Post #659285 by NaniTiki on Tue, Nov 20, 2012 4:07 PM

You are all very kind, thank you for the good words and for the Welcome.

Details: The hanging "floaters" on each side of the roof are just marbles, with a plastic mesh wrapped around them - mesh came from odds & ends I've saved over time (most likely from a bag of cherry tomatoes from supermarket). Shell necklace strung around the bar.

Ashtray on the bar top is made from a tiny clam shell, I rolled up some tissue paper to make some cigarettes, colored the tip brown to look like it's been smoked and glued a few in there. I recall backyards up in NY where I came from, had old clam shells they used as ashtrays (everyone smoked then) - anyone else remember that from back in the day?

Also on bar top - have a tiny rippled-looking clam shell with some beads made to look like small “floaters” sitting in it.

Glued down some small Coco Joe's around for some "atmosphere", wicker chair and table set my mom gave me, added a guitar stolen from a Spanish Flamenco doll.

Mini hula pic was a magnet pic frame and I found a beautiful pic of a Hawaiian Wahini to glue in, shelf on the wall was some sort of a “ desk organizer” thing I found in local thrift shop, made a nice wall shelf. Filled it with a mini-basket, tiki keychain, and a plastic hula (most likely a cake topper from back in the day).

Bar is made from thin pieces of bamboo, hot-glued to a picture frame.

Grass roof is cut from some grass I had growing outside, glued to foam-core board. Assorted chickens, lobster on the roof from local yard sales.

Genuine vintage Barbie and Kens from early 60's - I'm not a hard-core Barbie collector, but do love the vintage ones even if they are missing some hair or makeup rubbed off, they are still beauties!

As Brudda Bear said – he is right, that Ken is looking to get lei’d – and even though he’s a couple of years older than the Ken behind the bar, he’s in town for a couple of days and is going to make the most of his Liberty… Ha!

Thank you for the idea – I need to make leis for all three of them.

Great Eye - Sweet Daddy Tiki – you caught the kitchen next door - I did make other dioramas (more fun than just dressing Barbies up in clothes), but they’re not Tiki. I’ll post pics of them too to satisfy your curiosity.

The dioramas are in a spare bedroom with other old things.

This diorama, I’d like to expand, but still in planning stages – thinking of palm trees outside next to it, tiki torches, a small pond with waterfall using caulking to resemble the water stream. (of course more beautiful Barbies to grace the scene). I would love to hear of any suggestions on how to improve this one.