What I got for Christmas

Christmas is over and like many of you I got presents under my tree. As I mentioned earlier, I receive most of my gifts on January 5th, which is one of the reasons why this publication is so late. Secondly, we started the year hard, but I try hard. While some of these may not be dolls or things related to dolls, they are things I will use in this blog in the future for crafts or other projects, so I still think they are "important to this blog".

Let’s start with one of the things that moved me the most: handmade painting. If you're a regular reader, you've probably seen me use Americana acrylic in 90% of my craft. Their color palette is very wide and you can find some colors that are very realistic in diorama and dollhouse furniture. I do not think it is the best brand I have tested in terms of quality, but another brand I like is no longer made.

Like last year, Mr. Monster bought them at an online store called Mia Mandarina , a small shop run by a beautiful lady. He put a beautiful postcard in the box with his original illustration. I made a list of the colors I wanted as well as the second list of colors I could get in case there was not enough to send or some colors were sold out. Even though I knew it was going to happen, I did not know what color I was going to get.

I had to pick them on the net and this can be difficult because the colors often do not look like they are on the net, but overall I am very happy with the choice. I wanted to choose shades of blue reminiscent of my home, Blue Mist and Winter Blue . However, I tried not to choose too much blue and turquoise which I like the most and I tried to choose colors that are different from my usual shades. The only two that look too much are brown, cocoa and honey brown (they look the same on camera).

Although I tried all the colors, I could not use it in a craft project. I thought I would do a "review" of the craft paintings and make a list of my favorite American colors, so let me know if you are interested. Also tell me which of these new colors is your favorite.

I have this little ring light for the puppet shots. It's designed for video conferencing, so it has a USB port to connect to a laptop to turn it on. It also comes with a clip to attach to the screen. I mentioned a long time ago that I would like one of those rings that you can cut into your phone . Mister Monster saw good treatment and got it, even though it was technically not the phone. I have not played it yet, but I tried to use it on my phone. Unfortunately it is quite large and has had some issues.

It also comes with a mini tripod that I used in some of these photos and it works well. I will continue to experiment with this and share my last thoughts with you. This can be a great alternative if you are not willing to invest in a large light ring.

Now another thing that worried me the most was the sewing machine! I was not expecting to receive it as a gift, so I screamed like an eight-year-old when I saw it. I have not researched sewing machines so I do not know which is better. What I got was Singer Promise 1408 , which I collected from some online reviews that are very enjoyable for beginners. Mr. Monster has seen several reviews that are strong enough for the price, especially if you are a beginner or a channel lover. In addition, he managed to put it up for sale, making it an even better deal. Now I have no excuse not to make doll clothes.

Finally I have two new dolls. On the left we have the Star Wars Stormtrooper Barbie, like Leia, which was on sale at a much lower price. Actually, it was not a Christmas present, it looked more like a graduation present given to me by Mr. Monster, but I thought before I showed up here that it was a wonderful occasion.

On the right we have the doll number 2 of the new Barbie Looks line (with curves). I plan to write an opinion about her soon, in which I will explain all my thoughts on this doll and the line. From the first wave, it was the only thing I really wanted and I'm glad to be here.

As I mentioned earlier, I did not start the year so smoothly. You know of the people in our family and Mr Monster's work yielded a positive result, so we had to isolate ourselves for a few days. This could not have happened at a worse time, as my mother-in-law had recently undergone surgery and urgently needed the help we could not provide for safety reasons. Her husband is doing well, but I know she needs extra help. I know it's a pandemic and something like that could happen, but I can not help feeling demoralized by this situation.

Mr. Monster's company all work from home as a precaution, so he will be with me for a few weeks. We were sitting at one of the tables in the doll room to work, then I put my laptop in the dining room. I can still use the craft table for dolls, as long as it is not a noisy activity (they will have to sew or wait for some crafts). But I'm not complaining, I think it's important to separate the workplace so that it closes and forgets when the work is done.

I hope everyone is healthy and has a good year. Let me know what you found in the Christmas comments. Goodbye for now.

monster ship