Gifts!

Sister Gifts

Dear Readers, My Sister came to visit the weekend before Christmas, so we were able to have our own small celebration together. She does not live near where I do, so it is not very often that we celebrate Holidays together. The unexpected (I think I had five days warning that she was coming North...!) nature of this visit made it all the more Special.... squeezed into the Holiday Season rush! Some of you may remember that last Spring I built a very little Cottage for her... I think it was Therapy for ME because she was so sick with cancer at the time..... But I built it for her and for the childhood memories of making dollhouse items together..... that Shared love that goes deeper than any words can say. I mailed it to her in the hopes that she would Love it and make things for it as we had always loved to do. And I promised you, Dear Readers, that I would show you what she has done with it if I got the chance.

So HERE it is!

Above, you can see the whole Cottage......

And below you can see the details of the lower room.....
The two dolls were made by Her Daughter, my niece, many years ago when she was eight or nine..... don't they look so at HOME?
The little angel on the rocking horse is a Christmas tree ornament.....
My sister stitched together the lace throw from scraps I sent her.....
And the rug on the right was made by our Dad's partner Diane, who is learning to weave....

And here, upstairs, you can see My Sister has covered the bed with a Delightful flannel coverlet and lace trimmed pillows! I had sent her scraps that I have been keeping for SO MANY Years..... and it is SO MUCH FUN to see the things she makes with them! I Just Adore it!
The two tiny dolls are from a worry bracelet..... and she "decorated" the ceramic tree I sent her (It comes in the teabags I buy.... so there are lots of these....) with glued on beads!!!

Here is a view of the other end of the upstairs....

Sewing basket at hand and books on the shelf...

And the lovely painting propped against the wall.....

Here is another view of the whole Cottage.... sort of.....

she sent me these pics from her mobile phone and I wasn't sure what order they would upload.... I LOVE the way the light is coming in the window..... and if you look closely on the right side you can see the little oak tree stump she made when she visited me last Summer!

But LOOK what else she is making.......!

The most Beautiful "crazy" quilt.....

complete with embroidered seams.....

just like they made in Victorian times......

Just look at her beautiful stitching......!

I Just think this is SO BEAUTIFUL!

Made with tiny scraps of Silk that I gave her years ago when I was making craft products from silk and had Tons of tiny scraps........ so PERFECT for dollhouse sewing!

So, you can see that my Sister is filling the Little Cottage with

TREASURES beyond price!

But THAT is not all!
Look at the Exquisite tiny beaded Rosary that she made for me!
(Or for some lucky dollhouse resident who is yet to arrive ....!
The Lady of the Castle Perhaps?)

Just look at all the beads and knots tied exactly so....

and tiny beads added to the little cross.....
I think it is just Truly Beautiful!
(And I sent her home with a supply of tiny crosses....... :)

I tell you Truly, Dear Readers, My Sister IS a Gift....

the best gift I could have on this Christmas!

But there is MORE!
A GIFT from my Friend Ewa in Poland!
It arrived just in time with this Beautiful stamp......
(when I was little I collected stamps that had art on them .... wanting to use them in a Dollhouse, of course!)

Wrapped in these beautiful layers.....

A GORGEOUS Brocade Handbag........

Just because I had admired them on her Blog when she made them.......
Isn't it Beautiful?
Thank you, Ewa,........ you are SO Generous!

I think Joanna is VERY Happy with her new bag......

Shall we let Victor take the credit....?
It is Exactly what he would have chosen for her!

And Look at the Gifts I got from my Dad and Diane.....

Dad sent me a lovely photograph that he took of beech trees in Autumn foliage .... for my 1:1 scale house... (Hmmmm perhaps I can copy this and reduce it to dollhouse scale and have it in my dollhouse too...?)

And Diane sent me a Beautiful scarf she wove for me.....

to keep me warm this Winter....

AND she added a tiny "rug" she wove for the Dollhouse!

She said it was a "rug" but I think it makes a Gorgeous blanket for the Lovely Old Dollhouse! The colors go so well with the wallpaper.... and it IS a cold New England house, after all!
In fact, in the Colonial times they used heavy coverlets for the beds that were Woven and they called them "Rugs"!

So, Dear Readers...... One would Think that was enough gifts.......
but I cannot neglect the "Gifts" that Mrs. Santa (Who knows me SO Well....!) brought me....

This is , of course, because I went to that Dollhouse Shop that is not very far from here.... and I spotted some Treasures that I had Never seen before in that shop........ they Immediately went on the "List" of what Must be Purchased....... and Mrs. Santa must have been looking over my shoulder........

But just LOOK at this little kitchen hearth set....... the "range" is all cast metal with working doors..... and all the little treasures are securely glued down.... so If I wish to alter it I will have to do so carefully. This is a European style range that I have never seen made here in the States... it speaks to me of eighteenth century cottages....... in Wales or Ireland...... Do I HAVE to make ANOTHER Dollhouse now to use it?.................. The list just gets Longer.......

For now, it can sit beside my computer...........

all set up with the kettle about to boil......
Bacon and eggs almost ready to eat......

because nothing falls off when I bump the table........

A Quarter past nine..... such a lazy Sunday breakfast time.......

And that cat all curled up on the mantle........

Isn't he Sweet? Would YOU have been able to Resist this Treasure?

And speaking of TREASURES...... just Look at this table!

Carved, unfinished wood........ just Begging for a HOME.........

The Only question being .......What KIND of home?

I swear...... it doesn't really FIT into any of my current dollhouses.........

But Really.... I am NOT capable of passing up such a Treasure when I see it.......

so I guess I will have to design it a Home.... or a Roombox at the very Least!

So, you can see..... I have received GIFTS beyond my imaginings this year!
And I am SO Thankful!

And even though it is Past Christmas and NOT quite the New Year......
I wanted to share with you all the Christmas Card I painted this year.....
the Twenty-eighth year in a row that I have made one.....!

Gifts!

Dream On!

Dreaming of a Perfect Christmas......

Maybe it's because the FIRST time I ever saw the Lovely Old Dollhouse, Dear Readers, was on a Christmas Morn a long time ago, that I associate dollhouses so much with Christmas! To me it is just the PERFECT time of year to prepare the little houses with all the details that we long for so much in the Big World, but often cannot achieve..... to dress them in all the garlands and finery and bring out all the tiniest Treasures... to set up the little Tableaux that epitomize those Longings of the Heart.... for Home, Hearth, Family and Love! Alas, I am a LONG way from realizing MY Dreams of what I want my Mini-Worlds to looks like! Time marches on and the decor is just NOT finished! So Forgive me, Dear Readers, if what I show you has a familiar look.... there are only one or two changes from Last Year...... but I wish to bring you a glimpse of my Tiny World at Christmas.... Ready or Not!
You have seen the Folly in many seasons...... and Someday there will be a lovely landscape around the little house.... and too bad there is NO SNOW yet in our Northern yards...... but some years are just like that..... not Quite Ready! But there are some lights on the trees .... which have snow on their branches because last night it did snow about five flakes (and then melted)......

Oh and look who is waiting on the Porch...... helping to decorate.......

These dogs Must belong to Daphne who is staying at the Folly.......

I think their names are "Duke" and "Duchess"......
(Yes, they are supposed to be Christmas Tree ornaments.... bought in the supermarket....!)

And if you come around to the side you can see in the window.....

I LOVE looking into windows at the tiny world inside......

Daphne and Will are still discussing the Nature of Christmas and the Holiday Season......

While they sit by the Fire........

Dreaming of what is to come.....

And the little Nativity is set upon the Mantle this year.....
(The mirror is another Christmas Tree ornament I bought years ago....
and I knew it would make a PERFECT dollhouse mirror!)

Meanwhile in the Lovely Old Dollhouse..... Pollyanna is still mesmerized by the Beauty of the Christmas Tree lights.... those Tiny Colored bulbs are just so Enchanting! But she has managed to set up the Nativity....... and the Family is all gathered around to wait for Christmas Eve.....

Annabelle is Enchanted by the Nativity.......

The figures are arranged on the sideboard.... just like last year......

But this year we also have a cloth and the portrait on the wall.....

Here, you can see them closer..... they are resin figures about three quarters of an inch tall.....
But still...... the room has no garlands, no wreath adorns the door ......
No festive feast nor gingerbread house in sight...... No stockings line the mantle.... no gifts are piled under the tree.......No Snow.... no Glitter.....
SO MUCH I still want to do.......

And in the Chapel of the Castle........

where the murals are still unfinished....

No flowers adorn the Altar....

No, wait.....
in the Middle Ages there WERE NO FLOWERS in the Wintertime!

There was just the Cold DARK Night......

Lit by Candles on the Altar......

Where the Story of the Birth of Christ was Carved Into the Wooden Altar Screen.....

And Gilded so it shines in the Light......
(This Altar Screen is also a Christmas Tree ornament purchased many years ago....
because it really was such a perfect Dollhouse scale decoration!)

Adorning the Altar..... where the devout offer their prayers....
and Worship the Babe who was born so long ago........
Christmas Eve.....

From my House(s) to yours I send you this wish......

That your Fondest Dreams my Come True!

May your Holidays be Filled with Love and Laughter!

Dream On!

Little Tree, Big Trees, Tiny Trees

Christmas Decorations

Pollyanna has put up the Christmas Tree in the Lovely Old Dollhouse. She (and I, Dear Readers) is ENCHANTED when those tiny colored lights go on! It is just SO Beautiful she (I ) can hardly take her eyes off of it!

Victor and Joanna are here this year to help with the Celebrations. And Arthur has come over to help with the moving furniture to make room for the tree. There is still so much to be done, but this is a START, thinks Pollyanna. Maybe this weekend she will get the rest of the decorations put up!

And the BIG trees in my 1:1 scale house have also been decorated.....

here you can see the one with the colored lights in the downstairs room.......

And a little closer view.......
with the home-made angel on top......

And here is the upstairs tree all decorated.......

keeping me company in my studio where I am working on the Christmas card.......

And here is a close-up of one of my home-made ornaments.......

a "snowball ornament" with a mini Nativity scene inside it........

I have made several different "Snowball ornaments".......

here is one with a tiny Garden Scene inside..... with a table and chairs on a patio.....

with book and cup of tea and Roses growing and an arbor in the side.......

They are quite difficult to photograph on the tree.....
I apologize for the poor lighting......

Here is a closer view.......

And another one..... a Fairy beside a pool in the Forest.....

Here it is in better lighting......

You can see her reflection in the mirror pool "water"........

Here is a view with the light shining from behind illuminating the translucent "sun" panel....

And a closer view of the Forest backdrop.......
the "sun " panel is iridescent gold paper....

Each of these ornaments is about three to four inches in diameter......

made from paper mache...

They are supposed to look like a Snowball.....
hollow........ with a scene inside.......

This one is still not quite complete.....

it needs the decorated edge around the opening......

and the hanger too......

the lamppost has glow-in-the-dark paper attached to the lantern......

The Faun is made of sculpey..... do you recognize him....?

Here you can see the Lantern is glowing!

And another one that is still only partly done....

I think I showed you this one last year.....

It is supposed to be Santa's Parlor.......

With an elaborate cloud filled sky painted ceiling........

And a hearth with glowing coals and sparks flying up the chimney....

and a Tile Fireplace surround....

And a framed carving over the mantle......

of Mrs. Claus when she was younger, of course!

And a Gilded ceiling fixture......

And two windows looking out on the Night sky.......
with the moon looking into one........

And stars in the other......

I made two tiny stuffed chairs for them to sit in.....

And I STARTED to make Mr. and Mrs. Claus........

out of Sculpey and pipe cleaner wire.....

Here is a not very good picture with them inside.....

they are so tired they are already snoring....

And I have assembled a tiny table with a pot of Chocolate...... and a Tiny Tree....

To tuck in beside them in their COZY Parlor......

You can see I have a ways to go to finish this one.....

But, Oh, it looks so inviting......

waiting for Santa to be done with his busy LONG Night.......

MAYBE this year I will get it done....

but NOT before I finish drawing the Christmas Card!

Little Tree, Big Trees, Tiny Trees