Finding a place to work...

Just as I suspected, I'm definitely not going to get anything done on the dollhouse today, but in cleaning up the apartment, I did move the bungalow kit components into the office. My desk and bookshelves are along the wall here (pictured) and then I put up a small folding table that has the house kit on it. I wish I had more work surface available! Things were spread out on the dining table, but I had to clear that off for a dinner party tonight. I'm wondering if I should set the bungalow aside for a time and just focus on the new kit that is coming in the mail? It will be smaller than the house, and might be a better "first" project to start with.

I do wish I could take over this whole room, but my husband has his computer desk on the opposite wall and he definitely uses this room too. At least it is bright and cheerful with a bunch of my artwork on the wall. (Can you tell I like triangles? I'm an enrolled member of the Karuk Tribe, and I use a lot of geometric patterns derived from traditional basketry designs in my artwork.) There is always so much stuff. I really need to get more organized, but I suppose creative people are seldom tidy. At least, that's what I tell myself.

HBS 22nd Annual Creatin' Contest

Been a little under the weather this past week, so I didn't do any more work on the Craftsman Bungalow. I had still been thinking about the HBS contest though, and I had a sudden flash of inspiration for what I could do with this kit. Since the entry due date isn't until December, I went ahead and placed an order today for my "Denise's City Cottage Kit" (see picture above). I don't know how well I'll be able to juggle two projects, but I really loved the idea I came up with so I'm going to go for it. The contest will give me a little more structure and deadline than the bungalow kit, which should help to keep me on track. Also, it is smaller, although I have many plans to customize it. But no more kits until at least one of these projects is finished, I swear.

Never did hear back from Lawbre about custom windows/doors and I didn't call them either. I figure I should challenge myself and try to work with the pieces that came with the kit. They'll need to be modified for sure. I did see that Jocelyn is coming along on her bungalow kit via her blog. It looks lovely! I really think her color scheme is great and I like seeing what other people are doing with the same kit. Would love to work on my house tomorrow, but I think we're having some folks over for dinner so I think my full scale apartment will be what actually gets worked on. Need to clean things up so that we can have company and mess it all up again!

Beginnings of a Bungalow

There isn't a lot to share right now beyond the fact that I've begun assembling the foundation for the bungalow. I've still been reading a lot on various miniaturists' blogs, mostly Architecture of Tiny Distinction (AOTD) and Otterine's Miniatures. They are SO inspirational! I have the feeling that there will be many similarities between my bungalow and the one that is on AOTD, because she had so many great ideas in finishing her dollhouse. I'm trying to also make it my own though, so while I am planning on following some of her examples (nixing the staircase, false ceiling for the dormer window, wood panelling on the main floor), there will definitely be differences too.

Never did hear back from Lawbre, which leads me to believe that I should try calling them this week. I suppose I can try assembling my own doors and windows if I must. Doors I'm not as worried about, but the windows feel like they will be a chore to make.

I have been having so much fun getting ideas online from builds that other folks have done, and looking at all the fun accessories, furniture, and kits that are available out there, that I keep having to remind myself to slow down. There's no sense in ordering furniture kits before the house is built! But I'm trying to keep track of things I see that I want to try. I'd love to attempt making rugs or do landscaping like the stuff I see on Otterine's. But again, those projects will come later.

Today I did follow a link from AOTD to McQueenie Miniatures and found this Edwardian Bed Kit that I think would be perfect for the house. Then I realized why... it is the same bed I've seen in posts on AOTD for her American Victorian dollhouse, and also inside her Craftsman Bungalow. It couldn't hurt to order just one kit early, eh?

Also saw this week that Hobby Builders Supply is selling kits for their 22nd Annual Creatin' Contest. Would love to buy this kit and work on that as well, but I'm holding off for the moment. While it would be a smaller (and fun!) project, I should probably just focus on one thing at a time.

Step One: Open the Box

It has been forever since I posted last! Sadly, no miniature-related updates during the busy season at work. I'm starting to feel human again though, and have been planning what I want to do for my Bungalow kit. Last night I even opened the box and started sorting through all of the pieces (as shown above). It was a little overwhelming, but I'm going to take my time with construction as there is no reason to rush. I'm realizing that the tough thing will be figuring out where to build the kit, as I don't really have a good, large workspace available.

I've reached out to Lawbre to see about having some custom windows and doors made as I don't really like the parts that came with the kit. I probably could attempt to make them myself, but I know they would do a better job than me at this point. Plus, it isn't a huge house, so there aren't too many of them to make. There are three windows on the front of the house, and then I want to add two small windows on the second floor (one on each side). I'll need a front door, and then two interior doors for the upstairs. Downstairs, I'm going to rework the wall so that it is more of an open divider between the rooms. 

There are still some supplies I need to get before I even start putting things together, but I'd like to at least start on assembling the foundation in the next week or two. I've been debating between doing a brick or a stucco foundation. Brick seems like the right thing to do, but it will be a much more intensive project. But hey, if I'm not making windows, I can do the brick, right? I've been obsessing over Architecture of Tiny Distinction's blog posts about the Classic Bungalow she built a year or two ago. Her other posts are also full of great info and, if I do brick, I'll probably follow the recommendation for the method she used from Otterine's Miniatures. 

Of course, I can't help but think ahead to the excitement of decorating. I'm planning on doing wood panelling downstairs with some wallpaper friezes most likely. And upstairs I've been looking at wallpapers and have found ones I really like for the two smaller rooms at opposite ends of the house. 

Birds and Berries on Cream Background by Jackson's Miniatures 

William Morris Fruit and Leaves in Orange/Green by Itsy Bitsy Mini

The larger center room will have a wallpaper frieze, but I don't know if I'll do panelling with it, or a combination of panelling and another wallpaper pattern. And I'm still trying to think of the tone of wood I want. Darker? Lighter? A combination? Since it is meant to be a contemporary home, I'm not sticking too closely to the Craftsman or Arts & Crafts aesthetic. Obviously the wallpapers are a little more Victorian, but they seemed to capture the feeling I want for those rooms. 

I'm excited (and nervous) to get started!

Haven't opened the box... yet...

Still haven't opened my Craftsman Bungalow kit box as work and life are very busy at the moment. But looking forward to the day that happens. Also, I'm realizing that I need to really clean off my desk so I'll be able to have a space to work! I've still been looking for inspiration in how I want the house to look. The image above is from a house that Pat and Noel Thomas did in 1984 and it is AWESOME.

I'm enjoying thinking of who I am designing the house for, which is (of course) an occupant who has similar tastes to my own. One of the few things I have purchased recently, aside from the kit and miniature magazines, was a doll from a Lithuanian artist on Etsy that will be the occupant. This surprised me a little as I really think I'm more interested in the architecture and interior design of this project than on collecting dolls, but I liked her work and it just felt like the right thing to do. In a sense, I'll have my "client" with me as I complete the project. He'll likely arrive in the mail in the next week or two.

Down the road, I think I'd like to try making a good deal of the furniture for my house rather than filling it with purchases. That may be a bit ambitious, and I've identified some pieces I might want to buy rather than making everything myself, so we'll see how it ends up. I've been looking at the IGMA website and am dreaming of attending their Guild School someday. I could technically register for the 2015 school, but I don't know that I can afford the tuition, travel, and time off to go to Maine next year.

I wish there was more of a presence in the Pacific Northwest here for miniature hobbyists. We have two stores left in the greater Seattle area, and both of them are pretty small. Alki Beach Miniatures is a cool place, but about 350 square feet, so not a ton of stock. And Darleen's Dollhouse Shoppe is also a cute little space, but it is operated out of Darleen's basement and also doesn't have as wide of a selection as I'd like. (Although Darleen herself has been in the business for many years and is a lovely lady to chat with.) There are so many other shops I remember in our area that have gone out of business over the years: Mr. Peepers (University Village), First Ventures (Kent), My Shop (Renton), Sue's Fascination Shop (Edmonds), Dolly's Dollhouse (Phinney Ridge), one in Burien that I don't recall the name of. Probably more than that too!

In any case, I'm hopeful that I'll get the kit opened and started on things before the end of 2014. I think it could be as soon as the end of this month, but I figured I would try to give myself some room rather than set hard deadlines on what should be a fun project.

My Kit Has Arrived!

My Craftsman Bungalow kit from Real Good Toys showed up at work this week! I was super excited, but also am realizing that I need to get a space cleared and set up to work on this before I even think of opening the box up. I don't think I'll really get a good chance to start on construction until perhaps the end of October since my fiancé and I are getting married (!) in less than two weeks. But I think it will be good to really plan out this project as I go.

While I am excited (and a bit daunted) by the house project, I also have been thinking about how I want to furnish the house when it is completed. I don't want to start buying a lot of things ahead of time, but I've definitely been scoping out what is available online and forming ideas. I do want to do some fun Arts & Crafts things on the interior finishing with wood panelling and wallpaper friezes. This has been inspired greatly by the amazing work on the same kit at the blog "Architecture of Tiny Distinction" (AOTD) by a miniaturist in Australia. But I don't want this to be a period home. I'm looking at finishing it as if it is a home that has been purchased and is occupied by a contemporary inhabitant.

Since it is a smaller house, I'm planning on following what AOTD did and not install a staircase that will take up valuable space. The two floors on the bottom of the house will consist of a living room in the larger space, and probably a dining room in the second space. Kitchens can be so complicated! I'll avoid installing one in my first dollhouse. Since I'm leaving out the kitchen, I am also going to forgo a bathroom on the upper floor and just focus on rooms that I will get more pleasure from designing and constructing. The middle space will be a study/studio, with the two smaller spaces as small bedrooms.

Rediscovering Miniatures!

Inspired by a friend's Facebook post last week professing his love for dollhouses, I poked around a little on the internet and discovered that there was a miniature shop in my neighborhood that had opened earlier this spring. Immediately, I knew I was going to check it out on my next day off. So, last Friday, I stopped by. It is a tiny shop (350 square feet) for tiny things! I looked at everything and ended up buying a few magazines.

The rest of that day and the next, I was glued to those magazines and to checking out various miniature/dollhouse websites I found in the magazines. It brought back all of my love for miniatures that had started for me in elementary school. From a young age, I always loved tiny things. In high school, I had even embarked on building a Houseworks Thornhill dollhouse that I never completed. I had a subscription to Nutshell News and used to go to the occasional miniature show as well. But, life progressed, and I ended up selling my unfinished house and miniatures.

What was so great about rediscovering miniatures last week was the immediate feeling it gave me. I was like, "Oh! I forgot all about dollhouses, but this seems like the PERFECT hobby!" After much obsession, I've finally decided what project I want to undertake. I almost chose a 1/24 scale Thornhill since I had loved that one so much before, but instead I decided to stick with 1/12 house to start with. There is a Real Good Toys Classic Bungalow that just shipped out today, and I should get it sometime next week.

I've already been planning so much about what I would like to do with it. I've also run across a couple other bloggers who have posted photos of the same kit they have worked on, which has given me a lot of inspiration. I'll keep track of how the project goes on my blog here, and see where things lead. But I'm super excited! Can't wait to get started on building!