Swallows Rest Diary: Part Two - A Vintage Triang Dolls House No. 55 from 1963

This is one of the shelving units that came with the dolls house. 

I liked it but wanted to make a plate rack.  I considered altering this, but as it is an original piece I decided to make my own.

This is how it turned out.

It fits some plates in nicely.

I put it on the wall.

I also made another shelve unit and put it on the other wall.

Gladys likes it very much indeed.

She has already started to use the shelves.

I also made the back 'window' with the fabulous view up the garden. 

It is big, but it lets in lots of light. 

At the back you can see I also made a little shelf which holds a tea towel.

All the items I have made so far have been made predominantly using cereal boxes, tooth picks and lollipop sticks.  

 

Swallows Rest Diary: Part One - A Vintage Triang Dolls House No. 55 from 1963

After several failed starts, and selling off all but one of my dolls houses, I now have a new enthusiasm for all things tiny after finding this delightful Triang dolls house locally, back in April.  It was an absolute bargain and came with a load of furniture too, so I was very pleased and very excited.  

It is a Tri-ang No. 55 from 1963 and in very good condition. I just love it!

The inside has some flooring down but is otherwise a blank slate for me to work on.

I popped some of the furniture that came with the house into the bottom three floors and papered the kitchen.

The carpet sweeper I already had and I also had the little pots.

I used some scrapbook paper I had.  (I should have a huge box of scrapbook paper, but I can't seem to find it after the move, so I am not sure what happened to it which is a real shame)

The first thing I made was the little coffee table.

Plus I put some of my paintings on the wall.  

Muriel and an unnamed lady are discussing who should take over the house.

Looking forward to continuing to work on this charming little house.

Wandering with Wren to find a Mermaid!

Wren is going wandering today to see if she can find a mermaid

Off she goes down the path through the woods

She follows it along...

until she spies the sea.

at the top of the steps she pauses a while...

to take in the view.

She looks around to see if she can spot a mermaid as she has heard you can sometimes see them early in the morning.

She spies a cormorant.

Aha, what does she see?

With her camera at the ready 

She spots a little mermaid on the rocks.

Wren watches quietly and takes some photos...

The little mermaid then changes position.

It looks like she is sunning herself in the early morning sunshine.

She stops on the rocks for a little longer...

before the call of the sea

beckons her back to the deep.

What a lovely way to spend the morning.

This was for the Youtube Blythe Mermaid Collaboration that I took part in.  

 

St Patrick's Day Preparation - Part Two

Lewis and Henry have also changed into some green clothing in preparation for St Patrick's Day.

Lewis is a 16/403 model Schoenhut boy.  

Henry is of course a Gregor Doll 

Lewis is wearing socks, shorts, tank top/vest and hat made by me, his shirt is made by Ginny on Etsy. 
Henry is wearing his 'travelling' clothes that he would normally wear when flying to New Zealand each year and he has also worn them when flying to the USA for the Sasha Festivals in the past.  His green shirt is the one he arrived in, and it is his favourite, and his trousers were made by me and are a comfortable fleece fabric.

Love these two boys.

Doesn't he look so much like a real child?

My two favourite boys.

 

St Patrick's Day Preparation - Part One

Three of the girls have started getting ready for St Patrick's Day by dressing in green.

Mary Ellen & Amber

Mary Ellen is a 1969 Dungarees Sasha by Trendon and she is wearing a smocked gingham dress.

Amber is one of the first Sasha dolls I got, and she came from Shelly of SashaDollsUK which is now sadly closed down.   Amber is a Large Head Yellow Eyed Pony Tail Gotz Sasha from the 1960s and she is wearing a smocked green dress.

Peggy Sue is wearing a party dress I made for her one year, I believe for her birthday party.  

Peggy Sue is a Schoenhut Miss Dolly who was in a bad state of over paint and has been stripped back to her bare wood.