Isara

I just picked up a Rockwell Bladerunner, which is kind of like a jigsaw mated with a sewing machine and got turned on its head. I found it new for $100 at the local reuse store. So far, it seems pretty great for hobby work, and I like that I can do tile and metal as I need to. I got a small bandsaw a couple of years ago, and it immediately went out of tension. So I've given up on old bandsaws, unless I find I have a compelling reason to get one. Hmmm. I think I need to put that Byrnes disc sander in my wishlist.

I'll check those out! Funny - I've been collecting a lot of dollhouse furniture and textiles books, but somehow seem to have failed to get any building books... OH! but I did just find "The Big Book of the Dolls' House" by Nesbitt. Yeah, I collect books, too (and forget I have them...)

Is there a way to order the catalogue without being a dealer? Or do they care if you sign up as an artisan? I might, one day, once I have my tool shed in a good state, want to make excess pieces for sale, but I'm not planning on selling anything right now.

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I just took a closer look at it, and those interior walls are definitely support structures. The floors are plywood that run straight across, but are resting on thin mouldings. So the weight of the roof is coming down through those walls. But, I think I can move the walls around and it won't collapse the roof into the house. It's heavy, but not THAT heavy. Primarily, the space is that is inefficient is because of the placement of the left walls, but I can work around that, and save myself some work and leave the stairs in place (I remember hours of fun from the stairs, so I want to leave them functional) That Houseworks catalogue might be the death of me. I want ALL THE THINGS. Holly, I was going to make my own stained glass windows, but I don't need to make my own components. Just wasn't sure quite where to start for that.

The Bloom Room stuff is part of their terrarium decor stuff. I think most of it is here on their website. A lot of it is pretty good, especially the shabby chic-style stuff.

Hi everyone: I posted a lengthy introduction about my refurbishment project in my introduction, so I won't bore you with all the details, but basically, I have this dollhouse I want to change the floorplans for. Currently, there's a kitchen and a living room on the bottom floor, a baby room/bedroom with toilet and another bedroom on the second floor, two attic rooms on the third (the top of the whole roof comes off), and then a random, additional "loft" on the fourth "floor" (no stairs, and the very top piece of the roof comes off to find this one). The stairs bisect the house and take up a lot of space. I want to turn one of the bedrooms into a bathroom, and move the stairs around. Not sure what to do about the loft (I don't have pics of the loft). I'm thinking of ripping out one of the center walls and putting the door to the kitchen behind the stairs. This would expand the living room, and leave the kitchen the same size. The toilet I would remove and move to the right side, expanding the left into a master bedroom. I'd like to add windows onto the sides of the attic. Oh, and I was thinking of making the doorway a bit fancier, like with a half-circle on top with stained glass. I think I also want to make windows that open and add a bay window or two, but I need to do some reading to make sure this can happen. Soooo.... other than measuring everything there is to measure, what else should I take into consideration for modifying it? I like things to be as realistic as possible, taking into account how children and adults would want to move around their space. And if you were given the existing floorplan, what would YOU do? I'm still working through ideas and looking at pictures, but there're a lot of details shots I'm finding, and not so many of how people arrange stairs!

That's... um... pretty much the rest of my project graveyard, too. I try to forget there're several boxes currently under my craft table, but the darn things won't be quiet!

OMG! As an historical costumer, this is relevant to ALL of my interests! Thank you!

This means I'll have to start convincing my husband that we need a bigger house, right?

Aww, you're sweet! Really, I've been trying to settle on a style for it for 4 years now. I waffle between 18th century, Victorian, and spooky, with a bit of art nouveau thrown in. I just love architectural design too much! Maybe I will just need to ~gulp~ work on other houses like Debora suggests.... !

thank you everyone! Yes, it looks like spray paint... but I'm not going to sniff it to find out for sure. My tentative plan is to strip everything inside and start over - new floors and walls, add lighting, new windows, curtains, bathroom. I kind of want to add an extension, maybe a bay window and a conservatory, but I'm not certain yet. Too many ideas and I can't seem to settle on them.

Hi everyone! I'm in California and I have a doozy of a project I'm looking forward to sharing with you all. I'm 40 now, so 39 years ago, my great-uncle gave me a 1/12 scale enormous 4-story dollhouse that he made. I think it's a scratch build but I can't be sure. Anyway, as a child, I played with the mini stuff, shoved all my kittens in it, and generally played quite happily with the thing. But I actually hated dolls when I turned around 4 or 5, so after a certain age, it was just a giant structure taking up space. I moved, went off to college, bummed around a bit, and finally had a forever home. But as absence makes the heart grow fonder, I kept thinking of the dollhouse that had such an impact on my love of things mini as well as historic. So it was finally ready to come home... BUT! It had been kidnapped! By my mom's ex-husband's meth-addict prostitute girlfriend (I swear I'm not making this up)! After my mom pled with her ex to give it back, I was finally reunited with the dollhouse, but it looks like it was hit by Hurricane Katrina, and it needs a complete makeover. Plus, I have a toddler (a daughter), who will inherit it - as soon as I'm willing to give it up to her! Actually, I'm hoping she will eventually want to help me in its restoration. So I am very much looking forward to learning from everyone. I am so inspired by your projects, and your attention to detail. I admit that I really don't know where to start. I'm starting on stained glass windows, because they're small and relatively easy, but I also might want to do a bathroom extension. I don't know. Where's the best forum to solicit renovation ideas from? These are the top attic bedrooms and the top of the house lifts off, but there's another top on this removable piece that hides another level