Maya Is At It Again!

You remember my adorable kitties in Nola House?  They are all from Maya.  You seriously need to go check out her site!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CUSTOM-ORDER-for-ONE-adult-OOAK-1-12-Dollhouse-Miniature-Cat-Handmade-/132048446926?hash=item1ebeb365ce:g:~EEAAOSwa~BYZVh9

Last opportunity for a custom "Maysi-Kitty" ;-) ..as I will not offer customs orders in the future any more. Click the pic or the button below to go to the offer on ebay: Go to Ebay!

Thank you for looking ! XXX Maya

Fairytale Additions & A New Project

Well I spent part of my holiday time off working on a lamp for the Fairytale Cottage.  And I found some stools for the breakfast bar.  I think the lamp turned out pretty well.  I used some plastic beads and a metal filigree drawer pull.  I removed the screw and ran the LED wire through a small metal tube, then glued beads around it.

It came out looking like an odd type of sixties floor lamp.

But it fits under the little nook and with the bed pushed back there the battery is hidden.  It gives just enough light to read by.

 See? Not too bad.  And the little stools I found fit very nicely under the counter.

They're just raw wood but I like how they look.  Almost the same as the floor, a little lighter than the bar.

And what's a kitchen without a breadbox and jam, with a jar of pickled vegetables.

My new project is... well, something just for fun.  I've been thinking about this kit for a while. I found the MiniTown Loft on Ebay about a year and a half back and couldn't resist it. 

And rather than start a huge, take up the whole table project, I decided to work on something a little smaller.  So I put it together and then tried to figure out what I wanted to do with it.  I've got no idea what to call it.  It reminds me of a duplex in a way.

I like it but its very open.  And I had the idea that it would be fun to do a little add on.  So I started messing around and this is what I came up with.

The add on's roof is temporary.  I need a bigger piece of wood to have proper eaves that match the original kit.

So far the only issue I foresee is finding windows and doors to fit.  They aren't selling the 'finishing' kit' for the Loft and the windows are not standard sizes.  But there are plenty of tutorials out there including Kris's about how to make doors and windows so I'll be reading up on them.  Definitely want the modern look.

So I'll be looking into what I can use for the exterior.  Possibly clapboard or stucco.  Not sure about the stucco but I'm thinking about it.

The idea is to hinge the add on to the back loft wall and have the whole side open up like the little Fisher Price house I recall from childhood.

In this way I'm protecting the house from my Building Inspector.  She was already poking her nose in the long side window while it was taped together so I don't think I'm erring in my caution.

I've got a couple more fans like the one I sent Keli and I'm planning on making an iron spiral staircase like Mara's tutorial.

Not my picture...I'm no where near this.  This is a Pintrest picture of Mara's tutorial

I'm having fun with it and not stressing out.  It'll fill the time for a while and maybe I can keep two projects going simultaneously in 2017.  We'll see.

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and your New Year is filled with good things.  Like contest winnings!

2017 Creatin' Contest Sneak Peak!

Miniatures.com, being the tempting folks that they are, sent an email with a sneak peak of the 2017 catalog.  Which they say is on its way to us in the mail.  I can only hope.

On the cover, what do you suppose they have?

Oh... I guess the Post title kinda gave it away huh?

But you're right.  So I did a little print screening and cutting and pasting and got a couple of pictures for all of you.

And me because I really am curious.

I like the different levels...though the home owner in me cringes at the flat roof over the little bump out. 

And here's the interior they showed. 

I love the book shelves over the bathroom door.

And on their site the blog has Fran talking about the process of creating the new kit and gives us a teaser pic of her front door.

Here's a blurb of what she wrote about the details.  "We don’t want to give away too much just yet, but we think you’re really going to like this one. It’s about the same size as the 2015 kit but has features we’ve never offered before: There are four full walls and a removable roof that can keep everything safe from dust and curious fingers (or paws) but with a skylight and plenty of windows to show off the scene inside. (And don’t worry; if that fourth wall is just too closed in for you I’ll share an easy bash to keep it removable.) "

I have to admit the closed in kit is something I really like.  That's always a headache for me, figuring out how to protect what I'm building.  The slanted roof and bump out make me want to do something small scale, with a little loft rather than a full second floor.  Could be a lot of fun, keeping the footprint small and give me room for other projects as well.  I want to see how well I do with a couple things going at once.  Or if that's just not really my style of working.

Hope you enjoyed this little sneak peak and I can't wait to see how many of us just have to try out this kit!

P.S.

Ah!  Found the page with the measurements.  Helps when you can read the little print finally. 

I'm excited!  At least it gives us an idea of how we can do a floor layout.

Christmas In a Fairytale

The weekend before last I spent a lot of time working on an upholstered bed for the Fairytale Cottage.  I got it completed except for the mattress and bedding, then tried it in the cottage.  No dice. 

Somewhere along the way I goofed up a measurement and it doesn't fit in the space for the bed.  So I got to work making another one last weekend.  It's much simpler and probably more suited to the house.  And I can't regret making the upholstered bed because I learned a lot while I did it.

Measuring accurately is one of the lessons I learned.  Let's hope it sticks.

The new bed sat for a week while I figured out what to use for a mattress.  Once I figured that out I put the bedding on and proceeded to take pictures.

I also rearranged the living room a bit and put a sofa in there instead of two chairs. More comfortable for multiple visitors.

And I got the kitchen counters redone and a breakfast bar added.

I'm going to either find or, if I get really ambitious, make some stools to go under the breakfast bar.

And then of course, the house needed a Christmas tree.

 

It's just a cheap little tree from Joann's that I glued beads to so it would look festive.  I'll make it a little tree skirt and some presents to go under it.

And the animals have already made themselves at home.  Dwight is so excited he's practically bouncing.  He'd better stay off the furniture.

Zoe is trying to have a nap but her daughter Kaylee is determined to practice pouncing.

She's young and enthusiastic. 

I'm working on a floor lamp to go behind the bed and give it some light to read by.  Nothing better than reading in a cozy bed.   Hopefully it'll be done next week. 

If I don't get to talk to all of you before then, I hope you have a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah and the best New Year.

Submission Pictures for NOLA House

It's always interesting to try and take pictures on a day that's going back and forth between cloudy and sunny, with dry leaves and a good wind.  I was lucky that it was one of our warmer days.

I took over one hundred fifty pictures and then had to narrow them down to four.  The process was excruciating.  But I think I've got it.

I took a whole bunch of detail shots, mostly with the kitties in various places.  Obviously I can't submit them but I had fun taking them.

This is what happens when you leave the balcony door open.

Marie likes to hang out on the balcony.  Sometimes she ends up squishing the flowers.  Alistair doesn't like the balcony as much but he loves to play with the Mardi Gras beads.

Remy likes the bathroom.  The laundry basket is his favorite place.  He also really wants to rub against that orchid.  But every time he gets up on the shelf something gets knocked down and he gets in trouble.

 Everyone loves the living room, there's a place to sit for each one of them.  Alistair loves the couch and the soft throw, while Marie considers the white chair hers to shed upon.  Remy likes the wool rug and hanging out near his mommy's shoes.

 
Nobody has figured out how to get up on the tilt table to play with the flowers without knocking them down.

The shelves in the kitchen are very tempting, as is the box of cookies and the jar of cat treats on top of the fridge.  And every now and then someone tries to lie on top of the hat and its shelf.

Someday they'll figure out how to get the lid off that jar!

We close with one last picture of the front of the house.  And the numbers.

I'm off to submit my pictures!  Hope you all have a great week.  I'm hoping tomorrow I'll have more pictures of the Fairytale Cottage.

Back To the Fairytale House

I'm back to the little Fairytale house.  I guess the title of the post was something of a clue.  Since I just spent most of the year working on NOLA House I wanted to do something strictly for fun.  And if possible, with things I already have here.  Which means making what I need or combing through my stockpiles of miniatures for suitable furnishings.

I started with the bathroom since it needed fixtures that were smaller and would fit in the corner.  Then came the issue of how to divide the bathroom from the rest of the upstairs.  A full wall would be too bulky and end up being more door than wall.  Plus I used the same scrapbook paper on the whole upstairs so the idea of dividing it up didn't appeal to me.

I had a metal folding screen but I didn't like how it looked, It was too big, and stuck out where the roofline would be on the opening of the house.  So I started with some thin cardboard and cut it to mimic the lines of the roof.  Then I glued on paper and wood.  I didn't want to stain it darker so I just added polyurethane polish to the wood.

I like how it came out, it's not perfect but it's right for the house.

It fits in nicely under the roof.

I had a bunch of battery lights that I'd bought last year and kept for the house.  So I figured out where I wanted them and glued the magnets in place.  It took a while for the glue to dry so while that was happening I went through my furniture for some kitchen fixtures.

I had a little Ruetter Porcelain sink and a half fridge, so I only needed a stove and a counter.  I plan to paint them white and make a countertop for the fridge.

Here's my layout so far with the lights added in.

I'm planning to make a bed that's fairly low to the ground, and a little table to go behind the stove and fridge.  It has to be narrow or it'll take up too much space. 

I wondered about using the dark furniture for the living room area but I like the contrast against the light walls.  There's a settee that matches the chairs and I'm debating seeing how it looks and one chair to go with it.  Not sure.  It's just fun to play around.

I got a tripod for my camera and as soon as we get some sun I'm planning on taking pictures of NOLA House outside.  We've had rain most of the weekend so far so I haven't wanted to bring the house outside.

But that's what I've been up to this week.  Hope everyone is having a good time.

Concrete & a Few Final Details

First of all, I grew up with a mom who worked for a construction company and I learned at an early age that concrete consists of cement, sand and gravel with a judicious application of water to get it all stuck together.

It drove her crazy when someone would refer to the foundation of a building was laid in cement.  So, in order to not make my mother crazy at this late date, NOLA House is a brick foundation on top of concrete.

I found a spray on texture that would look like concrete or gravel and got a board cut down for the base.  It took a few hours to dry so while that was going on I did a few other things. 

I got the second picture for the front room framed and matted.

And stuck it to the wall.  I'm pretty happy with how it looks and it fits with the other picture.  I have no idea who painted this one. I found it under a search for watercolors of New Orleans. 

I hunted down one of my flowerpots and got it situated on the balcony table's lower shelf.  It's a little big but I liked how it filled in the space and it's a pop of color that I wanted against the house.  And my pitcher arrived.  I loved the shape and size of it and how it doesn't quite match the glasses. More of that mismatched bargain hunting for our homeowner and also typical of my experience in the South.  Once folks start drinking it's easier to make up a huge pitcher rather than go back to the kitchen a million and one times for refills.

I also didn't like how bare the bedroom corner near the dresser looked so I got a jug and added some flowers.

I like how they fill the space.

And because the bathroom has all that water damage to the ceiling and wall in the sink corner I messed with the insulation in the attic over that corner so it looks like it's been soaked.

I also took a few minutes to get some keys onto a little key ring and put them on the desk, and put the purse and a pair of shoes down near the front door.  I might find a few things to put in the purse so it doesn't look empty and boring.

Once all that was done the concrete texture was dry so I brought it in and got the flowerbeds and house set onto it.
 

And then I had fun turning on all the lights and taking pictures of everything.

 

 

I've got to dust the windows too. 

I figure I'll give it a day or so and then bring it outside to my driveway and take some pictures of it there.  Natural light can only help.  And hopefully I'll have a decent background for the house. 

I'm hoping to get some decent shots and figure out the best way to take pictures of the interior.  Since we're only allowed four pictures I really worry about showing the house in its best light.