Tuesday, December 19, 2017

A Better Pictoral Review and Sources

Thanks to all of you who were so supportive with your comments and helping me figure out what to do with this house.

I took the house outside and took a few pictures.




Mr. Twitchy Tail the taunting squirrel is from tmd_art on Ebay.  The cardinal is from Hannah at Once Upon A Time Miniatures on Etsy. I made the birdfeeder out of a pencap and button with ground up pepper and sand as the seed.  As a cat owner/slave I've learned the value of visual catnip/entertainment for the resident felines.


And the robin came from Hannah as well.  I made the hyacinths with cotton swab heads drilled out so the wire stems would fit and used snipped embroidery thread for the blooms.  Since hyacinth stalks are thicker I used some of my black wire and wrapped it in florist tape.  The leaves are backed with the paper covered wire Keli sent me last year.


Here's the side of the house, with its scraggly grass, pretty bushes and flowers.  I made the rosebushes and sunflowers.  The bushes are some of the little squeeze me bushes from Miniatures.com.


I made the lobelia and tulips and the leaves of the to be iris in the back with paper, wire and reindeer moss.  I got the idea for the lobelia from a kit I saw on Etsy in The Miniature Garden and thought I could reproduce on my own since I didn't have time for the kit to arrive if I ordered it.

I got twigs from my front yard which has so many oak trees I have to look out the window to count them.  I made the lobelia and tulips.  The birdbath came from April Wright Pottery on Etsy and I can so tell that I'm going to have a shopping problem in her shop.  So many pretties!  But I fell in love with the blue and thought it echoed the house beautifully.

All of the dirt is three parts glue, one part coffee and spread over the base and some balsa to give it depth.  I mentioned that I made the flowers removable so that the Building Inspector couldn't steal them.  They'll live in a box inside the house when it's not being photographed.


Quinn came from the incomparable Maya Schippl and looks so much like my Quinn cat that I couldn't resist her.  Quinn loved my husband and was the most inquisitive cat I've met.  She would actually run into the room to see him if he started yelling at the TV.  Football season was her favorite because her Daddy was so much fun then.


You all suffered through making the columns and porch along with me.  But I got the porch light from Mainly Minis on Ebay. I can't remember where I got the cat welcome mat, it might have been Miniatures.com.  I made the Adirondack chair out of popsicle sticks with a tutorial I found on Pinterest.  The mailbox came off the Beach Bungalow and I got the door handle and knocker off of Ebay.



When we open the front door almost the first thing we see is the kitchen island.  The dishes and vase are from Jodi's Shapeways Shop.  The island and stools came from Miniatures.com but I replaced the brass knobs with bronze ones to match the rest of the kitchen.  The phone came from Etsy in a set of three that I bought for the NOLA House last year.  But I can't remember where I got it.

The keys came from Whimsy Cottage Minis and I stalked her store until a keychain became available because I saw one in someone else's blog and loved it so much.  I wish I could remember where.

I made the sunflowers myself, my first paper flowers ever.  The dark seeds in the middle are actually coffee and glue.

Let's shut the door behind us so we don't let the chilly spring air in.


The name of the kit really inspired the whole look of the house and the door did the rest.  I had to reframe all the windows and the door inside and out but it was worth it to get a good cohesive look.  I added mullions to all the windows to give them the Craftsman style as well.  I didn't want to do any fancy window treatments because they'd hide all the trim I worked so hard on.  Brae suggested I make some blinds and it was a great idea.  The blinds are textured scrap book paper rolled over toothpicks.

I stained all the wood cherry or red oak or a combination of both just so that everything would end up similar shades.  All the wood is different but the same stain gives it some variation and unity at the same time.


The boots, and garbage can came from Dollhouses and More on Ebay.  I added a little plastic 'garbage bag' to the inside.  The heels are from YinYingO on Etsy. And the sweater coat is from SusanKlein, also on Etsy.  The backpack is from AudreSatelier on Ebay and I'm amazed at how detailed the work is.  The green vase/bowl is from SinnysMiniArt.  They're having a sale now by the way.

I made the coat rack, the beige suede jacket and the mittens, hat and scarf.  The hat is just the tip of a knit glove cut off and glued to keep it from unraveling.  Same for the scarf.  The mittens have a cardboard backing for shape since they're so small.

Pictures of the kitchen weren't going to be easy, even with the removable bathroom, so I made sure I could remove the picture window to get my shots.  Though having the bathroom be removable made it much easier to work on and when I did need to work on the kitchen that was a lot easier as well.

The kitchen is also handmade, with a bunch of Houseworks cabinets and some trim on the uppers to class them up.  The stove has a light in the vent hood so you can see what you're cooking.  The backsplash is made from ceramic beads and the countertop is a sample piece of vinyl tile.  I wanted a neutral so the backsplash, fridge and stove could really pop.  I made the overhead light fixture so I could have something Craftsman but slightly different from the lamps and wall sconces and bathroom lights.

I did the crown moldings from scratch as well, several pieces of wood stacked against corner trim to look like Craftsman crown molding.  And the ceiling is a plaster paper with a slight beige tint for some warmth.  Stark white doesn't lend itself well to Craftsman houses, they're usually wood and earth tones.  So I think I've succeeded there.


Uh oh, looks like someone is trying to get at the sunflowers.  Quinn, get down from the table.

The stove is from Minimum World.  They're having a clearance sale!  The fridge is a Houseworks kit too, I didn't use the hinges and sanded down the corners and edges to give it a retro look.  All the handles, knobs and pulls are from Dollhouses and More because they had that bronze finish in a bunch of different pieces, including the now hidden hooks on the hall tree.


The canisters are from Miniatures.com and the breadbox is from Pei Li's Miniatures/ miniaturepatisserie on Etsy.  I've had the desk chair for a long time, and I know I got it from Etsy but I can't remember where from.  (Ha Found it! It's Mini Models) But that's one of Anita's cushions padding the seat.  I have a serious shopping problem in her store too.  She's having a sale too guys, and some new furniture coming out soon so keep an eye out.



A lot of the things on the countertops are glued in place because I didn't want to lose anything.  The trivet came from  D's Miniatures and Collectibles and the utensil rack is from Kerbey Lane Miniatures.    That's also where I got the dishsoap near the sink.  I've had the cookie jar forever, since I did a dollhouse with my grandmother and it fits in perfectly here.


I made the wine rack with a couple of crate dividers from D's Miniatures and Collectibles and that's also where the wine wall art came from.  I used a Houseworks upper cabinet and cut it down to fit the dividers then added trim and a wine glass holder underneath it.  The wine mostly came from Miniatures.com and the wineglasses are Chrysnbon.  

The daffodils were a gift from Bee Tree Miniatures and I love how they fit on the window ledge.



A view of the fireplace wall.  Seeing this on the inside of the house is only an option if I take a picture through the window.  I'm still glad I did it though.  When I look in the windows it looks like a real house to me, three dimensional, complete with crown moldings and trim on the loft.

I built the fireplace and all the built in shelves around it from scratch.  I did a post about where I got  most of the décor on the fireplace here.  But the matches in their adorable box by the wood cubby are new.  I got them off of Etsy from Miniature Cabin Décor and they're perfect.  The painting is from Megan Balli and I love the soft colors.



Isabella is lounging by the fireplace with her duckie toy, enjoying the warmth.  She's a Ragdoll kitty from Maya Schippl and of the two cats in the house she's more well behaved, for a given value of behaved.  She likes to steal your seat because you've warmed it up nicely for her.

A bowl of gumdrops, bowl from one of the online miniature shows, I think this was a yard sale type of one? And the gumdrops are from Blake's shop on Etsy.  He had these awesome grab bags and I got lots of candy.  The only drawback is it all looks so real I get hungry staring at it.  The side table is from Miniatures.com.

I made the chairs from one of Kris's kits and I'm really pleased with how they turned out.


I made the sliding barn door to the bathroom out of a narrow door from Houseworks taken out of its frame, scrap wood and Lego wheels.  I had to redo it twice to make it work right.


The pillows on the chairs that match on the window seat are from Brae's shop, and the knit pillows and polka dots are from Anita as is the throw over the back of the chair.  Someone's obviously been jumping around because the pillows are all messed up.  Quinn, I'm looking at you.


Isabella swiped Quinn's spot on the window seat but Quinn has her duckie toy.

I bought three lamps in the Craftsman style and took them apart to make the sconces and entryway ceiling fixture.  Some wood beads give them a more polished finish against the wall and ceiling.

The window seat is mostly from scratch. I got a couple of Houseworks cabinet hutches and microwaved them to take the bottoms off then used the upper cabinets to start off the window seat shelves.  I made the seat cushion and the stereo speakers.  The record player is from Tomy and I got it off Ebay.

All of the records are from Martins Mini Mart and they feature mostly eighties artists and every David Bowie album. Because David Bowie.



The lipstick and mascara are from ViliaMiniature the toothbrush and toothpaste are off of Ebay and the glass jars are from SinnysMiniArt.


All the towel holders, shower hooks, faucet, showerhead and sink are from Jodi's Shapeways shop.  I highly recommend!  Marion's Shapeways shop is another place I can't stay away from, all the lightswitches in the house are from her shop.  She's also the one I got the wall toilet from.


The sink base is a Houseworks cabinet again, adjusted slightly to accommodate the width of the sink.  The shampoo and conditioner bottles are from ScottsMiniatures and I made the loofah, washcloth and towels.


I made the shower curtain out of some plastic and a flat iron to give it realistic creases and crumples.  The tub is from Miniatures.com and so are the lights.  The wood look tile is a flooring sample cut into strips.  The striped rug is from Manor House Miniatures.  I have one in the entryway as well though its not as easy to see.


A pull down ladder leads up to the loft and when you use it you need to move the chairs out of the way a bit.  But that's okay, the chairs aren't heavy and the ladder is easy to use. Just pull on the cord towards the fireplace wall and let it unfold as it comes down.  Brace it well against the lip of the loft and the floor before you climb up.


Another Craftsman style lamp, this time with blue on the shade for a relaxing feeling before bed.  I made the bureau, murphy bed and ladder.  The bureau is a House of Miniatures kit with ebony stain and glass beads for drawer pulls.  The nail polish is from ViliaMiniature and the watch is from SinnysMiniArt.   I made the Converse high tops from Pepper's tutorial and printies and the purse is from AudreSatelier.


The bedding cabinet is another hutch I microwaved to take the upper shelves off and then finished with paint, new knobs and casters to make it moveable.  That's a feature all of the furniture in the loft share with the exception of the murphy bed which is fastened to the wall.  Safety first after all.


The clothing rack is made from some wood lengths and brass tubing.  All the hangers and clothing are of my own manufacturing but the two sweaters are from Dragonfly Knit Designs.   One of them is hanging up and the other is thrown over the cabinet where the pillows and extra blanket are kept when the murphy bed is closed.


The pillows Isabella is so happy to lounge against are from Brae's shop.  I made the bedding out of some fabric I got at Hobby Lobby


The window shelf so enjoyed by Quinn and Isabella is a copy in miniature of a shelf I made for my cats at home.  A length of wood, foam padding and braces with a fabric to cover it all makes for very happy cats.


You can barely see it here, but the ceiling has about ten lights (pot lights?) so the whole place is illuminated.



I think that's everything.  If I've forgotten anything let me know and I'll be happy to look up where I found the piece you're interested in.

One last look at the yard.








34 comments:

  1. I love the picture through the kitchen window, looking toward the front door, it looks so real you wouldn't guess it's miniature.

    The house turned out fantastic. Well done. The cat's window shelf makes me smile :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I really had more fun than I'd thought I would, taking pictures through the windows.

      The cat shelf is easy to make if Ester would like one. Mine are generally eight inches wide but narrower would work too.

      Delete
    2. I made her one, she thought it was cool for five minutes, then wanted no part of it. We do have the big bow window in the living room, she hangs out there quite a bit.

      Delete
    3. Oh yeah, that figures. Work really hard for them and they're more interested in chasing sawdust than using what you worked on.

      Delete
  2. Wow! I love the outside photo taken outside. The colors of the house, door and stone are so complementary. Just beautiful!
    It was so fun to click through the photos and remember each phase of the project - it all came together in such a fun and charming way Sheila!
    Such nice work, and I can't wait to begin the next adventure with you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! Maybe at some point I'll get ambitious and link areas to the posts where I worked on them but I didn't really categorize the posts that well.

      Curious about the next kit and I need to find a spot for this one before I can do anything else.

      Delete
  3. What great pictures, Sheila, I like the pictures taken outdoors, your house fits perfect there ;)! Thank you for collecting all of the interestic names/links from who/where you've got all of the miniatures.
    Great work, and thank you for sharing!
    Ilona

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I'm trying to give credit where its due since I do not have the ability or patience to make half of these wonderful little touches.

      Delete
  4. Thanks so much for sharing everything, and for the beautiful pictures! Amazing work, very well done!!!
    I really love this house :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I appreciate all the support. It wasn't easy but I'm glad everyone seems to like it.

      Delete
  5. Thanks so much for posting this.. lots of new places for me to indulge in my mini shopping addiction. You have so much detail in this house it's wonderful! I have been thinking about upgrading the houseworks upper cabinets with cornice also.. you have shown me it can be done! I was thinking of using half scale trim, what did you use? I also really love your little boot room area and coat rack. That is style is right up my alley. Just lovely. :) Wonderful pictures and I just love all of your mini animals. :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My pleasure! Thanks for all your support and comments.

      For the trim on my uppers I believe I went with 1:12 scale crown molding. Half scale might have actually looked better now that I think about it. I did a lot of sanding and miter cutting and then a lot of wood putty to finish it off.

      The coat rack wasn't too hard, it's really just a box with taller walls on two sides and a little shelf. I used beadboard to give it some detail and made a drawer to go in the box, then finished it with wood bead feet and trimmed it out. It was the only way to be sure I had something to fit in the corner well enough.

      Delete
  6. This is eye candy to me!! What a beautiful house you have created. I am so proud as if I made it myself! *lol* I am just proud I had the honour to have followed you during the process. Thank you for all the good moments and for sharing with us your journey. I have enjoyed a lot and learned a lot as well. This tour is fantastic. I get to enjoy all those wonderful details and also to torture myself following those links *lol* Thank you for those too! I will try to be a good girl and not go crazy :D Merry Christmas xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying it. Feedback is one of the things that's really helpful to me. I get ideas from the things folks say.

      And its the holiday season, surely you deserve a few stocking stuffers? Or send the links to your significant other as really heavy hints.

      Delete
  7. Thank you for showing all the wonderful mini treasures inside this gorgeous house, the ones you made yourself and those you bought. It was a pleasure following your step by step progress. I am looking forwards for your next project which I'm sure will be interesting.
    Merry Christmas to you and yours!!!
    Hugs, Drora

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I'm glad you've enjoyed yourself. Give me a little time and I'll get going on my Downtown Loft again.

      Delete
  8. Well Done Sheila! When I saw the first photo it made me think of Pat and Noel Thomas's craftsman's cottage. I Really love your exterior, and your Amazing work complex roofline, along with the porch addition and the different finishes on the face of the house itself, and ALL are Marvelous!
    The interior is warm and inviting and the sliding barn door was such a great space-saving idea- WOWeee! I love your family friendly layout along with all of your Fabulous accessories which are perfect choices for this space.
    There are Loads of extras which I really love and each one helps to tell the story and makes this tiny house come alive both inside and out- BRAVO Sheila!
    Wishing you all the BEST with the HBS contest! :D

    elizabeth

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow! Thank you. That is a huge compliment now that I've seen their house. I really needed to do a sort of modern take on Craftsman because the house is so small it can't carry tons of details or the exterior will look fussy.

      Inside though, it was so much fun making sure I had all my little details lined up.

      Delete
  9. Awesome!!! So many wonderful details make it a very special house.
    Geneviève

    ReplyDelete
  10. WOW - it turned out great. I love the exterior photo on the grass. All of the photos really turned out well. All of the details like the bird feeder, the squirrel, the cats, really add scale and realism. I would say you are magazine bound! Great job. Troy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I'm hoping it does well. I really tried to make it look real.

      Delete
  11. OMG SHEILA!... We moved (again) and had to renovate before, so I had not much time and did not visit your blog for a longer time...and now... I see this! It´s so beautiful and looks so real...speechless! Really speechless! Alle those details! Love it!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I'm so glad you like it. It was fun but also a bit insane trying to squeeze in all these details.

      Delete
  12. Yes, I really do! It was so worth becoming insane...lol! ;-)
    Happy New Year Sheila! Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy New Year! I hope your renovations are done and you have a relaxing New Year!

      Delete
  13. This is so fantastic! I love it. Thank you for the detailed walk through of your approach and all the space :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My pleasure! Thank you so much. I'm glad you like it.

      Delete
  14. Love this house. Love the craftsman style and love what you have done inside.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you! It's about a years worth of work.

      Delete
  15. You got the craftsman look down! It's great. I love all of the wildlife and little details on the exterior. The grass looks so real with the little bare spots. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I'm glad you like it. I've still got some more practice with 'fur' grass but this turned out pretty well.

      Delete
  16. What a beautiful build. I love seeing my birdbath in your little front garden, the color does work so nicely with the lovely blue you used for the siding. Bravo!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I'm glad you like it. Your birdbath is the perfect touch for the front yard.

      I'm going to keep an eye on your shop for little things for my new build soon.

      Delete