Windows.....

 

And Doorknobs.....

I Found myself recently, Dear Readers, staring at The Dollmaker's Studio project and wondering what it was that was preventing me from just gluing the second floor ceiling in place and moving on with the next level. So I pulled the building onto my kitchen table... the only place where there was room to work on it... and started to make a list. The reason for not gluing the ceiling in place has to do with a whole bunch of small details to finish on the inside of that room that would be much trickier or impossible once the ceiling is glued down. Little things like attaching the oval mirror over the fireplace, attaching the chandelier to the ceiling and spicing those wires, adding doorknobs to the doors, putting a few more curtain rings on the lace window curtain so it would fold more naturally, and so I could finally glue the window frame into the alcove extension, even though that could not be attached until after the ceiling was glued down..! (You can even see the thread that has been tying the window in place to keep it from falling out!) It gets complicated! But I could at least make a start!

 

 The mirror is now attached to the wall above the fireplace.

I used a small hook on each end to "grab" the mirror frame. 

The mirror is originally a Christmas tree ornament and is made of resin. 

(There is a matching one in The Folly Dollhouse.) 

 

I added six more curtain rings to the curtain... 

the original seven just left too much space between the gathers.

 

I spliced the wires for the chandelier

 and the window alcove Christmas light string

 and added shrink tubing to the joins.

I still need to "bury" the wires in the walls... 

but not until the alcove and ceiling are in place!

 

 

And I did glue the window frame into the alcove frame...

 

 Here you can see the building with out the Window alcove.

 

And while I was working on the windows, 

I decided to figure out how to attach the smaller window

 in the front opening door wall.

I had a couple of the small windows from Houseworks,

 but they are built for walls that are 3/8 inch thick,

 and these walls are only 1/4 inch thick.

I needed to decide how to pad the opening 

and support the window frame sturdily in the opening.

I decided to have the frame sit on a 5/8 inch square wood block

 which would attach it firmly to the door.

 

 

 Like so. 

The frame could be built around it easily

 with standard stock wood strips.

 

Here you can see the framework built around the window.

And if you look carefully, 

you will see the glint of a shining doorknob 

on the balcony door and at the top of the tower stairs.... 

 

 Which you can see slightly better here!

 

And while I was pondering those windows and doorknobs, Dear Readers,

 I was also doing the same for the Tree House! 

 

Waaay back when I had last worked on the

 Tree House Bath Dressing Room,

 adding the light to it's ceiling,

 I knew just what kind of window it needed...

 but I didn't ever get around to making it.

 And it had been so long... 

I wasn't sure I knew where the materials all were....!

 I needed some of that gold mesh I paint gray or black

 and I found a scrap partly painted 

(I thought I had more!)... 

but this was enough to get started!

This window wants the "Georgian" treatment

 with a vertical grid of window panes, like I used in the Salon.

You can see the beginnings on the above photo.

 

Here the window panes are being glued to the outer wall of the Dressing room...

 being weighted down by the glue bottle!

 

And here it is with the outer frame glued over the window pane.

 

And here is the interior view!

 

 

And the Nanny's room windows also needed to be constructed.

 Here I have added a knob to the shutter over the smaller window.

The Nanny's Room windows wanted to be

 the old fashioned "diamond pane" glass.

 

 

They always need a spacer frame and 

an outer frame to secure the pane to the wall.

 

Here the larger window has been glued to the wall.

 

 

Here are both of the Nanny's Room's windows

 with the knobs on the shutters!

 (Just look at all those beautiful tiny hinges!!!)

 

The interior view with the shutter open...
 

 And the larger window in the opening door wall.

 

And The upper side of the Tree House....

The Nanny's walls are still not glued in place.

 

And the side view with the doors open... and no flash....

(when will I ever learn!)

 Yes, Dear Readers, I have been 

wandering from project to Project, 

chasing Tiny details like

 window frames and doorknobs...

and making Progress! 

 

The Card...

 

Ready or Not....

Well, Dear Readers, here it is the Fortieth edition of my Annual Christmas Card.... every year since 1983 I have drawn and printed and sent to friends and family a Seasonal card! Yes, Christmas is long gone, but it takes a long time to get all the details right. And given the time constraints of employment and occasional illness it has rarely been completed by Christmas. And if it is Late as usual... then perhaps it is really right on time! At any rate, there are always dozens of additional tweaks and shadows and touch-ups that could be added, but I have to stop somewhere. So this is it! As always, it is 8.5 x 11 inches, pen and ink and watercolor on watercolor board drawn to actual size and color copied. The theme is always the events of the past year woven into  an illustration, almost always with a letter to capture the theme.

Here is a closer view of the upper part. 

This is the printed version and the glossy paper

 always makes photography difficult... the reflection is hard to avoid.

Here is the lower section.

And if you question whether The Dollmaker's Studio

 was the primary work of the past year.... 

well, all I can say is that it was worked on

 all year in tiny little slow bits... 

not enough to warrant much in the way of blogging....

But enough to warrant recognition, unfinished as it is!

And that's all I have to show, Dear Readers,

The Card, Ready or Not...

Finally Finished!

I hope you enjoy seeing it.

A Tiny Visit With My Sister....

 

 We Had Sew Much Fun....!

I had a week of Vacation, Dear Readers, and by Far the best part was the overnight visit I had with my sister who was visiting her grandchildren not too far away. I brought her to my house so we could have an overnight and get caught up on the Minis. Of course, she also visited my overgrown garden, and I snagged a good picture! We spent the evening of the first day looking at all the Big Mini projects I have underway.... not a small undertaking! Fortunately she is a Happy participant in the process. And the next morning, after the garden tour, she was poking around in some of my boxes of parts and pieces of in-progress builds... in this case, The Sugarplum Studio, aka The Dollmaker's Studio parts and pieces, and discovered a couple of little doll kits I had forgotten I had! They are also by Sandra Morris of Tower House Dolls, purchased at the same time I purchased the petite "Atelier de la Poupee" Vignette Kit which has become the "Dollmaker's Studio" project. We took one look at each other and agreed instantly that we were going to make them right away! The kits were to assemble a little Victorian Porcelain doll with all the bits: shoes, stockings hat wig and gown! They were alike but not identical. It took us less that five minutes to get started!

The kits are wonderfully well made!

The instructions are detailed and full of closeup pictures.

All the parts and pieces are ready to use...

 

Here we go! Undies under way!

And with the bunka trims added...

But look... who do we see over there...?

Is she cute or what?

And stockings too.... 

but I think I didn't make them cover enough of the foot...

And the fashion show begins.....

Starting the shoes...

This made us laugh hysterically....

But all in a good cause....

Next they got some "soles"....

At about this point, Dear Readers, 

we realized that the project would take

 a little longer than we had assumed...

 but we were enjoying ourselves so So much, 

we abandoned all our previous schedules...

The day was ours! 

Nothing was going to stop us!

And the kits were not identical, 

so here the instructions diverged...

My petticoat was simple and traditional...

And by now she has acquired the name "Petunia"...

And her pleated skirt over the petticoat.

 

 

And the beginnings of stitching the seams for the jacket...

Yikes!

 

 My sister's doll, Valerie, has the petticoat lace

 as an over-layer on the skirt...

And her Jacket is edged with a picot braid!

 

 Here is Valerie in her jacket.... 

before the sleeves are added!

Isn't she something???

Meanwhile Petunia's Jacket is getting sleeves....

You have no idea how difficult it is

 to gauge the proper length for the hems,

 and to turn them inside out!!!

Then the lace collar....

And Valerie is as done as we have time for....

It is time for me to return my Sister to her grandchildren...

My sister, who is a cancer survivor,

 loves Valerie's bald look and might even keep her that way.

 

I had enough time to add Petunia's

 buttons and picot trim before we drove off.

But didn't get a picture until much later 

when I was home again and it was dark.

And the following day, 

I completed her hair and hat...

A Much quieter, contemplative, process!

All those curls!

You almost hate to add the hat!

Until you see her with the hat, of course!

Ah, Dear Readers, the time went by Much to fast... 

and was years overdue....

But look what I have to remember it by....

Welcome Petunia!

I had a Tiny visit with my sister

 and We had So Much Fun!