Terri's Dolls’ Neighborhood

I wanted to do something special for all of you. I thought of the many emails that I
receive asking about sculpting. That is what I do best. Teaching is what I do second best. I'm still trying to learn how to do that online. So here we go….I have a small how to for you.

The tools that I use are things that most of you have in your homes. I love tiny wood sculpting tools, toothpicks, tiny crochet hooks, knitting needle…whatever works for you.

The clays that I use are oven baked polymers. Prosculpt, Sculpy, Fimo etc.
I mostly use Prosculpt for my babies.  The other clays I mix for props (toys, teapots, baby items, animals, etc…) You can use paper clay or air drying clay too and eliminate the baking process.

The paints are a heat set oil paint. If properly baked they infuse into the surface of the polymer clays and do not rub off. If you want to use acrylics that would also eliminate another baking step.

It is a good idea to have a small area in which to work. It should have plenty of light and a low amount of dust, but don't let that stop you from playing.

I use a toaster oven to bake these little ones. It is heats up quickly and allows me to reserve my kitchen oven for more important things like making dinner...!

I dress these little ones with very tiny pieces of lace and silk ribbons. It doesn't take much to decorate them, in fact less is more.

A variation of this process will result in many wonderful creations. Think toys.... Think props for your miniatures and dollhouses.

My miniature babies are created in a similar manner. The most important thing is to practice. This tutorial should get you started. The most important thing to remember is to ENJOY!

xxx

Morena

Click on the pictures for a close up. Below each picture is a simple explanation that should help you through this process..

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One of a kind miniature doll “Clara” by Morena Ciambra

Here she is little Clara, she is just 3 ½ inches tall. She is a one of a kind miniature little girl made without the use of a mold. She has been sculpted using Prosculpt clay. Her features have been painted with many layers of heat set oil paints. Clara’s hair is fine dark brown viscose fiber. She is dressed in her holiday outfit. Her underclothes are white cotton with lace trim. Her festive dress is a green and red plaid with gold threads. I have decorated Clara’s dress with white laces and tiny thread rosebuds and leaves. Her matching hat was hand crocheted and decorated to match. She is sprinkled with tiny glitter for that bit of sparkle. She is wearing her special ruby slippers. She carries her special holiday ornament.

First, we're happy to announce that the team has identified and fixed the issue with the YouTube conduit; you can now find and add videos from YouTube to your library and posts. As always, thanks for your patience!

The other news we have today is about a new addition to the Six Apart family: TypePad Micro, a new free level of TypePad that is streamlined for microblogging. We see a new form of blogging emerging that lives between the quick status updates of Twitter and Facebook and the long-form posts of "classic" blogging; TypePad Micro is designed to meet that need. You can read more about TypePad Micro in Chris Alden's post on the Everything TypePad blog.

A lot of the new capabilities we've added to TypePad this year were actually inspired by some of the best things about Vox: favoriting, member profiles, a dashboard to follow other bloggers, and easy ways to post content from other social media sites. But the things that make Vox different from TypePad are still there: Vox has always been -- and still is -- the best place for "friends and family" blogging, where you're in control over who sees what. TypePad, on the other hand, is built for the blogger who wants, no, craves, attention.

Do you have a passion or interest you want to share with people beyond your Vox neighborhood? If so, we'd love it if you tried out TypePad Micro. Maybe you've always wanted to start that obsessive blog that's just about waffle restaurants. Or want a place to share videos of your favorite band (Jonas Brothers, anyone? Anyone? ...). TypePad Micro's great for those topic-specific blogs. Take it for a spin and let us know what you think.

On the Vox front, our designers are working on some cool new themes (coming soon!). We'd also love to hear your thoughts about where we should take Vox in the coming year. What are the key things you'd like to see for Vox? If you've had a chance to use TypePad this year, what are the features there that we should bring over to Vox? And, if you're thinking big thoughts, how could we connect the Vox and TypePad communities in order to bring together bloggers and their shared passions? Your feedback is really important to us, so please leave a comment here, or shoot me a message.

And again, thanks for your patience as we found and fixed the YouTube bug!

~ daisy

 

As many of you have noticed, the YouTube Conduit is not working. I am so sorry about this; I know how frustrating it is.

The team is looking into how to get this fixed and I will update you as soon as I hear something. In the meantime, not all is lost... There is a work-around for posting videos.

When you're in the Compose Screen, just click on "embed." Ignore the fact that it says "Widget" before everything because you can definitely use this to embed videos as well. You'll just need to input the embed code from the video, enter a title (if you want) and hit OK.

It might not show up perfectly in your compose screen, but when you hit "Save," your video should appear just the way you wanted it to.

Hopefully this will allow you to keep posting videos while we figure out what's happening on our end.

As always, thanks for your patience.

~daisy

Go forth and fill your libraries with media.

Seriously, thanks to everyone for being so amazing and patient. You are the reason I love Vox.

~daisy

I was just told that the Amazon Conduit will be fixed by tomorrow. I will post here as soon as I get word that it's back up and running.

I know this has been frustrating and I am sorry there wasn't more I could do to make it less so. I really appreciate your patience though.

Cheers,

daisy

These miniature one of a kind babies are just 1 ¾ inches long. They would be the size of a 1/12^th scale newborn. No two Dolce Bambini are alike because they are individually sculpted using Prosculpt clay and created without the use of a mold. This little one is Abby. She is dressed in a vintage ecru lace bonnet and diaper. They are adorned with silk ribbons and thread rosebuds. Her features have been painted with layers of heat set oil paints. Her pink nose and lips have been lightly glazed. Tiny Abby comes with a little friend. She is a cute bunny named Pinkie. Her details have been hand painted. Pinkie has a plush tail and carries a pink glitter heart. She is decorated with a violate silk ribbon. Abbie is nice and warm in her soft pink bunting. I have added a tiny lace blanket too. These little ones would make a wonderful addition to any dollhouse setting. I have shown her here in a 1/12 scale crib (not included) so that you can visualize her size. Abby, Pinkie and her bunting and lace blanket will arrive with a signed certificate and a gift box.

Bad news. As many of you have probably noticed, the Amazon Conduit was not fixed in the last week's release. Unfortunately, there was an undetected bug that is preventing the conduit from working.

We are working on this bug fix and hope to have the Conduit back up and running this week.

I will keep you posted.

Thank you for being so patient.

~daisy

Blog Action Day is every October 15th, when blogger are asked to post something about a single issue to show our strength and conviction as an online community. It's a great way to feel connected to the greater good, and the participation of so many bloggers to support the world's leading non-profit organizations is something you can do to help, right now. By blogging today, you're supporting some of the world's leading non-profits and sharing your voice for change.

This year's topic is climate change, and we'd love to read your thoughts on the topic. If you participate, leave us a link to your post in the comments, so we know to check out your post!

Go to www.blogactionday.org to learn more, get a badge for your blog showing your participation, and see some ideas for your post on climate change.

Can't wait to read your posts!

~ daisy

Dolce Bambini “Sweetness” by Morena Ciambra
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These miniature one of a kind babies are just 1 ½  inches long in a curled up position. They would be the size of a 1/12th scale newborn.   No two Dolce Bambini are alike because they are individually sculpted using Prosculpt clay and created without the use of a mold. This little one is Sweetness. She is dressed in a vintage lace collar and adorned with violet and pink silk ribbons and roses.  Her hair is fine, blond, shiny viscose fiber. Her features have been painted with layers of heat set oil paints. She is lightly blushed for a life-like appearance. Tiny Sweetness comes with a little friend. She is a spotted pink Giraffe with a linen pink tail. Her eyes are blue glass and her details are wonderful.  Sweetness is nice and warm in her soft pink bunting that has been decorated with vintage lace trim and violet ribbons and tiny rose buds. A rose colored silk lace liner can be removed and used as a tiny blanket. These little ones  would make a wonderful addition to any dollhouse setting. I have shown her here in a 1/12 scale crib (not included) so that you can visualize her size.   Sweetness, Giraffe and her bunting  will arrive with a signed certificate and a gift box.