It All Starts Here

Sometimes our ideas flow from an existing kit to bash, a house style to scratch (aka custom) build, or from an interesting doll who needs a place to live. Our settings are always modern-day (ca. 2001 when we started this hobby). We try to create things that will make people smile and feel good.

We think that if we had to build the same house twice, we literally could not do it! Fortunately, we have very unique little people who have definite opinions and so far, no one has wanted a house “like so-and-so” has.

We work as a family unit: my wonderful husband, my beautiful sister, and I. We don't always agree as to the direction of the build, but I think that we end up with a better dollhouse because of all our grumblings -- and we do have a lot of fun!

The Purpose of this Blog

We needed a place for all we wanted to say about the background of the build and the nuts and bolts of the design and build process. Thus this blog.

All our dolls' homes have families living in them and a story is built around their personalities and lifestyles. This story is an integral part of our building process. We would like to share these stories -- actually, the little people insist upon it!

Many of our houses are located in Fredericksburg, Virginia because that is my sister's favorite place.

Also, we have started a Rouges' Gallery with photos of our little people and information about the dolls.

If you would like to start with the dollhouse that "started it all", it is the Original Rowbottom Manse; if you would like to see the scratch-built Georgian that our first build gave us the confidence (or fool-hardiness) to do, it is Sunnybrook Farm.

Let the stories begin!

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Friday, November 30, 2012

Stop the World - I am getting off

La Malcontenta -- a wonderful picture of a woman cooking in a Mexican kitchen.
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I don’t know where the time has gone—I did do a lot of work in my gardens but not that much—or did I? Anyway, just as I was putting the garden to sleep and planning to work with the little people, along came “Sandy”, and then came the cleanup from Sandy (I have never seen so many uprooted very large trees and downed power lines and in every which direction), then along came a snow storm, and then some hectic family situations and illnesses, and now we are into the hectic Christmas-New Year season!
I am sorry I have not posted-I think of you all and have tried to keep up with your posts. I think it will be the New Year before things here get back to normal—whatever normal is around here.
Anyway, I am trying to get the many things done for my dollhouses that I had planned to do way back when...

Things I have, or have not, done:

2004 Oddjob Lane:
The attic roof front is still not decided upon. I did sketch out a number of ideas between a center gable and,or dormers windows. So far, I am not happy with any of them. I did slate the roof sides, though and that looks good.

La Malcontenta:
Finally, a wonderful picture of a woman working in a Mexican kitchen is hung in the kitchen. I found it on the Internet, printed it, glued it to illustration board, protected it with acrylic medium semi-gloss gel, and framed it with white cotton cording to complete its “homey” look.
The landscaping is still not started, sad to say.
MacPherson Farm:
I haven’t worked on this house in ages and I decided that it’s time had come. I had always thought that this would be a great home for lots of paintings of ancestors, Scottish things, and horses (since this is a horse farm).
Finally, I have begun buying and making ancestor paintings, and even have some of them hung! The purchased paintings are from Miniatures by Amber on eBay. She has a nice selection and she prints on matte paper, which is my paper of choice.
Picture of back living room wall: the MacPherson extended family were privateers during the American Revolution and the War of 1812: one of their ships, the Timberwolf, and two of their captains, James and Charles.

The MacPherson progenitors: Jacob and his wife Patience, and their daughter Faith.

More ancestors.



It’s been a lot of fun making “ancestors” and I now have more ancestors than wall space—I guess it’s time to move to another endeavor at Mac Farm, such as finishing the chimneys!
Casa Lobo:
We finally finished the kitchen lighting. These are “swag” lamps from HBS and fit in well with the kitchen-dining room. The lamps are electric but the chandelier is battery operated.
 
I also bought an outdoor fireplace from HBS to help warm the astronomers on those cold Santa Fe nights at 7,500 feet.

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At first, I was not going to decorate any houses for Christmas, but I decided that since we always do something for Christmas, we would do Casa Lobo, 2004 Oddjob Lane, and the Wells home (the Original Rowbottom Manse). Pictures in the next post.

I will try to do better with my miniatures. I am on a very serpentine yellow brick road of life, but I guess I will get somewhere at some time!