Super cool doll house

Sinter

2011-12-24T23:14:00.000-05:00

So Santa went to the doctor for his millenial physical. UH OH, hypertensive, pre-diabetic, high LDL, low HDL, and we wont' even mention the triglycerides.... ugh... So Santa and the Mrs go on a diet, make a lot of healty changes and get a new PR guy. This year, he comes out as the new and improved Santa, re-branded as SINTER. A new jolly fellow for the new jolly age. Ain't that just sexy! -enjoy

Sinter reviews the naughty and nice list.

Slim fit jacket and fedora, the man about the office look.

Isis Claus gets her man ready for the big night.

Isis loves Christmas Eve. The one night she gets some "me" time!

Sinter on his motor cycle "Sleigh-er." Ever hear of horse power? This machine boast 8 reindeer under the hood. Isis makes sure he wears his helmet. Safety first!

...AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT! MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM SUPERCOOLDOLLHOUSE!

thanks to all the members, I hope to give you more in 2012.

-Mark

Petra Noir

2011-12-24T22:50:00.001-05:00

If you poke around the interwebs you can find some very interesting things. For instance, many cultures out there have Santa AAAAND Santa's antithesis. A character who travels with Santa and punishes the naugty children. This link here will tell you of a few. I've always been a fan of balance, ying and yang. Light and dark, good and evil, sunshine and rain, Midge and Francie etc. So here I present Petra Noir, a play on the name Black Peter, one of Santa's unloving companions. It's just two photos, but it's enough. All the little Kellys and Skippers of the doll world better "watch out." -Enjoy

Petra Noir and her assistant Krampoint.0 review the naughty list that the nice man forwarded her. Krampoint.0 reads the handwritten list and Petra cross checks the digital data base she keeps. Evolved from her predecessors, Petra neither whips the naughts or even eats them for Christmas dinner. She just hacks into their new e-toys and crashes them. She also delivers a traditional lump of coal for good measure.

E.L.F.

2011-12-24T22:30:00.000-05:00

Happy Festivus! The uber PC, slightly naughty term used to celebrate all the winter holidays! "Gearing" up for the big night is a certain someone's E.L.F. or Electronic Labor Force!

-Enjoy

Scanner on the left scans and inventories the incoming goods from the many retailers that the 'man' sources from across the globe! Gone are the days of meat elves complaining about long work hours, and insurance claims. Toys are ordered online now, sent to the North Pole and distributed among the nice children of the world. Spanner on the right is in charge of logging each outgoing present and makes sure each deserving child is on the "list."

Que-cee does that quality control. This E.L.F. makes sure no toys are broken as they leave the north pole. Que-cee also makes sure that outgoing goods meet the North Pole's health and safety standards for toys. The highest standards globally!

Dragger is in charge of off loading the freight containers that arrive daily. Bagger is in charge of getting each gift that has been secured for delivery to the correct loading area for delivery. It's very important to get the correct gift to the correct magical bag. They are interchangeable and versatile, able to switch jobs as the incoming and outgoing activity varies from one time of the year to another.

Some things are still done by the 'man' though. He manually looks over the naughty or nice list, and informs his E.L.F. crew as to the status of each child.

Hustle and Bustle

2011-11-25T23:20:00.005-05:00

... and so it begins again. Full of turkey and a chill in the air. I've been in retail my entire professional career, 16 years as a Visual Merchandiser, and I'm always excited to see the crowds poor in the doors and really get the Holiday mojo going. I am not however excited to be in the crowd. Having Black Friday off is a rare treat, but I sort of do miss seeing the excitement of the official kick off to the holidays. To pay tribute to all the people keeping the economy going, and giving me something to smile at I give you a Super Cool Doll House day in town. Belated Happy Thanksgiving! -enjoy

behind TJ are two of my newest models Viktor James and Collette

Hey there!

Ho there!

Power siblings Romain and Eugenia

Cape Henlopen

2011-06-27T20:23:00.005-04:00

This passed weekend we got the heck out of dodge and went to the beach! Me and the real doll nerd packed up the car, the dog and a few dolls and headed down to the Delaware coast. My favorite beach is Cape Henlopen State Park. You can take your dog there. What would a Supercool getaway be without a few doll photos? -enjoy

World War Two era gun tower at Cape Henlopen.

At the base of the tower was an old rusted out door, perfect for a little shoot.

This is TRDN's Momoko.

I've decided that these two are my new travel dolls. Susie and Coe.

I wish I had taken a few more shots, but hey! I was on vacation : )

For more pics, visit my Flickr photostream! You'll see my doggie.

sooo....

2011-06-13T17:23:00.003-04:00

... if one does not publish on the date one enters a post... the publish date will still be the day it is entered... not last edited... good to know... see below... I entered the text 9 days before, but did not publish with photos until later... is there a way to get around this?

Oh... the drama of it all....

2011-06-03T23:13:00.005-04:00

I’m not a big fan of the theater but I’m a great fan of THEATER.

I love the concept of going to a darkened auditorium, and letting the actors transport me to another place… but the reality is, the whole thing bores me silly. Perhaps I’ve been and still am too poor to afford good theater, or maybe I’m a gen-x slacker who needs special effects and million dollar budgets in order to buy into the story presented. Possibly, somewhere out there, exist actors just waiting to impress me.

On the other hand there is THEATER, of life that is. You know the kind when you’re just minding your own business and you get a glimpse of someone's life... and you're all up in their cool aid? You can see the emotion between people, but you can just hear a bit and you can't read lips and you're like... What's that all about? No? just nosey ole me? … YOU KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT… THEATER!

Anyway… I’ve been inspired. I’d been looking for a sky background for my scenes. I’ve been using plexi with the blue protective film still attached. It’s worked, but they’re in small sections and the blue is starting to peel. So, I ordered blue window film and adhered it to a large piece of clear plexiglass. When I had it all set up, it reminded me of my high school’s auditorium and stage, a clean crisp canvas where students would dance, or sing or put on a play. Well here’s a nice little place for some doll Theater I thought. And here it is. - Enjoy

At the beach. First date? Proposal? Break up?

At the store. Frenemies? Sisters?

At a restaurant two tables away. Why's he nervous? Is she crying or laughing?

At the airport. Brother in-laws? Modern family?

On a city street. What?!

Memories of My Mother

2011-05-28T21:07:00.005-04:00

If you've been a reader of this blog you'll know that in the fall of 2009 my mother had open heart surgery, twice. After that her recovery was slow but hopeful. She eventually made it home on July 2, 2010. My sisters, brother, dad and I were able to spend some real quality time with her. No hospital, no doctors, no nurses, just us. The powers that be had other plans for our family though. Mom passed away early one morning near Thanksgiving. We saw through the darkness and recognized we were blessed to have what time we had with her, and true to the season we were thankful. It's crazy that all happened six months ago. Some days life passes as if everything is fine, other days the enormity of it all can be crushing, I'm pretty sure that's normal : ) So here we are at Memorial Day weekend, I thought I'd share a bit of my life with you folks. -enjoy

Mom was a nurse, she wore nurse whites and school cap her entire professional life, no scrubs for her. She was just the right lady to have a funny little son, she helped him grow up to be a neat guy, if I do say so myself.

Mom was a fan of comfortable clothes, but when it was time to be dressed to the nines, she was very well heeled. She also made sure her kids looked great too.

She came to the U.S. from the Philippines in 1957, bringing with her a strong work ethic. She had no problem working and putting us to work.

Even if she wasn't part of the main action, she always made her presence felt. I think I miss this most of all.

Where's the Tardis

2011-05-24T22:08:00.002-04:00

So I've entered the BBC's Where's the Tardis contest. The Tardis is from the sci-fi show "Doctor Who" and is the Doctor's spaceship/time machine. Tardis stands for time and relative dimension in space. FYI. Just thought you'd like to know. It's a rehash of a past entry, plus a new photo! If you're on Facebook, be sure to like my entry. I'll post the link below. I sort of didn't follow the norm. Seems everyone posted the outside of the spaceship, like they asked, but I entered one of my interiors. Oh well... as they say... send it up the flag pole and see who salutes. This is very fun for me. Enjoy!

Where's The Tardis

Happy Easter!!!!!

2011-04-23T22:35:00.002-04:00

OH EM GEE... I haven't posted in five months... It's actually an improvement over my last break... lol. Last time I went six months... this was only five, so I've improved! Winning. Anyway, it's been a busy time for me. I've experienced a devastating loss, yet in that darkness a bit of light has peeked through. I'll share more on this later. Right now I'd like to wish everyone a joyous Easter, a time for remembrance, revitalization and rebirth. Peace! Enjoy.

I Need a Doctor!

2010-11-15T18:29:00.005-05:00

... here I am, with my tail between my legs... I know, I know... haven't been very active on the blog scene, but alas I'm here now ha HA! It's been six long months since I've produced anything, no real reason why, perhaps just a bit of malaise. BUT... revel in the dark as it makes the light so much more joyous or whatever... lol.

Anyway, came down with a nasty cold(thanks TRDN), and have been out of commission for a few days. As I lay in my chair watching TV, this diorama was giving me the evil eye as it's been languishing on the shop table for literally months. So, I got my little paint brush out and gave it a good dusting, added a few details and started clicking away the digital camera. I got a little inspiration for this this past Saturday when BBC America played the entire Series 5 of the modern Doctor Who.. and with this dumb cold, I sure could use a Doctor!

I was hoping to have made a tiny Tardis police box by now, but here we are. Enjoy

Flying the Tardis! SZhooVA...SZhooVA...SZhooVA!

Sonic Screw Driver!

Companions Suzie and Poe

What would the Tardis be without The Doctor?

It's bigger on the inside!

In case you were wondering: Suzie's wig: made by TRDN, Poe: A GI Joe Clone head on a Flava's body, Tardis Console: a pie dish, with a bud vase, and all kinds of doo dads hot glued on, lighting is from IKEA from assorted times, floor: IKEA shelf liner, coat rack: Gloria, painted, Chairs: off of ebay, and all kinds of things, but those are the unique things!

For more pics visit my Flickr site.

Eat your Cake and Have it Too... Isha (and Kiana) Take the Cake

2010-05-26T23:03:00.006-04:00

Hey look at me... two months and two posts! Still been busy spending time with my mom as she continues her recovery. I was able to knock this up though. Here I get to show off some Re-Ment pieces I bought over the winter holiday. Additionally TRDN ooak'd the little wedding cake on the table. Here's a cute little bakery that Isha and Kiana wandered into one day. Perhaps Isha was celebrating Mother's Day. Isha can be very secretive about her personal life though, so who knows.... actually who cares, they're dolls, HA! -enjoy

oooooo, cake!

Visit my Flickr account for more photos!

April Showers....

2010-04-25T23:20:00.003-04:00

... so I'm stuck in the house on this glorious rainy day, and I thought, hey don't I have a blog? Sure I do and why don't I get my lazy me in gear and take a picture or two... I hope my visitors and 63 fans haven't given up on me! 2010 has been a year of blessings so far. My mom is slowly getting better, I've started a new career path and I've decided to pare down my belongings to the essentials. Very hard to do when collecting teeny tiny doll things is your hobby of choice. Anyway, this door and outfit were some of my Christmas presents from the Real Doll Nerd! Just a little fashion photography to get me back in the saddle. The door is from the Buyers Choice collection of accessories, and the gown is classic Oscar de la Renta from the 80's. Just one photo for now...-Enjoy!

Happy New Year(late)/ It Runs In the Family

2010-01-31T21:02:00.007-05:00

HI Everyone! Today, I finally feel like the Holidays are over, I guess I'm a month behind. My mom's doing much better and is making a slow recovery, but it's still a recovery! I've been spending a lot of my free time with her, so no time for blogging! Anyway, my sister hosted a really enjoyable Christmas lunch. I took some pics of her decorations. I thought these might brighten everyone's day, now that we're in the deepest darkest part of winter. As you can see, the love of dolls run in the family. Enjoy!

Snowflake suite.

Assorted Christmas Cuties

Reindeer Games

Gingerbread Cookie Coup

Babes in candyland

Please visit my Flickr photo stream for more of these holiday pics.

P.S. I just crossed my year anniversary of blogging! More than 6,000 hits! Thanks for everyone's support.

Festival of Light

2009-12-20T23:11:00.004-05:00

Happy happy everybody! I can't believe my last entry was way back in October. Since then, my mother's health has been critical. A second open heart surgery and lots of prayers later, she's finally on the mend!

I put together these photos to celebrate and honor Hanukkah and the winter solstice. Enjoy!

Don't Be Scurred

2009-10-30T23:28:00.004-04:00

I couldn't let Halloween pass without a post! Back in the summer, I had a really great idea for a month of Halloween posts, but it didn't happen like I'd hoped. I was gladly giving my spare time and energy helping my mom recuperate. She's doing better by the way : )

I did have time to whip these photos together. Enjoy.

Death by fabulous: TJ bites it Lady Gaga style, via a chandelier (click image for a larger view)

Dan, I won't be ignored....

Guess who?

Putting on her face for a night out....

Hope it's not too dark!

Slow Progress is Still Progress!

2009-10-13T23:30:00.003-04:00

Whew! It was a challenging September for me personally; my family and I saw our mother through open heart surgery. She survived the surgery, and recovery is slow, but she is recovering. I titled this post as it relates to my little master suite, but I realize it's also very appropriate with regard to my mom.

Here are some pics of the progress so far, just a little ways to go now. Hopefully that sentiment carries through to other parts of my life. Get well soon Mommy. Enjoy.

Isha and Pierre, the first dolls who came to live at the Super Cool Doll House settle into their new room.

Stay tuned for more details!

Slowly But Surely

2009-09-07T23:37:00.006-04:00

... so I've been able to slowly work on my latest room. Here is a preliminary picture of the space... pretty good if I do say so myself : ) This will be the master suite at the Super Cool Doll House.

-enjoy!

p.s. I may be a little short on posts this month... I'll be spending time with family.

New Room a Comin'

2009-08-31T21:27:00.003-04:00

So I've been quite the sloppy blogger lately. I usually try to post at least once a week, but this past August, I've found myself busying myself with enjoyable yet mindless pursuits. I have found time to build a new room, I just have to get to the finishing touches. Here's a picture of the progress so far. Hope I have something SuperCool to show you next week!

Dedicated to the Best Kitty Ever

2009-08-11T20:23:00.004-04:00

Nine years ago when I left my folks house, I decided I'd like to have a kitty live with me (and my roommate and her cat). After weeks of meeting all the different cats in the Baltimore area, I met my little Lola. The BEST KITTY EVER. She was a buff colored sweetheart who loved people, was so gentle and made my life just a little sweeter. When I moved from my apartment and coudn't keep her anymore, my sister and her fiance adopted her and gave her a life she so well deserved. She had a huge house to run around in, she spent weekends at the shore, and was cared for so well. This past weekend, we all had to say goodbye to little Lola, she fell ill and wasn't able to recover. We don't know how old she really was, but for at least eight years she was showered with affection and she repaid it tenfold. This post is dedicated to the little angel who will always be with us. Enjoy.

Visit my Flickr account to see more photos.

Boudoir

2009-08-02T22:38:00.005-04:00

...and I'm back. After a much needed sabbatical, I got it in gear and did a new room! When I received my Dynamite TJs, I decided they needed to take up residence in the Super Cool Doll House. I think they're as stunning(despite the lack of quality control at Integrity, more on this later) as any FR lady. So, for the first bedroom of the Super Cool Doll House, I give you the TJs boudoir. You may have remembered I absolutely abhor the color pink, BUT, as I was looking through some interior design mags, I saw this color combination and I loved it. To ammend, I like pink when it's done right. I hope I did it right. Enjoy!

College room mates TJ and TJ enjoy their first morning at the Super Cool Doll House.

Visit my Flickr photostream for more photos.

In case you were interested:

floor: fashion velvet from Jo-Ann

walls: Art Deco Pink by Valspar

bed: Gloria, spray painted gray

bed linens: assorted fabric from Jo-Ann

amoire: Barbie, spray painted gray

chair and vanity: Barbie, spray painted gray

curtain panel: wallpaper sample

lamp and mirror: from a 1/12 collection by Melissa and Doug

mural: original photo of a vintage Barbie by TheRealDollNerd

Even Super Quicker

2009-07-20T18:39:00.008-04:00

I'm still on my little dolly sabbatical! I've been working very hard in 1:1 scale (aka real world) and had a sick doggie(that was fun...). Anyway, I thought I'd put some pics up of my little mini-me, I took these awhile back. You may have wondered who the little guys are on my masthead, and even if you haven't wondered, I'm telling you anywayz : ) The little guy is Tao-tao, and the the gal is Tanpopo. These two started life as Jun-Planning Ai dolls. Here's a link to their page on the company website. These dolls have the oddest expressions, like a baby with an old soul. I gave Tanpopo to TheRealDollNerd for Christmas 2007, and he gave me one for my birthday, a few days later.

I'm a winter holiday baby... if you ever have a baby during this time, don't tell them the Christmas party is for them and that the fireworks at the New Year are part of their birthday celebration. Do however, buy them special birthday wrapping paper, buy actual birthday gifts (not a Christmas/Birthday gift, I've done the math, it's never the same as two gifts), and celebrate their birthday as it's own special thing... Geez, I need to go talk to someone about this.... I've digressed.

Anyway, little Tao-tao is my lil' avatar. He's not in 1:6 scale, or any scale I can readily discern. He gets to have all the non 1:6 scale miniatures that come my way. Great fun! One day I'll have a little house for him that's full of funny little things that are just a touch out of scale... but let me run through my 1:6 obession first... enjoy!

Super Model

It's tough being Super Cool

Hey dummy, time to go save the Earth! *

The little Doctor and Companion *

* Finally, tonight, BBC America will start broadcasting Torchwood series 3! So, I threw a few Doctor Who/Torchwood references in for good measure....

...and here's a link to a crappy little movie I made called "Dalek in the Tardis." What great fun I have.

In case you were wondering:

wigs- custom made by TheRealDollNerd

Click here for pics of the AI dolls original outfits and wigs.

sofa- 1/4 scale dollar store find

silver machine- a broken mini air compressor

floor- drawer liner

Tanpop's dress- custom fabric, pattern and fabrication by TheRealDollNerd

Tao Tao's pants-Bratz boys pants, cut short

Super Quick

2009-07-13T22:06:00.005-04:00

This week's post is a Super Quickie. I've been feeling a little burnt out, so I'm taking a well deserved rest. I thought I'd revisit the Super Cool Kitchen, and display my two newest chicks. The Dynamite Girls' Valentine TJs! Ever since I saw them in a photo shoot in Haute Doll, April 2009, I thought they were super hot. Quite recently I got bitten by the shopping bug and decided they needed to come live at the Super Cool Doll House. (along with Darius and Lucas) I was surprised I'd dig them so much as they aren't from the Fashion Royalty line. (If you haven't noticed I have a little OCD when it comes to pairs and sets....) But they are Jason Wu, so I guess it's okay. These two are really fun, they are shorter than the FR ladies and not as busty, so they can wear all those cute Barbie things I hang on to. Anyway, enjoy!

Tara Jean and Terry Jane look at the floor plans for their bedroom at the Super Cool Doll House. (I'm actually trying to build them a room! Stay tuned...)

Gone Fishin'

2009-07-06T21:49:00.009-04:00

The festivities of this past weekend (Independence Day) made it very clear that summer is definitely here. It got me to thinking of the days when I was still in school and had an entire 3 months off for vacation. All that time wasted on a child. What would I do with that time now? Easy, I'd go fishing.... that's not a waste of time. Here's Lucas and Darius, my two newest enjoying life on a pier by the Super Cool bay. To see more of my pictures visit my Flickr photostream. Enjoy.

dumb drunk bird

In case you were wondering:

water: it's a fabric, it's stretchy, maybe a velour or a cheapy crushed velvet, in olive

(who knew?)

June Bride

2009-06-29T23:41:00.007-04:00

Here we are at the end of June! Time is flying by. I couldn't let this month pass without doing a bridal post. Especially since today is my folk's 52nd wedding anniversary! Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad. This post also includes my first architectural exterior. Not bad for the first time, if I do say so myself. I tried to emulate those pretty white churches one sees while driving around the country side. Enjoy!

To see more pictures, visit my Flickr account.

In case you were wondering:

Steps: video casette cases

Columns: 13" cake risers

Column base: cardboard boxes painted

Stain glass windows: images from a calendar

Door: two 5x7 wood frames stacked and painted, accented with a little trim

Lawn: painted welcome mat, see the Easter Parade post for how I did it.

Father's Day and Midsommar!

2009-06-21T23:31:00.006-04:00

This weekend brought two special days! Number one Father's Day and (at least throughout Scandanavia) Midsummer. Super Cool Doll House thought it would be fun to combine the two events into one post.

For the Mother's Day post I aknowledge that Barbie is the mother of all modern fashion dolls. If Barbie is their mother, I'd pick GI Joe as their father. Why you may ask? My answer is simply because GI Joe has been tricked out with joints since the very begining. Way before Kyori Sato every struck a pose with her jointed body, Joe was kneeling, climbing, crawling through many a terrain. So we forgive Joe his fashion attire, but we thank him for inspiring fashion doll makers to make sure that today's doll can kill a catwalk without blinking a vinyl eye.

In conjunction with Father's Day, it's the summer solstice! The longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. Through work I've learned a bit about this day in the Scandanavian world. Boy, those Swedes sure take this seriously! Along with Finland, Norway, Iceland and Denmark, that part of the world is getting ready for one of their biggest parties of the year! They will raise a maypole, feast at a smörgåsbord, enjoy many libations and celebrate the victory of light over darkness! To see more photos, visit my Flickr Account.

Happy Father's Day to my Dad who always looks out for me and taught to nevery pay for what you can do yourself. Happy Midsummer to everyone! Enojoy.

Bar

2009-06-14T23:36:00.006-04:00

This past week, I trucked on down to Washington DC to hang with a good friend. We ended up at a very chic Washingtonian happy hour. Y'know the kind of place that has no shame charging a buck fifty for a lil' hamburger slider? (actually quite reasonable, but I live in the world of a $1 MCchicken) All in all, if done right (and this place was!) it's money well spent. I took my little excursion as inspiration for this week's post. Click here for more photos on my Flickr Account. By the way it's pride season on the east coast of the US, so Super Cool Doll House wishes everyone well and hopes you live it up! Enjoy.

The bar fills up quite quickly after the parade!

In case you were wondering:

Benches: Barbie beds, painted

Floor: Drawer mat from IKEA

Shelves: CD storage

Green light: Christmas ball, filled with battery powered mini lights

Weekend Getaway

2009-06-08T23:01:00.005-04:00

So I ran away to Rehoboth, Delaware for the weekend! I didn't get the chance to do a proper post this past weekend as I was totally unplugged! No computer, no internet, and my cell phone even died. I did have the forsight to bring some dolls with me so I could take pictures on the beach, here are just a few. These are my stunt dolls that I use for spacing and staging before I bring my "good dolls" in. I figure if the undertow took them I wouldn't be that heart broken. Look for a new post this coming weekend! Enjoy.

Recital

2009-05-30T23:44:00.007-04:00

Super Cool Doll House took it easy again, doing a quick set up. This one was fun to do though. I finally got to use this piano that, The Real Doll Nerd gave me a while back. In addition, I found a reason to justify all the extra dolls I just can't give rid of! Plus after I went to a bunch of discount stores I came home with the Lucy and Ethel Kelly dolls, this post is a sweet way to show them off. I"m not really into Kelly, but these two are really cute. Visit my Flickr account for more pictures. Enjoy!

Isha conducts Kelly and Kelly's duet, I think they're singing something about Paris.

Takeo hammers a tune out on the piano.

Francisco wows the audience with a concerto.

The main attraction Adele, sings the audience into a trance.

The whole cast takes a bow.

In case you were wondering:

Curtain: metallic knit

Lights: "Department 56" lights

Piano: music box, it is labled "Wonderland" It originally had a magnetic ballerina that danced on the lid.

I Spy with a 1/6 Eye

2009-05-24T18:17:00.010-04:00

This past week my partner The Real Doll Nerd presented me with a Jack Bauer of "24" action figure. We both agreed the action figure itself was okay, but the clothes and accessories were really pretty good. Sunglasses, brief case, cell phone, guns and shirt were appropriated to my Fashion Royalty Homme wardrobe. The action figure and accessories inspired this weeks entry. Enjoy!

Click on the image for a closeup. Check out Isha on the Screen.

In case you were wondering:

Fireplace: Gloria, not customized. Interior of fireplace are circuti board coasters I found at Target on sale.

Flat screen TV: a portable DVD player, the bottom half fits perfectly behind the fire place. The images shown are pictures of Isha and a soldier doll. I burned them onto a DVD.

Floor: Drawer mat from IKEA

Chairs: vintage Barbie, painted black

Blue prints: fabricated by The Real Doll Nerd, images found online and manipulated to 1/6 scale

Click here to see the original elements.

Click here to see more at my Flickr photostream.

My Own Favorites...

2009-05-17T16:38:00.007-04:00

Super Cool Doll House thought he'd take it easy this week and post some pictures that never made it to the blog or were hidden in the slide show that lots of visitors skip. These are actually some of my favorites but because of whatever reason, have not been enjoyed yet. Enjoy!

Adele and Takeo have a moment in the foyer. This one didn't make it because I didn't like this rug.

Pierre and Isha have an even bigger moment in the living room. This pic actually made it in under the "Blog is in the Details." Most visitors don't take the time to watch the slide show it's in. If you have time, take a look, it's cute. link

Teeny Tiny, I love setting stuff like this up. I use tweezers to place everything. Also in the entry "Blog is in the Details." link

Adele wonders if spaghetti was the right thing to serve...and so did Super Cool Doll House. This photo was re shot without the spaghetti. The photo that made it was also included in "Blog is in the Details." link I still like this one though, I don't think I captured exactly the same thing in the re shot photos.

If you've been reading the blog, you may already understand that I like to look through the window and see. Stalking my own dolls... what's that about?

Luckily for you, 5 photos per post are the limit. Otherwise I may have gone all day with pictures that I think are worthy. Anyway, it was a nice relaxing weekend with no big doll project. I got to overeat at the Hibachi Grill Supreme Buffet, hang with one of my best friends and take a few naps... and next week? Many ideas, let's see which idea gets to be.

Mums the Word

2009-05-10T00:16:00.009-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to the many counties that honor mothers today and happy any other day to the rest of the world! In celebration of all our mothers, Super Cool Doll House pays homage to the mother of all fashion dolls, Barbie. Boy oh boy, pink is not really Super Cool Doll House's bag, and if you listen closely, you may hear me wretch a little. In any case I hope you enjoy this sweet little room. Happy Mother's Day to my Mom, who taught me how to craft and get everything done in the nick of time... and Happy Mother's day Barbie. Who without, none of us doll nerds would have anything to play with.

P.S. thanks Urrgghh of Pink Parlor for sharing this blog with the board.

In case you were wondering:

Floor and drapes: craft fabric from Michael's

Walls: Gift wrap

Flower arrangement: spray paint can top, styrofoam ball, scrap book roses, spanish moss. Fabricated by my partner, The Real Doll Nerd.

Sculpture: flea market find, owned by my parnter, The Real Doll Nerd.

Barbie: she is a number four wearing vintage Barbie,"Theater Date" with "Continental Holiday Silkstone" layered under

Momoko: she is wearing, vintage Skipper "Party Pink"

Adele and Susie: bits of this and that

all Fashion provided by my partner, The Real Doll Nerd.

Apartment Therapy

2009-05-09T07:02:00.004-04:00

I must remember to be humble but I'm so excited! "Apartment Therapy Los Angeles" did a blurb about Super Cool Doll House too! Apartment Therapy is an interior design website that features different peoples living spaces from around the USA. Here's a quick link to the blurb.

Apartment Therapy

To visit their main site, use the link in the right column.

Enjoy.

NERDABOUT

2009-05-07T17:25:00.006-04:00

Just about a month ago I recieved an email from a woman named Joanna. She said she'd stumbled across my blog (this blog!) while doing a search for LED lights. Turns out Joanna is a writer for Science Channel's blog NERDABOUT New York and wanted to write about me and my blog. NERDABOUT is a blog about exploring peoples interests... "There is no event too geeky, no hobby too nerdy, to be given its due."

I didn't know I was going to be so excited about this but I am! Click the link below to see the first post about my blog, and Joanna says she'll post a second one in about two weeks. Enjoy!

NERDABOUTNYC

Feelin' Groovy

2009-05-03T21:43:00.011-04:00

Starting out my life in the 70s left a very big impression on me. Mostly an orange impression. Oh my... all that orange. Despite all the design faux pas from that era, not to mention all the faux woods, furs and bricks, some stuff is worth keeping. Here is my homage to the 70s. When Pepsi was fine in the toddler's bottle, dads smoked in the car on the way to church, and polyester was a versatile fabric. Visit my Flickr photostream for more photos. Enjoy!

In case you were interested:

sofa and chair: 70s Barbie furniture customized with wood veneer and fabric

rug: Upholstery fabric from IKEA's as-is department

floor: High gloss vinyl, scored to look like planks

wall: Sintra(board made of PVC) panel scored to look like brick

table: Plexi display riser

side tables: Resin boxes from the dollar store

lamp: made from a napkin ring, wood dowel, and battery tea light from IKEA

window covering: Piece of a place mat

mobile: Shell bead

art glass: Glass pendant

Kyori's hostess pajamas: Made by my partner, The Real Doll Nerd, from a tie!

Namaste

2009-04-26T17:25:00.006-04:00

This weekend's weather in Baltimore, Maryland can only be described as summerlike! The heat, and the energy of the world makes me want to get in shape and enjoy the world. This inspired me to show off my two Hot Toys' action figures in a yoga garden. These guys have super posability and yoga is the perfect way to show that off. Visit my Flickr photostream for more pictures. Enjoy.

My two guys from Hot Toys. Click here for the original internet images and a link to Hot Toys.

Meditate. Lotus pose or padmasana.

Back: Adho mukha shvanasana or downward facing dog pose. Front: moving into the Halasana or plough position.

Back: Maricyasana or spinal twist. Forward: Sarvangasana or shoulder stand.

Expand and Contract. Balance excercises between the two.

Back: Dhanursana or bow pose. Forward: Naukasana or boat pose.

Powder My Vinyl

2009-04-19T19:58:00.005-04:00

Even a vinyl person needs to excuse himself once in while. Visit my Flickr account for more pictures. Enjoy!

Above and below: Francisco Leon models his new threads from Taylor's V.

Look them up on Ebay.

In case you were wondering:

Cabinet under window: From 2002's Barbie Classroom Playset. Click here for the original color.

Toilet wall treatment: From the Barbie Fashion Mall, sprayed black and accented with raspberry paint. Click here for the original color.

Toilet: Artful joke toilet, painted black, click here for original picture.

Vanity: From a Barbie bathroom set, click here for original color.

Floor: Scrap book paper

Wall paper: From IKEA as is department, the extra lenth from a pair of hemmed curtains.

Ballerina: From the collection of my partner, The Real Doll Nerd.

Accessories: A mix of Gloria, Barbie and beads from my friend AMR.

Easter Parade

2009-04-11T19:56:00.014-04:00

I call this entry "Easter Parade" for no other reason than I like the way it sounds. How unfortunate it's the title of a Judy Garland, Fred Astaire movie, nothing against the movie, I just hate being associated with JG. Enjoy!

Isha attends Good Friday services

Momoko at the Easter Sunrise services

The Fashion Royalty ladies in 80s Barbie or Heart Family dresses.

Kayla and Kelley in their Easter dresses.

Misaki and Francisco taking a smoke break. Go to Flickr to see Francisco in his bunny costume!

In case you were interested:

The stained glass window is from a calendar of stained glass windows.

The stone wall in the garden pictures was part of Mattel's "International High School" from their "Generation Girl" line.

The lawn for the photo shoot was made from an IKEA door mat called "Trampa." It was spray painted with 2 different shades of green and one shade of yellow.

The flowers all came from the craft or dollar store.

The bunny birdbath was something I had squirrelled away many moons ago.

Francisco's bunny costume is a dollar store rabbit, unstuffed.

Click here for some pictures of the original elements.

Boutique

2009-04-05T13:35:00.007-04:00

One of my good friends from college sent me a bunch of her findings for miniatures. Turns out she has a collection that she can't enjoy just yet and thought I could use some of it. I put together this store store using some of the awesome beads she sent me. Click here for my FlickR photostream for more details. Enjoy.

P.S. thanks AMR

Blog is in the Details

2009-03-29T12:37:00.005-04:00

I thought I'd knock up a quick slide show of the rooms I've done so far...Yikes, apparently some latent OCD kicked in and ten hours later... enjoy.

P.S. Comments are always welcome.

If You Can't Take the Cool, Get Out of the Kitchen

2009-03-22T00:05:00.017-04:00

I have no idea what to say about my Super Cool Doll House's kitchen, other than I'm psyched and really proud of how this turned out.('cept the pendant lights, crooked, ugh...I'm working on it!)

Above: Francisco Leon of Fashion Royalty in his skivvies poses with Kyori, also of Fashion Royalty. She's wearing one of Isha's outfits from "Final Cut." He's all, "What are you doing today?"

She's all, "Gotta get into the office early, lots of work to do. Gotta cash my bonus before the feds get it."

and he's all, " don't you want to even stay for breakfast?...sigh"

P.S. I'm not really into doll stories, but I couldn't resist a little.

In case you were interested:

Flooring: drawer mat from IKEA

Wall: drawer mat from a big box store

Kitchen counters and appliances: Vintage Sindy kitchen modified with metallic and white contact paper, click here for original packaging

Pendant light: IKEA summer lights

Counter stools: from a Hannah Montana set

Accessories: a combination of Barbie, Gloria, Sindy, magnets etc. Leave a comment to find out specifics. Way to many to name!

click here to see more photos

Work in Progress

2009-03-15T00:41:00.004-04:00

Take a look at my newest project. A kitchen! Stay tuned for a more finished product.

A Doll's Gotta Eat

2009-03-08T18:48:00.009-04:00

The very first post on Super Cool Doll House had a picture of Fashion Royalty's Francisco Leon looking out of a window in a blue room. Here are a few pictures of that room's development. Some nice details have been added through time, and some more are planned, take a look and enjoy.

Above, Volk's Mami poses in front of Gloria play set china cabinet and dining table and chairs. Click here for the original color of the play sets. The play set was spray painted matte white and upholstered with a small scale striped fabric. If you enlarge the photo you can see the china cabinet has some detailed carving on it. This was added using upholstery lace glued onto the edges. This was then painted with glue and then spray painted white.

Above is a Barbie vanity sans mirror, look for it in a future update, it should be painted to match the room. The art work is from the back of an old calendar.

Above the chandelier was a Christmas ornament. It was lit with battery powered led string lights from IKEA. The wall to wall carpeting started life as a framers matte board. The accessories were collected from various Gloria and Barbie sets. The curtains were made from fabric, remember to look for good scales for different projects. The curtain rod is a bamboo skewer with beads.

Stay tuned for a doll photo shoot using this room, maybe catch the dolls eating a meal.

Livin' Large Room

2009-03-01T13:06:00.007-05:00

Here are some pictures of the living room that after two years, I've finally put some finishing touches on it. When I look at how it turned out... it's balla! Cribs ain't got nothin on me. Enjoy

Above, Adele welcomes you from the foyer into the living room.

In case you were curious: Sofa and chair-Gloria set painted with gold spray paint and upholstered with green chiffon, click here for the orignal color. Ottoman- custom piece made by Mister Chris. Tray-vintage piece. Goblets, wine bucket, bottle- from a Gloria piece. Area rug- fabric sample. Wall paper- scrapbook specialty paper. Side table- from a Hannah Montana set. Art piece- mini frame with a Hawaiian key chain figurine suspended inside. Chandelier- Christmas ornament. Radio- Christmas ornament, painted. Small table- from a Barbie set. Table fabric rounds- green chiffon.

Foyer Foto Shoot

2009-02-22T18:49:00.011-05:00

Last week I posted a couple preliminary photos of my dollhouse foyer. Turns out they weren't so preliminary and I went right to the fun part of a photo shoot. Have a look at Isha, Kyori, Adele and Takeo of Fashion Royalty entering the house. You may have noticed (or soon will) that my models rarely wear shoes. I do know that I tend to lose small stuff like that, so shoes remain safely packed away. Enjoy.

In case you were wondering:

rugs: images found on the Internet and printed on flocked paper

furniture: white table and lamp-Gloria furniture set; chairs-Barbie kitchen chairs repainted and upholstered; magazine rack-wine rack ornament

accessories: mirror-picture frame and cosmetic mirror; Buddha-vacation souvenir.

floor, staircase and window: I made it! wood craft sticks for the floor, 1"x2" plank for the stairs, wood glue and stain.

stair rail: pieces from a Barbie fashion mall

Here is a snap shot of the dollhouse living room. It's the first room I did two years ago. I sort of stopped developing it for some reason, but now I'm back on it. Look for a more finished product in a coming post. This photo has Pierre and Isha of Fashion Royalty lounging. Isha perches on a Barbie piece i painted and upholstered and Pierre relaxes on a custom ottoman(by my partner). The bird sculpture is from my partners collection, it started as a piece from a group of white plastic figurines(you can find similar sets of farm animals, jungle animals etc. at a craft store), it was then hand painted. The coffee table is made of two ring boxes and a small piece of plexi glass. The vase is actually a lamp shade finial with a floral pick of beads nestled inside, this piece is also from my partner's collection.

The new room.

2009-02-15T00:06:00.005-05:00

My purple foyer for the doll house is almost done. I really dig how it looks so far that I have to put a preliminary photo up... or this might be the first and last photo you'll see. Depending upon my motivation. Anyway, after I took the photos, and there were many, I thought these two were very realistic. Almost in perfect scale. What do you think?

Aaaaah...summer

2009-02-08T21:12:00.007-05:00

Today was a beautiful spring day in Baltimore...in February. The high for today was 65 degrees. Typically I try to enjoy each season as it comes. Right now I'm supposed to be enjoying the crisp coolness of the winter air, and the beautiful grey hues this time of year brings. Not so much.... I am really looking forward to the heat of summer. Here are a few pics of our 2007 Hawaii vacation, maybe enjoying these will help me get over my spring fever/summer madness. Probably not.

Dolls used in this group: Tekaru of Volks(black swim trunks); Mami of Volks(green swimsuit); Momoko(peach dress). These photo's were taken on the Big Island of Hawaii. Locations were Kona, the black sand beach and the green sand (peridot) beach.

New Room A-comin'

2009-02-01T22:48:00.004-05:00

Today was a good day! I started working on the foyer to my SUPER COOL DOLL HOUSE. Here's a picture of the progress so far.

The most fun.

2009-01-27T21:17:00.014-05:00

As a person who loves junk, and I mean LOVES it. This hobby friggin' rocks. Every time you leave your house, it's a chance to accumulate stuff for the little world you're creating. The photo attached to this post is a prime example. This is a quick room setting I put together to stage a couple of my 15 inch fashion dolls. Here's a quick run down of what went into this little room. The dolls in the photo are Gabriel and Hiroko from R&D dolls. The little guy is an AI doll from Jun Planning.
Starting at the floor, the carpet is an upholstery sample from IKEA, I picked it up in the 'As-is" department for $1The headboard for the bed was a jewelry case riser(we broke the little legs off) from a now defunct department store. Also from the same case are the pillows. You may have seen these with a watch or bracelet wrapped around them, the last time you were shopping. The side tables are candlesticks from the dollar store, guess how much! The lamps are little vases that came in a set of 3. I have no idea where or when I bought those, I know they were cheap. It just goes to show, never throw anything away, but squirrel it away until the time is right!(sorry, that's the crazy talking) The lamp shades are spray paint can lids covered in resume paper, you don't have to buy everything. The quilt on the bed is a place mat. The art work over the bed came off the back of a calendar I have been saving for a couple years. The curtains are from AC Moore, they are scarves from a rack in the back, be sure to keep an eye out for good scale when doing miniatures. The print on the scarf is almost too big, but it still works. In the foreground a touch of cabinetry can just be seen, this is a jewelry box I saved from the trash at my friends house. The chandelier is a Christmas tree ornament, and the greenery is plain ol' greenery from the craft store. When you have a hobby like this, just like with homeland security, YOU MUST ALWAYS BE VIGILANT, to find those pretty little things that make your hobby, awesome. Oh and having a big basement helps too.

Little worlds

2009-01-26T11:02:00.014-05:00

When I was five years old or so, I received my favorite Christmas present EVER. It was a General Mills/Kenner Treetot house. When compressed it looked like a tree, and attached was a little bush. Press a button on top and the top part popped up and revealed a three room house. The bush concealed a dog house. With this gift began my fascination with miniatures and the little worlds you can create. Here are some pictures of a little world I created using 12 inch fashion dolls. I try very hard to create a sense of depth and layers. I love it when a real sense of space and movement can be gleamed from a photo. I'm not there yet with my own designs, but I'm tyring! Please forgive the unfinished portions(I get bored with projects easily). Dolls in this phots: Fashion Royalty: Isha, Francisco Leon, Kyori Sato, Pierre Devries. Volks WTG: Mami and Tekaru. Mattel: Barbie and Kayla.

My two newest dolls

2009-01-24T10:32:00.004-05:00

...as I was growing up, from the 70s to the early 90s, I always sought out things that represented me. Being a male American born Filipino, this wasn't always easy. There were no actors, athletes, cartoon characters(the Chan clan does not count)... no anything.

At some point, I'm not sure when, I let go of looking for Filipino stuff, and broadened my parameters to anything Asian. This was a tad bit easier. Then I had an entire continent to pull from! So when I heard that Jason Wu of integrity toys had released a doll who was Asian and male, I bought one immediately.

Of course, I have my very own personal hell in that I must always buy dolls in twos, (so they won't be lonely on the way to my house, and they'll have a friend when introduced to the dolls already there, yup, I'm crazy).

Without further ado, here are my two newest dolls Takeo Mizutani and Adele Makeda. They are showing off some of my newest rement accessories.

...and so we begin

2009-01-23T23:14:00.003-05:00

I have no idea where to begin this blog... so, I'll start with one picture. The doll shown is Francisco Leon. He's in a room setting I put together. The table and china cabinet are from Gloria, spray painted a matte white. The table accessories come from different sources. The candelabra is a set piece from Gloria, the Buddhas I picked up in Hawaii, the food is from a Barbie kitchen, the plant my partner put together from bits of green, and the ball we found in an auction lot. The carpeting is framing mat board. Hope you like it.