Easter Break Comes To An End

Well my extended Easter break has come to an end. Back to work tomorrow. It is currently 10.00pm on Wednesday 8 April. However, before I head to bed I thought I'd just give you a quick update on what I have achieved since my last post.

 

In between housework, spending time with my daughter and other every-day necessities I have managed to do a list of some things I want to try to make for the Toad Stall project. I don't have a lot to show for it yet but below you will find a little trial stool made in the form of a toadstool which is a footstall for the bigger woodland creatures or a seat for the smaller ones, a Del-Prado chair with its seat cover removed (I am going to use the chair as a planter), some fabric which I have painted 'swamp green' that I am going to use to make some bunting from with little pictures of toadstools painted on them and the start of some fimo fungi. I won't cook them yet until I have made some more. Not much to show, but it is a start.

Don't forget my giveaway - link at the top right of this page. I am enjoying watching the names roll in.

 

Now I want to jump to another project, my bookshelf project. This project has been waiting for me to make up a lot of Paper-Mini book kits - perhaps after the Toad Stall project! While I am trying not to buy any miniatures because of my current financial situation I couldn't resist buying two little books when I saw them on a local auction site. They are The Secret Garden and A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. My Mum loved The Secret Garden as a child and as an adult she enjoyed watching the movie. We had both also recently read A Little Princess not long before she died. The books have blank pages inside but are lovely quality and came from TreeFeathers. The books have found their way onto my bookshelf as have a few books that came from Mum's place and a few I found when I was sorting through my miniatures recently.

Still lots of shelf space to fill.

Well I had better sign off and get to bed. It will be hard enough getting up to go to work tomorrow morning after having a few days off without having a really late night. It is already 10.20pm.

Playing with Vintage

The Selina Rose Gallery is safely with my sister and she appears to be very happy with it. Below is a photo my husband sent to me via his phone shortly after he arrived at my sister's place (late evening). She is busy unpacking the house and contents and has found the perfect corner for it in her home. (I'll probably get in trouble with my Sis for posting this photo!) I love you Karen.

That is one thing ticked off my to-do list.

I have to admit I think I suffered a mini burn-out after rushing to get the Gallery finished in time. I didn't even want to go into my craft room for a number of days. However this weekend, after a bit of a tidy up, I have managed to tick another thing off my to-do list (well almost). Yesterday I re-papered my vintage triple gable Amersham with reproduction Amersham papers. I got the papers from Trevor Cain of Dolls House Restoration (dollshouseman on e-bay).

I also gave it a bit of a clean and tidy up (although it still needs a bit of work). Working closely with it I also noticed that where a previous owner has installed plastic windows (assumably because the original windows were lost) they have inserted some extra wood to make the windows fit. In time I will try to get some old Amersham windows and try to restore the house more to its original design. I still need to fix a bit of the roof where it is broken and work on the garage (bottom left room). The bedroom floors also need a bit of work. Amersham also had quite distinctive fire places and I might try to make one  for the lounge. See this link for an image of an original:

http://www.dollshousespastandpresent.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=70347298

I couldn't uncover enough of the original papers safely because a previous owner had used sticky contact papers over them throughout the house and had taped some lighting wires over the original papers with sellotape. However I have left the remains under the reproduction papers. The original papers in the house were all different coloured tulip papers. I have used a mix of reproduction Amersham papers (possibly from different eras) but I couldn't resist the cute lamb paper in one of the bedrooms and I chose not to have a tulip paper in the kitchen opting instead for a blue circle design.

The exterior appears to have also been overpainted and there are signs that the roof was originally green.

Today I reverted back to childhood and just had a play. A while ago I won an auction lot of vintage Barton and Dol-toi furniture and I had fun setting out my rooms and finding some little accessories to give the house a life. I still need to find some bathroom items. My tiny cook decided he would like to take up residence with his collie dogs. It is a perfect bachelor pad for him.

The house and furniture is 1/16th scale. To give an idea of scale the two wardrobes (the tallest pieces of furniture) are only about 10cm tall (4 inches) as is the cook.

It is hard to guess the age of the house. Amersham houses were available between about 1930 to 1957. My initial guess was that this house is from the late 1940s/early 1950s. However, there are also many things that indicate the house could be from an earlier period. Trying to date the house is made more difficult by changes made to the house by previous owners. Clearly I need to do more research.

The house when I purchased it in May 2013.

The house as it is now (excuse the glare on the papers - I had to use a light as the room was a bit dark):

  The Exterior

 The overall interior.

 The cook in his kitchen.

 The bathroom.

 The lounge.

 Bedroom 1.

 Bedroom 2. The nursery paper may not be ideal in a bachelor pad but isn't the vintage lamb paper cute.

 A closer picture of the little cook laying out his culinary masterpieces on the table.

The resident collie family. Some lovely vintage bone china dogs picked up at an op shop.

Anyway, there is still a bit of weekend left so I might do a paper minis book kit to go on my bookshelf project. Then I'll be one step closer to ticking off another item on my to-do list.

Just to finish off I just want to thank everyone for all their well-wishes and good luck wishes with regard to my husband losing his job and seeking new employment. They are really appreciated by all of us. No good news yet but we will keep you posted.

Veronique, for many recent comments you have had your fingers crossed for my husband. Your thoughtfulness is so appreciated but I am concerned your fingers may remain forever crossed if you don't relax them now and then! Thank you my friend.

Bookshelf Project

Below are some photos of my bookshelf project. It will house a number of Paper Minis book kits that are awaiting my attention. Paper Minis have some great miniature book kits (and lots of other items) - see the link on the side bar. The bookshelf sits in an old book shaped box I picked up on an on-line auction site.

This is the book box.

I have wallpapered the inside with an old fashioned wallpaper.

This is a picture of the bookshelf on its own. Of course it will look a lot better once I make up the books and get them on the shelves.

When I was very young I first read the below poem and loved it. I have decided I will make a framed picture of the poem to hang on the empty wall:

I've travelled the world twice over,

Met the famous; saints and sinners,

Poets and artists, Kings and Queens,

Old stars and hopeful beginners,

I've been where no-one's been before,

Learned secrets from writers and cooks,

All with one library ticket,

to the wonderful world of books.

Unknown