Tech Deck SK8 Parks & Hollywood High

When Target was having its major clearance sale last July, which I now like to affectionately call, "The Best Sale Ever," I picked up a bunch of Tech Decks at varying prices.

There were five different SK8 Park versions available and some of them I got multiple copies of.  Originally priced at $9.99, I got 2 at $6.68, then the next week 2 at $4.98 and the following week 3 at $2.98.  I found the larger Hollywood High version at Ross for $12.99.

The small ones come with a skateboard, a full ramp, a half section ramp and four connectors (2 long, 2 short).  I wanted to use the yellow one as a handicapped ramp, but the rise of it is too high.  It's more suited for a delivery area slope.

The big one comes completely assembled with four skateboards.  The "No Skateboarding" sign is only on one side of the stairs and apparently some miscreant youth has crossed out "skateboarding" for you.

The fence is attached by little holes in the side of the stairs and it just pops off with some tugging.

I have to say I think it looks better as a fence in my house's garden than as part of the stairs.

The back section of the stairs can be unassembled easily.  You can use them as separate wholes if you like or reconnect them.

The SK8 Parks can have many configurations.  The first photo, top left is what I've done for the steps to my house to give more of a landing for the dolls to stand on.  So, my stairs aren't actually flush to the door, instead I made a cutaway so the second rise slides underneath the door.

The next set of photos will show you step clearance for different 1:6 doll feet.  I'm not using any wires to hold them up, but each doll has one leg strategically placed against the side wall to help them balance.

Liv feet.  In flat shoes she could not put one foot directly on the step below, or perhaps I gave up too quickly.  About 3/8 of her foot overhangs the step, but it's not so much that she cant balance.

Barbie feet.  These stairs are perfect for Fashionista heels.  There is even extra room on the step and she was able to put one foot below the next.

Male feet.  There was no way I could get both male feet on the steps.  He had to put one foot on the landing and the other foot is on the step at an angle.  Even then, more than half of his foot is off the step.  It's doable, but hard to balance.  He's wearing Liv boots, so Ken or Bieber may be even more difficult.

Liv feet.  The large stairs are really too small in scale to be adequately believable (unless you work with smaller dolls or action figures, which I do ^_^).

However, once again, you might get away with it if you are using Barbie feet.  This Fashionista has one leg against the railing to help her back leg balance, but really, no "human" railing would be that low.  You could always pull the railings out, but I'm not about to.

Once broken down, all 8 sets will fit into two of the large bins from my storage towers. I like the various ways you can mix and match them and although made from plastic, they are rather sturdy.  The railings on the SK8 Parks have a nice clank to them as though they are actually a metal alloy, which they could be, for all I know.  The Hollywood High railing is lightweight plastic.

I'm going to recommend the SK8 Parks (especially if you find them on clearance) as they are a finely made product.  However, I'm not going to recommend the Hollywood High if you want it for 1:6 scale.  If you work in a smaller scale then it's a very nicely detailed product for the cost.

Bead Box Sale Alert

I was in Michael's earlier using my 40% off coupon on a bead box.  I wanted to use it on a silk tree but they have clearanced them out, curses!  Anyway, they passed out a circular that says they are having a 50% off sale on bead boxes starting Friday with no coupon required.  That means you can get these babies for $1.

They are perfect for people like me who enjoy separating everything to the minutest possibility.  By color coordination?  No problem.  By doll brand?  But, of course!

My doll shoes are getting out of hand, so it will be a relief to finally get them all sorted by color, open toe, wedge, sport, flat, brand... yeah, you feel me.

There were additional coupons on the circular so with an extra 15% off I'll be able to get my boxes for only $.85!  You better beat me there because I'm going to get them all, son! Hahaha!

The House That Muff Built

I have been slowly, but diligently, constructing a house for the last three weeks.  I didn't intend to build a big ol' house. I found some stairs at Target and thought they would make the perfect stoop.  Since I like to illustrate how I'm going to use stuff, that meant I needed a door to go with the stairs.  Once I made the door, I had to make an entryway and once I made an entryway... well, you get the idea.

It's made from old packaging boxes and covered with poster board and scrapbook paper. Currently housed on top of my breakfast bar, it spans an area of 5 x 2.5 feet.  It has a seating area/garden in front because immediately behind the house is my kitchen sink.

The house is 5 separate detachable pieces; the stairs, the brown entryway, the main house and the 2 black roofs.  Although it does look orange in the photos, the main house is actually a lighter red than the door.

The wall on the left side of the house is flush to have room for a parking area.  If you look in the top left of the photo you can see I did not finish the sides of the roof and I don't plan to.  I ran out of black poster board due to poor design strategy and was too annoyed to go get more.

Even though it's unfinished, I'm still pleased with both roof tops.  For the windows I had to bust out my Gypsy and Cricket machine to make uniform cuts.  Each window is 5 different pieces of scrapbook paper.  Some of the "curtains" hang straight and others flare out.

Oh, look, a visitor! Who can she be?

My goodness, it's a custom Marissa from Chynadoll Creations!  The very first visitor is my very first One Of A Kind doll.  She arrived complete with a sexy pink outfit, jewelry, bag, shoes and a stylish french braid hairdo.  Thanks, Chynadoll!

Marissa stopped by to pick up her niece, Juliet.  What her niece was doing with Jordan I have no idea.  Maybe they are cousins or something, who knows?  Anyway, say goodbye, Juliet.

Marissa is ready for her closeup!

So, I have figured out that Jordan lives here simply because I used her to measure the height of the door since she's my tallest doll, therefore she got dibs.  Max (blue shorts) lives here because that's his car and it fits in the space.  Claudia is Jordan's girlfriend but she doesn't live here and all those other people are just visiting.

For the longest time Max and his guest were perpetually on the way to the airport, but now he has a home to finally return to.

Jordan and Claudia enjoying the garden.  I was going to stain those chairs but now I'm glad I didn't.  The color would have clashed with the house.

And here's the house late at night.  All my lights are off and the illumination is just coming from the two Big Lots lights at the doorway and I'm holding one in my hand.

To date, this has literally been my biggest project.  The house will remain a facade for exterior shots only.  I just don't have the room, or the inclination really, to give it an interior as well.  At some point I'm going to have to take this down and I've constructed it so that separated and flattened, it's no more than 2 x 18 inches.  Even unfinished, I'm going to put this one in the "success" column.

From Fairy to Human Teen

Now this is what a preteen looks like in my opinion.  I purchased her at Target.  Although it says $4.88, it rang up as $3.49, so, I went back to the isle and got another one.  There is also a blond and brunette version of this doll.  Only the black girl was on clearance. o.0  I've already reviewed the adult version of this doll here if you want to see a comparison.

I have two bodies I wanted to try this head on; an articulated Bratz (Yasmin from the Rock Line) and a Monster High (Clawdeen Wolf).  In order to get it on a Monster I had to make some modifications.  As you see from the middle Monster, even though it has a skinny throat, the neck flares out to an adult sized width and knob.  That's too big for a teen head so I cut off the neck bulb.  Next I cut off the knob from a Moxie Girlz body and super glued it to the Monster neck.

As you can imagine, the range of head motion of the Monster modification is limited.  She cant tilt her head too far up, but down and sideways is fine.  One of the things that bugs me about Monster bodies is how thin the arms are, which is why my Clawdeen always wears long sleeves.  However, with this size head, the arms don't seem so out of proportion.

I'm rather pleased with both bodies.  I like how thick and "normal" the Bratz body seems and I like how the Monster body looks like an average teen who shot up in height over the summer.  I changed the eye color of the taller one but haven't decided about the smaller one yet. 

Here they are wearing an outfit that I got from Chynadoll!  Yay, I love it!  It came with two pairs of shoes, sunglasses, clutch and a scarf.  The dress is even lined!  Okay, it doesn't actually fit either of these dolls because it's for a regular Barbie body, but I wanted to show it off asap so I cinched it in the back to make it fit.  Thank you, Chynadoll!