"PERSONALITY"

When I was a little girl, I learned a lot of popular music from watching kids singalong cartoons and by
 "Following the Bouncing Ball!"
As a result
 I know all the lyrics to "Ain't she sweet" and " I got spurs that Jingle Jangle Jingle"
this makes me very popular at trivia parties

Any adult in North America, who grew up watching a lot of Saturday Morning T.V. in the mid 1950's and 60's would be very familiar with these musical cartoons.

I even learned to spell "Mississippi"from listening to cartoon songs.
however,the only time I have ever needed to know how to spell "Mississippi"  and use it in a sentence,was just now,
educational television works! :D

  I learned the following song, ( printed below), from a cartoon featuring

 "Herman the Mouse and Katnip the Cat."
Originally recorded in Real Life by Bing Crosby, it was later featured in a Harvey Cartoon and sung by Louise the mouse

here are some of the lyrics, which have stuck with me even after all these years

"When Madam Pompadour was on the Ballroom floor

Said all the gentlemen "Obviously"

the Madam has the cutest... "Person al ity"

And think of all the books, about DuBarry's looks

What was it made her the toast of Par-ee?

She had a well-developed.... hmmm

"PERSON AL ITY"

  

Mae Questel, the voice of Betty Boop, Olive Oyl & Sweet Pea ( from the Popeye cartoons), Casper the Friendly Ghost, Little Audry and Little Lulu, sings this song as a mouse named 'Louise'.
I just learned all of this through google

***

so I am sure that you are no doubt asking yourself, 

"Why in the world is she talking about cartoon songs, and how is any of this related to miniatures?"

(here is my answer)

  when I was getting this post together, that 

"PERSONALITY" song about two iconic FRENCH WOMEN, sung in

 burlesque by an American cartoon mouse-lady, with a rather high and squeaky voice,

 kept playing in my brain, all because of THE FAUX FRENCH WIG that I made many months ago for a French inspired roombox which I had started last year and then had abandoned.

I needed props for my new series of Faux Rococo Vanity Trays (destined for etsy),  and in looking around at what I could use, I spied my wire mesh hair piece, perched upon my rather uninteresting and very bland- looking dresser. 

( the music in my head, kept on playing)

Then one thing led to another and before I knew it, not only the perfume trays were new and improved, but the French Dresser as well.

And since the dresser was re-vamped, so too, was the gothic wall mirror;

in fact, EVERYTHING within the old roombox was hauled out, and given 

a new and cuter

"PERSON AL ITY"

Here is how it happened

These are the original perfume trays that I  made and then had second thoughts about.
I didn't feel that they had enough "Pizzazz" 
so I took them all apart and tried to make them more frilly and fun!

NOW WERE SPEAKING FRENCH!

but then I needed a prop or two for display
enter the
Dowager
French Dresser

(not very exciting)

so
 from

' ho hum'

 to 
oui oui
some
SERIOUS PERSONALITY!! :D

and now,
for  your viewing pleasure
 may I present to you
 the series of my new
rococo vanity trays

girly

 floral

romantic

fun

feminine

formal

exuberant!

delicate

 and chic!

instant replay
I have grouped them in pairs to show you again

and
The entire French collection at a glance
***So now for a closer look at the contents of the French styled dresser
(from my personal collection)
  inspired by the wig and the song from the cartoon

My up-dated French Vanity
This scene contains bits and pieces from my personal collection for a future French Project.
It no longer fits the old roombox anymore.

A look at my designer bags.  The Chanel shopping bag is a resin
"token of appreciation"
(which I certainly do appreciate! )
I painted a pair of plain, pot metal shoes with black, gold and white nail varnish and then I added 
a gold shoe buckle ( a section of metal filigree cut from thrift store earrings)
a la' Chanel.
The Bestey Johnson "Betseyville"handbag is made of fimo and found at the thrift store in a bag of junk jewelry.  The paper Hermes shopping bag is made by Janine, clever girl! She reduced the actual Hermes ribbon and draped it over the side of the bag! 
tres chic!

Linda Park made the paper roses and I made the hot pink silk cushion for the stool from a man's silk tie.... purchased from the thrift store.

the dresser is painted with Larkspur Blue Patio acrylic Paint,
purchased at Michaels craft store.  I, of course, layered brown water-based gel stains to age and tone down the color. I then used both gold and silver nail varnish (dollar store) to add the faux gilding to the wood. 

I would also like to point out the floral carvings on the middle drawer front as well as further down.
The carvings are from dimentional nail art that I recently purchased from Sally's, a local nail supply house.
If you scroll back up to the perfume trays, you will see more of the nail art used for the ornamentation on the trays as well as on the bottles and on the hand mirrors.  They are rather pricey but I love them and trying them out on the dresser was a spur of the moment idea but I think it works.
What do you think?

The Laduree Macaroons are a hand-made gift from Fatima! Oui Oui!
I believe that these were a new thing for her to try out and Oh My Goodness,  don't they look good enough to eat ?!

They are sitting on the Beautiful French cushions that were a Giveaway Prize from Margaret at
 My Petit- Parterre.  C' est Si bon! 
the ornate resin boots are former earrings that I bought from the thrift store and then hand-painted in the fun and funky fashionista colors that you see.
I haven't collected enough French things as yet, to fill a house, but
 I CAN FILL A ROOMBOX! :D

 The  oval mirror is fashioned from dollar store hair clip, to which I added tiny metal cupids and a back support.   The larger mirror was a Christmas tree Ornament from many years ago.
Do you see the etched pattern in the glass?  There is a story behind that  I think you would find quite interesting.  I had purchased a few of these gothic mirror Ornaments and passed some onto both Janine and Fatima.  I used one in my GOTHICA, roombox which I painted to look like a dark heavy wood.  But when I was getting ready to paint a second mirror for the French roombox, I couldn't easily detach the glued in plastic mirror, so I decided to TRY to soften the glue  by placing the ornament in the microwave for JUST A FEW SECONDS.    I LAID A PAPER TOWEL OVER THE GLASS TURNTABLE INSIDE THE MICROWAVE TO PROTECT THE SURFACE AND THEN I TURNED THE MIRROR FACE DOWN, thinking that by covering the shiny metallic "glass", I would would fool the machine and thus prevent any harm and/ or Ruin my Microwave, in attempting to get the glue softened.
I kept my fingers crossed and turned the machine on....
3 Seconds LATER there was a FLASH!!! 
 I stopped the microwave and opened the door.
The plastic glass was still stuck fast BUT on the surface of the plastic mirror, there was 
the MOST BEAUTIFUL CRAZING!   Just as if Jack Frost had touched the glass and left his finger-prints.  I told Janine about what I had done and she tried it out too. 
It works beautifully!
I am only telling all of you this because sometime you just never can tell where an experiment will lead you.  In the process, I would say that this gothic mirror ornament acquired some additional
"PERSON AL ITY"
(and my microwave is still going strong)
:D

And about THAT FAUX FRENCH WIG, that got the ball rolling  for me....
I made it out of some super fine gold metal mesh.  I stuck flowers, feathers, paper roses, jewels and gems and black filigree butterflies all through it. Then I made a mask using paper and more nail art gems and glitter.  I glued the concoction to the wood wig stand that I embellished with even MORE nail art, and a large pearl choker.
I think that both Madam du Pompadour and Madam du Barry would be pretty impressed,
except that is ...  if they actually had to wear it! hahaha


And since I was able to find the cartoon song through google on youtube,
 I will leave you to listen to what I was able to remember so well after  50+ years.
(yet I still can't remember my email passwords)
go figure?

Thank you to the Saturday morning television of my youth
inspiration can be found in many forms
even in singing cartoon mice
 Sing it, Louise!

enjoy

 elizabeth