Treasures from Italy

Hello everyone,

I have finally photographed my little treasures from Italy and it was not easy let me tell you. The detail was so tiny I found it difficult to get in focus. I have purchased some divine little books from the lovely Caterina from le minis di Cockerina please click Here to find her blog. When I saw the little book of Pinocchio she had made with the lovely explanation of the original Italian version and how it had been changed for the Walt Disney animation I felt I had to have it. The book comes with the original illustrations and text (not that i can read it its so small ) some of the illustrations are in colour too and it also has a removable sleve. It is beyond my imagination how anyone can work with such small pieces of paper. Pinocchio is a story I was so fascinated by as a little girl and spent many hours studying the images of the story book I had at home. Whilst in Sienna a few years ago I found this little ceramic Pinocchio I had to have.

 I also purchased a little copy of Little Women which was a favourite of mine many years ago. It to has been made in beautiful detail with divine illustrations in side. I thought it was a must for the twins bedroom as something they might read when a bit more grown up.

I must thank Caterina for her beautiful work, I have looked on her blog again today and already I have seen books I would love to buy......such a talented Lady.

This is not painted by me but taken from a Citrus website click Here to go there.

Now my next important news is that my darling little girl (not so little any more) has decided to get started on her miniature shop and has started a bog of her own to show her progress and to also get some very experienced advice from you talented Miniaturists out there. Her blog is called Mini Citrus as every thing she names must have a link to fruit, ha! Maybe because she is a bit of a 'Fruit loop' like her mother!! Any way here is the link and I would love it if you would take a look. Click Here for Princess Mia Orange lemon............

Happy Minis,

ML Fi xx

Vintage shop finds.

Hello every one,

I would like to welcome my new followers, thank you very much for visiting!

Now, I know last post I promised treasures from Italy but I have been a little side tracked. Today I went for a little fossic through the Vintage shop with my friend Sharon and what do you think I found? Firstly, this rather unusual but some what quaint little dollhouse cupboard that is just begging for some love and attention. It is in fact sold but I think it would have made a rather curious project. The fact that the interior doors are some what out of proportion to the windows is intriguing and perhaps suggests a trippy sort of house, this could indeed conjure some interesting decor choices. The lace curtains made me think of Andy instantly as a "what not to do" and believe me they look far more stained with life than they look in the photo! The plastic blue shower curtain material used for the curtains in the other room made me think OMG what were they thinking? Were they expecting rain through the windows? I then reverted into the "this was some ones happy little play house and I shouldn't be mean"kind of thinking, lets not then discuss the not to scale carpet and interesting lino. I think it does however belong to the world of much loved Dollhouses and I would certainly love to bring it back to life but clearly someone else has had the same idea!!

Now this next house is for sale at a fairly reasonable price and is actually an Architects model. I am not sure of the scale, but it does look like it could be 1/12th as I didn't have my tape measure. What do you think? Is this something I could work with, it seems a shame to let it go? It's hard to work out how to get access, it's possibly something that is a little beyond my experience, so I thought best to refer to the experts......am I crazy to entertain the idea????

I'd love to hear your thoughts!!

Happy minis,

Ml fi xx

Mirror, Mirror.

Hello every one,

Firstly I would like to welcome all my new followers, I know not every one likes to comment but it's lovely to know that people are looking and I very much appreciate anyone joining my blog, so a big hello and thank you to anyone that I haven't greeted yet!

Here are some of my latest purchases from the Fair. This lovely mirror came from Christmas every day who had a stall on the day, I'm not exactly sure where I will put this but perhaps in the Drawing room or maybe even the hall. I'm really not sure but I had in mind for a while I wanted a mirror in this style and as I said last post I have learn't to get something when you see it.

I also had in mind for some time, to have a potted palm in Ambrosia Place as I believe it was quite the style for the era and the climate and I think a little bit of greenery always adds some freshness.I don't have a firm idea of where I will place this either but it seems to look nice in most of the rooms. These beautifully detailed plants were hand made by a lovely Lady named Dianne from To Die For Miniatures who does not have a website either......I guess this is why we go to Fairs so we can get hold of otherwise unobtainable hand made miniatures. She makes quite a range of beautiful plants and flowers but I do have a budget I must stick to......however when I saw these lovely little geraniums I couldn't walk past as my mother had a thing for white geraniums to the point where she often had pots of them by the window in her kitchen and she also did a very beautiful painting of white geraniums in a mossy pot that hung in our family room. I plan to paint a little moss on this pot also and I know exactly where it belongs!

The last little things I want to show you are tucked away under the table in the first image, they are biscuit tins that I thought were very necessary for a kitchen, I'm not sure if you can see them there but I forgot to take a proper picture of them.

Next post I will show you some lovely little things I recived in the mail that came all the way from Italy and I just love them!!! I haven't photographed them yet but will do so this week.

Happy minis to you all!!

ML Fi xx

Fair Fare.

Hello every one,

Whilst I have been a little on the quiet side in blog land I have actually been busy with Ambrosia Place. I am just about ready to add the final little touches to my kitchen and show you the final pictures but in the mean time I have been to a local Fair and purchased some lovely little items. As you may notice I have shifted my focus to the next room I will be working on, the "twins room" or nursery which it may other wise be called. This will be the room for Ashly and Tibet (hehe, click here to find out the relevance of the names in a previous post). The bassinet you see above may not wind up in the nursery as I think it is for a boy baby, possibly in the Master bedroom so I must check with Miss Mia to be sure.  I did however learn from past mistakes at miniature fairs and purchased this darling little bassinet as soon as I saw it. It is hand woven and sewn by a lovely lady named Dawn who does not have a web site or a computer for that matter. Her work is just delightful as you can see in the above pictures she has sewn not only a tiny quilt but lace trimmed sheets, pillow and blanket, her work is so lovely. I photographed it with a tea died tulle pompom I made for something else and I thought they worked well together.

Next I have a little shell frame to show you that I made my self so that I could use a beautiful little poem written by David Huckvale.David left this poem on my blog some time ago when I posted about my tiny shells and I was so taken with it I thought it should go as pride of place in the twins room. Given Ambrosia Place is set in South Carolina and many beaches are near by I thought shells would be something that the family collected as we do here. These are all little shells I have found on my beach, I have put some regular size shells in the picture to give you an idea of how tiny they really are.( I had to use tweezers to place some of them.) There are some funny shadows on the print but I have also aged the paper to give it a nice patina. I have collected the big shells from beaches in the past but we are not allowed to that any more.

Here is the poem from David incase you cant read it very well. Its perfect for the little girls.

Come walk with me

Along the sea

Where dusk sits on the land

And search with me

For shells are free

And treasures hide in sand

Now last but definitely not least are these exquisite little dolls made by Dawns friend, Win Garside. Neither has a blog or website, which is just as well really, as I think if they did they would be run off their feet. These little dolls are for Ashley and Tibet and will live in their bedroom but I thought they looked pretty in the bassinet for the photo. Aren't they just the sweetest little things, so small they almost fit inside my thumb nail, they have the tiniest little roses in their hair.

I did make quite a few more purchases but I thought I would save them for next time. I am afraid this is a bit of a girly post, not much interest for you chaps out there but next post should be less so. 

Happy minis,

ML Fi xx

A Name?

Hello everyone,

Considering it has been some time since my last post and whilst I have actually been working on our Dollhouse, I have not been able to take any pictures since a certain little someone fiddled with my camera and I have to wait to get it fixed.

In the meantime I thought I would show you this picture of the Tabby Manse in Beaufort South Carolina. I came across the Tabby Manse whilst looking for houses with Architectural similarities to our Dollhouse. Not having a great knowledge of architecture, at the time I was surprised to find that our DH was not in fact English Georgian as we first thought but actually Colonial Georgian as I'm sure you would all know. This put me into a head spin initially because it was not what I had in mind, but the fact that our DH has windows with shutters, pillars and a porch/veranda I had no choice but to embrace the idea.

Once I thought about it I realised that I had had a long time fascination for Southern Style architecture and the beautiful landscape it sets itself in. It holds a sort of mystic romanticism, with the long languid days and balmy nights. I have dreamt of sitting on a porch swing, sipping lemonade whilst gazing upon cool green grass and beautiful old oaks dripping with spanish moss. I don't know where this imagery was born or why I was so impressed with it, I suppose many a movie has created such a seen which has obviously left an impression of tranquility. I do know, that after my Mother died this setting was firmly implanted in my mind and for some reason, in the process of trying to process my grief, I would meditate and imagine sitting on this porch swing with my mother. I would talk to her for a while and then wonder on to the cool green grass, touch the oaks and the spanish moss then down to a little jetty on the shores of a lake where I dipped my toes in the refreshing water. Once realising that the Southern architecture had a special meaning it all made sense, perhaps I subconsciously chose this style of house. After realising, I had visions of grandeur and once this house was done I would create the Southern Plantation house I had imagined.........

Back to reality Fiona!!! You haven't even finished the first floor!!

Reality is, that our Doll House looks a lot like the tabby Manse but the colours are completely different, the out side is painted a pale Naples yellow, with white window trim and pillars, slate blue shutters and roof. It was originally chosen because it went with the decor of Mia's room at the time, the plan is to change it to look like the Tabby Manse and eventually adding the basement with the sweeping steps to the porch. Given the speed in which I work I can't see it happening any time in the near future......; )

Now to the name. 

I have taken this post to a much more personal level than I intended but as you know I do tend to go off on a tangent, but now that you understand the inspiration, the name will make more sense. Given it is not a grand house, although it is set in South Carolina, it is not a Plantation house but a Place, a place of femininity and creativity, and of heavenly fragrance, a place to go back in time or hold time in place, a place of beauty, imagination and eternal youth.

Our House will be named Ambrosia Place.

I hope you like it the name and understand the degree of sentimentality, maybe one day I will build the house of my imagination but for now I hope Ambrosia place will hold echo's of my idea. The magnolia was my mothers favourite flower and also grows beautifully in Southern carolina.

Happy minis every one.

ML Fi xx

P.S This P.S is for John, I know exactly what your thinking, ( re slaves in the South ) as I did the same as you so Ambrosia Place is set in my imagination where no such thin existed. xx

Happy Birthday

  

Like everyone else

I feel the need of relations and friendship,

of affection, of friendly intercourse,

and I am not made of stone or iron,

so I cannot miss these things without feeling,

as does any other intelligent man,

a void and deep need.

I tell you this to let you know

how much good your visit has done me.

Vincent Van Gogh

From one mad Artist to another....... your friendship is invaluable!

Dearest David,

I wish you the Happiest of Birthdays. As you know I am not a writer or poet but I felt that these lines from dear Vincent say more than I can manage. Your friendship has been nothing short of thoughtful, entertaining, educational and some times laugh out loud funny. I am so glad I met you via Andy and although it has not been in person I feel a true friendship has evolved. As I have mentioned before my world would be empty without your wonderful posts.......; )

I have spent the afternoon making a little something in miniature to post for your birthday but sadly by the time I had finished the light had failed and was not worth photographing. I will have to leave it till tomorrow. The image above is from a clip I took this week but sadly it failed to load, it is my local beach where I walk most days and I thought you might enjoy catching a glimpse.

Have a wonderful day David,

Love always, your friend, Fi xx

Long time, no see???

Hello every one!! Yes long time no see!!

I'm sorry I have been some what absent from the blog world of late, we have had some family issues that have needed some careful attention but rest asured all is well and I will soon be back into the swing of things. I will also be changing a few things on my blog to ensure a little more privacy as I have had some un wanted exposure of a different kind recently ( exposure being the word of interest) and I just want to tighten a few things up. 

I don't really have any progress to report but I wanted to say Hi to you all and after seeing Andy's post where he so sweetly mentioned my kitchen curtains I thought I would show how I did them.

Firstly I measured the space and cut the fabric one and a half times the width then sewed a tiny hem all the way around. I then used a cork board and pinned my piece of fabric to the board in the little pleats I required, trying my best to keep to keep them straight so quite a few pins were required. I then sprayed it with hair spray and quickly used my hair dryer I had ready and dried it off. The curtain was then permanently pleated and as stiff as a board ( and I wont make any relevant jokes to other such things Andy and John.....; ) ) I then glued it to a little piece of card I had with the ends folded in then I glued the board inside the cabinet opening, and bingo there is my little curtain.

The little tea towels and dish cloth I used the same technique but folded them in place as you can see in the above picture. I used the coat hanger so I could get the right sort of fold to hang on the rail on the aga. The dish cloth I wanted to look like it was tossed on the draining board so I used an old towel to shape it on.

So there we have it! No pretty pleater but it does the trick when you don't have one handy!!!

 

Next I wanted to tell you about my trip to the tip!! John says it's a must tell story. Exciting I know, my domestic duties discussed on my blog and  you may ask why I show you a picture of a pile of rubble but look closely and you will see a very sad little Doll House. Yes, sad, because there it was, sitting there abandoned and who should arrive and see it there but ME, the perfect person to restore it back to life, it was fate I thought. Until the mean attendant said I was not to go beyond the barrier for public safety reasons. That pile of wood was nearly 2 stories high. I said to Paul maybe we could back up the car and I could run and grab it, but he wouldn't have it! There was no way I was bringing home any JUNK from the tip!!! If I was on my own I would have done it!

So even sadder it was that I had to leave it behind.....Austrian Chalet I was thinking. I stewed on it for days!!!  

Well thats all I have for you at the moment folks but I just wanted to let you know I will be back in the swing of things soon!

Much love to you all, Fi xx