Hubbys project ~ Part 5

There isn't much happening with hubby's project at the moment because he is busy working on a wizard's shop. (pictures to follow) The base needs more work, I feel it is missing alot and so I need to work on him to let me interfere more and the ivy on the roof has just been plonked there, he doesn't know it yet, but it's not staying!! The floating candle lights have now gone in. They were a nightmare, the invisible sewing floss was hard to get through the tiny holes in the roof and I wanted to scream after 5 minutes of unsuccessful trying. Why does he always ask me to do the tricky bits? Anyway, it's in now and if it's not hanging straight, tuff, he can do it himself. (which he wont!!)

















































I have been making some bits and bobs for him to put inside the hut. I am pleased with the table and the books were surprisingly quick and easy to do. These are items that I don't normally make, so when they work out it's great. I have also had some messy fun with colouring scenic water, but I think I got more on my hands than in the bottles. I also had a rummage around in my bead box and came up with pretty beads to make into non-opening pots. There is still alot to make though, so that the shelves can be filled, but I am running out of ideas, so I will have to spend time pondering! I have a fabulous witch that hubby made me about a year ago when I started my own witchy house. She has long finger nails painted bright red. I will take some pics and show you all in hubby's next installment. Thats the best thing about blogging, I can show off our miniatures to people who want to see them. There isn't a doll's house club by us so getting comments and commenting on other peoples blog is great.

Selling my 24th scale bits & bobs

I have decided to sell my collection of 24th scale items. I have listed them on Ebay and am pleased with the bids so far, every little helps! Its a scale I wanted to try but never really got into, I found it just that little bit too small. I did manage to make some items in the scale, but didn't really enjoy making them as I do with 12th scale. My little Lilliput cottage has sold and the new owner was thrilled with it, so thats really good. It's nice to know that it has gone somewhere where it will be cherished and not just gathering dust as it was on my shelf.




















This is a gorgeous little bed I bought a couple of years ago. It has pretty holly pattern and lace bedding and I will be sorry to see it go, but as it is 24th scale, it would look out of place in my 12th scale houses. hanging on the bed post is my first attempt at making a beaded bag!


















One of the tapestries I did manage to make to stitch in a smaller scale. You can see how small it is next to the 10p coin. Eye wrecking stitching!!

















Some of the 24th scale items I am selling. All bought in Miniatura, my favourite show, although hopefully when I do eventually get to go to the Kensington fair, I will be just as impressed with that too.

And finally, before I go, hello and welcome to my new follower, Kim.

A quick post

Just a quick post today.

We have had a lovely day out, hubby would do cartwheels if his legs would let him, because he reckons he has been stuck in the house forever!! We bought some great bits for future projects in Hobbeycraft and we did loads of dreaming in Ikea! But, time is running away with me and children need feeding and bags need to be packed for school tomorrow. Only three days left and then pandemonium for six weeks!

This week, I have been busy in work and doing extra hours so I haven't sewn much, but I thought I would pop some photos of last weekends projects on.



















I made up this little dresser to go in the cream cottage. All the little bits on the bottom shelf are handmade by myself, apart from the silver photo frame. I had made them all before the weekend, I'm not that fast at making these and I tend to only have the odd day once in a while, where I make fimo items.















Remember the above photo?

I have added more bits and bobs and it is now looking like this.
There is still a stool to be added and some embroidered cloths for the side tables.
















Before I sign off, can I just say good luck to Nikki of Witch and Wizard miniatures for her new Etsy shop. Her witch miniatures are fab and there are several in my little witch house. You can find her blog page link in my bloggers list, it's well worth a peek.

Hubby's project ~ part 4

The work continues on hubby's woodland hut. The top photo shows the view through the side hatch. The hatch has a sliding wooden door and will have an important job once the owner moves in!

Inside the hut, the shelving has begun to go in. This shelving is made from an old conifer tree we cut down last year. (We don't normally cut trees down, but this one had grown perisously close to the bedroom window and we get high winds here, so unfortunately it had to come down.) The bottom shelf has been cut out with a knot on the one side, so it gives it a great angle. Hubby then varnished the shelves in a dark stain to age it.

Work has begun on the outside chimney. It is made from a heavy duty roll of cardboard, which was lying around in the garage just in case it came in useful one day. Why do we miniaturists keep everything with that 'just in case, one day' excuse? The chimney has also had a coat of pollyfilla which is drying as I write. It will be painted grey tomorrow.

My Victorian House

Here are some photos as promised of my victorian house. It was my 40th birthday present from hubby, I gave him the idea for the style of the house I wanted and this is what emerged from the garage, he did grumble at the task I had set him. It is large house and there is still plenty more for me to add to the interior, but I am pleased with the results so far!

The bedroom, showing my handmade bed covers and tapesetry. As you can see, the door still needs varnishing and fitting.

The nursery.

I often use this room to photograph my bits and pieces for sale. The floor is individually laid Oak floorboards and there is a very authentic looking resin fireplace. Many of the bits and bobs, I have handmade, but I bought the wonderful wicker chair, stool and bag from a lovely lady on Ebay, I can't remember her full seller name, but part of it is Woo and if you type 'wicker' into the dolls house miniatures search bar, she will show up if she has items for sale. I can't recommend these enough, they are brilliant.

The kitchen is work in progress and there is still alot of ageing of furniture and lighting to go in. The sleepy cook is about to spill her tea! She was a birthday present from eldest daughter.

This is part of the exterior, with the conservatory added. Hubby cut off one end of a conservatory bought in Miniatura and then bricked it to match the exterior of the main house.

Inside the conservatory, with another wicker chair and stool from Woo.

The inset front door, (boy, did he moan about having to do this bit!!) and the balcony.

The full frontage of the house, with real brick walls, a slate roof and sash windows.

Crinoline lady ~ finished at last!

I have been busy in work this week and going back and for the hospital on my days off with Hubby, so I am feeling tired, which means inspiration for new projects is not forthcoming. But I have managed to finally finish my crinoline lady picture. Unfortunately, I don't think it photographs very well, the colours are much better in real life! I am very pleased with it though and the canvas looks slightly padded when framed which it makes it look older and more authentic. In the future I am going to try and make a cushion to match, but the canvas would have to be a very, very small count, so that may have to wait until my eyes are up to it!
















Talking of eyes, I have huge eye strain today, thanks to my computer. I recently changed my broadband supplier and thinking that I had 30 days to change my email address, I didn't rush to get everything done at once. So imagine my surprise and disappointment when I learnt that my old supplier had cancelled my email address on the day they switched off my broadband and they failed to honour their promise of a 30 day email switchover period. I think I have managed to change everything now, but I have been sitting at this computer from 8 o'clock this morning and it is now 12!!!

I have also finished my little blackwork stool and cushion. Seen here photographed in my Victorian house. I love this leather chair. I bought it in Miniatura a couple of years ago, sadly, the budget wouldn't stretch to the matching sofa, maybe next Miniatura!

I did have a little idea though, whilst doing the ironing of all things, so out came all the necessary bits and pieces, lined up nicely on the ironing board, until the youngest daughter asked what on earth I was doing turning the ironing board into a 'Making table'. Nowhere is safe in our house from half finished projects. I have been following Julie's blog at Bellabelle dolls and I am so jealous of her new workshop. It is going to be fab. Maybe one day, if I am very lucky. Though hubby would probably take it over for his projects! Oh well, I will just have to make do with the dining room table, settee and of course ironing board 'making table' for now.

Hubby's project ~ part 3

The walls are aged and the chimney is in!
















































Inside the hut, the walls have been aged. To do this, hubby put a rough coat of pollyfilla all over the walls and then when it was dry, he rubbed tea bags all over it to give it an aged effect. (you can imagine how much tea I have to drink to keep him in wet teabag supplies!) The shelving is also in and I will post more pics of these at a later date. They have been made using conifer wood from a tree in our garden, which has been lying in the shed for a year drying out. They turned out very well and really look the part, now that they are in place.


The floor is individual planks of Elm wood, which has then been varnished. The floor planks look great when finished, but, boy are they a pain to lay as if you are not careful, they curl at the edges when the glue dries. The best way I have found is to apply the glue to each plank using a small paint brush and then immediately stick it down and cover it with a piece of 9mm MDF to keep it straight. You have to be careful that no glue seeps around the edges though, or when its time to remove the MDF you may find it is Stuck!

Nearly all finished.
Inside the chimney there is a bundle of wood, again from the garden and a red bulb lights it all up to give that warming glow.....

Bear making

All lined up for a bear meeting!!

I have had a day off today, so I have been doing a little bear making. As you can see, the dining table soon fills up with bits and bobs. I learnt my lesson a long ago, working in the living room, my beautiful but clumsy little dog, who likes to sit on your feet, knocked my tray of beads over. I was still finding little beads in corners for days after.

 

 

This is Ginger sitting in the parlour of my victorian house, which is an ongoing labour of love. Hubby made the house for my fortieth, not that long ago!! I gave him a picture of a real house and asked if he could make me a mini one ( I would of liked the real one, but alas, the bank manager, he say NO!!) I often use the nursey of this house to take photos as it shows the scale of my bears, but Ginger looked good on the sofa.

When I get a chance, I will post a blog for the victorian house. I enjoy nosing around other people's miniature houses, so perhaps someone out there would like around mine.

 

Hubbys project ~ Part 2

Thatching

A few years ago we bought some thatching material at a dolls house fair, but it has sat in the cupboard ever since waiting for the right project. This we thought would be the perfect project for a thatched roof and so hubby sat down to begin thatching. But it wasn't so easy....

Off to the books and internet he trundled, looking up thatching, yes, all ready now, looks easy enough now he has some tips from the books and internet. But alas, no matter what he did, it wouldn't stick! So, after a few frustrated hours of trying to get each individual thatch to stick, I scurried into town..... and bought, the perfect alternative!! Coir matting for hanging baskets.

After some discussion from him about how he couldn't possibly use matting as it wasn't authentic, I persuaded him to give it a go and guess what, an hour later, the roof was done and wasn't he clever for thinking of using coir matting for thatching. Men!!

Well, I must admit, it did turn out better than even I thought it would. It has a greenish hue to it, so its perfect for a woodland hut and although it looks a little flatter than what 'real' thatch would be, once its been aged and lichened, I think it will be perfect. And of course, Hubby is pleased with it, because he's the clever one who said it would work!!