I'm travelling into a new way of working, a new country, a new language, and a new hobby which I'm passionate about. Come with me for some of the journey...

Wednesday 18 June 2014

Dollshouse Gallimaufry


Gallimaufry - a confused jumble or medley of things, a hodgepodge

And that really is what I have for you today in this last of the trio of dollshouse posts, sharing the work I did in Small Worlds over the course of five weeks in the Czech Republic.  I think there were just three days in the whole five weeks that I didn't go in to the museum (and one of those was spent working on Susanne's furniture back at the house).

 Alongside the major overhauls of the Tudor Tavern and the Opera Singer's House, I worked on various bits and pieces for other houses, inside and out... Some of it was carrying on with work that didn't get done last year, some of it for projects Cestina was working on - deploying my stash of paints, mediums, inks, papers and dies in whatever direction was necessary.

So I hope you enjoy the gallimaufry!





Let's start in America, with the Cape Cod house.  

This was one of last year's major overhauls (you can see it here in another gallimaufry, if you missed it), but some things were left undone.

Now the exterior is pretty much done, look!



The main thing on the outside was that I didn't manage to get round to replacing the windows.

As the eyes are the window to the soul, so a house without windows often looks a little lost and forlorn.

A little work with some fine squared dowelling, white paint and delicate glue work soon sorted that out.

And you'll notice the house now has a front door step too, making entry a little easier!











I decided to create my windows without any actual "glass" (it would've been acetate really).  I think it looks fine from a distance with just the wood, and it means the opportunities for peeking in are much improved.
















It's one of my favourite things to do with dollshouses... looking in through the windows, catching a different angle on things.  In this second peek, you can catch a glimpse of one of the other home improvements from this year.











Last year my aunt, Mette Breminer - a very experienced miniaturist who writes for Dolls House and Miniature Scene magazine - came and did lots of wonderful fine fabric work for the houses - bed linen, cushions and so forth.

(Neither Cestina nor I get on well with fabric.)










Mette made all the beautiful bedding in this house and the lovely blue cushions in the living room but, as she had only a few days in CZ, she took the curtain fabric away to make those at home.

This year, I had the relatively easy job of putting up her beautiful curtains... the lovely blue ones in both of the bedrooms...














Elegant cream ones in the dining room...















And the same in the large open living area where there are lots of windows.  

The ones at the far end are at full arms' reach, so it was another stick-it-and-hope affair.  I couldn't actually see what I was doing once I had both arms in there, so it was all by feel!







But the major drawback for the inhabitants of this house for the last year has been the lack of a bathroom!  

As you can see from this photo from last May, I decorated the room, but there were no suitable bathroom suites amongst the stash without quite a lot of work, and there just wasn't time for that then.











Time for a scrabble through the accumulated hoard of 40 years or more... to come up with this very unpromising selection.

In the end it wasn't this bath that I used, but a ceramic one with rather sickly violets all over it... forgot to get a "before" of that, I'm afraid.












It takes quite a lot of work to get good coverage over plastic.  

After a couple of coats of gesso, I used DecoArt's Chalk Paint in Serenity, and gave that a coat of varnish to try to get a ceramic look. 










And I hope you'll understand why I'm pretty proud of the end result!















The large shower head (it's a memory I treasure from our house exchange holiday in 1980 - the amazing showers in the States!) is made from the internal filter from a full size tap.  (Anyone who's had to replace one will recognise it!)














The taps and pipes were mostly salvaged from leftovers from bathroom kits already in use elsewhere.

All the brass fixtures are painted in a mixture of DecoArt Worn Penny and Ten Seconds Studio Verday Brass so that they all match.












Some of the plumbing is just the bits of plastic from between the bits you're meant to use out of the kit!

And I remembered to add a handle to flush the loo...







There's obviously still loads to be added in this house in terms of the soft bits of living - where are the books?  The magazines?  The ornaments?  The kitchen's in pretty good nick (but I don't seem to have taken a photo of that), but the rest of the house needs more.  But I did get around to hanging up a few posters.


Clearly the inhabitants are regular visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  (All these were cut from one of their catalogues, and mounted behind clear acetate to replicate those big glass frames you get.)  If you spotted the bedroom wallpaper, you'll see why it had to be an iris in the bathroom!


A quick dip into some altered furniture now - for the bedsits in the Finchley Road house.  I completely revamped the exterior of this house last year, and Cestina will be sharing her work on the interior very soon over on her blog.  So I'll leave her to explain whose furniture this is.


(The yellow tea set from the last post belongs to the same person!)


Suffice it to say I had lots of fun with the DecoArt Chalk Paints again - they're just as good for shabby chic miniature furniture as they are for the full-size stuff.  (Click on the photos for a full-size view!)


These have been done with a combination of two greens, Vintage and Enchanted, with a touch of Everlasting for extra shabbiness.  I think they look better now!





In addition to the Cape Cod windows, there was some more window work required of me this year.  This is for a house that's still a work in progress... hopefully Cestina will be making some of that progress over the summer (in between showing visitors around the museum).

It's a large Triang house, which is to become a village tearoom and post-office.  At the moment, we're still tackling the exterior.









We're modelling it after this rather beautiful house, found on a Google search... and my main task for it this time around was to create the leaded windows.

Cestina was in charge of making the "oak" window frames, and I cut some acetate sheeting to size.  




I used a dimensional pearl pen and, having drawn a grid on paper, proceeded to painstakingly lattice my way across all the acetate.  Had to do it in one direction first and let that dry...


 ... and then finish off in the other direction.






They had to sit safely out of the way until they were set... I wasn't doing any blinking extras - stressful task, trying to keep those lines straight, and irritatingly hard to achieve perfection!








Then it was my job to assemble the frames and windows and glue them all in place (Cestina doesn't like using the hot glue gun.)   In the end though, it was worth it for the effect I think.  Even though they're not perfect...


There are embossed panels (run through the BigShot) and some wood carvings to create the effect of the pargeting, which I think works quite well.







The beautiful bay window is not yet attached, and Cestina has the inside to tackle - but I think in the long run it's going to look pretty good.








Here's another window (ish) task completed for one of Cestina's projects.  She'd made some shutters for the house she was working on (out of very fine corrugated cardboard - no surprise to the regulars that that was my suggestion! - and strips of fine wood), and she wanted a weathered coppery effect for them.




I started out with a similar method to that used on the roof of the Opera Singer's House - painting the shutters with teals and greens, and then dry-brushing DecoArt Worn Penny over the top.










But it wasn't quite weathered enough, so I decided to dip into the magical Ten Seconds Studio Verday paint!

It really is amazing stuff.  It comes in Iron, Brass, Bronze and Copper, and with a Patina solution for altering them.









This is obviously the Copper.  

You put on one coat (giving you a fabulous brand new copper look - sorry, no photos of that); let it dry for at least an hour; then apply a second coat and while that is still wet you spray it with the Patina solution and leave it to work.








One really cool thing is that the second coat doesn't have to be of the same metal.  This is copper + copper, but you could do copper and then bronze as the second coat, or iron + brass - meaning you have endless decaying possibilities.

(If you remember the ancient shields in one of the Tudor bedrooms, they had lots of different layers as I just played and experimented!)











And here they are in situ on the house.















I'm also responsible for all those vines clambering over the walls (again, Cestina and the hot glue gun, not a good mix)...

... as well as for the lintel over the door - created to match the ones already in place over the windows - and the sponging around the bottom of the house, just breaking up that bland cream a bit.












(Oh - and I trained some ivy up the wall of the old thatched house while I was at it too!)











You can find out more about the inspiration for this "old house in Paris that was covered with vines" (I'll be impressed if you know that one... and if you do, you'll have just a hint of what's inside!), as well as seeing the fabulous transformation of the interior over at Cestina's Dollshouses very soon.






In the background of the photo above you can catch a glimpse of one of last year's major overhauls - the Colonial Bungalow.





For the full transformation, you'll need to go back to last year's post, but you may remember that our poor young chap had left England to take up a diplomatic posting after a broken engagement (whether in Africa or India was still subject to some debate between me and Cestina... me for Africa (under the influence of Out of Africa), her for India (under the influence of Kipling)).






It turns out (as the story developed this year) that he wasn't spurned by his love after all, but rather that her father put an end to the connection before it ever got as far as them being engaged, disapproving of the young man's antecedents, and doubtful of his ever making anything of himself.



So our young bachelor is out to prove his worth by making a success of his first posting for the Foreign Office.  

Last year he was still awaiting the shipment of some of his belongings, but the place is looking a little more lived in now.

Here in the office, for instance, where he meets with local officials and dignitaries, he now has some maps up on the wall. 







I made the frames out of tiny strips of wood, and the maps themselves are cut from a dollshouse magazine.

(I'm not quite sure what use a map of Hampshire is to him out here in the heat of Africa (India?), but there you go.)











I painted my frames black so that they would match these family photographs, also now arrived from England.

(In fact, they were liberated from the Playmobil dollshouse owned by my niece.  It's okay, she still has some - there were plenty to go around).












They're clearly keeping him busy.  Lots of letters are awaiting his attention on the portable writing desk - so useful when he has to make visits to outlying towns and villages. 

(I didn't make the writing desk, but I did write the letters!)










He must have been relieved that his collection of prints and engravings survived the voyage without damage.  














They now adorn the walls of the drawing room.

(More handmade frames, and dollshouse magazine cut-outs.)














In the end, it was simplest to stick the pictures onto card, and then stick the frames around them, and then cut the whole lot out.








You'll notice a proud new acquisition over the fireplace too... our young man hasn't been idle in his leisure time here.  

(The elephant head was picked up by Cestina in a charity shop for a matter of pennies... I think it may have been mounted on a pencil sharpener or some such thing.  It just needed some sawing and a bit of gilding on the shield to render it fit for display.)










And, most precious of all the arrivals from England, some photographs of his loved one.

There's one in the hall...













... and then another on the new piece of furniture in his bedroom (shipped out in the same container).

These are framed with the same delicate strips of wood, painted black.






This cabinet, incidentally, started out exactly the same as the shabby, chalky green one above (they're available at The Range).

This time the plain wood finish has been turned to walnut, with gilded handles.

I chopped the legs off, as otherwise it was too tall for the splendid mirror which was actually the thing we really wanted to add to the bedroom!









(Obsessive) Idea-ology fans may have spotted that the glass in the photo frames is actually made from some of the Idea-ology packaging... perfect for the purpose.  

The silver fox in the Opera Singer's House is also housed in one of these little rectangles, and then framed.














Oh, and there's a letter from her too - saying that they've been hearing great things about his progress, and that she's sure her father will soon relent when he sees the true worth of the fine young man she's set her heart on.










I found that there had been some shenanigans going on in the kitchen since I was last here...

There's a dangerous intruder - being very ineffectively dealt with by the resident mongoose - Rikki Tikki Tavi, anyone?  

Okay, so Cestina reckons that, because Kipling's story is set in India, this means we're definitely in India.  But (a) she freely admits that this is a meerkat, not a mongoose; (b) there are mongooses (mongeese?) in Africa; and moreover (c) the meerkat is a sort of mongoose and they live only in Africa.

So I'm afraid Cestina is hoist with her own petard (she put the snake and the meerkat in the kitchen to start with).  We are in Africa, and I win!!





I'll leave you with just a little taster of delights to come at Small Worlds... another work in progress - our 1920(ish) department store.

Cestina was working like a demon on papering and flooring, as well as constructing the shop windows from scratch - I'll leave her to tell you how much swearing they incurred!








Her challenge to me was to create a glamorous lift to run through the centre of the store.  She had these ones from the original Selfridge's fit-out in mind (they're now in the Museum of London).

Jeepers!  All that opulent gilding is really not my bag, but I grudgingly agreed to give it a go.











The lift shaft was being cut to accommodate a fairly unassuming wooden box that was hanging around.  So with the help of some gold mirror card, black enamel paint, some stickers, plenty of Treasure Gold Liquid Leaf in Florentine and, yes, some Frameworks die-cuts, this is what I did to that wooden box!













Rather than those gilded doors, ours is a somewhat less grand affair, with those black cage doors that concertina open and closed.

The Frameworks were cut from thick card and given a good coat of black enamel paint, as was the outside of the box.













It's definitely opulent on the inside though...

Even the buttons you push to go up and down are mirror plated.

They're made from some tiny mirror gems, stuck onto some gilded cardboard, mounted on black enamel-painted card.








Of course, we needed a lift cage, so I spent some time snipping away at garden chicken wire to cut it to size, and then persuading it into shape.


To convert it from dull chicken wire, it's had a good coat of Florentine Liquid Leaf too.  And I painted some twisted wire braid with dark burgundy nail polish to create the velvet swag ropes which will - I hope - prevent customers from plunging down the lift shaft!







It's actually three separate cages, one on each floor, but I think the illusion of a continuous lift shaft works pretty well.

















Downstairs, you'll see that the fitting out of the shop has already begun.  There are many mirrors, to create lots of light and glamour.








Yup - the Tim Holtz Cabinet Card die has been in action, and I've also been re-gilding lots of other mirrors, plastic and metal, so that they all have a similar finish.







I didn't think we were going to get much done on this one... but as a result of a great deal of lightning-speed effort in the last few days in CZ, it's now mainly a matter of the fun stuff - filling it and bringing it to life.

There will be more shelves and cabinets, filled with stock, and all those glass cases collected over decades will eventually be filled with enticing goods for purchase.






But I think you can get a good idea of where it's headed... Keep an eye on developments over at Cestina's Dollshouses to see how it all turns out!

UPDATE - Visit Gosthwaites of Aberystwyth now at Cestina's Dollshouses, Part 1 and Part 2.

Thank you so much for your lovely feedback on this dollshouse detour.  I've had fun sharing how I've been deploying my crafting skills and products in a different context.  I hope you've enjoyed this final gallimaufry.  You can see why I said it wouldn't all fit in one post!!
  
We'll be back to regular crafty activities this weekend, but there's a big celebration to come first here at Words and Pictures... keep your eyes peeled!

So now they have made our English tongue a gallimaufry or hodgepodge of all other speeches.
Edmund Spenser

67 comments:

Gitte said...

Wow what a beautiful dollshouse.

Inky and Quirky Designs said...

Oh Alison, this is such glorious eye candy! I especially love that Cape Cod house, I would never tire of looking at that!

Thank you so much for these insights into your little world of wonderment : )

Hugs
Donna x

Helen said...

you make me yearn for a dollshouse again, you really do - though my fingers are not nimble enough to do what you do... Love these latest editions. Looking forward to Cestina's next post, for sure.

Helen said...

I've googled it, so I think I know what's coming! won't spoil the surprise though...

sam21ski said...

I can't believe all the detail that goes into these little houses, so precise, if we were miniature we could move right in!!

Sam xxx

Gio said...

OHMY, such incredible world. Sometimes it looks like pretty real! Going to watch the other posts, I'm so curious about it, it's like enetering in a dream .

Zuzu's Blog said...

Oh Alison.. what an amazing post. so much work and detail and I LOVE Rikki Tikki Tavi!!!!!
well done. its all fantastic... I wont gush on....

Cestina said...

Well now - you may have technically won the Africa argument - but you're sadly not in Small Worlds showing people round and I clearly heard young Veronika saying "Indie" on Saturday ;-)

Gallimaufrey is the perfect description! See my blog for who has the last word.....

With all my love
xx

Meggymay said...

Another wonderful chapter into your world of dolls houses. I have realy enjoyed the stories you have woven around the folk who may live in them. That bathroom in the first one is magnificent, who wouldn't like one of those in their home.
Yvonne

Julie Lee said...

How hard you worked on these wonderful, miniature creations! This is such a fascinating post. The lift reminds me of the one I remember from an ex-boyfriend's flat in Paris many, many years ago! The real Selfridge ones are pretty amazing, but yours is a triumph too! I am in awe of the bath and bathroom fittings! I should so love to visit the museum and peep in through some of those windows! Julie Ann xxx

Marci said...

Ate those TH Industrious stickers turned gold in the back of the elevator? Which is fabulous, by the way. Also love the leaded windowpanes and the copper shutters. I am happy to see the young man's furnishings made it safely. However, he killed an elephant?!! Think of all that wisdom lost to the herd. I'm a wee bit perturbed with him. Hopefully, he'll see the error of his ways. Anyway, this is fantastic! I have thoroughly enjoyed your posts.

Words and Pictures said...

They're not Industrious stickers - they're some very cheap German ones - and then it turned out they weren't sticky either, so I had to try to apply glue to these incredibly fine filigree papers. They were a horrid shiny gold colour, so once they were stuck down, I just painted Liquid Leaf over the top of the whole thing!

Cestina didn't want to hang the head up in case it disturbed children visiting the museum - I think it's a great way to open up the discussion about how mores and morals change over time!
Alison xx

Marci said...

OK, as a teaching aid, it can be allowed, I guess:-)) I can't begin to imagine the patience this all took. You and your Mom must have very nimble fingers. Forgot to say, I think the greenery added to the outside adds so much! Perhaps some boxwood hedges at some point! A garden? A village green? You may want me to shut up, not suggest more work. Ha!

Amanda said...

Your attention to detail is stunning, I can appreciate the hours that you have invested, you should be very proud of yourself absolutely fantastic miniature work.
Love
Amanda x

Karin said...

That's one amazing dollshouse!

Netty said...

I love the way you take such care with every item and of course the stories are enchanting. You are a very talented family and am sure your mother appreciated all your hard work. Thank you for sharing all your houses over the past few days Alison, have enjoyed them all. Hugs Annette x

craftimamma said...

Oh my Alison, I am totally in awe of such skill and attention to detail. What I wouldn't give to visit the museum. Mind you, I'd need at least a week I think because each delightful 'house' would require at least an hour to discover and absorb all the wonderful detail. What a talented family you are as those soft furnishings created by your Aunt are beautiful. Words fail me (unusually) with regard to the beautiful bathroom you created ....those taps are exquisite!...and your leaded windows look so authentic, more so because of their imperfection I think, Old leaded windows never look perfect. I'm off to work backwards through your posts that I've missed this week and I have a feeling I'm in for lots more delights.

Hugs
Lesley Xx

Cinderella Moments said...

Oh my goodness! You worked so hard and got so much accomplished!!! Everything is so glorious. You put so much heart into all of it. It's so incredible to look at! LOVE it all!!
hugs♥,
Caroline

barbarayaya62 said...

It's incredible! You are a genius! This dollshouse is fantastic! I love so much, every little detail is stunning! Great work made with heart! BArbarayaya

brenda said...

These are all so magical Alison, if one didn't know you would think the interiors were actual houses as the details and perspective is spot on. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this post - which must have taken ages - to give us this wonderful insight to your little houses.

B x

Astrid Maclean said...

Wow, another amazing journey though this wonderful world of make belief! Both the interior and exterior look so real! Who would have thought that all our familiar crafty items could be put to use for something so different. I think I want to move into that Cape Cod house....

Dagmar said...

What a fantastic project - ich wünschte mir, alle diese Häuser live zu sehen, davor zu hocken und wie ein Kind durch die Fenster zu schauen. Mir fehlen in englisch mal wieder die Worte, um auszudrücken wie sehr ich eure Arbeit bewundere und liebe - ich muss immer wieder die schönen Bilder anschauen und entdecke immer neue Details - danke fürs Lächeln auf mein Gesicht Zauber. Ganz herzliche Grüße, auch an deine Ma bitte, euer Fan Dagmar <3

Von said...

WOW Alison what a fab way to use your skills :)
Von ♥

Unknown said...

Stunning! I've been glued to this post as much as the first post - you're a creative genius Alison! Chris xxx

Mrs Redboots (Annabel Smyth) said...

I think the colonial house (definitely in India - the cobra was my idea!) was my favourite when we visited Small Worlds almost exactly a year ago.

And yes, I know all about the small house in Paris that was covered in vines - I shall look forward to seeing the inside of that.

chrissie said...

Thank you for the new word which I have never heard anywhere before.

What wonders and delights in your post today. I loved all the things you and Cestina did but all those amazing furnishings by Mette Breminer had me spell bound. I never thought about people wanting bedding, cushions and stuff for doll's houses. I would have loved to have done that as a job in years gone by :)My eyes aren't good enough now even with glasses.

Wonderful post Alison thank you

Love Chrissie xx

Almo said...

What a difference the new windows have made to the Cape Cod House and the Triang House, the effect of the leaded windows in particular are amazing. I love Mette's blue and cream curtains and I am impressed at how straight you can hang curtains at full stretch just by feel:). I am not at all surprised you are proud of the wonderful new bathroom - great shower! You definitley rose to the challenge with the lift and shaft in the department store, and I love the cabinet card mirrors they look perfect in this setting. Yet another really interesting post Alison, Thank you so much for sharing. Mo x

Kay Wallace said...

I am so enjoying the tours of the doll houses, Allison. Today I have fallen in love with the Cape Cod house which is pretty much a duplicate of my sister's home on Cape Cod. Thank you for sharing this with us.

Dorthe said...

They are totally amazing all, so many wonderful details, made from waste, and funny things(like your plumming)- the lift is gorgeous, but it all is Alison. I so admire what you are able to do with wood,paint, and ........
Hugs,Dorthe

Nan G said...

Oh my goodness! Such amazing details, butterfly! Love the leaded windows (which aren't perfect IRL) and those shutters. Love the tours you've given us. It would take me hours to go thru this museum! Hugs to you and Cestina!

Anonymous said...

I am in complete awe Alison. These houses really are works of art. Congratulations to you & Cestina.

Ruth said...

Another lovely wander, through some beautiful houses, alongside a delightful read, thoroughly enjoyed it and I am in awe of your talent!!! Ruth x

catherine said...

It has been a wonderful journey Alison to share these works of arts with you. I have so much enjoyed looking at your pictures and you are so talented and creative. Been a joy to venture into this area of your creativity
x catherine

Jenny Marples said...

As ever you delight and inspire with your amazing work here Alison. Are you sure you weren't an interior designer in a former life? Love it all. Jenny x

pearshapedcrafting said...

Oh Alison! The amount of work and imagination you have put into these doll's houses is just amazing! What really impresses me is that you seem to know exactly which products to use to get the effect you are wanting(it shouldn't really as I've seen such amazing things on your blog - some of jaw dropping stuff) Love how you have added to the story of the Colonial Bungalow ( though really dear, one shouldn't argue with one's Mother!! lol!) I am now off to Cestina's to see the Madeleine House - I used to read it to my Special Needs class - they loved the rhythm of the rhymes as well as the story! I really am sorry that these dolls house posts have come to an end for this year - will come back to look at them with GD one day! Chrisx

May said...

WOW...What a fabulous feast of creative beauty...your attention to detail is outstanding... Love it all...Fantastic post I keep going back to look again... Love it all... Hugs May x x x

Cocofolies said...

Ooooh Alison, this is so FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Speechless once again...
Totally LOVE all your amazing ideas, the windows in acetate, your bathroom and your shop at then end are just adorable to bits (I think the shop could stay like that, it's already so lovely!!!). You have made amazing work for the dollhouses's museum (as well as your aunt, congrats to her too, you are really a family of great artists!!! Hugs, Coco xxx

JansArtyJunk said...

WOW!! I've just been reading and adoring your wonderful dolls house posts.. Beautiful pics....and OMG Alison!! How cool to have a Dolls House Museum in the family :) ...LOVE what you have done...your mini creations, impressive effects, and well everything really!! You have an amazing eye for detail..., LOVE it all...Off to take another peek!! ;) Jan xx

Alie Hoogenboezem-de Vries said...

Another stunning dollhouse Alison...what a details again...and I love that bathroom with the plumbing :-)
Great artwork!
Greetings, Alie :-)

Unknown said...

OH MY GOODNESS!!! AMAZING, Alison!! Jaw on floor, WOW!! What a wonderful Labor of Love and I can only imagine the Oooo's and Aaaa's that will fill the Museum this year! I can hear them from here, because I am Oooo-ing and Aaaaa-ing at every picture you've shared! Just Fabulous and I'm even reading some of your post to my hubbie, amazing him, too!! XOXO-Shari

ionabunny said...

These are amazing. Such detail. Lovely

Dianne said...

Hello Miss ALison, THANK YOU SO MUCH, I have been so excited seeing all these houses become treasures, your work is TOP NOTCH, I'm sure there is NOTHING you can't do, your my Hero, thanks for just being you, I'm dying to see the rest of the shop, visiting your Moms Museum is on my bucket list, I have shared this with everyone I know you are THE BOMB Miss Butter fly have a wonderful weekend..

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

WOW!!! The top one needs to be life sized so I can live there!!!

Andrea Small said...

Not only huge amounts of work in terms of renovations, but also huge amount of work in terms of blogging! I love looking at all the photos but it must have taken you AGES to wrangle them into such a pleasing display…

I haven't any hats left to doff - fantastic visions, fantastic job. Well done :-) The bath is stunning!

Andrea x

Michelle said...

Visiting your blog is always a delight. You never cease to amaze me with your creativity. Such gorgeous little homes. How lovely!

Annie said...

OMG Alison...outstanding makes and I am in awe of all your amazing makes/alterations. I too love the Cape Cod House and its exactly like the one we stayed in a couple of years ago.....even the sofa was the same colour. Your work is so precise and your creativity clearly has no end

Thank You for sharing and I am off to catch up with your other posts

TFS and hugs
Annie x

my cup of tea said...

I just adore doll houses! Anything in mini form! These are beautiful!
donna

Unknown said...

I love the Cape Cod house and the bathroom is well done my friend. It's the banter between you and your mom that cracks me up. I do the same with my daughter and we have a running joke in our house over salt and pepper. It's salt and pepper right, so salt shaker goes to the left and pepper shaker on the right. When she's home I come into the kitchen to see the pepper on the left and salt on right. Seriously!?! lol You are right, it is Africa. :) I love the homes represented in this post and again it escapes me how you have the enormous patience it must take to do this kind of work. I for one am glad that you do and you're willing to share it with all of us Alison. Love this trio of dollhouse posts!!! x

Paper Profusion said...

So so impressive Alison (and Cestina and Mette). Patience of job springs to mind. Incredibly brilliant detailing. All the museum visitors must be enthralled to see these irl. Nicola x

Tincan Crafter said...

I'm pinning this!

Kasia said...

I am impressed of such work. Amazing detaling! Thanks again for sharing, Alison :)

Sophie said...

Oh mein Gott...was für ein Traum...
Ich liebe Puppenhäuser, und ich hatte als Kind eine Zweizimmerwohnung für meine kleinen Puppen.
Selbstgemacht von einem talentierten Nachbarn.
Diese beiden Zimmer habe ich auch sehr liebevoll eingerichtet. Und sogar mit funktionierenden Lampen.

So prächtig wie diese Häuser waren meine beiden Räume nicht.
Aber ich war sehr glücklich damit.
Und ich habe sehr lange damit gespielt, bis ich 12 Jahre alt war.
Das gibt es heute nicht mehr, da haben die Kinder schon lange die Pubertät, und so völlig andere Interessen, leider.

Schöne Bilder zeigst du da, ich komme richtig ins Schwärmen :-)

Umarmung und Grüße

Lisa Minckler said...

Oh that I could be like Alice and 'eat this' or was it 'drink this' all to immerse myself in this most magical land of miniatures. It's incredible how your photographs take us on a journey from the very real "super sized" world into such a magical miniature land. If I allowed, my comment would be as bloviated as your trademark posts..LOL! I only joke, but in honesty, I love that you take pride in your work and show off every detail. It's truly ALL worth every bit of attention.
I'm still reeling with emotions over every minute detail.
I applaud the works of you, your mother and your aunt in these incredible doll homes and department stores.
It's begun...I'm writing a novel just to say.... amazing!!! I have LOVED this post so much.
hugs,
Lisa x

Mrs.B said...

Absolutely fabulous! You and Cestina must be so thrilled with the end results. Loved the embossing on the Village house using the TH EF, so creative.
Avril xx

Lucy Edmondson said...

I have been enjoying the dollshouse series so much, Alison! I love the lift, and the pearl pen for the leaded panes! i love how you have transferred your crafting skills onto the dollshouse world. Is there anything you want me to look out for on my travels that would be useful for the dollshouse world? I have been enjoying Cestina's blog too. My Mum still has my old dollshouse which was rescued from a rubbish bin when I was about six,

Lucy x

toni said...

I 've been so busy lately I haven't had much time for visiting, but I' m so glad I hopped by to see this amazing post. I always wish my house was as luxurious as one of your dolls houses ! I think a career in interior decor would always be an option for you! Think you for sharing x

Kezzy said...

Wow wow wow where do I start, each small make is so unique mini pieces of art, and are truly amazing. Such beautiful array of creativity which is totally inspiring and full of story. You both do such awesome work and the visitors are extremely lucky to see such dedication in each house. Kezzy:-) xxx

mark gould said...

I'm in love with those shabby shutters x

Margaret said...

Oh my goodness! What I wouldn't give to be miniaturized so I could wander around these amazing houses in person... Especially, that old house in Paris! I'll have to dig up a yellow hat! Can't wait to see the inside of that one!
You both have such amazing patience and talent!I had to chuckle at your Rikki Tikki Tavi discussion!
I have really enjoyed learning all about this wonderful museum!

Juliz Design Post said...

Can't believe I nearly missed this post with my blogger issues. I hope you are feeling very pleased with all your creativity while at your mums. The work you having managed to cram into these weeks is outstanding. I have enjoyed all the posts on the houses and found myself totally absorbed in every one. I agree it so fascinating to look in the windows of dolls houses...so magical.
Julie x

Unknown said...

Okay... I have to drag out my stuff and play... I just LOVE this house Alison... it is such an inspiration to me in so many ways... think I will redesign my whole home and then build a room just for doll houses... I love this whole thing... Love it all 100%... thanks so very much for all the pictures on this blog... love it... Love,Light and Peace...Bonnie

Beulah Bee said...

Congrats on the Designer Spotlight at SSS! It was lovely to come visit again and to see more houses (love the bachelor pad). You also make lovely tags too (which are dear to my heart) and using all stamps in one set was another post I enjoyed. The background for this tag was especially original and really worked well.

scrappymo! said...

What a fabulous job you and your Mum do on these houses. You make it seem real...I love your stories about the inhabitants!

\I find I am looking at things I normally throw away...thinking what would Allison use this for! lol

ellyscard creatief said...

AMAZING.
Gr Elly

Bärbel said...

Ein großartiges Puppenhaus und so viele bezaubernd schöne und mit viel Liebe gestaltete Möbel und andere Einrichtungsdetails! Chapeau!
Liebe Grüße, Bärbel

Evelyn Walter said...

I´m absolutely blown away! So magnificent! All those little details are soo wonderful!
xxx Evelyn

Elly said...

It's incredible. All these tiny little frames...as we're most invited to think big. I was so curious about the little shutters and i'm blown away by the realistic look you're catching...everwhere. (:o)