A to Z Blog Challenge: Other New Project, cottage

 

Love all the details!

I mixed up the title a bit since this post for the 2023 A to Z Blog Challenge for the Letters N-O-P (which otherwise could say No Other Projects - a huge lie! I do have a few other project ideas stashed away. haaa!)

So I hinted before that I broke down and got another kit after I bought the Park Ave. Mansion (which I've been mentioning a lot though I'm still mulling over ideas for it.) But the more I think on it means I'm getting in the mood to do it. Have to get enough ideas to get inspired, know what I mean? Though I'll probably still wait until after the dollhouse shows at the end of the month to see what I buy and what I get inspired to do.

 

This one was kind of too cute to ignore: the half-scale 1/24 Jasmine Victorian Gothic Cottage from Laser Dollhouse Designs. Smaller, just two floors, but enough. Sometimes it's nice to do a slightly smaller project though you still put as much time, decorations, and accessories into a house or room no matter the size and I like my rooms rather full. (For my reference: PDF instructions; Cottage instructions.)

I am thinking of making it into a small witch's cottage... Not sure what the exterior colors would be??

I don't want to do purple again... Maybe for a change of pace I should use the sage/wedgewood green I like, which is similar to the lighter green on top of this chart.... With? Hmm, the sage, mid-yellow like mustard or more of a yellowish-green like here and orange could be interesting... I kind of like that. I'll have to get my paints out and see how that looks.

I have a cute-ugly little witch in my stash that I got a loooong time ago from Bonnie Glazier who needs some clothes and a home! But I'll have to think how to make it kind of different. 

For fun, she can have a headless visitor.... ha!

So, who is she? Unlike her evil sister the witch in the gingerbread house who lures kids, she can be the witch cat lady with dozens of cats (and dogs) she rescues? That could be fun.... Could be a good place to put all these mini dogs I have, then I'll need to find more cats.  A small Halloween pet shop? 

As I'm thinking of kits I have set aside, the Gothic spice shelves bookcase from SDK Miniatures, filled with potions, books and pet stuff, and the Gothic chair could work here? (And several Gothic living room pieces.) I just love this set!

Looks like the theme is forming.... ha!  (I got these cute witch book printies from WoWbooknook on Etsy, 1/12 and in 1/24 on same sheet! They have nice books (I have the horror set) with good quality images. There's another cat set of book printies, too (but you have to shrink to 1/24. Or print at 75, 60 or 50% depending on the size you prefer.) On sale, cheap as of this writing!

I saved some vintage 1907 patterns an FB friend shared that has cats on it, which I wanted to shrink down and make into a border pattern for around the walls. Here's the cat section, which I really liked and thought is kind of Halloween-flavored. (Larger images linked here.) 

Another interesting thing I found - this black star flooring from Melvin's Miniatures, which had a $1 sale (9x12 glossy sheet/cardstock), which is rather different. Thought it would be cool for this project. (Got this and several others. Good quality print, but basically just printed on low-gloss light card so I'd have to glue it to a matboard base to make it sturdier, I think. Was hoping for a higher gloss but it worked ok. I like how it looks - and it doesn't smear!)

It'll be a while before I get to this one though if I start the other house first. Unless I switch off on houses. We'll see...

* Next: A to Z Blog 4/20-21: Q-R - Quiet! Another Roombox Idea

*Thanks for visiting again! Come back soon for more posts! 

2023 A to Z Blog Challenge, Miniature Kits

 A new kit!

 It's time for the annual A to Z Blog Challenge!  

The concept is simple - blogging for 26 days (except Sunday) from A to Z.

* See A to Z Instagram - Facebook - A to Z Blog Master List of Participants

 Today for the Letter M: Miniature Kits

I love putting kits together. While some can be difficult and time consuming, like houses, the kits for furnishings - furniture and accessories - are fun. Smaller, take less time - sometimes, and can be customized. Plus, they're often a fraction of the price of a finished product. (I won't even show you the stash of other kits waiting to be made. ha!)

So, here's a couple kits I just got: Top photo and below: 1/24th, half-scale Victorian bedroom pieces

A few of the pieces: Nice details. Oh so dainty! I'm afraid to touch the legs! ha!

These will go in the half-scale Park Ave. Mansion kit which I got in January and will be starting at some point. I'll probably start it sometime after the shows at the end of the month, though it's starting to get nice out now and we'll be working on outside painting and getting the gardens ready. So looking forward to watching the sunflowers and Mexican sunflowers growing! But doing that house will require a lot of painting, so I can do that sitting on the deck once it's nice out, too. 

I just came across the furniture kits from Hart's Desire Miniatures via miniatures.com. Nice collection as there are several pieces in both kits, which is unusual to find the whole room together. I usually end up getting several separate pieces. I liked the detail in these. Have to decide yet whether to paint or stain.... still figuring ideas on how I want the mansion to look, which decides the furnishings, colors, layout, decor, fabrics, etc. There is a lot of planning when you do a house. I am getting some ideas and hope to use some plans from the Brooke Tucker Golden Christmas book. I'd wanted to get this book for years and was thrilled to find it super cheap!

In the meantime, I pulled out an old-old project I've had for some time and has been sitting for quite a while; one of the few 1-inch-scale projects I still plan to do. Can't do many for lack of space. I had made some small decorative accessory kits for it, but I decided to work on the interior of this room before I start a house, which is a long, long-term project. It  won't take a lot to finish this room so I should have most of it or the majority of it done soon. I'll show it under R for Miniature Roomboxes so stay tuned! 

Curious? Here's a portion of the project for a weird hint: Can you figure out what it is? What in the world does all that mean??? Oh, so mean! haa!

* Next: AtoZ: 4/17 - Letters N-O-P: Other New Project

* Thanks for visiting. Come back for more reveals and photos.

2023 A to Z Blog Challenge: L for Fairfield Dollhouse Living Room-Parlor

 

 It's time for the annual A to Z Blog Challenge!  

The concept is simple - blogging for 26 days (except Sunday) from A to Z.

* See A to Z Instagram - Facebook - A to Z Blog Master List of Participants

 Today for the Letter L: The Fairfield Dollhouse Living Room/Parlor

Those who've following my posts for the past year have seen the progress of my Fairfield dollhouse. So this is the perfect time to finally show my decorated living room/parlor. I still have to share the dining room yet, too, so that'll be another post.

Tah-dah! (Click photos for full size; see other posts in left column archives or My Dollhouses tab under top banner. See full exterior video at  Letter F.)

This is a bit hard to photograph so I'll show some of it in sections. I love these two connected rooms as the black/white print continues in the adjacent dining room with the striped paper.

I changed the room around a bit since the top photo so you'll see a couple different views here.

Here's the room before it was filled:

Initially, I put the Eastlake bench (kit from MiniEtchers) on the back wall, but decided to change things around. And if you're wondering, well, the front legs were little carved pieces and rather delicate, and of course I broke them, so I made new, sturdier legs. 

I changed things around to put the clock on this wall and I had to add this fun card TV kit! (a Petite Properties UK kit.). I coated it with a brown paint mixed with Mod Podge. I added a piece of cross-stich fabric at the bottom for the "grill" and printed out the picture. I covered it with a dimensional Glaze coating but I had a small ripple which I'll have to even it out though it doesn't show unless you look close.  I decided the beige slipper chair fit in the corner for a little contrast. (Made from a pattern from Terri, moderator of the FB Half Scale Minis group, who graciously shares her pattern.) The little white bowl on top is from the recent Kitschy half-scale swap.

I instead moved the bench to the left alcove. For fun, I used the larger skeleton floor cloth (coated with Mod Podge) I printed out for another project as it seemed to just fit! While I didn't feel like making anything new at this point, you know how it is when you get something in mind and nothing else will do? So I decided only a chaise would look best here and made that in three print fabrics using the d. Anne Ruff pattern. The small fabric side table (still needs a lamp or something) was from a past swap.

That little table in front of the bench was a fun idea. The base is one of those Halloween gargoyles painted silver.

 The fireplace front carvings are beads I cut down slightly. I'd found the beads ages ago at a former Ren Faire bead booth and saved them for someday with this in mind. (And luckily I could still find them! ha!) Here are some of the pieces I used to build the fireplace (ignore the electric tape):

Here's the front of the fireplace. I decided to use a vintage-flavored Paris street scene I added glitter to instead of a scary picture. The metal under the mantel was part of a broken metal chair. I cut part of a metal filigree medallion and glued it to a piece of strip wood for the opening.

The square chair on the side is...can you guess? It's actually an older plastic furniture piece I covered in fabric. * As someone asked - I use simple Tacky glue for this. I like using these as they are easily covered and make nice vintage-looking pieces. The bottom edging is pleated by making a strip with one edge folded over the next and glued.  I added gold Bunka thread around the top of the pleating and made a pillow edged in red/black sparkly Bunka.

I'll address that tiny crate sticking out in the upcoming dining room post...

* Next: A to Z :  Letter M -  Miniature Kits

* Thanks for visiting. Come back soon for more posts!

2023 A to Z Blog Challenge: I-J-K - It's Just the Fairfield Dollhouse Kitchen

  It's time for the annual A to Z Blog Challenge!  

The concept is simple - blogging for 26 days (except Sunday) from A to Z.

* See A to Z Instagram - Facebook - A to Z Blog Master List of Participants

 Today for the Letters I-J-K: It's Just the Fairfield Kitchen

I recently finished working on my half-scale (1/24, 1/2" to 1 foot) Fairfield dollhouse. My latest house is always my favorite, but I really did enjoy doing this house. (Click photos for full size; other posts in archives in left column or dollhouse tab under top banner. See video of exterior under letter F.)

Since I haven't shown the finished kitchen yet, that's the focus of today's post.

I loved these scrapbook papers and knew I had to use them for the floor and walls. Funny as I'm not a fan of green but I do like the sage/wedgewood shade of green I used for the furniture. 

The orange and green colors give the house a kind of retro,  maybe a '60s-'70s look, so I also decided to use even older style vintage furnishings like the stove and old "metal" sink (I had one like this where I grew up but it had a cabinet built on the bottom), and a Tootsietoy 1930s monitor top icebox. I put a small "soup can" with a pansy in it on top the fridge. Thought I took a pic, but I can't get to it now so I'll try to get another photo at some point. (Stove, bake table and sink kits from TMC Miniatures. The  small shelf on the edge of the kitchen is from MiniEtchers.)

For fun, I had to put in a vintage metal wall phone painted in olive green. I added the curly phone "cord" by painting a thin coated wire from a lamp plug. I was so disappointed that I'd thought I'd lost this and would have to get another, but luckily I found it and glued it in right away! There's another vintage phone, this time in my favorite yellow, on the bookcase in the attic sitting room.

I lso made a small shelf/stand for the corner next to the stove and stairs, not shown here. This is funny. I had a hard time reaching in to hang some of the items. And well, didn't notice my BIG mistake until I looked at the photo! haaa! I'll have to fix it, but see if you spot my goof. The teensy teapots are made by my friend, Kitty. 

 

The purse on the chair is actually a button. The "metal" glass and spoon are from the recent half-scale Kitschy swap. The plate rack on the sink is from Ron Chase, D'Tales Miniatures. I also got a nice clock and shelf from him at the shows last year, which I'll likely use in the Park Ave. Mansion once I start on that.

Well, found this photo: not great but you can see the flower and the shelf better.

* Next: A to Z  - Letter L for my Fairfield Living Room, which I haven't shown yet, either. The post will be up on Friday 4/14  .

* Thanks for visiting. Come back for more posts!

2023 A to Z Blog Challenge: G-H for Goodie, It's Halloween!

 Halloween table: I made the foods originally for my Haunted house. Now I set it up in a greenhouse.

 It's time for the annual A to Z Blog Challenge!  

The concept is simple - blogging for 26 days (except Sunday) from A to Z.

* See A to Z Instagram - Facebook - A to Z Blog Master List of Participants

 Today for the Letter G-H:

Great chance to share on my favorite holiday in miniature, Halloween! It's lots of fun making a dollhouse creepy and spooky for the spookiest time of year. * Click photos for full size.

I purposely put two lights on the Fairfield dollhouse porch as I have some fun spooky accessories to cover the lightsso they'll light up. But I won't be able to show that until late summer, so for now, I'll share some of the various things I've made for Halloween. 

The front of my 1" scale Halloween store. See more photos during the annual Halloween in Miniature event. Check the link for work by other artists. Links to all past events are on the top of the blog under the top photo. This was fun to make and design. I may yet make another store but smaller in half-scale. 

Witch hats in the Halloween store. Larger hats by "Kat the Hat" Hazelton of the UK.

This was fun to do.... assorted creepy art for various projects.

* Next: 4/11 A to Z Blog Challenge Letters I-J-K - It's Just My Fairfield Kitchen. New photos! 

* Thanks for visiting! Be sure to come back for more photos.

2023 A to Z Blog Challenge F for Fairfield Dollhouse

My Half-Scale Fairfield Dollhouse

 It's time for the annual A to Z Blog Challenge!  

The concept is simple - blogging for 26 days (except Sunday) from A to Z.

* See A to Z Instagram - Facebook - A to Z Blog Master List of Participants

 Today for the Letter F:

I recently finished working on my half-scale (1/24, 1/2" to 1 foot) Fairfield dollhouse. My latest house is always my favorite, but I really did enjoy doing this house. I admired it for a long time and when I came across a super deal on the kit, I couldn't pass it up!

Not that it was easy! The shape and all the pieces, and some confusing directions, make it a hard house to start! I had it out several times and admit to being intimidated at first. There were also things I didn't think of until later and then went back and luckily could change. But I'm happy with the end results.

So for a change, here's a short video I did of the house exterior. This was done before I added a few more things to the house. Guess I'll have to make another video at some point. Check out other posts in the archives in the left column.

* Next: A to Z Letters G-H for Goodie, it's Halloween!

Thanks for visiting! Come back for more posts!

2023 A to Z Blog Challenge: E for Every Kind of Dollhouse Food

 

 It's time for the annual A to Z Blog Challenge!  

The concept is simple - blogging for 26 days from A to Z, excluding Sunday.

* See A to Z Instagram - Facebook - A to Z Blog Master List of Participants

Today for the Letter E:

Like real life, Every Kind of Food has to be a part of the dollhouse. Can't let the mini people go hungry, right?

If you aren't familiar with dollhouse culinary dishes, then you are really missing something! There are some fantastic food artisans out there who make amazingly real culinary creations out of polymer and other clays that look just like the real thing, maybe even better! 

* Here's some creepy Halloween finger sandwiches. haa! * Check out these yummy pies! * Even some fun mini hot dog earrings!

I've made a few things I'm pretty proud of, but I'm nowhere near as good as these other artisans. But I like trying different things to see if I can make them or to see how they turn out.

Above: Some summer food I got from a past 1/2th, 1" scale swap: I made the bowl of potato salad.

* I had to add my favorite 1/24 stove from my half-scale Victorian house: (kit from MiniEtchers.com)

Here are some other foods I've made:

This table and foods are in a rooftop garden I made a while ago in a small wall-hung bookcase.

I haven't made any foods in a while. I'll have to try it again as I'll need some smaller food plates for my half-scale dollhouses.

 * Next: A to Z Letter F for Fairfield Dollhouse.

* Thanks for visiting! Be sure to come back for more photos.

2023 A to Z Blog Challenge: D for Half Scale Decorations

 It's time for the annual A to Z Blog Challenge!  

The concept is simple - blogging for 26 days from A to Z, excluding Sunday.

* See A to Z Instagram - Facebook - A to Z Blog Master List of Participants

Today for the Letter D:

One of the best parts of working on dollhouses is the decorating. I like it as you get to work on many crafts in one project: decorating, designing, crafting, color-coordinating, building, etc. Well, to be truthful, building is not my favorite thing to do, (there is a lot of cutting, measuring and gluing of trim wood when doing a house.) My favorite part is thinking up the theme, the colors, coordinating ideas, designing the decor, deciding what fits in, and making the accessories. It also results in a lot of changes as the thing you thought would fit sometimes doesn't, so you have to decide on what to make or use that looks better instead.

* Here's a past post on some of the assorted decorations I've made and how I decided to use them when building a wall shelf for the den in my Victorian dollhouse. 

Above: Here's the finished shelf. I loved making this bookshelf as it was fun incorporating the tiny charms in with the travel theme using the same world map scrapbook paper I used on the room's walls. * You can see the video of the full house here in the right column. (Scroll past top blog link.)

Here are the other bookcases and handmade seat by the window. I use and make a lot of books as they always look cool. The curtains are handmade. The bookcases are from kits. The bookcases and seat also use the same scrapbook paper background so it all ties in together.

* Next: A to Z Letter E -Every Kind of Dollhouse Food.

* Thanks for visiting. Be sure to come back for more photos and info! 

2023 A to Z Blog Challenge: C for Dollhouse Collections

 

It's time for the annual A to Z Blog Challenge!  

The concept is simple - blogging for 26 days from A to Z, excluding Sunday.

* See A to Z Instagram - Facebook - A to Z Blog Master List of Participants

Today for the Letter C:

When you are into a hobby, you end up with a collection of all kinds of things. ha! Dollhouses, like real houses, need everything you use in real life, food (fake of course!), accessories, furnishings, pets, etc. 

So for the Letter C, here are a few groupings. See more photos of my houses and collections in the left column archive or on the tab under the top banner, My Dollhouses. 

* Next: A to Z Letter D for Half-Scale Decorations.

* Thanks for visiting!  Come back for more photos!