Photo Finish:

Dear All,

 If you do not want to be overexposed to my mini-photos now is the time to turn back!

This will be my last post and I know one should edit, edit, edit but here are the photos Bruce took just before he headed to Australia.

The Entry:
A view from the dining room.  Mirror gilded and aged by Janine - actually a Christmas decoration, orchid by Elizabeth of studioeminiatures. displayed in a silver-coloured tea caddy. Entry table by Bespaq. I purchased all of the French-styled furniture unfinished.

Below:

A small addition of a beautiful umbrella made by Fatima. I hope that you will soon see her blog Beauxminis as I know she is working on it.  I have to warn you that she is a perfectionist and it is reflected in her work!

If you wish you may see a more detailed summary of the entry in an earlier posts: December 2011 Decorated for Xmas and January 2012 Entry. 

Above: Photo taken from the Grand  Salon through the dining room into the entry. You will see the broken bowl that in this scenario the curious cat has knocked to the floor. In actuality two soccer playing sons landed their soccer ball on it and broke it. Will I ever forgive them....... I'm trying! Of course that was almost twenty years ago!

Bathroom:

Now we should run up to the bathroom for a quick view. Yes all is in order. 

However after consultation with the Miniteers there may be some changes on the horizon. Perhaps the molding will be bulked up a little and a transom window appear above the door.  Hopefully that will enable us to look through to the large lantern light in the entry.

Assorted bead bottles above the sink.  Cupboard filled with towels, soaps and more labelled bead bottles, Jean d Arc figurine and gilded bird cage on top. Unopened drawer filled with toilet rolls. 

Above the bath,  jewellery findings and gel caps form candlesticks, print of a young girl, roses from the garden and a vintage travel clock.  In the bath, shampoo and bath oil bead bottles, shell with soap, wash cloth and sponge.  On the wall next to the bath - more lovely soap in a pedestal bowl, fluffy towels, bath salts etc etc.

Time is flying, quick, better head back downstairs to see if the silver should be polished or left to develop a time-worn patina.  Mmm, my vote is?

China Cabinets Dining Room:

Bespaq painted with suede acrylic paint and gold highlights.  I removed the glass shelves and glued French prints onto the backs of the cabinet. I then replaced the shelves but attached the displays to an acrylic sheet the same size as the glass. This enables me to change the display if I should choose. I think I had more cranberry glass and less silver in the display when I posted in the planning stages February 2010 Dining Room Display Cases.

The Grand Salon:

Oh yes, still in limbo but I will apply myself to this room when I return. Note the nice light from a French door that leads into the entry. 

I did make a little breakthrough when I found a table mat that reminded me of sisal. It is a flat weave in light gold. I layered a print of a rug onto suede paper that looks like one of the soft coloured over dyed rugs one sees about these days.

Elizabeth just gave me a fire screen, made particularly for this room, that matches the blue willow wear jars on the bombe chest at the far end of the room. ( You wonder, what do I give Elizabeth - well not nearly enough but I did take several bags of seaweed and sea soil for her garden earlier in the week. As an aside I encouraged her to post her amazing real-life garden. I hope she will.)

Back to mini: I am considering doing a full wall of books and putting a campaign type table-desk under the window to create a library. This room certainly needs a reason for the imagined occupants to come and linger. Below - great spot to read.

The dining room: 

What no chairs - no, far too many people will be meandering about the table and heading out into the garden to eat in the soft summer night. 

The ice tub filled with pear cider and white wine replaces the broken bowl in the entry. Breads by studioeminiatures.

 Thank you so much for all your encouragement and comments.  I really appreciate that you actually follow my site. It amazes me.

I have had such a lot of pleasure from working on this little house. Still unfinished, but what house is ever quite "done". 

To those in the Northern Hemisphere, have a wonderful spring and summer and to those in the Southern climes I hope you have a mild winter season.

I will try and visit your blogs from time to time while we travel but I will really enjoy catching up when I return. 

All the best. Keep safe and happy. 

regards Janine

Kitchen Island:

Going Travelling:

Soon I will pack my bags and head to Australia for almost five months. Bruce departed two weeks ago I will follow next week.

Unfortunately we will miss most of our British Columbia summer. We will  land cruise in Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia during the Australian winter which is the perfect time to be in those areas.

Kitchen Again!

Well, what can I say! I thought I was finished and then I decided to cut a door into the courtyard. Then I decided I should have an island in the kitchen area! Gosh, this is sounding so much like my real size house.  The only difference is that I have to warn Bruce not to do anything on the real house until I am sure it is what I have finally decided. Otherwise, out with the wrecking bar or whatever and a wall is down or moved while I went out for tea with friends!

Below: Most of the things on the table are gifts from Studioeminiatures  Do go and visit as Elizabeth posts wonderful tutorials as well as showing her work in progress on her miniature houses.  Elizabeth also gave me the violets in the clay pot and the sweet pie plates, the painted rooster and cook books.

The top of the island has been treated to create a zinc top look. The baskets contain potatoes, eggs and pink dried hydrangeas.

Below is the lovely saucepan support that hangs above the island -  a gift from Fatima. Fatima found one each for Elizabeth and for me.   It is from the Hallmark Christmas collection 2002.  It was perfect in scale except for the hooks that held the pans. I removed the original hooks and made smaller ones and changed a couple of the items.

The ceiling is high with wooden beams so I was not able to attach it directly to the ceiling nor to a beam as none were correctly placed.
Bruce attached a brass rod to the hanger with a plate soldered to the top to connect it the ceiling. Now it is at the correct height and somewhat controlled in its movement. A chain attachment would be constantly on the swing!  That would remind me of being at sea!

This photo shows the island in place. Now that I have examined the photos I can see that I need to paint and distress the legs of the island.

Am I posting too many photos? 

A light lunch.  The lemon tart is very tempting but there is a big party tonight!  Everyone is invited!

BIRD Bedroom:

Bird Bedroom:

In my imagination the owners of the house occupy this bedroom. The lady of the house is adept at rescuing and finding loving homes for all manner of textiles. Linen bedding, damask tablecloths, sections of lace, time-mellowed quilts and monogrammed textiles are washed and dried on the grass or flapping in the wind.

The light is excellent in the bird room and many a quiet hour is spent carefully restoring the tattered edgings of sun bleached linens. She can also, unobserved, watch her Grandchildren play in the safety of the walled courtyard.

The door has been hand painted with a bird and vine motif to match the wallpaper.

The bird room is so named because of the blue birds on the wallpaper.

Below you can see the full depth of the room. It feels quite sparse at this stage.

Below are some of the details that make the room begin to feel occupied. It really is helpful to photograph your work. I can see now that I need a bench across the bottom of the bed.  Perhaps work in progress across the bottom of the couch. I did place a pillow on the desk chair and now have made more linens to fill the spaces in the armoire. I need to make light-covered books to stack under the bedside table on the left side of the bed and some distinctive items for the top of the right side. I have more pictures in frames and a mirror I may add to the right side of the bed. 

A dressmakers model waits to be adorned. Above in the armoire two birdcages are displayed. Linens, napkins, quilts and lace all freshly mended and ironed accumulate in the armoire. It is sometimes difficult to part with some of these treasures. 

Beside the chaise lounge is a small sewing basket full of thread and laces. The newly-pressed basket of linens waits to be stored. The desk displays a tea tray, lamp, mirror and medieval plaster statue as well as a collection of monogrammed napkins,  leather diary, framed photograph and vanity tray. 

Monogrammed sheets and napkins, tea and vanity tray by StudioEMiniatures.

It is always fun to peek into rooms through the window! The doorway leads out into the hallway of the two story entry. If you have time please visit these rooms in Older Posts:  Entry March 1, 2012 and the opposite door is the Empire Room March 12, 2012.

Children's Room

Children's Room:

An attic bedroom. I posted this back in April of 2010. You will not be able to view it as I put it into drafts by mistake when I was looking back at the post. I had just finished the bathroom that you can see through the door and had arranged the beds side by side on the wall to the right of the fireplace. You can see the bathroom in detail in past posts under Attic Bathroom April 7, 2010.

The new layout opens the space so you can see into the room. I had almost no accessories and now I look at the photos I notice I did not dress the mantle. Perhaps I will find some new things while I am away this summer.

I had always wanted to do a toile room. The wall paper is fabric attached to watercolour paper by spray adhesive. It is a fine cotton and it was very easy to work with. I did not show it but the chair beside the fireplae has the little check for a seat cover and a toile cushion as well as a petit point style cushion.

The door to the left has blackboard paint on it and drawings by two of the grandchildren. It opens to the impression of a stairway leading downstairs. The cart has a knitted sock monkey and a lady bunny by Elizabeth. The tiny suede bear has leather ears and is jointed. He was a lucky find a long time ago. I have been working on this house and acquiring items for it since the mid '90's. Bruce built it from 10mm ply and it was largely unfinished. I remember going to the Seattle show and buying almost every item of Bespaq furniture you will see in the house. It was quite a day and I was in shock for several months.

Elizabeth encouraged my interest in miniatures and she has given me so many things for this house over the past twenty years.

The bunnies are waiting for visitors so they can begin afternoon tea. Lots of toys have found a place in the dollhouse and on top of the trunks. Bunnies by Janine from a tutorial by Elizabeth. Petit fours and pedestal tray by studioeminiatures.blogspot.ca

The bunny button on the shelf is from a romper suit that #1 son wore. He is now 38... can that be right!
The yellow robot and also the little yellow car also belonged to the boys when they were small. When they left home I bought their playmobile, lego, matchbox cars and mini things and their children now play with them!

Fatima, Elizabeth and I attended the Seattle Miniature Show a couple of weeks ago, one of the items I bought was the little wicker trolley that the felted mouse hopes will take him far. I also bought the sailing boat. Beside it is a glass canister filled with tiny shells found on our Pacific sailing adventure.

Fatima made the wonderful christening gown displayed on the cupboard made by Bruce. Inside are a pair of perfect booties.

The play table top is a circle of wood painted black with a wood marquetry motif modge podged to the top.The elaborate metal support is a thrift store find. I think it may have been a glass holder.

Note the light above the painting of a girl above the bed. It works only because of Bruce's inventive solution to pulling the wiring through the roof area.

He drilled a hole behind where the painting hangs into the roof space that has two support walls. He then fished wires through to provide power for that light.

It was not in the original wiring plan to have a bed in this position but it works so well and so neat with the little light burning above the bed.

Good Night!