GenieBird

Hi Cindy and welcome I'm fairly new here, too, and the members are so very helpful and kind and welcoming. I googled your house and found some photos and it is a lovely house, so many rooms to play with It also came up in Google that a member here has one "Bojangles". I have seen posts from her recently (the name stuck in my mind) so it will be nice for you to have someone with the same house here. I'm in Australia (Melbourne) and I'm at the painting stage of my large house. It was a custom made house by a chap here who builds them to whatever specifications you want. I wish now I had waited and practiced a little because there are quite a few things I would have asked for. Doesn't matter because I doubt it will be my last one LOL. This hobby is so addictive. I'm amazed at you finding your house where you did ... what a lucky day for you when you saw that sitting in a driveway.

Hi Andrea. I've just looked at the pictures of your house in the gallery. I love it. This is the look I want for my witch house. When you say you did the worn weatherboards using different wood stains, did you already have the weatherboards on the original house, or have you actually made the weatherboards yourself (or did you achieve the weatherboard look by simply painting)? I think you're managing to achieve the worn and spooky but homey look ...

Welcome, it was so nice to read your post ... I am new here so will be looking forward to seeing your photos and reading more about your houses. I am a raw beginner and I'm working on creating an Edwardian home at the moment. I have a few other projects going on (a witch's house and a cottage that I'm converting into an antique shop) so my houses are also older styles.

Have read this thread with interest. My Glencroft is still in the box, but I'm making the most of the winter weather and I've cleared enough space for it to be constructed. I'm sorry your grandaughter had to move away ... I've had the same thing happen and gosh I miss the little honey.

That is what I found I had to do. Would you believe I actually STARTED my large house last week. I have assembled the stairway and stained and varnished it ready to install just yesterday. I'm looking through my wallpaper supply now so that I can get that up and the stairway installed. I put all the furniture and bits and bobs into the empty house, just to see how they look so far, and what I have to make and which rooms are going to be which. That is all helping me get going. I've looked and looked at all the pictures here, and websites of members and have made note of particular ideas etc. I've also enrolled for a weekend class which among other things teaches how to use polymer clay. I'm very excited about that. My husband told me yesterday that I'm not taking enough photos, so I've rectified that little matter, also ... I'm so excited about it all that I find the DH and cats are all pretending to faint with hunger about two hours after when their meals were due LOL. Sorry Andi, didn't mean to hijack your thread ...

This is so true .. I really must be more practical and get my head back down to earth LOL. My trouble is that I want the Palace of Versailles LOL (particularly that hall of mirrors) ... ;)

Thank you so much for this information. I'm going to try to get the book. I'm very interested in different techniques for outdoor materials.

That must be one amazing house ... what a lucky girl your grandaughter is. Interested to know what your next project is going to be.

Hi Andi ... good luck with all your projects. It's great that you have the additional projects because it really sounds as if you do want to leave your childhood house as it is ... It's nice to be sentimental and you can still go on with the others. I was a bit worried about doing anything to my 'big' house ... afraid I would mess things up, and I want it to be just perfect ... although I know the whole thing will probably be a lifetime journey. Anyway, I bought a couple of cheaper houses to get started on and practice with, and now, I've actually plucked up the courage to start on the big one. I'm still taking it slowly but I'm so excited about it all. Enjoy yourself with yours and welcome. Jeanie

Hi Jazzi, Nice to meet you ... are you a VAME member? I have been trying to get to the Ballarat miniatures exhibition but never seem to make it. This year I will make a concerted effort, though Looking forward to sharing some ideas and photos with you and email away ... Jeanie

Hi Michelle, Sorry it has taken me so long to answer this ... I've been busy doing other things and have neglected to come and look at the forum for a while. It's lovely to meet another lighting procrastinator LOL. I went to the VAME exhibition earlier this month and purchased some LED lights ... just two or three to begin with. I was pleased to see they came in a soft glow as well as the brighter one ... I didn't really like the bright harsh lights. I was always nervous about using the traditional type of lighting because if anything went wrong, I was told I would have to pull apart any wallpaper or coverings to rectify the situation. I'm off to have a look at your website ... once again, it's very nice to meet you

I bet you don't miss the weather, Sam LOL ... ;)

Hi Gail, and welcome. I'm looking forward to seeing your photos of your progress with your Orchid house. If you are in Melbourne, our Miniature group is holding it's weekend exhibition next Saturday and Sunday. It's quite a big affair with lots of exhibits and traders there. I always buy a very special item each year, not sure what I want to get this year, usually I have made up my mind by now. I might just get there and let that special item find me for a change

Hi Melinda, Welcome, and I agree, all these wonderful people are so talented. I do feel a bit intimidated by my projects, too ... then I procrastinate and some days I think I will run out of time completely so I'd better start LOL. I have built mine, but haven't finished them. I did finish one (I thought) but realized it looks so plain and ordinary ... no character ... so I'm back to the drawing board finding different techniques for making it look old, weathered etc. I still have my Green Leaf house to build (which I think is going to be an antique shop) and I have a custom built one that I haven't started decorating yet. I have managed to convert a bedroom into a workshop and have erected the houses on a long work table against a wall so that they never have to be moved (hopefully). My husband was a teacher so when a school he taught at closed down, he purchased one of the long science tables for me. My problem is that I have four cats that "help" me, so I've put a fly screen door on that room so that they can see me but not get into the room while I'm working with paints and varnishes etc. Actually, I'm having a day working on them today, but have just stopped for a coffee so thought I'd check out the board while I did. Good luck and I hope you get inspiration to get started and keep going, here ... Jeanie

I can relate so strongly to everything you have said. Growing up I was always hearing people say (in the distance or so I thought at the time) "oh, she's off with the fairies again". It was so true, I was always away in my own world. So it was no surprise to anyone when dollhouses became such an absorbing hobby of mine. Like your boyfriend, my husband just lives in all the pieces of my make believe worlds and he tells me that if it's what makes me happy, just do it ... so I do

The Secret Garden? I do the same thing with my houses. I create the family and a life for them and then I love to model the home around them.

This was fun ... put in grandchildrens' names and they put their pets' names in and all had a good laugh. I'm Hazel Flamefrost She lights fires in the heart. She lives in places hexed and tainted by black magic. She can only be seen during the first snow of winter. She wears black feathers and rose petals and has fiery orange butterfly wings.

Holly, I like that idea of stiffening lace for ironwork. I will try that. I remember a vase that I made (when I was doing decoupage) and I found a large book with all the different designs of ironwork. I would photocopy them to size and you can cut them out and paint them and stiffen them, too.

Hi Emma ... I can't see where in Australia you are from (I haven't had much time to look). I'm in Melbourne and I'm a member of VAME. There is a man who goes to the exhibitions which are held each July and he would build you a dollhouse. He built one for me and he is such a nice man. If you are anywhere near Melbourne I can give you his name and address and he does go to markets on some Sundays, too.

Welcome Marina ... I am new here, too, and like you, have finally started in earnest with my doll houses. I have built two, a third is a custom made one and the fourth is the Greenleaf house which is still in the box, but I intend to make it a cottage come antique shop. The people here are so very friendly. Jeanie

Ah Holly, I will have to find out what it does to me as I build mine then LOL. I love your idea of turning it into an English pub ... naming it will be just as much fun I'd say ... they have some weird and wonderful names, don't they ...

Thank you so much for the warm welcome. What a lovely group of people you are ... Morgan, I will definitely see if I can obtain that CD on wiring, and Janet, I will definitely post pictures as I progress (and I do intend to progress LOL), Jeremy I think my custom made doll house has what you refer to as Solid Walls ... maybe I will be better using the led lighting. I can solder fortunately as one of my other hobbies is leadlighting. I find the led lighting to be a bit 'cold' looking though. I'm off to have a look through the gallery of photos now as I'm particularly interested in techniques to make buildings look old and weathered. I have to say you are a very talented bunch of people.

Hello, my name is Jeanie and I live in Australia. I have loved doll houses for as long as I can remember, but have only really decided now to begin my hobby in earnest. I am a member of VAME (Victorian Amateur Miniature Enthusiasts) and I have made some small items, but haven't really started work on my doll houses. I have collected four. I started with the Gothic House and the Fantasy Villa, both of which I have made up but not painted or furnished yet due to them being a different scale to the furniture I have. I also have a custom made large doll house which I'm going to decorate in an Edwardian style. I do have a Green Leaf doll house (the Glencroft) which is still in a box waiting to be put together. I think I might do an antique shop/cottage with it when I get around to assembling it. Right now I'm at a standstill because I haven't a clue how to do lighting. A friend suggested I don't wire my large house, but to just use the led lights instead. I'm not sure which way to go so I'm doing nothing LOL ... procrastination is a great hobby of mine ... ;) I'm looking forward to getting to know you all and to sharing ideas and hopefully learning a lot. Thank you for allowing me to join your group. Jeanie