On The Scene - Rooms & Scenes - Giordanos

I entered this diorama in the 2004 National Barbie Doll Convention competition. It was entered in a backdrop category, which I think was supposed to characterize 'Chicago Today.' I entered a quintessential location in Chicago, Giordano's Pizza. This diorama was awarded second prize.

The backdrop was constructed from thin foam core board. I covered the board with scrapbooking papers in a brick pattern. I added a coffee stirrers stained with shoe polish and used a concrete/plaster looking scrapbook paper closer to the sidewalk. I cut out a doorway and a window, which I covered with vellum paper.

I made an awning out of popsicle sticks which I fashioned into a ladder. I mounted a hemmed piece of striped polish cotton fabric on top of the ladder and secured it with superglue to the top of the foam core wall. I used some diagonal supports to hold up the ladder element from the front, but it's not visible due to the awning overhang.

The planter box was constructed from foam core board on the bottom, back and two sides. A scrapbook embellishment covered the front of the planter box. Two 1:12 shelf brackets support the underside of the planter box. I filled the box with oasis, spanish moss and some artificial greenery.

The window was a two part construction to give the depth of a window pane. Vellum paper is glued to the back side of the foam core wall. The vellum paper is opaque, but shows light and gave the illusion of a lighted room behind the backdrop. Two jewelry chains suspend the store sign from the inside foam core window top. A piece of a Barbie box front provided the 'clear glass' window front. The clear plastic was hidden under the brick scrapbook paper. The window was framed with shoe polish stained coffee stirrers cut to size.

The store sign and menu were refashioned from items from the actual restaurant website. I miniaturized them and condensed the menu to fit the frame, which is another scrapbook embellishment.

The light suspended above the restaurant menu is a magnet found in the kitchen section of a discount store. The street address above the doorway is actually one of the restaurants many Chicagoland locations. I framed it in another scrapbook embellishment.

The door was constructed from a piece of wood grain scrapbook paper and shoe polish stained coffee stirrers cut to size. The door handle is a long goldtone bead. I bent each end to create the handle. Though not very visible, there are actually hinges on the door. I removed them from a small wooden chest I purchased at a dollar store and screwed them into the foam core board.

The potted plant was crafted as well. I purchased the terra cotta pot, spanish moss and greenery from the craft store and assembled them.

The sidewalk is dollhouse bricking that you find in the village area of the craft stores around the winter holidays. There is a step effect from the asphalt onto the brick sidewalk. I stacked a more narrow piece of foam core board onto the main foam core board and covered the curb with bathroom caulk. I used some black and grey craft paints to give the effect of a dirty curb. The asphalt was created from fleckstone type paint. I glued leaves and tiny bits of paper to give the illusion of trash on the curbside.

In this view you can see the doll stand. I cut a hole into the sidewalk and glued the base of the stand underneath the brick walkway. The stand was spray painted with the asphalt fleck paint, and hopefully masked from the strategic placement of the dolls in the front.

I taped battery operated holiday lights to the back of the wall closest to the window and doorway. The lights give off enough illumination through the vellum paper that you have the appearance of a store interior.

I used leftover foam core board to make triangle supports to keep the wall upright, even though the wall is t-pinned to the foamcore base.

You can better see the window box dimension from this view. I also copied an 'Open' neon sign and printed it for the window.

The next step was dressing the dolls in appropriate Chicago Cubs baseball gear, then posing the dolls to give the impression that they just picked up their pizza and are headed down the street.

The final details are the stacked pizza boxes. If you want to print some of your own, use THIS LINK. I have recreated the boxes for your own personal use.