Computerless

My computer crashed two weeks ago and had to go into the shop. I really missed being able to check in with my mini groups, but I worked on some swaps and took time to do some shopping for sale items at local craft stores and yard sales. This is what I came up with:


At AC Moore, I purchased the beaded bracelet and some butter pecan Gallery Glass on clearance for $.50 each. I intend to remove the small wooden beads from the bracelet and use the gallery glass to fill some mini glasses.

Next I hit the local Dollar Store and purchased 3 packets of jewelry bell caps for future use, a pack of 6 thimbles that I thought might make nice planters when turned upside down, and a packet of 4 skeletons on string that I might remove from the string for a Halloween scene.

On my way to work last Friday morning I found a yard sale with everything for $.25. There were lots of craft items that I might be able to use in my mini work. They included bat confetti, a small quilted reindeer head, an assortment of jewelry findings..........

small wooden milk bottles and lid shapes, mini beads and two packets of mini jointed teddy bears. I got all this for under $3!

Next I stopped at Michael's Craft Store for some of their famous $1 shelves. I also found this "book" case and two pieces of sticky backed material on clearance. The colors on the material are a bright purple and lime green, but I thought they might work well as flooring/carpet for Halloween rooms.

My next stop was a flea market held by one of our local animal rescue shelters. I couldn't resist this two-section shelf for only $3. I know I will be making a 1:12 scene to fit into it in the near future.

Another find was this black metal holder for a tea light candle. I really liked the wooden material around the candle holder part. I thought I might be able to remove it and use it as a fence, or perhaps saw off the top handle and use it for a table base.

Last of all, I have been watching these small potted bushes that CVS (our local pharmacy) had in stock since spring for $1.99. I really liked them, but was hoping they went on sale. Finally they sold for $.99 and I bought 4 of them (two with pink flowers & two with yellow). I will remove them from the pots and use them as bushes in front of my dollhouse, or in a garden scene. I went back to get more, but they were all gone!

What We Have Done on the Bayberry Cottage So Far

When I first got the Bayberry Cottage, the shell was together and all inside walls were painted white. Most of the parts needed to complete the dollhouse were included. One of the things missing was the brick for the base. They had painted it a very glossy midnight blue which looked hideous! So I repainted it 3 coats of “country tan”. There were globs of glue that dripped all over so a lot of sanding had to be done to remove as much as possible. Also the porch floor looked like paper had been applied and then attempted to be removed. So I had to get the remainder of the paper off and sand off glue spots there.

Amanda & I decided to make some changes to the house. The bedroom on the upper right will be made into 2 rooms so that we can add a small bathroom. On the first floor of the left side of the house a kitchen will be added at a later date and on the right side first floor a pet shop will be added later. I picked up some Plastic Wood filler to try and fill in the large spaces where the roof meets the walls.

On each side of the first floor, I cut the windows into doorways. I cut a wall for the bathroom from a double thickness of foam core board. Amanda put several coats of “Cruising Blue” on the attic walls.

Amanda wants me to try and electrify the house and since I don’t have any experience at this it will be a challenge. We decided to hide the junction box for the electricity under the stairs and enclose this with a double piece of foam core board. That way it will look like a closet behind the stairway. I have started running the tape wires into most of the rooms.

I added scrapbooking paper flooring from the Dollar Store to the attic and a small round light on the ceiling there - it actually worked :0) This basically completes the attic.

On the second floor We have started working on the nursery. Amanda wants it to be for a little boy. The windows that came with the kit had been worked on by the original owner and didn’t look too good, so I ordered two Houseworks Attic Windows online to use in their place.

I painted them “Tapioca” and had to sand the opening a bit for them to fit. I intend to use the “Tapioca” color on all the trim work for the house.

Amanda’s favorite color is green so she picked “Agave” for the nursery walls. I used some Dollar Store self-stick floor tile that I cut up into boards for the flooring and added a teddy bear/rocking horse border that we picked up at October ‘08’ Philadelphia Minituria (our first mini show). At the show, Amanda also chose an inexpensive white crib and a white rocking horse that will be used in the room. Now I am working on the trim for the room and we have to decide on a light for the ceiling.

My Adventure Into Minis

I have been wanting to start a blog for awhile now, but was unsure how to start. Well, I finally decided to give it a try. This blog is going to be about my miniature adventures. I will begin by giving a little background on how I got into miniatures.

I have been interested in crafts since I was young. My main interests started out in needlework. I remember sitting watching TV with my mom while we knitted or crocheted together. Later I got into other crafts as well. One craft magazine I purchased had a plan for making a one-room schoolhouse. I was fascinated and made my own following the directions. Then an angry husband (now ex-) destroyed it during a argument.

For many years I would pick up miniatures pieces at yard sales or auctions and put them away in a box for "Someday". Well someday finally arrived when a customer called to have some items disposed of from her basement and mentioned one of them was a dollhouse. Joanne explained it was purchased at an auction by her daughter, who was going to complete it. However, her daughter already had 2 dollhouses and never got around to this one. They were very happy to give it to me rather than throw it away, and I was delighted to receive it.



That's how I got the Bayberry Cottage. When I brought it home, my teenage granddaughter, Amanda also fell in love with it. She wanted to help so I decided it will be hers. I am going to do most of the construction and finishing and she wants to do the furnishing.


NEXT POST: What we have done so far.