New/Old House

Hello all and welcome to my new followers.

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago I almost tripped over this very cute and I think coastal looking Dollhouse in the thrift store, it had a $40 price tag and there was no way I was going to leave it there!

It has been sitting on the table in the family room and I have plenty of time to think about what I might do with it. All sorts of fresh summery looks have come into mind and I am itching to make a start. I promise I am still working on Ambrosia Place but I thought you might like to here my ideas for the new one and I would welcome any thoughts from you.

As you can see it is a we bit dusty and dirty too, I think you can see the odd cobweb in there I didn't notice but I think it will be a bit of a fun project. The ceilings are a bit low and the rooms a little small but there are plenty of them and they all have interesting possibilities. I love the room with the French doors that open out to the patio, I have always wanted to do a little terrace garden and just look how the sun shines through into what I think will be a sitting room, perhaps another sitting room below, it also has a door onto a veranda. I dont think that will be the main entry as I want to put a front onto the house, so the middle room on the ground floor will be perhaps some kind of entry, I was thinking casual dinning above it but logically should it be next to the kitchen which I think will be bottom far right, it has a nice big window I would like to put the sink under.

Under the roof line will be the two bedrooms, one with a ladder that leeds into the attic storage, I think I can have all sorts of fun with white boards on the ceilings and floors of the bedrooms, I have collected some great inspiration images from  pinterestif you care to have a look at the direction I'm going in.

I love the look through the doors to the coastal grasses outside.

 This I think will be the bathroom, I like the idea of putting a bath inside that lovely little arched alcove and a sink under the window ( I think I have a thing about sinks under windows)

This is a view of the kitchen window and I'm not sure if you can see through the RL window a very sleepy dog enjoying the winter sun.

A close up of the entry and dining upstairs....hmmm I'm still not sure about the dining area? Think worn old elm table and faded chairs, hts and bags on hooks in the entry?

I'm thinking I may have a separate blog to a passion for miniatures and make it more coastal like the old one.

Well let me know your thoughts and I will leave you some images of some of my orchids and the winter sun in my garden yesterday the bad weather finally cleared to a fresh morning and bright sunshine. I hope your not all too hot over there!

ML Fi XXX

A New Life

Hello Everyone,

Two weeks since my last post and I have been very busy bringing new life to an old Dollhouse. I mentioned in my last post I have acquired a couple of extra Miniature Dwellings, both have possibly seen better days and are in need of some love and attention. 

Today I would like to show you the house my sister in law and I bought through an online auction for my niece Brooke who has developed a love for miniatures, (welcome to the club Brooke) each time she comes to visit she loves to explore Ambrosia Place which lead us to work together on a room box for her. Recently I was fortunate enough to come across a house exactly the same as Ambrosia Place and couldn't resist, it came fully furnished with nice quality furniture and was a third of the price we purchased ours for fully assembled, so we snapped it up.

Once home I realised that the original description of excellent condition was not quite so, it had been in storage for a while and was quite water damaged, I'm sure the Lady that previously owned it saw it as perfect but not perfect enough for my niece. So I set to work and who doesn't like a before and after??

The windows and doors were not in good condition, unfortunatly  I pulled out the doors before I took photos, but they were water damaged and falling apart and the windows had yellowed glue smeared all over them, painting every window frame took some time but it was worth the final result.

As you can see the inside wasn't too bad but I couldn't resist making a few changes to the decor, I hate to tell you though, with all the excitement and rush to have it ready on time I didn't take photos of the interior but I am happy to say that I put to good use the green leaf wallpaper and rug for the nursery and  lots of other extras and it looks lovely. I will hopefully take some pictures next time. There was quite a build up to the presentation, children whisked away on other activities while I snuck in and set it all up only to be revealed from under a sheet on arrival. When Brooke arrived home I said "oh it's your Birthday???" and I forgot to bring a present....but perhaps you would like this instead???? Jaw dropping disbelief was what followed and we couldn't tare her away from it!! 

Now I wish I had taken some better photos but I was cutting it very fine between completion and arrival but this will give you the general idea. I took these just before she arrived and the lighting wasn't the best. Modern colours to suit the decor of my Sister in laws house and a red door I think any little girl would love, number 10 for ten years old and if you look closely you can see a topiary tree with gardening tools and a little puppy watching on, a good example of the little treasures inside that came with the house.

Well thats it for now, I hope you enjoyed, the experience has given me lots of ideas for Ambrosia place not to mention the new/old Dollhouse, but more on that later.

A big welcome to my new followers thanks for taking the time to have a look. 

Ta,Ta for now!!!

ML Fi XX

Long time, no speak.

Hello all,

Yes, it has been too long! Over two months since my last post, and what have I been up to you might ask? Painting pictures.....I have had a back log of commissions I needed to get through which have finally been completed. May and June are the months for many family Birthdays (including my own) so there have been quite a few gatherings and parties to organise and we have recently been away for a short break. All that being said, I haven't had the luxury of spare time for Blogging and I fear I have missed so much, my apologies to all my dear blog friends for not keeping up to date with your progress, I will do my best to catch up with you all soon.

I would also like to say a big warm welcome to my new followers, there have been quite a few since my last post and my apologies to you also for not being very interesting of late!

Now to miniatures. Whilst there hasn't been much blogging going on, miniatures have of course been close to my heart, I have actually been more active than you might assume...... would you believe me if I told you that I am in possession of two more Dollhouse's and and extra room box? All true in fact.....I am working on a room box with my 10 year old niece and because she loves miniatures so much (and my Dollhouse) I couldn't help but bid for one on ebay so that we might surprise her on her birthday coming up soon. It needs a bit of love and attention before we give it to her so I will post about that soon.  The other DH is for me.....yes I know, I'm not even half way through Ambrosia Place but it was under a jumble of clothes in a thrift store with a price tag of $40 and I couldn't just leave it there could I??? I am going to keep you in suspense and tell you about it another post as I have  much to show you today and I don't want to take up too much of you time.

Now you may recall some time ago the lovely Liduina had a give away which included her beautiful miniature artwork and I was fortunate enough to be one of the winners. It arrived shortly afterwards and I must say that on opening the delicate package the first word that came into my mind was excuisite. I have tried many times to photograph this beautiful painting and I can not seem to do it justice, the detail is beautiful and I love every tiny brush stroke. It is displayed above with my little kit table in a temporary frame, I intend to find something grander to frame it but for the purpose of showing you how beautifully it works in Ambrosia Place it did the trick. So thank you so much Liduina, it is a piece that will I will always cherish, it adds such a beautiful elegance to Ambrosia Place.

Just over a week ago I received a lovely surprise package in the mail from Andy he clearly had the twins room in mind when finding these beautiful items that fit so perfectly and have special sentimental attachments for me. Above you can see the beautiful saving grace BLUE rug, it does not have the slightest green tinge,(reference to previous post on disappointing green rug) and it works so well with the toning of the room, you can see it more clearly in one of the below photos. Also a  beautifully hand made book of Black Beauty, bound in a blue cover and complete with illustrations (you can see in the top photo) it's just the thing for story time in the big blue chair. Last but by no means least the perfect tub of coloured pencils and ruler, each one calved by hand and painted, I really must take a closer picture of them. Coloured pencils are not only perfect for any children's room but I love the fact that Andy chose them because of my artistic tendencies. They are also very special because one of my earliest memories was receiving a packet of Derwints for my 5th birthday, such a big deal to me even back then. Thank you Andy for thinking of me, not only will I treasure them because they are from you but because they are sentimental to my childhood.

I also received from David in the same package, a collection of his wonderful poems that I have been enjoying immensely along with some of his publications on Wagner. I have been developing a new appreciation for classical music thanks to David. For those of you who aren't aware Dr David Huckvale is an Author and lecturer at Cambridge University and a very talented writer. A special thanks to Iris (David's mother) for the lovely note and postcard of her own amazing work, the Huckvales are obviously a very talented family.

I have finally finished the interior of the Twins room and I am ready to decorate. Yay! This is the fun part for me. As you can see by the above photo the wallpaper,wainscot and cornices are done and let me tell you it was not without mishaps. I love the idea of using card stock to attach everything to before placing it but I had quite a problem with the card bowing after wallpapering with wp paste. I tried every thing to flatten it and finally resorted to spraying the back with water and placing under cling wrap and a ton of books on top, problem solved. Another complication was by my own foolish hand and all I will say is don't ever decide to make a quick adjustment after 2 glasses of wine.....unless of course you want your cut to look like a dogs hind leg....I will leave it at that but needless to say much patching up was required and if I don't tell you you may not notice. Don't ask me what the strange green alien lights are on the wainscot, they are not there in RL but something my camera decided to add.

Finally I will leave you with another shot of the bed time story, this is curtsey of Mia. Whilst she is too busy to work on her shop she still loves to come and have a little play. As I was packing up after photographing she sat beside me and placed Andy's rug and then Twiggy on top and I thought why didn't I think of that?? It looks so perfect, snap. She really gets a lot of enjoyment out of miniatures, she says she just likes to watch me do the work......well nothing new there!!

Just before I sign off I would like to mention the two beautiful little vases that have featured in some of my photos. I will show more detailed pictures another time as they deserve a post of their own but they are made by a lady named Margret Crosswell and sadly she does not have a website. The lamp I purchased from Kerry at The Doll House I think the little bird works so well with the chair, it had to come home with me.

If you have managed to get to the bottom and read every word I thank you for you dedication, it really was an epic but so much to catch up on. Don't be surprised if I make more than one post in a week.

Much Love to you all.

Fiona XXX

Fun at the Fair!

Hello every one,

Yes, the 2013 Sydney Dollhouse Fair, we made the trip up to Sydney, all four of us ( although we didn't drag the boys to the Fair) and had a wonderful time seeing Sydney through tourist eyes. Both Paul and I have been many occasions on business ( Paul is there frequently) but this time we had three days seeing the sights...The Dollhouse Fair included.

I spent quite some time going from stall to stall observing all that was on offer.....perhaps something I will do less of next time considering I missed out on some rather gorgeous wall sconces......hey Emily.....; ) To my delight I had the opportunity to meet in person two fellow bloggers Margret from My Petit Parterre and Emily from Architecture of Tiny Distinction. It was wonderful to put faces to names as they say and if it weren't for the pull of pending purchases I'm sure we would have chatted for hours.

So to the purchases.....many were made I am afraid to say ( or delighted) and all with a purpose in mind. I wont list them all today, I just wanted to show you the wingback chair I bought for the Twins room. I was particularly drawn to this one because of the elegant curves of the wings and the roll of the arms, I thought the shape was soft and feminine. Initially I intended to change the fabric but it continued to grow on me....just the right blue and soft pink in the flowers and it is all so beautifully made. Now that I have the chair in place I think I will keep the floor as is, I like the dark brown with the blue.The hand crocheted blanket is made by Lynda Auld who unfortunately doesn't have a blog. I think it looks so pretty there...almost as though the Twins have had a bed time story there. I also found some wallpaper I'm happy with, the photos above are a truer colour than the one below. The little Georgian chair in the hall was just what I was looking for, it is actually a closer in colour to the table than it looks in the photo.

Well thats it for now, I would like to give a warm welcome to my new followers. I will post about my other purchases soon.

Happy minis every one!

ML Fi xx

To Paint or not to Paint???

Hello every one! A warm welcome to my new followers, thank you for taking the time to have a look.

To paint or not to paint...that is the question? As you can see I have almost finished the floor of the Twins room. My original idea was to to do the boards in a well warn and aged style, a floor that you might find inside a colonial style house. I have included some images from one of my Favourite Books Roots of Home by Russell Versace which has wonderful examples of American Colonial style homes. If you take note of the floors you can see the aged boards.

I have probably included too many photos but I do love this book and one day I will post more about it, but for the time being you can see the look I was going for. My first layer of stain was a darker one so it would really get into the cracks and holes, I then sanded it back very hard and put another lighter coat on, it still needs oiled and rub of Bees wax but when I placed it in the room as a trial it occurred to me maybe it was too heavy for a little girls room? As you know I plan to put a large rug down, but now I am all askew with my wall paper colour I have had a crisis of confidance. I love the look of the soft blues with the deep stain in the wood as you can see in the photo above. I'm not sure it will look feminine enough? I then though perhaps I could paint the floor  Lea Frisoni style, that would certainly lighten things up, or do I try and keep to a more authentic look of the Colonial Homes? Below are some images from Lea's book that show the two possibilities, Painted floor or natural boards.....

So please let me know your thoughts, I have to admit to being a little relaxed in the authenticity sense, ultimately looking for ambiance more than architectural accuracy. I am off to the Sydney Miniatures Fair this weekend and I am very excited.....maybe I will get some inspiration when I see just the right rug or wallpaper....until then, I hope I bump into a few of you at the fair...please let me know if you are going....and happy minis to you all!!

ML Fi xx

P.S The wall aper in the top photo is scrap booking paper I added for the colour.

Time for a Change

Hello everyone,

Yes it's time for a Change, I do hope you like the new look. My original idea of the Sea Glass colours on my blog was a reflection of the coastal area that I live. In the beginning I had thoughts of showing you this part of the world but I really didn't do much of that. Most of the photos I load are of Miniatures and I find the images have warm tones which seem to clash with cool colours of my blog. SO....now the new look..... which I think compliments my miniatures nicely. I hope it's also a bit of a reflection of the direction I intend to go with Ambrosia Place,  a look I hope will be  Transcendental ( thank you David) and ultimately feminine.

Now to the topic of my post (ha...not miniatures) but something I thought a lot of you may enjoy. The other day I was rummaging through a box of old books in a Vintage shop and I came across this delight. It's Title (which I forgot to photograph) is the House Hold Gas Cookery Book. It is an English book but I'm not sure when It was published....I'm guessing around 1900's given the The clothing in the advertisements. The book has a lot of recipes in it and lots of Tips including Personal Hints like - To make Hair Glossy - Rub it at night and morning with a white silk Handkerchief. One of the most interesting things I find about the book is the constant reference to servants and Masters. I have uploaded some images of various parts I thought you might enjoy. Take note of the Write or Telephone (No. 54 ) I think that suggests there were only 54 telephones in London at the time???

Any way....here are the rest of the photos and Happy Minis every one!!

ML Fi xx

P.S I must mention the Beautiful Miniature Magnolia Grandiflora in my photograph for the banner is the work of the Lovely Ilona, I have left the link to her blog on the right hand side bar.

Kit Success

Hello everyone, 

A big welcome to my new followers, my apologies to you all for being a bit quiet of late. I would like to say a big thank you to all those who left their lovely comments on my last post, I am sorry I didn't get to reply as I normally do. I have been welcoming in the new season by getting busy with my RL house, it was way to hot to do much work inside or out so I have been enjoying the cooler days and sprucing up the place.

As you can see I have had a go at assembling the kits I posted about some weeks ago and I am quite pleased with the results. I chose the easiest ones to do first and I must say following the advice you were all kind enough to leave made a world of difference. Yes Elga, it really does work when you read step one....do it...then proceed to step two...read that..... do it...... and so on and so forth.  Andy, I am so glad you gave me all your tips as it made it all so much more hassle free. Although I did forget to make the holes for the handles before I glued. So instead I glued the brass plates on and then added a little beed for a knob and I think it looks quite nice. You should be able to see them in the photo below although you cant see the brass plated very well.

I replaced the other Hall table I originally had with this one as I think it looks nicer, I prefer the walnut tone you can see how it looked earlier here. I have added the Faux Bronze figure which I purchased from the The Dollhouse although it is a Warwick painted figure. I painted some moss on the pot of the Orchid to make it look a little more authentic and if anyone has any suggestions on what to do about the ugly plug I would most appreciate it. I recall Andy mentioning some no show flat plugs? I left a hole in the wainscot but the plug looks so ghastly. 

This is the candle stand with the lovely little candle and holder Ilona sent me some time ago and on the mat is my lovely Dog Twiggy I had made for Mia by Patricia from Wollytales Miniatures Beside Twiggy stands Hero, her big Uncle who guards Ambrosia place. You can see him in the photo below where I have shown the Kitchen and Hall as they are placed next to each other with the twins room to the right I am currently working on.

Happy minis to you all and thank you for your helpful advice, it has made such a difference!

Much Love, Fi XXX