Decorating.....

Bye Bye Dragon

Everything Being Moved

All This Lot Had to Be Moved

New Colour On The Walls

Last Bit of Painting

Putting the Room Back Together

The Study End

Lovely Views

Final Layout

What a depressing Summer, we are all enduring this year. The Rain just keeps on falling and falling. I feel sorry for all the people that are getting flooded. Certain parts of Wales are on Amber Alert for more flooding this weekend. Hopefully, forewarned is forearmed.
Because of the weather, I've not been able to work outside, so decided that I start decorating indoors instead. I was going to do the decorating in the Winter!!!!. The first room to get a complete make over was Ben's Room. I've completely reconfigured, the sleeping end of his room. It looks so much better now and we've even been able to fit in another wardrobe, it seems to have opened up the room and he'll now have more space to move around in there. Ben choose the colour and I did the rest. I just need to get him a new Chest of Drawers and a Bedside Cabinet as the ones in there, are just about holding together. A trip to Ikea, is in order. I was lucky with the headboard, that was originally off my old bed and had been stored in the Barn. After a through good clean, it came up lovely and saved me having to buy one.
Harry's Room, is now under going a make over...

Walworth Terrace

Here's another one of my Houses, that has been in storage.
Its called Walworth Terrace and was built by Peter Hunt of Perfect Miniatures. Again, I don't think Peter is making Houses any more.

The more I look at this House, the more I think it would make a great Grimmauld Place. Another project..

Chapel Road Dolls House

This is another one of my House's, that has been in storage.
It was made by Steve Hilbert of Chapel Road. Chapel Road, were very well known for their Pubs.But unfortunately I don't think they make them anymore. This however is one of their Houses, I love the little Greenhouse and side garden.

My Dad brought me this house, from another collector who was selling their collection. There is some beautiful furniture, that goes in this house, but its still wrapped somewhere in a box. If you click on the pictures, they should pop up bigger..

Storage Corner..

We had some left over kitchen cabinets from when we did the Utility Room & Kitchen indoors. So I decided to use them in the cabin for Storage. Waste not, want not.
I've put them in on wood supports, as I wanted the units low, so I can put a couple of the bigger Houses on top. If I'd have used the legs that came with them the units would be too high. Its also a perfect height to use as a work top table, sitting in a chair. The Corner Cabinet, is not going to have Doors, as its awkward getting bits and pieces in there. I may put a Curtain of material on there later.

I'm still slowly moving bits and pieces in and sorting them out. Its taking hours, but I'm determined, that it will be neat and tidy in there and I'll know where everything is, eventually!..

The Stage Coach

Many Moons ago, I went to the London Tom Bishop Fair, in Twickenham.
While I was there, I saw and fell in Love with a Indian Squaw and her Child. I had visions of a scene, that included a Teepee, with Indian Art, Pots etc. But like most of my projects, they get written down in my trusty note book and never see fruition. They were wrapped and packed away.
When we moved here seven years ago, I saw a Stagecoach on a auction site, put in a bid and won it. Well that Stagecoach has sat in its box, just waiting to see the light of day. It finally came out of its box about two weeks ago and is now sitting in a Display Cabinet in my Craft room.
I now have a scene in my head of the Stagecoach filled with luggage and people, stopping to buy trinkets from the Indian Squaw and her Child.

But you never know, next week it could be something completely different...

Mum's House

On the 21st March, I finally unpacked and unwrapped, my Mum's Dolls House. Its been sitting, waiting, in my Garage for the last seven years, to see the light of day. There was some minor damage, but nothing that cannot be fixed.
It was a bitter sweet moment for me, as my Mum never saw her house finished before she died.
The House is huge and opens front and back.  It stands approximately 4ft High and is approximately 3ft wide, so it sits on its very own little cupboard, that is on castor's.
There are internal walls and rooms behind rooms, just like in a real house. Hence, why it opens front and back.
So it's up to me to finish it. Quite a daunting prospect to be honest. But I'm looking forward, to putting all the wonderful miniatures that Mum brought, back in their rightful place.

Dad's Cabinet

When we moved to Wales, I brought quite a bit of furniture, from my Mum & Dad's House, with us.
My Dad collected Stamps, and this big old Cabinet, was where he stored his Stamp Albums. I wanted to give it a make over, so that I could use it to put my Room Boxes and Vignettes in.
Well it turned out to be a mammoth job. The way the Cabinet is built, it is impossible, to remove the Glass sliding doors. So it was a case of keep moving the glass, to get to a bit, that hadn't been painted.

I gave the whole Cabinet a light sanding and then a coat of undercoat, but the wood showed through. tried another coat and still the colour came through. Eventually, I had to buy another tin of undercoat, that is especially formulated for dark furniture. Although when I put it on, it drys like Battleship Gray. Then its had a top coat of Satin Wood Paint. I'm really pleased with how its come up. I've also rubbed down, one of my old Dining Room Chairs and that's having a make over as well...