Big Fan of Those Fans! #dollhouse #miniatures

 

Can I say again how much I love those wood fans from China? So many uses!

Previously, I made some decorative wood boxes around the windows in the Half Scale dollhouse, and it's the second time I've used them around stairs. I love how they look.

Ta-Da! Next...

I'm super thrilled that I figured out the room divider for the back of the dollhouse room! This is a pretty different design, I know, but I realized the hall had to extend around the room so I could add a door to get to the attic as I didn't want more stairs. (That'll be on the plain wall on the left, which will be covered with the matching black/white scrapbook paper.) But so far, it's turning out pretty well! (It isn't glued in yet and I had to sand the edge so it wasn't cleaned up here.)

I used the heavier wood ends of the fan on both sides for stability. For the center top, I cut the pieces from the fan blades and alternated them because of the angles. I trimmed some of the edges to make them straighter and reversed the smaller pieces so they'd fit. They're glued into pieces of channel wood. I used a different stain this time to give a little contrast. 

And yes, there will also be a large gold picture frame on that glaring blank wall in the hall beyond the railing. We'll add a hanging light also.

So far, so good! It's nice when an idea you have turns out - and I'm glad it worked so I didn't wreck the side pieces! Last time, I cut up a lot of blade pieces to get it the boxes how I wanted, but that was expected for a first try. 

Soon: Decorating And...

Getting closer to the best part of building - the decorating. Soon! But there's  a lot of trimming and finishing to do yet. (And then the porch to build outside, and window boxes, etc. etc. I'm using the fans on the porch railing, too!) Once I finish the wall, then the lights can be installed and the  third floor/ceiling can be put in. There is a beautiful (expensive!) chandelier for that bedroom. A one-time splurge though I just bought some more hanging lights again. That's why you don't keep track of costs in a dollhouse. ha!

More building, too! The third floor will have a wood attic above the bedroom, (I used a wooden placemat in this book box for the walls and want to see if it'll  work here as I don't want to cut individual pieces. I used pieces of a wood Chinese calendar in the other HS house attic (bedroom area below), but I don't have any more of those.)  I love having a place to put all the extra stuff and "junk"!); I may add a part bath enclosure here as well, just a part open door showing a sink or something.

 The other two attic rooms in the current house will be a combined craft area and sitting room/baby's room while the mother works upstairs. (Since I have a nursery set to use! Unless I repaint the crib and add it in the master bedroom and use a cradle upstairs. Either way. I don't want it to seem like the Flowers in the Attic books with the kids locked away in the attic. ha!) 

 A girl's room will be in the tower room at the end, which needs false doors on the wall to "connect" it since we didn't put door openings in. Some things just weren't planned at the beginning of working out this house and were changed later. Lessons learned! 😀 

Stay tuned for more! And, thanks again, for stopping by!

Replicating Real Life #Dollhouse #Miniatures

 

The fun of collecting and creating in miniature size is having a realistic replica of something from real life.

 That's evident by the interest in all the miniature toys that are suddenly popular like the Mini Brands food items and the Wacky Packages items - small scale replicas of real life food products and parody products. I admit both these are "cute," though they are more Barbie size (1:6 scale) than dollhouse scale (1" =1').

Most of us creating in miniature like adding those real-life touches, no matter the size. In my case, I enjoy working in 1:24 scale (half scale or 1/2" = 1'). Yeah, it's small, but I like that you can get the realism without it being so small you have trouble seeing it. (Folding things can make you feel like you're all thumbs, though!)  I made the shelf above a while ago for a kitchen. The shelf is 4" long. The printable (printie) food boxes range in size from under 1/2" to just over 1/2" wide and 1/2" high or so.

This post actually started with a couple of items I got in last year's annual swap from the Half Scale group. I got a kick out of the paint cans a couple people sent and wanted to figure out how to make more. Hard to get a real good photo as these are only just over 1/2" high. (Emily Morganti made the can on the right using part of an LED Christmas bulb for the cap, she said. Check out her blog - she has some great half scale dollhouses and ideas!)

I was pretty happy with how mine came out using a dowel rod, thread and a slice cut from the end of a wood paint brush to make the cap. I shrunk down the label in my Word program. (They look a little beat-up in the photo since the camera picks up every-single-mark. ha! But on a shelf, they look pretty good.

 I also just found some tiny beads with straight sides that might work for other color and clear plastic caps. They're called Perler Beads and used to hook onto pegs almost like Legos. The pegs are part of shapes like butterflies, etc. 

We'll see if they work for my purposes. The beads are about 1/4" high, similar in size to the clear cap on the first can photo though that one has slightly angled and rounded sides. I'll  try and make some to see how they turn out. You need more than a few cans on a shelf, right? And once you start making something, I admit, you get kind of hooked on having multiples. ha!  I wanted to see what size a 1" scale can would be also, though I'll likely need a larger dowel and a bigger bead. But that's another day. 

I've been making some other things as well for the latest Half Scale dollhouse so stay tuned! 

Thanks again for stopping by!

Half Scale #Dollhouse Decorations: #miniatures

 Latest work on the Half Scale Victorian House. 

Read All About It! ha!

I'm waiting on an order of lights to get here  (well, I used some in the previous HS Country House; also see attic interior) so had to get more! Hint: if you're new to miniatures, it's like a real house - always things to do or more things to buy - or re-buy! ha!)

So... in the meantime I've been working on a few decorative items. I wanted to do some different things in this house. I usually use scrapbook paper for the walls. In the upstairs office I decided on a travel theme, so I used this paper. I loved the colors and also used it to line the wall bookcase. It's pretty neat looking in full size. 

(As a reminder for myself, Emily Morganti, who builds/decorates some great HS houses, has this same bookcase in her house's living room. Check out her HS sofa instructions here.)

For fun, I painted some of these silver charms to use as decorative objects on the shelves.

And... of course, I have a bunch of books made already (which I can't find at the moment), but I don't mind making more! (see top photo.) These are nice, vintage-style books. I sprayed them first with matte acrylic sealer, then sealed with a couple coats of matte Mod Podge. Then I traced the designs with a stylus on a mouse pad to accentuate the outlines. I frame the books around picture frame mat board, cut to fit, and paint the edges with Tulip Metallic Gold fabric paint.

I was pretty pleased how this geranium came out! It's not made the usual way. I don't have an actual geranium leaf punch so I used a different, much larger shaped leaf and cut out sections, but it worked out well. It's set in a larger printed bead as I wanted to use the planters outside the double doors in the second floor hall. I'll share some tips on the flower in a coming post. Yes, half scale plants are usually very tiny so I wanted these just a bit bigger than that. 

Something else I forgot to share last time: got the window boxes made! I was making them slightly larger at first but this will work fine. Made them out of wood after all. Once I started, it wasn't so bad! Luckily, I had some channel wood which saved me from making all four sides. I only had to add the end pieces!

And... the other pieces below are wood snowflakes cut in half. I'll paint them and put them above the windows for some decorative elements. There 's two styles since one set goes on the tower and one on the front windows. 

I'm trying to figure out the color scheme as the windows are brown with the vintage white inner trim on a yellow house. I'm thinking fuchsia for the window boxes and a Wedgewood green for the shutters. I plan on adding other contrasting wood trim and decorative pieces to tie it all together. I don't want it to be too plain (as it is now!) (Not sure what color to paint these pieces. Suggestions?)

Until next time... thanks for visiting!

Fanning The Latest #Miniature Project...

 Okay, you can groan at my bad pun. Couldn't resist. haa!

But.... you all know those pretty, and very useful, Chinese-made wood fans?

Yup,  we all have some. In fact, I found a bunch a while ago at a garage sale or something (waaaay back in pre-Covid days!) and had to buy them. I didn't have a plan for what I'd do with eight of them, but hey, they were .10 cents a piece. You don't pass that up!! (Click photos for full size.)

But.... as every dollhouse hoarder knows, they'll come in handy... someday. And they did!!

As I shared previously, I've been steadily working on the Half Scale Victorian House. The floors are in on the second floor and working on putting in some trim before the ceiling goes in. I was doing the bedroom, which will have a kind of flowery romantic feel with Victorian-style furniture. 

I used a slightly contrasting fabric for the curtains that had an old-fashioned look. I love-love-love the lace I found for the inner curtains, too! Then I got an idea that had to be done even if I didn't want to do all that measuring, cutting and trimming - fretwork box frames for the windows!

Of course I ended up cutting a lot of pieces to fit right and then replace those that pieces got broke as these are pretty delicate. 

The pieces have to be reversed to meet up since they are angled. I glued the trim on top the cut fan pieces. Then.... of course! - I found they weren't wide or deep enough so I had to glue on extra channel pieces to the sides and back to make them fit. But I'm happy with the results!

The bedroom, it turns out, had to be shortened so I could add a small hall at the back which will have a door leading to the attic. I don't want to build more, but I have an idea to enclose the open part of the bedroom by making some screening with more of the fan wood. (See end of wall below.) I don't want to enclose it totally so I can actually get my hand in there to decorate!

That hall connects to the center room, which has an open space at the end enclosed by a gold fence. There'll be a hanging light in the open space. I think this was scrapbook paper, not exactly half scale, but I like how it looks. I want to put planters with red flowers by the double doors. 

It's hard to see in this photo, but I like that it has a kind of hotel lobby feel to it! I also used the wood fan pieces for the railing around the stair opening. 

Besides figuring out the room screen, I'm also planning on using the fan pieces on the front porch railing. I really don't want to deal with those tiny individual spindles and I think this provides a better look. So, on to the next parts. There's a lot of trim to finish, too, and fix any little mistakes that might've been missed.  Stay tuned for more!

Tiny is In! #Miniature toys

 I'm Baaaaak!

TINY 

IS IN.

Okay, I've been busy. The record store is finished; photos will be coming soon. I just have this paint spot on one wall that I've been trying to fix and match... You know how it is, the glaring goof that will bug you forever....

The Half Scale Victorian House is still in progress. Making good progress, I'd say. Had to make a couple other design adjustments, things we didn't notice when we started the house oh, 15+ or so, years ago. But the bedroom is being papered; had to add a hall with a fake door I'm working on to go to the attic since I didn't want to add other stairs. A couple things to do before the second floor ceiling goes in. Have to do curtains first as it's super hard to reach in this house as stuff is tiny! More photos and updates will be coming... Just had an idea that somehow I want to add a rooftop deck. haa!

Speaking of tiny...  Did ya Know? Tiny is in.

There are all kinds of tiny - mini food brands and packaging out now - the LOL brand, Mini Brands, Toy Mini Brands and the funny Wacky Packages in mini package form, to name a few. Remember the stickers from (ahem) decades ago? I may have to get one pack just for fun...

The Mini Brands foods are cute, but they're more Barbie (1/6th scale) size... But I've been  seeing and hearing about the Toy Mini Brands and I've looked - Walmart is always out; Meier was out. Every time I looked no one had them. I've only seen the Crayon box sample on display and saw a mini boxed Dora doll photo... Then someone said Target has them.

Success! I finally found quite a few at Target!  And I have to say - they are cute!!! I don't need another project, but small, quick ones are always good. So... I have a small empty display box that I'll have to set up as a toy store! I'm thrilled that I only got one double toy in the three balls I bought, no big deal since they can go on a shelf together. But looking at the chart, I'd say I got the best ones. There's a tiny shopping cart that would be a nice addition, though.

The neat thing is that while printie doll boxes are nice, these have actual figures in them! They come 5 to a ball - here's what I got. I may get another at some point, but I'm happy with the ones I got so far. (Click photos to see full size.)

That's the way it is... something always prompts another project. haaa!  But I've enjoyed filling small display boxes like the Raggedy room (see photos here) and the small Halloween display I did ---  Update: (I  knew I had a photo up, see A to Z Blogging: T and U post for the Halloween box pic.).

 While a small display box can be just as much work sometimes, it is quicker than a full size roombox. I've also been looking at my cigar box sitting there waiting to be finished. I have about everything sitting in there for the planned men's shop, just have to wallpaper and work on it! 

Stay tuned for more details!

HS #Dollhouse Let there be Light!

 Still working on the new/old half scale dollhouse. (Here's the first photos.)

First floor trim, curtains and lights are in! The real challenge was getting the staircase built (the tiny spindles!) and then getting it in the front hall. Still have to attach the post by trying to get my hand through the front door. haa! The rooms don't leave much space to work in! (Click on photos for full view.)

Here's a view of the kitchen (left) and hall...

Here's the dining room and the pretty chandelier:

Closer view:

Three rooms, kitchen, hall, dining room...

Front door: (I plan to add a floral wreath on the door.)

Not real exciting, I know... but it's all these little things you have to do in the building process. My least favorite part, btw.

I also started putting together a fridge from MiniEtchers. (The handles have to be painted and added separate.) I have a fairly modern kitchen set (Houseworks half scale) so I figured this fridge will fit in. The stove is going to be an old-fashioned type, though, one of those half scale fridge magnets.

Also pictured is one of the window boxes I made. It turned out perfect but... I am not going to make 10 or more (likely more.) The plan (so far) is to see if I can make a mold since I bought a mold-making kit. I have a giant jar of plaster. I've tried this before on some frames and it didn't work out too bad.

 Otherwise it's cut out all that wood (!!!) or find someone to 3D print them, or something. If I have to build them, then I'll have to look at it like when I do the annual half-scale swap of 30 or more items, which I'll have to plan soon also. Assembly line TV project. A few at at time so as not to go crazy. (Last time I made mini Monopoly game boards.) We'll see how it goes. I'll let you know!

Next we start on the second floor which will be a bedroom, and study/den. The center hall with the framed opening looking down to the first floor will be included in the den. The first floor living room on the right side (part of the tower) is two stories. The upper part on the third floor will be part of a child's room and play area. The rest of the third floor should have an attic section, a nursery/sewing room and maybe a part-bath. 

The #Miniature White House

  This seems the perfect time to share a real treasure - the Miniature White House made by the Zweifel family.

The model is 1" to 1' scale, which is 60' long, and shows all the rooms of the White House through the Obama  presidency, I believe. The oval office was often updated to reflect the recent occupant. (See more details about it. It's housed at the Presidents Hall of Fame in Florida.)

I was lucky enough to finally see it some years ago when it was in Chicago at the Museum of Science and Industry. Here are photos of the various rooms when it was housed at the Ford Museum.

One of the treats seeing it was looking for the small version of Bo, the Obama's dog made by miniaturist Alice Zinn. Here's a profile I wrote about her and her miniature dogs. 

New Year, New - Old - HS Dollhouse Project 2

 It's a New Year, meaning a new project, right?

Well, yes, and no.

 (click photos for full size.) We pulled out the half scale house that's sat for oh.... maybe 10 years I think? And once we got past the initial arguments (I'm design/decor, he's building and finishing), then maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to keep at this and get it done. You know how it is doing renovations, etc. on a house... it's the same as real life, only smaller. haa!

This is my third larger and full size half scale house besides the country house and the yellow playhouse. (I also have three smaller HS houses: a Tudor one with bakery; a house turned garage, and two for Halloween, plus a one-room house turned garage.) Forgot, there's the small Tudor herbal house, too (see county fair post)...  (First Tudor, also see bakery pix.)

This house is handmade, adapted from part of a smaller house kit and added on to. I don't remember all we did though the tower is handmade.  It does have some flaws, but? I decided to keep at it. I have soooo much furniture and accessories, plus decorative items from years of half scale swaps stored away, that it'll be nice to have somewhere to put a lot a lot of it. 

As this was back when half scale lights were really hard to find, we bought some very expensive handmade lights for this,  along with a few I found in later years. I'll show those once the second floor ceiling/floor is in. 

Just to show color schemes: kitchen, hall, dining room. 

Below: tower curtains. The tower will have a statue, small bench and lots of plants.

It doesn't look like much yet but some new lights were added (not shown), curtains finished, trim moldings put in,  and it was painted outside - again. Third time. I had a greener yellow paint by Martha Stewart, which got lumpy, so I had to get another paint, which was slightly lighter. But it'll look ok once I add the sage green shutters and some windowboxes, (which I dread making sooo many - there are about 18 windows. But boxes will be on the front only.) plus some decorative trims and moldings. Have to figure what colors to add yet. 

We also put a new floor in the hall for the third time. (Three times seems to be the charm on this house.) I had a wood floor and didn't like it so it was pulled up. The tile laid down bumpy so we had to redo the tile sheet pasted to a piece of cardboard. That was glued down around the edges only, just in case. It does look better with a tile floor. I don't look forward to doing the staircase railing and spindles. So tiny!

I know, not much to see yet, but hopefully there will be soon. I'll show the handmade fireplace, too, once we light it up.  Stay tuned for more!

Happy New Year 2021!

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Wishing everyone a healthy, happy and much better 2021!

Thank you to all who visit and read the blog, I so appreciate it! Will be back soon for more posts, minis, and whatever else!

For now, what's underway?

As I always have several projects started at once, I am working on one of those China kits, Sam's Study. (See stock photo above.) I do like the colors on this, but I'm redoing it in dark shades to make it into an Edgar Allan Poe library. Oh, and yes, I have a second one in case I want to do one in the bright colors!

The record store is about done except for replacing one piece of art on the wall and touch up paint on another. More photos coming soon!

The skeleton funeral parlor is also underway and the gold paint worked out marvelous! Photos coming soon. See last update post. 

See you in the New Year!

#Merry Christmas #Mini Story by Robert W Walker part 2

Today we feature the second part and conclusion to an original Christmas tale by Robert W. Walker, author of 70+ novels including the fabulous gaslight thriller, CITY OF THE ABSENT, featuring his detective, Ransom.  Check his website for his latest thrillers and novellas. 

While Robert is known for his spooky and often creepy-gory horror books, he has a soft side, too! Never fear, this two-part story is rated PG. 

(** Start here for Part 1 of the story.) 

Part 2: Continued, "The Thief of Christmas Present"
By Robert W. Walker

(Photos: Christmas Santa House by C. Verstraete, see more pix here - click miniatures; Festive gold and white holiday scenes featuring the miniatures of Lissu, used w/ permission. See more pix and visit her blog) 

To recap: the family are watching the film to see who is stealing the Cluewellens' Christmas from Julia's dollhouse. (See part 1 in the previous post.)

Shortly after, Stevie entered the room, asking, "What kinda movie is this?"

"The movie that's gonna prove you stole the Cluewellens' Christmas!"


"I didn't touch that stuff! I didn't do it, mom!"

Joannie came down from her room and asked, "Are you still blaming that on Stevie? He wouldn't do that!"

"We got you on tape this time, Joannie...or Stevie...whichever one of you guys did it, so there!" Julia set her jaw, determined to watch every hour of the unmoving movie frame by frame. "Mom and me...we gotcha good now. Liar."

Joannie came at her sister. "Who're you calling a liar? Me?"

"If the shoe fits!"

"Enough, both of you! Stop it. Either sit down and watch the tape or leave the room, but please, no more accusations, Julia, and no more shouting, Joannie-and you, Stevie, stop crying."

"I didn't do it," he complained through tears. "I always get blamed for everything!"


"All I know is somebody stole the Cluewellens' Christmas tree now!" Julia shot back.

"Hey, what's that?" asked Joannie, pointing at the screen. "I saw movement-a shadow-back of the miniature."

Julia, Stevie, and Mother Waldron stared at the slight squeaking noise, too, and in a moment, they all watched a pair of whiskers and a brown button nose rise over the back of the miniature at the chimney.

"It's Newton, my ferret!" shouted Stevie. "He's escaped again."

Newton lived up to his name, always finding ways to escape his cage, and often, Stevie allowed him 'free run time' but Newton always returned to his cage. Newton had even found a way out of the house one night.

"What's he doing?" asked Julia. "OMG-he's going down the chimney."

"Like Santa," said Stevie.


"No...more like The Grinch," replied Joannie. "There's your Christmas thief, Julia!"

"But...I mean how...why?" she asked. "Why's he terrifying the Cluewellens and destroying their Christmas?"

"You really think Newton is thinking along those lines, Julia?" Joannie couldn't hold back her laughter.

"Shhh...watch him. Look, look," said Mom. "The little thief! He's dragging the entire tree out the front door."

With the tree clear of the door, it snapped closed, and Newton scurried away with the five-inch high tree, ornaments trailing. He truly did look like a miniature version of The Grinch except that he was brown and not green.

"Stevie's pet's the thief...the whole time," Julia muttered in disbelief.

"What's he doing with all the stolen goods?" asked mom. "Shall we find out?"

"I think you're gonna need a ferret whisperer or a pet shrink to figure that out, Mom," replied Joannie, still laughing.


"Nothing funny about that little rat destroying the Cluewellens' Christmas!" countered Julia.

"Why don't we all just go on a scavenger hunt?" began Mom. "To see where Newton is stashing all the decorations and presents."

"And stockings!" added Julia.

The four of them started for Stevie's room where Newton lived in a cage. Everyone in the family had gotten so used to Newton's escapes and escapades about the house that no one took great notice of him of late.

"What's going on?" asked Jack Waldron, their father, who'd caught them gathered at the foot of the stairs as he came through the door, home from the office.

Everyone spoke at once until Anna calmed them and pointed to the still action shot on the TV. "We caught Newton red-handed. "He's Julia's Christmas thief."

"Must be the shiny stuff attracts Newton, eh?" asked Jack.


"But he's never done this before!" Anna replied. "Any rate, we're heading up to Steve's room to see where he's stashing the goods."

"Say, did anyone read that book that came with the ferret when you bought Newton at the pet store?" asked Joannie, who was browsing the book for any clues.

"Who's got time to read?" asked Julia.

They all went for Stevie's room, and looked into Newton's cage, a made-over fish tank. There, amid the usual sawdust and toy shelters and fake greenery, was a stash of Christmas miniatures, from the tree, to the presents and the stockings. All of it lay in a neat, orderly circular design. The look on Newton's face said, "I confess."

Joannie handed the paperback book on ferrets and ferret behavior to her mother. "Take a look at the last section on page sixteen."

She glanced at the page. "Oh, dear...then this means..."

"What is it?" asked Julia. "Nothing in that book could possibly excuse this rodent's behavior, and as for you, Stevie-this is all your-"

"No, Julia!" countered her father, who'd now read page sixteen. "No way is this Stevie's fault!"

"You owe Stevie and me an apology," Joannie said to Julia, having closed in on her, nose-to-nose. "And all our friends, too!"

"You do owe everyone an apology, Julia," her mother agreed. "In the meantime, Newton is going to need a new name."

"Whataya mean?" asked Julia.

"New name?" asked Stevie.


"Newton is a girl, and she's stealing shiny objects to make a nest, because she's going to have baby ferrets."

"OMG!" replied Julia. "That's it! That explains the mystery."

"But if Newton's not a boy...what're we going to call Newton?" asked Stevie.

"Newtonia?" suggested Joannie, a snicker escaping.

"Why don't we make it Madame Curie," suggested mom. "I think she outsmarted us all. In any event, case closed."

Stevie lifted the flimsy lid and started to reach in to retrieve the Cluewellens' Christmas stuff-his sister's stuff, but Julia stayed his hand. "No, Stevie. She-Madame Curie-she needs it now more than the Cluewellens."

"Aren't you ahhh worried about the Cluewellens?" asked Anna of her daughter.

"They'll understand when I explain it to them," Julia replied and shrugged, "and besides, there's always next year."

Anna hugged Julia and Jack put a hand on his daughter's shoulder, and with the entire family looking on at Newton-now Madame Curie-every one smiled, and if ferrets can smile, Madame Curie smiled back, a knowing glint in her eye.

"I have an idea for the Cluwellens' Christmas," said Stevie.

"What's that? asked Julia.

"Why not give them a front row seat for Christmas?"

"Meaning?"

"Put their house under our tree!"


Everyone agreed it was a wonderful solution, and that Julia had a lot of apologies to make, and that she'd tell and retell Newton's story between now and Christmas quite often indeed.

The End.

(c)2008, 2020 RW Walker published by http://candidcanine.blogspot.com

** I hope you enjoyed this Christmas tale like I do in presenting it. 

Merry Christmas and the best in the New Year to everyone! 

As Tiny Tim said, "God Bless us, every one!"