one to make her happy! ;-)

Sakura-chan was also very pleased with her Blythe dress.  It fits her like a glove!  The dress is so well made and has such a pretty design!  The bow on the rabbit is a super cute addition!  

Sakura-chan is such a pretty doll and I love her long eyelashes!!!  I think Licca dolls have the sweetest face and gentle but expressive eyes even though they are painted and not glass.   The very subtle makeup gives this doll a surprisingly versatile look.

Her hair is very soft and it is in a beautiful reddish brown.  I apologize for how messy it looks because I don't know where I have placed my dolly brushes anymore! -_- I guess I put everything away in my cabinet so now I'll have to find them!   You know how it goes: when it's cluttered, you can find your stuff but once you put it away, you can't find it anymore! 

I need to show you a picture of the other items in more details but I am running out of time today.  I have a place for them in my dollhouses and it takes time to setup the dollhouse so I'll have to post more about this gift exchange later this week!

Thank you so much Chloe for inviting me to participate in this gift exchange! I am so overjoyed with the items you have sent me!!!  They are all fantastic miniatures and Sakura-chan will be very happy here with her other Licca friends :)

Sylvanian Families Garden

Dear Readers,

My new cabinets have taken the place of my Calico Village.  I had to store away the house and furniture for many months.  The village has now been relocated in another room (aka my son's room).   Placed on the same long table as it was before, I have added this time a new house for the Chocolate Rabbit Grandparents that my sweet friend Ohana has sent to me from Japan.

I wanted to give the grandparents a little garden because all the grandparents I know are inevitably fond of gardening.  I didn't have a garden yet so I bought three different playsets from Amazon:  

1. Sylvanian Families Vegetable Garden

2. Sylvanian Families Flowers

3. Sylvanian Families Family Garden

They were not purchased at the same time but rather over the course of many months.   I always compare prices from various sellers before buying.  When the price is low enough (or when I have saved enough money) I buy the set!  It just happened that these 3 sets were cheapest on Amazon.

Each garden set is very detailed and the high quality of the finish is exactly what one could expect from Sylvanian Families. The set I prefer is the Sylvanian Families Garden because it has so many nice items (shown below).   The mailbox (or birdhouse) can open in the back.  She scissors can open and close!

The Chocolate Rabbit grandparents will live in the Bluebell Cottage (aka Riverside Lodge) and their children will live next door in the Townhome.   I bought the Bluebell Cottage from England many years ago.  It was used but still in good condition.  The Townhome was bought from a garage sale, incomplete but also in rather good condition.

This was the initial setup for the garden.

The children would have a vegetable garden.

The grandparents would have a large lawn.

 There would be many flowers and even a topiary.

But then I noticed grandpa looked a little sad...

So I created a river for him!

After all, it is called "Riverside Lodge" for a reason.

Don't worry for Grandma. She can still enjoy gardening but with less flowerpots.

Whenever she feels like tending to more flowers, she can visit her children and grand children across the river!  And Freya could sure use a helping hand with the vegetable garden!

The grandchildren can also say hello to their grandparents whenever they want!

I am not totally happy about my village yet.  I need to substitute the white and plain background with a forest or lakeside picture.  And I still have to decorate the houses.  My first attempt at adding wallpaper proved disastrous.  Once all is in place, I will be able to continue posting stories about CALICO VALLEY and its new inhabitants!

I need to thank Jennifer from PLUSHPUSSYCAT for giving me a very useful tip!  I was chatting with her about the difficulty in finding fake grass for my display and she had suggested the use of a green towel.  This was truly a great advice because the towel was very cheap ($4 only), easy to clean, and it had a great grassy color and texture!  Thank you very much Jennifer!!!  I am glad this blog has helped me make friends who are so generous of their time and are always willing to share their knowledge!  Jennifer is a mine of information and she is also very kind! She has also sent me miniature gifts that I can't wait to you once the houses are decorated!

The pebbles along the river are from Michael's Craft Store: $2 for a medium bag (the large bag costs $6). The water is blue felt with a paper sheet protector on top.  The bushes along the white wall in the back are aquarium plants.  The Townhome is slightly elevated thanks to 3 rugs placed underneath.  I bought them from the Dollar Store for $1 each rug. The boat is from an old Smurf set.  The total for all the non-Sylvanian items is about $10.

I have elevated the Townhome so the river would be lower because I am planning to add something else!   I can't talk about it yet because it's still an ongoing project and I can't say for sure it will work but I hope it will and the Chocolate Rabbit Family will soon be able to show you their new house! :D

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own. I was not paid or received gifts to write this or mention any stores or website. You may find a better store in your area.

Best Friends Club Ink Fashion Pack

Dear Readers,

Did you have a pleasant weekend?  I was mostly at home enjoying my time off from work.  I took the kids to the park and we also went to the restaurant but it was otherwise a quiet and calm weekend.

I did however stop by the Dollar Store (where every item is priced at $1) and I found Best Friends Club Ink Fashion Packs.  There were five different sets.  I bought the following three.

You can see on the back of the package the five different outfits with the BFC ink dolls.  I didn't see any dolls in the store.  They were released years ago by MGA Entertainment (the same company that produces Bratz dolls and Moxie Girlz dolls) but are now discontinued.  The fashion packs shown here are for the small size dolls, not for the 18 inches dolls which were also called BFC ink dolls.

I don't own any BFC ink dolls but I bought the clothes for my small size dolls.  I opened the pink outfit.  I chose to buy this one because it has a nice pink top with tiny white polka dots, ruffle collar, and long sleeves with flower prints.  Also in the pack was pink hot pants (or very short shorts) with a pink belt and silver clasp.  A backpack, pink and white striped knee socks and purple sneakers complete the outfit.   The top and shorts have velcro closure in the back.  I tried the garments on a few dolls.

The first to try is a Stacie doll from Mattel.  She is one of Barbie's many little sisters.  It was a little difficult to dress her up because of her right arm's bent position.  The socks kept snagging over her legs while I was dressing her up.   The shoes are way too big for her.

The top looks great on her but the shorts are too big although you can hardly notice from the front.

From the back, it's another story!

The backpack is really cute and does open and close with a velcro stripe on the top.  However, the back and side pockets do not open.

I found this Stacie doll at a garage sales.  She was disheveled and naked when I got her.  She seems quite happy to finally have some clothes! 

Next to try the outfit is Hina-chan who shares the same body as Licca dolls.  It was a breeze to dress her up!  Licca dolls have such smooth body so clothes literally glide over their limbs!  The shoes are still too big.

From the front, you can see the sleeves are too long.

The back shows how tight the top is for her.  I could not close it completely.

Next in line is another of Licca's friend, Maria-chan but with Obitsu 23 cm body.

My photos do not do any justice to this beautiful doll.  She has strawberry blonde hair (that can apparently change color if you wet or heat them up... but I have not tried yet!) EDIT: her hair actually curls but does not change color!  I found the LINK HERE that shows the different hair styles!  The Licca doll that can change hair color is THIS ONE.  Takara has released a few other Licca dolls with the same hair color change ability.

I bought her head without a Licca body. It was cheaper that way (only $5 as opposed to $35 for a full body doll) and I wanted to try an Obitsu body anyway!  The BFC ink clothes fit the Obitsu 23cm very well.

The back closes perfectly for both the top and shorts.  The socks and shoes fit her well too.

The last doll to try the outfit is a Licca doll but with an Azone Pure Neemo S Body.  As it was the case with Maria-chan, I bought her head only and purchased a different body type that I wanted to try out for my dolls.

The top fits but the shorts were too small for Pure Neemo "fatter" legs.  The shoes fit perfectly though.  I gave her a skirt from the Re-ment Summer Clothes Collection.

The back velcro closes well without any problem.

Overall, I would say that I am extremely happy with the Best Friends Club Ink Fashion Packs.  They are so well made and super affordable!  For $1 only, I got an entire outfit with shoes and bag included!  They can fit many dolls and you can mix and match with other outfits!

I wished MGA Entertainment still produced the dolls who look really cute from the pictures I saw on the flyers included in the fashion packs.  There was also an iron-on picture in each pack.  

I regret not buying the other two fashion sets so I'll probably go back to the Dollar Store tomorrow to get them now that I know they can fit so many of my dolls.