 |
| (Just so that you can remember what I started with.) This is the ARTHUR dollhouse by GREENLEAF. It is a small little house consisting of 4 small rooms and a central staircase that is typically exceptionally narrow. I found this doll's house at the thrift store for $20. The plan was to fix it up and make it a container to showcase the collection of American Country Furniture that I have been holding onto for the past 15 to 20 years. That WAS the Plan. I like the house for all the same reasons that I dislike it. I wanted a small 'doable' project. I don't have a whole lot of workspace right now, as much of it is occupied by the merchandise that I am making for a Miniature Show this coming June. I wanted something Quick and Easy. I wanted something that I could Finish. Well, before you can finish you have to START. It can be hard for me to start; I get the jitters and continue to 'work' on it in my head. Even when I say, "Okay, Now is the time!!!!" and I get all the equipment out and ready, I will STILL diddle the time away and NOT DO IT! I am the "QUEEN OF PROCRASTINATORS" ( I have been sitting on this particular title for a very long time, believe me!) |
 |
| "THE PLAN" So this is what I had decided to do. My first stab at making-over the ARTHUR. I did away with the front porch and all the gingerbread trim and this is what I was left with. Right away, I decided to make an upgrade on the windows and doors and went to the only miniature store in the lower mainland ROSS'S TREASURE HOUSE, and purchased windows a door and some lights and electrical copper tape for the future, and proceeded to re-cut the openings to accommodate the new features. I hated the useless little windows that were under the roofline so I blocked them up and eventually sanded them out with car body putty. |
 |
| The tiny windows are blocked out but not yet puttied over. |
 |
| Here is the side view of the house with the beginnings of the new look. |
 |
| The house was to have a FEDERAL look hence the scroll work over the door frame. The shutters on the windows are all one piece. I thought that I would be too lazy to want working windows and this was far more convenient to have everything ready to go. I was right, I am too lazy. |
 |
and so this is how the Arthur has remained and sat and sat.... I couldn't seem to make a start, after the first start had stopped! "oh, woe is me" no plan, no direction, no inspiration and no ambition and a underdone doll's house, now more abandoned than it was before. ******** POOR ARTHUR! *** elizabeth |
.jpg)
Good Afternoon Queen of Procrastination, I think there may be some in blog land that could vie for your title, however once you get going there are very few that could beat you to the finish!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing what direction your little Arthur will take.
as always Janine
Hello Janine! You forgot to say "Your Majesty" however I shall over-look it for now! hahah
DeleteTalk soon.
elizabeth
ahhh the dollhouse that sits!
ReplyDelete..not that any one of us mini hoarding, dollhouse fanatics have done that, are doing that or plan on dusting off the "ole project"
I would say... you have made great progress so far, keep it that way ...progress..so far ;)
Hello Janicus Fanaticus of cornned beeficus fame!
DeleteI am sooo glad that you stopped by! I shall be by soon to check out how the birthday party went. I detect that you understand the situation well. To be frank, I made another start and thought I was ready to begin again but now I am questioning my initial decision and am thinking that I should have thought about it a bit longer perhaps. Well, there is NO turning back now. You will get to see the fateful path that I decided to take very soon. I hope that I don't live to regret it. Let me re-phrase, I hope that I WILL LIVE regardless of whether I regret it or not but I hope I don't have to live with the regret , Wait I want to live but with out the regret.....?????.ARRRRGH!!!!!!!
never mind
elizabeth
So much potential! I can't wait to see what it looks like when you are done. What great find for $20!
ReplyDeletetoddlindsey.com
Hello Lindsey! Thank you for your comment! Yes, I too can't wait to see what it will look like. I'm not kidding either. I begin with one thing in mind and lo an behold I end up with something else entirely. It is easy to say, "I meant for that to happen", AFTER the fact, but I am really making it up as I go along. Janine always seems to put great faith in my skills, when in fact those skills are only demonstrated by how well I can clean up my glaring mistakes and there are so many that I have lost count. But I do agree that $20 for a doll's house is a great find and a great way to justify ANY experimentation ( and that's what I told myself) Well, we shall see. I hope that it is not $20 wasted! hahah
ReplyDeleteelizabeth
I think I might have to question your role as The Queen of Procrastinators. I think I could give you a good run for your money with that title. The Arthur is already so much better off with the changes you have made to him, so he is not so poor. The new windows and doors look great. I so understand what you are saying though. I am sometimes 'scared' of starting something and have to build up to it. Perhaps you just need to get your pieces of American Furniture out and have a good 'play' with them. It might inspire you.
ReplyDeleteHello Sharee! Are you saying that I might have to share the throne??? hahaha Seriously, you get scared too? I have become a nervous wreck and I have developed YET another twitch in my left eye! Little things like a tutorial / NOT a problem, but anything having to do with a major construction project and I get legs like jello and a mind of split decisions. Yes, I think that playing with the furniture is a Very Good idea, Sharee. But did I mention that the American Country theme has taken a bit of a detour.....???? Thank you for the feedback, and your right, a good play might be just what the doctor ordered!
ReplyDeleteelizabeth
Dear Elizabeth....Welcome to my world! I have taken such a detour from a bunch of mini projects. The big one being the "Garfield" and the second, "beauxminis" website. It seems that just about anything else is easier than getting back to building, even if it is making up a display and having to fill it for the show in June. So your highness, it seems you have quite a bunch of successors to the throne of procrastination.
ReplyDeleteI know you will be inspired soon, and when you do....lookout! We will surely be in awe!
fats
Hello Fats! Thank you for using my self- designated title ( your highness will do): I shall respond! I have to admit that you are a contender,Fats! Your Garfield is even more intimidating than my little Arthur, BUT you have never expected to have it done quickly either. A house the size of both yours and Janine's is or can be. a lifetime project that you never even expect to finish. This little box, however was supposed to be a Quickie! Even so, I will bow to THE GARFIELD the king of dollhouses, as something that would give me a Twitch in both eyes!
Deleteelizabeth
Do not be so hard on yourself, now you put windows in the house and have a completely different look. I know to be so inspired, that I run in several directions at once and thereby do not get something done.
ReplyDeleteI wish you lots of creative spirit.
Hugs
Wyrna
Hello Wyrna! The trouble is not that I am being too hard on myself, the problem is that I am not being HARD ENOUGH! Inspiration waxes and wanes like the moon. I have to be INSPIRED but to do nothing until then is frustrating. I see what I need to do daily. This is not the only project on stand-by, either and I make the same excuse to ignore them all. No there is a serious problem with me and perhaps a red hot poker will get me to the finish line. But I'm just not inspired enough to heat one up.
Deleteelizabeth
Thanks for your advice about making flowers.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Wyrna
Thank you Wyrna, for the comment and you are welcome for the advise about the flowers! I hope it helped and even though I am lazy about taking initiative I know that you do get things done as demonstrated by your lovely shop!
Deleteelizabeth
Elisabeth, thank you for your kindly message. I am used to set always the link of the maker. I cannot take ideas of someone else as mine. -
ReplyDeleteYour projekt looks interesting! Hugs Kati
Helllo Katrina! I am SOOO PLEASED THAT YOU ACTUALLY DID THE GRAPES! That has made me do a happy dance around the room! It is one thing to give a tutorial and another thing to have someone else take up the challenge and not only do it but DO IT BETTER! Your grapes are wonderful and I am so impressed that you did green as well as purple. I had tried the purple grapes and mine did not look good, but yours are just exactly right! Thank you for the link back, but mostly thank you for taking the tutorial and making it a success. You have made the grapes and displayed them along with your wonderful cheeses on a plate. They look so good together and are beautifully done! There is no greater reward to a teacher, than to have a successful lesson; Yay Katrina!
Deleteelizabeth
Good morning Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteYou are beeing to hard on yourself. I think it's a mistake to start a project unless you have been hit with that thunder bolt of inspiration. When the right idea comes you'll get to work on it fast enough. Allready the doors and windows have totally transformed the structure. Give it time and the perfect idea will come...it took me 2 years to draw plans for 1 house, but when I saw it in a mini series, it was full steam ahead.
Big hug,
Giac
Hello GIAC! It is sooo good my friend to see your face once again in the land of Blog! I enjoyed your photos of Spain and I hope that you have more to show. I know that YOU are at this time INSPIRED with the plans to enlarge and update the MANOR. It is humbling to think of what your plans for the manor are and will be and then to think about the dinky little arthur and I wonder how I even dare to reply. I have this picture in my mind of the grand sketches from scratch that you drew up for the manor and then this teeny tiny dollhouse kit sitting on the table next to it! It is sooooo very humbling. Shame on me! I look at what you have accomplished and what more you plan on doing, and I can't even get myself to pick up a paint brush without a motivational speaker at my elbow, to say " Come on girl, you can do it!" There is something seriously wrong with this picture!
DeleteYes,I have begun again to work on the ARTHUR and you will get to see for yourself what all the fuss was about. But man alive did it take so doing to get me there.
It is good to have you back again Giac!
Big hug back!
elizabeth
Kaunis talo.
ReplyDeleteThank you Merja! I think that this house will eventually become a Beautiful House, but it is not there yet. It has as Lindsey pointed out "Potential". I hope that if I can just get through the inspiration blockage so that I will be able to get to the finish line as Janine thinks I can. (Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't) It is so nice to have so many supporters along the way! I appreciate your comment.
Deleteelizabeth
I agree with Giac! Seeing it in a mini series! I really like that concept. It must surely work because we all know what he has accomplished. As for you, Elizabeth, you've done a lot of work on that house, probably because you were inspired at the time. Just let it rest for a while. I don't see you as a procrastinator, not with everything that you do.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lucille! Yes Giac has decidedly become a hero to me as well. He says something WILL BE and then he gets it done! Yes, I was inspired at the time when I began the Arthur, but remember Lucille, that demolition is a lot quicker and easier than construction. Ripping out the door and windows and the gingerbread off the roof satisfied the tiger in me! Now the lazy sow is in the house! hahahahh
Deleteelizabeth
I like your project. This house will be wonderful after the renovation.
ReplyDeleteBye Faby
Hello Fabiola! You are always so positive and encouraging! I have to say that once I get started the wonder is why did I not do this sooner!? The renovation has begun AGAIN and you will soon see what direction it has taken, to date. Thank you for the comment, Faby!
Deleteelizabeth
Greetings your Majesty! If you are Queen than I must surely be King. :-). I have a beautiful Victorian dollhouse that continues to sit undone and has become a napping spot for my hairless cat.
ReplyDeleteI love what you have done to Authur already and it can only get better from there. The doors and windows made a huge difference. I have to admit when I saw the picture without the porch my immediate thought was "what a great empty slate for a lovely stone cottage" but the federal look will be wonderful. It will be a quaint little home that should showcase your collection wonderfully.
Dale
Hello KIng Dale! Are we related and are you the long lost twin brother that my mother never told me about!!!??? You my friend, have called it! I had the same thoughts about the Arthur and a stone cottage myself. The only problem became what and how? Something Giac had said in an earlier post about not feeling obligated to have to stick to a plan; to change it if I felt I needed to, has given me pause and I had to think long and hard about which direction I was going to choose for the doll's house because of all the furniture I had amassed and that needed a home. That is part of what has kept me on the fence for so long. As well as the being lazy. What kind of Victorian dollhouse do you have? Are you going to get back to it or is the cat still calling it her castle? Cats really do like to sleep in doll's houses don't they? Way back when, Nutshell News magazine devoted an entire article on the subject and reader sent in pictures of their pets that had taken up occupancy! It was quite amusing!
DeleteWell, I shall take my leave of you now, Sir King, it was lovely chatting as always, no need to bow, so please stay seated on your throne as I see myself out.
elizabeth
I think it will be wonderful after the renovation!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like it will be a shaby chic house. I got many magazines and I love shabby chic. Your new windos give the house a fantasic face!
Greetings
Melanie
Hello Melanie! Thank you! Everybody is getting me pumped up about this project! I didn't think that anybody would leave a comment and that they would just look and move on. I think that Poor Arthur strikes a note of sympathy because it really needs some love and attention. It is a cute little house and even just taking off all the extras and revealing the clean lines of the structure has been a big improvement. I just need to keep going on it. A Wish is not Work and thinking about it can only go so far. Plus, I'm not getting any younger. So if not now, WHEN? You will get to see what I decided to do on the doll's house soon. I haven't quite finished enough of it to post so when I do get a bit further along on POOR Arthur you will be able to tell me if it looks 'shabby' enough!
ReplyDeleteelizabeth
Firstly, what a steal!!!
ReplyDeleteBig projects are daunting .I have a house that I was supposed to start (Alison Jr) but it is a big job. Now I am working on a 1:48 house which may be a 1:24 shed or 1:12 workroom. Much easier :)
Start after the fair, Elizabeth. You may find yourself not able to stop once you start :)
Hello Sans! I am so glad to hear from you! I was visiting you and your Abandoned House yesterday and tried 2 x's to leave a comment and both seemed to kick-out and didn't appear to register, so I shall take the opportunity to say that YOU ARE A WONDERFUL STORYTELLER! You creeped me out and had me spellbound with your tale! I wasn't certain if it was fact or fiction, thank you for scarring me so well! hahaha
DeleteI have already begun again on the ARTHUR, Sans, and there is no turning back now! After having it sit for so long and posting about it, I am now determined to carry on. I shall make things for the show but, I would like to have something for a display at the fair as well.
I have "Gothica" which is a small garden structure that is featured in an earlier post; and there MIGHT BE the "Drama Queen" display that is also 'dormant' (months of sitting on this one too)
I don't think that I have ever heard of the Alison Jr. dollhouse, Sans? It sounds like an interesting project along with the shed and the workroom. I would not be able to see anything as small as the 1:48 house as I am wearing my readers almost constantly now! Oh My! I never thought it would come to this! Blinded by minis!!!!
elizabeth