My first give-away!!!

Although progress on the dollhouse has been slow (to say the least) that doesn't mean little jobs are being done. I have recently gotten into carpets so have gone a little hog wild in making them lately

So as a thank-you to the people that follow me and allow me to follow them, I would like to offer two lovely needlework cushions by Susan in the UK and a small carpet for your dollhouse floor. Just leave comments in my comment section and I will let you know on January 23,2012 (after the next auction)

Susan sells under the name dogstobytoby in ebay and currently has some beautiful tudor style needlework wallhangings up for auction so please check them out as all her profits go to support Downs Syndrome.
Check out my new blog "At the auction" to see what is going on in the auction house. http://wardsauctions.blogspot.com/

Where does the time go??

I am absolutely amazed at how long it has been since I updated my blog! Where does the time go? Everyone in the family contracted the flu over Christmas and with another auction this weekend, I am extremely busy at work.

In this update I wanted to treat you to some beautiful needlework that Susan in the UK has done for me. I found her on ebay and bought some of her beautiful dollhouse needlework and was thrilled when it arrived in the post. I have since asked her to do some Janet Granger cushion kits for me and recently a tea cozy which I have always wanted. This is actually the second tea cozy she has made for me as Canada Post managed to lose the first.

Which leads me to my next post.......

All Dolled Up

I recently did an interview with the local paper regarding doll collecting. Just a little fluffy bit of filler for their Christmas week paper.
This was actually a little out of my comfort zone, but anything to promote the new auction biz.
I must say though, I don't think I have been this misquoted since my last disagreement with my daughter!!!
My husband ( bless him) decided to send his mum our copy of the article so I got on the phone to ask my mum to save hers for me to keep. She said " I'm sorry honey, but I think you dad got rid of the paper already". It only came out yesterday! Too funny! LOLOLOL

Slops bucket

I have given myself an early Christmas present in the form of a slops bucket from Stokesayware. I had needed it to complete my little display with my Jane Newman washstand. As per usual, the pictures are crap but it is a very overcast day here in Canada and there is no natural light coming through any of the windows. I am so pleased with my Stokesayware and can't wait until I have my dollshouse finished and so it can be placed. I also received a wonderful large lidded bread crock and a lidded dish for butter....staples in any kitchen!

fixtures and fitting

I received a souldering iron from my husband this weekend and have started the task of extending all the wire for the lighting in my dollhouse. Two lights down and then I knocked the iron off the table and made the mistake of trying to retrieve it before it hit the ground. Now I have lovely little bubbles on my thumb and index finger, so that task was suspended for a while and I decided to try putting the walls and furniture roughly in the house. The house is a lot smaller than I thought it would be, especially the kitchen. I think I need to rethink the stove I had planned for it.

Pheonix bed and coverlet

I first spotted this little crocheted coverlet on a table at a miniature sale. It was made by a local woman who had the most beautiful handcrocheted doll house doilies and tiny dresses on her table. It was quite expensive so I talked myself out of purchasing it. I got home and then was kicking myself, when will I ever see another one?? I certainly do not possess the talent to do anything as lovely as this! I ended up kind of obsessing a wee bit and went through the list of vendors that had been advertised via the interweb and fired off emails to anyone I thought may have been it's maker .... hey this is kind of like Cinderella isn't it?.....
Anyhoo, I didn't hear anything back from it's maker until about a week later ( she had been away) and she told me it was still available. Long story short (too late) We ended up meeting at another doll show we were both planning on attending she brought the coverlet and I brought the money, we were both wearing red roses so we could recognize each other , it was a real clandestine endevour ( just kidding).
I am so happy to have it, the detail is well incredible and I now know that it is, and will remain, one of a kind as she said it was so fiddly and took so much time that she is never making another one. I am ashamed to say that I don't remember her name other than Roseanne/Roxanne?? I am usually better at giving credit than this.
The little bed is by Phoenix and for some reason I thought when I ordered it, it would arrive painted, not so, but luckily I had some white and gold spray paint so a few squirts and bob's your uncle.
www.phoenixmodeldevelopment.com

P.S> I am absolutely dying to tell you all about the lovely needlework cushions that I have been getting and am waiting for a parcel to come in the mail which I fear has gone AWOL, I will wait a few more days and keep my fingers and toes crossed.<
> click on any pictures in this blog if you wish to see more detail

Introducing Emma

It has been a good long while since this blog was updated and with good reason....
Drastic changes have happened as I am no longer working in an eye clinic but am now working in the antique auction biz. This field is not foreign to me as it was my ex-husband's family business. He recently bought an auction house and asked me to quit my job and help him run it and I did!! It is very exciting and so much not like work even though the hours are long and very unpredictable.

With all that said....I would like to introduce "Emma", my beautiful dollhouse doll from Lisa Johnson Richards in the UK. I believe she was modeled after Gwenyth Pawltrow's movie version of the Jane Austen novel. Seated beside her is a lovely little siamese cat I bought from Reve through ebay, she is fuzzy and has whiskers that make her look like a real kitten, so sweet.
http://www.lisajohnsonrichards.com