N.A.M.E. Grandparents' Attic Swap

I can't believe I completely missed September on my blog.  Well, I can believe it.  Our renovation was not done, so we had to move to my mom's.  It was completely chaotic - what with the start of the school and moving to a different house and still coming back to our apartment to check on the renovation and deciding on all the final items.

But I still found time in September to make some minis (and to do some mini shopping).  It was much needed to save my sanity.

I signed up for the N.A.M.E. online group swap.  The theme was Grandparents' attic, so I made romantic letters tied with a ribbon and a "Celebrate" Banner. 

And this week, the return box of swap packages arrived.

Also, the renovation is now done (Hurray!) and I have been unpacking boxes.

And unpacking boxes.

(This just shows 1/2 of boxes. This is a side view of the children's dollhouse and that pink dollhouse is an ice cream parlor).

And unpacking boxes.  Another dollhouse roombox!?   I had completely forgotten how many roomboxes I had.

We still need to design my new space in our bedroom, so there will be boxes for awhile yet.

And here are the return swaps - so many great items:

(That's an unfinished quilt in the background that Grandma still intends to make)

(maybe with these sewing supplies also provided in a box - and the box of tiles had little tiles)

(a box of Christmas decorations) 

(I like the interior patterns on the suitcases)

(little lighbulbs - I have not seen those before)

Excited to use the books and the paints!

Have a wonderful weekend!

A dollhouse castle for my son

I've spent the summer building a dollhouse castle for my son, using the paperclay techniques I learned in Teresa Layman's wonderful class.  I recommend checking out her website: http://teresalayman.weebly.com/

Here is the beginning:  one front wall with the bottom floor:

My children and their 2 cousins play with dollhouse furniture and 3 dollhouses all summer at their grandmother's house, and I thought my son might want his own, so that the girls can have their own. (I offered my daughter her own as well, but she prefers the dollhouse that my mom built that is out here.  I should have taken pictures of that dollhouse.)

I have to admit that for some reason, when I first discussed it with my son, I thought the Dolls House Emporium castle would be an affordable option, but maybe I saw it when it was on sale or I just misread the price, but with shipping, it was going to be too much, so I realized I should just make my own.


For the floor, I used an awl to cut lines in the plywood to simulate flooring, and then I used Otterine's nail technique (although I did not add rust because I was afraid I would get that everywhere).  Then I stained it cherry.

Here is the door (same technique used as the floor) -  I used the plywood that I cut out:

I wanted to create a stained glass window, and I figured it should be a picture of a knight.

I had my local copy shop print out a knight picture on a transparency:

But I didn't check it closely enough at the shop (in a rush as usual), and part of the armor on the leg is missing, plus my son liked the brighter color, so I used the color printout behind a piece of plexiglass.  I painted the plexiglass with modge podge, but I don't think you can really see the effect.  Maybe I will use the transparency on the second floor. I still like it. 

Then I started painting the castle wall.

With the door and windows (the castle was renovated and so they put in modern windows :).

I bought a beautiful door handle from Olde Mountain Miniatures, which I still have to attach, but for practical use, I just partially screwed in a screw - because my son will have to use that to open it.  I fear the other handle will quickly come off if actually used as a handle.  The door has to be sanded more because it sticks. 

I also worked on the interior walls and glued it together (although not that one wall dividing the living room/dining room from the kitchen which still needs a door cut out).  I am thinking about tiling the kitchen, but the wood floors are very easy so maybe I will do that again. 

I managed to finally sand down the window to fit in the stained glass window and glued it into the partially painted wall.

Then I couldn't resist playing with it with some furniture.

I am thinking about covering this wall in this velvet fabric.

And then I added one of the front walls with these amazing bi-fold hinges I bought on Amazon that work so smoothly - perfect for kids to play with!  I love them.  

And here it is:

We have left my mom's house until September,so hopefully I will be able to work on it again on some September weekends.  I am excited to attach the other wall and to finish painting that other wall. 

The second floor (with its three bedrooms), though, may have to wait until next summer.

Have a great week!

Micro-mini Provence Flower Shop

I wanted to see how to make flowers in 1/144 scale when I was making the 1/144 living rooms , so I looked for the 1/144 roundtable kits I had bought from Amy Rauch from the last N.A.M.E. magazine.

(After every show, they sell the roundtable kits via the magazine, so even if you can't attend a show, you can still buy some of the kits.  This is great, but also why I have SO MANY kits.)

Here is the outside of a little Provence flower shop (the Amy Rauch Tuscan kit)

Have a great week!

Colonial Williamsburg: Dollhouses at the Art Museums

We went to Colonial Williamsburg for spring break and I was really hoping we'd be able to visit the art musems (specifically the Dewitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum and see the dollhouses), but I doubted that we would have time.  

Ironically (and fortuitiously for me), the museum cafeteria turned out to be the only place that offered lunch without a 2 hour wait!

I should have taken more pictures, but here are two beautiful dollhouses. 

I like to read the history of dollhouses and how they have been loved.

And here is the Morris-Rushford dollhouse

Planting flowers

I stopped by My Tiny Dollhouse in NYC and purchased this little planter of flowers, so I had to make a little scene with it (with what supplies are not packed away).

  

I bought the herb pots many years ago on Etsy.  And I made the back fence with coffee stirrer sticks.  And some day I will actually finish this, especially as I am now so inspired by the garden shed of My Miniature Madness.

Have a great weekend!

Love and a cup of tea

Packing up Malibu

I am almost done packing up my Malibu dollhouse, as you can see.   My dolls are exhausted from all the packing.  They have collapsed on the floor.