elfprincess

PS I agree to a point that doll's houses 'speak' to us but we are not slavishly bound to obey any 'order' or request a house may seem to transmit to us! Someone at a writing class once told the teacher that she found it hard to limit dialogue because her characters always wanted to continue conversations. 'Well, dear', the teacher said, 'tell them to shut up!'. Ha Ha. We own the houses, we make the choices. I am a non-conformist in countless ways - by no means the only such person here! - and this is reflected in the type of houses I hope to lovingly create.

You could make your house a student let. I come from Glasgow originally and there are lots of Georgian and Victorian houses - very grand in their day- now let to students. You can go mad with your decor. Anything you like! '60s Retro for one room, '80s clutter free, '90s Rave culture, etc. Teenaged student; mature student; political activist; country-girl-in-the-big-city, arty eccentric... You can 'set' the period to the 1950s if you want. Or the '60s,or whenever. You remind me of myself in your lack of enthusiasm for strictly Georgian/Victorian. I have two Georgian houses awaiting transformation. I am thinking of making one a hotel (with differently-themed rooms). I have several Victorian/Edwardian houses also awaiting my 'spark'. At least two of those will be Art Nouveau/Bohemian. Every 'period' comprises different lifestyles, all interwoven. I am working right now on the first of two Art Deco houses. Even more fun because I will be making most of the furnishings and fittings, as well as sewing period clothes for my 'residents' LOL. I am a newbie and am, at present, brim-full of ideas but short on practical experience and now in debt due to over-enthusiastic eBay usage. There are lots of totally free doll's house printable sites online. Google and enjoy! Let us know how you progress.

I'd assumed that many forum members would already know about the Pierce's tragic history. Until Ghost Adventures I'd never heard of the real-life house or its past. Lillian Otero and Edwin Gonzales bought it in 2009, I believe. A few years ago they moved out for good. They still own it and take part in occasional house tours but the spirit activity, atmosphere etc scared them - Lillian especially - so badly they couldn't go on living there. They became ill. They love the house, all the same, and don't want to sell it. What a situation. The interior is just ravishing. A time capsule.

I watched Ghost Adventures yesterday. Wasn't paying attention until I heard the words Pierce Family and Victorian Mansion. I glanced up from my laptop, saw a photograph of the full-sized Pierce, and immediately recognised it. The background story spooked me a bit. Scary stuff. The poor owners! What a gorgeous house, though. Greenleaf have done a great job with the exterior. Maybe you should ask GL to make a 26-room version! LOL.

Just got back here. I didn't provide a link because I bought the patterns from a U.S. site and forgot the name LOL. It wasn't the maker's site. They're gorgeous patterns and cover a few centuries. I plan to sew beautiful teensy weensy things for my currently bare-nekkid Heidi Ott couple! LOL. The title should read 1/12th scale of course - my typo. I will adapt the patterns to make clothes for my downsized dolls, too. They mustn't be left out!

You are 100% normal. We all attribute lifelike qualities, hopes and dreams to our doll's house people. As with so many other things, it's just a question of degree. I made pipe cleaner dolls padded with cotton wool and sewn into 'panty hose' or nylon stocking 'skin' (embroidery thread hair!) as a little girl and here I am again, making dolls with pipe cleaner frames! My childhood dolls had names, personalities, friends, hobbies, etc. as do the dolls I am buying and making as a grown-up. My Heidi Ott man and woman dolls - gorgeous and fully articulated - will live in the Worthington conversion. They cost a lot of money, but were bargain 'finds' around 50% cheaper than usual.. I doubt I will be buying any more from this maker! They have lovely faces and ear-perfect 'human' proportions. First I have to give 'her' hair. 'He' already has hair. For my silent screen goddess I will sew gorgeous Bohemian clothes, fake furs, etc. Her handsome heart-throb husband will have a couple of smart Tuxedos, Pringle sweaters, golf clothes, you-name-it! Believe it or not I am looking-out for a 1/12th scale Bugatti or similar motor car to complement this golden couple's lifestyle! The vintage cars I've found so far have been crazy expensive, but I'll find one that suits ere long. Once I've finally named my silent film stars they will have ex-husbands and ex-wives, ex-lovers, children, outrageous friends, wild parties... Enjoy the wee world you've created for your doll's house people. It's fun!

I ordered seven of these patterns from the USA. They cost $5 each. I got scalped on import duty (!) which turned out to be more than double the postage costs - but the outfits are adorable. All feature Edwardian/1920s dresses/costumes/ underpinnings - even a 1920s wedding dress and veil. They're quite intricate in places and will be a challenge to get right but the end result will be worth the effort. Anyone else tried these sewing patterns?

I want that 30s and 40s book badly but so far it hasn't come up on either Amazon or eBay at a sufficiently reduced price! I shall continue to watch and wait LOL.

I would just LOVE GL to make an art deco house. It needn't be overly fancy, just a basic one with all the signature things like flat roof, period windows etc. I'd definitely buy one.

,Me too! Always x. PS I suspect that the preponderance of gingerbread trim adds to the seeming similarity in so many GL designs.

I, too, think a lot of the GL houses look similar. I didn't like to mention this before, for fear of maybe causing offense! The Brookwood is gorgeous.

I need my depression meds, too x

I store furniture, craft materials, fabric etc in four-drawer plastic tower units. I already had two, and I bought two more a couple of months back. They are fantastic; room to store a ton of assorted items AND room on top to support a doll's house or shop. They are on castors, too, so are very easy to move around. And they're cheap. I use ziplock baggies, also, and shoe boxes!

By the way, Sable - my Worthington is only partially assembled. It's a shell with a few interior room dividers. And two smashed-up 'wings'. I have all the bits, thankfully, but completing the build will be a challenge.

As I, too, said elsewhere - your Worthington is absolutely gorgeous. Your hard work and meticulous attention to detail shine through, and make this house very special indeed x