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Fairytale Dollhouse…
I have an upcoming market at the end of October, and I am so incredibly excited! Twelve artists in a two-day event, with a huge raffle donating 100% of its proceeds to a local women’s shelter. All of the ladies are super talented, with painters, felters, and various crafters. But the most exciting part is, for the first time, I will get to meet my customers. I will be able to see their expressions while they look at my work, and will hopefully get plenty of comments on what they would like to see.
So I’m crafting, crafting, crafting. I want to bring as many fairy homes to the event as possible, mainly for the above feedback. I also wanted to create a fairly large focal point, in the from of a dollhouse. Here what I’ve made…
My fairy dreamhouse….
I’ve mentioned in previous posts that I adore combing antique stores for vintage items as a base for my fairy houses. In the spirit of handmade, I hate to purchase wood or framing from craft stores that buy in bulk overseas. It seems like the wrong way to start a project. One glorious Saturday I happened to stop by one of my favorite haunts, Carriage House Antiques, as they happened to be having a garden sale. Sitting in front of all these glorious flower pots, sections of fencing, and various baskets was a lonely, faded, unopened box housing a vintage Duracraft dollhouse. The box was pathetic and looked like it may have seen some water, so no one would touch it. It looked like this…
I saw an opportunity, and snatched it up right away. I told one of the owners I was going to go home and assemble it today, and I believe she sort of snickered. Rightly so, because there was a lot of sanding and trimming involved. But the wood was in perfect condition, and was of a higher quality than any of the other dollhouses I had worked with.
I started thinking about the ideal fairy mansion, rich with detail and warm in color. I painted the outside a lovely chocolate, and papered the ground floor in brown leather. This awesome kit came with an unexpected bay window, a flower box, front steps, and detailed windows. These are things I didn’t even notice on the box, and was delighted to find! I deconstructed a vintage basket to replace some of the trim with (to give it a more authentic, woodland feel.
Then I painted the bay windows, stairs, and flower boxes burgundy. I paved the front steps with tiny pieces of mother of pearl shell, to add a little sparkle.
The result is something I am extremely proud of! It was painstakingly time consuming, but hopefully will be well loved and become a family heirloom. I know that my daughter was eyeing it, but is a little to young to keep this fairy dream house. Whomever gets to choose the furnishings will be in for a treat:)
This home is for sale in my Etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/listing/242610307/cottage
The tiniest interiors…
I am obsessed with miniature worlds. I think it can be attributed to a combination of factors, the charm and orderliness of the tiny, that small spaces can be extremely ornate without appearing ostentatious, and that themes look totally plausible when they are small enough. I also adore the fact that small spaces are almost impossible to “mess up”, a battle that is constantly being fought in my home between my daughter, husband, and I. Here are some of the rooms I spent painstaking hours on. I hope their appearance soothes your soul in the same way the do to mine:)
TinkerWhims 