Mad Men have dollhouses

Did you watch tonight's episode of "Mad Men"? A Marx tin doll house was in a scene! 

It was the classic colonial model, symbol of the perfect American  home. This is mine I will be blogging about Marx when I get to the 50's in a few months. You can read about it on http://www.mckendry.net/DOLLHOUSES/1890s.htm .

You know Barbie is coming out with a Mad Men set of Don, Betty, Roger and Joan, the red headed bombshell,

I hope they make accessories. C

P.S. I don't want to ruin the plot if you haven't seen the latest episode... BUT I bet we'll be seeing it again... Dollhouse alert!

Another funny thing is people actually CALLED me to tell me ( so I guess I am the local "dollhouse crazy lady" after all) and my daughter came running up and showed me it by pointing out the one I had. Now she respects it!!!!

Speaking of crazy dollhouse ladies.... this gives me the perfect opportunity

  to show you a gift Shale brought me. I had claimed I wasn't a "crazy doll lady with 20 cats, in fact I don't even have one". So Shale brought me a cat. It is white and it chose the Biss house to live in where Jack and Jill live. I think it is interested in what is in the pail of water... So eek.. Maybe I am a crazy doll lady after all ???? C

Modern Mini: How to

So no matter how long we've been doing this, it can get tricky. I posted my "how to" post then added a picture to an earlier blog about my friend Neomig. So my post disappeared and I'm reinstating it. It's below... oh my, constantly learning!

I just want to say to Neomig and anyone else thinking of beginning a dollhouse blog, Go for it! You don't have know how to do everything, we are a great community. Every time I have asked for help, I got it. I say,

Jump in the water's fine!

Oh PS if you are a newbie and you want to show your modern scenes email me here and I'll set up posting for you. xoxo CM

The Client's House...Before

Colette got a referral from an old friend. "He needs you! He has terrible taste, and a big budget!"


Colette knew when she saw the hot tub what kind of job this would be.


"Hey!" he greeted her. "How do you like my painting? Isn't it rich..."

"Come see the bedroom...here sit next to me on the bed."

Colette declined and lifted her hand to her eyes to shut out the glare from the windows. There were no curtains to soften the bright California sun. She felt a headache beginning. "Let's go downstairs, I see I have my work cut out for me " she sighed.

That Voo Doo that you do so well...

So my younger daughter was attending a family dinner at a friend from Cal's house this weekend. The friend came here from the Middle East when she was 13 years old.

My daughter was asked, "What does your mother do?" She replied, "She collects doll houses'"

"What is that?" they asked politely, "we do not know 'dollhouses'."

"Oh", she said,"they are small versions of houses and she has a little doll that looks like her she takes pictures of".

"Oh," they asked after a pause,"Like Voo doo?"

In the Conservatory of Flowers, Colette is not sure what she thinks of this Carnivorous plant. The pockets are taller than she is!

Colette enjoyed a cable car ride.

She liked the exhibit!

She thought the Castro Movie theater was clever, showing MILK, of course.

She really liked Pac Bell Park where the Giants baseball team plays.

Then it was time to go.

It was "just another day in Paradise" as the song goes, and she was thankful.

Hacking and I don't mean coughing...

If you are a creative person you've been copied. Creative ideas are contagious. Back when I was a young Mommy and running my house I had a friend who copied whatever I did. If I made a wreath and put it on my front door, she bought one... When I got the first Market umbrella, one appeared on her deck shortly there after. When I bought legging and tunic outfits for my daughters with the big grosgrain ribbon headbands, she bought her daughters just the big headbands.(OK it WAS the '80s) I wouldn't have minded but her stuff was always more expensive than mine. Plus she never acknowledged it.

We all watched Greenbean Baby and her case of having her art copied.

http://greenbeanbaby.typepad.com/

Recently a miniturist used a gift in a scene from another. She didn't think to say where it was from and the giftgiver called the other a thief. Painful. I hope something was lost in translation.

We all grow from each other. Usually, I feel complimented when some one copies me. I think I may have used some wording I read on Pioneer Woman's blog http://thepioneerwoman.com/ because it was so catchy.

And the next blog I am posting about was covered by someone else. It is about a public exhibit my friend took me to and I can't remember where I saw it. SF Girl by bay? http://www.sfgirlbybay.com/

PS read these blogs if you don't already...

So if you posted about this exhibit email me and I will include a link in my post to your blog. Thanks CM

Dollhouse as ART

So I decided to display the remodeled Triang facade. It was a duplicate and ruined so I experimented with it.
After removing the paint I sprayed it galvanized grey. I really didn't need another house ( I have two other functioning Triangs) but love it's lines so I decided to make an arrangement on my bedroom wall.

I chose four items to make the arrangement.

With the Triang I framed a Tootsietoy add from the 1920's,

and framed the direction's Wes sent with the WesDesigns

Modern House 1 (MH1).

Yes there was a beautifully illustrated letter from Wes that came with the house. I should have noticed the placement of the chimney. The letter is a work of art itself!

Two of my favorite chairs,

The dollhouse add from the 1920's. (Six rooms for $3.00!)

I'm really happy with the way it came out and it is just another way to live with dollhouse pieces you love.

In my opinion it IS art. CM

So I was summoned to the Boardroom....

chairs 041
Originally uploaded by More2view

and I thought "How cute.
Old Mrs. Vaness from the Painted Lady Victorian House cleared her throat, "My Dear, we have had a good discussion and this is what we have come up with."
I thought of all I do for these Dollhouses and smiled, they were going to thank me!
Mrs. Vaness continued, "We have a list of Demands... and an award".
"Oh boy I'm getting an award", I smiled again.
"First", she said sternly, "we want more protection from Grandchildren..." she nodded toward Senora MasCabesa who's Hacienda House had recently been scribbled on.
Hmmmm... I thought to myself if it is a choice between dolls or grandchildren there really is no contest... and the winner isn't dolls...
"Second, we want ample warning before vacuming,
Third, Dust Covers", she gave me a disaproving look.
"Fourth, Equal budget allocation for all Houses...not JUST MODERN". Colette looked uncomfortable at this and shrugged her shoulders and sniffed.
"And last, NO cats."

All my makeovers are extreme!

Seen on ebay.What is this? Am I behind the times? Have I had my head in German ebay too long?
Is this from the show? A social comment?
Do little girls buy these to improve their scenes?
"Honey, Mommy bought you this, your arrangements need a little help?????" Do they get to demolish walls. (don't tell ANYONE, I do)
Let me know. C

MAD KEN tribute to Golden Globe Winner MAD MEN

MAD KEN tribute to Golden Globe Winner MAD MEN
Originally uploaded by mawphoto.com

PHOTO BY Michael Williams of mawphoto.com for Haute Doll Magazine with furniture by Carolyn Allen, www.mod-o-rama.com.

This is an early sneak preview of my MAD DOLLS feature for the upcoming March/April 2010 issue of Haute Doll Magazine (www.hautedoll.com) featuring fashions by Natalia Sheppard, Diorama and miniature furniture by Carolyn Allen, and Barbie repaints by Vin Trapani. This is a vintage painted-hair Ken head on a VOLKS articulated body wearing the vintage Ken fashion Saturday Date by Mattel.

Makes me laugh!

miniature invisible man
Originally uploaded by woopitydooart

There are just some things you can do with miniatures that tickle me.
Well, it's a long way till Halloween. May I just say an early "happy Valentines' Day!" But I found this creation ot Woopitydooart so amusing I just had to share it.

Click on it to see more of her clever art!

Breaking News!

Colette has been found! She was located today in the corner of a room under a pile of clothing.

She is in good shape. Her purse is missing and she is covered with graham cracker crumbs.

I have asked her what happened but so far she hasn't said a word... (There was also some pencil scribbling on the Hacienda house wall and a little candle sconce was somehow moved to the actual stairwell wall in my daughter's house, placed low to the ground) The authorities are working with this information to find the culprit. So far no one is talking.

Thank you Mini Modern

AFTER




I have seen the light!



materials used: plastic atheletic shoe box, Marx plastic chair and lamp, headboard marble knick knack laid sideways, pillow ebay craftsman, bed white cardboard box, Buddah from Texas Tiny.

Minimalism is to collecting what socialism is to capitalism. Hey just charge more and use less!

"Really Susan, they aren't pets" by Slinkachu

This creation of Slinkachu's just knocks me out! This is exactly how I felt about bees when I was little.

I love the juxtaposition of size.

I love how the bee looks like it was just hit. Wow.

Major whimsey goin down here.

"Let me show you a Christian Hacker I sold", said the real estate agent,

and she cheerfully entered "Christian Hacker" into her computer.

Antique dollhouse remodel
Originally uploaded by More2view

"Whoa, where is it? I'm getting rock bands and religious screeds?" The poor, aging, not very computer savy real estate agent was frustrated. Which brings me to my next subject.... a sense of humor

E Life

Originally uploaded by More2view

Does this LOOK like a Christian Hacker? Some one who interrupts blogs to add their personal religious tracts? Looks to me like he doesn't even OWN a computer.

R E ality

Well I received my first comment on my blog.... It was Japanese porn. For now I have removed the comment boxes.

This brings me to the subject of searching words on the internet. "Dollhouse" for example. Apparently in some languages it means house of prostitution.

And before Joss Wheelan one could google dollhouse pretty easily. Now every other image seems to be Eliza Dushku. Now we just need a Eliza Dushku action doll. Heads up to Mattel and Diamond Select figures.