Welcome to Pumpkin Hill.....

Welcome to Pumpkin Hill Studios, where I create in the smaller side of life, and also sell on Ebay
For more of what I sell on Ebay, visit this link at my Ebay store Pumpkin Hill Studios https://www.ebay.com/str/pumpkinhillstudios

I specialize in antique & vintage Dolls and toys, dollhouse miniatures, Barbie, Fashion dolls, fashion doll furniture, antique and vintage China, Glass, and high quality art collectibles and other unique items.


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Sunday, January 22, 2012

For Sale: Poppy Parkers, Reluctant Debutante, Summer Magic

Hi everyone. Well, it is time to part with some dolls due to medical expenses from last year, and I have acquired too many fashion dolls. It breaks my heart to part with these two Poppy Parkers, but I must. I have already listed them for sale on the W club forum and the Doll Divas message board, if I hear nothing by the end of the day they will be listed on Buy It Nows on Ebay with Free shipping. I am hoping to just sell them quickly by tomorrow morning. Link for dolls on Ebay after today 1/22/12 will be here . I already have some playline Barbies listed, and will be listing more dolls as I sort and that includes my Gene dolls as well.

Terms: I will invoice you for the amount via Paypal. You must contact me via Email with your address, name, and email addy so I can invoice you. When payment is received after invoice is sent, I will ship your doll. I will ship internationally, via USPS Priority international mail, please send your address & country for me to calculate correct shipping cost for you. I ship Monday thru Friday. Depending on your location, I will ship via USPS Priority mail or UPS Ground.

First up- Summer Magic Poppy Parker, $175with free shipping in the USA only, comes NUDE with box and stand. Mint condition, has been displayed in my dollhouse.

2nd up- Reluctant Debutante Poppy Parker SOLD! .








More dolls will be moving along to other homes, so check my link on Ebay- http://tinyurl.com/ydd6la
~Lisa

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Exploring the World One Century at a Time...






Hi everyone.. Becca2012 here. I thought today since I had so many inquiries, I would explain more about my travels in time, and the research and study that goes into traveling into the past to explore. It isn't all about playing dress up in pretty outfits, (though I admit I do enjoy that part, since I am partial to petticoats and corsets..lol) Right now I am finishing up some correspondence with other members of The Society of Clock-Watchers in Extrodinary Times that Marigold Finch, our postal system courtesy of Finch Express. It is how the dolls here at the 'Patch on Pumpkin Hill have their correspondence delivered. Marigold is a tiny finch, and she and her helper Wren, a small pixie, sort our mail. She is especially helpful to me since I have so many packages and letters that are usually urgent. I am finishing up some entries in my travel diary, and am beginning to prepare for my research to time travel to another era.
The next era I am thinking of is the Colonial era, and Felicity Merriman has been helpful in this aspect. You see, I must have some sort of doll contact so I won't seem er, out of place when I suddenly appear. So it is important in my explorations.
I thought today I would explain some of my tools I use, here in the time traveler library/parlor of sorts. I like to sit by the fireplace and do my research and studies of other eras in solitude...
I have some of the items I am preparing for my Colonial trip here on the table. It is important when time traveling with my tools and other items that they fit into the time I am traveling to...nothing must be out of place, since it is important to blend in....


Currently, I have gathered my basket together. This will be more fitting than my messenger bag or purse...These books will probably not go, except for the one on birds and wildlife, as I would like to study the species of Felicity's time and place, so hence the book on birds of prey such as hawks, peregrines, etc. I understand they used to hunt with birds, and this is an interesting thing I would like to attend in that time.

Within my basket you will notice some long cylindrical glass bottles with corks. Ah, these are literally, my time messages in a bottle. I will use these to communicate with Felicity in certain spots where her birdbottle was, as well as my letters of recommendation which will be helpful on introductions in that time period. The long cylinders bottles are extremely useful and small.



You will notice a large assortment of various bottles and baskets of letters, and my travel journal books as well. I take many specimans when I go to other times, of plants and other items. Of course, as I spoke before, I also take small bottles with emergency potions to allow me to shrink and grow in times when I MUST disappear quickly without causing a disturbance. The Society of Clock-Watchers in Extrodinary Times has VERY strict rules regarding this....

As you can see, before I even think of going to another time, much work and research goes into deciding if it would be safe and possible.
In my Time Chamber, I frequently consult the globe to pinpoint the place where I would like to travel to. Exact navigational coordinates are so important! For instance, I don't want to end up in Kansas when Williamsburg , Va is my destination!

I'd like to thank you for visiting me and being so interested in my work and explorations! More to come as I prepare for my next journey into time!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Rebecca Rubin, 1904, AKA Becca2012....




Hi. I'm Rebecca Rubin, 1904...well, that is my historical year. But I am also known as, AKA, Becca2012. Yep. That's my code name.
I'm a time traveler. I'm also a doll........but that doesn't matter. Didn't think dolls time travel? hmph...well, we do. Anytime you stuff me in a Victorian dress or a colonial gown, I'm time traveling...only I'm the real deal...er, doll.
I have many tools I use to time travel, and report on the historical findings. Time is a tricky thing, so my bag is ready to go at a moments notice. I also wear a peculiar looking necklace which is considered 'fashionable' now with all the steampunk about...each number specifies periods of time. When I turn the dial, I go to the four numbers of the year I want to visit, in quick succession...and it's complicated.  All you need to know is I can turn up anywhere, anyplace, ...any time. I belong to something called The Society of Clock-Watchers in Extrodinary Times... and the future, the present, the past are ALL extrodinary! That is why we are a secret society of ..dolls...who travel thru space and time. These are the voyages of Becca2012...and any other doll who wants to come along...
But first I may need a new wardrobe...depending on what year and time I wish to visit next. That is something I am studying quite closely.  I may need a shrink potion and a grow potion. No, this isn't Alice in Wonderland, but Lewis Carroll was onto something. They come in useful when you need to disappear suddenly...
I'm pretty much a normal doll. I like lots of things, like climbing trees, reading, and all sorts of interesting things where I can have an adventure. But most of all, I like to travel.
In the coming weeks my doll mom (the human) will post more about me and the clock-watcher's society...but for now. ..I'm signing off as BECCA 2012...

Monday, January 16, 2012

Felicity and Marigold Finch...


Felicity was tired of being cooped up, so she went for a walk outside. Marigold Finch, the tiny bird at Pumpkin Hill who is in charge of the mail (Finch Express) flew down to greet her and landed on Felicity's hand, to greet her. Felicity was surprised and pleased.

I thought everyone would enjoy the pictures. Marigold is an artisan creation for the dolls by Patricia Cabrera of Wooley Tales Miniatures she has several blogs, one of which is the Magical Marionette Theater here on Blogspot.
Enjoy the pics!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

The Alice Project...wigged!




The Alice puppet project continues....and now the Hatter is Wigged! My mohair in the exact shades of the color Johnny Depp wore in the movie arrived yesterday, from a fabulous Etsy seller called
Split Rock Ranch . I only expected a small amount of this mohair, great quality. (I am thinking of turning my reproduction Francois Gaultier french fashion doll into a red hair if I find a pattern to make her a wig, maybe even make a bjd wig for one of my tinies. This mohair has a great curl and texture to it.) Check their feedback and you will see the appreciation photo, one of these above, in her feedback.
I did not make the hatter's hair as large as the character in the movie; working in miniature is always a compromise in trying to achieve the realism factor. I have this great top hat from my Goodreau bjd that is the perfect shape of the top hat in the movie, just an ugly yellow with a brick road pattern on it, and it fits his head perfect. The hat will be glued on in any event, so no need to add mohair where it will not be seen. I have some black sateen that I can alter the hat with, and jewelry findings along with ribbon. I worked with the thick electrical wire last night for his thighs and calves on the puppets' legs which have to move as his arms do, I am quite pleased with how the puppet is coming out. Hopefully, I can go thru the fabric stash and find some of the pink polished cotton I have that will be his shirt, and start working on dressing the torso. The frock coat and trousers are harder, since the legs have to be fully complete along with shoes. So may be only a couple of things I can do until I can order his shoes.
My biggest search now will be for the tiny spools I need to make his spool sash, with the different colors of thread he wore. I have looked at images online and this appeared to be attached to a chain of some type. I have found these spools before, but for the life of me, can't remember where I bought them, so will keep searching. As a last resort, I may end up sculpting them out of clay.
I will have more pictures on this project at another time! Enjoy! 

Friday, January 6, 2012

The Alice Project...


So, my 'Alice' Project has begun....and progressed thus far. One of my resolutions last year, or rather, goals was to do the projects that I never had time for. One was a to create a Marionette puppet. I have been totally enthralled with The Magical Marionette Theatre , a blog by a fellow miniaturist Patricia Cabrera of Wooley Tales Miniatures. It is simply stunning, how she and her family built and created a puppet theatre, that looks as though it stepped from the movie Sound of Music. Remember the part where Julie Andrews and the Von Trapp children perform a puppet show for their family? That was one of my favorite parts of the movie, 'One Little girl and a little goatherd, yoda lady yoda lady yoo-hoo...' lol. So I decided that I would try , at least try to create a marionette this year. It turned into an obsession. First, I researched many links on google and watched many marionette shows on YouTube to figure out how they were strung, made, and moved.
When I began sculpting, I originally wanted to create Alice, who I thought may be more simpler and I had the blue silk in my stash. I wished to base my marionettes on the Tim Burton movie, which seems more realistic as Alice is grown and doesn't really remember Underland, so therefore thinks it is a dream. But then the Hatter came out of my head and onto the clay. I must admit for several days I was stumped as to who exactly I had sculpted. When I began sanding and smoothing, it then hit me I had the bones of the hatter's facial features, which came together with paint and sanding. I have already ordered his orange mohair for his wig and eyebrows from Etsy. I am thinking of using a pair of bjd boots for dolls that I have seen on Ebay, which will be on his feet.
So far, here is my progress....





So far, so good. I have been rather ingenious as I have not been able to carve the marionette's body out of wood, as most marionettes have wood bodies. Patricia had all of hers carved from wood and used resin and polymer clays to make the head and hands. I have seen some work of Japanese miniaturists who used La Doll and it is finally available here in the USA, which I got at Michael's. The torso is made of a block of styrofoam, carved to fit the size. His arms are a reynolds wrap form around wire, wrapped with masking tape, and covered with clay. The wires are looped at the joints and the puppet will be strung when he's fully dressed. I will probably order the shoes and start working on his thighs and legs while waiting for the boots to come. I already have a top hat to customize. I do not want to start on another puppet/marionette until I fully finish this one, and must admit working on this is fun!I could not believe that the Hatter's makeup came out so perfect like in the picture, I am usually not very good at sculpting or painting eyes...unless the character is 'mad as a hatter'...lol.
Since the Hatter is the first character that 'jumped' out of my head, I am mostly waiting for the next Alice in Wonderland character to fall out of my imagination and into the clay. I have already thought of how I would do the tea scene and the scale of the characters would be 1:4 scale in doll scale, as I have some perfect large pieces that would do well with puppets. Alice will be pretty complex, as there will have to be multiple Alices, since she grows and shrinks. Hopefully the Knave or one of the queens will pop out of my head. No deadlines on this one, since this creation is going so well!
Have a Frabjous Day!
~~Lisa