Quick update on French Shop

I have been a bad blogger of late. Trying to organise my wedding stuff (hating it) and working on my miniatures.com competition entry. But I've partially painted my shingles at long last! I think they need some more colour to give them some variation. Also need to paint the gutters and then add trim around the very top of the roof.



I have pretty much finished the kitchen I think, except for the addition of some very cute little crochet potholders I purchased. I need to make a little hook to hang one beside the stove.





I think when I get the roof painting finished, it will be time to move it off the work table and start something else. Something smaller and quicker this time though!!

photo challenge!!!

Thanks to those for passing on this fun challenge - the fourth photo from the fourth folder. Now I have a million folders inside folders, so it's a little convoluted for me. Anyways, it was passed on from Linda at Une Petite Folie, Donna at Never Enough Time and Jaime at A Little Roomer
.

Ok, so here they are!

Firstly, a photo I found ... somewhere. I love the bed, something like what I'd love in real life (yeah right as if I'd be that lucky!!). It's the fourth photo in the fourth folder.



Next is not my photo, it is my fiancee's (Michael). He took it when he was out fire-fighting a couple of years ago. It's an old mine. The place where he was working AT NIGHT was full of them, and of course they couldn't see them at night and because there was forest all around them. Once it got burnt and it was daylight, they realised how much danger they had been in. It was the eighth photo in the eighth folder, which is Michael's, not mine!



And lastly, one I found on Flickr I think. So very cute!! I want a squirrel for a pet. It was the fourth photo in my pictures folder, as I didn't have a 12th folder.



I'm passing on to:
Debbie at Tiny Treasures
Sabiha at Sab's Mini Interiors
Karin at Karin Corbin Miniatures
Evelien at Ejacreates.

Not finished but...

I have reached a point where I am a little tired of the French Shoppe. I think this is because a) it's taking much longer than I wanted it to, b) there are some bits I need but can't find and c) I've reached the point where there are a heap of annoying things to do!! Eg undercoating, sanding and then painting the shingles. Let it be known that I will NEVER use wood shingles again. It will only ever be either the styrene sheets or paper (or whatever else doesn't need so much prep work).

I've decided the shop will be a gourmet food store, using as many of the Lisa's Little Things kits that I can get my greasy mits on!

So here's the bedroom. I've got a few more pictures to hang and the light needs another coat of paint and the chair (which you can't see) needs some finishing.



I am considering shelving it temporarily until I can finish it. I need some bits for it that I just can't decide on/find. You know those perfect, elusive pieces of furniture??? Where are they? I figure maybe I am better to leave it until I find that perfect something and stop stressing over it.

Next is another project I've been working on. Won't say too much, but it's also going slower than I hoped, as I am waiting on parts.



Have a great weekend everyone!

Cynthia Howe delightfulness

I am considering buying a desktop laser cutter when I get my tax return this year, but then got to thinking, there are websites that offer small lot custom laser cutting... but which website did I see it on??? I went searching, and Cynthia Howe's website is one that I thought might've been where I saw it. I was wrong, but I did find this:



It's so sweet! I adore it! It's an online class that you can register for and the kit includes everything (other than accessories). Just adore it.

I also found this cool dollhouse for sale on Ebay a while back. I love the non-traditional dollhouse. I decided a while back that any dollhouse I build from now on has to open either at the front or side, unless it's a small (1/2 or 1/4 scale) one. Except for the tiny cottages/shops which can be moved easily.

It is based on a real-life French house. I'm thinking it forms a good base for an art nouveau house I will build 'sometime'!







And as for the laser cutter, I found which website it was (Karen Cary's) and need to carry out further investigations to figure out whether it's worth it.

Yes, I've been slack!

I haven't been doing too much mini-ing recently. I intend on doing some purchasing this weekend for my French shoppe (and yes I believe shopping IS a ligitimate mini-ing activity!!) and hopefully get a bit more undercoating of the roof shingles done (it's a terrible job).

So anyways, found some really cool pics recently so thought I'd share.

First up, not sure where I found this (maybe Flickr??), but it's sooooo cute! I MUST recreate it one day:




Found this one on flickr today, and absolutely fell in love with it. Take a look at their account.



Next one I found on a website for the special effects company that worked on the Lemony Snickett movie (can't remember the name of them). It would be so awesome for a witch/haunted dollhouse. Love it.



And last one, again, can't remember where I found it but love it. Such a pretty room with a modern twist. Love the colours.

New little house

I don't really like it much. Well, I like the exterior but will probably redo the interior. Which may be difficult given it is basically impossible to get the bed out - it broke as I was trying to get it in, it was such a tight squeeze. It was for the Greenleaf Spring Fling, and I just didn't have enough time to do it. I kept changing my mind about what to do, so that didn't help!

Here is an overall shot of the interior.



Next is a shot of the living area. To the right is the kitchen part. I have some better photos, but they're on my other computer. The Phoenix stove (on the far right) is now in my French shop!



Next, the bedroom.



Next is the exterior. The front has a telescope for watching ships and sand castles.



Lastly, a side shot. Not too exciting. For some reason, the stick was to be standing up.



I think when I redo the interior, it will be in the colourway of the exterior - more blue-grey and rustic colours. Also needs more seaside-y things inside.

Photos of the Petite Trianon

I could quite happily live in the Petite Trianon. This was built by Louis 16 and Marie Antoinette and was where Marie Antoinette spent a lot of her time. It was just so seriously gorgeous and many of the rooms were quite small and cosy.

This photo shows her bedroom with the fabric made especially for her.The furniture all matched and it was sold off after her arrest, but most of it was recovered and put back in the Petite Trianon (from recollection by Napoleon), except for the bed which was never found.



Next is the sitting room which was beside her bedroom. It had a panel which was on some sort of sliding track which came up through the floor to cover the window (you can see it reflected in the mirror - it's halfway over the window).



Lastly is a small sleigh, which looks much larger than it actually was. I don't think it would even fit a child in it (except for a very small one!). Very cute.