shamrockgirl18 Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 Hi all! I am happily working away on my Little Mermaid grotto. It's only the 2nd dh/scene that I've done from scratch, and it's alot more complicated than the 2 room faerie cottage that I did years ago (that had pre-cut foamcore and paper included b/c it was actually a kit to make a decorative bird house!) This one I have literally built from the ground up with: styrofoam, floral foam, egg crates, plaster cloth, paint, and genuine seashells plucked from the New Hampshire coastline! The inside is looking great and I'll post pics as soon as I locate my camera (the outside is still a mess though). I plan to add lights at the top of the cove (blue ones that i saw at Joann Fabrics). I'd love to add music to this scene that will be 'part' of the scene. I did this with my Wizard of Oz house by hiding a little 16 note music box in the flowers outside- when its wound up, the first few strings of Somewhere Over the Rainbow play. I'd love to add a music clip of Part of Your World to my Ariel 'house', but does anyone know of a way that i could play the movie version of the song so that when people view the scene, they can also hear the song??? Sorry if this a long, complex question. . . I thought of buying a cheap mp3 player to hide in there somewhere, but then it also needs to be hooked up to speakers, and needs to be switched on and off again. . .anyone know an easier way, or am I just crazy? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalesq Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 What about the device found in musical greeting cards. I think they are battery operated. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shamrockgirl18 Posted February 24, 2013 Author Share Posted February 24, 2013 What about the device found in musical greeting cards. I think they are battery operated. good idea! Now I'll start haunting Hallmark! Do you know of a way to make it play w/o having to open the card (and therefore have the card visible)? That'd be much cheaper than an mp3 player! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalesq Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 I just Googled musical greeting card parts and found a bunch of how-to's and additional links about repurposing, hacking, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 Isn't there a similar device in the storybooks that you record? (also Hallmark, I think); if you could get your hands on the device without shelling out for the book you could record the song yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satinka Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 They make light activated recordable modules people use for light activated music boxes. This one will let you use your computer to add music to it.http://www.amazon.com/RE-Recordable-Light-Sensor-Module-seconds/dp/B007EHLBYG/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shamrockgirl18 Posted February 24, 2013 Author Share Posted February 24, 2013 They make light activated recordable modules people use for light activated music boxes. This one will let you use your computer to add music to it.http://www.amazon.com/RE-Recordable-Light-Sensor-Module-seconds/dp/B007EHLBYG/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top that's amazing! I think i need to look into that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalesq Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Yep, that looks like the right one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravenswing Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Wow this is an interesting concept, never thought of adding music to a house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheckMouse Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 That sounds like a great idea - keep us posted on your progress! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thinkinlikegavroche Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 If you hid a wireless bluetooth speaker in the grotto, you could have your mp3 player connected wirelessly from anywhere in the room... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
More Minis Dollhouses Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Aww, this is going to turn out so pretty! I am fascinated with this little grotto idea, so cute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheckMouse Posted May 7, 2013 Share Posted May 7, 2013 Years ago I had a house with a music-box piano in the living room. The piano had a windup key on the back, which I hid by drilling a hole in the wall (an interior moveable wall) and to play it one had only to open the front of the piano, where the music sits, and that started and stopped the music. Music boxes come is all shapes and sizes and genres, so you might find one you could work into the scene. I have a couple of them that look like flower planters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shamrockgirl18 Posted May 8, 2013 Author Share Posted May 8, 2013 Years ago I had a house with a music-box piano in the living room. The piano had a windup key on the back, which I hid by drilling a hole in the wall (an interior moveable wall) and to play it one had only to open the front of the piano, where the music sits, and that started and stopped the music. Music boxes come is all shapes and sizes and genres, so you might find one you could work into the scene. I have a couple of them that look like flower planters. I used a wind-up music box in my Oz house, but for Ariel's grotto I am haping to somehow play the song from the movie (sung by Jodi Benson). I haven't completed this idea yet, but I haven't given up either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shamrockgirl18 Posted June 23, 2013 Author Share Posted June 23, 2013 OK, I ordered this light-activated sound module, but I have yet to make it work. It came with only a little slip of paper with a few directions on it. I watched the informational video online, and did everything it showed, but I still cant get this thing to work! Has anyone ever used one of these recordable greeting card sound thingies before? Can anyone help? I emailed the company, but who knows if I'll hear back from them. I'd hate to spend $16 on this thing, and get nothing out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caseymini Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 I bought a portable Memorex radio at Walmart this morning. It is about 2x3or4 inches and about 1/2 inch thick. It was about 10.00. It runs on one AAA battery! I am not particular about what is playing. I wasn't looking for mini recorders, but I think that they had some right next to the mini radios. I wrote about it on my blog today and someone suggested a pillow speaker as small enough to hide. I am going to try Radio Shack or some place like that. I will keep you posted on what I find out. I did a hand held tv in one of my rooms about 15 years ago. They are easy to hide too...only the powers that be made it so I could no longer get a picture without a receiver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shamrockgirl18 Posted July 3, 2013 Author Share Posted July 3, 2013 SUCCESS! Ariel's Grotto now has sound! The little module is tucked inside a treasure chest. When the chest is opened, the module's light sensor reacts and activates the sound- out comes the beginning of Ariel singing "Part of Your World". I definitely recommend these little modules- I had trouble getting mine to work and the customer service was fantastic. When I still had no luck, they sent me a new one. If anyone else is interested in this- here's the link to the company- http://www.invitebyvoice.com/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 Erin, that's really neat! Thanks for the link. Thinking about a Hallowe'en house with sound effects ... or ... hmmmmmm! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalesq Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 Erin, that's really neat! Thanks for the link. Thinking about a Hallowe'en house with sound effects ... or ... hmmmmmm! Oh no, I detect a Spring Fling hint coming..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalesq Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 SUCCESS! Ariel's Grotto now has sound! The little module is tucked inside a treasure chest. When the chest is opened, the module's light sensor reacts and activates the sound- out comes the beginning of Ariel singing "Part of Your World". I definitely recommend these little modules- I had trouble getting mine to work and the customer service was fantastic. When I still had no luck, they sent me a new one. If anyone else is interested in this- here's the link to the company- http://www.invitebyvoice.com/ I think this is great and so glad it worked for you. Gonna have to keep this in mind for future builds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 Oh no, I detect a Spring Fling hint coming..... LOL ... nope. I'm not Flinging. But there are so many possibilities ... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shamrockgirl18 Posted July 4, 2013 Author Share Posted July 4, 2013 I think my Harry Potter themed house, The Odd Shoppe at Hogsmeade, needs some sound effects. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shamrockgirl18 Posted July 20, 2013 Author Share Posted July 20, 2013 Well, I was so happy with the song effects in Ariel's Grotto that I decided to do more. I ordered 3 more units this morning, and hopefully they'll be here soon so I can get everything ready before the show! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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