Hello friends. Yes, I have been MIA for quite a long while. I first took a hiatus from the Newbury because I had other things to do and rather lost interest because that little house has been such a challenge to build.
With good intentions to get back at it after the first of the year, I got distracted from the actual build when I focused on making chandeliers for the Livingroom, bathroom and bedroom— yet another unfinished project. I’ll preview the design for you.
The end of March after doing what I thought was just a routine grooming of the garden—as I have done for years, I injured myself. At first, I thought it was my bum shoulder acting up, but it turned out much worse. After 8 weeks suffering the pain of a pinched nerve, I finally had neck surgery, but dodged the shoulder replacement with injections, instead. Now pain free but still recovering and trying to regain my overall strength, I have been working on the Newbury. The kitchen is finished which I will share today.
I also visited the local junk store here in town and found a fabulous offering of minis. I had seen on Gone for Good’s Facebook page that they had a dollhouse for sale, the Duracraft Bellingham. I still was not moving around much outside the house, so I did not go see the dollhouse. It has since sold. I would not have been tempted to buy it because my Texas Farmhouse is the Bellingham. What a great buy one got for $200 with furniture. The Bellingham is a great farmhouse with so many possibilities, and a fairly easy build.
So give me few moments to get the photos downloaded and I’ll be back.
Where to start: The Wallpaper: Sourced online. The border is printed on mat photo paper, while the diamond is printed on glossy photo paper. While some seal their printed wallpapers with an acrylic clear coat sealer, I've stopped doing that because the last time I used it, the ink smeared and the I cannot tolerate the odor. I feel that if I keep direct sun off of the walls and by using photo quality paper, the designs should last.
Instead of painting the walls, I covered them with cardstock sourced from a Hobby Lobby 12x12 paper pack.
I had so many little accent pieces to add to the kitchen, but it is a small kitchen. I originally planned a shelf that would span nearly the width of the stove wall, but I was having a really hard time deciding how to decorate it and I needed to add storage, so I went with box shelves that were in my wood scrap tub--already made, I just had to paint them. Still I wanted to add some charm and interest to the room; those, from left to right: a clock, a pig cutting board, and a rooster which is actually a scrapbooking type button. They just sit on top of the window trim.
Most of the items have come from my stash. The chair in the very front with the woven seat was a Goodwill find in a bag of minis. The hoosier and mixing bowl on the chair were Etsy purchases. I made the wall cupboards from scraps of 1/16" basswood. The I've been collection copper pots, so they came from various places. I made the stool from scrap wood.
I've also got a collection of foods; some I purchased, but mostly I've made my own foods. I got into that a couple of years ago and made quite a bit. Using polymer clay can be intimidating, but if I can do it so can you. I found several artists on Youtube who are very good at teaching the basics of using polymer clay, but it is an investment for tools, but so satisfying and I do believe that you end up saving money by making your own--if you are that much into making little things.
I will say this: if you are only going to build 1 house then investing in a lot of tools and paraphernalia to hand make everything can add up--just buy the items--but who does just one house?
I have 3 large farmhouses, all fairly the same, so I wanted this one to be different. Maybe turn of the century--1900. At first I considered the plain white generic fridge that so many houses have. Plain, common, and not quite of the period. I had not used an icebox yet in my houses, I dug one out of my stash.
An icebox needed ice and I found the cube of ice on Etsy. Now, about 1900 electricity was becoming more mainstream, but I am sure that this homemaker was not ready to make the dramatic move. While her lighting will be electric, the main household appliances just have been slow to convert.
I have made my share of kitchen cabinets for 2 farmhouses and I wanted this one to be a bit different. I've used Houseworks cabinet kits on the Bellingham and they are easy to assemble and look great. Handmaking cabinets is just so tedious. I always sourced them at Miniatures. com, but as most know the company was purchased by Miniature Crush, but these kits are still available now through both companies, so if you are not into the DIY, but still want that handmade experience, Houseworks cabinets are good choice.
Every now and then bloggers, Youtubers, and other Social Media have that discussion about gluing shelfing and decor to the beautiful wallpaper, with many preferring to use museum wax. I've had that one to one debate with myself and decided to glue things in place! I'm not one to move furniture or change wall art in my living space, nor am I going to in my dollhouses, so I am going to affix things so that they stay put.
To hang the heavy wall cupboards, I used this wide double stick
--very double sticky carpet tape, adding glue to the bare wood. I've always had trouble hold heavy pieces in place with just glue, so adding tape to the back of item holds it in place with the glues
I've been collecting mini pieces for 10 years now, so I search for the just right piece in stash first, finding interesting things like a fly swatter and the black "cast iron" skillets, which make a nice contrast to stove brass trim and the copper cookware. I used tiny little scrapbooking brads to fashion into hanging hooks and glued in place.
Curtains have always been a challenge for me. Even in home, I have very simple window covers, sheer curtains, no shades, except pleated blinds in the two bedrooms. I like the light and the I like the view. We are not quite out in the country--in the edge a tiny town on 5 acres, so I really don't worry about privacy. Growing up an old farmhouse, the need for wide open spaces and natural light is in engrained in my psyche. So I shuffled through my papers and found scraps of vellum representing dotted Swiss fabric. I used pieces cut from paper doilies for the trim. I love them. Simple yet pretty.
There is probably more that I could share about the kitchen. The wood burning stove would appropriate for a 1900 kitchen and even today this type of stove can be found in modern country kitchens, probably covered to gas.
Moving into the Entry, It is close to being finished--still need to add that piece of trim and the light. I made the hall tree using a vintage one from another house as the pattern. I do love the way it turned out. I'll add some art work, and some sort of rug. I may leave the little round table in place, but design a different potted plant or floral arrangement to add color and interest.
Now here is the real gem: the hats. I wanted some turn of the century hats--the top hat or derby for the man and a beautiful hat with matching purse and parasol. Boy did I get lucky when I dropped into Gone for Good, the local junk store just around the corner a few blocks away. I came home with almost of $100. of vintage, hard to find that were perfect for the Newbury.
HOW LUCKY! I found pieces that I used actually lust over, but never wanted to spend the money.
I knew that I was going to have to make the hats and parasols, so I began searching Pinterest for tutorials and patterns. I already had made hats when I did my first house, the Blue Farm House now Pink. I love the bedroom in that house, where I made so much of what is in it. These hats are so easy to make. I found the tutorial on the Pinterest, using a water bottle plastic cap, some paint, and bits of pieces of whatever ver fabric, ribbons, and flowers that you might. They are really simple and so cute, but. . .
The proprietor of the store shared with me that she found the miniature pieces at an estate sale. She even added to shelf where she had the mini pieces, a sales ticket that listed some items that the lady had purchased, paying $100. for a sofa. I was amazed to see that the receipt was from Norm's Dollhouse store in Denver, the only dollhouse store in the area. It was a day trip for us to go visit. Now I know where my lovely hats came from originally. Norm's closed some years ago, but his son David and wife can be found at Denver's local dollhouse and miniature shows. I haven't checked recently, but they did have an Etsy store, with great items.
For me these items were a great bargain. I didn't feel at guilty buying spending that much money, for I had not been shopping for over 6 weeks while I recovered from my neck surgery, so I didn't hold back. In fact, I may go back a pick up few more pieces that I couldn't decide on.
I love that the Artist and the original price tag are still in place. I paid $10. for each hat and parasol.
The blue hat is a bit smaller, but just as elegant. Even more special: the artist, the date, and the original price, probably purchased at Norm's.
Such an elegant hat this one is.
Finally, these two sweet little hats, each $10 a piece.
And there more Items that I purchased: I had been research knife making tutorials, look what I found. The knives seem to be larger than the ones showed on the tutorials and even the ones in the stores, but perhaps they are more realistic. I don't know. While I am pretty much a stickler for scale, I do allow for some cheating. I already have the chopping block in the kitchen that I have decorated, but I think I'll add this one anyway. What do you think? Too much?
Finally a really sweet chair. I have a thing for chairs--even in real life. I did purchase another chair, but it is already in the house in the bathroom.
Oh and just in case you've not met Pink, I'll introduce you. She is my consultant, telling me exactly what she thinks. She likes the chair. My granddaughter blinged her up. She was supposed to model the hats, but she's not a hat girl. So I found her and her roommates in plastic bag in the thrift store. Poor girls. Their life as MacDonald's Happy Meal prizes sure didn't take them very far in life. I suppose that's why she is sassy, but she offers sound advice. Despite that pink hair, she does have good judgment.
Finally a bit of light.
While I've writing, I've had the TV on watching Diva Miniatures on Youtube. She's lighting one house with battery operated lights that are turned on with a magnetic wand,--the popular new technology-- so now I am beginning to rethink my own approach to lighting--but I'm too far into this project to change.
Once again I turned to me stashes--beads and findings that I order from the Netherlands, Bindles Ornaments that such has wonderful quality beading supplies, reasonably priced. I got stuck because I didn't have quite enough to finish the two lights that I've been working so I'll have to place an order.
Currently, I am trying to decide if I am going to have a light in each arm (4) or if I will add candles instead and have one light in the center bottom. Probably that.
Dainty chandeliers are easily crafter, but they do require a lot of supplies that you might not have; once again requiring an investment in not only bead work but the tools necessary to work with beading. I had a bead stash and the tools because at one time I dabbled in beading long before I got into minis. I do think that if I were to another house, I rather like the battery magnetic lights, by my gosh that might be expensive. But if you are doing your first house and are intimidated with electrical wiring, battery lights are the way to go.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope to back sooner than later. I have the living room to tidy up and then I can move on to the upstairs.
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