Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Doll House do-up #2


Where to begin, where to begin, where to begin. I've been very busy on the doll house do-up front, enthused, to put it mildly! So here is...well, where I'm up to. Now, some of these ideas won't surprise those of you who follow my blog actively; such as a plan for map wallpaper in one bedroom; and this washi paper room plan...

This is for the 'grown ups' bedroom. The crazy drawers I found on a junk stall at the local school fair on Sunday. I think it was supposed to be a jewllery box, but had a handle missing. The tortoise shell mirror is made by moi from an old hair slide and the mirror out of a broken compact. I've got a couple of tortoise shell hair slides to use as handles too once I've sanded and stained the handle patches.

I've also ordered the craft gadget, called a 'yo yo maker' to make the following quilt for the bed...

Isn't it awesome!
(and totally in-keeping with the 'crafty' vibe I want the dolly-house to have)

I spied it at a doll house show held last the weekend in Christchurch. Whilst the show was VERY victorian doll house heavy, there were a couple of charmers I though you guys might like too...



                         And for Christchurchians, this might bring a tear to your eye as it did mine...

The Piko whole foods store, destroyed in the earthquake along with nearly all of our other beautiful redbricks. Sniff.
                                             Anyways, onwards and downwards to la kitchen.

This is the colour inspiration, the last remnant of my fave ever op-shop fabric find from years ago

Not quite sure what colour to ask for down the Resene shop... dead daffodil for my kitchen walls please? I'll make some little cushions with the last bits for the kitchen seating (ideally a miniture Saarinen tulip table and two chairs, but more likely a homemade from op-shopped balsa wood scrub top table and chairs).


Hey, check out that flooring...and this flooring...


Oh the things I've learnt about lolly sticks. The main one being, you get what you pay for cheapskate. What I'm going to do with 1000 crappy splintery hopeless-for-parquay-ing lolly sticks I don't know. Actually, does anyone know of any cool lolly stick crafts? Seriously, I'd hate for them to go to waste. Maybe I'll weatherboard the outside and turn it into a villa...hmmm. It was my own fault though. Normally I wouldn't quibble over the price of lolly sticks, but it is turning out to be a rather expensive exercise this dolly-house doing up. Lamps for example were $10 each at the show. Obviously I didn't buy any, and was later chuffed at my savvy when I found these buttons down the local craft store for a dollar each instead


   I'm trying to save my cash for one special piece of furniture, or something I just couldn't find or make.

                                             When I saw this at the show I got pangs

The A.G.A. A.h.h.h.h!
Wouldn't it be perfect in my Country Living (UK) style kitchen?
Given Aga's here cost 3 times as much as they do in the UK, where they cost loads anyway, my chances of getting the real thing are slim to say the least so I felt I deserved a miniature version.

'Only' 55 pounds when I googled it, eeeeyyyykkkk! Right scrub that idea then!

To stop me obsessing about it I went down the 'free-shop' (the backroom at the local charity barn where they let you sift stuff before it goes to landfill; where everything costs nothing).

Pah! Who needs an aga when they have...

                    A snazzy-placky microwave; plus kitchen friends! Zero dollars, hey, thats more like it!
                          Can't you just smell that roast chicken. You want to move in don't you?!

                             I also got the makings of a couple of beds for free, and some other bits and bobs.
                                                                     Long live the free shop!


 
                                                Other stuff I've been playing at making are:-

                                                             Mini pom pom bunting!
and
Lego mantelpiece-makings


Blimmey, this is fun!

I could go on, but phew for you, I think thats quite enought for one blog post, and certainly enought to cover my creative space; flea market finds; mantelpiece Monday and the 'I'm a giant' challenge for this week, heh!!!!

See thee next week x

17 comments:

  1. Wahoo that's a bit of a rush! I am getting very excited for you!

    NOW WHY don't any op shops up here have a FREE SHOP?!!! Heck that sounds good!

    Nice work! Happy days!

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  2. Is this p-r-e-t-t-y special dolls house for Claude or for her Mummy? That's what I want to know Max. Ha-Ha. Looks like you're having loads of fun putting it together, I especially LOVE the yo-yo quilt and the tiny pom-pom garland. And the "parquetry" floor (how clever!) Too sweet. Will keep my eyes open for dolls house stuff for you (and Claude) x

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  3. What fun!!! Given me some ideas when we I mean I do up Miss 5s dolls house.Love the floor idea I was looking at wood look contact but yours is better.I cant believe you can go thru the stuff before landfill I wish we could do that here.

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  4. Yay for the free shop! It seems like you're having a lot of fun. I like that yo-yo quilt.

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  5. Wow, your creative juices are overflowing! Keep it up, I'm loving this, if only doing your own home was as easy/fun. Lucy x

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  6. Oh I enjoyed this post so much! I'm now seriously thinking about heading back to Wales and liberating my dolls' house from my old room. The quilt is so sweet, and I am astounded at the parquet floor idea, shame it's not working quite as you'd hoped. Magnum/Solero lolly sticks are a bit tougher than normal ones - you'd not get so many bits out of them though. Hmm, can you tell I'm really into this? After re-reading The Borrowers Afield, I seem to remember that in one of the books they had framed postage stamps on their walls as pictures...

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  7. Can you tell us how you made the bunting? I'm thinking the same for my house!

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  8. i can't wait to see how it turns out! i love the tiny little pom pom bunting1

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  9. Oh my goodness you are putting my dollhouse plans to shame - I want your dollhouse instead! Plus its only 3 months to Christmas now, not sure mine will get finished, may become a birthday pressie instead:) Cyndy

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  10. Who knew miniature flooring could look so good! Fab :)

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  11. You have some great ideas happening here!

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  12. So impressed by the dedication and imagination that you are putting into this project, but just wondering... will Claude be allowed to play with it when its finished or will she just have to sit and look at it ;-)

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  13. I LOVE This! I think my big project for next year will be a dolls house do up. with 3 girls at least one might get into dolls! Cant wait to see the end result!

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  14. O,my,loving the dolls house!!! I never had one,I used two shelves of my bookshelf for my Barbies apartment!!! The yo yo quilt is rocking my world,and o,the Piko house!!! I loved that building! they're open just down the road from us now,not a character building,but we're so happy to have them in the neighbourhood,and they've done up an old video shop nicely!
    XXX

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  15. Hello Max,

    Had to pop over when you mentioned miniatures! I love them too, and this project looks so much fun! I have to make model boxes for set designs all the time in 1:25 scale - so it's just like a dolls house really. The floor is looking lovely, lolly sticks are great for loads of stuff aren't they? I sometimes use coffee stirrers as well. I absolutely love the tiny caravan and the teapot room! So cute!

    x Rachel

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  16. There are some great ideas there! Think you could recreate some on a human scale for my house? Starting with the parquetry, of course...

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