Trying To Get Organized

 I haven't posted because I haven't really gotten much done since my last post.  I've been trying to get my space organized, clean my house some, and other hobbies have taken up some of my time.

I have a bad habit of buying things and then not putting them in their proper place.  So I put things away and relocated a few things so I could find them. Hopefully.

I've been debating my next project still.  I'm debating redoing the Gothic Victorian because I'm a little bored with it and there's so much I could do better with it.

But I'm also excited that I've got a couple more out of the norm containers for some little laundry rooms.

So that'll be a lot of fun.  

And I found on Ebay, the cutest little buffalo horn chair.  This is exciting because my grandparents had a buffalo horn chair in their basement and my mom has it now.  I've wanted one forever.

I've been trying to remember that my hobbies are meant to be enjoyed.  They're not something I should be putting pressure on myself to do.

Delicacies

Hey this post is mostly pictures.  I bought a few things for the Gothic Victorian dollhouse and I thought I'd show them off.

Remember the servants quarters with the near Oliver Twist-ian beds?  Well they've been...improved. Most definitely.  At least the maids will be able to sleep now.  That's something right?

I got these from Minibeddingshop on Etsy, https://www.etsy.com/shop/minibeddingshop?ref=l2-shopheader-name and I may have to go back for more.


See? Cute little matresses. I love these.

They fit perfectly on the brass beds.

I like these mattresses better than the one I sleep on. Why is that?



Both beds... And one of these days the maid's outfit will be period appropriate. Bare legs and ankles! Oh the scandal!

The blankets they had were kinda flimsy.  The Reformists would have kittens.  So I got the maids some quilts.  Not matching of course...I mean really they're only servants.  Pish tosh, any old thing will do.

The first came from MiniBargains on Etsy.  https://www.etsy.com/shop/MiniBargains?ref=l2-shopheader-name

This one is more of a crazy quilt. 

And here's the other one. Not as crazy colored but still attractive and warm enough that they'll be happier in the winter.

This one I got off of Ebay and cannot remember the sellers name for the life of me.

Pretty nice huh?  I need to make them a rag rug or something... that bare floor looks chilly.

And I couldn't invest all that money into the servants quarters without buying Mrs. Doll a little something right?  Unfortunately Mrs. Doll's hair gets in the way so someone else will be modeling for us.

These come from Just For You Miniatures on Etsy, https://www.etsy.com/shop/JustForYouMiniatures?ref=l2-shopheader-name I think I've favorited everything in her shop. Gorgeous., absolutely, mind bogglingly, gorgeous.

Isn't it pretty? I love that its wearable. 

I'm pretty good at tiny sewing but this is beyond me... so delicate!

The ruffle around the face! OMG gorgeous.

Of course that was a spring bonnet.  It's cold where I am and we can't have Mrs. Doll getting chilled.

Fabulous Harry I love the feathers!

And the tiny little flower details.

And the fur lining and trim!  Have I mentioned I love the feathers?

Oh, and lest Mrs. Doll's hands get cold, it comes with something else.

Pretty!

I'll scatter them around the Gothic Victorian when I'm not trying to play dress up.

Really, her ribbons are on the floor. She needs to take better care of her things.

The flash washes out the pale green but it looks so pretty in person.

And that's all I've got for today folks.  Hoping to have an update on the Bungalow soon.  And another project for the future! Yay me.  See you next time.

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Hobby vs Obsession

So I think...I might have a problem.

It's a well known fact, at least by those who know me, that I have an addictive personality.  Examples of this include eating a carton of Oreos (or bag of potato chips, pint of ice cream, whatever) in one sitting, being unable to put a new book down until its done (reading until 2 in the morning when I have to be up at 5:30) or writing all night and into the morning when a new idea seizes me and won't let go.

For those of you who don't know me as well as the folks familiar with the above issues, or at least you haven't seen me in a while, I'm a fairly creative person.  In the house I have supplies for jewelry making, scrapbooking, sewing (by hand and machine) lots of yarn and embroidery silks.  It's rare that I look at something and don't think, 'I wonder what would happen if I did this with it?'  It's why I end up with so many ideas, tangents, daydreams(?) with fanfiction. 

On the dollhouse side of things its seeing something meant for a completely different purpose and thinking 'I bet I could use that in a dollhouse'.  For instance seeing a five gallon bucket on the side of the road makes me think of little people (ie Borrowers style) living inside it and how I could turn the bucket into a dollhouse.  You know, complete with dirt and a mound of leaves for it to be half hidden against/inside.

Living with felines just makes the whole concept more of a challenge.  I took the easy way out with the Gothic Victorian and built the plexiglass case.

Not pretty but functional

Someday I'll build a table or island for the room and get my dining room table back for other things.

The Beachside Bungalow is...more challenging because I don't have a case for it.  I may end up trying to build one, or a large cabinet to keep it in.  Or I'll just keep the back to the wall and hopefully the cats out of it.

You know, once the kitten can't poke her head into the windows.  She's small enough to climb right through.

But its the challenge that excites me.

For instance lately I'd been wondering how hard it would be to build a dollhouse that opened from the side on a hinge like the Fisher Price dollhouse.  Like this one, that I grew up with.


See? Self contained, with a handle to carry it around.

Not that I want to carry a 1:12 scale dollhouse around (though the idea has some appeal).  But the enclosed idea has its merits for someone with a kitten who thinks she's a miniature building inspector.

I got to the point of seriously thinking about it.  If I didn't build the house from scratch it would require some serious kit bashing (as I'm told the process is called).  for instance, the Beachside Bungalow would require two kits, with parts of the side walls cut off and a decision to wrap the porch around. (Which is very appealing.)

I'm also fairly interested (obsessed, addicted) in realism in dollhouses.  I like the idea of the space being used the way an actual family would.  So a lot of the ways dollhouses are set up irritate me.  How many 'real' houses have only one bathroom?  How many of them have only two or three rooms on one level?  Or have the bathroom in an area that isn't over the kitchen or laundry room.

My parents had an addition put on the house and so I got to see in person a lot of the things that go into making a house work from a practical standpoint.

So there's kit bashing and then there's getting blueprints/plans for an actual house and figuring out how to make it work as a dollhouse.  Or getting brave enough to draw out my own plans.

Then I saw these amazing people.  And suddenly I have a whole new idea of how to use the lazy susan I have sitting in a closet.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/156607477/revolving-dolls-house?ref=shop_home_feat_3

I mean amazing!

So of course I'm thinking of ways I could do that.  An elven mage tower?  A small keep on the side of a mountain, guarding the pass?  Or a modern house with its own unique design.  Each has its merits.

Either way this hobby isn't dying off the way others have.  I take a rest now and then but I'm finding more and more interesting things to play with and turn into miniatures.  And building my own from scratch is getting more and more appealing.  Especially as I get better at finishing touches.

So my addictive/obsessive personality is... well.  Hopefully I'll figure out some things to make and possibly sell so I'm not buying tons of things with no point but to collect.  I've got some ideas for that too.

But when don't I have ideas...

My brain is dangerous I tell you.  Dangerous.

Decor details

The devil is in the details... at least that's what they tell me.  And we zipped through the house pretty quick the other week.  So I thought I'd show you a few of the little details that I really had fun figuring out and working on.

The one thing I especially like about the dollhouse is the foyer/entrance hall or whatever you want to call it.  Vestibule?  I'm keeping my eye out for a few little rugs I could either buy or make for just inside the front door and at the foot of the stairs.  I'd love to put a runner with brass rails on the stairs but that will have to wait for a while.  Something in gold or a good rich maroon maybe?

But I worry the whole entryway will look too cluttered if I put too many rugs in it.  So maybe no runner for the stairs, or only one rug near the dining room and then a runner?  We'll see.

The other issue is whether or not the front door needs some sort of curtain added to the window.  I'm not sure I'd want people able to look in my house through the front door.

In the mean time, here's a little shot of the hall table.



I'm thinking I might make an umbrella for Mrs. Doll and Dolly girl. Or a parasol?

And another shot as if you were looking in the front door.  Pretend that the rear of the house has an actual wall.  Though that could be a fun project... I wonder how much work that would take?  Hmmm...

If you were a doll this is what you'd see from the front door.

The silver basket is from Miniatures.com and the table and mirror are from Hobby Lobby.  The silver box next to the basket is a charm from Hobby Lobby that I took some of the hardware off of so it looked less like it was meant to be hanging from something.

I like how they look together.  Shiny marble floor and shiny marble elephant.

I've had the little marble elephant forever.  Can't remember where I got it.  But it's the right scale for the lower shelf of the table and I like how he looks down there.

He looks pretty good there.

The other thing I love about the entryway is the grandfather clock.  I'd been looking for one that wasn't cheap looking and this was gorgeous.  It actually works if I push the little clock stopper in!  Reminds me so much of the one in my grandmother's house.

My working grandfather clock.



The upper hallway is another place I liked putting in some finishing touches.  One thing I had a lot of fun looking for was artwork.  I really loved finding miniature pictures.

 

I love how the frame matches the sconces and the picture has blue tones in it like the wallpaper.

I decided a vase of flowers was better for the bureau in the hallway rather than the Sears catalog.  And the white contrasts nicely with the wallpaper and dark furniture and floor.

 

And it looks good under the painting. 



And opposite the sconces on the same wall as the stairs is another gorgeous piece. Gold frame again of course.  And a simple landscape scene.  Restful but attractive right?

And its nice that the frame matches the painting opposite. 

I think this picture came from Denise.  I'm not entirely sure though.  But it's perfect for the bedroom.  I love the black and white with the gold frame.

I don't think it quite matches the era of the house but I still like how it looks.

Speaking of the bedroom...

I also thought you'd like to see a little more detail of Mr. Doll's bureau and his accessories.  I got this as a set from Ruetter Porcelain via Ebay and can't regret paying for it because its so perfect!

I remember my Dad had something like this, only doors on both sides.  It always seemed very adult to me.

Mr. Doll is a very proper, well dressed gentleman.  He wouldn't dream of going out without his hat and gloves.

I love the little clock too. 

Here's a closer look.  After all, that pocket watch is very nice isn't it?

I'm still amazed at how real it looks.  The hat is like one of my Grandfather's church hats.

I thought you'd also like to see the pastries in the parlor.  They look so yummy don't they?  The three tiered serving tray was found on Ebay and so were the pastries.  The table is from Denise.  It's the perfect height for next to the sofa.

I could really go for some chocolate cake right now...Yum...

 Here's another view, from above. 

One of those fruit twists or turnovers would really hit the spot right now.

I also put out the coffee set that reminded me of my grandmother's set as well as another tray of pastries.  It's laid out on the coffee table.  I guess that's why it was called that?  Because people used to have coffee there?

I love how the china part of the coffee cups look like they have coffee in them.

And I have a few knick knack's added to the organ top.  Just little mementos.



I think the balloon is my favorite.

And here's a better view of the painting in the parlor.  I just fell in love with it when I saw it. 

Very romantic, at least to me.

I took a few pictures of the liquor cart too.  It's another Reutter Porcelain purchase and the details are so worth the price.

Olives and pineapple!  And a seltzer bottle!

I also did some work on the dining room.  I put the entire china set away and set out the wine glasses.  Man I went through a lot of zots to do this.

All nice and organized.

A closer look at the top of the china cabinet.  I love the look of platters and bigger pieces balanced back against the wall.

That big platter is so pretty.  I'm really pleased with how this turned out.

The sideboard got an addition or two.

A nice tray for after dinner coffee?

And the table looks a bit more finished with the glasses right?

I love the scalloped edges to the bowls.  So pretty!

So that's it for our little decor close up today.  Though I do have one more thing for this house.  We can't neglect Mrs. Doll can we?

It's just a clearance item, not sure what it would be for originally.

But with a little trimming of the feathers...(fluff everywhere...the kitten was terribly amused for five minutes).  We have this:

Any ideas?  No?

Surely you understand that every gentlewoman who attends the theatre must do so with a fan to keep herself refreshed?  A fashionable lady would never be caught dead without her ostrich feather fan.

A little dark but you get the idea. Right?

We have one addition to the kitchen.  Some much needed help.

A cook!  She's obviously been busy.

And now...a little preview of some modern knick knacks.  For the beachhouse.

Something for a shelf? Or on the fireplace mantel?

He was a bead that I unscrewed the loop from.  Isn't he cute?

And a nice modern frame...for a picture or mirror...not sure about that yet.

Another find in the bead/pendant aisle.  I love the scrollwork.

So that's it folks.  I've been doing some painting of the new dollhouse walls and I'll show you guys what I've accomplished in a little while. 

In the meantime have a great holiday weekend!