Itty bitty furniture

The last few days I've been sort of in a slump with the big dollhouse so I decided to focus on some furniture for my Pickett Hill. I made the shelf with accessories for the little girl's room, the bed an nightstand for the little boy's room, lawn furniture and the dog house. It is always fun to work in this scale.

My thumb is for size reference.

Ignore the turned up rug, I will be fixing that.

I painted the little dog, too. She was just a blank resin piece. It was hard matching to the inspiration photo with how tiny she is. It's hard to see in this angle but he weathervane is actually a dog. Also, impossible to see is a rug inside the doghouse for the dog to lay on. A nice touch even if it's never seen I know it is there.

Slowly coming to a stand still

I worked hard this weekend. The bedroom was carpeted with painted fabric, the hallway's wood floor has been finished, upper hall stairs stained, linoleum cut for the bathroom, replaced bathroom wall, doorway cut, then installed and everything is temporarily tacked in place until I can buy my lights and install them. I have just enough mouldings and trim to trim out the entryway but after that I will be out. Untill I get those and lights none of the rooms will be fully finished. I need a bathroom door, too. I used the bedroom one to cut the doorway the right size before installing the wall. I did have a problem with the wallpapering on the hallway by the bathroom, it had a HUGE bubble and I was trying to fix it and tore it. I patched it up, re-painted and now you can't see it. I was really worried it would be obvious but today after fully drying all night it looks good.

The second floor stairs and railings aren't installed yet. Can't do that till the floor is permanent and can't make it permanent till I have the dining room, entry and kitchen lights in place. The space between the false wall and actual wall of the kitchen will be patched when it is installed. 

So what I am able to work on are the remaining second floor frames, third floor kids room and laundry room wallpaper and flooring, cutting interior frames for the oval windows, making templates for the ceilings and making the back steps. Originally I wanted all the floors wood but I don't have enough to do them all and the  Home Depot here is out. So I raided my fabric stash and found this fabric that almost feels like suade but isn't, and I painted it the color carpet I wanted. I like how it looks, like low ply carpet would look if shrunk to 12th scale. At least it does to me.

Finally, my list of supplies needed as of today are as follows: baseboards, crown moulding, 1 interior door, 10 interior lights, trim for floor and wall edges, heki late autumn grass mat, and scenic snow products. Once I have those I can finish and start furnishing and accessorizng. This build has been super fast when I am actually working on it.

Stairs! Woohoo!

The stairs are a pain to stain, plus there are glue spots that have been impossible to cover up. So after this dries and I can see it in the light of day I will be touching up with acrylics.

Floors and more floors

The dining room floor is finished and in place and the kitchen has been cut to fit. It hasn't been glued in place but it is heavy enough not to need it at the moment.  I used a real tile I bought at Home Depot for this floor and I really like the look. Originally I planned to cut this into small square tiles but I think I am going to leave it like it is rolled linoleum.

Floor number one...

Finished my first floor last night, the living room. Also, I drilled my first hole and groove line for the living room light. Much easier than I was expecting. I have good hopes for making the upper floors removable. 

The floor edge isn't covered yet.

I haven't done any work on it today. Today was my son's kindergarten graduation. A very emotional day all around. He is going I miss his teacher a lot, and I am sad watching my son grow up so fast. He's loving school and I think having a teacher who is great really helped that separation from home. 

Casings are fun!

So far I have not found anything I dislike doing with this dollhouse.  I continued making some window frames, as well as framed the entry/living room door, front door and back door. The entry window and the living room window frames have been installed. I have no baseboards or crown moulding so I will need to buy those. 

Also, I seriously dislike the kitchen set up. There is hardly any wall space and the wall available has a low cut window. Sooo, I am thinking of purchasing this kitchen :

(Photo curtesy of miniatures.com) and filling in the opening with a wall and running this kitchen along the newly made wall. This would fully enclose the entry way so I would need to install the light, ceiling texture and any trim before doing this but I need the kitchen before I make final adjustments to the wall. An idea of making the wall section removable but I will have to really think that through first.

Next I will finish wallpapering and way my options on ceiling treatments. I am leaning to cardstock cut to size and covered with a mild "popcorn" texture  and then installed.

1 of 7

Last night before I made the first interior window frame. This kit came with all of the exterior trims but no interior ones. I like how it came out.

And here's how it will look in place.

Finally!

The roof is complete. I used some cardstock type paper for the roof caps and it worked really well. I also made the front step and as the kit didn't come with one I made it from scratch. I still need to add the mortar but when I opened my jar the top was covered with thick mold. After I had thrown it away I was given a top that I could have scraped the mold off and sprayed it with Lysol and it would hae been fine to use. I went ahead and papered and painted the master bedroom. However, The color I originally chose I didn't like and am painting over it with the same color as the kitchen. No pictures of that yet as I still need to add another coat of paint.

A shingling I go...

The main roof is shingled and I have started on the tower. I still need to paint and spray some roof caps. I have solid ones but I would much rather find a way to make realistic roof caps . I am thinking of using cardstock so I can fold it over for a realistic look. 

I was searching google last night for snow and ice options and came across some great Woodland Scenics products I  think will be great. I need to look around more but I want this to look great and real. Any suggestions out there?

Shingling, day 2

Just a quick update on the shingles after day two. Many miniaturists dislike shingling but it has always been one of the jobs I look forward to. It is also the only part of the dollhouse I ever use hot glue on. The smell of the hot glue gun and warm birch wood is wonderful. Always brings back fond memories of my first attempt at miniatures.

The new light greys of the roof has really changed the appearance of the whole house, for the better I think. I had a nice compliment from my mom, she thought I had actually papered the roof. I hadn't even realized I used a color similar to roofing paper till then. I have been trying to make a list of all the things I need to make sure is included in my house so it has as many realistic features as a real home. I have a book of Home repairs I bought from Home Depot and so far on the exterior I am doing pretty well. I want to install gutters, electric and gas meters and a wall mounted garden hose. Besides landscaping that should finish the exterior of the house. I have set this house in winter but I am almost afraid to make it permanent with snow on the window ledges, roof and balcony. I am trying to think of ways to do it but have it be removable if I ever decide to change the season. I am thinking of experimenting with Saran Wrap. Putting the snow on that and then laying that where I want it. I have to think about that some more.

On a roll!

Last night I stained the staircases, and painted the shingles in preparation last night for the textured spray paint. Today I spray painted the shingles, installed imitation copper flashing and started shingling the roof. I only completed four rows but I think it is coming out great! The copper flashing was scrapbooking paper that looked like a dark copper metal. I cut those into strips for the valley of the roof and also where the roof butts against the tower. Not much shows once the shingles are in place but it was a touch of realism I wanted.

My dining nook arrived!

My dining nook has arrived and it is just what I wanted. This space is kind of awkward and small, this set fits neatly beneath the stairs. There is also a special meaning to this piece to furniture, my mom has always wanted one but has never had the room for one so this is for her.

I am going to buy a journal to document each piece bought or made for this house and why. Every item I have chosen so far has special meaning to me, a memory connected to one of my family members. I thought it would be nice to keep it with the house.

Dollhouse excitement!

I haven't updated about the Holly Anne in a long time so I thought tonight would be a good time as any. The exterior needs front steps made, landscaping and shingles. None of the doors or windows are glued in place yet.

I wasn't sure if I ever posted this view before or not but I did the soffit of the porch too.

The living room ha been wallpapered and all the bottom floors have the patterns ready for me to add the wood strips to them.

And my new favorite wall technique is real life paintable wallpaper. This one has small Stria designs on it that remind me I moire wallpaper. A single roll of this will do this house plus more! I haven't attempted to paint or install it yet but it was easy to measure and cut and was much less expensive than wallpapering with dollhouse wallpaper. I didn't want patterns all over the house so while I was at Home Depot buying this paper I got a couple sample bottle of paints in the colors I want the different rooms to be. I think plain colors will not distract from the contents of the house. This room will have stairs and behind that a dining nook. Ignore the crooked cut line of the door. You can't see it when the door is in place. Originally that was a window but I wanted a back door. I will probably have a pattern wallpaper in one other room just so he living room won't seem so out of place I just haven't decided which room, yet.

My Dollhouse is speaking again

After months of silence, to the point I was even considering scrapping all my mini supplies, she is finally talking to me. Seriously I only need 5 things for the interior to be done, wall paper, flooring, trim, ceilings and lights. I will have to start looking around for the perfect papers. Ones I can live with forever. Lights are so expensive I will need to accumulate them slowly. Because the house is so huge I will only be using working ceiling lights. Any others will be decorative only. I was looking at some of the minis I have collected and I can hardly wait to display them all in one place. Until I am healed enough to work strongly with my hand I will content myself with list making, design drawing and sewing my daughters plastic canvas Barbie house. Living room on that is finished, 1 1/2 walls to make of the bottom hall and that can go together. I am not looking forward to remaking the foundation. It is very boring and I am sad it was destroyed during out move. Between the foundation and the kitchen that will keep me busy, at least untill I get distracted by something else that is. Although I must say, my daughters face was priceless when she realized what I was making. I will be pausing on it again this week to finish the clothes for her "paper" doll. The doll is finished except the lining of the back, which I need a piece of clothing finished to make sure I do it right, nice circle that makes. 

Here she is helping with the stairs, her favorite part of the house.