Beat the Heat: Make a Drink

Thanks for your suggestions for tutorials last week! You gave me a great idea for a new series of tutorials presented by Juliet. Over to her now!

Hi everyone! Summer is on its way, so I thought it would be a good idea to make a tutorial series about fun summer projects. For the first tutorial, I'm going to show you how to make glassware and drinks like the lemonade pitcher from Sunday's picnic, specifically iced coffee. The tutorial itself is for a cup, but you can easily adapt it to make a pitcher or other glass serving piece.

You'll need tape, paper, a pencil and eraser, and markers or colored pencils.

Draw and color your drink, making sure to add a strip at the bottom. You'll need it to fold over and tape so the cup can actually stand.

Cut out the cup, making sure to also cut the parts of the cup that aren't colored (see the previous picture for comparison).

(Note: When I was taking these pictures, I could not get the picture to focus unless Juliet was in it. I guess the camera loves her!)

Tape laminate both sides of the cup. I kept part of the straw untaped to make it look more natural, like it was extending from the cup. 

Trim the tape, leaving some above the cup to look like glass or plastic.

Nothing beats a nice drink on a hot summer day! What's your favorite way to beat the heat?

Fashion Tag, Paper Doll Style

I've been tagged! Thanks Elizabeth!

In this tag, I had the dolls "narrate" their answers to the questions.

1. How would you describe your style?

Perrin: Comfort first, always. I let Violet worry if I'm stylish or not.
Violet: Bright and fashionable. I love wearing different colors and prints.
Meredith: Retro, with ice cream. (I hope that made sense.)
Quinn: Steampunk, of course.
Juliet: Mod, sixties-ish.

2. What are your wardrobe staples?

Perrin: I'll be honest, I had to Google what a wardrobe staple is. Do jeans count? I haven't taken any pictures with them, but they're really comfortable and I can wear them with any shirt.
Violet: My jewelry! It matches all my things.
Meredith: My two-tone shoes. I love black and white!
Quinn: My goggles. They look so cool, and the blue stones are a perfect color match for my skirt.
Juliet: Currently my wardrobe is quite small, so I don't have any staples yet.

3. Most expensive clothing item you own?

Violet: Since all our clothes are handmade, we don't pay cash for them. In terms of time spent making the clothes, my sweater outfit was the most expensive. Tribal print is hard to get right!

4. Most wanted item?

Perrin: Something with a galaxy print would be nice.
Violet: Whatever AG releases next in the Saige collection. I hope it's cute! I'd also love something from Liberty Jane, but that's out of the question for now.
Meredith: Some new dresses, hopefully with fun prints and Peter Pan collars.
Quinn: A dirigible. Oh wait, you mean a clothing item? I could use another shirt, but I've got enough clothing already anyway.
Juliet: I'd love some new hats.

5. Favorite Designer?

Perrin: Seeing as how everything I own is from them, I'll go with AG. Liberty Jane makes nice pieces too.
Violet: AG, Liberty Jane, and Acorn Soup on Etsy.
Meredith: MissBlythe2012 and Strumpets and Blythe on Etsy.
Quinn: Cindy Sowers from Etsy makes really nice steam-punk stuff.
Juliet: Robert Tonner, of course!

6.How much do you spend on clothing?

Perrin: Didn't Violet answer something like this in #3?

7. Favorite places to shop?

Meredith: Etsy for me and Quinn, Wilde Imagination for Juliet, and AG for Violet and Perrin.

8. Favorite Fragrance?

Perrin: I love peach and lemon scents.
Violet: The scent of paint. I know it's not so healthy to breathe so much in, but it puts me in such a creative mood.
Meredith: Frying food. It makes me hungry, and I love fried food almost as much as ice cream!
Quinn: I'll go with marshmallows roasting.
Juliet: Vanilla, I think.

9. Favorite ways to do your hair?

Perrin: Out of my face. Seriously, I can't think if my hair's all over the place.
Violet: In my signature braid, to keep it out of the way while I paint.
Meredith: Curly and down, the better to show off my awesome pink gradient hair!
Quinn: Pulled back with my headband or goggles.
Juliet: Curled and loose, with some side bangs.

10. Most prized possession?

Perrin: How is this different from the wardrobe staple question?
Violet: I'll go with my jewelry.
Meredith: Bella, of course! Does that count? No? Okay, my ice cream hat.
Quinn: I said it before, but I love my goggles!
Juliet: I just got here, so I don't have one yet.

Holly's Goodbye Party and the New Roommate

Continuing last week's photo story introduction, as "told" by the dolls. Since last week's photo shoot was narrated by the Blythes, this week Perrin is narrating.

When Holly told us she was leaving, we wanted to do something fun as our way of saying goodbye. After a few midnight meetings, we decided that a surprise goodbye party was the way to go. When Holly was out getting a new outfit, the rest of us put our plan in action. I would distract Holly, while Violet, Meredith and Quinn would set everything up in the garden.

"Holly, do you want to take a last walk around the garden before you go?"

"Sure, I'd love to. Why are you so dressed up?"

"Um, no reason. Let's go!"

"Surprise!" shouted Violet, Meredith and Quinn. They'd prepared a goodbye picnic with lobster, pineapple and shrimp skewers, lemonade, and Holly's favorite, blueberry pie. 

Holly was so surprised that she fell over backwards onto the bench. "What on earth?! When did you plan this?"

"When you were out getting a new outfit," said Violet.

"You guys are the best! Thanks so much!" said Holly. "But wait, I have something for you too." She ran back into the house, leaving us all confused.

"What's going on?" asked Quinn. "Perrin, did you know about this?"

"No, I have no clue."

"I hope she comes back soon, because I'm getting hungry," said Meredith.

Just then, Holly came back - and she wasn't alone.

"Everyone, I want you to meet your new roommate, Juliet Elise," said Holly. "Juliet, these are Perrin, Violet, Meredith, and Quinn."

"Hi," she said shyly. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No, we're just having a goodbye party for Holly," said Quinn. "And now it's also a welcome home party for you, so let's start eating!"

We all laughed and sat down to eat. While we ate, Juliet told us about her background.

"So how are you related to Holly?" asked Violet.

"We were both designed by Tonner, but we're not from the same lines - I'm an Ellowyne and she's a Little Miss Matched. It's like common ancestors in evolution." 

"You're interested in science?" I asked eagerly.

"Yes, but I'm really more into math. Are you?"

We would have launched a whole conversation about that, but Meredith cut me off.

"Don't even get her started on math and science," she said teasingly. "Anyway, you said you're an Ellowyne. Does that mean you're moody and bored all the time, and have a crazy cat named Sybil?"

Juliet laughed. "No, not really. I highly doubt I'll be bored here, and I'm super allergic to cats!"

Meredith looked very worried, and I knew she was thinking of Bella. "What about dogs?"

"No, I'm fine with dogs."

Meredith sighed in relief. 

All too soon, the party was over, and it was time for Holly to leave. After we said our goodbyes, and Holly promised to come back and visit, I lay down on my bed to think about Holly and the party. It had been so fun, and I knew that Holly wasn't leaving because she wasn't happy here, but I still miss her. I can't wait until she visits again, and Juliet seems very nice. It's going to be fun having her around.

Holly

Holly in her going-away outfit. I know that the move from being a play doll to a display doll is the right one, for her own safety, but I'm going to miss having her in the dollhouse.

The other girls have planned a surprise goodbye party, but Holly has a few surprises herself...

Hints About the New Roommate

As much as I'm going to miss having Holly in the dollhouse, I'm really excited for the new roommate. I'll share pictures on Sunday, but for now here are some hints:

1. The roommate is female.
2. The roommate is related to Holly in some way.
3. The roommate shares an initial with another of my dolls.
4. I have talked about the company that she is based from in a previous post.

Any guesses as to the new roommate's identity?

Making Sofas and Chairs

It seemed that last week the consensus was that you want to see doll furniture tutorials. Here's a really simple one for sofas and chairs. All you need is some paper, scissors, and tape.

1. The basic sofa

First, cut the paper to the size you want, and decorate it however you like. (I didn't because I was in a hurry, but you can go all out on this.)

Fold it in half like a book. 

You have a sofa! I know, it's a bit of a ridiculous tutorial. You can make it fancier by adding armrests and drawing cushions, or by trying the following variation.

2. The fold-out sofa

This works well when you have more dolls than beds and are too busy to make a bed. All you need to do is add an extra fold to the above sofa.

Instead of folding the paper in half, fold it in thirds.

Fold one third back under so it looks like the basic sofa.

You can draw a pillow on the side you fold under, and have your furniture do double duty as a bed and sofa.

3. The chair

Start like the basic sofa - cut your paper and fold it in half. Cut it again until the chair is the size you want.

You can fold it over a few times to look like a lawn chair. I didn't do it on purpose (I was just re-using the same paper from the sofa), but it looks cool.

Cut some smaller strips that are the same length for the chair legs. I used two, but you can use however many you want.

Tape them to the bottom and you have a chair! 

I hope you liked this tutorial, even though it was extremely basic. If there is anything you want a tutorial for, please, please, tell me in the comments, because I'm starting to run out of ideas.

An Award!

Thank you so much AdeleCupcake and Claire! This is such an honor.

1. If you could have a "flower pen name" like we have here on our blog, Violets and Daisies what would it be?

Probably Tulip. Some of my best childhood memories are of the tulip beds growing in the backyard.

2. What is your favorite ever Bible verse and why?

I don't really have a favorite.

3. What are the blogs which inspire you most?

In writing, probably Squeetus (Shannon Hale's web site). In doll photography, Super Inky and Agoverseasfan. And I really like Steampunk Addie. 

4. If you and your friends could visit any country in the world, where would you go?

I would love to visit Costa Rica. 

Now to award people....

The Doll Wardrobe

Dolls and Nachos

Dreams of Trees

Agoverseasfan

Paper Dolls Forever 

Room Tour and Announcement

When I set up this photo shoot, I thought it would be fun to change things up a bit and give someone else a chance to narrate. Here is the tour of the newly decorated room, presented by Meredith and Quinn.

Onto the room!

Doesn't it look so much better than last week? Look at all the fun stuff on the wall! 

You remember the painting from last week, but the shelf is new. I know it looks crooked, but it's actually straight - the photography angle was bad. There's finally a place to put astronomy books.

I finally made a steam-pug poster! Pugs are so cute. It might be fun to dress up Bella like this, so she could be a steam-chihuahua. 

I really love the YUM poster. My Paper Crane makes the most adorable things! Behind is the mirror from last week. 

I finally got a window installed, so they can see outside the bedroom. It has a great view of the lake. 

They have a new animal friend, too! Violet got a dog named Sam. He's a Border collie puppy, and he's so small that he looks like he's Bella's size. It's so funny to see a Border collie almost dwarfed by a chihuahua.

And now for the announcement, as "narrated" by the dolls:

Hi, Holly. What's going on?

I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have an announcement for the readers. N and I have been talking, and I'm going to be leaving the dollhouse.

What?!

It was a hard decision. I've been around the longest, and I'm starting to show it. My neck is starting to crease, and perhaps even with more tape I'll just rip one of these days. I'm going to move in with the original collection dolls, and you'll have a new roommate. I'll still get played with, and I may even come back and visit, but I'll be more of a display doll.

We'll miss you so much, Holly.

I'll miss you too. It's been so great living here with you. But you'll like the new roommate too - we're related, after all.  

Sneak Peek 3

Here's the next installment in what's becoming a sneak peek series - the issue of Perrin's pet. I can't decide between Meatloaf (who will probably be renamed), Honey, Cooper, or Polka Dot.

The advantage to making a dog is that the dolls can do stuff with it (walk it, etc.) and I can do photo shoots of that. The advantage of making the hamster is that it diversifies the pets and I can do tutorials on making a cage and things. The advantage to not making a pet at all is that the house will be less full.

Violet is definitely going to get Rembrandt (who will be renamed Sam), and the Blythes have Bella, so maybe the house has enough pets already. Which of these pets, if any, do you think will be the best one to make? 

Another Sneak Peek

Another photo board of things I plan to make, this time of food. It's all made by Pippaloo, except for the picnic set, which is from American Girl.

The skewers are cute, but I'm going to replace the root beer with lemonade.

Some other things I may make: a lobster, the American Girl party set (or one of Pippaloo's cakes), and some pancakes. Violet really wants a pineapple upside-down cake, but I'm trying to curb the dolls' sweet teeth and give them some healthful food, while at the same time not making too much stuff. What  foods do you recommend?  

Making Doll Instruments

PaperDollies asked for a tutorial on doll instruments, so here's an easy one for making a cello. You can adjust the basic principles here to make any instrument you want.

With most drawings, it's easiest to start them as basic shapes. Here's the top of the cello, just two rectangles.

Here's the top part of the body...

...and the bottom part. 

Now start adding detail. The eraser is your friend!

After you finish sketching, color it in and cut it out. Then put on a concert with your dolls!

Hope you found this useful. If you have any requests for tutorials, please, please comment below. I'm starting to run out of ideas, and I have no idea what kind of things you want to know how to make. 

Personality Contest Ended!

The winners of the two paper Ellowynes are Sparkie and Elizabeth! Please email me by Friday to claim your prize.

Here's my final idea for her character: Perrin is a quiet girl who likes to dance, garden, and write. She's not especially competitive and likes to keep to herself, but also enjoys spending time with her friends. Perrin loves to learn about outer space, and enjoys sushi and butter pecan ice cream.

Perrin, what are you doing with that physics book?

Well, I thought you were busy so I decided to get it from your shelf. It was awfully heavy - I had to get Violet to help me. Anyway, this stuff is really interesting.

It sure is, but it's not safe for you to be climbing around those heavy books. I'll make you your own physics book if you promise to leave mine alone, okay?

It's a deal if you get me an ice cream cone too.

Thank you to everyone who entered, and better luck in the next contest, which will hopefully happen in May or June.

The New Collection Part 1

We've reached a milestone with Paper Doll World - 50 posts and 9 followers! Thank you so much to everyone who reads, follows, and comments; it's great to know that other people love paper dolls too. In honor of the occasion, I changed the blog background. I hope you like it!

Here at last is the made-over collection, or at least part of it. I still have several things to make, and hopefully I'll have them done by next Sunday.

Meet Violet Saige and Eleanor Perrin! Choosing their names was such a miserable experience because I have issues with giving the same name to different dolls. It wasn't such an issue with Violet because Saige is the middle name, but naming Perrin was the worst because nothing seemed to fit her. Even her name Perrin doesn't "click" perfectly for me, but it suits her best of all the other names I found, so I'm sticking with it. 

Another difference from last week's photo (besides from the fact that Perrin has replaced McKenna) is that they're wearing different outfits. I finally found the time to finish two of the outfits from yesterday's board, and even though wearing a sweater may not be so comfortable in April, Violet and Perrin are glad to be out of the dresses from last week. (By the way, I made yesterday's board in Polyvore. Polyvore and Pinterest are great ways to organize the doll things that you want to make in a visual way, and they definitely keep me more sane when I'm overwhelmed by the number of things I have to make for the dolls.)

When I remade my paper doll collection, I downsized the dollhouse from two big plastic bins to an index card box. The exterior is very plain (I'm hoping to spray-paint it gold or some other fun color at some point), but check out the inside!

You open it out flat to create two separate areas to play and photograph. It's a great way to get the most play value from a small space. As you can see, the lid is the bedroom/living area and the box is a garden. The whole house is still a work in progress - I need to add more decoration to the bedroom and add more plants and things to the yard to cover up the corners - but overall I like it a lot. 

Perrin and Violet are resting on the bench, Meredith and Quinn are checking on the vegetables, and Holly is wading in the pond. When summer comes, I think I'll turn the pond or the flower bed into a fire pit and the dolls can have a cookout. What do you think would look good in the garden?

Tired from their excursion, everyone comes in to lounge on their beds. They talk about all the improvements they want to make to their new room, such as windows, carpets and posters. Quinn is begging for this steam-pug poster, and Meredith wants something from Heidi Kenney's My Paper Crane. Everyone else is still undecided, although they all like the mirror. Any ideas for fun things to brighten up the bedroom?

What I hope to finish by next week:

- the rest of Violet and Perrin's clothes

- some new clothes for Holly, who's been a bit neglected in all the Blythe-AG craziness

- new shoes for Meredith and Quinn

- food for all of them 

- pet(s) for Violet and Perrin

- all the house improvements

Hope you like the new dolls and house. Don't forget, the contest is over tomorrow!

Sneak Peek

Thanks to everyone who entered this month's contest. (If you haven't, it's open until the 15th!) I just wanted to share a sneak preview of the doll collection makeover.

Here's the board I made for the doll wardrobes. It'll be a while until they need to wear sweaters! Come back tomorrow to see the whole thing, including the dollhouse!

Name That Doll!

This week is really crazy, so instead of a tutorial today I am posting the details of this month's contest. Two lucky winners will get a paper Ellowyne of their choice, plus an extra outfit! So, what do you need to do to win?

I followed your advice and replaced the McKenna with the custom doll, but I can't think of a name or character for her. To enter this month's contest, write a comment telling me your top choice for her first and middle name, and some of her personality characteristics, such as her favorite activity and her pet*. An example entry might look like this:

McKenna Elizabeth is a gymnast from Seattle. She is a good friend and dedicated to gymnastics, but she can be very competitive and has reading comprehension issues. McKenna has a dog named Cooper.

Two winners will be chosen, one for the name and one for the personality. If one entry has my favorite name and personality, the runner up will get the other paper Ellowyne. 

The contest will end on April 15th. Have fun, and good luck!

*You're not required to include a pet, but if you do, please make it an AG pet that is not retired or was retired in 2012 for the sake of convenience. 

EDIT: The doll has a name now, so just comment with personality characteristics, not name suggestions. Thanks!

More Odds and Ends

This week's photo shoot Sunday is more odds and ends, with some photos of the new doll collection coming together and some pictures of things I want to make.

First, though, thank you so much to Carrot and Claire for choosing Paper Doll World as one of the April Superstar Sites! I'm so excited and honored.

Here are the new dolls in my made-over collection. 

Naturally, I chose Saige and McKenna :). I'm having trouble giving them middle names. Do you think that Kenna Jade Brooks sounds good, and do you prefer Saige Violet to Saige Lydia? If you have any name suggestions, please let me know in the comments.

I'm really not thrilled with how McKenna turned out, so I may replace her with a paper doll of this gorgeous custom doll belonging to Colette Denali.

From Colette Denali on flickr

She's a Jess doll with Kit's eyes and Kanani's wig (which has been given a haircut). Do you think I should scrap the McKenna and make her instead, or try and make a new McKenna?

Here are some of the things I'm making for them - you can see my Pinterest page for the rest of the things I plan to make.

In some non-paper doll news, my sister bought herself a Saige doll on Wednesday, and lent her to me to take a few pictures on Friday. 

Her headband is actually my sister's bracelet. 

This picture was so hard to take, but I think it turned out okay. 

Hopefully next week the made-over collection will be done so I can share some photos.