Scene: Ballet shop

This had been some time almost finished but a couple of days ago it finally was.  Since yesterday we were so busy with the Alien screen, I did not have time to take pictures.  But now is here!

A new scene that I absolutely love: the Ballet shop!

The logo is from an actual ballet shop in Murcia

I just love crafting these little shops!  A lovely scene so well contained, but with a lot of details and that I can actually hang in my wall, so it won't take up any shelf space.

The actual shop comes from Tienda de Casitas.  I find it so pretty, so affordable, and you can actually start decorating the same day you get it because, it just doesn't need anything else!  It opens on the back and it has a "glass" covering the window so nothing gets dusty.

Some things hidden behind the door

 

The tutu comes from Tienda de Casitas.  The hat boxes and the little pink boxes are from Zena Miniatures.

The ballet art posters on the wall come from Etsy.  The pointe shoes in the boxes and the ones in the dome are from Art of Mini.  In fact, they have a lovely section full of ballet items!  The converitble tights come also from Zena Miniatures.

The magazine holder I made myself, and you can find HERE the free printie to make ballet magazines.  The three nutcrackers are also from Art of Mini.  The mugs and the notepad I made myself.  Blue boxes from Zena Miniatures.

The nutcraker pillow came from La Belle Cuisine By Me; the rocking nutcraker was a gift from Nalladris; the suitcases are again from Art of Miniatures, available in the Ballet section; I made the DVDs myself with actual ballet DVD covers, as well as the ballet book (a gift from my husband); and you can get the ballet coloring books HERE.

I love how it came out!  

Free printable! 2025 ballet calendar

It's that time of the year again in which we have to get calendars ready!  

Just finished this morning (because I am on holidays, and very happy!), here is a free printie with next year's calendar.  Once more, it is ballet theme, because ballet is awesome.  You have several background pictures, and the tear up 12 month calendar pages.  Made with the help of Print a Calendar website.

As always, please feel free to print as many times as you like, gift them to friends and pass the file along to anyone (links back are nice too!).  Just please do not sell the file or your creations.  Thank you and enjoy! ♥

The new modern bedroom is finished!

Finally!  Kassandra has finished her bedroom with the new modern decor.  And she thinks it looks fabulous.

We started by hanging the new mirror.  It looks phenomenal:

And we also placed a new minimalist nightstand.  Kassandra barely had space to put her stuff:

There is a "naugthy" box on the bottom and some condom boxes too...

And then, some details to live up the new dresser:

Love the nail polishes!

Next, the chandelier and the new lamp sconces; this time with a white, modern design instead of candles:

And finally, decorations.  Since the walls were bare, we needed some artwork to make them look cozy.  We started by some inspirational ballet posters:

Kassandra loved the simplicity and the style of the font.  She wanted to hang Paris pictures, but finally she decided to put up these instead.  The room looks lovely at night:

For the left wall, she chose a pas de deux picture:

And finally, the room is finished!

Kassandra is very happy with the changes, and so am I :)

Free printable! Ballet calendar 2024

Happy holidays!

Long time no see!  It's been some time since my last entrance.  I have been busy with work stuff, preparing a belly dancing showcase, and also sick with COVID.  Both hubby and I caught it at the same time.  Thank goodness we were not that sick, and we were fully recovered in about 2 weeks.

So how about a little mini to celebrate the holiday season?  As each year, I am happy to provide a calendar for your mini scene.  And as always, with ballet scenes, because ballet goes with every decor.  Here is the link to the printie.

The picture that is featured in the calendar (which is special to me) is not included this year - I chose some new ballet pics I found on the internet.  However, if you like that particular pic, you can find it in last year's calendar printie.  For the pages I used the Print a Calendar website.

 

Feel free to print as many as you like, make gifts for friends and pass the file along to anyone; links back are nice too.  Just please do not sell the file or your creations.  Thank you very much, and enjoy! ♥

Free printable! 2023 calendars

It is always a good idea to hang a pretty calendar in your dollhouse.  So, if you do not have one already, here are a couple of printies to make your own: a ballet one, because ballet always, and an animal one, because animals are awesome.  I made the pages in the Print a Calendar website.

I know it is the same picture as last year, but I just love the Mariinsky Nutcracker!

As always, feel free to print as many as you like, make gifts for friends and pass the file along to anyone; links back are nice too.  Just please do not sell the file or your creations.  Thank you very much, and enjoy! ♥

Free printable! Ballet calendar for 2022

As Christmas is approaching, so is the new year!  Surely you already have some calendars ready for nex year for you home, but you dollhouse needs some as well.  I am happy to share a calendar for next year, with a ballet theme - because ballet is always beautiful!

There are several images to choose from, so pick your favorite, or make one for each room!  As always, feel free to make as many as you like, gift them to your friends and share the file (links back are nice too!).  Just please do not sell the file or your creations.  Thank you and enjoy!

A project for two afternoons: makeup chest!

 Today I found Kassandra very happy, opening a gift that someone had given her.

"Hello! What is that you are opening?"

"Hello dear!  Oh, I am overjoyed!  The principal dancer of a ballet company with which I work from time to time has given this to me."

"Oh, how cute!  Is it a makeup chest?"

"Yes!  Oh, Erika is such a dear!  I love her so much.  I have seen her progress from a novice dancer to a great ballerina.  She deserves all the success in the world."

"I am sure she does.  And I hope you enjoy your makeup box!"

"I am ready to fill it up!"

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Fantasy apart, I saw a similar box in Facebook, and very much wanted to make my own.   I am in a phase now that I love what I call the "dancer pink" color, so I wanted the box to place it in the ballet studio.  I started with an ordinary box made of plain, untreated wood, and painted it pink:

 

Then I decided to cover the inside with a textured paper.  I was going to use a tan suede paper, but my husband said that looked too dark, and suggested something in ivory.  So I used the same fabric paper that I used in the natural history cabinet:

 

Trying on the patterns

Bottom side...

... and lid

Since it was a makeup chest, I wanted to include a mirror.  At first I thought of using a spare mirror I had in 1:144 scale, but it was very small, and I didn't like it.  So instead, I cut a piece of an acrylic mirror (the same type I used to hang in the ballet studio):

Dry fit to check the size

Wonderful!

 

I did not want to paint the bottom, so instead I covered it with a black suede paper, so it wouln't slide on the surfaces:

 

Then, embellishments!  So naturally, gold brass corners and a functional hinge (I love it!):

It looks perfect!

Next step, to craft some tiny makeup!  It was easier than I thought, with some help from YouTube videos made by talented crafters:

 

The lashes box comes from Zenas Miniatures; the two nail polishes I made following this video; the eye shadow pallete I got from here, and simply glued it to a piece of black Eva foam.  The gold nail file I made with gold textured cardboard, and the mascara bottle is just a piece of black paper glued around a toothpick that was painted with gold paint.  I covered the paper with a piece of clear adhesive tape.

It looks lovely in the ballet studio!

Free printable! Ballet coloring books

I have been having so much fun in the last days designing and making coloring books!  They are so simply, and yet so delightful  I have already 3, and if the mood strikes me, I may do more.  However, since most of them are seasonal, I will be uploading them when the date is correct.

But ballet knows no season, so here is the first one.

 

I hope you enjoy the printie.  As always, feel free to make as many books as you like, gift them to friends and share the file (links back are nice too!), but please, don't sell the file or your creations.  Thank you! ♥

Free printable! Ballet calendar for 2021

I have been busy this weekend crafting a calendar for The Island room.  I have a cork board in which I wanted to hang it from.  So I made one for the remaining months of this year.

However, upon finishing it, I thought to myself, "why not make one for the next year, since I am already in the mood?"  Well, said and done.  I made one of those that you can change the page each month, but even though it is fully finished and functional, I am not sure it will hang well, because even though it is 1:12 scale, the paper is still 12 times too thick, and it looks a bit stiff:

Even though I love the design, it does not hang very well...

 

So I changed the style, and made one whose pages you have to tear off each time the month changes.  It is very easy to make, and you can find instructions on how to make it in this post - even though it is a different design, the process is still the same.

Once you have finished glueing the pages together, you only have to glue them onto the base with the picture - you should glue the base onto a strong cardboard so it won't bulge, or you can print the base onto photo paper, which is stiffer.

You can hold it in place with double-sided tape or dollhouse wax.

The theme is ballet, which I think will not look out of place in any dollhouse, but I have included an empty base in case you want to use your own picture.  

Here is the free 2021 calendar.  I used for the design the Print a Calendar site.  You can make several types of life-size calendars for your needs, or you can have fun designing your own in Big Hugh Labs, even making a small calendar for a CD case!  I am warning you, once you have tried their stuff you'll keep coming back for more!

Have fun making your own calendar!  Feel free to share it, give it as a gift and pass the file onto anyone (links back are nice too), but please, do not sell your creations or the file.

The final touch for the ballet studio

This was the only thing that the ballet studio was lacking: a ballet barre!

I wanted to order a custom-made one, but in the end I finally decided to try and make it myself.  It was easier than I thought.

My coworker Carlos cut the wood for the bases for me.  Then I drilled some holes on them, as well as in the wood sticks:

My husband's drilling tool came in handy!

Then I used a couple of toothpicks to hold the side bars in place:

Then came the gluing, painting and staining part, and voilà!

I think it looks very nice!

The studio finally has all the furniture that it needs! 

Also, this beauty arrived all the way from Italy:

It is the child of Minimariba.  Her shop is full of beautifully made dresses and shoes.  Go check her out!  Also, see the tiny ballet box? That is a free printable from Zena Miniatures, so go and grab it right now!  And, this is the most amazing thing ever:

A box of convertible ballet tights!  Just when I think I cannot find anything else for the ballet studio, I find the most incredible things!  Also the creation of Zena.

Love the ballet studio!