Give Me Your Two Cents! #haunted #miniatures

 Here's your chance to weigh in!

Since I haven't decided yet and everyone loves to share their opinion (ha!), for fun I thought I'd ask for input. Who knows, you may agree with me or change my mind! Give me your two cents on which windows looks best with this octopus decoration. 

I used one of these Cthulhu (I never can spell this right!) octopus decorations as a light on the sitting room wall, but I thought they'd look pretty interesting on top of two of the windows in the front of the house-- but which two?

If you can comment, please do and let me know which number you like. If you can't comment, you can contact me at my website and leave a message with your choice. Or let me know on Facebook or on the Half Scale group if you're in that as I'll be posting there too.

** RESULTS: A few answers.  One liked the bottom; a few liked the top. A different answer I didn't consider was putting it on the bottom of the top window. (Considering it.) And an unexpected answer was not liking any. So, there it is! I'll try a couple temporarily, I think. Thanks for the input. 

Here's the choices: (click photos for full size)

1 - Front bottom windows

2  Front center windows. (I thought this level had enough going on already with the windowboxes and small deck?)

3 Upper shaped windows (But I thought maybe this makes it too busy with the peak decorations already there?)

What do you think? Which one do you like?

(Yeah, I've gotten further on the roof. Close now but what a *&^ job.)

 Will let you know the results and the final choice. Thanks again for stopping by!

Thrift Store Finds! #dollhouse #miniatures

 Got some good finds lately at Goodwill. The miniatures lately have been few and far between, but I lucked out recently. (Click photos for full size.)

Top photo: I found these cool figures a couple weeks ago. They're actually thimbles, I guess, but are perfect for figures in a lady's shop, on a counter or something. I also found a working double window for only $2.99!

This week, I actually found a bunch of furniture. A couple good pieces and cheaper stuff, but that's ok. I'm not doing as much 1" scale, but I have several boxes to fill yet. Painted or not, it's good as filler furniture.  I haven't come across these painted dollar store furnishings in a while (and at least they had them priced at the right price, 99 cents each.) I may use them in a flower shop for now. I have a Halloween storage box I bought a while ago, so maybe I'll make a potion shop or something. Haven't decided, but I'll probably get in a flower-making mood again once things start blooming in real life.

The brown desk is interesting; older piece as it was made in Taiwan.

Speaking of flowers... got a bunch of punches. Snowflake, a couple others, but I was mostly interested in these two: the pawprint will make good petals and the other will make a neat flower.. have to experiment. Poppy, maybe? Here was a good find, too - a bunch of 1/2" flowerpots for 50 cents. Nice to have a variety instead of just the wood pots.

That's it for now. Thanks for visiting and looking! 

Another #Dollhouse TV Show - in UK

 Well, maybe some US companies will get on the ball here... eventually.

Michael Robbins (who makes cool spooky items under the name Michael R Miniatures on Etsy) announced he's one of 10 contestants on a new UK miniatures show, The Great Big Tiny Design Challenge, which airs March 28 in the UK. Here's the YouTube intro. 

We can only hope this and the other minis show will get picked up to stream somewhere that we in the US can watch both! 

* FYI: All the episodes (so far) up to #5 at this writing on 4/26 are online here.)

Looking More #Haunted - #Miniature House Progress

 

Just a few photos this time. As I mentioned in the last post, I'm working on the roof, which to someone who is math challenged and has to cut angles on each side in the center - no fun! (Click photos for full size.)

So, working on that. A few changes - put some weeds on the front , in the windowboxes, and next to the chimney on the side roof. Finished that side and started seeing how some black paint looks. Will have to add more, but getting there... * NOTE: Further along on the roof. Oh, what a project! ha!

The fun part - printed out some more art to use as creepy portraits. These are as addictive as miniature books. Can't get enough! I definitely wanted to add the knife to one picture, ha! So back to the roof now. Working on the angles in the center. Ignore the screams in the background, ha!  Hopefully will have other progress photos soon.  

What do you think? Thanks again for visiting!

Progress! Haunted HS #Dollhouse

 Yes, I've been quiet, but steadily (slowly) working on the Half Scale Haunted House. I've been working on the tedious parts, putting brick paper on the outside and started the roof. There is progress! (Wow, has it been since January when I last posted on this house? * See latest post here.) Update: The roof is almost done. Working on the center part now.

Added the balcony and also put two windowboxes on the second floor. They look crooked in the photo since the insides are painted the same as the window but they're not.)  I also decided to leave the bottom fancy trim showing under the brick on the top sections. Thought it added something.

I'm using the textured brick paper from  Starboc2 on Etsy. Gives just the right effect! To be truthful, I still have the section on the right side to paper yet and have to glue the window trim on.

I'd put off doing the paper as it takes time but I'm now on the really tedious part - the roof. I knew I wanted to use the corrugated paper and I'd seen a house where it was cut in rows. I like the effect as it fits the style of the house, but what a job as I have to also cut around the chimneys. But I really like how this is coming out.

I used the silver-coated paper as it's a little heavier. (I found another sheet but it's glittery (only one they had) so I'll have to really paint that more. ha!) I'll still do some touching up and adding some black paint on the roof to age it so that should help cover any spots showing through yet. Love how this looks as the building has that aged look I wanted without my making it too dilapidated!

I'll be putting some lichen and weed-like plants in the planter boxes. I'll also be adding some vines and lichen along sections of the brick and the roof. I'm debating on making some wisteria vines, too, as I like the flowers and think they might add something. The hard part will be cutting the roof paper for the slopes and making sure it's even. 

The light on the wall helped in the attic. I just found the last three sheets of that heavier floor paper at Michael's in a grayish color, which I can also lightly paint if I want. Makes good flooring once you draw the lines on.

So far, so good. Will post again when I have more to show! Thanks for visiting!

(Not So) Haunted #Miniature Toy Store

 

I bought this Carlson store kit a while back from someone online and had finally gotten around to decorating and painting it some time ago thinking it would be a haunted bookshop.

Well, like always, I changed my mind. (Yeah I hear you laughing. 😏) I have plenty of other book projects and ideas like the fancy furniture I have set aside for the Someday Upscale Library roombox.

Then when I found those Mini Toys I shared on a previous post, I knew the project had to change. But how to change it without really changing it? I wasn't about to repaint the whole thing, so I changed the title and a couple of the outside pictures for one. (Click photos for full size.)  I put plexiglass on the top with a carved wood medallion on the ceiling inside. (not shown.) (More toys, update 2)

Toys in the front windows:

Actually, I'd set the project aside as I didn't think the front would hinge right. Luckily, hubby got some screws to fit, so the full front will stay on. I just had to add some top and side inside edge trim for the gaps. Since the outside already was all painted and decorated with creepy pictures, I figured it could become a Haunted Toy Store instead...

And while the majority of the toys aren't creepy, I figured why not? That little ghoul girl in there (Mezco Mini Living Dead Dolls) fits perfectly so she's shopping. Besides, even creepy kids love all kinds of toys, right?

 As an aside, I'd found a whole bunch of those dolls awhile ago at Goodwill of all places, cheap. So eventually I want to do a Halloween party table scene. Here's a pic I found online. I think I have the first one plus the red-haired punk and the last one, plus a bunch of others. I also have some full-size dolls we found at a yard sale. I love the little ones.

The back wall shelves were already installed, so I added some striped paper on the bottom for more contrast and added a wall shelf on the side, plus some creepy toy pictures. Some of the Mini Toys may be slightly larger, but I think they look fine for display. And now I'm hooked. Of course, I'll have to get more. To fill the shelves, you know. (wink, wink). Games will go in the bins on the small table. I'll make more from printies. (TIP: Google dollhouse game printies.) The other table is a sewing machine base topped with spooky scrapbook paper.

The Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Robots are from the larger-sized Worlds Smallest Toys. Cute, though much bigger, but I figured they can go in here, too. Remember those giant walking dolls from the '50s?  It's all trial and error with the sizes on these mini toys and they keep coming out with new stuff, too. I'm ignoring the Mini Wacky Packages though I could get hooked on those even if they are larger. (I remember the goofy cards. ha!) Funny! The new batch of toys I just got includes a tiny Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Robot.

The canister on the top shelf is Lincoln Logs (non-opening.). The other is an Avatar figure, which is also in the window since I have two. I added the Kewpie doll as well. There's a very large package of Tempura paints on the second shelf (the economy size I guess. ha!) The skates and animals are erasers. I found the cute Oscar the Grouch figure at the fish department at Petco! You do find stuff everywhere. ha! I repainted the can silver and want to find some green Bunka to make him fuzzier. (Of course, I have every other color but!)

 The back wall before the additions:

So, to me, as I show here, I think you can make almost any size of miniature work, depending on the project. Here's the other batch I got. It includes a second My Little Pony in a different color. The Ouija box will go in my haunted house, of course.

This'll be about it until I add more games. It gets too expensive. Last time I bought a lot of items was when I when I was decorating my Dogcatcher's House. I had to fill it with a bunch  of dogs and at the time, you could find some in 25 cent gumball machines and they also were selling $1 packets of toy dogs that came with that lousy stick gum (like you found with baseball and collectible cards). The hunt was fun, even if it adds up money-wise since there're probably 100 dogs in that house. But who counts, right?

Thanks again for visiting! I appreciate your interest!

Funny, Not Funny

 Well, I know my visitors here will understand...

I just got the new Spring Miniatures catalog in the mail. Yeah, the whole back page. What happened to the rest of it????

*NOTE: Yes, they nicely sent me a replacement - in an envelope this time. ha! They said it had been happening quite a bit lately. Hmmm....

Mini Miniature Dollhouse Toys

 

(Note: See the updated Not so Haunted Toy Store I put these in...) 

I've seen people sharing these but wasn't sure on the size. (And I didn't want to start another collection. ha!) Well.... saw a display at the bookstore and once I saw the teensy play phone (remember those?) that decided me! Supposedly Target also carries these though I haven't checked. The ones I found were $7.99 a package. You get five toys. Supposedly there also are sets of Disney toys in the other brand that comes in the ball container. 

Isn't that the cutest thing ever??? And the Monkeys in a Barrel (barrel doesn't open) with teensy monkeys!!!

The other ones are pretty neat too to put on a toy shelf.  They also show one of those push popcorn poppers on the chart. That looks pretty cool, too, but probably hard to find.

The My Little Pony in the box is just over an 1" wide. The Lincoln Logs are also just over 1" high. (Non-opening) I also got the Matchbox round tire car container (doesn't open) and a couple other toys. These are fun!!

 So I guess it looks like I'm gonna take that front opening shop I have that isn't very deep and rework it. I was going to make a haunted bookstore, but I've got other bookshelves and kits to do that. I just have to change the prints and colors, and see how to get a clasp/lock on it.

FYI: Online Dollhouse Miniatures Auction

 

Deanna Spanjar, former dollhouse shop owner in Wisconsin, is auctioning her collection and inventory via Karen's Dollhouse Shop. You can register here. The auction is open Feb.27 with over 500 lots.

Best in #Miniature Show first episodes now online

Judges: Interior Designer Michael Lambie and Miniaturist Emma Waddell on Best of Miniature. 

 The first 2 episodes of the Best in Miniature Show airing in Canada is on YouTube now. AND NOW OFFLINE. Only the trailer is on YouTube now.

** Liked this one and still hope to see it! 

There is a different show: 

* (Great Big Tiny Design Challenge in UK - 5 episodes so far up as of 4/26: here, 

** UPDATE 2/20: Someone on FB said they're watching on Discovery Plus, (** seems to not be on STILL in US. Going to ask company when/where it'll air here.) but it's only up to episode 4. New episodes air weekly on Fridays. The creator's site has 10 episodes listed. (So I'll probably sign up later once it's near the end and enough are up. It also has a 7 day free trial and is $4.99 per month.) 

** *** WAAAAAH! Apparently whoever was loading the videos online didn't have the company's permission. So they've all been taken down! Well, I hope this company schedules the shows online very soon!!! I only got to see the first three!!

Hope they schedule in the US soon! 

** And wow! I watched the first one and this is really great! The designs are fantastic! Can't wait to watch part 2 and to see the whole show!!