Toothpick Bodies Galore

An awful thing happened last week. I ran out of bodies. Toothpick bodies, that is, for toothpick dolls. I like to have a fairly good stash on hand. So I cranked up the body-making factory & went to work. Two evenings of work later, I am once again amply supplied.

It's ok, folks - crisis averted.

Queen usurped by a Treasury

The Queen and I aren't speaking to each other.

We were doing so well for a while there, and I thought I might finish her without incident. Naive, foolish notion. I should have known it woudn't be quite that easy working with her.

Now, she wants this diamond pattern on her sleeves. I thought it would be easy enough, so I drew it into the original design. Then I started working on it. Blasted, fiddly, confounded thing. That diamond pattern has given me more grief...

I have figured out how to do it, but it's going to be very tedious & tiny. So, rather than working on it, the Queen and I have simply stopped speaking to each other.

There are two ways to resolve this. Either she consents to a simpler design, or I relent. Hmm... Considering the likelihood of the first option...I'd better get back to work.

On another note, I'm currently featured in a treasury on Etsy.com, curated by MoodyandSanguine. Check it out - lots of cool items there! My personal favorite is the Snow White locket.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=57128

From Princess to Queen

I'm so excited. After a long day at work, I get to come home & spend the evening working on an incredibly difficult 3-inch tall doll that has proven to be one of the most stressful projects I've ever designed. I think I need help.

The Queen of Hearts has been waiting, with surprising patience, as I set her aside to work on the Princesses and Pirates for the toothpick doll kits I'll be selling this summer. She has no head, and so far the lower half of her arms is nothing more than a half-inch cut of toothpick.

Time for that to change. I need a break, and she needs a diamond pattern on her sleeves. Now, how I'm going to do that...well, maybe I'll figure it out by the end of the evening.

Happy doll-making!

The Toothpick Princesses Arrive, Fashionably Late

Finally! You should feel quite special. The Toothpick Princesses have finally consented to allow their picture to be taken. We have, in order of appearance, Madeline Lily, Isabella Rose, & Alyssa Violet.

These dainty ladies are part of a kit I'm developing, which will be available in June. The kit will include instructions & materials to make the three characters above, provided you're willing to put up with these picky princesses on your crafting table! I've promised my kit testers that I would give them a teaser of the dolls they're going to be testing in April. I'm working on a Pirate kit (see previous posting).

Want to know more about these kits, & when they'll be available for purchase? Sign up for the free Angela Michelle Dolls newsletter by going to http://www.angelamichelledolls.com/.

Now, if I may, allow me to introduce the Princesses in a more befitting manner:

Isabella Rose will be your guide to making these dolls. All of the instructions will be given in her point of view, and she will ask that you kindly pay special attention when constructing her hat. And when you arrange her hair, be sure to give it the proper length. If it worked for Rapunzel...

Years ago, Madeline Lily read in Princess Perfection that princes who run afoul of the local swamp witch frequently end up as frogs. Enter Ferdinand, the friendly green frog. He may not be a prince, but he sure can write sonnets!

Alyssa Violet has a head on her shoulders - one she hopes is the fairest in the land. To assure her of her status on the Prettiest Princess list, Alyssa obtained a Magic Mirror. Although in addition to giving Alyssa her current ranking (right now, she's number 4), this Mirror also alerts her to any local sales, and provides the quickest route, among other things.

Keep on eye out for more stories & introductions for both the Princesses & Pirates!

Attack of the Toothpick Pirates!

They've landed! Captain James Kelly, center. His first (& only) mate, Lucky Pete. Stowaway, Calico Anne.

These swashbuckling adventurers are part of a kit I'm developing, which will be available in June. The kit will include instructions & materials to make the three characters above, provided you're brave enough to allow these rogues onto your crafting table! I've promised my kit testers that I would give them a teaser of the dolls they're going to be testing in April. I'm working on a Princess kit as well, but the royal ladies are still fixing their hair and were mortified at the thought of getting their pictures taken yet. Hopefully we'll see them next week!

Want to know more about these kits, & when they'll be available for purchase? Sign up for the free Angela Michelle Dolls newsletter by going to www.AngelaMichelleDolls.com.

Without further ado, a quick introduction to our band of Pirates:

Captain James Kelly is in command, or tries to be. I hope you like the looks of him, because he will be your narrator as you craft these toothpick pirates. The instructions will be from his perspective, pirate slang and all. I did convince him to be family friendly, I promise! From his sword to his jaunty tri-corner hat, he'll teach you everything you need to know (with side comments!).

First Mate Lucky Pete & his pet parrot, Percy, work their hardest to keep the Captain's ship afloat, minus a few leaks here & there. Percy is always ready to point out which spots Lucky Pete has missed. Even with his eye-patch & peg leg, this pirate is a faithful hand at the mast!

Calico Anne has had such trouble living out her dream to sail the open seas. No one wants a girl on their ship, so Anne snuck on to Captain Kelly's ship - after all, she only had to sneak past two people! She was soon discovered, but the fact that she brings along a treasure map helps make her company a little more bearable. Of course, it would be nice if she weren't such a clutz - she's slipped and dropped that map over the side of the ship more times than anyone cares to count!

That's all for now!

Mini Calories Don't Count!

Etsy Team MIDS (Miniatures in Dollhouse Scale) Feature:
Miniature Artist Blue Kitty Miniatures

It's Spring! Time for flowers, afternoon rain showers, green grass, and...the swimsuit diet. Was that a groan I heard? If you have a weakness for your corner Cake Shop & walking there every morning doesn't help the calorie disaster that occurs upon arrival, allow me to offer an alternative...

Introducing the exceptional (& calorie free!) fare of Etsy artist Blue Kitty Miniatures.

(Click on any of the pictures below to go directly to the item listing)

Wish your wedding cake looked like this? So does your blushing dollhouse bride. This cake, from the bottom roses to the top pearls, measures about 2 inches (50 mm) tall. I'll give you a moment to pick your jaw up off the floor...

Recovered? It will only last a moment. If neither you nor your dollhouse residents are celebrating a special occasion anytime soon, let me propose to you that there is always an occasion for cookies! Particularly when they come from this adorable miniature Black & White Tuxedo Cat Cookie Jar. Best part? The cookies are included! Click on the kitty picture above to see the "Awww!"-inducing teeny cookies that come with this Cookie Jar.

Bet you never knew that you desperately wanted a miniature herbal book with a goggle-eyed plant creature peeking out, huh? You do now. One of my all-time favorites - I've been fighting the temptation to buy a dollhouse just so I could house this little guy. Resolve...failing...

Do you need a moment to pick up your jaw again? Pretty soon, your dollhouse family is going to forget they're in a dollhouse, when even the flowers that get knocked over look this real!

Do you remember getting cakes like this when you were a kid? No? Then make up for it by providing them for your dollhouse children! Their permanent smiles will thank you.

Want to see more of Blue Kitty's work? How about a golfing novelty cake? A ladybug cookie jar? A Toadstool House Novelty Cake? Step right over...

Toothpick Dolls from Yesteryear

If you're looking for the Advanced Toothpick Doll Tutorial advertised in the Angela Michelle Dolls Newsletter, click here. If you don't receive the Angela Michelle Dolls Newsletter & feel hopelessly out of the loop, click here.

This week I'm showing off some of my very first dolls (from about 15 years ago), done in the first fledgling years of my career as a teenage doll-maker.

Today I would like you to meet...

A few of the typical dolls I used to do (typical other than martians & Star Wars, I mean).

A stylin' curlytop with an oh-so-chic butt skirt. About the same time I picked up on toothpick dolls, someone gave me a little container of various felt shapes - circles, hearts, ovals, flowers, etc. This, along with some lace scraps, became my accessories of choice when fashion designing for the toothpick community (a highly overlooked demographic group, by the way).

This Lady in Blue models a green felt flower folded in half for her purse, & a black felt oval draped over her head in something that hopefully resembles a hat. The decoration on the hat is a piece cut out from a strip of lace. The innovation of a 13-year-old - something I wish I had back, at times!


When fashion supercedes function, you know you've hit high design. This look features a huge pink felt heart draped across the arm & accented with bits of lace. Not sure she can move that arm, but toothpick dolls have never really clamored for ease of movement, luckily. Her hair is set in a style that was supposed to make it look like her bangs were draping down over one eye, but instead kind of makes her look like she forever has her head turned to the side. Looking at...?

Ah, one of my first attempts at a full skirt & other drape-y things. I was quite proud of this Princess-Lady when I made her so many years ago. She had looong hair (down to her feet) and a little crown-tiara thing going on. Unfortunately, she met the fate that a few dolls met during those beginning years - she had her neck broken while I was carrying her around in my jeans pocket at school. I did learn...