Santa......Time To See If You Fit In Your Suit

Santa has been busy.  He's been reading all his gift requests. Poor man suffers from eye strain. Even with his glasses he needs a magnifying glass.

Mrs. Claus tailored in his suit during the summer to encourage him to loose weight. He's been trying. He might just fit. Or given in and buy a body slimmer, like Spanx.

Their bed might be a tight squeeze, but they like to snuggle. They're a sweet couple. Even if Santa's snoring makes her want to smother him with a pillow.

Where To Buy:

• Bed - Grandpa's Dollhouse
• Pillow and Quilt Kit - Tremeers Treasures (via the MET Show)
• Basket - The Little Dollhouse Company
• Magnifying glass - Classic Miniatures (via The Little Dollhouse Company)
• Letters/Envelopes - A Lavender Dilly
• Santa Suit - Dollar Store (Dollarama)
• Elf - The Little Dollhouse Company
• Letter Opener - Mini di Perluigi (via The Little Dollhouse Company)
• Plant - eBay
• Glasses - Amy Robinson of All Through The Dollhouse (via The Little Dollhouse Company)
• Pen and iPhone - Me!
• Desk - House of Miniatures kit
• Chair - Classic Miniatures (via The Little Dollhouse Company)

And What Will Santa Leave You?

I've been making stockings.  I hope that I haven't been too cranky this year and Santa is kind to me because.......

.......no one wants a stinky fish in their stocking.  Santa has upgraded from a lump of coal.

The Half Scale Saga Pt. 6 - The Kitchen

The kitchen was by far the easiest room.  Therefore, the kitchen was my favourite build.  Who doesn't like an easy room?!

I was fortunate to have the forethought long before I was ready to work on the interior and order my kitchen cabinets. Yes, I could have easily made them, but I got an amazing price on ebay for the 1:25 kitchen, complete with sink and cooktop. I think it was $11-ish (auction price), but even regular price it's not very expensive.

I painted the drab grey plastic with Testors white gloss paint.  The counter was already black, so I left it. The only item I had to add was a faucet. I didn't add handles.....not sure why I forgot....so it's now a Delta No Touch faucet. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

The microwave and fridge are 1:24 scale and each came as a wood laser cut kit from MiniEtchers. Easy to put together in theory, but I struggled trying to figure out what went where for the fridge. So much so I said %#*% it and used part of the kit and some of my own wood. Problem solved!  Not sure how the door handles are going to fair though.  Ooops.

The clock is made from a wood circle and earring posts. I nipped off the tiny ring that hung from each ball (for drop earrings). It was easier then having to run out and buy round head pins.

The trash can was a ribbed glue stick lid I painted in Testors flat aluminum. I added some paper for the lid and foot pedal.

The shelves and the table were bits of scrap wood. Aesthetically, I would have preferred cute delicate brackets or used turned table legs. But, the less delicate alternative better withstood me pressing down hard on them...in my non-scientific toddler proofing test!

The the obligatory scale shot with a penny!

I'm still trucking along with my Christmas items and my room box.  I just finished the final coat of urethane on the floors and added the additional wood trim to the exterior.  Now I just need....baseboards (paint/cut/install), trim/stain the raw edges, house numbers, front light, touch up paint, moss bits on the roof....and then it will be Christmas! 

I just started snowing today, about 30 minutes after I finished the last of the outdoor tidying and putting my birch log reindeer in the garden.  Maybe nature didn't want to anger me by snowing on me will I worked.  

Giving In To Christmas

I have started my Christmas mini making.  Since this is my first mini Christmas, I have had to make a few purchases and start making my own items.  Unlike Halloween, I am starting with more then a 2 week runway.  Side note, I finished my Halloween projects last week, so I'm ready for next year!

This 1:12 scale gingerbread house came as a wood laser cut kit from MiniEtchers.  I didn't place the candy canes as suggested and I used less of the pieces for the chimney then provided.

Having a distinct aversion to putting my toe into the polymer clay pond (there just isn't enough hours in my day), I had no clue what to decorate the kit with.  It came with the candy canes, gingerbread people and tree.  BUT, the mini heavens parted this weekend and I visited The Little Dollhouse Company on Saturday and they had the solution.  They had clay canes for making all sorts candy, but also my solution for gingerbread house decor!

Also, being clueless on what to make icing from, I stared at my giant pile of crafting and household items around my workbench and decided on gesso mixed with plaster powder (i.e. the stuff you patch your walls with).  It worked really well and looks like icing. 

I've been sewing little stockings and other various Christmas items along with photographing my last Christmas gift project and working on the room box.  The floors will go down this week!  I have blisters on my fingers from cutting floor boards.

Lest We Forget

The Half Scale Saga Pt. 5 - The Bedroom

The bedroom makes me happy. It reminds me of my attic bedroom back in my university rental days. I'm a sucker for a sloped roof in a bedroom. Might have something to do with the sloped roof in my master bedroom now....

Like the other walls, this was painted and papered then lacquered.  Pretty durable!

The Furniture

The bedside table kit is from Melissa's Miniwereld and the mirror kit is from MiniEtchers. The mirror came with a large piece of mirror, so I trimmed it and used the excess for the mirror squares above the dresser.

The bed platform is made from wood dowels with false drawer fronts applied. I glued the bedding in place for the sanity of the parents responsible for this house. How often do I hear "mama fix please". I don't want to contribute to that for others. I'm not that mean!

The tall dresser is a solid block with false fronts. The handles are pins I drilled into the wood. The short bookcase also has a false drawer

 

The storage chest is made from a wood dowel cut in half (the top) and a square dowel for the base. I used those cheap brass drawer pulls you readily find on 1:12 furniture for the handles and modified 2 for the "lock".

The chair is a really basic design I glued the *#%# out of.  I then wrapped some fabric around it. The legs are beads secured with flat head pins and glue. The pillow was.....a pain. I used the sewing machine. A pain in my #*%. Should have hand sewed it. I gave up on trying to tease the corners out (despite using all the corner "tricks" out there) and have come to the conclusion that 1:24 scale pillows should be done by hand. Period. But for the next 1:12 scale pillows I do I will use Amber's amazing tutorial (hugs).

The Accessories

The clock is a repeat from Miss Kitty's dollhouse. Never to much of a good thing. I used some beads and paper to make the lamp and shade. I was fortunate that the shade touches the wall, giving me another place where I can glue it!  The purse on the wall is a wee pieces of scrap wood wrapped in paper. All the other bits and bobs were kicking around in my craft pile.  It also features my original art work....sorry, not going to be worth anything...ever.

....And If You Were A Kid.....

This is hopefully how you would use the room with your dolls (which I included).  A mini Lalaloopsy (right) and miniature Mooshka doll (left).

I'm still working away on my final large Christmas gift project....95% done! And I decided to finish a Halloween kit that didn't get done. If I left it for next year...it wouldn't get done. Can we pause time so I can catch up and start Christmas stuff?  I started a gingerbread house kit too.  

All said, its been really hard to focus since Sunday nights have been devoted to The Walking Dead and the husband and I have started binge watching the first seasons.  I have seen most of them, but he hasn't.  Not like its punishment to watch Rick kill Walkers.