Small things

As I mentioned in Monday’s post, since I am all caught up with my projects, I want to start refocusing some attention to the dollhouse.  I thought I would use this post to share some things I have created.

While I am procrastinating on the actual restoration of the house I’ve been creating the furnishings and belongings of the house’s occupant.  I didn’t intend for this to happen but as I began acquiring and making things for the house a story began to emerge on who actually lives there.  I can’t adequately explain it.  It’s like I have a muse.  She is an elderly woman who has had a rich and intriguing past.

She is very creative, as evidenced by the paint supplies and she may have been a circus horseback rider back in the day.  She has many mementos from her days traveling across the county with the circus.  Puppet theater inspired by Guignol.

Most of the furnishings I’ve made are actually for the attic.  To me that is far the most interesting space to furnish.

Most of what I make is from bass wood I get at the craft store or local hardware store.  It’s a little less soft than balsa wood and I just find it easier to work with.  I will also employ Popsicle sticks in my creations.  I have a box of Popsicle sticks that Rick bought when he was 9 or 10 years old.  They are a much better quality of wood than the Popsicle sticks you can buy today.

The attic space is divided into two rooms.  The main room with all the stored mementos and cast-off furniture and another room that will be like a dressing room with all her old costumes and vestiges from her life as an entertainer.

Yes that is the Ikea Bekvam stool, painted in my signature shade of green.  It was quicker and easier to put together the real size version!

You know I have to replicate some of my own furnishings if you recall the bed, dining set and stove I shared previously.  The stool will be in the kitchen next to the Wedgewood.  Just as it is in my kitchen.

I fully admit to being intimidated by some of the masterpiece dollhouses out there.  There are so many miniature artists that I admire so much but if I try to live up to their standards I will never finish the thing.  I want the house to tell a story more than I want it to be perfectly to scale and accurate.  So I am going to forge ahead and I’ll share as I go along.  Believe me I am completely new to this so I’ll be sharing what I learn along the way.

Also – I just noticed, looking at the above picture, that the oven door handles on my Wedgewood aren’t lined up.  They must have replaced one of the doors during the restoration process.  So – I’m thinking perfect really isn’t all that realistic anyway.