The Shelf Saga for my Shabby Chic Bakery

There's a bit of problem when you start to slightly improve at making miniatures: you realize all the things that need to be done and it takes much longer  :)

I needed a shelf in my bakery.  See in the picture below how it looks SO naked above the stove:

Plus I needed somewhere to put all the baking supplies I had bought. 

 I found a paint stirrer stick, painted it white, and I was going to glue it to the bakery wall.

But then I thought I really should put a dimensional glaze on my Dutch tile wallpaper so it looks more like real tiles.  It took me some time then to find where I had put the glaze.  (I almost bought another jar, but I kept looking.)  Three coats later, I was much happier with my Dutch tile wall.

I decided I should put lights under the shelf, and I would want to hide them with a lip, so I added a lip to the shelf.  I had to order the lights, though.

While waiting, I started looking at Pinterest (DANGER) and saw someone using Christmas ornament hooks to hang utensils, and I realized I definitely needed that! So I then added a rod (I made out of a toothpick between 2 wood stirrer sticks) and hung various Christmas ornament hooks from it (luckily I was doing this part of the project around Christmas - otherwise that would have been about 2 weeks while I got up the courage to rummage back through packed-away Christmas ornaments). 

 (I also got distracted with making various Christmas-related minis, like cookies and gingerbread houses.)

I drilled a small hole in my bakery wall and then decided to check the lights before I attached them to my shelf. I tried attaching a plug, but the connection wasn't good.  Then I ordered the 9V battery kit from Model Train (where you just twist the wires together), and it worked.

Here are my lights (may need more!):

(Yes, this is taken around Valentine's Day)

And so, about 2 months later, I glued the shelf in.  I'm so impressed with all of you and how quickly you work - and anyone who does the HBS contest :)

And now for the fun part:  finding all my bakery stuff and placing them on the shelf.

Although now I have realized I need another shelf for cookbooks and I want to make a rolling pin holder (also inspired by ideas on Pinterest).  

So stay tuned!

Have a great week!

Happy Easter 2018!

Decorating eggs!  With Easter cupcakes from HBS Miniatures. I made the bowl with the eggs and the little white bunny from polymer clay.

The little chick and cupcakes on a white doily is from Stewart Dollhouse. I think that the cookies on the silver tray may be from miniholiday on Etsy.  I made the wooden basket and the cupcakes inside are from HBS Miniatures.

And finally Easter baskets in the living room with the yummy cookies purchased from the bakery (wish I had some real life size ones) and lots of chocolate! 

Happy Easter!

Making a mail slot for the Malibu dollhouse!

I realized that my Malibu dollhouse door needed a mail slot.  (It also needs a door knob, but that's my next project). 

 I didn't like any of the available ones on eBay because they were not modern enough or had some design, and  I just wanted something plain and modern.  I was stumped for awhile.

 I bought an aluminum sheet (available on Amazon -KS Precision Metals Stock #5255) and then I bought some serious metal cutter tool (Stanley Aviation Snips!). 

I made a paper one to check sizing.  

Then I just cut the two pieces of aluminum (one a little bit smaller than the other one). 

I took my awl (I'd already bought that to make the floors) and made dents to look like screws. I tried sanding the pieces a little.

Here's a picture of the tools:

And then I used  E6000 to glue the small piece on top of the larger one and to glue it onto the door

I showed it to my husband.  He paid the ultimate compliment - he tried to open the mail slot!  Granted, it was late at night.

(It doesn't open.)

Have a great weekend! 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Someone has come to the bakery to buy a St. Patrick's Day cake.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day 2018!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

The bakery is decorated and open:

After some late night baking:

(cake board from NAME swap)

There are so many yummy delights for sale:

(The three top cakes are from the NAME Valentine's Day swamp last year and I purchased the cookies from miniholiday on Etsy. The chocolate cake  (hard to see, but it looks delicious) was an Ashdown Publishing subscriber gift.  And some are Ebay purchases, and that little white cake with pink frosting was made by mom for my childhood dollhouse :) )

The children are crafting Valentine's Day cards in Waterside Way:

(Little heart candies by HBS Miniatures)

Wishing you much love and hugs! And sweets!

Baking (and making miniature spicebottles)

I put together a little baking scene. 

I made the little spice bottle. The "lid" is a Czech glass glass rondelle bead (from eBay). Then I used a straw, added a cardstock paper bottom and filled it with spice. I glued on the spice labels from the complimentary printables from American Miniaturist magazine. 

 I actually made a whole spice rack, but I can't find it since I packed up for the renovation. :(

The bowl with mix is from Kensington Miniatures and the open cookbook is from Little Things of Interest on eBay.  The vanilla is from Sue's Little Things on eBay.

Of course the cookbook recipe is for making brownies and the bowl seems to contain cake mix, but it still looks yummy to me!

Still working on the floor.  I printed out those tiles from the internet. I think I will glue them down (eliminating that current space) and then put on a gloss glaze.  

Have a great weekend!

Happy New Year!

I wish everyone a very happy 2018 and I hope it is a peaceful year with lots of love and creativity!

Here is a current shot of Waterside Way as I have started to find my furniture and put it back into Waterside Way.   (This is not the final version as I have still some more boxes to unpack.)

And as I decorated it for Christmas.

On the top floor lives a single woman.

A retired couple live on the second floor.  He is a doctor and she is a writer.  They both like to cook,  garden and travel.

On the bottom floor lives a family of four (in typical NYC style).

Here is the previous version of Waterside Way (or see via this link: http://penelopesdollhouses.blogspot.com/2014/03/waterside-way-current-interior.html)

And here is our new built-in bookcase after our renovation with three of my dollhouses proudly displayed.  (My husband designed the bookcase.)

Really, you should see the "before" picture.  I have to find it and frame it :)

 Before this, we had IKEA open shelving, and it was completely filled with books and toys with a desk in front of the bookcases that was also usually piled high with stuff (nobody ever was able to use it as a desk.)  So this is a huge improvement.  Nobody can see our mess :)  Now all the toys are in the bottom cabinets.  

Thank you so much for all your support and comments.  

 I wish you all a Happy 2018!