Product Reviews: Doll Stand Sold by WishlistDollClothes4U on eBay

Have you ever set up an object in the perfect position to take a photo of it and it just topples over before you click the shutter? I have that happen to me all the time! Especially when I am trying to photograph my dolls outside in their outfits. Sometimes the wind is strong and pushes them over or I have to conduct a balancing act on uneven ground.



So, I was trying to figure out a few weeks back what I could do to stabilize my dolls better so they don't move when I take their picture. Well, somebody already invented something long before me called the "doll stand." But, I totally could have come up with that if someone else hadn't. :)



I searched and searched and searched online mostly as the brick and mortar stores here don't carry such items. I finally found one that caught my eye that is sold be WishlistDollClothes4U on eBay through their store WishlistDollClothes. I thought the price was right and finally bought one after it had been sitting on my watch list for a few months. They aren't the cheapest doll stand on the market, but they are fairly reasonably priced compared to some other items I saw.



The base is wood and the neck of the stand is metal painted in a brown color. It also has an adjustable holder for the doll to accommodate anywhere from 16" to 20" dolls. I tried out my doll stand on the Mattel American Girl Doll Samantha as she has the most stuffing of my other American Girl Dolls by Pleasant Company before the buyout. Plus, most people looking for dolls to buy are probably looking at the newer Mattel ones as they came out with more variations and historical ones for the BeForever collection.



Overall, I was happy enough with my purchase that I am going to use it in my photo shoots. You can see my overall review in the video:

Some things I would have included in this video is how the doll looked wearing a dress. I talk about it but never showed it. The dresses I make are floor length and you cannot see the stand at all when the doll has a dress on. Actually you can't really tell that the doll is leaning backwards unless you are very intent on staring at her to see what her flaws are.



I also never showed what a Pleasant Company American Girl Doll looked like using the stand. I am not actually planning on using this stand on those dolls as it was so tight on my Mattel doll that I didn't want to risk ripping the cloth body on those dolls. I don't use them in photo shoots most of the time as they are my collectibles and not apart of my business display dolls.



If you have purchased this stand please let me know what you think of it in the comments section below.



If you are interested in purchasing this doll stand, you can find the eBay listing here: http://stores.ebay.com/Wishlistdollclothes/_i.html?_nkw=doll+stand&submit=Search&_sid=229432335



I hope you all have a great day!



Walking the Dog for Dolls - How to Crochet an Ear Flap Cap for 18" Dolls

I am so, so, so, so, so, so, sorry I did not get this video uploaded sooner. I had made this about a month ago and never got it up on YouTube! I did not mean to leave you guys hanging out there wondering if we were ever going to finish the outfit. We have one last video coming up on how to crochet the dog that our doll needs to walk. I say video, but it might be more than one as that is a long tutorial with various parts. We not only make the dog but also the collar and leash. Plus, the dog is the most complicated, at least I feel, to complete in the pattern.



I really don't know why I stopped in the middle of the series in uploading these clips. I had good intentions! Trust me, I really did! I was going to upload it one night but the Internet was out. This happens all to frequently in my part of the state being in the rural American setting. I think with our lower population, we just don't seem to have the attention of the Internet providers. That and the signal has to travel longer distances. It never fails that we here on the radio that a fiber optic cable was cut in our area with all the excavation and field tiling going on in our area. That's what you get for being a farmer!



Oh, and that brings to mind another project that has taken my time these past few weeks. We got 10 baby bull calves in that have to be bottle fed twice a day! They are so cute and I have them take up way too much of my time. But, like I said, they are so cute!!!! I love seeing them romping around outside on these sunny days or quietly napping in the straw in the barn. But, I talk more about that on my more personal blog of my little homesteading project I got going on with gardening, canning, and crocheting other items. (You can check that out on my YouTube channel meliannrobe if you are interested!)



But, without further ado, here is the video on how to crochet the ear flap cap!







I promise to get the last of the series finished up and uploaded. Hopefully, in time this next weekend!

A Minute of Biscuit #6 - Dog Walking on the Treadmill or Not?

Even though it isn't officially fall, the beginning of September always makes me feel the need to prepare for the new season. School has started and I perform my fall cleaning. I reorganize, store my summer items, take out the sweaters, and of course... get the dog trained to exercise indoors instead of outdoors.



Yes, I have trained my dog to walk on a treadmill. She started using it when she was almost a year old and knows all the ins and outs of walking on it. However, she didn't seem like she was too enthused walking on it today. Check out the video below!







Biscuit seems to be able to hop off and on the thing without any problem. At least she remembered that from last year! But, I don't know how to get her to stay on the treadmill by herself to walk. I thought about using treats, but that kind of defeats the purpose of exercising in the first place don't you think? I also wouldn't want her drooling over the track and the crumbs would be a chore to clean up with the conveyor belt dropping them from front to back.



I don't want to tie her to the machine either. I have seen people do this and wonder, what if the dog has to get off. I want her to be able to comfortably walk, too. She is a large dog so her stride is just about as long as the treadmill track I have.



So far, I have come up with the routine of standing by her side making sure to block attempts of prematurely jumping off the machine after she jumps on. But, I really don't want to stand their all day either as I like to keep an eye on her but still get work done of my own. Like vacuuming! (Yes, I have a lot of dog hair to clean up with having her in the house. But, she is oh so worth it!)



Does your dog walk on the treadmill? And if so, how do you keep your pooch from jumping on and off? Please comment below!



Thanks everyone and have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend!