I'm a Giant challenge-Doll House Do-up #7

Doll Housing.

It's educational as well as fun.

The things doll housing has taught me this week.

I could never be a solvent sniffer.

I have developed a distinct aversion. I hold my breath whilst gluing and then race the bits outside to dry and have insects commit suicide on. Sometimes, when it all goes wrong (like when I cut myself with the scalpel at the same time as glueing my little finger to a piece of cardboard) I can hold my breath for a really. long. time.

Maybe it's the breath holding and not the glue that makes me feel sick and dizzy?

There are more glues out there for different purposes than there are sheep in NZ.

I now have 7 of my own. Small fry. Did you know there are whole aisles in hardware stores dedicated to glues? Must be nice for glue sniffers. Kind of like a deli. Well for ones with a well developed palette I suppose.

Colour does funny things in small spaces.

Like changing colour completely. Sometimes darker, some time lighter, never quite right or what you wanted. I wonder how it works? I mean there must be a science to it that, if I understood the rules, I could actually get the colour I wanted first time.

Anyway, speaking of colour. Want to see something cool?

Mad innit?!

It's just kids foam squares stuck together

With a couple of bits of balsa wood, chopped up BBQ skewers for feet, and amazing glue that won't let me pull the feet off no matter how hard I tug.

The foam squares I opp-ed of course, and I thought I'd cover them with my nice fabric initially.

Bit it was tricky, and messy looking, time consuming and the fabric look like stone wash denim on the small scale. Puzzling. It's a gorgeous dark teal when the whole piece is laid out on the floor. Gah!

So anyhow, as I'm pretty lazy, and pretty anti-stone wash denim, the multi-coloured sofa and chair won out of course.

It goes quite well with the shelving units I also op-ed (photographic slide holders in a previous life)

and the work in progress Lego masterpiece mantelpiece.

Not sure about the all the colour though. Colour is not my normal habitat.

Not sure how, or if, I can make it work with the wood floor and mid-century wood bits and bobs.

I suspect I need a rug or a 'wall treatment' (heh heh heh!) to 'pull it all together'.

And heyyyyyyy, progress is also apace on the ball chair.

After calling around all my mum-mates to see if anyone had a white ball in their ball pool (nope) I decided to go with red.

I finally figured out how to get a straighter edge, with my the help of my glamorous assistants:-

Ms Eye liner (it's rub off-able) and Miss Compass

I have had a bit of trouble lining it with felt neatly , but I have googled what I hope is a solution...

and all I can say is... watch out Weta Workshops!

That Breakfast at Tiffany's bed-ex letter rack is coming together nicely too, thanks to the welding skills of the local mechanic, and the wood workery skills of the grandad at the local hardware store (both free of charge thanks to Clauds cute poppet charm). And the hubby (ta love x)

It just needs feet, a mattress, sheets, a pillow and a quilt.

Hmmm. I'll be very surprised if this house is complete by Dec 15th. Good job Claudine's not getting it unitl she's 3, I'm think I'm going to need an extra year up my sleeve at this rate.

No further with the tulip kitchen table, tsk tsk! Straws are too bendy, and I can't find anything else suitable at the mo. Have my eyes peeled for a stemmed plastic drinking glass (great suggestion Ms Make Mine Mid Century, thanks!)

Oh look!

Heres one!

Just a little too teeny-tiny for table making opp-ed cocktail stirrers!

I so nearly didn't cut them up, they would have been great in my future drinkies cabinet, but as they were the  perfect size for my now doll house they got the chop.

As will this shortly

Future lampshade for red and white bedroom.

And to finish I wanted to ask for your help.

I mentioned early on that I want the dolly house to have that crafters look, in miniature, that I love.

I'm chuffed with how my mini knitted tea cosy turned out, and the mini-pennant bunting and pom pom bunting are beyone cute. But I'd like a little something crafty related in each room, so I'm compiling a little list of 'craft cliches' to choose, and make my finishing touches from.

So far, in addition to the above I have:-

granny square blanket

retro tea towels

patchwork quilt

embroidery hoop art

owl wall hanging

Please make a suggestion in the comments

(and do feel free to suggest how to make it too!!!)

Come on-what's screams 'cute craft cliche' decor to you???

There will be a (cute craft cliche) prize for my favorite suggestion, so make sure you link back to your blog or leave your email address

Thanks for looking at my glue intoxication induced madness and I hope to see you here next week :0)

Linking up with the I'm a Giant Challenge and Our Creative Spaces