A Feast of Tiny Things....

I Had to Try...

I was so Carried Away with Tiny things last week Dear Readers, that when I signed off at the end of my Post, I actually wrote on the spur-of-the-moment that there might be a few more items made for the bedroom.... perhaps a footstool and tiny slippers or a shopping bag with gifts inside...! Well, it was late and I was getting tired, so I didn't think too much about it. Until I thought about it... and Then I wondered if I Could Possibly make those items? Hmmm? Well, I had to give it a try! I started with the shopping bag.... you can see the beginnings in the picture above where I have glued loops of sewing thread for handles to a scrap of patterned tissue paper....

Then I folded the sides of the bag, making creases 

at approximately even spacing... it was hard to tell!

Here I have folded the bottom flaps together... 

after cutting slits at each corner.... not easy!

Somehow I got glue in the bottom to hold the flaps closed!

Can you see it there?

(I know, you will need to poke the pictures... 

And pull out a magnifying glass!)

Then I added some red tissue with a bead inside... a "gift"......

 but also for added weight...

And we have to see it with the bed... is it the right size?

Here, can you see it now?

And can we see it in the bedroom....?

I think it works!

And you can see I have also started a little footstool...

But I have not finished it yet. 

I need to finish all the "upholstery" on the wing chairs too.

And what about the slippers I so rashly suggested...???

Well, I had to try....

I started by gluing some textured silk to a piece of card stock, 

and then I glued a tiny piece of lace trim to the surface, 

with "bumps" where the lace is not glued. 

I let it dry thoroughly. 

(You can be forgiven for thinking it is a piece of lady's underwear!)

Then I cut it into tiny strips and trimmed them to the shape of footwear....

Can you see them there?

But the real question is... 

do they look the right size in the bedroom.....?

Can you see them in the back by the Victorian Dresser?

Yes, you will need to poke the pictures again!

And maybe the lady of the house has big feet.... 

but I think they work!

 

And that is just the Beginning, Dear Readers, 

because I was on a Roll!

The next room in The Secret Christmas House is the Dining Room.

The first pieces went together with no trouble....

 

There is a tall closed cabinet and a buffet table

 as well as the large dining table and six chairs.

All those spindly legs did require quite a bit of careful glue application!

I had already assembled several of this kind of chair.... 

so I knew that I would want to have a "perch" for them 

when gluing the front legs in place!

Like so!

Here is the set ready for painting.....

But I was impatient to see them in the house.....

I almost decided I liked the lighter wood look, Dear Readers, 

but I decided to stay closer to the era and style of the kit,

 so I went ahead and painted them the dark brown color recommended...

And then began the varnish and "decorations"......

Each of the tables has a "lace" cloth just as the sitting room tea table had...

just a paper cut out with the "ground" color the same as the painted wood....

 which was the biggest reason for not going with a lighter wood look!

And the chairs got their "upholstered" seats with no trouble.

Then we got to the fun bits! 

I had forgotten how many "little" bits there were for this room!

Starting with the bouquet for the dining table.....

Can you see it there???

(I know you will get tired of having me ask that question!)

The bouquet is "embellished" with tiny scraps of greenery (just dried paint) 

and blossoms made from just the knot cut off a piece of thread!

It is glued into a large brass bead....

And placed in the center of the table!

And then I started on the next tiny pieces... 

the candelabras and the chandelier..... 

These are laser-cut pieces of heavy gold paper... 

very delicate and requiring that you notch them together 

at just the right angle and let them dry.

Then you paint the candles white.

I almost ruined it by trying to paint the candles first.... 

and in the way I was holding the piece with my tweezers... 

I almost crushed the tiny slot where they notch together....! Yikes!

But I was able to rescue it and let the glue dry before finishing the painting. 

In fact, I then decided to use my "glue trick"

 to create three-dimensional bases for the candelabra... 

if you look closely you will see the glue on the base partially dried.

And I got so caught up in making the next pieces, 

I forgot to take any pictures!

This kit comes with two "glass" decanters for "spirits" for the buffet!

They require separating from the sheet, 

cleaning the burn residue with alcohol 

and then painting to resemble sherry or brandy

 or port or your favorite beverage!

Can you see them there on the buffet with the candelabra?

(Please poke the pictures!)

And then there is another little tray painted gold....

with another Teeny-Tiny (really huge!) cake.....

And I wanted to let a certain Little Furry Friend know that 

This cake is a vanilla cake layered with marzipan and strawberry ganache, 

frosted with dark chocolate fudge frosting

 and crowned with a halo of fresh strawberries!

Can you see it there???

But please bear with me Dear Readers, 

because I am still embellishing these little pieces....!

The candelabra, once their bases were well rounded (the glue trick)

  were painted gold and the candles themselves were painted white.

And then I added a touch of glue to the tips of the candles 

and dipped them in glitter... 

so in the right light they shine!

Can you see the glitter in the candelabra above?

It is very difficult to photograph, 

but produces a charming spark of life in the reality!

Can we see how it looks inside the room?

And with the other pieces of furniture......?

Yes, I know... I still haven't added the carpet... 

or the chandelier.... or the curtains!

 Don't even ask about the Curtains!

But the chandelier was coming along nicely with it's glittery candles...!

(I will not glue it in until everything else is firmly in place!)

And I thought that was everything for the dining room 

until I woke up this morning thinking there should be tiny plates.... 

maybe a roast on a platter...? 

A pup under the table waiting for the bones?

Ah, Dear Readers, I hope you have enjoyed

 this Feast of Tiny things.

Come to think of it, 

I may even have to try a basket of Tiny Rolls!

Just a Little Ho Hum.....

Adding the Trimmings.....

After all the Excitement of the Teeny-Tiny books last week, Dear Readers, I have to confess that the furnishings for the next room in the Secret Christmas House seemed a bit unexciting to me. Maybe I was just getting so used to the wonders of the tiny furniture in all it's perfect details, that making another tiny chair or bedside table just wasn't very challenging! Okay, the beautiful Sleigh bed did present some challenges, but really went together very easily! The furnishings for this room are the Sleigh Bed, the tall Victorian Dresser, two bedside tables and the wing chair. Certainly a lovely matching bedroom set!

Here you can see them all assembled prior to staining them.

Here the wooden pieces are painted the brown color 

recommended in the kit instructions.

 The chair will need to be painted as the other wing chairs

 with Many Many coats of paint until it looks "plush"!

Here they are varnished 

and the bed mattress and covers have been added......

and the mirror in the dresser too!

Here the bedside "lamps" made from 

beads supplied in the kit have been added, 

and the pillows on the bed.

Oh, and a lovely red pillow on the bed too!

But is that All?

Well, let's see how they look inside the room....

Hmmm.... it just looks a bit plain to me!

The only "decoration" that is still to be added

 is supposed to be a couple of wrapped "gifts"

one on the dresser and a couple behind the chair. 

Oh, and the chair will have a pillow 

and a "throw" draped over the arm.

Even with those details, 

I think it a teeny bit of a Yawn.

Well, I tell you, Dear Readers, I couldn't leave it so bare!

To begin with, I thought the dresser should have 

a small tray with some perfumes and lotions on it.....

Oh dear, my lighting is not very good... 

You can probably barely see them!

Here, maybe this is a little better.....

I made the "mirrored tray" by cutting an oval out of the corner

 scrap left over from the mirror provided in the kit.

Then I added the tiniest beads I could find in my old collection....

Here... can you see it now?

(Go ahead and poke the pictures to enlarge them!)

I think this is much more fun than just a wrapped gift...

And I just can't imagine a Lady's dresser without these bottles!

And while I was adding tiny beads....

I thought the bedside table should have an old alarm clock....

Can you even see it there!

Does it even look like an alarm clock?

Well, I am pretending it does!

Perhaps we should test them inside the room....

I think they add a wonderful layer of "realism"!

And since I have been thinking so much about teeny-tiny books...

Well, I had to make one for the other bedside table!

Because, surely the Lady of the house might like to read in bed.

But truly, Dear Readers, I could not leave the bed alone either....

because I could not imagine that all the rush of preparing for Christmas 

wouldn't leave the bed covered in wrapping paper and partly wrapped gifts.....

I had to make some scissors out of wire....

Can you see them there?

I know... they are really Huge!

(perhaps they are the kitchen shears!)

And I had to add some thread for ribbon draped on the floor.....

And then we need to see how it looks in the room....

Can you see it at all?

Oh and the unfinished chair too....

Just imagine a lacy throw over the chair

(when it is painted)

and a few wrapped gifts hidden in the corner behind the chair....

And who knows.... maybe even a footstool and some slippers....

Or a shopping bag with gifts inside....!

As you can see, Dear Readers, 

this room was just a little too Ho-hum, 

So I have been adding all the little trimmings!

Speaking Of The Library.....

The Tiniest Books Ever!

I Left you last week, Dear Readers, having borrowed a chair from the Library in order to serve you tea and cake in the still incomplete Sitting Room. I am glad so many of you came by for a visit! And when I returned to the making of the furniture from these tiny kits, the Library was uppermost on my mind. (The Sitting Room is temporarily on hold while I figure out the upholstery and curtains.) The Library Table needed to have a Lamp added to it, and I was instructed to "find an ivory bead" in the bag of teeny tiny pieces from which these accessories were to be assembled. Alas, there was no Ivory bead! I checked and re-checked and could not find it! So I had to improvise. I pulled out some random beads I have had in a wooden box ever since I was a teenager. I truly don't know where I got them from! There was a slightly lop-sided one that I thought could be made to look like a lamp shade if only viewed from one angle, so I added it to the pin and then the two little copper beads for the stand, and glued it into the hole I drilled in the table top! Yes, they ask you to Drill into the furniture!! Above you can see the table with the new lamp! And while I was at it, I added the green bead to the globe stand. Eventually I will paint a little bit of ocean onto it! But the really fun part was just beginning.... this kit has Books! Yes, it really does! They are just printed paper, and are meant to be folded and glued shut or left open as one pleases. They are ever so tiny!

The instructions do not say to add anything for the "pages" 

but I didn't follow the instructions...

I wanted my books to have some three-dimensionality to them

so I added a tiny piece of cardboard to each book for the "pages"!

The first one is on the table above... can you see the pages?

(Go ahead, poke the pictures to see them larger!)

Here you can see one of the "open" books to the right.... 

but it is still just flat....

It needs pages too....

But before I get to that, I must see how it looks inside the Library...

Sorry about the dark photo.... 

(that little light must not be turned on properly!)

And there are more books to add....

Another flat open face-down book... which needs pages added, 

and another one on the chair....

And now the opened books also have their pages added! 

That table is getting crowded... 

I will have to stack the books somehow, 

or spread them onto other chairs around the house!

 

And then I had one of Those ideas, Dear Readers, 

the kind that torments you until you give it a try....

 

I thought the Library Table needed an ink well and a quill pen!

 Can you see I have added a Teeny tiny feather and ink pot?

I made the tiny quill pen 

from a tiny goosedown feather 

that was shed from my coat last winter!

Yes, I saved them! 

It needed some careful trimming... 

and I found the tiniest "pewter" bead in my old bead box....

But can you see it????

Here, I have set it against a dark backdrop.... 

can you see it now? 

Right there in the middle?

Well, never mind if you can't.... 

I will know it is there!

And then I added the "oceans" to the globe....

You will have to understand that it is a very old globe... 

and perhaps their knowledge of the size of the continents was not very exact!

And then we have to see how it all looks inside the Library....

Which is extremely difficult to photograph with enough light and clear focus!

I think I need to add some writing paper to that table.....!

And just How Tiny are those books, you ask?

Well, look! 

Here's the open face-down one...

Can you see it there on my finger?

I am saving it for a chair in the Sitting Room!

 

 I am sure you will agree, Dear Readers, 

that these must be the Tiniest Books Ever!

Speaking of the Library...... 

My favorite room in the House!