Finally something small!

 This isn't a new project but I fixed a couple of things that I didn't like and added a few new details. This is an inexpensive quarter scale Victorian house. I used brick paper for the exterior.

 Inside I used wallpapers I found online - I'm sorry but it's been so long that I don't remember the source. The furniture is a combination of the small plastic pieces, pieces I made, and a few that my friend Brenda made. The hutch in the kitchen and the braided rag rug are her creations. She filled the hutch, too. And did an amazing job, I might add.

 The nursery beds and crib were made with scraps of wood and fabric. The twin beds were way too long originally so today I shortened them. The proportions are much better now. The  quilts at the foot of these beds, hanging over the crib edge, and in the master bedroom are also printies from the web. The rug is a ribbon scrap. The baby in the crib was in a round robin box I used do with friends. She was not dressed. Today I made her a tiny gown from a scrap of vintage handkerchief.

 In the master bedroom I added the mirror over the chest of drawers and the vase of flowers on top of the chest. I didn't make many changes to the plastic furniture in here. I cut down the bases for the lamp and the bowl, gave the bed a new spread, and added a cushion to the chair seat.

 I think I made a couple of minor changes to one or two of the bathroom pieces.The towel and rug are fabric scraps.

 Here's a closer view of Brenda's hutch and rug. I love both pieces. I added paint to some of the plastic pieces when I built the house. Today I made the stockpot simmering away on the stove.

The plastic furniture is mostly as it came from the package in the parlor. I added paper work to the desk.The tablecloth is a small fabric applique. Two tiny stacked beads make the centerpiece vase. The fireplace is a mini Christmas ornament.The artwork is made with a fingernail sticker.The rug is a bit of ribbon.The center table holds a potted plant on a doily made from a lace cutout.

I'm not sure if I'll ever do another quarter scale project. It's certainly not my favorite scale. I much prefer the detail you can get with 1:12 or 1:24. It was a fun experiment, though, and the scale certainly doesn't take up much space. I may not have a choice soon if I want to keep making mini houses, lol.

Recovery from foot surgery is going well.  I have to spend most of the time with my foot elevated and I can't drive yet so it's been lonely. Most of my mini projects require me to sit at a table with my feet on the floor. I haven't got to that point yet.  My best friend has kept me well stocked with library books and my daughter shared her Netflix account so I haven't been too bored. It was very nice to play with minis for a little while today.

Wishing you all a blessing filled day!

The Victorian rooftop garden

Last night I made the twisted wire furniture. This morning I worked on plants.
My apple tree is not as authentic looking as Casey's but I had the red wired floral accessories that looked like slightly overscaled apples so I used them. The rest of the plants are made with paper, reindeer moss, bits of twigs, artificial plant parts, etc. They range from very realistic to just giving a general impression.
The finished garden area looks welcoming and cozy although I may need to change the roof color. I'm still debating that.

A lucky find

I found this fountain for $1 at Goodwill today. No water and "snow" around the base - I think it's meant to be part of a Christmas village.
I've been wanting to make a rooftop garden on my Victorian townhouse for a long time. This fountain is a good start.I used fishing line to make the water dripping down on each level and added clear dimensional glaze to the basins and down the fishing line. It looks like water is flowing now. :) I painted over the snow, added tea "dirt" and planted some tiny ferns around the base. Next step will be making some furniture and potted plants.

At home in the parlor

Good morning! Just a quick update to show you all how the sewing table looks in its new home in the Petite Dreams parlor. The table in my book, Decorative Dollhouses by Caroline Hamilton, has a lot of painted gold accents but I think I like mine plain black. What do you all think?

A Return to the Past

Today's project was a quick one - easy but detailed, too. I made a Victorian sewing table from part of a thread spool. The idea is not mine - I got it from a dollhouse book by Caroline Hamilton. The spool had 4 sections plus the center. I sawed off about a half inch piece from the end. I used my Dremel to even the edges and then sanded it smooth. The base is a wooden wheel and the post is a wood turning. I glued a paper circle to the bottom of the spool section then glued all the pieces together. I added some lace at the base of the spool to resemble carving then painted the whole thing gloss black.
I cut some small pieces of black foam to take up space in the bottom of each section.
Then I made all the bits to fill it. The center holds a tomato pin cushion. One section holds spools of thread in various colors. Another has two pairs of scissors (straightened dressmaker hooks)and a card of buttons. The third section holds reels of ribbon and the fourth holds embroidery floss. I made some needles from thin wire and glued them into the pin cushion. This will go in one of my Victorian houses.

It's funny how easy it is to make something look so nice with such odd bits of "stuff" from the scrap drawer. :)

Meet Emily

Yesterday I made the rounds of the big city fabric stores (big city for Indiana anyway, lol). I found this beautiful gray fabric in the clearance bin and knew it was going to be a Victorian lady's walking suit.
I sculpted and dressed Emily (and a Santa) this afternoon.
Back details.
I love her auburn hair and the way the hat turned out. I'm going to list her in my zibbet shop but I'm really tempted to keep her for one of my Victorian houses or the general store. Maybe she'll visit while she's waiting for a buyer. ;)

Ceiling roses and tin ceiling tiles

On one of my mini forums today there was a discussion about ceiling roses for dollhouses. This photo is a picture of my real size kitchen ceiling. It's finished with a textured wallpaper that I painted to resemble tin tiles. The leftovers have been very useful for minis.
I cut out lots of the little square motifs and painted them to make a tin ceiling for my Petite Dreams Victorian kitchen. I've also cut around the larger border of the square and left them white for my other Victorian kitchen.
I kept the design simple for the bedrooms. This one has just the floral motif left white.
The parlor and dining rooms call for more extravagent ceilings. Here in the parlor I cut out the entire floral motif, including the border. I added corner pieces to the ceiling corners and added gold "leafing" to the central rose.
In the dining room I cut around the first border of the large floral motif and added corners and smaller flowers to the ceiling corners. I again added the gold leaf effect to the central rose.

I've still got lots of this wallpaper leftover. I've used the paper intact to make cove plaster ceilings in some roomboxes, too. I think the investment of one roll would be well worth it if you like more elaborate ceiling detail in your dollhouses.

A comparison shot

I just thought I'd show my quarter scale townhouse with the 1:12 townhouse. Both of these are Victorian. I don't usually do Victorian but it was fun to do the two one inch scale houses and this little one, too.

Victorian style

Well, I am still sick so I don't have much new to share. I was able to do a little mini-ing last night but it's for a swap so I can't share pictures. I will, however, share some pictures of some Victorian style things I made for friends in the past.

This fire screen was very easy to make. The base is a wooden wheel and the post is made from 1 1/2 stair spindles. I used a wooden circle for the frame and the inset is the embossed top from a winebottle - the wrapper that goes over the cork. I dry brushed paint onto the embossed areas to look like stitching. I still need to make a couple of these for myself!

The bed was also a quick and easy project. I started with ready made bedposts but the headboard is a leftover scrap from a dollhouse. Actually, the entire frame of the bed other than the posts was made from leftover bits in my wood box. The patchwork quilt is actually glued rather than sewed since the bed covers are all glued permanently in place and I didn't have to worry about durability or flexibility of the quilt.

More from the Victorian houses

These top two photos are from the Victorian Cottage Jr. I made the bed, quilt, washstand and one of the bedside tables. The rug was printed onto a T shirt transfer and then ironed onto Aida cloth. The rugs in the parlor were made the same way. All of the photos in this room are ancestors or living relatives of either my husband or me. I made the chandelier, sofa, wing chair, table, and fern. The dining set was made from a Chrysbon kit and the black chair at the front right started life as an inexpensive import. I painted and reupholstered it.

This is the Petite Dreams parlor. I made all of the furniture in here, including the fireplace. The burgundy drapes are made of velvet scrapbook paper. It's very easy to get nice pleats - just accordian fold. The stair carpet is embroidered ribbon.

Emma and Richard in the master bedroom. I made the bed and fireplace. The hanging lantern is based on a lantern photo I found online. The "plaster" ceiling rose is an element cut from my real size kitchen ceiling paper. The dresser and vanity are refinished Dollar Tree purchases.

The kitchen tin ceiling is made of another element cut from my real kitchen paper and then painted silver. The floor and wainscot are both printed from the internet. The cook stove started life as a Spam tin. The sink was made from a Vaseline lid with hardware added. The cook is hard at work at a table I made from scratch and aged. I also made the chair at the front right.

I made most of the dishes in the hutch and the food throughout the kitchen. The best thing about miniatures is that you really have no excuse to be bored - there's always something different to try!

Victorian times

Many miniaturists' first project is a Victorian dollhouse. Not so with me. My first three houses were all contemporary and I had no interest in doing a period dollhouse. However, after that third house and the birth of my third child, I had little time for minis for several years. About 5 years ago, my husband bought me a Real Good Toys Victorian Cottage Jr. for Christmas. I decided that it would be fun to try a Victorian house and so it began. The next Christmas, I got a Petite Dreams house kit. It's very similar to the RGT Allison Jr. but reversed. It is prefinished on the exterior and I left it the original blue but added touches of darker blue for accents. I also made the dolls for both houses (except for the baby - she's a Renwal doll). Emma and Richard and their two children live in the big house and Emma's parents live in the cottage next door. Both houses have staff as well. Maria is the cook/housekeeper at the cottage. Emma has a cook, a nanny, a butler and two maids. I made or refinished most of the furniture in the two houses. I really enjoy figuring out how to make something out of bits I have on hand. That challenge is my favorite part of the miniatures hobby. These photos are all of the Petite Dreams house.