tilliejam62

I read and shared that article on Mr. Orpher with another group I belong to yesterday and many of the members responded so well to that newspaper article and many still were when I checked back this morning. Thank you for sharing it. In the attached photos are items I used to make a coat tree to go in a little girl's nursery setting: a plastic drinking straw, wooden dowel, pins with beaded heads, large, wooden bear head beads and a wooden button as the base. These items were not necessarily old but most were repurposed household things.

I am a member of a forum where the members make or repurpose everyday household items or throwaways into miniatures. It is called "Dollhouse Miniatures Made From Trash to Treasures & Found Items." I read the newspaper article by Rob Hedelt in a Fredericksburg, VA newspaper mentioned in your post above and I was blown away by James Opher, the miniaturist featured in that article; his work and plus he is a fellow resident of Riichmond, VA. I never knew about him until I read that article. I was feeling like I was the only one in Richmond who loved miniatures. I just never heard of any mini clubs, stores (brick & mortars), trade shows of any kind in or near Richmond. I shared that article about Mr. Opher with my group and now I am beginning to hear from other Virginian miniaturists and hopefully will hear of shows that are near-by that are easy and convenient to get to.

Thank you Deborah. It was a lot of fun.

Hey Holly: The telephone I purchased from Miniatures.com also known as Hobby Builders.

Almost done with my general store; just need to do some small adjustments to the left side of the interior I did not include photos of that side yet.

Such interesting information - what really would have helped with dental phobia is if the sound of that drill could have been chirping birds or a pleasant waterfall, etc. My friend use to pass out in the chair as soon as she heard it come on and she was an adult. LOL

You might want to check to be sure you do not have to turnover the damaged house to FedEx when your claim is settled. I had to turnover the damaged item to UPS when my claim was filed.

Thank you sooooooo much Matt for the link to the hardware store in Kansas - the photos and video went way beyond inspirational for me. What an amazing sight to behold. I saved the link to the site for further reference. Although my general store(s) are mainly for food, produce, confectionery and baked goods, with just a few hardware items, the photos of the real life store in Kansas are still very inspirational. I loved the old, cast iron, wood burning stove (got to have that for sure). It even has a wall clock exactly like the miniature wall clocks I've purchased several times from Miniature.com and other online miniature stores. Thanks again Matt and all others that responded to my quest.

I would like to see photos of old fashion, turn-of-the-century general stores for inspiration. If you have completed or in-progress photos please post. Thanks a bunch.

Thanks Lawanda - do you have pics or can you direct me to pictures of the salt n pepper shaker pot belly stoves?

At BWMurphy: Are there any recent photos of your progress on your general store? If so please tell me how I may view them. I have not been to the forum in quite some time.

A question for BWM - Where can I get a potbelly stove just like the one in your store? I want to do another store as a gift for a friend but this time using a 20 gallon fish tank like the room in the attached photo. (Sorry, not a very good photo).

I've not posted to this forum in quite a while and so sorry for the neglected questions. I've had quite a whirlwind life the past 6 or 7 months with the loss of several friends and family members, one right behind another, including one of my 2 sons, my youngest. I am doing okay right now and my beloved hobby, miniatures has both kept me busy and kept my mind off the sorrow and pain somewhat. I was going strong with my old fashion, turn-of-the-century general store and recently completed it. Photos to come of the completed project. There was a question about the glass in the storefront - the front of the store is made from a rectangular, 2-opening picture frame, so the windows are actually the glass (real) of the 2 openings where the photos are placed. The interior of the store is a wooden, rectangular box I had built. I attached the wooden box to the picture frame using small brass hinges.

I love your general store. I'm also working on an old fashion country store I constructed from a 2-opening picture frame (store front) and a wooden, rectangular box (store interior) that I joined together with hinges.

I thank you too Sam. I was very, very impressed with Replicast and even talked with them via email about what I was looking for and "LIKED" them on Facebook so I couls see the fabulous photos they have posted there. So between them and Earth And Tree web site I think I will find all that I'm searching for. The only problem right now is finding a place that sell false - fake windows. I see false doors all over the place but no false windows? Any leads on windows?

Thank you Jenn. I'm going very slow with it because I have other real-life projects going on at the same time but I will post a photos here so you will be sure to see them.

Thanks for the heads-up about posting personal contact info. Fortunately I was able to find RepliCast Miniatures Architectural Plaster on Facebook and their web site and they had tons of photos and they sell all of the items I am looking for. They had 2 photos of rooms that were not too ornate that I would like to try and do.

Does anyone have photos of room boxes featuring architectural building components such as columns, ornate wall panels, ceiling medallions, wall appliques, etc.

I want to thank everyone for so kindly for responding to my request. As mentioned in my post to Jenn; I'm going with Earth and Tree Miniatures because they have just about everything I will need and their prices are "comfortable". Thanks again.

Jenn: I have been checking out all the sites recommended by you and others. I am going with Earth and Tree Miniatures & Dollhouses because they had everything I could possibly need and their prices are superb for my "pocketbook". Can you post a photo of your paneled room box please? I need all the inspiration I can get for my project. I've purchased many of the items that are going into the nursery but will need a few more pieces.

Thanks for your input Holly - If I can just find those windows and similar panels like those that surround them in wood or plastic I would be very happy. I think I will go to the Handley House suppliers but they won't sell to me without a business license but I think they can tell me which retailers I can buy from.

I'm looking for a source, (web store) to purchase some Victorian wall molding, trim, windows and doors, columns, etc. I am working on a little girl's nursery room box and I need these items for just the great wall in the room. See the attached photo - but nothing elaborate and costly as that. I will be using wallpaper on just that wall as well and want to add a few pieces of Victorian trim, molding, columns and maybe 2 windows. I normally shop online for minis at Dollhouse Miniatures.com and Dollhouse Junction but I could not find theses type items (not to my liking anyway). Any recommendations?

Hey Holly: Thank you, I really surprised myself with the re-sizing because although I know how to do lots of stuff with a computer there are so many more things I do not know but I'm learning everyday. I'm proceeding very slowly with the lamp. Hope its completed before she graduates high school. LOL This will be the first time I do one with working electrical fixtures. :

I want to thank everyone for your responses; I really appreciate it. I am very satisfied how the framed pictures turned out.

These are some photos I resized, printed out on photo paper and framed in tiny miniature frames. Not a very good picture but the framed photos are to my liking and will all go into my nursery lamp project.