Back after the summer holidays

It's been a really long time since I did a blog entry and of course I've been feeling guilty about it for ages. So here I am back, after a big long break away. Part of the reason is because it has been summer in New Zealand and we've been away camping and having fun even though the weather this summer hasn't been the best. I never get much done with miniatures in the summer because it's so nice to be outside. But the main reason has been a bit of a lack of inspiration and direction. Anyway, I have been feeling a bit more inpsired lately, and although most of my energies have been going into projects that have ended up in my Etsy shop, I thought I would still show you some of the things I have been making lately.

I made some little books all with French decor themes .... couldn't resist it because the covers were so pretty. Wish fulfilment as per usual ... I would like to have some of these books on my own over-full bookshelves, not that there is room for them.

This is one of my absolute favourite books - a little book on Limoges china, paired with a pretty Limoges plate. I had to make two of these because I knew that I couldn't bear to part with it....so one was for the shop and one was for my shabby cottage!!

Here's another thing I made that I can't bear to part with. The "frame" of this picture is a very pretty button I found years ago - I bought a few of them at the time - and the little picture is a portrait of the Queen as a young woman, by Cecil Beaton. I made this in honour of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee year.

This was another fun project. Ella, my lovely eight year old, was very bored one Saturday so I suggested that she get out the fimo and make something and said that I would keep her company and make something too. So I put together this potting bench display.

I put one of my baskets of vegetables in this diepsly - I'm so proud of my cauli and broccoli and apples!! I made some vintage seed catalogues too, which are really pretty.

I painted all the little flowerpots and used tiny nail stickers to decorate them (thanks to Katie for this great idea).

After New Year I decided that a change would be good and moved everything around in my living room. When I did, I was absolutely horrified to discover how filthy dirty my poor little shabby cottage had become! It was totally full of dust and looked completely dreadful and very unloved. I'm not used to these open dollshouses filling up with dust....my other dollshouse is a front-opening one and doesn't really get very dusty (except on the outside!). I knew it was going to take a bit of effort to get it sorted out. Well, finally today I made the time to sit down with my dear little house and empty it completely and give it a Spring clean (except that it's Autumn here now). Man, it was dirty! I took everything out and wiped all the floors and surfaces down with a soapy, damp cloth and dried it all off. I even had to "shampoo" the carpet in the upstairs bedroom - it was horrible. Then I made sure everything was clean as I put it back in. It was a good opportunity to de-clutter a bit too! It is all nice and clean now and so I will show you some photos ....

Nice clean kitchen! The layer of dust on the kitchen bench was horrendous! Poor little house!

I've decluttered the kitchen a bit but of course there are still lots of cakes! None of the placemats would stay flat so I have ditched them.

And this is what I have been making today - a cute little Treasure Box to put in the dollshouse living room. I think it is really sweet. I have a secret, cunning plan for what the contents are to be and I will show you when I have made them.

I made a second box, with "Bits & Pieces" on the lid. I lined both boxes with Cath Kidston fabric in 1/12 scale that I made with printable fabric.

Here is the box in its new home on the bookcase in the lovely clean living room. I love my little house!!

And another photo. Look at that lovely clean floor! I feel just as good as if my whole real house were as clean. I'm considering throwing a light throw over the dollshouse so this doesn't happen again.

Anyway, it's nice to be back. Keeps my mind off my worries (hubby has lost his job and his last day is next week!!). I promise I will never let so much time go by ever again without posting!!

A Shabby Window Mirror

I have been meaning to make a mirror for the living room for ages....I wanted one that looks as though it has been made from an old window frame. Then the other day when I was lost in blog-land, I saw a wondeful photo here of a lovely full-sized one, complete with shutters, and got all inspired. The main thing holding me up has been getting hold of a piece of real mirror that was around about the right size. I've pulled apart makeup compacts (mirror was too big) and shopped at the $2 shop (mirrors were too small), and then I remembered I had another mirror lurking in the shadows.

Now, no offence to anyone who has this mirror in their Victorian dollshouse, where it probably looks fantastic, but it doesn't suit my little shabby cottage at all, so....

....OFF WITH ITS HEAD!


...and a bit of paint, and glue and after the addition of a shutter that has been cut in half, here is my mirror and it looks just right in the living room. That wall needed something to brighten it up and I am really happy with it. It's not quite the same as the one in the photo but I thought that too much more embellishment in addition to the shutters would probably be a bit over the top.

A little birdsnest on the new bookcase

Today I have made bookcase for the living room in the shabby cottage - I had a lot of fun making it look old by scratching it with my pocket knife and doing lots of sanding and painting over with dirty coloured paint. I like this green, although I'll never be able to recreate it as I just mixed some dirty wash water with some paint I had and slopped in some more black and green. I have a LOT of bookmaking to do now!!!!

I also made this little framed picture out of a cute little button.....but my absolute favourite is this little birdnest with its three tiny blue eggs! It is made from florists wire and coconut fibre and the eggs are polymer clay. All made at midnight last night (hubby is away so I can stay up miles too late!)

Also, I have been making some old wire baskets, thanks to Mercedes, who posted a link to the tutorial on her blog. The birdcage I found at a junk stall - I think it used to be an earring. It is perfectly "old and shabby" already. The wirework was fun to do....not sure about the quality of the very small basket - I might redo that one - and also don't know what I'll do with the little basket with jars, but it was fun to have a play around.

Thank you so much to my new followers and to those of you who take the time to comment - it is so nice to hear from you and I really appreciate your time!!

The most gorgeous bowl and a coffee table

I have been doing more woodwork....today I made a coffee table for the living room....it took me all day, which is ridiculous. It might be a bit on the large side, but it is meant to be a coffee table made from an old piece of ironwork or something similar, so I think it would be biggish. The woodwork is always a struggle so I am happy it is standing up and holding together!!
















I have made some cushions for the green bench and I spent ages trying to upholster the lovely chair I got from Sylvia. I hope she doesn't mind....I had an old silk handkerchief that was just begging to be used in this room.

This stunning bowl is from Loredana Tonetti - it arrived today and it is STUNNING. Wow - it is just so beautiful. I couldn't bear to put it on the floor, so got working on the coffee table straight away!


There is still a lot of work to do in the living room - I haven't done curtains yet and have some other plans of things to make, but I like the way it is shaping up!!

An old ladder for the cottage

I have been brave again and have been messing around with wood! This is NOT my strong point so every time I make anything with wood I am ever so pleased!! I wanted an old ladder to put in my cottage as a display and here it is. Don't breathe on it or it might fall apart. I am really pleased with the rough, peeling paint.....this was achieved by luck and my impatience - painting the ladder before the stain was dry and then trying to sand the paint while it was still wet. Anyway, I really like the way it has turned out. Yay!!

I have put some little bits and pieces on the ladder for the sake of this photograph but I don't really like this display too much so I am sure it will change greatly as time goes by....I have to look for/make some really very tiny little things as the ladder rungs are quite close together.

The little bowl on the bottom shelf has been stolen from my other dollshouse - it fits in so much better here. It was made by Bill Helmer .

The book is a gorgeous little volume of Emily Dickenson's poetry made by Treefeathers .

I made the little clock on the top shelf by sticking a picture onto tin, and I made the little glass brick underneath the clock by applying a vintage tile decal to one little section of a glass mosaic tile block I got from the $2 shop.

Thank you so much for being interested in my blog - it is lovely to have you visit!!

Some things for the living room

I thought I would show you some of the things that will be in the living room of my little shabby cottage.


I was delighted to get a parcel in the mail today - inside was this absolutely stunning bench which I couldn't resist when I saw it in Sylvia's Etsy store.

I love it!

It is such a pretty shade of green. I thought the living room would be mainly pink but with this beautiful bench it may have to be pink and green!


Yesterday I spent most of the day assembling this little birdcage from a laser cut kit. Such fine little pieces. It is hard to tell, but inside are two soft blue lovebirds. I have yet to make a little table or cabinet for the birdcage to sit on, so it is lucky there are no cats in the house!

The little car is one I found in a model shop a couple of weeks ago (one of those train model shops where they assume that if a woman walks in, she must be lost). It is perfect for the little boy's room, which is upstairs in the cottage.