Sprinkled With Love Cottage Custom Dollhouse

 Sprinkled With Love Cottage Dollhouse is done. Although I found it hard to stop with the details. This was one of those houses that I could have gone on and on with. But I have to leave some fun for the next owner. 

 I put vines on all 4 sides. I wanted a very lush garden look.

I made the beehive with air dry clay. Just make a couple of long thin snakes and wrap into the hive shape and poked a hole at the bottom. I painted it with golden brown paint and highlighted with white while the brown was still wet.  I made the table wit scrap wood and added the little knob so it looks like there's a drawer.

I picked up this rake and shovel at a little store nearby. Irresistible!

I also found the chair, watering can and darling wire fence at the same shop.

 Battery and switch hiding place: the chimney.

No time to dwell on this charmer! I have to get back to Ballerina Cottage. If you're interested in the Sprinkled With Love Cottage I will have it in my Etsy shop Cinderella Moments.

Sprinkled With Love Cottage and Ballerina Cottage Dollhouses

Sprinkled With Love Cottage is coming along. In fact, in will be finished very soon.

The windows still need to be paned. This dollhouse has the battery operated lights with the switch and battery hidden in the chimney.

These are pine shingles painted gray and cut with a special edge scissor.

For Ballerina cottage I decided to do the first electric light dollhouse in Cinderella Moment history! OK it's not so dramatic. Actually it is so simple I can't believe I put off trying it out for so long!
I got the Cir-Kit starter kit:

I got it at Hobby Lobby. I also bought 2 light bulbs to make my own chandelier.

I cut off the plug part of the light bulbs and stripped the wires. There is an incredibly simple tutorial about the whole electric thing here: http://www.cdhm.org/tutorials/learn-to-tapewire-a-dollhouse.html
If I had found this before I wouldn't have hesitated for so long.

The tape is super easy to stick on. I used needlenose pliers to put the tiny eyelets and brads in with no problems.

The chandelier has one light in the middle. For the next project I'll try putting a bulb on each arm. But for now this will do.

This is the ceiling medallion for the chandelier.

I used plaster on the walls and it covered the electrical tape with no problem.

The medallion and this rose decoration above the window are by Melissa Frances. I get these cuties from Niki at Artistic Supplies on Etsy. She has the best prices and a huge selection. These are perfectly sized for dollhouses!! Love them.

The outside still looks the same. The mirrors have been hard to deal with! I was able to strip them of the paint. But the patina is hard to achieve.

Sprinkled With Love Cottage Dollhouse

I'm starting to put the siding on the house.  I used cardboard with the top layer ripped off. I butter the house with concrete and then stick on the siding.  This makes the house strong for shipping.

Inside everything is white. I put the Swiss dot lace curtains in already. And the chandeliers are all wired in place.

I'm also working on the Ballerina Cottage. I tried to age the mirrors. No luck yet. I think I'll have to go the traditional road with paint thinner and Drano splatters or maybe bleach. I'll let you know which works.

Sprinkled With Love Cottage Dollhouse and Ballerina Cottage

I worked on some details for "Sprinkled With Love Cottage."  

On the sign I added pink, fine glitter and shadows for the house and cupcake. That's the top of the white mantel you see under the sign. I tried something new for this mantel, I used a real ribbon tied into a bow and painted. It turned out fantastic! It hardened perfectly and now looks like a wood carving. I aged the mantel  with a brown ink pad.

I made the chandeliers too.

I'll try to put this little pink one on the front porch.

The front will have this little bay window.

This is the front door. I used a Melissa Frances heart embellishment.

On the other side I stamped a crown in brown ink.

The wood floor is going in. These are Popsicle sticks.

The interior is completely coated with plaster.

I also started another dollhouse. I doodled this house a while back.

I have no idea how close to it I can get, but I'm going to try. This will be the Ballerina Cottage dollhouse.

I have just put the walls and floor together after having cut out my windows and door.

For this one, I imagine a ballerina's tiny place. Very sophisticated in cream, ocre and grays. Maybe a wall of mirrors and ballet bar., ballet paintings and photos.  Can you envision it?  I'm so excited about this one too!

Sprinkled With Love Cottage Dollhouse

I saw this sign in a store once. It read "Grandma's house where each little cupcake is sprinkled with love". I thought that was the cutest. So I changed Grandma to Home and went to work on my new dollhouse project. 

I cut out some cardboard for the siding. I will put a layer of concrete underneath to strengthen the house.

This house has lots of  big windows.

I started the chandeliers. One will be crystal and the other pink. I'm hoping to be able to fit one on the front porch.