Lights! #Miniature #Halloween #Dollhouse Update

Let there be light! 

(In case you're wondering, the yellow "house" in the back is a sectional cookie/storage jar!)

Yes! I know it's been a couple weeks since the last update, but finally I have some progress to show!! (Click photos for full size.)

Remember the Half Scale Greenleaf Van Buren kit I was building for a haunted house? (Yeah, I'm so slow. I see I started this back in August. ha!)

(site stock photo)

I admit, I was kind of stuck. There are parts that are NOT fun to do in dollhouse building (at least for me!) I don't like doing trim and papering, but yesterday I finished up papering walls and trim I needed to do before I did electric. Truthfully, I don't like construction much, either; I enjoy the decorating and planning the most.

Finally! This morning got the rest of the lights installed and everything soldered. And they work. Yay! (Okay, laugh. Only seven lights as the rooms are small.) 

As this is kind of an "older" Victorianish house, I decided to use some square jewelry findings I had as bases and some smaller bead caps for the lights. (Yes, it's crooked here; every time you take a photo that happens. ha!) 

I like the effect so will be doing this again in the Fairfield. I really like the result of painting that textured scrapbook paper a bronzish-gold too so will repeat that also. I only wish I had more of that Halloween cat print paper. I do have a small scrap left that'll have to do for some shelves or something.

For something different, I had a pair of bead cap earrings I'd found a while back. It had a smaller and medium sized cap with tiny keys hanging from the edges. Had to use one for the parlor ceiling light. The other will be in the FF house. (Shades of that creepy house and show, Locke & Key on Netflix?)

Another element I had to try for something different was making a wall sconce using some octopus-shaped buttons (think the horror monster Cthulhu from HP Lovecraft.) I cut the back off and glued a larger bead cap on for a sconce. As this cap absorbs most of the light, I added a ceiling light in this room, too, which will be the dining room. The light is another idea I plan to duplicate. These will be near-twin haunted houses, I think. 😀 I can swap things between them. ha!

That's the fun of it - trying to think up different things to make to make it unique. More to come! Next will be adding raggedy curtains, some lace and some cheesecloth (black and white), and then adding some cobwebs in, too. Also have to add the interior trim and do the outside. Door and window trims to be painted yet, too. I can't make it totally run down, (I admire the look of an abandoned dollhouse, but can't get myself to wreck it like that. ha!) but I'm doing some things here I decided I won't do in the FF house.

And the Fairfield? Oh, that's another story. Lousy, confusing design besides the lousy wood. I was really fed up with it. Got a few pieces figured out, so hopefully can get some walls glued and papering done. Maybe I'll feel better about it if I make some progress on it. In the meantime, I also was working on my pieces for the annual half scale group swap. About done which is good as I'm ahead for once. More on that later when I can share.

I still plan on doing a Miss Havisham kind of dining room (and still haven't come across the first table I'd already decorated, so I'm doing another one!)  I'm using the Gothic table kit from SDK Miniatures covered with lace. (I love this set!)

For inspiration, I saw this wonderful Miss Havisham figure made by the amazing James Carrington of England. His Etsy shop is empty at the moment, but some photos of other works are there. 

So, that's it for the moment. Stay tuned for more as I get things done. At least I feel like I'm getting somewhere now. 😁