tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1624287449586635202024-03-13T16:21:11.105+00:00Mini Jo Jo's MountfieldUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-6774220694933550262011-09-27T21:37:00.001+01:002011-09-27T21:39:20.252+01:00I'll Be Back Soon!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;">I am so sorry that I haven't blogged for over a month. I have had a lot going on at home and I've been waiting for some miniature items which took the post office almost two weeks to deliver an item after they were already delayed due to holidays. Poor Jacqui at <a href="http://www.thehousethatjacqbuilt.co.uk/">www.thehousethatjacqbuilt.co.uk</a> almost started to make a second fireplace for me as we thought it was completely lost in the post.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;">My creative mind has not rested, however, oh no! I purchased a life sized Lloyd Loom chair from Ebay, which at some point in the past had been re-sprayed from the original mustard colour to a dark purple/burgundy. I have almost finished re-spraying it in white and am going to make a cushion to fit it (although I'm no seamstress so goodness only knows what the cushion will turn out like!) </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;">Before photo...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wk_lz3pdMmM/ToIyIt-nWNI/AAAAAAAAAHw/sEPXVmvc_ws/s1600/P9100042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wk_lz3pdMmM/ToIyIt-nWNI/AAAAAAAAAHw/sEPXVmvc_ws/s320/P9100042.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;">The chair after it's first coat of paint...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BAIc6NArpgU/ToIyTXqCWmI/AAAAAAAAAH0/J6jOQccPSAQ/s1600/P9100048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BAIc6NArpgU/ToIyTXqCWmI/AAAAAAAAAH0/J6jOQccPSAQ/s320/P9100048.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;"> Finished chair photo to follow.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;">I have also been mentally planning the imminent redecoration of my life-sized bedroom to a shabby chic style room to relax in. Seeing everyone's miniature shabby chic cottages and rooms inspired me to make my real bedroom a little more girly!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;">Before and after photos of the bedroom also to follow.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;">So, apologies again for the lack of mini-ing, but Mini Jo Jo will be mini-ing again very shortly, as soon as my life-sized world is sorted.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;">Please don't go away!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t8J9rgagqo8/ToIz2L1UpOI/AAAAAAAAAH4/SQ3CisH5XxE/s1600/smile_house.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="99" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t8J9rgagqo8/ToIz2L1UpOI/AAAAAAAAAH4/SQ3CisH5XxE/s200/smile_house.bmp" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-88293171529018673932011-08-20T02:43:00.000+01:002011-08-20T02:43:34.769+01:00MJJM's kitchen is famous!<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;">I am so excited! The kitchen is famous! Well, maybe not famous, but it's featured on Elizabeth LePla's Elf Miniatures website! </span><a href="http://www.elfminiatures.co.uk/EAZY+kits+%28fixed+door%29+PUFqTXdBVE02a25jdmRXWjBGMlk" style="color: purple;">Click here</a><span style="color: purple;"> to have a look.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Just to celebrate, I've taken another pictures of the kitchen and the utensil holder I bought from </span><a href="http://www.thedollshousemall.com/index.html" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Dolls House Mall</a><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">; another fantastic website containing some more truly beautiful items.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5-d8tk7jo2A/Tk8MrbGvZtI/AAAAAAAAAHU/Rn5LkK0LhCs/s1600/P8180013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5-d8tk7jo2A/Tk8MrbGvZtI/AAAAAAAAAHU/Rn5LkK0LhCs/s320/P8180013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">And one of the gorgeous terracotta pot with a spiders web inside...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nH71yo92uTM/Tk8OpoDx_eI/AAAAAAAAAHY/Yx4RQTFTClc/s1600/P8180025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nH71yo92uTM/Tk8OpoDx_eI/AAAAAAAAAHY/Yx4RQTFTClc/s320/P8180025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">...which inspired me to get on with more of the exterior whilst I'm waiting for some bits for my living room...</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d3z-ibcNsB4/Tk8PKYu-gcI/AAAAAAAAAHc/EteTCz9Z8Sw/s1600/P8190064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d3z-ibcNsB4/Tk8PKYu-gcI/AAAAAAAAAHc/EteTCz9Z8Sw/s320/P8190064.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">I added pathway and grass in the front garden. I went to Hobbycraft to get a sheet of self adhesive "grass" and they didn't have any, but I found this model railway turf. Personally I think it looks better.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GiRmPXPcKYY/Tk8PlIEJUKI/AAAAAAAAAHg/xRw8kNvjoMs/s1600/P8190060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GiRmPXPcKYY/Tk8PlIEJUKI/AAAAAAAAAHg/xRw8kNvjoMs/s320/P8190060.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">From matchsticks and other bits of wood I made a little picket fence. The final touch is a "wrought iron" gate I made from wood and curtain rings.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-43sed_8v4n8/Tk8QUg99dII/AAAAAAAAAHk/w2sFg0ZbR1I/s1600/P8190087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-43sed_8v4n8/Tk8QUg99dII/AAAAAAAAAHk/w2sFg0ZbR1I/s320/P8190087.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7L6_53G_r9I/Tk8Qa4tOp1I/AAAAAAAAAHo/WqOGUNjbiJQ/s1600/P8190089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7L6_53G_r9I/Tk8Qa4tOp1I/AAAAAAAAAHo/WqOGUNjbiJQ/s320/P8190089.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">THAT'S why I took a day off work!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-81544922995818106072011-08-14T11:50:00.001+01:002011-08-14T11:52:32.598+01:00Reading Chair<div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">Following a tutorial for a sofa, I decided to make an armchair so that there's somewhere comfortable for the residents of MJJM to sit quietly and read a book. I thought it would be perfect in the corner of the dining room. The first one I made took three hours and I was pretty pleased with it until I placed it in the house and realised that it was way out of scale!!!</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">So, not one to be let down by my own failings, I spent a further two hours a couple of nights later making another one. Here is the result.</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iYu1TemzYL0/TkelwVGsOmI/AAAAAAAAAGk/yGxlJqc9B2o/s1600/P8110161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iYu1TemzYL0/TkelwVGsOmI/AAAAAAAAAGk/yGxlJqc9B2o/s320/P8110161.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mf6z40u36N4/Tkel1tzhsvI/AAAAAAAAAGo/Cm0JBhJwdHI/s1600/P8110165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mf6z40u36N4/Tkel1tzhsvI/AAAAAAAAAGo/Cm0JBhJwdHI/s320/P8110165.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">It's not perfect, but it's not bad for a second attempt and when it's put in place, it looks just right for a cosy, curled up read by the fire!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wFloxwQwAAY/TkemLyFhqgI/AAAAAAAAAGs/__mHEKKPiqA/s1600/P8110170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wFloxwQwAAY/TkemLyFhqgI/AAAAAAAAAGs/__mHEKKPiqA/s320/P8110170.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">I've pinched some other bits from my old house to make the room look more lived in too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ws8DNDri0DI/TkemjIqqGPI/AAAAAAAAAGw/Vqx_OGGg7U8/s1600/P8110178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ws8DNDri0DI/TkemjIqqGPI/AAAAAAAAAGw/Vqx_OGGg7U8/s320/P8110178.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">And whilst I was placing a yummy looking biscuit on the plate, I remembered I had a recipe for something that looked just the same, so I got baking yesterday too...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bm2dAgVXSuI/Tkem2QmjaQI/AAAAAAAAAG0/9EnD2NWZvX4/s1600/P8110185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bm2dAgVXSuI/Tkem2QmjaQI/AAAAAAAAAG0/9EnD2NWZvX4/s320/P8110185.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hr5zq52uOiY/Tkem_sLoeVI/AAAAAAAAAG4/kKG-oiiCaFw/s1600/P8130190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hr5zq52uOiY/Tkem_sLoeVI/AAAAAAAAAG4/kKG-oiiCaFw/s320/P8130190.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">Very "more-ish" biscuits, sandwiched together with butter icing. Can't think why there's only two left already!</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">I've now started to mentally design the living room. Far more modern than the traditional dining room, it's going to be very pale with a calm atmosphere. I haven't yet decided on bare wood floorboards or a very "earthy" carpet, but I've ordered some bits and have started designing the sofa (in my head, at least!)</div><br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-51168195447782314592011-07-31T22:24:00.000+01:002011-07-31T22:24:02.558+01:00My New Purchases<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Our trip to the Steyning Dolls House Shop was a successful one. I say "our" as Mario is taking more and more of an interest in miniatures and wanted to come along<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> with me so it was nice to have some company on the journey.</span></span></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">Needless to say, I could have bought SO much, but I exercised control and stuck to just a few bits and pieces. Here are some of them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1sYYObBQhDA/TjXEIjQF-rI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/-K1aBuA57pg/s1600/P7310101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1sYYObBQhDA/TjXEIjQF-rI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/-K1aBuA57pg/s320/P7310101.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">I like the fact that these mugs are all different colours. I think I'll make some hooks and hang them underneath the kitchen wall units by the kettle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yQvFMD2124o/TjXENHKsZGI/AAAAAAAAAGU/R5-JKrZJwxs/s1600/P7310100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yQvFMD2124o/TjXENHKsZGI/AAAAAAAAAGU/R5-JKrZJwxs/s320/P7310100.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">This glass cake stand was so delicate, I just had to have it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DjyunEb4Qhg/TjXERo_aYGI/AAAAAAAAAGY/UYxbmW8lKoA/s1600/P7310104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DjyunEb4Qhg/TjXERo_aYGI/AAAAAAAAAGY/UYxbmW8lKoA/s320/P7310104.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">I think this is the closest mini dog that I will get to my "Goose" and so I bought him with the intention of painting him black.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r3fj3aqzeO4/TjXEZeFFVhI/AAAAAAAAAGc/i5oIgUtSANE/s1600/P7310106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r3fj3aqzeO4/TjXEZeFFVhI/AAAAAAAAAGc/i5oIgUtSANE/s320/P7310106.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">The cat curled up the chair is one I already had, but the one on the new carpet looking up at him, is just like my cat, Luca.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hJ97amFHmyg/TjXEg7hQPqI/AAAAAAAAAGg/zLMNzD7eyZc/s1600/P7310109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hJ97amFHmyg/TjXEg7hQPqI/AAAAAAAAAGg/zLMNzD7eyZc/s320/P7310109.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">I have carpet in the dining room now too. I also bought the carpet that I'm going to use in the living room, which will be my next room.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BAUjvkqVPUY/TjXD5jqbo4I/AAAAAAAAAGI/5fZFCs9N8UY/s1600/P7310093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BAUjvkqVPUY/TjXD5jqbo4I/AAAAAAAAAGI/5fZFCs9N8UY/s320/P7310093.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The lovely mantle clock is one I found on eBay. (It also hides the split in the wood perfectly!)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I also bought a welcome mat for the hall and beautiful light that I'm going to use in the living room as well as a more modern skirting board and coving. OK - I know coving doesn't go with this house, but the living room is going to be more new modern than traditional modern and I needed a slightly different look.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">It took an hour to fit the carpet. Perhaps I should have fitted it before I put in the chimney breast and the fireplace?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I also bought a tiny little horseshoe for above the back door. This got me excited about the exterior of the house again and so I've started to make a "wrought iron" gate and a tiny little picket fence. (Pictures coming soon.) It looks as though I'm going to have a very small front garden!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-44741881329785530822011-07-29T21:37:00.000+01:002011-07-29T21:37:27.708+01:00A Local(ish) Dolls House Shop!<div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">The internet is a wonderful place for sourcing miniatures and you can get some great bargains and ideas, but I've always been a bit old fashioned and I would love to go to a dolls house shop in real life. To that end, since April I've been looking for a dolls house shop that I can physically go to and indulge my imagination and inspiration. Sadly most appear to have gone out of business. Believe it or not, within a 40 mile radius of my home, shops in Byfleet Surrey, Dorking Surrey, Twyford Berkshire, Lingfield Surrey, Shepperton Middlesex and Farnham Hampshire are no longer there. </div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">Whilst planning my holiday to Devon I even Googled dolls house shops in Barnstaple, only to discover that the two that I found online were no longer.</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">But GOOD NEWS! I've found a dolls house shop in Steyning, West Sussex that is still open! It's an hour and twenty minute drive there, but it's going to be worth it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.steyningdollshouseshop.co.uk/assets/images/shop_pics_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.steyningdollshouseshop.co.uk/assets/images/shop_pics_002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"> HURRAY!</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">So tomorrow I'm off to a shop that is dedicated to our love of everything mini!</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">I can't wait and just had to share my excitement with my followers! </div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">And there's 27 of you! I'm so proud that 27 of you want to watch my progress. </div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING MY BLOG.</span></div><div style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">:-)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I can't wait to show you tomorrow what I've bought (it would be foolish to assume that I won't buy anything wouldn't it!)</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-35604334213920359772011-07-23T19:16:00.001+01:002011-07-27T16:03:59.732+01:00Dining Room<div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">I've spent all day on the dining room and my eyes are sore from concentrating so much on trying to get the skirting around the fireplace to look right! Thank goodness for Polyfilla and cocktail sticks to apply it with!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-akoGNtPPu_c/TisLV-APKBI/AAAAAAAAAFw/W7xp7EMopxI/s1600/P7230069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-akoGNtPPu_c/TisLV-APKBI/AAAAAAAAAFw/W7xp7EMopxI/s320/P7230069.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">It's not perfect, but with a little bit more filler, a good sanding and another coat of paint, once the carpet is down, I reckon it'll pass.</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">I found this gorgeous little mother-of-pearl seahorse in my Mum's bead box (she lent it to me when she learned I of my mini-ing.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2bM_raccDYw/TisMGHL8NWI/AAAAAAAAAF0/ykHkhdnf6Lo/s1600/P7230079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2bM_raccDYw/TisMGHL8NWI/AAAAAAAAAF0/ykHkhdnf6Lo/s320/P7230079.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">I then decided that he was wasted just sitting on the mantlepiece like that, so with a couple of matchsticks, I built him a picture frame to go in. His frame also matches the one above which houses a dried flower that was in a box of "things that might come in useful one day" that my Mum also gave me!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RNn9kApXvuY/TisNDSmkVZI/AAAAAAAAAF4/gVLVx2gvEbw/s1600/P7230093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RNn9kApXvuY/TisNDSmkVZI/AAAAAAAAAF4/gVLVx2gvEbw/s320/P7230093.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">And another bead from Mum's box made a perfect "porcelain" vase!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-spoFbEQ7kXY/TisNoQwxp8I/AAAAAAAAAF8/f8iRuYfWC4I/s1600/P7230101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-spoFbEQ7kXY/TisNoQwxp8I/AAAAAAAAAF8/f8iRuYfWC4I/s320/P7230101.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">The room is really starting to come together and so I put the dresser and the table and chairs back in to have another sneak preview!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8PzVdbo6X80/TisOSsikJdI/AAAAAAAAAGA/49w5Qs-tcWQ/s1600/P7230116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8PzVdbo6X80/TisOSsikJdI/AAAAAAAAAGA/49w5Qs-tcWQ/s320/P7230116.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s9Bb9BJAPpw/TisOW1bXG5I/AAAAAAAAAGE/_qngiES70yk/s1600/P7230092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s9Bb9BJAPpw/TisOW1bXG5I/AAAAAAAAAGE/_qngiES70yk/s320/P7230092.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Right, that's it. No more computers or miniatures for me today. My eyes need a rest (and probably a trip to the optician soon too!)</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-48746043730776639522011-07-22T18:37:00.000+01:002011-07-22T18:37:30.828+01:00Fireplace & Chimney Breast - Dining Room<div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">One thing that has always niggled at me when looking around peoples real life houses is when you see a fireplace that looks like it has been "stuck" on the wall. If you're going to go to the trouble of building a false fireplace for a gas or electric fire, then why not go to the trouble of building a false chimney breast too? Fireplaces against chimney breasts look far more authentic and, to me, a fireplace without a chimney breast is naked!</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
With that in mind, I set about building a chimney breast for my dining room and so out came my trusty balsa wood again!</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">I had bought a plain wood fireplace from Ebay...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ElCWdDIq4K4/TimwxezocDI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/C2Sz1tH-lz4/s1600/P5020183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ElCWdDIq4K4/TimwxezocDI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/C2Sz1tH-lz4/s320/P5020183.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"> ...and painstakingly painted it and stained it to match the internal doors in my house.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wSl2TgVqNhs/TimxcrnFgZI/AAAAAAAAAFU/iB1XU4791Kw/s1600/P5020187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wSl2TgVqNhs/TimxcrnFgZI/AAAAAAAAAFU/iB1XU4791Kw/s320/P5020187.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SypkwOA0fO4/Timx6lHknPI/AAAAAAAAAFg/-GDDV7O_ckI/s1600/P5020189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SypkwOA0fO4/Timx6lHknPI/AAAAAAAAAFg/-GDDV7O_ckI/s320/P5020189.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">but I still didn't like it when I put it in place so I built an overmantle to go with it...</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9EkZGNrP0PM/TimygD5slRI/AAAAAAAAAFk/ShYPvYx9rHk/s1600/P7100008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9EkZGNrP0PM/TimygD5slRI/AAAAAAAAAFk/ShYPvYx9rHk/s320/P7100008.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now that's better!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">I then chose a wallpaper from <a href="http://www.jennifersprintables.com/">www.jennifersprintables.com</a> where you can download and print off wallpaper for free!</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">The wallpaper is going on the chimney breast alone. The other walls will have a sage green below the picture rail and a very pale green above.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PhDd3U2nDfA/TimzjknYEpI/AAAAAAAAAFo/okc-q_11DIE/s1600/P7110012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PhDd3U2nDfA/TimzjknYEpI/AAAAAAAAAFo/okc-q_11DIE/s320/P7110012.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">and then I couldn't resist putting some furniture in (temporarily) to get a sneak preview of what it will look like. I do like my sneak previews!</div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rdwg4qdbuI8/Tim0PccLPVI/AAAAAAAAAFs/LpsmVGSW4GA/s1600/P7130047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rdwg4qdbuI8/Tim0PccLPVI/AAAAAAAAAFs/LpsmVGSW4GA/s320/P7130047.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-3211283105633651912011-07-13T08:21:00.000+01:002011-07-13T08:21:15.234+01:00Kitchen - Finito!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This week I found a little piece of furniture that I had previously bought to use as a book case, but had never got round to painting or varnishing. I painted the top and bottom to match the kitchen units and waxed the bare wood and I now have a pan rack. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LWaCbryVbo8/Th1FKz0ZqtI/AAAAAAAAAE4/o5jQatHMT8M/s1600/P7120043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LWaCbryVbo8/Th1FKz0ZqtI/AAAAAAAAAE4/o5jQatHMT8M/s320/P7120043.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As you can see, my fridge freezer arrived too and it was packed full with little bits of food.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AV79L8-XKRg/Th1Fr5rMv0I/AAAAAAAAAE8/kbU78ixyY2Y/s1600/P7120034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AV79L8-XKRg/Th1Fr5rMv0I/AAAAAAAAAE8/kbU78ixyY2Y/s320/P7120034.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And I added a few little bits and pieces (kettle, toaster, microwave, smoothie maker, pedal bin etc) to give the kitchen that authentic look.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xwtj_NKphzY/Th1GgSh8pEI/AAAAAAAAAFA/lP88T1aGvJM/s1600/P7120030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xwtj_NKphzY/Th1GgSh8pEI/AAAAAAAAAFA/lP88T1aGvJM/s320/P7120030.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--v5JPu2-t_U/Th1GrzSrPCI/AAAAAAAAAFE/0R9_M9o3Wic/s1600/P7120035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" m$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--v5JPu2-t_U/Th1GrzSrPCI/AAAAAAAAAFE/0R9_M9o3Wic/s320/P7120035.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Over time, I may add a few more bits (maybe hanging mugs from under the wall units or adding the odd bottle of washing up liquid) but for now, that's my kitchen done.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I now move on to the dining room.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-34990899805268656842011-07-09T11:16:00.000+01:002011-07-09T11:16:13.080+01:00Kitchen Units<div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">The day I made the kitchen units up was the day that my partner borrowed my camera to go to a charity salsa do, so I don't have pictures of them as I was going along. I spent an entire day working on them though (eleven hours I think!) and they look fabulous now. Glued, painted, sanded, painted, waxed, and some of the handles put on...</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
I couldn't resist just placing a couple of the base units in the kitchen to get a sneak preview of the room.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hpVTNOWRB7I/ThgncLPiSDI/AAAAAAAAAEo/ujlUK6oxUcg/s1600/P6250053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hpVTNOWRB7I/ThgncLPiSDI/AAAAAAAAAEo/ujlUK6oxUcg/s320/P6250053.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Then I dedicated yesterday evening to finishing off the units, gluing them all into place and tiling with more mosaic tiles bought from Hobbycraft.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bzBtOk8oowA/ThgoTV1yqfI/AAAAAAAAAEs/Rh9cck857AY/s1600/P7080106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bzBtOk8oowA/ThgoTV1yqfI/AAAAAAAAAEs/Rh9cck857AY/s320/P7080106.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The tiling has started.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fq46oAd9tPY/ThgodC9gXYI/AAAAAAAAAEw/UqOMl1e8Mmg/s1600/P7090133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fq46oAd9tPY/ThgodC9gXYI/AAAAAAAAAEw/UqOMl1e8Mmg/s320/P7090133.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The tiling all finished.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--ZlxDmJ5FDE/ThgopsQItwI/AAAAAAAAAE0/ZgtduQWH7YY/s1600/P7090150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--ZlxDmJ5FDE/ThgopsQItwI/AAAAAAAAAE0/ZgtduQWH7YY/s320/P7090150.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I was originally going to have a wall unit above the base unit on the left, but I decided that it might look a bit crowded and so I've left it. I may put a plate or pan rack above instead. The fridge freezer has been ordered and will go just beyond the unit on the left.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I also have a few accessories on their way; a kettle, toaster and microwave. I'm sure that filling it with all the stuff a proper kitchen would have, will just finish it off perfectly.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Just have to say thank you again to <a href="http://www.elfminiatures.co.uk/">www.elfminiatures.co.uk</a> for the wonderful kitchen kit.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-7020125829096010712011-07-09T10:54:00.001+01:002011-07-09T10:57:19.727+01:00Holidays and Floor Boards<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I'm so sorry that it's been over a month since I last blogged. I've been so busy. We went on holiday for a week during June; a beautiful little cottage in North Devon. Goose just loved showing off his running skills along Saunton Sands; people actually stopped walking to watch him! The speed of a greyhound is amazing, the cheatah is the only land animal in the world that's faster.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5dw8UkGXp8o/ThghwgEhOKI/AAAAAAAAAEg/OTTi8hXZIM0/s1600/P6140014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5dw8UkGXp8o/ThghwgEhOKI/AAAAAAAAAEg/OTTi8hXZIM0/s320/P6140014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">Just had to put a picture of Goose in - we'll get back the house now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So initially I blocked up the wall separating the dining room from the kitchen, painted the walls and then decided on how I was going to do the flooring. The floor in the hall looks lovely, but it was purpose-bought floor boards and was very expensive. This time I decided to make my own. I bought "Jumbo Lolly Sticks" from Hobbycraft, cut off the round ends and voila! I had floor boards! I then cut out the back of a cereal packet to the right size of the room and glued the floor boards onto that, varnished in beech and slid it into the kitchen! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dsib28THvY8/Thgki5JgafI/AAAAAAAAAEk/w5fPIrtp8P8/s1600/P6250042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dsib28THvY8/Thgki5JgafI/AAAAAAAAAEk/w5fPIrtp8P8/s320/P6250042.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I'm very proud of my kitchen floor that cost 1/10th of the price of the hall floor and better than that, I did it!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-37201533689060311252011-06-01T22:19:00.003+01:002011-06-18T18:12:51.363+01:00Oh My!<div style="color: purple; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"></span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">My kitchen kit from</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <a href="http://www.elfminiatures.co.uk/">http://www.elfminiatures.co.uk/</a> arrived today. I feel like a child at Christmas! I can't wait until the weekend when I can start on it...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">...but look at all the parts!!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R4ZWuC-JhS4/TeapqThapSI/AAAAAAAAAEU/AyeY4hwl1rA/s1600/P6010465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R4ZWuC-JhS4/TeapqThapSI/AAAAAAAAAEU/AyeY4hwl1rA/s320/P6010465.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The instructions, though very long, are consise and once again, Elizabeth has added a personal note in with the parts where she's come up with another suggestion for making it look a little better.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">By the way, every step of the order was communicated very well and the kit arrived the very next day after paying for it.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Last weekend I managed to get the extra tiles I needed to finish off the outside wall of the bathroom and I fixed in my window in the bathroom.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here is a picture of the bathroom looking from above the door towards the outside wall (the ceiling isn't on yet!)</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N9Lb38lauNs/TearkolgfvI/AAAAAAAAAEY/j9REm3etQrc/s1600/P5300448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N9Lb38lauNs/TearkolgfvI/AAAAAAAAAEY/j9REm3etQrc/s320/P5300448.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The chair outside the window is a little scary, it must be 30ft high!!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I also managed to get the picture rails on in the landing, just got the skirting to do now!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bmvw9FuFHQk/TeasaJQ9QPI/AAAAAAAAAEc/_VWEbhouPmc/s1600/P5300462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bmvw9FuFHQk/TeasaJQ9QPI/AAAAAAAAAEc/_VWEbhouPmc/s320/P5300462.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Roll on the weekend! I'm so excited!!!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-42776477798048030872011-05-27T18:30:00.003+01:002011-06-18T18:13:07.588+01:00I'm Itchin' To Do The Kitchen!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><u></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">Well my kitchen plans have changed over and over again! I was planning to make my own and had it all worked out in my head and on paper. Then disaster struck when I costed it. What I initially thought was going to be a budget kitchen as I'd make it all myself, turned out to be quite the opposite.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">So I've given in (and am really excited and pleased that I have!) and have planned and ordered my kitchen kit from Elizabeth Le Pla at Elf Miniatures, which will firstly look far better than a home built one and secondly (and surprisingly) will cost me less!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">I cannot rate Elizabeth's speedy response to my emails highly enough and the level of service I have received so far is unsurpassable.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">I sent Elizabeth an email with a scanned sketched plan of my kitchen (quite a rough one at that!) and a list of all the parts that I thought I needed. Within the hour she had replied with a couple of suggestions of things that I had forgotten which the kitchen would not look realistic without and also showed me a way of changing a couple of cabinets to save a bit of money too! She ensured that I had enough length in my kitchen for the worktop to overlap a little and also gave solutions if I didn't have the length required. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">From the few emails Elizabeth and I have exchanged, I can already tell that t</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">his lady obviously takes great pride in her work, has a passion for what she does and must (yes MUST!) get a lot of her business from repeat customers and word of mouth.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;"><a href="http://www.elfminiatures.co.uk/">http://www.elfminiatures.co.uk/</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">Kitchen aside, this weekend I will be working on odd jobs, such as the outside wall of the bathroom which didn't get done as I ran out of tiles. The picture rails and skirting on the landing. And making curtains for the bedroom to match the duvet I made last weekend.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">I'm not too sure how much I will get done this weekend, as a lot of time is already planned for my Maxi life which leaves little time for my Mini life. But I'm sure that with the bank holiday Monday, I'll find time to get some bits done.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-62649161160858022102011-05-22T22:07:00.004+01:002011-06-18T18:13:25.892+01:00It's A Dog's Life<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><u><b></b></u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">And ok, this isn't dolls house related, but he looked so cute after his bath this afternoon, that I just had to show you all a picture of Goose.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DZQb_Ltgc_g/Tdl6qJnjatI/AAAAAAAAADc/wTax5_B34S8/s1600/P5220324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DZQb_Ltgc_g/Tdl6qJnjatI/AAAAAAAAADc/wTax5_B34S8/s320/P5220324.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">He gets INTO our bed after a bath to help keep his skinny little lurcher body the right temperature! Just as well Sunday evening is clean bed cover time isn't it, little rascal!</span></div><div align="center" style="text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-34620027464596579262011-05-22T22:03:00.002+01:002011-06-18T18:13:42.488+01:00A Stitch In Time<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><u></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">I don't feel like I've achieved much this weekend, but that's probably just down to the fact that the last two weekends were so grand in the mini scheme of things (the hall and the bathroom) that until I do the kitchen, it'll all seem quite slow.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">Slow is good though as it gives me time to aquire more inspiration and to work out in my head how I'm going to make the kitchen.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">Talking of inspiration, I checked on the internet to find my closest dolls house shop. The closest one to me that kept coming up on Google was Small Talk in Shepperton. So on Saturday morning, I got in my car quite excited at the prospect of being totally surrounded by mini-everythings. It's about a 25 minute drive to Shepperton, but when I got there, Small Talk was no where to be found.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">I went into the local hardware shop (next door to said address) and they told me that it closed down quite some time ago. Oh NO!!!!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">So, I drove all the way home again somewhat disappointed.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">Never one to let disappointment last for long, I went into our local Haberdashery (Needle & Thread in Horsell Village) and bought some off-cuts of material.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">I've since made a duvet and pillows for the master bedroom and a duvet, pillow and matching blind for the second bedroom.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">YIPPEE!!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zTW9EImqMZU/Tdl4viz7ttI/AAAAAAAAADQ/nllc0vKvjUA/s1600/P5210290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zTW9EImqMZU/Tdl4viz7ttI/AAAAAAAAADQ/nllc0vKvjUA/s320/P5210290.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I don't think I'm going to use this bed in the house... or maybe I'll paint it... not sure yet.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fy7IPbMGb2A/Tdl43mOmLvI/AAAAAAAAADU/NQwy-RpYEXg/s1600/P5220320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fy7IPbMGb2A/Tdl43mOmLvI/AAAAAAAAADU/NQwy-RpYEXg/s320/P5220320.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My single bed duvet and pillow in lilac gingham and a dark mauve.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MDoE_Nd3jhE/Tdl4_Q6gIfI/AAAAAAAAADY/GpsWODevQIc/s1600/P5220318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MDoE_Nd3jhE/Tdl4_Q6gIfI/AAAAAAAAADY/GpsWODevQIc/s320/P5220318.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My blind. The top is a satay chicken skewer that came with my Chinese meal on Friday evening and the bead at the bottom was from an old necklace of Mario's! (Waste not, want not!)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-43948139777083863942011-05-16T19:38:00.002+01:002011-06-18T18:14:09.811+01:00Off Sick (Please read with a sense of humour!)<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><u></u></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><u><b></b></u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">I have been blighted again during last night and today with more stomach cramps (etc.) To add insult to injury, last night whilst biting into a digestive biscuit, (one of the very few things I'd eaten all day, due to being ill) a large filling came out!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">In the early hours of this morning whilst clutching my hot water bottle to my tummy, I decided that due to having to pay for a dentist to fix my tooth, I'd have to go to work with or without stomach cramps as I couldn't afford to not get paid.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">However, at about six thirty, a rapid trip to the bathroom was the first of many and the decision was taken out of my hands!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">Every cloud has a silver lining...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">...I haven't been able to leave the house today, but between trips to the loo (ok, I'll stop going on about it now!) I have sat with pencil and paper and started to design my kitchen. I have measured the room and drawn a birds-eye view of it to scale, putting in the details of where the window and doors are and trying to fit in cabinets so that they look asthetically pleasing when the house is opened, but which also look realistic.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">I think I'm going to go for a classic looking modern kitchen with cream shaker-style units, a wooden work top and wooden floor.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">Originally I was going to have the wall between the kitchen and the dining room opened up to make it open plan, however this limits the wall space I have so I've decided against the original idea. This will also give me wall space in the dining room to add a casual sofa that I've seen on Ebay.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">I've also been surfing the internet this afternoon looking at other peoples blogs (some of them are absolutely amazing!) I can't believe how realistic these things are! One web site that I will be using is <a href="http://www.jennifersprintables.com/">http://www.jennifersprintables.com/</a> where you can download and print off wallpapers and grocery wrappers etc. She also has links to some great tips on making your own items.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">Well this evening, being Monday, I would normally be helping Mario rehearse for this week's salsa lessons, however tonight I will be watching him and hopefully getting the ladies steps correct from the sofa. If not, I could be looking a bit daft tomorrow evening. Let's hope the tum is better by then or Passion de Salsa will be without it's glamorous assitant!!!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-64393598765371400952011-05-15T18:00:00.003+01:002011-06-18T18:14:24.901+01:00Bathroom Bliss!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><u><b></b></u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Well just because I couldn't work on the bathroom yesterday doesn't mean that this weekend's mission was in vain. Oh no! Mario went out for the day and so that meant that I had several hours peace and quiet to work on the bathroom.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I went to work with balsa wood and PVA.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I decided to paint the balsa wood and use mosaic tiles from Hobbycraft for the areas that I wanted tiled (around the bath and the walk in shower).</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Much patience, measuring, glueing and 422 tiles later, I had a bathroom mini-person would be proud of.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o3p_VFeD8MY/TdAHOBIjJLI/AAAAAAAAADE/RNPXTisWvOE/s1600/P5150266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o3p_VFeD8MY/TdAHOBIjJLI/AAAAAAAAADE/RNPXTisWvOE/s320/P5150266.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The door handles are beads from Hobbycraft</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O_4I4vsCeS8/TdAHog08E1I/AAAAAAAAADI/3C77VCHfggc/s1600/P5150268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O_4I4vsCeS8/TdAHog08E1I/AAAAAAAAADI/3C77VCHfggc/s320/P5150268.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The shower is a kit from Elf Miniatures as are the sink and toilet.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SEVG-Rf0Qkw/TdAHq1U4fTI/AAAAAAAAADM/Ylo7xw9aBkA/s1600/P5150269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SEVG-Rf0Qkw/TdAHq1U4fTI/AAAAAAAAADM/Ylo7xw9aBkA/s320/P5150269.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The mirror is a craft pack of four for less than two pounds!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">There is also a spot light in the hidden ceiling above the bath, one above the mirror and there will be one in the shower area too.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-51746153365600822632011-05-14T15:52:00.005+01:002011-06-18T18:14:41.330+01:00Wash Day Blues<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><u></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">Well last night I managed to put together all my balsa wood and build the bathroom in. Unfortnately today I have been blighted by two things; firstly I have had the most appauling stomach ache and secondly, the tiles I was going to use for the bathroom wall and floor look wrong.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">I had found some lino floor tiles in Homebase and thought if I cut them up small enough, they would be perfect for my bathroom, but they just look wrong. Maybe they're too shiny and make the scale look out, I'm not sure.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">Anyway, I'm now on a mission to come up with something that will work. Nothing less than perfect will do for Mini Jo Jo!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-85526718147925343672011-05-11T13:00:00.003+01:002011-06-18T18:14:59.201+01:00The Next Room Is Going To Be... ...The Bathroom!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><u><b></b></u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So I've decided that the next room I will work on will be the bathroom. I've ordered a small corner bath, a walk in shower, a toilet and a sink from Elf Miniatures and am busy planning.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">I plan to build in the corner bath and give it a tile surround and a lowered ceiling above the bath with spot lights inside. Then I will build a false wall so that the cistern for the toilet will be inside the false wall and the sink can also be built into the wall.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">I saw many beautiful bathrooms on the Elf Miniatures website (<a href="http://www.elfminiatures.co.uk/">http://www.elfminiatures.co.uk/</a>) and decided that I wanted one that looks that realistic. Now, I could spend lots of money on furniture, but I've decided that even if it looks good, I won't be as proud of it as I am my hallway. (I look inside several times a day and giggle at myself, that I panelled it all by myself!) If I can make my own fitted bathroom, I will not only have far more pride in my efforts and hard work, I will have saved a good few pounds too.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">If I can build a bathroom, surely I can build a kitchen too?!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-56381749818903241022011-05-09T08:00:00.003+01:002011-06-18T18:15:26.759+01:00Making A Grand Entrance (pt 3)<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><u><b></b></u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">Well there was six or seven more hours well spent (although I didn't bake a single cake this weekend!)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jm3XLJbVM90/TcfcA0hhTsI/AAAAAAAAADA/6J7EhzonOgY/s1600/P5080209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jm3XLJbVM90/TcfcA0hhTsI/AAAAAAAAADA/6J7EhzonOgY/s320/P5080209.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Almost there... just flooring, skirting and picture rails to go...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eSsd4U4827E/TcfbyXi0iyI/AAAAAAAAAC8/9RN7imqS4lo/s1600/P5080241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eSsd4U4827E/TcfbyXi0iyI/AAAAAAAAAC8/9RN7imqS4lo/s320/P5080241.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">All done! And I'm so pleased with it, I just look at it and smile to myself that I managed to create that!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">Which room to work on next? Will it be the bathroom or the kitchen? Hmmm...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-49780696053974782262011-05-05T22:00:00.003+01:002011-06-18T18:15:42.874+01:00Making A Grand Entrance (pt 2)<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><u></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">Well so much for waiting until the weekend! Last night I just thought I'd do a couple of odd two minute jobs on the dolls house and three hours later, I'd stained the stairs and panelled wall!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">Here's the before photo...</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O2EoN5hfYJ4/TcOfJdPMoNI/AAAAAAAAACs/d6-ez3rPUHo/s1600/P4160023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O2EoN5hfYJ4/TcOfJdPMoNI/AAAAAAAAACs/d6-ez3rPUHo/s320/P4160023.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and here's the mid way photo (panelling done and stained, but wallpaper, flooring, picture rails and skirting still to be done)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X4n-TLGMN0U/TcOfqsvH0BI/AAAAAAAAACw/xSeux_Utfgg/s1600/P5050204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X4n-TLGMN0U/TcOfqsvH0BI/AAAAAAAAACw/xSeux_Utfgg/s320/P5050204.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Hopefully, my wallpaper and carpets should arrive today (and the tiny hinges for the cupboard under the stairs door) and I can complete the hall and landing this weekend.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-30753668965356982392011-05-04T20:30:00.002+01:002011-06-18T18:16:00.349+01:00Making A Grand Entrance<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><u></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Having almost completed the front exterior, I have decided that I need a change of scenery and my next mission is to complete the hall and landing.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My Mountfield is going to be a 1930s built house, but based in the modern day. The occupants are going to be those lucky people that get to live in a great house with all the mod cons, but with a lot of the original features still remaining.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So, the hall way will have panelling on the wall under the stairs and picture rails just like it would have done originally, but the under stairs cupboard will have been converted to a downstairs loo (just like in my Auntie Mary's house!)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To this end, I carefully cut a door way out of the wall last night and then started to panel the door and wall with little bits of timber. The trouble was that the dampness of the glue on such a relatively thin piece of MDF, started to make it warp. Disaster was averted by a heavy dictionary being placed on them whilst they dried and that's why there's no picture as yet!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This weekend I hope to be able to stain them in an oak colour to match the internal doors.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-30250328711249669672011-04-29T21:00:00.005+01:002011-06-18T18:16:19.005+01:00The Tiling's On The Wall<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><u></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The tiling was done in the same way as the bricks. Tiles 1" by 1/2" cut out of a piece of painted sandpaper, then stuck onto the upper bay overlapping each one to give the 3D effect.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KdqZ-b4wwrg/TcFa5Jpz3eI/AAAAAAAAAB8/2kT0B5ZEOj0/s1600/P5010155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KdqZ-b4wwrg/TcFa5Jpz3eI/AAAAAAAAAB8/2kT0B5ZEOj0/s320/P5010155.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The lead flashing was part of a cereal box cut to shape and sprayed using some grey primer we had in the garage. To give it a slight metallic look, I brushed some watered down PVA glue over it.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-3675272735261026932011-04-23T22:00:00.006+01:002011-06-18T18:16:36.371+01:00It's Not Balderdash - It's Pebbledash!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><u><b><br />
</b></u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SlzeYdI_e1Y/TcAVoR-Xs1I/AAAAAAAAABg/QQHpef9Kg8A/s400/P4290120.JPG" width="400" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Having bricked the porch and the lower half of the front of the house (another six hours!) I pebble dashed the upper half of the house.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The pebble dash is made from white paint with a dollop of PVA glue mixed in and then model railway "ballast" mixed in and sort of stippled onto the wall until it looks right.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-1868983352068821082011-04-22T20:00:00.006+01:002011-06-18T18:16:59.581+01:00Bricking It.<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><u></u></b></span></div> <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Take a few sheets of fine sandpaper...</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RETChpBwhpE/TcAQ1rVg24I/AAAAAAAAABQ/MnlzKek-VbQ/s1600/P4250105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RETChpBwhpE/TcAQ1rVg24I/AAAAAAAAABQ/MnlzKek-VbQ/s320/P4250105.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-euoP-x-yoDY/TcAQ-zYtS4I/AAAAAAAAABU/_fbt8KezrwA/s1600/P4250106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">...paint them brick colours...</span><br />
<img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-euoP-x-yoDY/TcAQ-zYtS4I/AAAAAAAAABU/_fbt8KezrwA/s320/P4250106.JPG" width="320" /></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">...then cut each sheet into 644 tiny little bricks.</span><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TyEMX7abClw/TcARIN1SFuI/AAAAAAAAABY/wkQ83NDp3j8/s1600/P4250108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TyEMX7abClw/TcARIN1SFuI/AAAAAAAAABY/wkQ83NDp3j8/s320/P4250108.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I wanted to achieve a better look than simple brick wallpaper and although I was exceedingly tempted by the fantastic real brick slips that are available from Richard Stacey, I wanted to keep my costs to a minimum.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As long as you remember to paint the wall in a mortar colour before beginning to stick the "bricks" on so that any tiny spaces between the bricks look like real mortar, it's an excellent compromise.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GPKjIdi8WiQ/TcATBimn1OI/AAAAAAAAABc/l722CvUggsc/s1600/P4250111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GPKjIdi8WiQ/TcATBimn1OI/AAAAAAAAABc/l722CvUggsc/s400/P4250111.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Having spent six hours making the bricks, it took a further two hours to brick below the lower bay window. (But well worth all the time and effort.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162428744958663520.post-77152771841151395452011-04-18T04:00:00.005+01:002011-06-18T18:17:18.090+01:00A Touchy Subject.<br />
<div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-size: large;"><b><u></u></b></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4SzFp9bWbiY/TcAHZdvLHII/AAAAAAAAABM/r1SmCUNPwjk/s1600/P4220038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4SzFp9bWbiY/TcAHZdvLHII/AAAAAAAAABM/r1SmCUNPwjk/s320/P4220038.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I've spent six hours painting the windows and external doors, trying very very hard not to get paint on the "glass" and staining the internal doors in a medium oak colour. Luckily, the weather was beautiful so I was able to take them all outside to the garden and catch a few rays at the same time!</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">My neighbours wondered what the hell I was doing!</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">Of course, to see what a difference I've made, I had to put them temporarily in place once they were done!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1