Christmas Carole Dollhouse: The Shop

I'm almost done with the first room. It's the downstairs room that I'm calling the shop. The room is light green. I painted random shapes in dark green and gold to simulate a Victorian wallpaper. The baseboards and crown moldings are dark brown and glossed. The top also has a lattice trim that I cut out of cardstock and painted gold.

I painted a ceiling medallion gold and highlighted it with red. The chandelier is my own handmade light. I just bent the wire and added a single light in the middle of the chandelier. The candles are actually cut cotton swabs painted gold.

I made red velvet curtains. They are hairsprayed so they stay perfectly in place.In the window, I made a little Christmas scene. There are Christmas trees with snow, Santa's naughty or nice list, a Victorian Santa ornament and a glittered Merry Christmas sign.

I made the fireplace by hand. Santa's clothes and boots are drying there!

I still need to hinge the door in place and add snow and decorations outside and on top of the mantle.

The next room is going to be the red room. The walls are already red and the ceiling cream.

Christmas Carole Dollhouse: Stairs

I want a lot of red inside this dollhouse. I started with the stairs. I used a red upholstery fabric as a runner.

First,  I painted the stairs a very dark brown and glossed it. Then I hot glued the runner, making sure it was tight around each step. I started at the bottom and glued one step at a time.

I painted some gold detail on the side and on the railings. Then I looked at it and thought it was missing something.

Runner brackets! I used these gold foil wires that I had removed from ribbon for another project.

I also did one room's wood floor and cut out the carpet for another room. It's back to work on the Christmas Dollhouse!!

Folk Art Rabbit Painting

Today, I painted a bunny. This is not my design. I just saw it in a store and thought I could paint it. It was way too small in the store. I had to super size mine to go in the kitchen eating area. This one is 3 feet long.

I'm making another smaller one in a light palette and will put it in my Etsy shop.

Away Too Long!

O.K. I've been away from my blog and blog world way way too long!

I have been working on so many projects that I haven't had any spare time. I have had tons of little glitter house villages to make. The poor Christmas Carole dollhouse has suffered too! She is just sitting there waiting patiently.

I made a couple of rag garlands with little houses.

And a shabby chic one:

And some custom orders including this one for Dee...

And too many others to mention. I won't bore you any more!
As for the Christmas Carole dollhouse, I've only gotten one of the roofs shingled and I started one fireplace. Hopefully, I can find some time to work on it soon!

Christmas Carol Dollhouse

The Christmas  Carol dollhouse's exterior is mostly painted. For the exterior walls I did a stucco and timber, brick, stone, stucco and wood.I love having all different types of walls. It makes the house look so much more cozy.

All the walls are actually concrete that I carved into different finishes. What makes it come alive is the paint job, especially the aging.

I googled medieval street and this side of a building with this deep salmon color came up. I knew that was the right look for my house. Of course mine had to look much more old and worn, so I use a watered down black and brown paint mix to glaze everything.

I added the little angel since this is going to be Christmas themed.

I brought the bricks to the front of the house for continuity. And for the first floor I've painted everything dark green. I will give the green a couple coats of gloss to look like painted wood.

I did all the trims dark. I love the look of weathered, old, stained wood.

Next, doors and the chimney. Then I'm going inside and tackling the floors!


A special thank you to Gloria for doing another blog post about the clothespins I make. If you want to see it here's the link:
http://thelittleredhousewiththewhiteporch.blogspot.com/2010/10/back-to-my-little-obsession.html#links

Christmas Carol Dollhouse

I'm working on the side of the house that I know how I want it to look first.

I've put on a coat of concrete(this is a strong house).

And then I painted it. The bottom opening will probably be shop doors.

I love this side. It came out exactly like I pictured it. 

A Little Christmas Whimsy for my Etsy Shop

Today, I worked on Christmas stuff.

The little clothespins are all dressed up. They're all hand painted(and not just the front. I take apart each clothespin, paint all sides and put it back together. Quite painful at times!) Then I added little bobbles to make them festive.

This is a little house ornament. I think I'll make 3 more and offer them as a set. I made my own  template for the house, cut it out and painted it. 

This one's not finished yet. I put snow on it and it's taking forever to dry. So I have to wait to put the last pieces of candy on it. 

What about the dollhouse? Well here's what it looks like today:

I have the left side of the house all figured out. But the side with the porch and balcony is not exactly what I wanted. I'll have to think about it some more!

Samplers and Dollhouses

A couple of days before I went on vacation I started a sampler. I was cruising the internet when I happened upon a blog that I loved a year ago and then lost the site! Well there it was!! It's called Inspireco. Many of you have probably seen it. It's the cutest. Amy(the author) started another blog about 39 squares for a sampler. I just had to try it out. And I'm hooked!!

 Some of the designs come straight from Amy's blog like the gumball machine, Marie Antoinette(I had to add closed eyes with eyelashes to mine because my sister complained that she couldn't tell what it was!), cupcake,sheep, bobbins,teacup,,bowl of cherries,bluebird,house,nest,little girl legs, and the birthday cake. Then I added some of my own: the poodle,yorkie,cat,mouse,sailboat,crown,pumpkin,ice cream,strawberry,bee. I also put on some bobbles I had around. There's a cameo, cabochon, button, twine bow, a mini clothespin, ribbon,rose,butterfly and star.

This is such a fun sampler to do. The only special stitches I used were french knots and chain.
Of course I already started the next one!!

It's Christmas themed. Here's the first square: a mitten.

Now for a dollhouse update! Here's what it looks like right now:

Impressing isn't it? No? I guess I'll have to do more work on it! I'm getting ready to cut out holes for windows and a door in the front. It's going to be like a couple of shops on a Victorian English street(Christmas Carol).  I'm doing at least 3 different finishes outside: a brick, a stone and a stucco/ wood trim upstairs.

Amy's blogs: InspireCo
   
                           39Squares

Back From Florida!

Took a little vacation to the Sandestin area in Florida. I love those gorgeous white beaches!

This is the first time I went when there were no waves. I'm not a wave fan! I love when the ocean is calm. I think it is so serene and just like the Caribbean.

There were tons of Monarch butterflies everywhere.

Same place but totally different scenery! Didn't see any alligators.

We finished in New Orleans. Beignets anyone?

I had tons of fun. Now back to my miniature houses!!