Ornament Challenge by ModernMiniHouses

Modern Mini Houses Blog posted an ornament challenge.  I made a bath scene with a reindeer ornament below, but first I played with some Christmas decoration lighting (before I realized that maybe I could use the reindeer ornament).   So this isn't an ornament and I already had done the scene, but here is the party with some Christmas star lighting (love the after-Christmas decoration sales! - this one changes colors and is a good size for the dollhouse):

I took out the furniture from the children's room in the Malibu house and started playing with it as a bathroom (as I figure out how I will configure the bathroom when I build the next floor).  

Here is a bath scene with a reindeer ornament and the Christmas light decorations:

And the new towels I made from one of my children's wash clothes (and I printed out the little bicycle sign from the internet).

And then I thought I would try the tub near the other window instead of the curved window (they have no neighbors) in the room:

Credits: The bathtub is MIAIM, the chair is Reac, the rug is Dollshouse Emporium, and the beautiful wooden hutch is from a NAME Estate Auction.

Mini Resolutions

So here are some of my mini resolutions - do you have any?  What are yours?

1)  Finish Malibu beach house - there are many reasons for this:

a) there is HUGE box of parts sitting in my workroom taking up space, although sometimes when I am painting something white, I paint some Malibu house pieces, so then the parts leave the box . . .

b) and then I tend to lose parts of them or the instructions, so I fear it is only a matter of time before they are lost for good.  (I have had this house kit for 3.5 years now).

c) my people need a bathroom.   I bought this cat for myself for Christmas to inspire me to build the bathroom

2) Complete next part of childrens' dollhouse - make a room for the grandparents and build the "elevator" and maybe put some front opening walls on the front to help prevent the dust from gathering.  Initially I bought a plexiglass front so that it was a modern sheer "glass" front wall house, but it's too difficult for the kids to slide in and out, and it tends to stay off.  And I think they like playing with the doors -- see previous post about fixing broken door :)

3) Go back to working on the Dutch canal house (but see 1(a) above - I need the space where the box sits.)

4) Continue to organize minis.  I have them partially organized into clear boxes with labels of either ideas or rooms (for example, kitchen, living room).

My work room is waiting:

(The pillow was a gift from ModPod Miniatures; the black toolbox is the design of Pepper from MitchyMoo Miniatures sold on Shapeways).  I made the little miter box (from coffee stirrers again - my favorite source of wood) and the miter knife is a red toothpick glued to a flatter toothpick painted silver).  The cutting mat is a cut-out glued on paper.  I made the paints as part of a NAME tote bag favor project for the NAME online house party - I made 10 sets (and I made the little tray to hold them, since mine don't all stand perfectly). The fab white/wood desk is Minimodernista.  The pink chair is reac.  The "craft supply cabinet" held donuts for a bakery - bought on ebay.)

And here are some smaller mini projects on my To Do list for this year

1) Do witch kit (the first kit I ever bought, but I have yet to start it)  (now I have SO many more kits . . .);

2) Make pajamas from a Dolls House Magazine article;

3) Make sweater from American Miniaturist January 2015 issue - some of my men need some more clothing for parties (and this will at least help me organize my real-life sock drawer);

4) Do food tutorial and lighting tutorial classes from the NAME online house party last April;

5) Do new 1/144 kit (which looks amazing);



This list seems rather exhausting, so I've gone to bed to think of more ideas (and hope I get some pajamas soon)

The bed is from the Etsy store: MultiforMiniatures.  I just bought it and love it.  The store owner said that he put the colors together as an inspiration from the time he lived in Denmark. .  I bought the painting on eBay (the artist is AK).

Happy New Year and looking forward to seeing what everyone creates this year!

Happy New Year!

There is a New Year  Eve's party in the Malibu beach house!

Happy New Year!!


Credits:  The dolls are mostly Topper Dawn dolls, with some Heidi Ott dolls and one of my boy dolls from Childhood from the Little Rascals.  The couch is Minimodernistas and the rest of the furniture is mostly PRD Miniatures.   The purple bowl of chips and dip and the plate of cheese on the coffee table are from a N.A.M.E. swap (National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts - it is a fun organization to join).

Merry Christmas!

Christmas preparations are under way in the Malibu Beach House (the family has partially moved in as they've given up waiting for the builder to complete the last 2 floors.   The builder got overwhelmed by all the detailed painting required.)

The children are baking Christmas cookies. 

(The cookie baking set is from Sue Ayers on eBay (the shop is sueslittlethings) (with some additions), and the furniture is from  PRD Miniatures(the couch is from MiniModernista).

Santa's elves are making the final toys and having a good time discussing their Christmas party.

Another view - which includes one elf who is wrapping presents.  You can see the little green bear from HannahsMiniatyrer.blogspot.com.  A very happy child will receive him as a present!

I am proud of my handmade wrapping paper holder (made with toothpicks and coffee stirrers).

.

And here is the outside of the little house (it is the Miniatures.com 2014 contest build).  Santa's sleigh is being loaded up with lots of presents.  And the reindeer are getting ready for their flight.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

No. 48 - lights, a staircase and a fixed front door.

I finally put in the lights and a staircase in the first floor of my dollhouse (No. 48) for my children, and I re-attached the door that broke when my 2 year-old was playing with it.   I made this dollhouse out of plywood.  The hinge solution is not pretty, but it should withstand further playing.

(We are just getting started on Christmas decorating.)

The kitchen needs some shelves. 

Here are some children cooking in their play kitchen, some children watching TV, and it looks like an exhausted mother bent over the sink there (who wouldn't be with so many children and dogs and cats? (although they seem all quite well-behaved)).

Now how to build the elevator so they can get from the 2nd floor to the next 2 floors. . .

Some Christmas Danish Elves (or Nisse) have come to visit!

Some Danish elves (or Nisse) have come to visit the dollhouse (courtesy of my children) and they look like they have made themselves at home!

Waterside Way - First Floor

So I just attended my first dollhouse fair, last Sunday in New Jersey in person - the Karen Aird Dollhouse Show and Sale.  We drove out - the entire family, including my mom.   It was great.  But it was hard for me to take it all in in such a short time -- although I was the one who thought 2 hours was not enough time!  We got there around 10:30 and left around 12:30 for my son's nap.  Luckily I grabbed lots of business cards and have been following up on certain things I regretted not purchasing.   Previously, I have only participated in online shows (which give a little more time for thinking about what to purchase).   But it was also so exciting to meet the vendors and to start to put faces to names.  One vendor had a box of little things each for a $1.00, and my daughter and I had a great time going through that box.  There were some great finds there.  Both my kids won roomboxes.  They had a a kids' drawing for 4 roomboxes, and there were only a few kids there in the morning (probably because they were giving away 5 dollhouses in the afternoon and you had to be present to win).  I saw many more children arriving as we were leaving.  

Here's another arrangement of furniture in the first floor (lived in by the family).  But this time, the child lives in a loft bed (custom made by Mini Mod Pod  (ModPodMiniatures on Etsy) - I had wanted the Dolls House Emporium silver loft bed, but it was on my wishlist, and then they stopped stocking it (I had no idea they changed their stock so quickly!), but in the end, this one is much better - I love the natural wood!)

Here's the full view:

Here's a view of the kitchen, living room and dining room:

Here's the parents' bedroom and children's bedroom and the WC is behind the loft bed.  I found the kitchen set in a dollhouse store in Denmark that stocked old DHE merchandise (I managed to find a dollhouse store near where we were visiting) - so thrilled with that find!  The shelf is just the wood stick that they give out at the paint store to stir the paint.

The doll is from a hair barrette for girls.

The train as a toy bin is copied from Mini Modern (www.minimodern.blogspot.com)- she did that in one of her childrens' rooms and I thought it was brilliant (obviously), so I have done the same.

I made the little pink pillow and cut out the picture of the children playing from the back of a card.   The clock was a gift in my first NAME (National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts) swap.  I love it.  (I gave a cactus and a book.)

Here's a different arrangement of the family floor - now with the bathroom in the middle (and with a baby as the child).   

And finally, here are the initial preparations underway for a turkey dinner in the 2nd floor apartment (although it needs more food!).  The chairs are from my childhood dollhouse (it's a Shackman table and chairs).

.  

So Happy Thanksgiving!! And to those who don't celebrate, I wish you a wonderful weekend filled with food, family and friends!