Scullery Table

I had a play day today - for the first time in weeks I ventured into my craft room and created. I made a scullery table for my Del Prado house.

I grabbed a few items to put on the table to see the effect. I will probably make other items to 'dress' the table but this gives an idea of what it could look like.

Perhaps I need to have a go at miniature doll making. I think this 'busy' kitchen needs an equally busy cook.

I hope you are having a great weekend.

Kitchen Progress

So far this weekend I have avoided all the housework that needs doing but it is now getting the better of me and I really must get on with it. Before I get out the vacuum, cloths and cleaners though I want to give you an update on the Del Prado kitchen.

 

I have fast come to the conclusion I cannot keep the house true to the Del Prado original design. I just wouldn't be happy with it.

 

The hutch below is the kitchen cupboard that came with the kit:

 

It is quite sweet but it isn't going to hold much, especially as the doors are non-working. I will paint it white and keep it in the kitchen with some desserts on the counter.

 

Therefore my project this weekend has been to build some basic oversized Victorian shelves. At this stage I have gone through my stash and found some foods and kitchen items but I need to do a bit of research on what was available in Victorian times e.g. did they have pumpkins, cabbages, cannisters, mouse traps etc? Some things will come, some things will go, I will fill up the jars and make some more food and kitchen items.

 

I have also at this stage replaced the Del Prado sink kit with a ceramic one but I have decided I will make a large deep sink with sloping wooden drainer as were common in Victorian kitchens.

I have also thrown some foods on the Del Prado kit table.

This table will also be replaced. I have decided I want this as a 'working' kitchen. I would rather have a large food preparation table in the middle of the kitchen than a small dining room table and chairs. There will be a shelf under the table to house pots and pans etc. We will just have to pretend the dining room is elsewhere.

 

I will definitely be replacing the kitchen light and probably will re-cover the floor. Looking at the above picture I am now thinking the stove looks a bit small and I might have to scratch build a stove as well.

I think with the shelves it is starting to look a bit more like a kitchen. I will do a bit of research on Victorian kitchens later today but in the meantime it is time for housework!!!

I hope you are all having a great weekend.

By the way it is Father' Day in New Zealand today so happy (NZ) Father's Day to all you dads out there.

Kitchen Renovation

I've made a start with the renovation of my Del Prado dolls house. I am trying to just make do with supplies I have to hand and found a tile patterned piece of wallpaper that I have used in the kitchen on the bottom half of the walls. I have left the pale green wallpaper that was already there on the top half.

I have given the chimney where the cooker sits an undercoat of gesso after filling in some gaps with polyfiller and sanding. It will need a few more coats of gesso and some more sanding yet but I think I prefer the white to the cream colour. I think I am going to repaint all the kitchen furniture white, perhaps with blue accents. I have used the same tile wallpaper to back the chimney and have inserted a brick floor in the chimney using a bit of plastic brick sheet I found in my stash.

I was going to do up the cooker but then remembered I had one the same size in my stash so I replaced it with that. I can do up the other cooker another day for another project.

Anyway, here are a few pictures:

 The kitchen as it was.

 

 The chimney and cooker as they were.

 

The tile wallpaper added to the bottom half of the walls. 

 

 The new cooker in the renovated kitchen.

 

The cooker inset in the chimney with tile backing.

 The brick floor of the chimney.

 

The kitchen.

 

I really want to replace that light shade but I'm not sure how I am going to do that yet as everything is wired and glued in. I'm sure I'll come up with some solution.

 

Lots of gesso-ing and sanding for me this week while I work on the rest of the kitchen furniture.

 

I hope you are having/have had a great weekend.



 

New Project(s).

A few days ago I got an email from my friend Susan. The only other miniaturist I am aware of in our town. In it she said:

"I have a dolls house that I am going to get rid of. It is the house that you could get years ago with a magazine and it built up with the parts they gave you. It isn’t completely finished but nearly.  I was wondering if you would like it." 

Well, yes please! At the time I was trying to decide what I could work on next - dilemma solved. On Thursday I went and picked up my Del Prado dolls house. I also had the chance to have a look at Susan's dolls houses and her compact but fabulous and very organised craft room.

I walked away the happy owner of a new house/project and with the realisation that my craft room could be so much better organised.

So this weekend after the housework was done I was into my craft room to try to get it a bit more organised. Also, as I needed to fit in another dolls house the decision was made that I needed to spill out into the hallway. I can no longer contain my hobby to one side of the spare bedroom. I told myself that other than do a quick stocktake and take a few photos of the house for a blog entry I would not play with the house until my craft room is totally sorted (progress report - it is still far from complete).

 

I am really pleased with the house. Susan bought the house second hand from a lady who had done most of the house and some of the furniture but I will probably refinished some of the furniture by sanding down and repainting. I will probably change at least one of the wallpapers and there is still quite a bit to complete including putting in all the stairs. I have tested the lights and they work and I have done a stocktake of all the parts that came with the Del Prado step by step kits and all I can see that is missing is the sitting room rug cross stitch pattern. The house did not come with any of the magazines or instructions so I will have to make things up as I go as far as the stairs and the other furniture kits go. This is probably not a bad thing as I would probably have done things my way anyway. The wood in the kits are not of the greatest quality but there is potential to 'upgrade' the kits and I will embellish them to suit. This is a challenge I will enjoy.

 

Anyway here are some photos of the house and furniture in its current state:

(with lights)

The resident family. 

 

The folder contains all the furniture kits not yet done.

There is also a bag of roof tiles and a bag of wallpapers etc.

 

Of course while the intention was not to play with the house until my craft room was organised I could not resist a little play. I had to put the furniture into the house.

  

 

Susan also gave me these three dolls which I will redress:

 



Susan has also been very generous to Jamie giving her this lovely doll:

She has also given Jamie this old Arthur dolls house that has seen better days so Jamie and I can do it up for the doll:

Susan got this house second hand from a lady who had put it together with a hot glue gun and over time it has fallen apart. It will do up nicely for Jamie's doll. Jamie has come up with the great idea  that it will be a wonderful two storey play house for the little girl where she can have tea parties with her dolls.

 

Jamie is thinking she now wants to start a blog to record the progress of her house too!

 

And finally, Susan has leant me a whole pile of miniature magazines to read which I am absolutely loving.

 

Thank you so much Susan. You have made a couple of girls very happy and I so enjoyed the guided tour of your craft room!

 

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. I know I am.