Christmas Wishes

Sorry I haven't been around, but after a day Christmas shopping with my daughter, I came down with COVID. I will catch up with you all again in the new year, but for now I'm going to take some time out.

Exterior Colour Schemes

I spent the morning putting some "mood boards" together, mainly to keep myself focused, however, I thought you might like to see them. 

The inspiration for both houses comes from these lovely old Victorian homes which I found while browsing online. The first is for the M & D house.

Although the Beacon Hill house will be attempted further down the line, I still wanted to have something to keep me on track. I figure if I have it on paper and I like it, I shouldn't need go do any further browsing.

So what do you think? Do you think the exteriors colours will suit the interiors I spoke about in the previous posts?

If you click on the pictures it should give you the A4 size photo, so you can read the test better.

Why Do I Do It?

Time and time again, I jump in without thinking and that's exactly what I did when I saw the Beacon Hill house. I never seem to learn and you'd think at my age I would certainly know better! Well I downloaded the schematics for the house . . . low and behold this gal was in shock!! There are literally hundreds of pieces that need to be put together, it will take hubby and I years to finish it . . . so don't hold your breath on getting updates on this house any day soon.

Anyway, this was not going to stop me from having a 1:12 scale dollhouse that I could almost immediately decorate, and without the tedious job of becoming a construction worker. So I bought this one, which measures 75cm (29.5") high x 71cm (28") wide x 46cm (18") deep.

Yes, it's a kiddies dollhouse, but it's not going to stay looking like this. I have decided that I'd like to paint the outside (colours yet to be decided) and maybe do something different with the roof, maybe with corrugated metal or terracotta tiles like they do in Australia.

I found this dollhouse picture on the internet and it will serve as my inspiration, I think it's gorgeous, though I won't be using these colours. Of course it would be nice to add a porch of some sort . . . however, that will depend on space and hubby of course. 

The interior decoration that comes with the kit is more suited for a child, so I certainly shan't be using that either. I plan on doing an elegant black and white interior, with just a hint of coloured accents, much like you can see here in this updated Australian Federation house.

So there you have it my lovelies, until next time, be kind to yourselves. 😘

My Beacon Hill Doll House

After many, many years of hinting, my hubby has bought me a dollhouse which should arrive just in time for Christmas. It's a kit, so he will be helping me with the build, however, the painting & decorating will be entirely up to me.

The Beacon Hill, with it's beautiful mansard roof,  measures 40" (101.5cm) tall x 32" (81cm) wide x 17" (43cm) deep once built. There are nine rooms and it comes complete with a winding staircase.

This house kit has been around for quite some time and is classified as Victorian style, however I will not be decorating the inside in that period. I believe the outward appearance of a house may basically remain the same, but the inside evolves over time, just as interior decorating ideas do.

I've always imagined decorating the inside in a semi shabby chic style. I say semi because I'm not sure I will be aging the furniture, but I will be sticking to light, muted colours and pastel tones. Often white is used as a classic shabby chic design choice, however, as I prefer more colour I will use what I call "ice colours" . . . colours so soft they are almost white.

Fabrics will be soft, muted florals with pretty ribbons, lace and ruffles. There may even be a few vintage touches, such as gilded vintage mirrors and chandeliers to add some elegance and charm.

I would also like to incorporate either fabric or wallpaper into panels on furniture like wardrobe doors and draw fronts to add extra interest.

So would you like me to share photos as this project progresses? Or is it not amongst your interests?

Singe Comes to Life

I'm not sure if any of my current readers have actually read this post about Singe my BJD dragon which I posted on my Fantasy blog, 7th August, 2016. Well I was looking at him a few weeks ago, after seeing Jodi's little dragon and suddenly I felt very sad that he had been so neglected. 

Back then, I was really into fantasy dolls and I'd had full intentions of painting him, but as usual, I never quite got around to it. I'm sure you're all familiar with the "someday, one day scenario" where you keep putting things off waiting for the right time.

For the past few days I've been so busy with "the kids", which hasn't left me with much time to give him anymore thought. However, now I can see more clearly (having the cataract finally removed), I felt it was time to paint Singe and give him that well deserved attention that he's been so patiently waiting on.

ABOVE: After a quick spray with Mr. Super Clear and his base coat of purple acrylic, which I mixed using Pacific Blue and Hot Pink with a touch of Pearl White.

Then I gave him another spray with MSC before commencing to add his detailing.

Unfortunately I only had a MSC with a matt finish on hand, so I will give him a final coat to give him a shine when I can find my gloss.

So what do you think? Does he look as he should? Does he look like a gentle, confident dragon who takes care of his friends when they are in need of a little warmth, even though he can hardly raise a flame? I do hope so.

Coming for Christmas

A Practical Magic Victorian House from Gold Rush Bay. The house is modeled after New England Victorian lighthouse-based designs with light tower.

It has a generous porch which surrounds the house and there are minute details such as a flower and potions conservatory, even a hidden stained glass window surprise! The entire structure measures 8.5 inches wide 6.5 inches deep and 8.5 inches high.

An Addams Family Victorian Mansion, also from Gold Rush Bay. This one is modeled after French Second Empire Victorian Mansions, but looks similar to the Nevermore Academy, shown in Burton's Wednesday.

A generous mansard roof surrounds the top of the house dotted with open dormer windows and there are minute details such as a Corinthian columns flanking each window and porch, fishscale tiles on the roof and a semicircular conservatory on the right side. Inside can be revealed by opening up the hinged house, where a staircase connects first and second floors. The entire structure measures 8 inches wide 6 inches deep and 8 inches high. 

Both houses have been 3D printed in HO scale, which is a rail transport modelling scale using a 1:87 scale (3.5 mm to 1 foot), and they are ready to paint with acrylics. The first one I shall decorate in colours which would suit a coastal theme and the second I'd like to paint as a haunted house.

A Little Knitting Pattern

This week has been full of ups and downs, mainly due to the worst bout of hayfever I've ever had. Not even my antihistamines have kept the sneezing, runny nose and eyes at bay.

Aside from that, I've been looking for items to add to the kids bedroom, which led me to making throws for the bunk beds. It's a simple pattern which I made up myself as I wanted a loose lacy look which works well for this scale.

Using 5.5mm needles and 3ply yarn, cast on 32 stitches. Finished size 30 x 32cm.

1st row: knit 1, *purl 1, yarn over needle, slip 1,  knit 1 and pass the slip stitch over, repeat from * until the last stitch, then knit 1.

2nd row: as above.

Continue until you have the length you require then cast off and sew in the ends.

I then blocked my knitted piece to open up the lacy pattern, by simply pinning it to my ironing board, setting my iron to steam, covering the throw with a tea towel and steam ironing it flat. You can read how to properly block your knitting here.

They are not perfect works of art by any means, but I didn't think they looked too bad on the bunks. Holly had other ideas.

Primrose was very happy with hers, Magnolia insisted I make hers in pink and Holly couldn't resist telling me "They need a fringe at each end." So it appears I have more knitting to do.

Until next time, have a wonderful weekend everyone!

UPDATE: Here's the finished ones.

Not Quite Finished

But I'm getting there. I finished making a bunting for the bedroom in the kiddies cottage this afternoon and wanted to see how it looked, so I took a quick shot with my phone.

The little table is made from a metal pot plant stand with a painted MDF top which hubby cut to size for me. The top is removable and I have another top which I can add when I use the table in Heather's art deco apartment.

The doll house is from AliExpress; the front opens and so does the roof.

Heather's Credenza

Just completed this little credenza for Heather's apartment. She asked that I make it match her other furniture, which I did. Once it was finished she sat back and admired it while sipping her afternoon tea.

If you are interested to see how I made it, pop on over to Studio1283.

Now she's asking for a dining table and chairs . . . no rest for the wicked!

My Latest Project . . .

has been in the pipeline for a long, long time. I started thinking about building a 1:6 scale boutique way back in October 2019. My initial thought was to build a "Paris Boutique", but this evolved to become a Fashion House with Boutiques in LONDON, PARIS and NEW YORK.

The idea underwent many changes before it became suitable for my kids to go shopping there in London. 

Ivy and Heather are just window shopping for now.

Rose bought a bottle of perfume! Lily isn't impressed.

There's more to see in this journey over at Fleur and Ruban.

Conclusion

In this wonderful world of imagination and play that we adults have come to enjoy, I've reached the conclusion that these kids could be anyone I want them to be. After all they don't live in the real world, they live in an imaginary dolly world, and if I see them as kids with the ability to dress as they like and do anything adults can do, or as Chiriann so aptly put it "be more adult inside than outside", then so be it.

Lily, Ivy and Heather arrived on schedule and for now they are dressed in temporary clothes. As I mentioned to Mia, this brings my kids up to eight and seeing as I prefer to have uneven numbers in each of my groups of dolls, I ordered another one to customise.

Nine barefoot kids is something I prefer not to have, so I have an assortment of shoes and boots on their way. Hopefully, they will all fit.

Here's the gang patiently waiting for the new arrival ~

Kids, Teens or Grownups?

That is the question that's been bothering me. Hubby says they don't have to be kids, they can be adults that just look like kids because they're dolls, but I'm unsure of his logic. Any thoughts you might have could be helpful.

Also, in my last post, I outlined their personalities, but didn't touch on where they all might live. Most of the rooms which I have already created could be anywhere, except for the Paris Apartment, the Paris Boutique and The White Panther Jazz Club which I originally set in New York.

This led me to speculate if these "kids" should live in different cities. I mean Holly, Primrose and Magnolia could all easily live in Brussels, Berlin or Amsterdam (except I don't know much about those cities at all). So perhaps the UK would be a better base camp, then the cousins, Marigold and Violetta, could live in the Paris Apartment.

Of course it would then make sense to have a second White Panther Jazz Club in Paris, where Jazz was introduced by the African-American soldiers who served in France, during the first World War.

As I write, this is all beginning to come together in my head. Let's face it, just because Lily, Ivy and Heather, who arrived yesterday, were "born" in different parts of the UK, doesn't necessarily mean they currently live there.

The Mid Century home which I imagine would be for Lily, could easily be situated in Ashtead, Surrey.

I thought the coastal home, ideal for Ivy, would be well sited in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.

The Kids Kitchen & Library could easily be inside a lovely little three bedroom cottage in Dartford, Kent and would be very suitable for Holly, Primrose and Magnolia. (My heavens! What am I saying? Forget the three and make it a one very large bedroom cottage, I really don't want to create three new bedrooms!)

And the Erte Sitting room would be perfectly at home in the renovated Hoover Building in Perivale, West London, which would suit Heather nicely.

If they all lived in England, within an hour or so from each other, it wouldn't be too difficult for all the "kids" to travel between London and Paris, would it? Does this all make sense to you?

Well that's enough pondering for today, better get back to the "kids" before they create havoc! Happy dolling everyone.

Thinking About the Kids

I've been trying to come up with an interesting storyline for them and as it stands now, Holly appears to be the matriarch of the family, the one who keeps them all in their place. She's not really bossy though, just cool, calm and collected.

Primrose is her younger sister who refers to Holly as "she who must be obeyed" and Magnolia a close cousin from the maternal side of the family is the quiet one and a cautious thinker.

Marigold and Violetta are actually twin cousins from the paternal side, but they are not identical and are polar opposites in character which often leads to big squabbles and a lot of excitement.

While Lily, Ivy and Heather, who are yet to arrive in town, are friends from far away places. Lily is English, Ivy is Welsh and Heather is Scottish. These girls will all have different personalities. I imagine Lily to be very serious and quite studious (you could say she's a bit of a geek), Ivy will be a chatterbox, full of giggles and mischief, and Heather a daydreamer, who is often off in a world of her own.

So reading between my lines, you should have guessed I have managed to be tempted by three new dollies.

Chou Chou, Xiaoxiao and Little Rabbit should be arriving soon, which means I have very little time to prepare for their arrival, so I'm off to make the most of the time I have left . . . I'll be back soon though.

Switching from One Hobby to Another

When or where do you separate the two? Over the past year I have found myself drawn to and enjoying making dioramas for my dolls more and more. In fact I haven't felt a real urge to purchase a doll for quite some time, apart from Sergio & Nadia who were required for a project rather than a desired. And the two impulse purchases in Singapore.

The only dolls of what I call "play sized" who have been bringing me the most enjoyment are my kids: Holly, Primrose, Magnolia, Violetta and Marigold.

Looking at photos of them in the various rooms I've decorated, makes me wonder if these are the dolls I should be telling stories about.

Especially after making the new bar and finding my Integrity Toy dolls far too tall for it! When photographing the IT's in the past, I never noticed how extremely long their legs were compared to other 1:6 scale dolls (they are taller than Barbie & Neo Blythe).

FOUND THIS COMPARISON ON PINTEREST

Not to mention the fact my scaling was completely off, I don't know what got into me, I'm usually very good at mathematics. The bar ended up closer to 1:8 scale and suits my kids beautifully . . . it makes me wonder if perhaps the kids are magically influencing my calculations. What do you think? Can you imagine my five little cuties sitting in the White Panther Jazz Club?

By the look on her face, I don't think Holly is too impressed by these two under-age drinkers!

Some Days

I don't much feel like posting, however, today I'm in two minds. Firstly, I'd like to thank my readers for their lovely comments on my Singapore holiday photos. I am so pleased you all enjoyed them.

As most of you know, I have another blog called The White Panther Jazz Club and that I have been working on a diorama so I can photograph the story with my Integrity Toy dolls. The story includes two males, both are jazz musicians, but I only had one doll to play the part and he needed some minor adjustments as seen here.

To cut a long story short, I ordered another male doll from the USA on the 3rd July, records show it was despatched via USPS and departed LA on the 10th July. According to Australia Post it hasn't arrived in Australia, fortunately it was insured so a refund will eventually be given to the sender, but they wanted me to wait indefinitely before replacing it or refunding me. Which I, as a former business owner myself, would not have done. I think it's a mistake to let customers wait without providing a time when they can expect a resolution, so I've asked for a refund which is now in the hands of PayPal.

In the meantime, I managed to find the same doll on eBay (in Australia I might add and less expensive too) so I have ordered him and he should arrive soon.

Now if I could only see to make clothes for all my dolls I would be over the moon, and hopefully that shouldn't be too far away from happening. Cataract surgery is next on my agenda!

I do hope you are all doing well and enjoying your northern hemisphere summer, I am looking forward to seeing ours arrive so I can enjoy the outdoors again.

P.S. Thursday, 10th August: PayPal have given me a refund.

Singapore #2

Gardens by the Bay was so impressive. Water flows through the Outdoor Gardens via interconnected lakes and waterways. Dragonfly Lake and Kingfisher Lake are tranquil spaces, perfect for taking a breather to appreciate the sculptures that lie within them. During the day we wandered along the Kingfisher Wetlands trail to the Super Trees.

Below photos were taken as dusk fell and turned to night. The Super Tree evening light and sound show blew me away, it's best I have ever seen. I took a video, unfortunately it was too long to upload to Blogger.

The Garden Rhapsody theme was "World of Fantasy", which was inspired by the the colourful worlds of Wizardry, Magic, Cosmic Space, Ocean, Adventure and Dinosaurs. The colours of the lighting changed in time with the music, which included several themes from different television series such as Bonanza to films like Star Wars to Frozen and the Little Mermaid.

The following day we visited Singapore’s popular Bay South Gardens which cover 1.28 hectares. This cavernous cooled conservatory holds the Guinness World Record for the largest glass greenhouse! Here's just a few photos I took of the popular Flower Dome.

Above is the painted fibreglass sculpture of Kei-Chan by Yayoi Kusama. Everything changes from season to season in the Flower Dome which features some really gorgeous and unusual displays. I recommend you wear good walking shoes if you want to see it all.

We visited the Cloud Forest the same day. It is a cooled conservatory, however, it's far from being cool inside it, although it is very cool to look at.

Above left is a bronze sculpture of the "Thinker" by Lee Kuang-Yu, and on the right, the blown glass and steel sculpture "Ethereal White Persians" by Dale Chihuly.

Above, an Avatar sculpture (there were several others) and  below, one of the tallest indoor waterfalls and the imposing mountain wrapped in plants from all around the world.

Above you can see the walkway that meanders through the "clouds" and the huge mushrooms which are suspended on wires.

When I was planning this trip, people told me I could see Singapore in less than seven days, we spent fifteen days there and still didn't see everything! This is a wonderful place to holiday if you like the heat (and I do). Given the opportunity, I will certainly visit Singapore again, it's SAFE, CLEAN and the Singaporeans are COURTEOUS & FRIENDLY and we mustn't forget the FOOD, well you've seen some of it already. 😊