Next: Half Scale Miniature Cottage & Show

 New cottage!

(website photo)

Yes, yes, I still have other projects but I couldn't resist and got a new 1/24 - half-scale house. This time I got the Abriana Country Cottage from Laser Dollhouse Designs, a rather "cute" 3-story cottage. I liked it as it's not super big but still enough room to decorate. It's 14" w x 10" d x 19" h. (*Click photos for full size.)

 I got several other houses from them: first was the Park Ave. Mansion that I added a diner to; then the Jasmine Gothic Victorian Cottage, which became my Witch Cottage; then the Alisha Dollhouse, which is set aside and will be a kind of country cabin. (It may sound like a lot, but I've seen how kit prices have gone up, so it's good to buy these, paying them off over time, and buying them when they're relatively cheaper. I can see the price difference in kits I bought quite a while ago; and some kits I bought years ago. Besides, I don't drink or smoke, which is costlier. ha! )

I really do like the nice details this company offers in their houses. Great doors, and nice stairway and porch railings. Though all those tiny parts to paint always looks scary at first. ha! But I like the building challenge, the planning, and especially the decorating!

This time, I had to plan out the colors to see what would work. Decided on Lavender walls, Hauser Green (a darker sage green) window frames, Antique White windows with a purple in the line around the windows. I'm thinking of adding shutters in African Violet.

I'll have to make wisteria and work on that clematis kit I've put off every time I look at all the tiny petals! (kit photo - SDK Miniatures.) 

I may do a kind of 1940s-flavored interior, a mix of old and new, I think. Still deciding how I want the inside to look. I was going to do a sage kitchen in the other house, but I think I'll do a sage/yellow/white kitchen in this one. Here's a 1940s style kitchen (Daily Mail) a woman did that's pretty close to some of the kits I have. 

Maybe I'll use this sink and cooker kit I bought last year (or use the stove kit I have that looks like the one in the link):

I found some neat vintage linoleum patterns to make flooring:  I kind of like this one with yellow and green in it. 

Probably going to do some brick walls inside. I seem to do that in all the houses as I like the brick look and the paper has great detail. I have quite a bit of the textured white brick paper left that I used in the Park Ave. Mansion, (Starboc2/Etsy), so I might experiment putting a light coat of paint on it. 

I'll sort some kits soon to see what I might use in the house. 

Show Stuff: Here are a couple new kits I got at the show which I may or may not use in this house depending on how they fit in.

 

I liked this resin table for a hallway or near the front door inside.

Here's something fun: I got a kick out of the teensy dumpster and garbage bin. Going to dirty them up. Guess I'll have to have a doll or skeleton arm sticking out of the dumpster at Halloween. (I watch too much Blue Bloods on TV.) ha!

I also found a set of 3D printed pumpkins that I can paint and put lights in. Love the scary faces!

Another different garden statue and urn.

That's it for the moment! Thanks for visiting. Come back soon for more updates!

Sneak Peek: Miniature Desserts: Hungry Anyone?

 

Despite the stores sneaking Christmas out earlier every year, I'm old school and stick to the season starting after Thanksgiving.

But... Well... I already shared the Halloween decorating for the Coffee Camper on the previous post, but thought I'd share a sneak peek of the decorating of me and friend Gigi's Christmas Campground now underway. (*Click photo for full size.)

Wow, she had a smorgasbord of delicious desserts and goodies set up for the snack table. Looks yummy! There are some amazing foods here!

More to come soon! Saturday's the Fall dollhouse show (yay!) so I'll be posting soon after to share what I found and saw.

Thanks again for visiting! Come back soon.

New Project: Miniature Camper

 

Still Halloween! (Or it was...)

Yes, I've been working on some things. I quit camping years ago after being caught in a horrible rainstorm, but camping in miniature sounds fun! (Click photos for full size.)

I got this camper kit quite a while ago and had papered the inside, then put it away. I'll admit, the project still didn't thrill me, but I decided to finish it since my friend Gigi and I were setting up a display for our Christmas mini get-togethers. She has a couple much smaller campers so we decided to set up a campground Christmas display.

After the Halloween display she did (a fun surprise!), we've been gathering things to make it Christmasy. She has a giant green felt cloth which is draped over a large coffee table that will be the base.

Lucky for me, my idea to make the outside all silver in back and on top, and half silver and half painted corrugated paper (on the back and sides) worked out since Hobby Lobby discontinued the scrapbook sheets of shiny coated silver paper. (But I did see some 2" or so wide rolls if I need smaller roofing pieces.) I had just enough to make it work. I wanted that shiny paper on the ceiling inside too but had to paint the plan paper silver instead since I didn't have enough. The top and back look pretty cool.

My idea was to make this a coffee cafe, a place to get drinks, snacks and some easy food like burgers and hot dogs. My friend will have the "sleeping" campers.

Back and inside

I decided to turn the window boxes upside down and paper the tops with some of the same silvery paper to make awnings. Thought it added something. Most of the small windows got covered with food/cafe signs.

One of the side windows, which still needs a Pick Up Orders sign above it. I also added the counter and supports. The other side is the Order Here window.

The left side from the back has the sink unit turned drinks fridge and grill. I also added a side counter and glued a microwave under it. Didn't think I'd be making another grill since the half-scale mansion diner, but never say never, right? But it's kind of fun making these. I put some of the silver paper on the side for a place to hold the food.

The former benches were turned to make tables and storage on the inside front wall for assorted supplies. Pretty happy with the coffee machine, which I measured off some pieces from a coffee shop kit my friend had. Copied the top and bottom plates and added a jump ring, sequin, and beads for  dimension. I added a few more things since this photo.

Oh, look a visitor! How fun! Mr. Grinch decided to stop by. He'll be ready for Christmas - soon!

I'm pretty pleased with how it came out after all. I'll be sharing the Christmas set-up and the campground soon.

Momentous week! Election Day Tuesday (VOTE!) and then Friday-Saturday is the Fall Dollhouse Show, which has moved to the Wyndham Garden Hotel, 1725 E. Algonquin Rd., Schaumburg, Ill. It's not a big show, but it's so nice to have an event to attend before the long winter lull until next Spring's big shows.

That's it for the moment. I'll have another post or two before the shows so be sure to come on back soon! Thanks again for visiting!