Monday, February 28, 2011

I am an Idiot!


I am afraid I have perhaps committed the greatest faux pas. I said that I was basing my house on Linda Carswell " Petite Maison", thinking that since I found hers so beautiful, I would like one similar of my own and perhaps hoping to send a little flattery back to the muse. I don't know how, but I didn't see this as a problem at the time! I would actually dearly like to retract my last post and pretend it was never written, but alas, it was and I try to be above all things, honest.
My house was inspired by Linda certainly, but also by Mulvaney and Roger's Georgian Townhome and all similar Georgian era front opening dollhouses. There will be huge differences, and now I will endeavor to make sure not to repeat any of her beautiful work. I am finding that although I love the french style, I am an English girl at heart, so my dollhouse will probably be based more on the English Georgian style rather than french. Thanks so everyone who clued me in. Hindsight is 20/20 and again I apologize.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Construction has begun!




The original text from this post has be deleted. I afraid that I may have offended those whom I wish least to offend. As per usual my poor judgment and timing are impeccable!

Friday, February 25, 2011

John Hodgson and Sue Bembridge

Louis XV style settee hand-painted vellum with gilt detail and upholstered in the blue Castle Howard design fabric from Susan Bembridge Designs. Beautiful Settee and chair from John Hodgson in the U.K. John Hodgson furniture is exquisite and has been featured in the Mulvaney and Roger's "Magnificent Miniatures" book including their gorgeous Buckingham Palace! The fabric is from Sue Bembridge designs. It is from her "Historic House Collection", Castle Howard. I chose this fabric in honour of my English grandmother Elsie. We didn't always have the best relationship, but I loved her deeply. The best day I can remember with her was the day we visited Castle Howard. All the beautiful rooms and the absolutely gorgeous flower arrangement done personally by Mrs.Spencer. Princess Diana's wedding dress and all the clothing of her attendant's were being exhibited at that time. Pure bliss!!! I can almost taste the egg sandwiches and tea in the little cafe!
www.johnjhodgson.com
www.suebembridgedesigns.co.uk

More Jane Newman!!!!/ My Stokesayware



I saw this little dresser on ebay.co.uk. I knew it had to be Jane Newman, bid and actually won!! It came through the post today and lo and behold....signed Jane Newman LARGEST dresser! The dollhouse gods were certainly smiling down on me!!!! I am going to have to save my pennies for enough Stokesayware to fill it!!!

Monday, February 14, 2011


My lovely new clock from Keith at Small-time miniatures in the U.K and my beautiful Rosewood Carleton desk from Frank Preene in the United States. Little desk had a shipping boo-boo so is on it's way back to be mended.

Thursday, February 10, 2011


My new Stokesayware intermingled with beautiful cranberry and clear glass from Glasscraft UK. The tiny little cake stands and dome are so delicate and the scale is absolutely perfect! I love their all their cranberry glass and am really resisting the temptation to go back and order more!

All that shines is not gold "IT"S STERLING SILVER"



Well, what a grand week it has been for me and the postman! He is now coming to the house so often the neighbors are talking!
I really hope the picture I took does this justice. It is the most precious sterling silver tea service from Mike Sparrow silversmith in England. I originally thought I would chose the Georgian tea set which would fit so well into my soon-to-be Georgian dollhouse and is so incredibly detailed, but I finally settled on the fluted melon design which is equally beautiful and just like my mother's tea service. It is so finely crafted and perfect. The little tiny lidded teapot has a finial made of bone! and the serving finish on all the pieces is so mirror-like that it was hard to get a clear picture without my big camera covered face being reflected.



www.mikesparrowsilver.co.uk

Jane Newman, Jane Newman!



When I saw the beautifully detailed miniature dressers and washstands on the Stokesayware website, I knew I had to have one. A quick call the the U.K and I found that they were made by an incredibly talented miniaturist called Jane Newman. Great!! only she retired in 2007, not so great! Well, there must be some about... so after weeks of scouring the internet and calling every shop in Europe that had ever seen a piece, I was informed that there were none to be had and the chances of finding a piece was slim. So I added it to my list of things that I routinely look up on the internet nightly hoping something pops up, and it did! I found this washstand and stool on some obscure auction site in the U.K and purchased it. I paid for it through my paypal account and never received any confirmation that I had won the auction, the piece had been posted or they had received my payment, a few weeks later, much to my delight, it showed up in the post and let me tell you I am so thrilled! I think also I have a bid on a large dresser that I sure is also a Jane Newman although it is not mentioned in the listing. Judging from the bid though, I am pretty sure their are other that suspect this to be true too. Fingers crossed eh!!

So much to share!!!!!


I received my beautiful Stokesayware bone china dinnerware today. I could have never imagined how tiny and precious each little piece is.... I have chosen a setting for six including six victorian border plates with pagoda side plates, two incredibly detailed delft plates (for sitting on a yet to be acquired sideboard) and three vegetable dishes, two with perfectly fitted lids. All the china is bone white and detailed in a lovely Mulberry color and is from their aptly named "Mulberry Collection". The Stokesayware name is stamped on each precious piece! Simply amazing. I also had them make for me, the pink and white bowl and jug from their "Persian collection" and five tiny tiles for my lovely Jane Newman washstand which I will show in a poorly shot picture later.
www.stokesayware.com