My Miniature Menagerie

New Blog

2011-11-02T07:34:00.002-08:00

I've created a new, separate blog for the Queen Anne II so that it's searchable without bringing the world to my main blog. I searched high and low for a blog or online photo album of this dollhouse and didn't find one so I decided to create one.
http://queenannedollhouse.blogspot.com/

The Queen Anne II

2011-10-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

I would like to apologize for such an extended absence from my miniatures and blogging. Real life has dealt me some pretty hard cards to play the last couple of months (well, the last ten months actually) and I'm just now getting around to getting back some sense of normality in my life. And what better way to try and regroup after a tragedy? How about starting another dollhouse?! Thanks to my wonderful boss, I've been able to utilize a long abandoned back office at work as a mini workroom for building another dollhouse; since I'm sorely lacking space at home due to my 120 Copper Court project.

And that new dollhouse is the Queen Anne II by Real Good Toys. I've been wanting to build this dollhouse for years and decided it was time to splurge and treat myself. My plans are to put it up for sale, once it's finished, next fall in time for the holiday season. And if it sells, I'll treat myself to another RGT kit; the Thornhill. As Alaska doesn't really have any retail sources for dollhouses, I'm finding the market to be on the lucrative side and hope to really make a name for myself up here for commission work and the like.

So, without further delay, here are the first few photos of the QAII. This really is a HUGE dollhouse! Reading the dimensions in a catalog is one thing, but to actually 'see' it's size in person is an entirely different experience. The colors are a soft peach for the main body, with accent colors in sage green, hunter green, and maroon.

The Foyer

2011-07-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

I've been busy this holiday weekend, trying to get the foyer of this house done. It's been the most challenging aspect of the process so far; yes, even more than the parquet floor. The most challenging because it's required some serious advance planning to ensure the room is completed "before" I put the staircase in because once it's in, it will seriously reduce my capabilities of reaching anything in the room. And then there's the beadboard on the side walls that follows the staircase angle and having to cut it exactly to fit the shape of the staircase risers/treads. Egads, what a chore that was. But, it has turned out well I think. The staircase is rather steep and narrow, but so is the one that came with the kit. I have to remember to also decorate the walls with photos and such 'before' putting the exterior wall on. Once the exterior wall is on, I won't be able to reach ANYTHING unless I reach through the front door and what a pain that would be! The first four photos are of the foyer before the stairs, and then the rest are of the stairs in. I'm so in love with the wallpaper I used because of its texture. The light isn't hooked up to any electrical yet, but had to get it installed while I still could.

The staircase is completed...

2011-06-23T19:42:00.000-08:00

....too bad it won't really be seen! This staircase will pretty much be out of sight the way this dollhouse kit was made. To see it, one would have to look through the front door or the windows, but I will at least know it's there and all the work I put into it. It was stained in mahogany and walnut so as to match the colors in the parquet floor I've already completed. I just love the two-tone look of it! The original staircase that came with the kit was just the standard luan puzzle piece that comes with the GL line of kits. I couldn't have that in this dollhouse, so used the kit stairs as a template for my own custom creation. And it fits like a glove...absolutely perfect! I'm so pleased with how this has turned out. Now, I need to finish off the interior space of the foyer, where these stairs will go, so that I can put the stairs in and move on to the next area.

Dollshouse Emporium has jumped over the pond!

2011-06-16T18:15:00.000-08:00

To all the US-based lovers of DHE products, they now have a US-based website at http://www.dheminis.com! This is soooo exciting as I love their stuff! I think they are also going to try and eventually have US retailers carry their line as well. COOL BEANS!!

Let's spread the word to all our mini friends everyone! :-)

Enjoy!

Update on 120 Copper Court

2011-06-03T10:51:00.000-08:00

Well, the parquet floor in the living/dining room is complete. It's not perfectly straight obviously, but for my first attempt at such a feat, I'm still very happy with it. A total of 1,008 pieces went down (yes, I counted). It's darker than what I thought it would be, but the color is growing on me. Also, the metal fireplace is in and is painted a dark gray/brown with copper accents. I purchased it from New England Miniatures. The wainscot is also up and complete with lace inserts that will match lace panels that are going up on the walls (front interior window frame still to come). Next...the ceiling; now that I've gotten all the difficult to reach places done.

Moose on the Loose!

2011-05-15T12:43:00.000-08:00

We had the most wonderful visitor in our backyard today! She was only about 15 feet from where I was standing on our back porch. They gorge themselves on the new, spring foliage. Gotta love this place!

New miniature display in Hamburg, Germany!

2011-05-06T07:46:00.000-08:00

This is just so bloody brilliant, I can't believe it! Just incredible. Enjoy!

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Miniature-model-airport-Knuffingen/ss/events/wl/050511knuffingen

120 Copper Court - Parquet Flooring going in

2011-05-03T07:46:00.000-08:00

This last weekend I started working on the parquet flooring that is going in the livingroom and diningroom. It's the first time I've ever attempted such a feat, and while it's far from perfect, I'm happy with it so far. Any major flaws that I find can be hidden with a throw rug, furniture leg, or plant...or something. The colors are walnut, mahogany, and golden oak. Piece by piece..."oh, the drudgery of it all." :O) Definitely testing my patience!

Exterior finish sampling

2011-04-17T17:42:00.000-08:00

This is a sample stick of the exterior colors and finishes for 120 Copper Court; the new project I'll be starting in a few days. Brick for the chimney stack, stone for the foundation, white for the trimwork, pale beige for the body of the house, and copper foil paint for the accents.

I'm still working on the final choices for the interior colors and finishes, so will be posting those as I go along with the project. I hope you'll enjoy following along on this; it's going to be a fun one!

120 Copper Court

2011-04-15T19:05:00.002-08:00

A new project...Coming Soon!

THANK YOU, CIA!!

2011-03-27T08:02:00.002-08:00

You did it again, Girlfriend! A ton of thanks and love to my friend Cia for my blogs Spring Makeover for 2011! WOWZA!!!

Kierstyn gets her Castle!

2011-03-19T23:46:00.002-08:00

Today's birthday party was just fantastic! Kierstyn was soooo surprised to get the castle and she just LOVES it! The first words out of her mouth when she saw it were, "No way!" Very funny to hear from a seven year old!

Everything was a success and everyone was blown away by the castle. It so rewarding to see mine and my dad's hard work so appreciated...especially by Kierstyn. She's such a sweet girl!

Kierstyn's Castle is Finished!

2011-03-13T18:03:00.001-08:00

Well, we did it! Everything that we planned on doing has been completed. There are still TONS of things that can be added to it, but that what Christmas's and Birthday's are for. Not too much fun for her if we gave everything to her all at once. We added a few family photo's as well, to give it a personal touch for her.

The birthday party is Saturday the 19th, so I'll have more pictures to add after then! I can't wait to see how she likes it!

Even more on Kierstyn's Castle, pt. 2

2011-02-13T12:39:00.001-09:00

And here are the other two photos. The accents on the battlements are done in gold glitter. We thought it would add a nice touch of whimsey since Kierstyn is only 7 years old!

Even more on Kierstyn's Castle, pt. 1

2011-02-13T12:37:00.000-09:00

Here are the first two photo's of the finished rooms we did over this weekend. The front panel doors are now on and for the most part, the castle is complete. We have a lot of finishing touches to the stonework to do, and we are also making a base with legs to put it on.

More on Kierstyn's Castle

2011-02-02T18:30:00.001-09:00

Well, you could say we've been making tremendous progress lately! We are now focusing more on the interior finishing. The chandeliers in the first two photos light up, I was just too lazy to hook up the transformer. Here are some of the areas we've been working on:

This is the entry hall

This is the dining room

The Princess' bedroom

The kitchen

The Nursery

The center roof top terrace

A Lone Christmas Tree for My Commute

2010-12-07T13:45:00.001-09:00

For the past few years, someone (no one knows who) has put holiday lights on a solitary spruce tree near the intersection of the Glenn and Old Glenn highways north of Anchorage. The lights are battery-powered and on a timer. I get to see this wonderful little tree every morning and evening on my way to and from work.

A New Project!

2010-11-18T12:29:00.000-09:00

I work for a moving company and would you believe the luck? A customer of ours was going to throw away this incredible dollhouse because she recently had a boy instead of a girl. Talk about an atrocity! Of course, I couldn't let that happen, so I was told that I could have it. FREE! I don't have any where to put it yet, so my boss told me I could keep it at work until I have a work room again. EEP!

I'm not too sure what I'm going to restore it to yet, but the wheels are turning.

The world's most beautiful commute (in my opinion, at least;)

2010-11-17T18:38:00.001-09:00

These photos are of the Chugach Mountain Range and are what I see everyday during my commute to work. Well, every day during the summer when the sun is up before I am. These were actually taken at about noon last Friday. From about October through March, or so, the daylight hours are 10am to 4:30pm; give or take. That's why you have to seize these mid-day photo opportunities when you can! Just breathtaking, aren't they?

Pioneer Peak

Matanuska Peak

Castle Stonework

2010-10-23T17:55:00.000-08:00

We have been diligently working on the exterior stonework for the castle every weekend. It's a mix-with-water compound that you apply over a stencil with a stone pattern, sold by Bromley Craft Products in England. The darker areas are newly applied stones that have yet to dry completely. So far, so good though. It's starting to look like a castle!

Fey & Fables

2010-10-07T18:37:00.000-08:00

We had another Make Project over at the All Things Mini forum and this time, the theme was "Little Shop of ...". My friend Cia was the person I was making the project for and since she has a kinship with fey, I decided to make her a shop for the faery folk. The basic structure was made from sheet styrofoam (to keep it lightweight), and the brick/stones were made from Creative Paperclay. The plaster work was done with stucco compound. All stone/brick work and plaster was colored with watercolors. The shop shelves are filled with various magickal herbs and oils, candles, scrolls of parchment, and books. It took over two weeks to get to PA from Alaska and we were both biting our nails hoping it wasn't lost in the mail. But it arrived today and in pretty good shape, thank goodness!

Right out of a fairy tale...

2010-08-10T19:18:00.000-08:00

...is this little mushroom I took a picture of while fishing at Big Lake; about 20 minutes from home. I half expected to see a little fey miss sitting upon it, but no such luck. Maybe she's shy...

Kierstyn's Castle, Pt. 1

2010-08-04T20:29:00.001-08:00

I've started yet another project, but this one will actually get done! ;-) My dad and I are building a dollhouse for my niece, and his grand daughter, Kierstyn. She's six years old and is in the "princess" stage, so what better than a castle that she can play and make believe with? Here are just the basic pieces put together after being primed/sealed so that we can determine what rooms to do, what alterations to the design we might do, etc. This kit is called the Cumberland Castle and East Wing and is made by Dolls House Emporium.

Welcome to beautiful downtown Talkeetna, Alaska!

2010-06-20T15:46:00.001-08:00

Today, we decided to take a Sunday drive about an hour or so north of home to Talkeetna, Alaska. It's a tiny, old Alaskan town that serves as a popular jumping-off point for mountain climbers headed for Denali, as well as those that want to take float plane adventures. The town sits at the junction of the Susitna and Talkeetna rivers and is one of my favorite places in Alaska. I used to come here every summer as a kid to partake in the Moose Dropping Festival with the Anchorage Scottish Pipe Band as a dancer and drummer. Good times!!! The train tracks you see serve the Alaska Railroad and the last picture is of a wild Alaska rose bush.

We made it!

2010-06-07T18:35:00.001-08:00

Well, we drove the Alcan Highway and survived; as the saying goes. It was an absolutely incredible trip without incident and our four cats did much better than we hoped they would. We reached my dad's house on May 22nd and I went back to work on June 1st as a Move Coordinator for a local relocation firm. And now that we're settled and into a routine, I thought I'd post my first batch of photo's. The photo's below are of the views I have to and from work every day...the Chugach Mountain Range. I haven't lived in many places, but of the places I have lived, none of them have had mountains that are as "in your face" as the state of Alaska. It's just so beautiful here and it feels so great to be back home.

Springtime in Alaska

2010-05-04T11:22:00.000-08:00

One sure sign of spring in Alaska...the pussywillow catkins start to bloom! I just love these trees and can't wait to see them again. Hmmm...I'm wondering if I can't use some in a miniatures project. Ya think?

WOOT WOOT!

2010-05-03T10:39:00.002-08:00

I'm so thrilled! Not only does my husband have a job waiting for him once we get to Alaska, but now so do I! I've landed myself a really good job with a relocation firm in Anchorage and I'll be starting with them on June 1st! It's so wonderful knowing I have this waiting for me...it makes the move so much more relaxing for me since I don't have to worry about finding a job when we get there. Whew! Heavy sigh of relief here.

North to Alaska

2010-04-23T04:44:00.000-08:00

I wanted everyone to know that it will be a couple of months before I can get back to my miniatures and post pictures of my projects on this blog. Hubby and I are moving to Alaska in three and a half weeks!! It's actually going home for me as I was born there, but once we drive across the Canadian border, it will be the furthest north my husband has ever been and I'm looking forward to watching him experience the Great North for the first time. We're moving up there to be closer to my family; my dad and my brother. My step-mother is having some serious health issues and they really need our help. And while leaving Colorado is sad in some respects, I am getting more and more excited about going home as the days go by...there's just no place like Alaska; it's hard to put into words.

So, we'll be driving the historical Alcan Highway with four cats. Yes...four. Four very spoiled and pampered indoor-only cats that have never been further away from home than the vet clinic five minutes up the street. Eight days driving, seven nights of trying to settle them down in hotel rooms. Should be interesting, to say the least.

I look forward to being able to share my new Alaska adventures with any of you who are interested in reading about them, so be looking for regular postings here in the near future. Until then, I have found some glorious Alaska photos online that I really wanted to share here:

Million Dollar Bridge - Cordova, Alaska

Sheridan Glacier

Copper River Delta

Orca Inlet

The All Things Mini Forum Community

2010-04-02T14:39:00.004-08:00

I do hope that it's not considered bad blogging etiquette to plug your own miniatures forum, but I thought I'd extend all followers of my blog an invitation to visit us at the All Things Mini Forum Community.

The ATM forum has a wonderful community of extremely talented miniaturists and we'd love to have you as a part of it! We have several different swaps and contests going throughout the year that you may enjoy participating in, as well. So, if you're interested, come on by and take a looksee. Membership is easy and free! Just click on the forum page image above to get there.

A warm "thank you" to Cia of Briarwood Miniatures!

2010-03-28T18:02:00.002-08:00

As you'll now see, my blog has received an absolutely beautiful, one of a kind facelift. This wonderful work was done by Cia of Briarwood Miniatures. Thank you, Cia, for the fantastic job you did! Words cannot express the appreciation and gratitude I feel whenever I look at my blog.

Thank You

2010-03-26T08:32:00.002-08:00

As I watch my follower list grow, I just wanted to thank all of you for taking an interest in my miniatures projects. It means a great deal to me to have so many of you following along.

ATM Tudor Era Swap

2010-03-26T06:09:00.003-08:00

This is a little Tudor era cradle I made for a recent swap at the ATM forum. I love making furniture items and this project was an easy one to do.

The Shop

2010-03-12T14:48:00.003-09:00

Well, the shop is well on its way now. I still have a TON of merchandise to make up for it yet. I really like the direction it's headed though. Now I just have to get the shopkeeper.

The kitchen

2010-03-12T14:44:00.005-09:00

Kitchens are always my favorite room to do and this one was no exception. I don't know that I'm completely done with it yet, but it's well on it's way. I want to put a wall hanging pot rack above the oak sideboard next to the sink and maybe another picture or two on the walls.

The bathroom...so far

2010-03-12T14:41:00.004-09:00

This is my stopping point with the bathroom right now. I have a bunch of little projects left to do for it to give it a more "lived in" look.

The upstairs hallway

2010-03-12T14:36:00.002-09:00

Here's the hallway outside of the bedroom on the second floor. It's not telling me it's done yet, so one of these days I'll have to figure out what needs to be done.

The Stitch-n-Time Livingroom

2009-12-23T06:46:00.002-09:00

This is the cozy livingroom over the shop. I still don't know if I like the mirror over the fireplace; I may replace it with a painting. Other than that, I think the room is pretty much finished. I'm debating on whether to reupholster the sofa because I almost feel as if the fabric on it is too "country-ish". I'd like to find a cream colored mini damask or something along those lines I think, and then add colored pillows.

The Stitch-n-Time Bedroom

2009-12-23T06:35:00.004-09:00

I've finished the bedroom over the Stitch-n-Time shop. It was actually finished long before I took these photos, but the room kept speaking to me; telling me it wasn't finished. It took me a few weeks to realize that it was missing something. A closet. So, I took everything back out including the carpeting and cut a hole in the rear wall. Then, I built and finished the inside of a box with wallpaper and shelving and glued it to the back wall after putting on a door. NOW the room is finished. I may add a couple of nick-nack shelves to the side walls once I run across those perfect nick-nacks.

The bed below is the Reutter Porcelain metal bed with the brass adornments taken off the headboard and footboard. In their place I glued on round crystal beads. The duvet and pillows were made by me, and the afghan was made by a friend of mine a couple of years ago.

Some exterior work on Stitch-n-Time

2009-12-07T08:14:00.004-09:00

I just can't get a decent picture to save my life! Such a glare! Anyhoo, the below pictures are of the store front. It's kind of hard to tell, but I used clear Gallery Glass paint on the insides of the windows, around the edges, to give the windows a frosted accent. I also frosted the arched window over the door.

The bottom two photos show the two signs. I used my woodburner with an extra fine tip to burn the letters into the wood and then I stained them. I'm pretty excited about how they turned out. (odd how the lights look 'orange' in the photos tho...hmm).

Two handmade quilts

2009-12-07T08:11:00.002-09:00

These two 1:12 scale quilts will be going inside the Stitch-n-Time shop as part of the merchandise sold. They were really easy to make and I'm very pleased with how they turned out.

ATM Make - Beds

2009-12-07T08:06:00.003-09:00

In the ATM Forum we recently had another Make in which the subject was a Bed. The person I was "making" for was Ara and she is making a 1:12 scale Addam's Family Mansion. So, I thought the bed I'd make for her should be suitable for inclusion in her project. Thus, the below bed was created for Grandmama Addam's. The guillotine headboard does indeed work and the stocks footboard opens up. The bed of nails was made with nails at varying lengths to add to the torturous experience.

The shop fixtures have arrived

2009-10-16T07:12:00.002-08:00

The basic shop fixtures have finally arrived! Danielle will be paying her final visit soon for the last inspection before she moves in and sets up the store. The large unit on the right will hold all the bolts of fabric that the store will carry and the wall unit on the left will hold many different things like yarns, books, etc. The table/counter in the center is where the yardage will be cut.

The counter you see in the photo below will be where the cash register is.

The finished Stitch-n-Time shop

2009-10-12T14:55:00.003-08:00

The shop area is now ready for Danielle to inspect and also ready for her to decide what types of fixtures she will require for her quilting/yarn shop; thus, the empty spaces where the floor and wall meet.

Day Three - Ready for Danielle's Inspection

2009-10-12T14:42:00.002-08:00

Danielle is ready to visit her future home and place of business; the interior renovations are nearly complete. The photo below is the kitchen with the stove and sink as the usual built-in features. You'll also notice the staircase behind the stove alcove is in. The kitchen is complete.

Here is the completed livingroom. With the 8" ceilings, Danielle wasn't sure if she wanted the builder to put in crown moulding because it might make the rooms appear even shorter. She has decided to leave this aspect out for now. The fireplace was 'borrowed' from another project that won't be completed in the foreseeable future.

Here the completed bathroom; with the usual features that come with a home; all ready for Danielle's personal touches. I just love the slate floor tiles with this wall paper!

This is Danielle's bedroom and the top floor hallway; both finished.

More Stitch-n-Time

2009-10-09T16:32:00.002-08:00

Well, I'm done for the day. Time to give the old back a rest.

The photo below shows the cavity behind the kitchen wall that will house the 2nd floor staircase. The door you see is the actual entry door to the residence over the shop. The first floor staircase will lead right from the shop directly to the stoop. I had to cut a corner of the door off so that the second floor staircase would meet cleanly against the third floor landing. Now, keep in mind...once the second floor stairs are in, you won't even see any of this because it will be covered up. It would have been easy to cheat and not put near as much detail into this area. But I wanted realism and besides, Danielle will see it every day and it needs to be finished for her.

This next photo is of the livingroom. I can see, after looking at this picture, that I'm going to have to rid the right wall of some air bubbles but that will be easy. The big, bare wall section at the rear is where the fireplace is going. As you can see, the electrical system has been put in place and the structure is 'hot'; per se. I'm looking forward to putting in the lights once I have the ceilings done.

Next is the kitchen showing the stove alcove; behind which will be the staircase to the top floor.

This is a more direct shot of the stove alcove. I've had a Victorian grille on hand for a couple of years now and I finally found a use for part of it. Pots, pans, and various other items will go on the shelving.

The beginnings of Stitch-n-Time

2009-10-09T11:48:00.004-08:00

Ok, so I don't know about you but when I'm in a months long slump, it takes a special project to get me out of it. For most of the summer this year I've had no desire whatsoever to "mini". Then, I was given the opportunity to start a new project; as if I really needed one but you know how it goes. Thus, "Stitch-n-Time" was created in my mind and is now becoming a reality. I've always wanted to do a quilting/sewing/yarn shop and I am now turning the Magpies kit from Dollshouse Emporium into one. Above the shop will be the shopkeepers quarters, and her name is Danielle. I will introduce you to her in due course. For now, here are the first few photos of my endeavors thus far.

This first photo is of the top floor. Of course I had to 'bash' it a bit by adding a second wall and adding the doorways. The room closest to the camera is the hallway, then the middle room is the bedroom and the far room is the bathroom. Danielle, the shopkeeper, had a real tough time picking out just the perfect wall papers.

This is the overall shot of the structure. The bottom floor is the shop, the second floor is the livingroom and kitchen of the residence, and the top floor is the hall, bedroom and bathroom of the residence.

This photo shows more of my bashing. I've moved the location of the second floor staircase to the same side of the structure as the first floor staircase.

This is the bathroom of the residence. The wall is at angle just to show the doorway I cut into it. The dark patch of MDF at the back of the bathroom floor is where the original second floor staircase came up to the top floor. This meant that the second floor stairs would have taken up one of the three available walls of the livingroom. Uh uh. I need all three walls, so simply moved the staircase elsewhere.

My favorite mini

2009-07-14T04:40:00.002-08:00

This is one of my most treasured mini's...my cat Mynee (short for Hermione). This was actually taken almost two years ago on the day we got her. At 8 weeks old, she fits perfectly on the small, twin bed I made that sits in my English Tudor dollhouse. She crawled up onto the bed all by herself when checking out the house. A photo opp I just couldn't pass up. She's grown up into a lovely young adult and has become my "muse".

A new award!

2009-07-14T03:31:00.003-08:00

One of my dearest friends, Cate, has awarded my blog the Bella Sinclair Award and I'm so very honoured and touched! Thank you, Cate, for the thoughts and sentiments. You have truly made my year!

The other side of my office

2009-06-29T17:27:00.004-08:00

This is the entry side of my office. I have yet to build Baby Bee's honey still, but it's coming. She's growing rather impatient with me so I have to get to it soon.

More on my GSOLFOT office

2009-06-29T17:22:00.002-08:00

Well, Noni can't very well say that I'm not busy mini'ing while holed up in my office, now can she? Here's the proof in the pudding; so to speak! I still have a ton of things to do, but at least the space is becoming liveable.

FOR SALE!

2009-05-01T06:48:00.005-08:00

The finished Victorian Retreat prototype dollhouse is now for sale for $600.00; OBO. It is being sold as "unfurnished". Finished interior includes all working lights. To see pictures of this adorable dollhouse, please click on the Victorian Retreat dollhouse link to the left under "A List of My Projects in this Blog".

It's location is Denver, CO and it weighs approximately 25-30 lbs. Shipping is additional to the sale price and can be shipped via UPS Ground to anywhere in the lower 48 states; cost would need to be quoted to your destination.

Interested parties should contact me via email at allthingsmini2004@yahoo.com. Serious inquiries only, please.

More GSOLFOT Office (without flash)

2009-04-12T09:58:00.003-08:00

I also like these office pictures without the camera flash because they seem so much more dramatic. I can hardly wait to fill the rooms. I pretty much have everything I'm going to need. Flash or no flash, it was impossible to get a picture of the window without at least part of my reflection in it. Stay tuned for more!

More GSOLFOT Office (with flash)

2009-04-12T09:51:00.002-08:00

Well, the architectural aspect of my office is now finally complete. Walls, floors, and ceilings are done and now it's time for the fun part...furnishing and decorating! I like how the flash on my camera makes the colors in the egg carton stonework 'pop'.

Grosvenor Hall - Pt. VII

2009-04-03T04:44:00.003-08:00

The livingroom and overall shot of the interior. I look forward to the day I can do this dollhouse again and actually "keep" it! I think the next time I'll turn it into an elegant hotel.

Grosvenor Hall - Pt. VI

2009-04-03T04:43:00.002-08:00

The basement hallway and a paladian window.

Grosvenor Hall - Pt. V

2009-04-03T04:42:00.000-08:00

The music room and attic.

Grosvenor Hall - Pt. IV

2009-04-03T04:41:00.002-08:00

Here are the master bedroom, bath, and maids quarters in the basement.

Grosvenor Hall - Pt. III

2009-04-03T04:39:00.001-08:00

This room was one of my favorites to do! We have here a scullery and wine cellar. The wine rack was a fun project!

Grosvenor Hall - Pt. II

2009-04-03T04:38:00.002-08:00

Shown here are the kitchen, library, and entry hall.

Grosvenor Hall - Pt. I

2009-04-03T04:28:00.002-08:00

This was one of my most enjoyable projects; the Grosvenor Hall by DHE. It is a MASSIVE dollhouse and like the Foxhall Manor, just got to be too big to keep in my small space. I ended up donating it to a charity for a fundraiser auction. The front view and dining room are featured here.

Foxhall Manor - Pt. V

2009-04-03T04:25:00.002-08:00

Last but not least, the sewing room and nursery.

Foxhall Manor - Pt. IV

2009-04-03T04:23:00.003-08:00

Another shot of the kitchen, and the left side of the house which housed the livingroom, 2nd bath, spare bedroom, and library wing.

Foxhall Manor - Pt. III

2009-04-03T04:22:00.002-08:00

Here are photos of the grand staircase, kitchen, and spare bedroom.

Foxhall Manor - Pt. II

2009-04-03T04:20:00.002-08:00

Here is are some photos of the left wing with dining room and master bedroom, and then the master bedroom from the back and the master bath.

Foxhall Manor - Pt. I

2009-04-03T04:18:00.003-08:00

I built the Foxhall Manor by RGT a number of years ago and ended up selling it on Ebay because I just didn't have the room to keep such a massive house. I really liked the direction is was heading however, and once I have a bigger place, I plan to build it again.

Victorian Cottage Jr. - Pt. III

2009-04-02T11:26:00.003-08:00

The livingroom and kitchen.

Victorian Cottage Jr. - Pt. II

2009-04-02T11:25:00.003-08:00

Here's the bedroom and bathroom. The bed was custom dressed by me and the window treatment and chair were made to match.

Victorian Cottage Jr. - Pt. I

2009-04-02T11:23:00.004-08:00

This is the Victorian Cottage Jr. by RGT. I made it as a baby shower gift for a co-worker of mine. I had so much fun with this one and my co-worker just adored it!!

1:12 Scale Modern Barn - Pt. II

2009-04-02T11:20:00.003-08:00

This is the rest of the barn photos. I used to have a bunch more, but lost them somehow.

1:12 Scale Modern Barn - Pt. I

2009-04-02T11:17:00.004-08:00

This was a one-off project I had made and given to my step-daughter. Unfortunately, it's fate wasn't what I had hoped it would be. It first ended up in their garage, and then my husbands evil ex-wife gave it away to a friend of hers without my, or my step-daughters, permission. Grrr! Once of these days I'll make another one because this was so much fun to make! And next time I'll "keep" it.

A Garden Fountain

2009-04-01T11:41:00.002-08:00

This is an amazing Garden Fountain that a dear friend of mine made for me a couple of years ago for an ATM Make event. I just love it! It's going to go in the yard of my English Tudor House once I'm able to start the landscaping.

Southwest Bungalow Staircase

2009-04-01T04:42:00.003-08:00

Here's an early shot of the staircase and the tile work. Each and every tile was hand-painted by me. Talk about a lot of work, but I'm very pleased with the results I got.

The Southwest Bungalow - Part IV

2009-04-01T04:41:00.003-08:00

Two shots of the loft-style bedroom and the hallway with a door out to the veranda. I think that eventually, when I'm ready to start making furniture, that I'll add a light or two to the bedroom and hall. There are wall outlets in the bedroom, but I think a hanging light would be a nice touch.

The Southwest Bungalow - Part III

2009-04-01T04:39:00.003-08:00

Here's the other half of the kitchen featuring a door to the courtyard, the two-story foyer and the bathroom.

The Southwest Bungalow - Part II

2009-04-01T04:37:00.002-08:00

Here are shots of the "sunken" livingroom, dining room, and half of the kitchen. I love the arched doorways!

The Southwest Bungalow - Part I

2009-04-01T04:33:00.003-08:00

The Southwest Bungalow is the second kit I designed for the ATM Heritage Doll Homes kit line. This one is a favorite! The exterior surfaces and interior walls were all covered in spackle and then painted to give that authentic southwest feel to the home. The tiles in the courtyard were made from Creative Paperclay and painted a terra cotta color. The pergola at the front door isn't actually part of the kit, but an extra I decided to add. The pergola can be purchased in kit form at an additional cost. As stated in the Victorian Retreat post, our kits have been taken offline temporarily while we convert to more efficient manufacturing methods and I hope to have them available again soon!

The Victorian Retreat - Part IV

2009-04-01T04:25:00.001-08:00

This really is a great kit!

Here's the last of them.

The Victorian Retreat - Part III

2009-04-01T04:23:00.000-08:00

The kitchen and rear view of the kit prototype.

The Victorian Retreat - Part II

2009-04-01T04:18:00.004-08:00

Photos of the livingroom.

The Victorian Retreat - Part I

2009-04-01T04:13:00.003-08:00

This is the first of ATM's Heritage Doll Homes kit line...The Victorian Retreat. This prototype was a joy to work on. Unfortunately, the kits have been taken offline while we change our manufacturing methods to be more efficient. It is my hope to have them available again as quickly as possible. All of the kits ATM sells have been designed by me.

The Wizards Well - Part II

2009-03-31T16:46:00.002-08:00

Here is the rest of the Wizard Well photos showing the shop and the reading room upstairs.

The Wizards Well - Part I

2009-03-31T16:42:00.004-08:00

I'm still plugging along adding photos of older projects to this blog so that I can get rid of an old website. This project is my entry for the 2005 HBS Creating Contest called the Wizards Well. As a huge Harry Potter fan, I had the urge to bash HBS's grand roombox into a wizarding supply shop and reading room. Several items are sold at the wizards well...parchment scrolls, quills, wands, potions ingredients, wizarding and witchcraft books, flying brooms, cauldrons, robes...you name it. The snowy owl was made by Alice Zinn. Although I didn't win the contest, it was a blast making this!

More Dragon Wagon Photos

2009-03-31T16:29:00.001-08:00

Here are the rest of the Dragon Wagon photos from my first entry below.

The Dragon Wagon

2009-03-31T16:22:00.005-08:00

This is the Dragon Wagon in 1:12 scale. As a member of GSOLFOT, we were stongly urged (under penalty of having to wash everyone's green socks) by Noni the Great Oz to participate in what is called a MAKE; similar to a swap. The theme was transportation and since I was "making" for a gal in Arizona that is a huge fan of anything Wild West, I decided on the Dragon Wagon. All GSOLFOT members live in a castle with many dragons as fellow residents, so I thought it only suiting that the wagon be one that transports...well...dragon dung. Again, my quirky sense of humor shines through. The wagon carries many varieties of dung...shredded, fresh, dried, pickled and poached.

ATM Folk Art Swap

2009-03-31T16:02:00.004-08:00

This is a 1:12 scale bench I made for our current swap over in the All Things Mini forum...Folk Art. Completely designed from scratch, once I assembled the pieces, I stained the bench in a golden oak and then applied antique white acrylic paint over a crackle medium. I wanted to give the bench some age. Unfortunately, my camera doesn't pick up fine details like the crackles or the rubs in the finish. I think it turned out pretty decent tho. I had to make four of them.

The finished product

2009-03-29T09:39:00.005-08:00

This is the project finished and the protective plexiglass doors put on. And Voila! The project has reached its destination in Canada and the recipient of it really liked it! Please pardon my somewhat twisted sense of humor.

The bodies

2009-03-29T09:33:00.004-08:00

This is the source of the 'smell' that wafts up through the opening in the ceiling, through to the door left ajar on the first floor.

The basement is started

2009-03-29T09:30:00.003-08:00

The basement is a host to many horrors. First, the stone wallpaper goes up and then the rafters and plumbing. A door to a prison chamber is also added.

The finished upper floor

2009-03-29T09:25:00.004-08:00

The upper floor is pretty much finished at this point. A pretty vase of flowers will also be added to the room. The door to the underside of the staircase is deliberately glued ajar to make the viewer wonder what is beyond it.

The staircase

2009-03-29T09:19:00.004-08:00

The wallpaper, staircase, and wainscoting go in. The idea is to make the upstairs portion look as innocent and pristine as possible.

The Roombox

2009-03-29T09:10:00.004-08:00

This project is being done in a wall-mount roombox by Steve Harvey Miniatures . The outside has been stained and varnished.

The office view...

2009-03-07T14:02:00.004-09:00

This is the view from Office #6, my office. This picture is an "actual" view from the castle that I had a friend print out for me so that I could put it behind my window. Pretty kewl, I think. Now, back to putting more stones up. The cubby area's at each side of the window will be bookshelves. The light at the top of the wall won't peek through once all the stones have been put in place.

More work is done...

2009-02-21T15:37:00.004-09:00

Here are several more pictures of the last two days of work to the left side of my office. I've finished the stonework on the walls, the ceiling is finished, the floor done, and the second wall light added. I'm going to be varnishing the floor once the right side of the room has its floor in so that I can do both rooms at the same time for a better finish. I just love the 'ambience' of this room! Oh how I wish I was small enough to live in it. The cabinet is by Bespaq and will hold many a treasure soon. I think I'm going to give it a bit darker shade of stain tho; maybe. On the left wall, in front of the door will be Baby Bee's honey still and where all her honey goods are manufactured. And, eventually, there will be metal hinges on the door and a door latch.

The Office Entry Door

2009-02-15T12:28:00.004-09:00

Here is the door I made from a 1/8" piece of scrap basswood. I handcarved the vertical board lines, drew on some knotholes, and then stained in the same Dark Walnut stain. I also made the frame and the decorative piece at the top center.

More and more stones go up. This is a really tedious job, so it's a real good thing I like the way they are looking!

A wall lamp is added, my office #6 is added to the top of the door, and I've even hung my office keys on the lamp for easy access. Now, back to gluing on more stones.

The Office Window

2009-02-15T12:25:00.003-09:00

This is my office window! Purchased from The Lawbre Co. a few years ago, I finally found a really good use for it. Once the window is in, there will be a view of the surrounding countryside from the castle.

The Stonework

2009-02-15T12:19:00.003-09:00

The stonework method I'm using for this project is a first for me. The stones are made from egg cartons! I painted the inside flat surfaces of the egg carton lids with about five different colors; grays, tan, black and slate blue. Then, using scissors I cut each and every stone in random sizes. Using tacky glue, I started putting up the stones on the walls one by one; like a puzzle. The room shown here will be the entry room of my office.

The Roombox for my GSOLFOT Office

2009-02-15T12:06:00.003-09:00

This is a roombox I acquired from Steve Harvey Miniatures. The original divider wall was a little shy of 1/4" so I replaced it with a 3/8" MDF wall with the same rounded doorway but a little more off-center. I stained the exterior of the box with Minwax Dark Walnut; which will also be used on the interior woodworking. You'll notice there's a drawer that goes underneath the rooms, which will hold my green socks!

GSOLFOT Office

2009-02-13T03:59:00.002-09:00

This is just a text entry to announce that after at least two years as a Sockie, I've finally figured out just the perfect plan for my office in the Towers! I had started an office a long time ago, but wasn't liking the direction is was taking so it got tanked. I'm going to be starting my new office project tonight (after about a year of planning it out) and will start posting pictures this weekend to show it's progress. HAIL TO THE SOCKS!