Renovations and new stuff - lots of pictures!

Here are the promised pics.  Let me tell you a bit about everything that is new and why it is there.

Let's start with the bedroom:

My vampire tenant is a great admirer of the arts; in past times she was a great cellist, as well as a famous ballet dancer.  You can see her cello just beside the vanity, and a box with her pointe shoes (new, a gift from my mother).  The black velvet purse is also quite new, from Pedrete Miniaturas (also a gift from my mom):

On the vanity, a necklace with a black and white cameo, from Stephanie Dollhouse.  Being a proper Victorian lady, my tenant loves Victorian jewelry.  The silver jewelry chest is a pendant from Swarovski Elements, of which I removed the jump ring that was on the lid.

On the table rests the new fancy hand lenses from LXL Cruces:

Besides Perséfone's crib rests the new teddy bear, waiting that she wakes up to be played with:

I don't think I ever mentioned that Perséfone's bed clothes are from the lovely Anabela - sorry I don't have a picture of the bed clothes.  I couldn't ask that Perséfone be awaken to take a pic.  This is the listing pic that Anabela took - the blanket is in my mother's house; it was too big for Perséfone:

And waiting to be delivered, there is a special package for my tenant's lady-in-waiting, Selma:

It is a wonderful silver chatelaine, from Black Rose Miniaturesx.  I made the box, and I decorated the lid with a modified pattern from Vectoria Designs, as well as the gift tag.  I am particularly proud of the bow, which is the first one I have made in miniature:

On the studio there are some major renovations.  The curtains have been changed, and a new chair added to acommodate the style of the working desk.

Before

After

The curtains are from the shop of the talented Tanya Shevtsova.  If you ever are in need of curtains, I highly recommend her.  They are simply astounding; they are also a gift from my mother.  I need more new curtains for the drawing room - soon, for my birthday, I hope.

The only new thing that has been added to the drawing room is a new chair; well, to call it a chair is somehow not enough:

Before

After

Yes, the two red chairs have been moved to the shop, and a throne with a silky pillow is now the central point of the drawing room.  Well, she says she used to be the queen of a small country in the Carpathians.  I am not going to argue with her... You can see the new medieval sword from LXL Cruces in the wall, just beside the grandfather's clock.

In the shop, we have a couple of baby dragons keeping a watchful guard of the stuff.  They both come from Fat Cat Designs Minis:

See the two new baskets, waiting to be filled, and the candle holder on the table

You can see on the wall the mushroom plaque and a new picture: Séance, by Stephen Mackey.  Also, details of the new crystal objects:

And finally, the realistic pumpkin sitting by the doorstep:

When Fall is over, it will go to the shop.  And the new key with tassel, waiting in the console in the porch:

The two ladies in the frames are my grandma (left) and my mother (right), when they were younger.

I hope you enjoyed the visit!  Come back anytime; my tenant will surely be happy to see you and invite you to some absinthe.

200 posts - Let's celebrate with miniatures!!

I'm back again, after a lot of time of hiatus!

And here we are, in the post #200, who would have thought?  And we will talk, as in the first post, of miniatures.

Last week my mother and I went to the Tom Bishop's Miniature Show - held in the same place as the one in May.  We were told the hotel that hosted it will be having renovations next May, so there will be no show on Spring next year (booo!).

But anyway, we had a great time, and I spent a lot (more than I should have for sure!) but came home very excited about everything.  We got to meet the wonderful people behind Cinen - my mother is a frequent customer of them.  Also we got to see Anabela again, as well as Syreeta and Candi Martín.

Here are some pics of my purchases:

Pumpkin and mushroom plate by 64tnt Miniatures and white bear dressed with red coat by Miniaturas pqf.

Medieval sword and hand lens by LXL Cruces and blue tassel by Anabela Menocal (I attached the key to it).

Two baskets by Targioni and candle holder by Gemma Such.

And more crystal objects by Beatricce Miniaturas.

Oh, what a joy to put everything in its place!  But more pictures tomorrow, because I did a lot of renovations and I want to show you everything that I have new.

Stay tuned!

Mermaid school opens in Spain

I just heard about it, thanks to a co-worker.  It is called Sirenas Mediterranean Academy, and here is a promo video:

If you live in Tarragona and you try it out let me know how it goes!

First underwater video!

We are back from our holidays in Peñíscola, and here is my first underwater video, shot with our new aquatic camera.

I hope you enjoy it!

New H2O Just Add Water crystal necklace

I recently finished watching the third season of the H2O series, and while searching the internet for pictures of the crystal necklaces, I came across a new Swarovski bead that I had not seen before, the Galactic pendant, and upon comparing it with the crystals on the girls' necklaces, I thought it was very similar to the one in this picture of Rikki:

It is obviously not the same bead, but I thought the differences were smaller than with the De Art pendant or the Wing pendant.  So, lo and behold, I purchased a 27 mm Galactic pendant from Crystals and Silver, along with a sterling silver bail.  They came super fast, and I already have the pendant hanging from a chain. Although the aquamarine color is not perfect, it is very bright and pretty, and reflects the light beautifully.

Another version of the season three necklaces,  for all you H2O fans out there!

A fabulous surprise gift

Yesterday, my husband called me to his side and told me, "I am gifting you this so you can take it on our holidays".  And he showed me a fantastic underwater camera that he was ordering from Amazon!  It was all so fast I do not even remember the brand or model, LOL! *UPDATE* It is the Olympus TG-850 Tough, for those interested.

I am so, so happy and excited!  It was some time since I had wanted one; I even considered buying a water-protective case for ours, but I could not find a suitable model that fit.

It's coming this Thursday, and I cannot wait to try it!  Woohoo! Finally some underwater mermaid footage!

Another H2O Just Add Water locket acquired

I had my eye on it for some time.  I was hoping I could save some extra money to buy it, as it cost about $60, but lucky for me, the seller, Beldiamo, had it on sale, and I finally made it mine.  Here are some pics:

Front. The jewel is a red cubic zirconia

Back

Inside

It is quite thinner and a little bit smaller than the one from Sterling Silver Art, so I'm guessing that's one of the reasons for the difference in price.  Also, the jewel on this locket is a man-made cubic zirconia, and the jewel on Blue Crockatt's lockets is a natural stone.  

The final price for this locket from Beldiamo was $35, which is very reasonable for a sterling silver locket, and came inside a red velveteen pouch.  It does not come with a chain.

I wanted a red stone because Rikki is my favorite of the 3 original mermaids: she is determined, does not take crap from anybody and knows how to get the best of life.  

I really like the three waves on the back of this locket.  They look very, very similar to the ones in the show.  It is also a nice alternative if you want a locket of better quality than the official one, but do not want to spend much money on it.

There is a new seller on eBay, GMP Silver and Leather Jewelry, that offers the same lockets as Beldiamo, with different natural stones instead on only cubic zirconias. His lockets are more expensive ($66-$90), but include stones such as garnet, aquamarine, white topaz, amethyst, and also man-made, such as emerald, ruby and sapphire.  Another alternative for H2O lovers out there.

And finally, here is a YouTube video of my two lockets, in a side-by-side comparison.  Enjoy!

Tom Bishop's Miniatures Show

What a great day!

My mother and I went to the Miniature Show hosted by Tom Bishop yesterday, and it was a fabulous experience.  Our first show!

We bought a lot of beautiful pieces, and got to meet the artists behind the creations, among them Anabela Menocal from Anabela Miniatures and Candi and Ana Victoria from Candi Martín Minifood.  It was such pleasure to meet them and talk to them, they were all lovely.

Here are some pics of my acquisitions:

A beautiful carpet bag from Anabela, a rat from Targioni, and a magnificient bottle of wine - made of real glass and with real wine inside (it even has an air bubble!) and a sterling silver wine server from Candi.  Here are some pics of them on their final place in my dollhouse:

But the things that I was most happy to find were these:

A beautiful and realistic collection of lab equipment!, from Beatricce Miniaturas.  Being a lab tech, I was delighted, and here they are in the window of my dollhouse shop:

And the jar and the bottle are in the inside shelf, with a rack of test tubes that I already had:

So, everything was wonderful, and I am looking forward to the next miniature show, which will be in November, same time, same place.  

What about yourself?  Any new wonderful purchases recently?

Another update on the Magictail Monofin

It has died!  It finally broke on the third day of use.  Here are some pics of the damages in stages:

Day One

Day Two

Day Three

I seem to remember that it was the guilty party: I think I bumped it against the side of the pool when I was coming out.  In any case, I won't be using it anymore, and I will try my new monofin this Friday.

I'll let you all know how it goes.

Miniature show in Madrid!

I just found out!  We have a miniature showcase in Madrid, scheduled for May 24 & 25.  You have all the details available here.

My mother and I are going to attend.  I hope to see (and acquire!) many beautiful things.

Can't wait!!

Update on the Magictail Monofin

As I mentioned in the previous post, my Magictail monofin broke.  Here are some pics of the fracture line:

As you can see, the fracture is very small, but I guess it will get bigger if I still keep on using it.  I will, just to see what happens.

Here is a YouTube video, doing a comparison between the old one and the new one:

Merbella Seaweed Mermaid Top - Review

All right, so here is the promised review of the Merbella top.

PUTTING IT ON

I always put my bras by inserting my arms under the shoulder straps and then fastening the clasp reaching behind my back. It is VITAL to do this when fastening this bra; if you try to tie it on front and then turning it around the silicone WILL TEAR.  

The first time I put it on I could not reach behind my back because I had an injury in my right arm, and I tried to put it on fastening it on the front and then turning it.  What happened is that a bit of the seaweed decoration teared, and I freaked.  Thankfully, the damage is unnoticeable.  Upon later inspection, I discover that that precise point had been reglued with silicone before it was sent to me.

If you cannot put a bra by yourself the way I described it, ask for someone's help, or if there is not someone to help you, try to practice with a normal bra until you get the hang of it.

I fasten the net of the neck AFTER I have put on the bra.  That way I am sure the net is firm and just of the right lenght - when it gets wet, the knots SLIDE so be sure to fasten it up a bit more of what you normally do, or it will become very loose in the water (it happened to me too).

WEARING IT

I find that if you are going to a nearby pool, you can put the bra at home, where you can be relaxed and not rushing the process, and then a loose t-shirt over it, and no one will notice that you have something funny behind your clothes.  It is comfortable and holds the breasts quite well.

For a long term dry event, this bra would probably hurt my neck.  I read somewhere that people with a breast size larger than C should not wear halter tops due to the pression the breasts' weight put on the neck and spine.  I have experienced minor pain while going to the pool, so I know I would not be able to handle this top in a dry setting for long (I have a D cup).

IN THE WATER

The top is EXCELLENT on the water! It does not move, it adapts to my movements, it is comfortable for swimming.  The only bad thing that happens to me is that my breasts float quite well, and they try to "escape" of the bra cups.  I guess that is due to their size, and probably a person with a smaller cup would not have that problem. Also, the problem with the knots sliding when wet previously mentioned.

PEOPLE'S REACTIONS
People loved it.  They were astounded by the design, the materials, the general look - I had a complete stranger (thankfully it was a woman!) grabbing my breast to find out what it was made of.  It is definitely a conversation starter.

TAKING CARE OF IT

Since I did not received a sheet of how to take care of the top I improvised the following:

After finishing with it, I take a plastic bucket, fill it up with water and add a couple of spoonfulls of baking soda.  This will turn the water pH from neutral to alkaline, and this will help to neutralize the chlorine that may still remain on the fabrics of the bra.  I let it soak for 30 minutes, and then rinse it with lots of cold fresh water.  Then I hang it flat to dry.

The thing with the baking soda will work too for your fabric mermaid tail.  You have lots of info on how to deal with chlorine in this Mernetwork thread courtesy of Mermaid Iona.  As soon as I read about it I tried it with my new Magictail Arielle skin.  I have no way to know if it works, but I assure you that when the tail skin dried it smelled like new; no trace of chlorine odor.  So it must work...

Also, an update on the Magictail monofin: mine has a small fracture line that I am sure with time will get bigger.  I am not surprised, I had read that all Magictail monofins eventually break because of the material they are made of.  However, I will be buying another one, because one monofin every two years is a price I can afford, and I do not want to have to modify another monofin to fit my tails.  I will put pictures of the damage soon.

That is all I can think of.  If anyone has questions I would be happy to answer them.

The new Magictail in the pool, and new job!

Last week I went to my local swimming pool to use the Arielle Magictail for the first time.  I had a wondeful time; Mercedes, a swimming teacher, was there, and she took pictures and videos of me with the tail with her cell phone, and she was nice enough to share them with me:

You can see the seaweed top made by Raven of Merbella Studios

She was delighted when I showed her how to make bubble rings; she said she would like to teach their students how to do them:

I hate that they make swimmers use swim caps; the do not match well with my mermaid persona....  But later Mercedes and I took pictures of us together, and also the life saver, Ricardo, wanted to have one with me.  We have been having great weather these days in Spain, so it is a delight to go swimming.  Now I cannot do it as frequently as I would like, because I HAVE A JOB!!

I am working in the same hospital as hubby, even in the same floor, but with a reumatologist that is researching rheumatoid arthritis.  I started on March, and I am so happy with the job and with my co-workers.  It is wonderful to be back in the working force, although I miss a bit the free time I used to have.  Blog posts will begin to be less frequent, and the shop cannot have as many things as it had before, for the lack of time.  The great thing is the check that I get at the end of the month!

My next post will be a review of the seaweed top, and some notes about the Magictail monofin; also, some advice to take care of your Magictail skins.

See you soon, and happy Easter to all of you that observe the day; to the rest, have a wonderful Sunday!

Dollhouse FIRST EVER occupant

She arrived in the mail yestarday, and she is utterly adorable!  May I present Perséfone, the daugther of my vampire tenant?

She is a creation of María Narbón, custom made for me.  She has white hair, little fangs peeking on her lips and she is dressed in white with teeny tiny red bows in her dress and her bonnet.  María even made her a red cloak with a leather bat!

She now rests comfortably in her cradle, waiting for the sun to set to get up and play, and drive her mother nuts with her habit of biting everything she puts her tiny hands on.

Go take a look at María's blog and be amazed by her talent!

New cabinets on the shop

So, here is something new and totally out of my usual designs:

My mother purchased a pink bottle kit to decorate her dollhouse bathroom, and she let me had the ones she did not need.  I purchased a blue bottle kit and together with some extra stuff brings you this lovely cabinet for a fancy shop, drugstore or bathroom.  I particularly like the set of towels tied up with ribbon and the monogram.  The tiny soap boxes are just so cute!

Also, here is a new apothecary cabinet:

It has the usual bottles with their vintage labels and also a brass scale with scale weights of different sizes.  One of a kind!

Come and take a look!