Sunday, January 19, 2014

Problem Solving

A couple posts ago, I showed the IT Stage diorama I had started.  Since "No More Procrastination" is my New Year's Resolution #2, I decided to work more on my diorama stuff.

I found a reasonable solution to the problem with the plastic brick in my diorama.   The center panel was puckering quite a bit and wouldn't stay down.  I found a two-sided tape made by Elmer's Glue.  It states that it holds permanently.   I used some on the diorama - looks better, right?  (St. Tropez had to model the Luscious Silhouette ensemble for the photo.)
I had purchased some narrow black metal mesh drawer organizers at TJ Max last year.  By putting three of them together, they look like a wall unit.   Since the metal was uneven, they wouldn't stand straight when put close together. I decided to try tying them together.  I was looking around my house for something to use and was about to give up when I went to make myself a sandwich.

As I was putting the bread tie back on, I thought "Eureka!"    I had a little stash of these bread ties in a drawer that I had been saving.  (Yes, I realize I am just a pile-of-rotting-trash-in-the-corner's throw away from being featured on Horders.)   I went to the drawer and looked for a black one.  I had red ones, blue ones, green ones, white ones, yellow ones …. I guess the tie color must correlate to the day of the week they bake the bread or something.  There wasn't a black one.

Last week I was helping a student with his science fair project.  I had loaned him my wire strippers, so they were still on the counter.  "DOUBLE EUREKA!"   I stripped off the wires.  You can't even see the wires holding these together!
It was my original intention to use this in a different way, but it reminds me of sports lockers and would look good in a NuFace or Hommes apartment.

While I was working on this project, I remembered that I had put aside the Barbie Vintage Fur hat that has the pearls in the front.  It comes with several outfits and I had gotten it in a Vintage Lot I purchased on ebay.   The pearls are on a thin piece of metal and sewn into the hat.  The metal often deteriorates over time and becomes brittle.  That had happened to mine, and I couldn't find a piece of metal thin enough to fix it.  "TRIPLE EUREKA!"

Using the metal from the bread ties, I was able to repair the hat.   How about that?!
I know it's not the greatest job, but the pearls are about 50 years old!  I think it looks really nice to be that old.

Since I was working with the hat I decided to try another outfit on October Issue.   Another nice surprise.   Truly Madly Deeply Agnes's ensemble does fit!
I added the shoes form Flawless Elise.   The TMD shoes were just too small.

NOTES:  First, I have been asked about the plastic brick in the stage diorama.  It is more of a "rubber" product.  It is made by Lexmar for their Christmas Villages and can be purchased from Michael's stores for $19.99 (I used a 50% off coupon to get mine).  The brick sheet comes in a roll, and one sheet was large enough to cover the entire back side of stage.  My husband said that I should have used a hand dryer and warmed the brick to take out the tendency to roll.  That may work!   It was too late for me since I had already glued parts down.   The double-sided tape by Elmer's seems to be a quick fix for my problem at this time.

I have had questions about the chairs in my last post.   They came from The Victorian Trading Company and are resin and matte black.  Here is a photo of the other two.  All three are different styles.

I think the silver paint helped them.   Here is the link to purchase them:

http://www.victoriantradingco.com/item/80-ha-8023219/100100104/gothic-arm-chairs-set-of-3





3 comments:

billa's dolls and fashions said...

Nicely done!!!
now the diorama looks fine, and you did a great job with the vintage hat!
these are excellent examples of lateral thinking applied to dollz!

Vanessa said...

Eureka! Way to go. Love your dio.

Carrickters said...

What great solutions to a number of little problems. Your dio looks great and so do your lockers and hat.