The Queen's Jubilee #Miniature Tea Room Update

 In honor of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee, I decided to do a little updating on my Tudor Tea Shoppe. (There are a few past photos and an overall back interior photo here.)

I made this project over 20+ years ago, adapting it around an already partially built Houseworks porch. I'll have to take pix of the sides, all brick and stucco. I made the front and the door, too. The back is open with shelves and the sides are part-walls. If I did anything different now, I would've used the lightweight Spackle as it doesn't crack as much. (Click photos for full size.)

Haven't pulled it out in a long time as the case is very heavy and I had it buried on the shelf. So moved a few roomboxes around and put it in the other cabinet for now, unless I decide to move it again.

I didn't change much, just added some things and moved others around.  I added some flowers above and a planter on the front wall. Still may change the fake planter on the left. And gotta have a Corgi, too!  * I'm still thinking of adding the perfect element - a decorated hat!

Here's the front sign, made with wood pieces, and hooked together chains with Tiny Turnings on the sides.

Added a Queen and Prince Philip portrait photo on the wall and a Queen Victoria at top (round frame not shown.)

Put the large coronation picture on the interior back side of the door  here... Also added the royal plate. (I have an anniversary mini china plate/button and a thimble coming yet from England. Found them at Etsy.) Then if I have to move and uncover this again, I'll light it for better photos. (And I noticed I forgot to put a chair back in. ha!)

I moved everything over to add the magazine shelf kit from Dragonfly Intl. I moved the magazines around and added the paper dedicated to Prince Philip an put a couple of the mini albums in there. The large white framed photo is of Will and Kate's wedding.

Added a couple things and moved items on the shelf. The blue anniversary book on the bottom is a Dateman photo book from the UK. I made the Diamond Anniversary album.

Here are a couple albums I made. The Britain album includes the photos I took when I went there some time back. Yeah, that's me in the phone booth. I think they took all those out now? Which is a real shame as they are cool! The other is another mini album I made of William and Kate. This type of album uses scrapbook paper for the cover and pages. I should update these and make a couple more albums with their kids, and Meghan and Harry's family. Maybe even a Prince Philip memoriam album. Well... eventually as I'll likely have to add others at some point. I did have an idea before to have a shelf with different albums on it. Yes, more ideas. ha!

That's it for the moment. I'll update the photos once I get the other items and add them in.

Thanks for stopping by!

#Halloween in January #HalfScale VB House Updates Interior

 

Maybe that's why Halloween never ends, since it's taking forever to get done here?... haa!

I was going to post before but then I got caught up trying to get some improvements done first... 

So, moving right along on the HS Van Buren...* See previous post or look in archives in left column or use the search box. (Click photos for full size.)

One reason why it takes so long to get stuff done is like yesterday (well today as I type this) - You have to do things in steps so you don't mess up. Like: I had a new front wall/ceiling piece cut since, ahem, I lost the original one. Then had to paper it but couldn't forget to cut a long slit in the paper so I can glue the lamp cord under the paper. Glue to house; waiting, waiting for glue to set. Then paint the other newly cut rectangle ceiling piece since the original is badly warped. Paper one side, paint outside, and add fake trap doors and trim. 

Okay... still here? 👀 Next: The Attic

All kinds of movie references came to mind:

The chair has to be aged, but all I could think was putting a creepy mummified Mrs. Bates-like figure there peeking out... 

And then... what movie do you think of here?

(The side walls in the attic are "news" print scrapbook paper; I have to glue in vertical wood beams once the front wall and ceiling are glued.)

The railings also were added around the attic staircase opening. The brick, which I love!, is printed on bumpy, textured paper from Starboc2 on Etsy. She's in Greece, but fast shipping and good prices. An idea here as I ran out of the thin wood flooring sheets: I found some wood veneer-look heavy scrapbook paper. I drew the lines with colored pencil and I think it works!

Dining room, left room on first floor: On my recent hunt for things I put in that "safe place," luckily, I found the rectangular Gothic table (from SDK Miniatures) I'd glued lace on. This is going to be a Miss Havisham scene, so had to see what I could put out and then age it with gray paint and cobwebs. I have to get some silverware yet Love how this turned out so far!

The roses are handmade from paper. The cake is from Crayola Model Magic, painted gray and added lace glued on. The lace is then painted over.  I took the candles from a wall sconce and glued them into small bead findings. The tea pot (back left) is a charm. Everything is painted over to look aged. The tiny bead caps have pieces of sliced fruit canes and melon balls. I have to figure some yucky old meat or I might just leave the plates as they are. 

The first floor center staircase serves as a divider wall for the parlor room on the right side. And the reason I left a hole in the back of it: (Which I keep thinking also needs a light, so thinking I should snake a flashing battery candle bulb (for those tiny nightlights) up through the floor.) Another why didn't I think of that before? moment. Let my mistakes be your reminders. 💀

It's Curtains! 

The curtains are done. I'd changed my mind (what else is new?) and put these sparkly web curtains here instead. Was just testing the furniture. The settee is from MiniEtchers. I made the coffin bookcase. 

The web curtains (supposedly glow-in-the-dark, cut from a roll of ribbon trim, we'll see) were moved to the right side room, which now will be the parlor. 

Bedroom, second floor:

The bedroom curtains are in and all the trim has been done since this photo. I still wish the room was another color, but that was all I had at the moment. I had a circus sideshow theme in mind, so I'll have to do that in the other house. Have to frame that art yet, though, and might hang it here to liven up the room.

The hall, second floor: I realized once the bedroom wall and door were in at left that this was too dark, so I had to add another light. Bad planning as I should've added a light by the stairs too, which would've been much cooler coming out of that skeleton bead. Well, keeping that in mind for the next house. Lighting is just so hard to envision sometimes!

The best part: Decorating the Walls!

Pictures and art are as addicting as making mini books. Good TV watching projects and you can really never have too many! Spooky people, creepy monsters, and more! Here are some of the pictures and frames I did (so far!) I know there are a few more I want to add. I also have some of those lenticular (moving/changing) images. Luckily I found those before since I haven't seen any for a couple years now.

The Outside:

The planning, anyway. Another hard part of the project is having to plan out how the paper will fit, but I love how this will look! I wanted it to seem old; the window trim is all black. I'll add some vines, etc. too. This is only laid here and not glued yet. I'm making paper templates as I have to piece the sheets.

I traced over the window edges with pencil and then cut the holes to fit. The center is trickier as there are two doors.

One more thing: 

An interesting find: I found these neat fake flower pods (cheap) at Target a while back. Thought they would be great flower pots.

That's it for the moment. Thanks for stopping by! Until next time!

A New #Miniatures TV Show Coming

 I saw that a new minis TV show, Best in Miniature, will be airing on Feb. 11. But.... it's from Canadian broadcasting and will be streaming on...? I saw mention of Discovery+ ? Well, not sure so will have to see if it's on Hulu or something... Here's the trailer I found... looks pretty good!

** Still waiting to hear where/if it'll air in the US. Stay tuned.

** UPDATE: Someone found this - more info and photos from the studio making the show.

Working on #Halloween Half Scale VB #Dollhouse

The Parlor

 A few updates to show at least some progress is being made on the Van Buren (VB) Haunted Dollhouse! I was finishing up my annual  half scale group swap items in-between . (Yay, all done and mailed so I could get back to this!)

So, not too much new in this room yet, but I almost forgot I had this cute little fireplace I got at Michael's. The fun is the light dims and brightens. I liked this photo as it has a kind of deserted feel. (Click photos for full size. See archive in left column for previous posts. See other VB post from Nov.)

Otherwise, I'm at the hateful trimming stage, and it seems like while I've gotten some things done, it really does take a while.  Just hate the cutting, measuring, cutting again. ha! Not for the patient! 

The Dining Room?

Interesting thing about updates is it shows progress and the changed-my-mind-again  (and again!) moments. ha! Here's the dining room and hall at the left, first floor. I was going to put a wood floor in as a divider, but it seemed better to have one big room. I put a small piece of brick wall at the end there by the door and then the wood strip on the ceiling. I might put the other wood divider at the other end, but I kind of like the open concept. 

I may change my mind again as this big room may make a better parlor-sitting room, with the dining room instead going in the right side (parlor) room (shown above.) What do you think? I have some neat glow-in-the-dark light green cobweb trim that I'll put on the windows in the left side room. I did see it glow (but have to check again to be sure!) Stay tuned!

Second floor bedroom

The floor isn't glued in yet, but I did add in the partial ceiling trim. The bottom trim will be brown like the door trim.

Second floor hall-library

I got the French doors in, trimmed the stair opening and finished the stair trim. I decided I didn't like the open spindles so I did the same thing I did on my other haunted house - used cut wooden fan pieces to fill in the stair sides. I just like how these look so much better. 

I added a square dowel post in front and put a small skull bead on top. I keep looking at the bad wood spindles on the bottom floor stairs, so deciding whether to cover those with the fan pieces, too. We'll see. The stair opening also uses the wooden fan pieces set into railing moldings. Since the hall was darker than I thought once I added the left wall in, I'm going to put another bulb in the ceiling with a skull. Hey, why not?

Just finished trimming under the stair opening, too, and I have to check if I need to touch the whole thing up more with black paint.

I know, not too exciting, right? I have to finish trimming  -- then I can get some furniture out to see how it looks!  The fun part! But... I have to finish papering the attic first and (horrors!) I can't find a ceiling piece so may have to cut my own. Then the outside has to be brick-papered and all the window/door trim painted and added. Ugh. At least I really can see the progress on this. 

Something I forgot to show last time...

I thought these were kind of cool. Some kind of foam bulbs that look like pumpkin pots. They even had the tops already painted black! Found them at Target in the clearance-bargain section. Good planters, I figured.

That's it for the moment. Thanks for stopping by again! More updates soon!

 

Happy New Year!

 

The champagne's chilled! (Basket by Emily from HS group swap.)

Here's hoping 2022 is much better!

Hope you have lots of mini fun in the coming year. Thanks for visiting the blog this year and looking fun to more projects in 2022!

#Halloween #Dollhouse Update

Getting there! I'm at the not-so-fun part of the building - putting in trim and floors. The floors are easy; the trim, ugh, all that cutting and measuring. But.... seeing progress! (See archive in left column for previous posts! Click photos for full size.)

Ok not so exciting, but the front door's in and turned out good. I know, the pic isn't great, but I don't want to take it again. I'll get a better one after the wall is papered and the trim's on. Yes, I'm using duct tape this time to hinge it since it's strong and won't tear. 

Here's the door from the inside in the front hall. I got the stairs and wall in too. (Finally, after also having to glue the handrail several times!) I had to add a light in the hall as it seemed too dark, so I used a bead and a glass flower petal that I touched up with black paint. There will be two small part walls on each side of the left dining room for dividers. The wood floors aren't in yet. I have to darken them more. I have to find more of the thin wood-sheet flooring. Almost out! Test-fitting. But I like how this looks kind of old.

Right side of the wall in the living room. I used painted card for the bottom of the walls. The wall trim is strips cut from a bamboo mat. Have to decide on some raggedy curtains yet. Probably going to use dirtied-up cheesecloth.

Curtains in the upper left bedroom. Made the lace rather raggedy. I love the look of painting the textured ceiling a coppery-gold! I'll be adding more "dirt" on the walls plus trim. And hang cobwebs in most of the rooms, too. I hate all the trim I have to cut. I want to get to the good part -hanging pictures and decor, ha!

I have a lot of outside trim to paint yet as well. One good thing is I don't have to be neat. It's all black trim that'll be sanded to look worn. Next, I have to paper the outside. I'm using the textured brick paper on the whole house. 

That's it for now! Hopefully some better stuff (and better photos!) coming. Stay tuned! 

A Mini Merry #Dollhouse #Christmas Part 2

 

* Start the story here: Part 1 

Today we feature the second part and conclusion to an original Christmas tale by Robert W. Walker, author of nearly 87 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. 

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, 2021 RW Walker published by http://candidcanine.blogspot.com

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

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

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

A Mini Merry #Dollhouse #Christmas Part 1

 It's become something of an annual tradition that I've been sharing this little Christmas story my friend and fellow author Robert W. Walker penned for me. It first ran here in 2008. Enjoy!

Today I have the pleasure of presenting an original Christmas tale by Robert W. Walker, author of - gasp! - now going on 87 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 story, which will run in two parts, is rated PG. 

(Come back tomorrow for Part 2.) 

The Thief of Christmas Present
By Robert W. Walker

(Photos: Christmas Santa House by C. Verstraete, more photos see website, Santa's House page.)




Julia rushed into her mother's room, her eleven-year-old arms flapping as she said, "Joannie stole my Christmas presents! I just know it was her!"

"Your big sister wouldn't do that, Julia."

"Then its one of her girlfriends."

"I've talked to Joannie, and she's given the third degree to every friend who has been visiting the house since Thanksgiving."

Julia's eyes filled with tears. "Musta been that boyfriend of hers then!"

"He seems like a nice, respectful boy, and whatever would possess him to steal your miniature Christmas presents from beneath your miniature tree?"

Anna Waldron hugged her daughter to her. "We'll find the stolen goods. They're likely somewhere on a shelf. Thoughtlessly moved by one of your little friends."

"No, no mom! I don't let anyone reach into my dollhouse and take out anything, not the figurines, not the furniture, and certainly not the presents under the tree."

Anna wondered how this could keep happening to her daughter. Julia had put heart and soul into her miniature house this year. In fact, she'd begun creating the tree, the ornaments, lights, stockings hanging over the fireplace, and the presents beneath the tree since last Christmas.

She'd got it in her head that her dollhouse ought to have all the ornaments and decorations of any home, that Mr. and Mrs. Cluewellen and their three children who lived in the miniature house ought to have a wonderful Christmas too.



Julia had worked so hard to make it happen, and now, day-by-day, all her work was coming unraveled. The day before she noticed an ornament missing from the tiny tree. The day before that one of the stockings she'd labored so hard to make was gone from the mantel. Poof. Now two of the tiny presents from beneath the tree-gone. Stolen.

"At this rate," moaned Julia, "by the time Christmas gets here, the Cluewellens won't have anything left."

Anna patted Julia's hand. "And The Christmas Crook of the Present will have won!"

"We can't let that happen, mom!"

"We must act, set a trap."

"A trap?"

"Yeah, we'll wire up a trap that will snap on those sticky fingers."

"Then you think it's Stevie?"

"I hope not, but your little brother is at that age. I sure hope he hasn't lied about this."

"Well...it's not a ghost. I asked the Cluewellens if they'd had any problems with anything like a poltergeist, and they said no."

"You believe them?" Mother Waldron laughed, but Julia stared at her, eyes saying, 'not funny'.

"They don't lie, cheat, or steal, mom."

"Neither does your brother or your sister for that matter, young lady."

"Well I'm not lying about it! Someone's stealing the Cluewellens' Christmas right under our noses."



"You set the trap," suggested Anna. "I'm going to set up a concealed camera, so we can get to the bottom of this before..."

Julia looked up at her mother, wondering why she'd stopped talking. "Before all of the presents and decorations are gone?"

"Before you make your sister and your brother angrier with you than they already are."

"Angry with me? I'm the victim here. Me and the Cluewellens."

"Honey, you have accused both of them of stealing and lying about it. Then you accused their friends."

Julia nodded, and for a moment Anna thought her child understood and agreed, but then Julia said, "It could've been one of Stevie's dumb friends."

"Well now, we're going to find out, aren't we?"

"You think it'll work, mom?"

"At the rate things are disappearing, my hunch is that whoever's behind the theft will be back."

They put the trap into play.

They wisely left the miniature house untouched and unmoved, the same enticement as ever.

An entire day and most of the evening went by with young Julia wanting to check the Cluewellens' living room and tree every hour, while her mother insisted they wait and see. When Anna decided the camera's battery would be in need of help, mother and daughter went into her room to determine if anything had been taken. They found the front door closed. Julia gasped when she looked in through the windows. The entire tiny Christmas tree had been taken! All about the front door and steps, glitter appeared like colored snow. Whoever was behind the theft, cleaning up after him-or herself-wasn't a concern.

"It's got to be Stevie or one of his goofy friends," Julia said, tears forming. "Maybe Stevie's too chicken to tell on Tad."

"Let's reserve judgment and see what the camera says."

They made popcorn and popped the film into the USB port of the TV and sat down to watch the unfolding events. Unfortunately, during the first hour, nothing unfolded.

"This is a real snore and a bore," Julia complained, tiring of the popcorn as well.

After a while, Julia began making up a storyline to go with the miniature people inside the house on the screen, and it was so vivid that her mom could almost imagine that the little Cluewellen family was as real as Julia believed them to be. She began to see Mrs. Cluewellen move that feather duster in her hand. But clearing her head and eyes, Mother Waldron thought better of saying she'd begun to see the miniature people roaming around inside their miniature house. Maybe the miniature was haunted at that....

(c)2008, 2021 RW Walker published by http://candidcanine.blogspot.com

* The story continues tomorrow, Christmas Day - see Part 2.)