Yasha's Bonsai Blog

The Dollhouse Project--2012

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 04:20:00 +0000

Almost a year has gone by since progress on the dollhouse has been shown. To make it easier to read later, here are the posts concerning the dollhouse, in chronological order:
The Dollhouse Project-- The Beginning
The Dollhouse Project-- Part 2
The Dollhouse Project-- Part 3
The Dollhouse Project-- Kitchen Painting and Tiling
The Dollhouse Project-- Kitchen Dilemma
The Dollhouse Project--Baby Steps
The Dollhouse Project--The Kitchen is Done, Well Except...
The Dollhouse Project-- Stolen Moments Plus a Weekend
The Dollhouse Project-- The Bathroom, a Rhapsody in Pink and Black
The Dollhouse Project-- Wallpaper, a Quick Peek!
The Dollhouse Project-- Flickering Fireplace

That makes it a bit easier to see the progress! My goodness, how far it has come!! You won't believe the difference now. These photos are from today, though I haven't dusted so you can see a bit of dust here and there... though the dollhouse stays covered most of the time, dust is everywhere.

Since I started on this project, I have learned a few things about dollhouses. One thing that struck me, is that a dollhouse needs to tell a story. The story can be simple, or a bit more involved. Based on the era of the house and decorations, I came up with a story that allowed me to make themes in the rooms. In 1922, Howard Carter discovered King Tut's tomb, setting off a wave of interest in Egypt. So, for the 'husband' of my dollhouse, I decided that he is an Egyptologist. That gives him the ability to collect and display Egyptian artifacts, books and notes. The wife is an artist and naturalist, who can follow her husband on his Indiana Jones like exploits, or she can roam the countryside painting. Of course, she paints horses! And sculpts them! You had to ask....as you look through the photos, keep in mind this interesting couple.
(you can always click on a photo for a larger version)

Let's start with the kitchen, which was the first room that I worked on. As you can see, the Hoosier ended up white with no trim. Trim make it look heavy. Still needs new knobs, something ceramic. The tiny jars with brass and tin lids were hand blown by a glass blower. I filled them with real spices... oregano, pepper, cayenne pepper, corn meal, etc. The canisters have moved to the top of the Hoosier, with a nice teapot. There is a big Magnalite roasting pan inside... I still use my Grandmother's Magnalite which looks just like that! Also a muffin tin, rolling pin, proper 1920's toaster, glass mixing bowl, and more canisters. The table has a chocolate cake and a tea set. See the dog bowls on the floor, with a rawhide chew bone. Under the stove is a rusty enamel pan, and a broom and dustpan lay handy. The light fixture is also new, though it has the original wooden base that my Grandfather put up... mostly because I can't get it off!

Next to the right is the dining room, which is mostly behind the staircase. Though it is unloved now, it will eventually have drapes, and a stained glass window in the window that you can't see from this angle. The telephone sits on an Arts and Crafts marble topped plant stand. A nice 'flow blue' china setting fills the table. In the foreground, the Victrola dominates the entryway, with music and magazines on the table too. Someone has put a bottle of Guiness and a foamy glass on some sheet music and it has stained! The dog is by a Canadian artist, a needle felter. One of the three portraits she did of my dogs.

Next is the living room, where the furniture was moved aside to let me work on the Christmas tree. The tree was supposed to be done before Christmas, but it took too long... the tree alone took five hours, and that doesn't count the ornaments or lighting! Yes... it does light up. Twenty one tiny little colored lights. And yes, they will flicker. Next year. Must save something to be excited about! The tree needs a skirt and more things around it, which will come in the fall. For now, notice the little china cabinet with the hand made porcelain Asian figures. Limited edition, from an artist who passed away now. I snagged them on Ebay for almost nothing!! Another needle felted dog watches the Capybara, who is warming her little paws. On the mantle, a tiny set of porcelain Kewpie dolls, and three Roseville vases (resin, but very nice) The radio really plays, and the basket is full of tiny, real pine cones.

Usually, where the Christmas tree is, this table stands instead:

See the tiny snickerdoodle cookies, purse, hand blown glass vase, and see where the wife dropped her purse and mail. The table is a numbered, signed limited edition.

This room, immediately above the kitchen, is the Egyptian room. You saw it full of newspaper piles and mess before, see it in its glory now! A Selket sculpture stands on a marble topped table, with an orchid planted on a piece of lava rock. On the wall are two display cases... one has an ancient Egyptian sandal, two gold earrings, and a piece of ancient linen, and the other has a piece of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Both made by LDelaney from Etsy. The big case has a custom made illuminated manuscript book, with Egyptian art. Next to the books stands a God. On top, Anubis, and on the floor, the Sphinx. The little kitty is lying in the sun, on the fine tapestry rug. Here is a close up of the kitty, which looks like my Moms real cat:

Here is the bathroom, with the third dog (Casper) laying on the cool linoleum, with his rawhide bone. The shell decorated mirror hangs above a sink with foamy soap and a straight razor. The tub has a rubber ducky. The toilet has paper, of course, as well as perfume bottles. Don't forget the plunger! The faucet fixtures need to be painted chrome, they look awful. I still need a handtowel, a rug, and some fancy French soap boxes. Here's a better look at the left wall:

On this floor, the last room is the bedroom. Here is the wall next to the bathroom:

It has a Victorian hair ornament, a portrait, a jewelry box, a hat... and a trunk. The trunk opens and has papered insides with a removeable tray. The armoire opens as well, and has tiny wire hangers.

The bedroom does have a lot of space, it is the largest of the rooms, but it has a lot of large windows. The Secretary is full of books on Egypt, and see the beautiful bird cage in the corner. The little bedroom light is made of porcelain, and lights up. There is a small wooden box under the bed with first aid supplies. The Egyptian throne would be a fabulous place to sit in the morning to tie your shoes.

This close up of the Secretary shows the books, and the tiny correspondence on the desk. These were all made by a Canadian gal (there seems to be a theme here, maybe long Canadian winters spur creativity!) They are so perfect that you can read the letters with a magnifying glass! They are copies of real, vintage letters and envelopes.

Finally, the attic. This is where the museum is, a mixture of the naturalist collections and the Egyptology collections. See the tools of his trade, in the foreground... rope, lantern, pickaxe, crates, and a tiny little knife. The larger Ushabtis were made for the tourist trade in Egypt, but the little blue one is one of the rarest Pour Horse pieces... I sculpted it, made a mold, cast and finished it just for the dollhouse. Notice the items in the case... porcelain, ivory, glass, and another illuminated manuscript, this time a Medieval one.

Finally, the artist loft. Since the wife is a naturalist and artist, she has a little corner just for her interests. The attic, though not full of light, is full of inspiration for her. Notice the tiny sculpture, by Adalee Velasquez, on the sculpting stand. The stretched canvases, and most of the artist supplies, including the easel, are from Marquis Miniatures on Etsy. She also did all of the wooden crates in the house, including the wood box next to the fireplace. Amazing, amazing talent.

A close up of the table, so that you can see the brushes, paints, pencils and eraser.. even the tiny ruler in the art box, which has the artists name on it.
There is still a lot to do in the house, but it has come a long way in a year, don't you agree?

Winnie surfs up to San Clemente

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 21:15:00 +0000

Bright and early Sunday morning, Winnie and I surfed the coast to a new meeting place, "Zebra House Cafe", in San Clemente to meet our friends for morning coffee and muffins.

And a cheerful group they were, too! It was a bit chilly but promised to be a gorgeous day.

Dig this little Classic, it's the cat's meow! When those horns go off, the sound volume is remarkable. Everyone sits up and takes notice!

Here's Dan talking to the Zebra House Cafe owner, a very enthusiastic fellow who welcomed us kindly.

Most of the line up shows in this picture, but a few more came later and a couple were parked opposite, there were quite a few cars attending!

Above is one of those pretty Ice Blue MINIs, this one is a Clubman. (two door but larger than the regular Coopers) They are new to the club I think, and had a darling little pug too.

Phil explains to mOstyn that when the horns go off, truckers soil their undies. (not really but it could have been true)

What does everyone do at a breakfast? They mill around and talk, they look at each other's cars, they mill around some more, they eat, then they talk one more time before they wave goodbye.
This, then, is an 'action shot'.

This lovely silver grey convertible was parked on the other side of the aisle...

Winnie, amongst her friends. We bought new, upgraded wheels from a club member really cheap, they aren't the shiny chrome ones that I lust after but they are nicer than her original wheels and will tide me over until I have more money to spend. :-)

No 'run' today, just a leisurely breakfast at a new little place whose proprietor loves cars and used to own a MINI, and then back home again. Jiggity Jig.

Winnie gets washed, and goes to Julian

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 16:36:00 +0000

This weekend, Winnie met her friends right around the corner, at Ruby's in the outlet mall for breakfast. It was a foggy morning in Carlsbad, and a lot of the MINIs drove down from Los Angeles and Orange County. There were about twelve total cars, which a nice turnout for a new event I think. The first photos are of Winnie being washed, and the 'detail kit' that I use to wash her. Must be shiny and clean for the party!

Gasp! See the dirt? SEE IT??? Oh good gracious, that has to come off!

Bucket, sponges, microfiber cloths, chamois, Meguiars Gold wash, Adams polishes and various cleaning products. Shiny cars need more cosmetics than I own for myself!

Then we meet everyone in the parking lot of Ruby's:

Had a nice breakfast, including door prizes for everyone. Craig won a free breakfast coupon, and I won a Mini Cooper magazine issue. Yes, dear, now I WILL have to subscribe. You guessed it. :-)

We ran twistys up to Julian, through Ramona. Here we are at the parking lot in Julian.... well, some of us. We didn't all park together, it was too crowded. And much more so when we arrived! We walked down to MOMs pies for some tasty pie and a bathroom break.

Because MINIs drive better when their drivers are not hungry, we all met again down the road at Wynola Pizza, for some really delish oven baked thin crust gourmet pizza. I was not hungry yet but I ended up getting some tiramisu that was great!

Then we headed home, after a very enjoyable and relaxing day. Hard to believe, I've almost put 6,000 miles on Winnie in three months. That's almost a years worth of driving when I had the Nissan... hmmmmm, wonder why?

Grill badge installation

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:08:00 +0000

Here's how to install the SCMM grill badge, I'll load photos now and text later. :-)

Winnie goes to Solvang

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 22:05:00 +0000

When MINIs go somewhere, they travel in packs. Winnie the MINI went to Solvang the weekend of October 8th to be with her friends, and for Craig and I to belatedly celebrate our 28th Anniversary. We arrived a day early, on Thursday, so that we could take our time and be rested when everyone else arrived on Friday. Staying right in downtown Solvang, in the delightful Royal Copenhagen Inn, was great because we could walk though the town and visit the shops that we like so much. (We did buy a few Christmas presents)

Here's the view from our hotel room, looking down on Winnie in the parking lot, all by her lonesome.

We headed off to the meeting place just before noon on Friday, to meet the rest of the MINIs as they rolled up in a caravan from the south. Promptly at noon, the gates of the Mendenhall Museum opened up and the MINIs scooted in. We hadn't looked up what the Mendenhall Museum was all about, so we were enthralled when we looked around and saw the glory of this incredible private collection. Here, amidst a stunning display of petroliana, we had a deli lunch on a long bench. It was hard to concentrate on the food as we craned our necks to catch every gasoline pump, sign, and classic car that surrounded us. I'm glad that I took a lot of pictures so that I can really study them! Remember, you can click on any photo to see a larger version.

Seriously, that's not even half of the collection, I have a slew more photos! There were also racing boats, motorbikes, and many more cars tucked into bays that were completely filled with memorabilia. It was almost overwhelming!

We headed back to the hotel, and this time there were MINIs in the parking lot. People started hanging around outside of the rooms, sitting in metal chairs and folding chairs, munching on dips and cheese and sharing wine that they brought. I did decline the wine-- no rum in sight, what's a Pirate to do?-- and later, Craig and I went to dinner by ourselves, having a nice quiet evening (and I had an Australia lobster tail as big as your two fists! It was divine!)

The next day, after breakfast, we all headed out for the Run. I think that there were something like 15 MINIs that headed from Solvang, westward to Jalama Beach. That route was chosen because it is twisty and scenic, and the MINIs kept pace behind the leader who called out the road conditions on a two way radio. When we reached the beach, we ate lunch at a great little snack stand, and chatted about the day, our cars, and each other.

The last photo is of Scott, who owns Motoring Magic and is caught red-handed putting one of his stickers up on the window of the snack shack, to show that the MINIs had been there.

Everyone met later that evening for a catered dinner, to honor a club member who had passed away two years ago, and amidst the scrumptious Santa Maria style barbeque held in the clubhouse of the Alisal Ranch golf course, the celebration was concluded in a gracious and delicious manner.

Home, now, seems very quiet and mundane, but we have many new friends who welcomed us and made us feel a part of their group. We look forward to future events and to joining our MINI companions on their twisty runs.

Minis and MINIs at Liberty Station

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 03:21:00 +0000

Some photos from Liberty Station where the San Diego British Car Day was held. Wow! We had fun.

An Addiction to Vinyl

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 22:58:00 +0000

Winnie's transformation from a typical off-the-lot MINI to an interesting individual car is moving right along. Yesterday, she received her roof graphic and boot stripes from Modern Images, and a month or so ago she got her rear view mirror and side mirror Union Jacks from MINI of San Diego. She's close to done, by 2012 she will be a distinctive and remarkable car.

Tomorrow, Mom and I are going to the San Diego British Car Day down at Liberty Station. I'll take photos and post them here. More to post, too, on other subjects.

Winnie goes to the Drive In

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:14:00 +0000

In searching for information on MINIs, one of the most useful forums is run by the So Cal Mini Maniacs... a car club for Minis and MINIs. (There is, actually, a distinction-- the MINI is the new version, and the Mini is the old version) That forum has a lot of good reading regarding every aspect of the cars, with real life experience and enthusiastic help. What did we ever do without forums? So, of course, I joined the club.

A week after Winnie came into our lives, we found ourselves joining a club event way up in Ontario, California. Saturday afternoon, everyone met at the MINI of Ontario dealership, who supplied hot dogs and hamburgers, and various snacks (and a grill that someone cooked lovely salmon on for the crowd also) Our first foray into all of the MINI products from the official product line, and we were still a bit broke from the down payment, so all I indulged in were two nice keychains and a set of valve stem covers with Union Jack flags on them :-) We brought home a couple of accessory books to dream over, also... think Sears Wish Book for MINI owners! We met several people who were very nice, mostly new members also. Then everyone headed to the Mission Tiki Drive In, in a long line of Minis (maybe 50 cars?) of all vintages. Instead of the freeway, we drove the surface streets to show off our cars and enjoy driving them together. People stopped and stared as we drove past, a long serpentine line of little cars. At the drive in, we all parked together right up in front, and pulled out the chairs and tables and stereos, and had a tailgate party for the next couple of hours! (no grills, though) Here's Winnie at the drive in:

The guy who parked next to us had this little vintage 1971 Mini in yellow:

This is another vintage Mini, I love its little 'face'...

A new version, with a racing number and stripes, and EYELASHES (click on the photos for larger images)

A lovely vintage Mini, in red:

Here's a very racy one, someones pride and joy:

The old ones are just so CUTE! Uncomfortable and super small, but CUTE!

The longest Mini.... oh no, it's a GTO.... gorgeous:

This MINI was a special edition of 50, but I can't recall the name of the edition:

As the sun went down, we settled in to watch the movies. It was a surreal vista, watching Transformers 3 on the screen, and seeing the Minis with their little scoopy snouts pointing upward, as if they were watching the movie too. I quite liked Transformers, though I had not seen the earlier ones. Lots of special effects, though they didn't show off as well on the drive in screen as they do in a theater. I kept thinking that the plot was either extraordinarily simplistic, or exceptionally subtle... guess which one it was?
We also saw Super 8... it was okay, but I wouldn't have gone to see it in the theater. Can't put my finger on why it was not as moving as some of Spielbergs previous moves (ET anyone?) except that the ET here was not cuddly, and you didn't know whether to fear it or cheer for it, so you never really got on its side.
We spent the night in Ontario and met Jeanene Bernardin and her trainer Tammy, had lunch and exchanged horse boxes, and then headed home. Quite a nice weekend. Oh, and Winnie has some new decals...

Applying the decal, using the back of a plastic spoon to burnish it

This is on the chrome button that opens the glove box:

I also bought an "Eject", a "Boost", and an "Escape". Of course, I don't drive like a racer, so they are pretty much just silly. :-) It's okay to be silly with a MINI, dress it up and have fun with it. I'm looking at larger, more ambitious graphics when we have a bit of dosh to spend again!

While I was applying these decals just now, Mandy from MINI of Escondido called to check up on Winnie and us. We've been so pleased with Mandy's help and with MINI of Escondido, it was a very pleasant buying experience and she has called several times just to see how we are doing. (waves hi to Mandy)

On the way home from Ontario, we took Hwy. 74 instead of going straight down 15. It was Craig's idea... he who always wants to take the fastest and straightest route!! So we detoured, just because we could! And we drove Winnie on the twisty turns behind a Corvette. I couldn't keep up with the Corvette usually but he had a few cars in front of him, so the pace was generally at the top end of my comfort level on twisty roads, and well above what I would usually do. (though still within the speed limit, sort of.. mostly...well, sometimes. :-) Craig pushed back his seat, cranked up the 70's channel on the Satellite radio (free one year subscription!) and we drove JUST FOR THE FUN! He's sort of getting into this whole MINI thing, but don't tell him that you know! ;-) Winnie took the turns like she was built for them.. which she was!!

Travels with Winnie

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 16:03:00 +0000

Craig and I have had a lot of cars in our married life. Twenty-eight years this August, that we have been married, and in that time we have had mostly hand me downs, or well used cars. We did buy a new Hyundai when Bob was born (who is now of drinking age, that was a while ago wasn't it?) Hyundais, at that time, were almost as cheap as a used car-- and we were lucky with ours, it ran for quite a long time, unusual for an early Hyundai. After the Hyundai broke down, Mom gave us her old Cadillac- a 1977 Coupe de Ville, a real 'boat' and about as long as they come! We drove it until things started breaking down that we couldn't afford to fix. You could literally watch the fuel gauge move toward empty as you went up a hill, it was so heavy! Those were lean days, being a stay at home Mom and making it on one income. Macaroni and cheese days. Suave shampoo on sale days.
Fast forward to our lives now-- the kids are grown and have taken on their own responsibilities, Craig is doing very well as a Journeyman Electrician, and I make shiny horses for my friends. ;-) So when my nice little Nissan Sentra would be a good option to give to Mom to replace her old Honda (that she drives Gram around in, and it was getting old and cranky), Craig said that I could finally go and get the car I have wanted for TEN YEARS-- ever since they were re-issued- a Mini Cooper!! The Nissan would be right next door if I needed to drive Gram, and of course Craig has his truck for big hauling or driving four people, so there were no more excuses!
Meet Winnie:

She had nine miles on the odometer when we signed the contract! WHOO HOO!!! Brand new off the ship! (In fact, I already had her VIN# when she was in transit, and 'watched' the ship as it came across the ocean and rounded the Panama Canal, I knew when it arrived at Port Hueneme and when she was put on a truck to come to the dealership... it was awesome!)

Winnie is a 2011 MINI Cooper hardtop, with an automatic transmission, in Chili red with white top and bonnet stripes. Nothing fancy in her, except an iPod adapter, otherwise she is a basic model. I do plan to buy things for her (they call them 'modifications') but that is for the future. For right now, she is shiny and clean and slick and fast... and I just am over the moon happy!

She came home to live with us on July 2nd, and of course the family was all together, so everyone who wanted to, got to drive her. We put 200 miles on her over the weekend, just in test drives! The guys were impressed with how zippy and responsive she is, and the gals liked the mood lighting, the radio, and the overall cute smallness.

We considered putting her in the Fourth of July parade, but it was cool enough so that the dogs could make a lap, and neighbors had been encouraging me to be in the parade with them this year... now that we have the new Trike! Here are a few snippets from the parade:

Craig, Mom, and Gram. Not sure what Mom was reacting to! There are more people IN the parade than WATCHING the parade! This is our ninth year having a Terramar parade, and we all love it!

We're a surfing area, so of course we need a wave float! This year, the wave with Snoopy also had a surfer with moving mechanical arms! It was fantastic!

A couple of the neighborhood vehicles, with cheering and clapping going on.

The dogs and I. Yasha is in the foreground, Bear farther away, and Casper in the basket. They had already done a lap, pooped, and barked at EVERY DOG so they were tired to start with. We only did one lap, and then I put them in the nice cool house to drink and flop. It was great!

The Flickering Fireplace

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 06:06:00 +0000

Tonight I worked again on the electrical, found the short that had eluded us, fixed that, and then hooked up the fireplace. It has a circuit board off to the left, which controls three flickering lights that fit into a small acrylic fireplace insert. I can also hook up a set of 25 flickering Christmas lights to it!
I ordered a custom firebox from an Etsy vendor (Marquis Miniatures) that will hold the circuit box, and also cover the junction splice in the wall. Jill at Marquis Miniatures makes the most exquisite and detailed miniatures, and I enjoyed chatting with her today on the phone. Thank you, Jill!

A quick wallpaper peek!

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 05:09:00 +0000

The wallpaper for the living room and dining room arrived, and I've been anxious to see how it looks up. So I cut a paper mockup of the stairwell, cut it out and pasted it on. Tricky shape, and I didn't line it up perfectly, but its okay... the flaw is much less noticeable in actual life size!
The paper is by Wm. Morris, from the Art and Craft section of Brodnax Prints. Wait until you see the border! Thanks to Carrie Rouillard, asking her brother, I know for sure now that the typical 1920s living room would not have had a wallpaper border at chair height... they tended to put borders along the ceiling. They did do chair rails, of wood, sometimes with the paper above and painted below, or paneled below, but not a wallpaper border there. So, I had to order more paper... grrrr... control freak versus impatience in my head.

Before

After!

I LOVE it! Now to paint the ceilings and walls and be prepped for when the rest comes.

Finally, to catch up, here was today's project... the second story room that is formed by the stairway. It's sort of an odd little room, but I have big plans for it when decorating! We had always intended to have some sort of attic access from there, like a let down trap door, but I've given that up, not being able to figure out how to do it. So I cut a little piece of plywood to cover the gaping ceiling, and then painted it all. At lunchtime, I cut the paper mockups, and after starting the kiln load for today, I pasted. Fun! Wow, wouldn't it be nice if you could paper a real room in fifteen minutes? This wallpaper is also from the Wm. Morris Arts and Crafts line, called Willow.

Before... note the wire tape

After, with the baseboard and molding in place but not stained yet

The baseboard and crown molding will need to be stained first, to match as close as possible with the oak floor. I may wait until all of the rooms are papered, and all of the molding cut, before doing the staining. It really does take longer to set up and clean up, than to paint about twenty inches of 3/4" wood!

Now we are up to date.

Dollhouse Bathroom a Rhapsody in Pink and Black

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:48:00 +0000

Since the bathroom didn't need wiring, I could go ahead and paper and tile it. Cousin Lauren printed the wallpaper from a free printable site ("Jennifers Printables") since I don't have a high quality color printer hooked up. This 1920's wallpaper is just PERFECT for the tile I have ready, there was nothing on the market that looked as delish as this did. So, after painting the ceiling of the bathroom (and the bedroom, since it will be the same color and it takes longer to wash out the paint sponge than it does to actually paint it) and letting it dry for a day, I was ready to put up the wallpaper. I spent about half an hour making plain paper mockups that fit just perfectly, with all of the overlaps. At lunchtime, I sprayed the wallpaper with Krylon Matte, as per instructions (to keep it from fading too fast), cut out and pasted it up. Using "Grandmother Stovers" wallpaper paste, made by Handley House (a dollhouse wallpaper supplier I think) it was pretty easy. Using a cheap paint sponge, you spread the paste on, making sure it is not too gloppy, and then wipe your hands. Then put up the paper, peel and adjust as needed, and flatten it out with your fingers. Not bad, not bad. Had a couple of little touch ups, that's all.


Two walls up!

It went very fast, since I had done the paper mockups so I knew that my wallpaper would fit perfectly. Then, the tile went up, with two sided tape. I had cut these weeks ago, while still looking for wallpaper. The black tiles are colored in with a Sharpie!

I love this wall, it is pleasing to the eye. the toilet will go in the back corner, and a shelf will go on this side of the door. Still waiting for the flooring to come, but since there will be baseboard, it's okay to have the large gap along the bottom. Now I'm pondering about how to make a frosted window.. what can be put over the window glass to make it frosted?

Stolen Moments plus a weekend...

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:30:00 +0000

Through a combination of fascination, stubbornness, and focus, the dollhouse made a lot of progress since the last post. Up early in the morning, for an hour of prep, then at lunchtime while munching yogurt, and after dinner... then I managed to spend the whole weekend either thinking about it, painting something, measuring something, or actually installing something. Sweet! These stolen moments add up.... half an hour here, twenty minutes there... it comes together bit by bit.
Some of these pictures are dark or off color, because of the hours I am working, late at night or early in the morning, so sorry for that!

Speaking of Flying Spaghetti Monsters! Yikes

The biggest job yet facing the house was the wiring. My Grandfather wired it by running the wires through the hollow walls, which of course means no access now. I wanted to be able to add lights, including wall sconces and floor lamps, and looked into the different systems. The most versatile seemed to be Cir-Kit, with a flat tape wiring system that can be put right on to the walls and then painted or papered over. I used to work for an electrician when just out of high school, and my hubby is an electrician for the power company, but my experiences with wiring are pretty limited. Added to this, dollhouse wiring is direct current, and uses a transformer. I was hung up on the idea that I had to run a parallel system, using the transformer that came with the kit, and somehow get the tape wiring into the house by drilling or cutting a wall. It came to me, after a couple of weeks of thought (she's slow, but she does eventually get there) that **wires are wires, whether flat or round** and flat wires can be junctioned to the existing wiring and use the same transformer! (we bought a nice big one when we first started the project) So, after due deliberation, I began to tape and wire....

Flat wire tape being applied to the walls

The light colored strip is the positive, the dark is the return (ground? neutral?) You peel the back off of the tape, press it to the walls, and then put these TEENY TINY incredibly small brads into the intersections to make the connection between the two tapes. And I do mean tiny!

The wire from the wall, stripped, with the stripped ends used to twist the wire

There was a convenient wire coming out low in the living room, near the fireplace. So I used that one to connect to the flat wiring. I stripped the ends, and by not pulling the rubber off all the way, I could use it to twist the wires easily, then remove it.

Wall wire attached to large brads, connecting to the flat wiring. Note the tiny brads in the wall wiring!

This was the connection that would test the whole idea. (I cleaned it up later and connected more solidly) Using large brass brads, I twisted the wires to them, and then....


Test probe lighting up

Success! Actually, I tested before running all of this wall wire but I didn't take a picture of it. The little test probe, included in the kit, simply sticks into the wire and lights up if it has current. This is around the doorway. It will allow me to plug wall sconces, floor lamps, Christmas lights, and anything else I want, directly into the wires, right through the wallpaper! Pretty nifty!!

Here's the attic, the place where I jumped off from to wire the top floor and second floor. So everything has wall wiring except the bathroom and kitchen. This took me all day on Saturday, sun up to sun down and a bit more. Those brads were so small, and it took four for each corner and direction change. But it is done, finally!

The kitchen is done! Well, except...

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 03:48:00 +0000

Being the first project, it feels good to have the kitchen done. Is anything ever truly done? I was hurrying at lunchtime to take these photos, and forgot to put the baseboard up, but it is cut and painted and ready to put up. Oops! Well, we can look at it later, no doubt some other fun accessories will be added to the kitchen. There's a little shelf that I want to try and make at some point. Also, I just painted the cupboard white, quickly, today. With regular acrylics, using the airbrush. (smacks forehead) It took fifteen minutes, instead of an hour. Skills, meet brain. Brain, meet skills. Get to know each other. Be friends. Keep in touch.

So, with those caveats in mind, here is the kitchen, finished at last. Note all of the fun accessories that I have been hoarding like a kid with Halloween candy. I keep them in a gorgeous wooden box with a horse tile on top, that the awesome Lynn Fraley made, which was given to me by the most gracious and sweet Liz Holm. Liz, this box is perfect for keeping those tiny treasures in, and when the dollhouse is done, the box will be filled with the beautiful jewelry that other model horse people make. It gives me joy every time I look at it.

Back to business. Remember, you can click on the photo for a larger version. You'll want to, so that you can see all the tiny fun. The curtains were the original ones that I made for it, about thirty five years ago. Guess I always pictured the kitchen in red and white...at least I am consistent! The cupboard, as noted above, is now white, but will be getting glossed (when the paint fully cures) and some black detailing. Rather than the heavy detailing I tried before, I want to use very small wooden frames to accent the doors and, on the right lower side, create the illusion of drawers. That's the potato bin but it is not something I will display potatos in, it might as well have 'drawers'. Where else do you keep your silverware?! Panning around the room, here are closer views:

The spice rack is from a Chrysnbon kit, they are inexpensive plastic kits (like model cars) that have nice detailing. The kit also included a round side table, two 'glass bells', and a pair of 'milk glass' chickens. We will see those on the right hand side view. The kit was about $12, and I painted the spice rack white, then painted the little **TINY** knobs black. That's it... easy as pie. On top of the spice rack is a teensy crocheted black and white rooster pot holder. Some poor almost blind person made him. On the sink, there is a set of red handled potato masher, whisk, and a two pronged fork, also hand made. The rusty blue enamel bowl on the sink is from Etsy. The stool underneath is required... all 1920s sinks had stools! Seriously! The refrig is empty, but if you have your glasses on, and ate your Wheaties this morning, you might be able to see the little metal ice cube tray in the freezer. On the table, are two crocheted pot holders, a rolling pin from Etsy, two loaves of bread (also from Etsy) and a German chocolate cake. The cake is original to the doll house. Note the kitchen towels, and a Chrysnbon towel rack to hold them.

On the right is the new cupboard, with some ceramic canisters, a ceramic bowl, a tiny muffin pan, and a spice bottle. Also, a meat grinder that was original to the doll house. The stove has a Magnalite pot, a frying pan in the broiler, and the two Chrysnbon milk glass (actually plastic) chickens. Remember these, the hen on the nest and the rooster? Mom had milk glass pieces. Lastly, the hand braided rug on the floor, and the broom... from Etsy.

Finally, there is the capybara. She is so adorable! Sculpted from Fimo, with fur applied. I did paint her eyes, gave her eye whites and a dollop of gloss, and glossed her nose. From Etsy as well, as posted previously.

She doesn't have a name yet, maybe that is something to do tonight. She is sitting on some newspapers, she might make a mess.

Next project... the bathroom! Nice and easy. Waiting for the wallpaper and floor tile right now.

Baby Steps

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 00:51:00 +0000

Yesterday and today, there wasn't enough time to do anything useful on the dollhouse... real work comes first. So at lunchtime, I grabbed a minute to 'antique' these gold frames that I picked up at the dollhouse store. Just rubbing black paint over them, then rubbing it off, makes them look so much better! They will be used in the living room.

I also was able to patch the empty space above the kitchen stove, painted it to match the ceiling, so that is all done. Took a lot of fiddly carving with an exacto, to fit the little piece of thin plywood into the hole nicely.

Also, the new pet came. She's adorable, but her eyes weren't painted and she would look better with actual painted eyes. So when I get a minute, I will paint and gloss her eyes and dab a little gloss on her nose. Looking for a name...

If you haven't seen a baby capybara as a pet, check out here:

http://caplinrous.blogspot.com/

What an adorable beastie!

The Dollhouse Project... Kitchen Dilemma

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 18:56:00 +0000

An unusual element of this dollhouse is the staircase that swoops down in front of the dining room, and takes up much of the space on the first floor. It houses the controls for the lights, but most dollhouses don't have a staircase like this. Because of it, I have less room in the kitchen. Unfortunately, the kitchen has more fun accessories than most of the other rooms... food, spices, utensils, plates, etc. I bought the little cupboard to fill this need... a place to put all of the fun elements. The cupboard (which is not finished, still needs some paint touch ups) has doors that open to reveal shelves and spice racks, and the bottom right is a potato bin. Fun! However, right now the only place to put it is in front of a window! So I am contemplating putting a wall up between the kitchen and the dining room. The wall would be at a slant, behind the cupboard in this position:

(you can always click on the photo for a larger version)

This position really opens up the kitchen, making it more roomy and allowing that window to show. The tile shows better, too! Otherwise, the kitchen will look like this:

You can see how much more crowded it is, this way. Though it does show the refrigerator off better. How cool is this refrigerator?

So I picked up a piece of craft plywood and will probably go ahead and paint and tile it. Which means another trip to the dollhouse store (boo hoo!) but I need the kitchen tile anyway. I could make the wall temporary, until I decide for sure.

What do you think?

Edit: you know, looking at these photos, I think I will repaint the cupboard white with black trim. I worked so hard on this color for it but now it is too dark. It's already white on the inside, so a couple of coats of white on the outside should brighten it right up...

Dollhouse Kitchen, Painting and Tiling

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 05:29:00 +0000

Today, waking up extra early to get started on the kitchen, I first masked the windows and the oak floor in the other room, in case paint got on it. Only the top half of the kitchen needs to be painted, because of the tile going in, but a coat or two on the lower half will protect the wood so it's not a bad idea.

Here, the walls are just starting to be painted.

Now they have their first coat, and it is still nice and early in the morning.

The tile sheets cost about $5 and are large enough to easily tile an entire room. But the white tile is very plain, it needs grout. Grout... grout.... hmmmm... I tried a light tan grout color first but could hardly see it. In dollhouses, a tiny bit of exaggeration is not a bad thing, carefully done. So I added a touch of black, to make a warm grey grout. Just out of the bottle acrylic craft paint. Painted it on with a flat brush....

Let it sit for a few minutes, then wiped with a folded flat paper towel... leaving the 'grout' in the deep areas...

Much better! It took another careful wipe, or two, and a little touching up to make it right. You don't want it perfect... nothing would look perfect in a working kitchen...

After they were all done, I added the border that I had carefully cut out of the leftover floor tiles. Crazy glue keeps it on very nicely!

Here are all of the pieces, with their borders. The cutouts are, of course, for the windows. The seam in the big one will be under the sink, so that's all right.
9 am, time to start working on horses! Can't wait until lunchtime!!

Lunchtime: 12 - 1 pm Meal: Granola bar and fresh blackberries, so I can eat and work. Of course! both of which the birds like, too.
First, I put down the floor, using two sided carpet tape. It had already been cut to size and well fitted. Then, using the same two sided tape, put up the tile walls. The seam under the sink isn't perfect, so I added a row of tiles over the top to disguise the splice. Between eating, reading FB, and taping up the walls, lunch was fun and interesting!

The first wall is up! It looks so much more authentic and detailed, with the grout.

All done for today! It lacks only the baseboard and the fabrication of a piece below the stairwell, covering that gap. (we never bothered with it in the old days) All finished! I want to play with it, but time to go back to work... a kiln firing is in the schedule for tonight and I'd best get a move on!

The Dollhouse Project.. Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 05:27:00 +0000

Here is the bedroom... the wallpaper is picked out, the paint is purchased, so it won't be long before the bedroom is all done up! First the wiring has to be done, new wiring along the walls for wall sconces and floor or table lamps. I'm going to wallpaper the bottom, paint the top, and put a chair rail in between. Looking in my cedar chest, I found an old doilie and salvaged the lacy/tatted corners to make this bedspread. Underneath the bedspread is a pink silk spread that I made, and the two matching pillows. With enough material left over for curtains, its going to be sweet!

You can again see a wire coming down from the ceiling, it never had a fixture since it was made. The bird cage close to the camera is exquisite. Note the desk on the left hand side... a fold down desk with pigeonholes for letters. Of course, there is an armoire in the back... you can see me taking the picture, in the mirror!

Finally, the bathroom. Since the kitchen and the bathroom were the first rooms that I needed to work on, they are the farthest along. The bathroom has pink 'tile'-- its actually a vacuum formed plastic sheet that you cut with scissors.. and I colored in the black tile to recreate the look of a vintage bathroom. (might be more 30-ish than 20-ish but I love it) Cousin Lauren is printing some downloadable dollhouse wallpaper for the bathroom, since I couldn't find anything just right for sale. The problem is that most dollhouses are Victorian, which is too old for this house. Not much wallpaper is made for early twentieth century dollhouses... but I did find.... (drumroll).... Arts and Crafts wallpaper and borders! It is winging its way to me as we speak!

The Dollhouse Project... Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 04:08:00 +0000

There are six rooms in the dollhouse... Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, Hallway Nook, Bathroom, Bedroom, and Attic. The previous post showed the Kitchen. Now we will peek at the rest of the rooms as they stand today.

The Living Room and Dining Room form the rest of the bottom floor. Both floors are oak parquet, and the walls have always been just white. My Grandfather made the windows, some of which actually work, and originally they were crisscrossed with a thin black tape to create leaded glass effects. I'll be redoing those, but not right away. Here is the Living Room:

There is a wire coming out of the ceiling, and a wire coming out of the wall next to the fireplace on the far side. When he built it, we didn't know about dollhouse wiring, he just stripped wires from what he had around (a lamp cord?)and spliced the little lights right into the wiring. Tomorrow I'll show you the insides of the kitchen and bathroom fixtures!

It's hard to see the Dining Room, set as it is behind the stairwell. You can see a peek of it through the kitchen:

The furniture is Arts and Crafts style, and the table is set with blue and white china.

Here is the Hallway Nook:

It is the room at the top of the stairs. You can see the awesome Victorian birdcage against the window, and the other piece of furniture is a display case. Right now it just has a statue in it, but I am considering making a Victorian Taxidermy for it. Wouldn't that be something? Like they inherited their Grandparent's taxidermy... this room is messy, see the newspaper? Must be getting ready to paint...

The Dollhouse Project

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 02:55:00 +0000

My Grandfather was a clever, resourceful, talented man. When I was a pre-teen, he built me a dollhouse. We started out by choosing a style from a book on architecture written in the early 1920's. Then he built it... from scratch... no kit, no plans, just his own creativity. He built it like a house, the walls are hollow and he ran the wiring inside before we finished the interior. He salvaged the wood from garage sales, scraps, and what he had lying around. His tiny workshop was his garage, in my grandparent's house built in the 1930's. A garage more suited to a Model A than a workshop. I remember coming home on summer afternoons, and walking the five or so blocks from our house to my Grandparents house, so that I could help him work on it. In the evening, in the summer, there were frogs croaking from the Los Angeles River that we could hear from inside the garage.

My Grandparent's home, in Los Angeles, as it looks currently via Google Maps

We never really finished it before he passed away. I played with it, and we bought play quality furniture (except for the stove, that was a nice one) Then my interests changed, I grew up and got married, had kids... all the time, the doll house sat at my Grandmother's house. Waiting.

I've always wanted to fix it up and really do it right. Now is the time. I can buy it good furniture, and I can paint and wallpaper it. I can translate my skills, learned over decades since it was built, to finish what my Grandfather started. Do it justice... and do it honor. We don't have a lot left from Lee Edward Wilcox, but we do have the dollhouse, and a few other things he built.

Here it is, as it sits today:

Next, the rooms. I didn't take pictures of the rooms before I started cleaning and refurbishing it, but the process hasn't gone too far so these pictures will have to do. Almost all of the furniture shown in the photos is new... I bought it on a binge, a month or so ago, at my first Miniatures Show. (!!!!) So don't think that these things were our 'play quality'! Only the stove, fireplace, sink and tub, and the nice sofa and chair are original. Everything else is new.

The walls were all white, they only ever had one coat of paint and are dirty. The few rooms that were wallpapered are aged and yellowed. The flooring, when it wasn't beautiful oak parquet (that he and I cut and laid, over months) was dull, cheap linoleum squares.

So I've been immersing myself in 1920's era kitchens. We bought the correct sink (no cabinet underneath) and a stool (because even the most modern kitchens had a stool under the sink, to sit on) and a work table. I also bought a kitchen cupboard.. similar to a hoosier... and am painting it to match the kitchen decor.

Here is the kitchen today. The walls need painting, since the blue paint was just and experiment to see how it looks. The tile on the walls, and the tile border, are just sort of sitting there. That won't get attached until the new wiring is done, and the walls are painted. The color that I chose for the cupboard and the table is too bright, too turquoise, so I went back today and bought a blue paint instead. Will be painting the cupboard and table again tonight. The flooring is awesome.. little white and red hexagons...and I can't wait until it all comes together and I can start buying some of that incredible miniature food!

Haiku is home....

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 22:19:00 +0000

What's green and blue, cuddly and sweet, noisy and gentle?

Why, it's Haiku!

He's only three months old, a Blue Crowned Conure....

He loves to cuddle and have his head rubbed, and he chirps and flutters his wings like a baby..

And if Maia could shoot fire out of her eyes, he would be a charcoal briquet!

Finally... new carpet and paint!

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 05:10:00 +0000

You know, carpet is something that you take for granted until you begin to realize that it has gone waaaaaay past its time. When it is covered in spots that don't come out,and you begin to buy throw rugs to cover them. When it has gone so flat that even the strongest vacuum won't make it fluffy again. When it... smells. Like old dog, and gym shorts, and abandoned school lockers. Ugh.

So, we ordered new carpet... good old Home Depot credit card! No interest if paid within six months. We bought our furniture like that, and just paid it off, so we had room in the budget for carpet payments. I knew it would be a hassle... especially the china cabinets... but I kept that goal in front of my mind, like a beacon.

And boy, did I need a beacon. A beam of light. A torch in the darkness. Because it was MUCH more work than expected.

We wanted to paint first, of course. No use putting in new carpet and then having to cover it, so that you can paint! Who knew that Southern California would experience the wettest fall in decades... and it always rained on the weekends? We bought a zero VOC paint (no volatile organic compounds) so that we wouldn't kill Maia, because paint fumes are toxic to birds. It is great stuff! Craig and I usually get a headache from paint fumes, but no headache this time! We could even close the windows at night and not be halfway sick. It's about $10 a gallon more, but since it only took five gallons to paint the living room, dining room, and hallway... no headaches for $50? You bet! The colors were more limited, but I am in LOVE with the color now that its up! It dried quickly, too. Very nice product.

We also decided to replace the baseboards. The old baseboard was the very cheapest, small junk. We wanted something more updated. Craig ("Mr. I-have-a-compound-miter-saw-and-I-know-how-to-use-it") was enthusiastic about doing that, since he knew how good it would look. You know, it went pretty well all considered. I was hesitant about using the pneumatic nail gun but it's pretty safe and easy, once you figure out how to put the nails in. (The instructions said "put the nails in". That's it. All the rest was warnings, cautions, and bold exclamation points inside of nuclear triangles I swear)

We also had to tear the old carpet and pad out ourselves... they wanted $600 to do it! Took us one day, and one dump load, for a total of $25. Not counting the backache and lost work time... and the nose full of dust. Oh, and stepping on the tack strip... twice... barefoot.

Took four days to pack the chinas up, because I kept inhaling so much dust that my nose would run and I couldn't pack any more. Then I moved them out onto the patio, in cardboard boxes, and the china cabinets out into the front yard. And it promptly rained. All night. We were out at 11 pm covering everything with tarps, in our PJs. Sigh.

Well, to cut a long story short, everything is done, and back in, and all that remains is the china collection needing to be put back into the cabinets. They moved to the dining room, they look super there!

Casper shows off the new tile that Bob and I did (my pattern, I am so proud of myself!) and the new door, with the carpet, tile and wall color.

The dollhouse is now over next to the door. My Grandfather built this dollhouse from scratch, when I was young. We took the floor plan and front style from a 1910 architecture book. Everything in it is hand made, including the window frames and door, the staircase, hardwood floors, and turned brass fixtures. Eventually, it will be decorated with decent furniture now that the kids are grown...

And to match the new wall color, the new bird... Haiku! What a sweetie! More on him later...

Maureen glazed this Maydee

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 04:23:00 +0000

Just wanted to share the photos of this Maydee that was painted and glazed by Maureen Love, probably back in 1953-1954 when the original production run was done. Makes you suspect that there was a Wrangler too, whose brown pinto color was simplified by the factory into the basic Wrangler that was produced.

Love her!

Joanie

Haiku coming soon!

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:29:00 +0000

Maia is such a delight... I never knew that birds could be so loving! Maia is, however, Craig's bird, so I wanted one of my own. After a lot of research, thought, and soul searching about what I wanted in a bird, I found the kind that most seemed like a good fit... a Blue Crowned Conure. They are a bit bigger than Maia... she is about 12" from beak to tail tip, and Blue Crowneds are about 14"... and not as colorful, but more likely to talk, and very amenable to learning tricks. (who doesn't love a parrot that can do tricks?) The breeder that I chose is in Georgia, and she will be shipping the bird at the end of the month. We already have an extra cage (because Maia has two!) and enough food for a flock, so we are ready for him any time.

Here he is with his breeder, at least this might be him... she has three and they are identical in the photos. She is going to mark his beak and take more pictures tomorrow. (There is one nest mate left for sale, btw, if anyone wants a fantastic companion bird! Her link is here:

Brightwood Aviary

I chose a woman breeder because it seems more likely that the bird will bond with a woman, after having been hand fed since about 3 weeks old by a woman. Also, she is a great gal, a horse woman, a dog lover (she has an Eskie!) and just the nicest to talk to. We chatted away like old friends! Her birds are very hand tamed, very vocally responsive (a good trait if you want a talker) and very healthy.

His name will be Haiku... like the Japanese poems. Small, nuanced, layered in meanings, and sometimes with a surprise twist at the end. That's how conures are, they are often called "mini Macaws" because they are thinkers. It's been so fascinating, watching Maia during the day as I work... she has definite rhythms, an internal schedule, moods, and preferences. Different than the dogs, but if you watch her, she communicates just as clearly... the language and accent are different, but the meaning is the same. She has learned a couple of tricks that I will put up movies about later.

He will be shipped from Georgia in a cage/crate, traveling just like a dog or a cat would, with food and water and toys. He will have a direct flight to San Diego, where I will pick him up at the terminal. Apparently this is done all the time with birds. Even with the flight costs, he will be less expensive than Maia was... the difference between buying from a pet store, and buying directly from the breeder.

Maia has a new play tree

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 03:48:00 +0000

Thanks to Jeanene Bernardin, Maia has a new play tree! Jeanene visited recently and brought us a new cage (smaller but useful for outside or for traveling) and a play stand. But I wanted to change the top of the play stand, and put a tree on it instead. So, I unscrewed the "T" top with the feeders on either side, and went out seeking a nice branch. Cathy, who is Johnny's mom and has a wholesale florist shop, had some manzanita branches that were just right... and at the right price, too!

$25 bought this gorgeous sand blasted manzanita branch. I brought it home and lopped off all of the little branches, all of the pokey bits, and sawed the end straight. Then I just drilled and screwed! The white chain is from the hardware store... it's plastic... and the toys are from PetSmart (on sale!) So for less than $35, Maia has a new play stand... isn't she a pretty bird?