Teacher In Service Day...

...is a lovely thing when you are an instructional assistant rather than a teacher. I got the day off so I conquered some of the household chores and spent time making the inside of the Westville look lived in. I know, I know, I said I'd work on the exterior today. There were just too many other fun things demanding my attention so the fun things won. ;-)

Pie from my friend, Brenda, recipes from pinterest, and I made the recipe box.

I made the lamps last night. Today I made books and the alarm clock. The drinking glass part of a pencil from the dollar store.

A closer view of the alarm clock - made from a hearing aid battery and a scrap of  wood.

 The living room looks a bit more lived in, too.

 Until I can find just the right cat, the scotty dog will fill the spot on the television.

 Looks like it's game night at the Sherwoods. No wonder Davy is so excited to see Dad. The Monopoly game came from a printie I found on Pinterest.The Lone Ranger game was made from a photo of the vintage game. It doesn't open.

I found some of the things I'd purchased for Davy's room. The cowboy boots are buttons. The little blue house is from a Monopoly game. The fishing pole has been in my stash forever. The baseball, glove and bat were purchased for this project. I used permanent markers to spruce up the car and cannon game pieces. I still want to make a shelf for this room.

There is still room for more things to make this house look lived in but I'm running out of excuses to get started on the exterior. Hmmm, maybe I'll make that shelf now...

Lights, Camera,....

 Here's the first of the living room lamps. It's a mix of jewelry findings, beads, and wire. The shade was made from scrapbook paper.

The second lamp is a pole lamp with three lights that can be arranged as needed. Neither lamp works.

It's time to start the renovations. I need to remove all of the windows and replace them. The trim may need to be replaced as well if I can't successfully remove the pieces without breaking them. All rooms get new wallpaper, except for the attic which will have beams. It has such a low ceiling that I'm not sure it can be used for much else other than storage. I may use one wing as a sewing room. The floors need a lot of work, too. Especially the bedrooms that had zebra felt glued down as carpet. I'm hoping a heat gun will help in the removal of the leftover glue.

The exterior is also a mess. The porch trim will have a few alterations to make it look more streamlined. I think I want the exterior finish to be brick. I'm not sure on that yet. So much left to do...I guess I'd better stop typing and get started. :-) Happy new week, my friends!

Final(?!) Details

 I made the small black bench and the light fixture this evening. The bench was made with scraps from my wood bin and painted. It fills the area under the window beautifully. The light fixture was made from a suction cup and the hook that came with it plus a small square of cardboard. Some tacky glue, super glue and a bit of paint and it no longer looks like a suction cup. I probably need to make one for the upper porch, too.

 I need opinions on the bench. Should I leave it as is or give it a worn finish?

My final project for the evening was the nightstand lamp in the master bedroom. I used part of a wooden chess bishop, two black metal jewelry findings and a bit of paper for the shade inserts.

I love that I can look at this house and see the areas where I've really grown as a miniaturist. Each project looks that much more real, takes that much more research, shows that much more growth. I've been "playing with dollhouses" on and off for almost 30 years. I guess it's about time I made progress, lol.

Wishing you the best of weekends, my blogland friends!

Shabby chic in pink

I just participated in a shabby chic swap with a couple of good friends. I know they've both received what I made so I can share with you all now. I will be receiving what they made soon. The chest of drawers is one of those red stained Dollar Tree pieces. I gave it a shabby finish and hand painted the roses on it. The bed was completely hand made using a wooden fence for the headboard. The linens were made from a pretty rose print fabric, and old handkerchief, vintage lace, and a linen napkin. The "braided" rug was crocheted. The candle is a cut down birthday candle in a bead cap bowl surrounded by punched paper flowers. I used the same flower punch to make the blossoms decorating the lamp shade. The lamp is made from twisted wire and a pretty bead. I painted the baskets and made mini versions of some shabby chic/country magazines to put in them.
This bed has a larger floral print ribbon bedskirt and a gingham backed comforter. I also framed a tiny rose print in a silver jewelry finding with dimensional gel "glass" for each of them. I don't normally make quite so many things for swaps but shabby chic is my favorite decorating style so I just couldn't stop, lol. I included fabric and lace scraps for each of them so they can make matching curtains or cushions if they want.

I can't wait to see what I get in return!