It isn't much

But the kitchen shelves are stocked. Life has prevented any big changes. The exterior is still waiting.

Things are heating up!

 And the fire is burning nicely, too. Louise and John are looking quite cuddly by the fire.

The flames were made with hot glue then painted with glass paint. I made the flames on a sheet of aluminum foil. The glue would not peel off the foil so I had to cut them out. They still look good, though.

Ready for winter

 While I still need to make some sort of fire guard, John and Louise now have a fireplace in addition to their cook stove. They should stay cozy once the temperature begins to drop. I carved the fireplace from a block of balsa and then added trim. The simple brick style suits the farmhouse.

 In the overview of the downstairs you can see that I couldn't live with the thumbtack curtain tie backs. I just used bits of ribbon instead.

John's pocketwatch is in a bowl on the nightstand. At this point it is the only clock in the house. Maybe I should make one for the mantel...

It's time for the little things!

 The bedroom is essentially finished. I added artwork and a few personal items and I am so pleased with the results. The curtains here, as in the lower level, are the ones that came with the house. I used dowel curtain rods here, though, as there weren't enough intact panels to cross them as they originally did.

 I looked at countless linoleum ads from the 20s and 30s before deciding on the art for the bedroom.

 Louise's hair brush used to be a My Little Pony brush. I cut off the bristles, gave it a coat of gold paint, and added Velcro bristles.

The dining area got a framed print and some silverware. I want to add more to the hutch shelves as well as the kitchen shelves. The sitting area needs a fireplace. That will mostly finish the interior. I need to paint the exterior trim dark green and shingle the roof. I don't think I will do much more than that as I want to keep the simple charm from the original builder.

I think I like the slower pace of my projects now. When I was younger I would power through a project with lots of late nights. The slower pace leads to fewer changes of plan. Whether fast or slow, mini projects are the best therapy I know!

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

A place to lay my head

Well, for Louise and John, anyway. Between rounds of canning mountains of carrots and sweet potatoes yesterday I finally got the bedroom put together.

 I need to add finishing details like art and personal items but the room is finished.

 I added a few details downstairs, too. I moved the rocking chair up to Louise's sewing corner which gets the most natural light in the house. I need opinions on whether I need more furniture in the downstairs sitting room area.

And here's the proof on the canning. The garden was very productive this year. I will appreciate these more this winter when my hands no longer hurt from peeling and cutting, lol.

Have a wonderful, blessing filled day!

It's all in the details

 First, hubby helped me remove a wall on the upper story so that the house is fully open. I glued the roof down and it will eventually be shingled.

 Since my last post I have fixed the ceiling, added trim and finished up most of the lower level down to the details. I really like how cozy the downstairs is.

 I added a sturdier table beside the rocker and put a plant on the candlestick table.

The kitchen and dining areas are pretty much complete. There is a pot of stew on the stove and the pantry shelves are stocked with home canned goodies. A canning jar of mums adds a bit of color to the white table which is set for dinner. There are two loaves of bread rising on top of the icebox.

I will get started in earnest on the upper level the next chance I have to play. I am really enjoying this project.

A rainy day is a play day

 The old 3 door ice box was just too wide for the tiny kitchen so I reused 2 of the doors and made a tall 2 door version instead. I also added "pantry" shelves to the wall over the icebox and sink.

 I changed the chimneys on the wall sconces. I am still not completely satisfied.

Hubby took out the upstairs wall on the same side as the removed lower wall. Now I can work on and view the house much more easily.

The old icebox cabinet became a dresser for the bedroom. I didn't have a long stretch of time to play but I enjoyed the time I did have.

Shedding a little light on the subject

 My son came for dinner and I had to take care of bills this evening so there wasn't much time to play. I did spend a bit of time making oil lamps for the sitting room. I made 2 sconces and a table lamp. I am especially happy with the table lamp. It is time to restock my bead supply, though. I need clear beads in multiple sizes and shapes before I make any more lamps.

All in a day's work

 John and Louise are relaxing in their sitting room this evening after a busy day on the farm. There is still much to do on this floor but it is beginning to look like a home.

 I hung the original curtains back up after washing them. Even though the fabric doesn't drape well, they suit the house. I like to keep as many original features as possible when rehabbing an older house.

 I am very pleased with the sofa. The rocking chair came from the boarding house and the other pieces were in the antique shop.

I am pleased with my day's work, too.

Clean and fresh

 I started by sealing the whole house inside and out since the original paint most likely had lead in it. The exterior walls and window frames then got fresh paint. The window frames will need touched up although I purposely didn't make the paint perfect. It is a rural house in the depression years so chips would be normal but I will likely hand paint some in as I don't want to sand down my sealer. I don't know what I am doing with the roof yet and I am still deciding whether to draw siding on the house or leave it as is.

 The lower level got a coat of pale turquoise paint which brightens up the area nicely.

 I left the oddly sized kitchen door in place on the exterior but sealed it shut and created a framed in area for the woodstove. That makes the kitchen a bit tighter since I can't slide the stove closer to the dining room but it makes sense for the stove to be there. I also took the green depression glass dishes from the boarding house to use here. Harriet uses her other plates most of the time anyway, lol.

 I darkened the finish on the bed to make it fit into the time frame better.

This is the kitchen door. I painted it the same as the walls to blend it in better.

I bought fabric and foam board today for the sitting room furniture. Hopefully, I can work on that tomorrow afternoon.

The upper story has been sealed and primed but I ran out of steam before painting it. That will be a project for another day.

It is coming along. I think it will look nice when I finish it but there's a lot to do to make this clunky house look finished.

Well, at least they can eat and sleep...

 I put the Chrysnbon kit together this evening. I chose not to use the drop leaves since the dining area is so small. The photo shows the set as much whiter than it actually is. The hutch was made by my friend Brenda.

 Louise has dessert ready but where is dinner?

 I'm pretty sure that is what John and Jack are wondering, too.

Meet John and Louise

 But first that weird spot upstairs. I'm sorry the photo is so blurry. I will try again tomorrow. I'm not sure if there were stairs at some point but they would end right in the kitchen so I won't be putting any in. I will just close in the gap and maybe put tile in that area or wood flooring more likely.

 The bed has been dressed in a quilt made from a square my Grandma Foote made. I chose to overlook the scale issue in order to have a bit of my history in the house.

Now to meet Louise and John - Louise was made by me and used to be in my Zibbet shop before I closed it recently. I redressed her in an outfit better suited to her new role as a farmer's wife. Hopefully she will be happy because she used to be a wealthy, contemporary widow.

John was an assembled but not dressed doll I bought with the dollhouse. He is just happy to be dressed, lol.

Louise is looking through her trunk of quilts for another layer on the bed. The "quilts" are just fabric with quilt prints but they look great in the trunk. I have a Chrysnbon kit for the dining table and chairs but the sitting room furniture will need to be made from scratch. I also need to decide just what I am doing inside and out of the house. I may have to wallpaper inside just to hide some of the awkward construction.

I have to move everything out of the dining room tomorrow because our Bible study is meeting here for dinner and study. I may not get back to creating until the weekend but I will post updates as I have them. Have a wonderful, blessing filled week!

Finally a new project!

 These are the spoils of a day of thrifting and antiquing with Hubby. Notice that big handmade dollhouse.

 After a bit of thought and research it is going to be a rural farmhouse without electricity or full indoor plumbing, circa 1930. The kitchen area is quite small so I had to improvise on the wood cook stove. I started with the smaller size Dollar Tree dresser. I am very pleased with the result of it and the enamel work table made from another Dollar Tree piece. I already had the the sink with hand pump and the ice box.

 I really like all of the original flooring so I hope to keep it all. The upper story has a weird cutout that I will show you next time. I am so excited to have a new mini project. It was way past time.

Just relaxing

Tasha and her dog George (because he looks a bit like my childhood pet of the same name) are relaxing after their first public appearance at my church talent night. I love the look of wonder on children's faces when they see a dollhouse. Especially if it has lights. I always also get a few adults who don't understand why I play with toys but that's ok. It is hard to explain just how special this hobby is to someone. I am thankful for all of you who do "get it!"

Everybody needs a friend

Especially when you are a dog and don't have opposable thumbs. I decided today, after searching eBay yet again for the appropriate resident of the cottage, that the only reasons I didn't care for the Fisher Price doll were that her clothing was plastic and you could see the joints in her knees. So I made her a pair of khakis and a hoodie and pulled her hair back.

She looks much better and the dog has someone to feed it.

Now I just need to figure out their names...