Friday 4 April 2014

Home on the Range/ the little kitchen begins!


JANINE at MINWORKS always encourages me to show my messy beginnings when it comes to my miniature projects and so... HERE IT IS!
For many months I used the empty kitchen in # 43 Green Dolphin Street, as storage for anything that got expelled from some of the other rooms and of course it piled up and up and up.  It is astounding  just how much superfluous junk these small spaces can handle, and as you can see from the photo below, there is a LOT!  After looking at this pile up week after week and month after month, I stopped noticing it because it actually began to look normal to me.  To distract myself from having to deal with it, I diverted my attention to other mini projects, yet  deep in my heart I knew that sooner or later it would be time to turn and face the music and get on with it.


THE KITCHEN-
FULL of JUNK!
  THE KITCHEN- EMPTIED
The first thing to do was to clean out the debris and assess the available space.
( there is not very much)
For a doll's house, this is probably an average size for a working mini kitchen, but when you have to work around an additional set of stairs in such a small room, things change. 
  I had to make the stairs and I was
SCARED!

:((
This is what the staircase looked like when I bought the doll's house from the thrift store.
HOT GLUE blobs were EVERYWHERE!
I unglued it all and saved the treads and made an new stringer but I am not a great measurer and cut the stupid thing too short!
WHAAAAA!!!!  
After crying and pouting about that big mistake, cut another and 
I gave the stringers a base coat of white and then I did NOTHING again for a long time!  
 I became too intimidated to move any further.  The reason was that I did not know what I wanted it to look like and so I began a futile hunt through PINTEREST  looking for staircases that would hopefully, inspire me and show me the way.  But the more I saw the more worried I became.  Not only could I not make up my mind but the staircases that I saw were WAY beyond my level of skill to successfully achieve. 
><
Fatima, of Beauxminis, LOVES to work with wood and has made the staircase of her GARFIELD with such exactitude and care.  She has recently taken it  all apart right after she'd finished building it, because she wanted to add more wood wall panelling

 along the wall, 
for even greater authenticity.

WHAAAAAA!!!
Why can't I be like FATIMA!? 

 :(
One of my personal mottos is this,
"Be strong and courageous and do the work"
(it's Biblical)
Nobody was going to make this staircase for me and so I better get going and

 JUST DO IT!
And so I did
Of course, these are Old looking stairs, and they are supposed to look like old stone .  I don't  know if any house... any where... at any time... has had a staircase that looks as shabby as these do but that's okay.  I worked long and hard to make this set of stairs to fit in with the walls and to look as ancient as the rest of the kitchen. 
 At least I've achieved that much!
I'm sure that many of you will shudder at the sight of them but they work for me.

 Early on in this kitchen project, I had decided to add a beam to support the floor above and to make the space more rustic as well as give the hand rail something to be anchored to. 
 I didn't want spindles; just something that a doll could cling to for dear life, as she scaled the steep pitch of the staircase.  The support beam later proved to be useful in hanging things on as well as acting as a "wall", as you can see in the photo below
Once the staircase was installed, I had to decide what and where the stove and sink would be.  I kept changing my mind as to what would go where but I also had to come to a decision as to size of each major component because wherever I positioned it, would determine the flow of the rest of the kitchen.  This brought me to yet another stand still as I once again began surfing PINTEREST looking for the main feature.....
THE STOVE
After pinning every conceivable cooker I could find onto my "KITCHEN LITTLES" board, I found myself with
too many photos to sift through,  and so I  began an new collection of just mini cookers on a new board entitled:
"HOME ON THE RANGE"

however
 I FINALLY found what I was looking for 
NOT on PINTEREST, but from my own library in these two books by Patricia King




I used the photos from the two gas cookers that she made, as a starting point for the one that I made.
If you are not familiar with this British miniaturist let me tell you that she is all about making nearly EVERYTHING HERSELF, from bits and pieces that she finds from EVERYWHERE.
She is extremely crafty and very clever in turning her trash into her Treasures and I like the very humble beginnings of her many, mini projects. 

  The directions for the stove pictured above was what I primarily referred to, but did not copy exactly.  After I got an idea of the direction the stove was heading towards, I veered off and did my own thing.
Below is my version in its  original raw state.
The casing is a wooden box that I cut down and then glued on a bottom and a front cover from mat board.
Following Patricia King's outline, I made the top form a plastic zoo fence for the gas grill  and a metal picture frame with a cardboard insert for the oven door.  I then began to add the embellishments as I saw fit.

A Side view

 I sprayed it with 2 coats of hammered metal spray paint 

 I didn't like like the embossed sides afer all!
So off they came

That's better!

Then I sprayed the stove with 2 coats of a "Teflon" colored spray paint

Then I sprayed it again with 2 more coats of mat black spray paint


I painted the handle and the knobs with  porcelain paint but the paint was too old and too thick to go on smoothly so I had to chip it all off  and try it again..... and again... and Again.  I gave up trying to get a nice smooth finish to the knobs, and let them stay as they were.

  See the brass kettle in the above photo?  I had heated it up to get a good look of usage on it and the glue that was holding the bottom on, dropped off!!!
uh oh
"Quick Grip please"

I added the required RUST to the exterior of the stove and a towel made from a paper napkin.
Then I decided that the handle of the kettle could use a "body wrap" as well and wrapped the wooden one with a strip of the paper napkin and lightly wet it to shape it and then tied thread at each end to secure it.  It reminds me of what my great-grandmother had in her kitchen in Seattle.  It is one of my favorite little details!


 Making the kitchen range was actually a whole Lot of Fun and because of it's size I decided to install it under the staircase as it would not only fit but it would disguise a lot of  that which was
unattractive about the staircase.
So here is the stove, in situ.
I hope you like it!


I placed a "tin tile" backsplash (which started life as a silver  Xmas gift tag from the dollar store ) on the wall to catch the grease and lined the overhead shelf unit with the same "tin" on the shelf top and, on the underside. Then I glued on a utensil bar to display the slotted spoons etc. as well as other kitchen paraphernalia.  The utensil rack ( from FRONT RANGE FANTASIES) was something I've had for years and years and am only now using. 
 A garbage bin is to the right, but I may not end up using it.   
Here is a bigger picture of the gas range  under the staircase.  The photos were taken at night using just the light from the doll's house.  It has kind of an old fuzzy feel to it.  I have to say that the shelf above the stove was built specifically to house the jars of English pickles ( Country Treasures) that I bought at the 2014 Seattle Show last month.  The other canning is my stuff.  I love the mix of the different sizes and contents of the jars.

I tried to get a better shot of the back wall and should have removed the sieve. 

 I made a narrow shelf just so I could have a place for a salt and pepper shaker to sit but then it just looked stupid.  I changed my mind and used the shelf for a cutting board and a rolling pin.  To keep the board from falling forward, I stuck a long nail in the underside of the "hood" and the top of the board leans into it.  
You know what?
I really like my little old stove!

And here are some of the other things that I like.
I like the post with the things that are hanging off the nails that are driven into it.  

I bought the basket from the Seattle show last March, but the sifter is old as the hills.
And I like the match holder (Chrysnbon) that I filled with mini matches!
The matches are a small piece of a wooden toothpick which I chopped into small slivers and then glued into the opening.  When the glue was dry I used a red ink pen and dotted the tips of the  wood for match heads.  
When I took this picture I didn't see that one of the mushrooms had fallen out of the bowl and was caught on a leaf from the rose basket. 
 "What is THAT?....  Oh, a mushroom (not a potato), okay, back into the bowl"
Anyway,  these are some more things that I like; 

 I like the basket of roses and the bowl of mushrooms and THE SCALE!
Although it must not be working properly because even with the weight of the bowl, it is still reading "zero!"

:))

The lighting in this photo is from a lamp that I shone into the room so that you could see the left side of the kitchen more clearly. 
 It appears that there is  lots of activity going on under the staircase.
 this is looking from the kitchen stove towards the doorway that leads to the front parlor
And this, my dear friends, is an EMPTY WALL,
 but THIS EMPTY WALL will have to wait for a while. 

I thank you all for your visit 
and hope that I will see you again once I have
SOMETHING TO PUT ON THIS WALL

but what!?

hmmm.....?
 I think I need another
 FIX
of 
PINTEREST!
:D
***
 to be continued .....

elizabeth

88 comments:

  1. What a wonderful job! I'm a big fan of your blog. It is truly an inspiration. Congratulations on this fantastic photos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Eliana! THANK YOU So Much for ALL of those lovely Compliments!!! :)) Truthfully, I had much trouble taking these photos because of the dimness of the overhead lights but I think that the poor lighting gave it even more "Atmosphere" hahah. It makes me happy that you like the results!

      elizabeth

      Delete
  2. Elizabeth ..I love it ..your stove is awesome and fits perfectly under the stairs, thank you for sharing your books too I alway like to see what people are reading when they design their dollhouses..as for the empty wall......I see a sink with an old fashioned water heater? my magic 8 ball is a bit cloudy today


    Hugs
    Marisa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Marisa! Funny that you have mentioned the boiler for over the sink! I 've thought and am still thinking about it because it is a Very English feature, isn't it? :)) I checked both of Patricia Kin's books and she does have one featured buti it is made from a cigar tube. Not many of Those around here. I have occasionally seen BOILERS in other people's doll houses so I shall have to do some additional research before I decide to tackle one and THEN how big to make it. I'm glad to see that we are on the same page Marisa. Don't worry, your magic 8 ball is still under warranty! :D

      elizabeth

      Delete
  3. Well madam, you have both sated my hunger for "Seeing how Elizabeth does it" and got my inner nagging voice to say" Why don't you think like that"

    So I thank you and I grumble at you ;)

    So the stove.. I was thinking of words, Wow,amazing,mind blowing..but they are not enough of a description of the quality of that work you did on it.

    You have added such depth and life to this small space with the choice of great minis, as always astounding and classy.

    I am going to have a gander at that book, thank you for showing what imagination and the mini eye can conjure!

    "A squeeze"~Jane

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jane Smith! I am sorry that you had to wait so long for this wee glimpse into my head, but ideas have just been rattling around like loose marbles randomly colliding with each other until I finally plunked a "Let's Go" quarter into my noggin and out came a GUM BALL; an idea worth chewing and per-suing! hahahha
      I don't think that you can call this stove "quality Jane" or the stairs either, but I like the effectiveness of the chunkiness of them both and they please me for just those reasons. I am Delighted that they please you too! :)) I think that just like a great pair of shoes and fabulous handbag will make an old dress look more expensive, the same rule applies to this stove. It is more about what's around it than the stove itself. ( At some point I shall try to make another and see if I can improve my work. It will be a challenge to try my hand at something that looks "NEW" for a change. :D )
      I hope that you will look through Pat King's books. Most of her stuff is Victorian and like I said, hand-crafted and made almost entirely of bits and bobs. I have used her outlines before and with good results. Case in point, the copper stock pot tutorial which I gave her credit for. Sometimes you just need a nudge in the right direction to set the wheels in motion and her books are like that for me.
      Squeeeeezing you back, Fanaticus! :D

      elizabeth

      Delete
  4. You know what, Elizabeth? I like the whole kitchen! It is so real. That stove is a winner!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Casey! Thank You for the compliment! :)) I don't know why, but this room has been a thorn in my side since the very beginning and continues, EVEN STILL, to make me squirm. The stairs were the greatest challenge but the stove was just plain FUN! It ain't perfect but it fits the theme of the room. Some of the photos that I collected on PINTEREST had stoves, both mini and real in various states of disrepair and so I know that mine is not wrong, but there is nothing exactly like it either. Unlike Aga, Roper and Kitchen Aid, mine is a NO NAME BRAND! hahaha

      elizabeth

      Delete
  5. une cuisine bien chaleureuse et le poêle est très réussi

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Claude! :)) I tried to make the kitchen look as warm as I could and just using the doll's house over-head lights helped out a whole lot!

      elizabeth

      Delete
  6. I LOVE IT!!!
    You made a great kitchen, where generations lived and worked - so it looks. And that's exactly what I adore. Wonderful work - but it reminded me of a room I have here - unfinished since months, because the last idea about "what has to be placed where" hasn't come to me yet. I'm happy, that I'm not the only one, who can't get one's act together:)))
    Have a nice weekend
    Andrea

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank You Andrea! :D I really tried to make the space look like Generations have lived in it And love it well. When I look at my work, the first thing that I look for is "does it look lived in?" Sometimes that means; is it old enough or dirty enough or mussed up and careless enough? I love Perfection but I know my strong point is not precision but actually messing "good things" up! I am glad that you appreciate the old and worn out as much as I do! :D
      You are right; it takes a lot of time to get me moving on an old problem but just like an iceberg, much of what is needed to support an idea is formed just beneath the surface.
      Enjoy your weekend Andrea and Thank you once again! :))

      elizabeth

      Delete
  7. Ooooh congratulations! Your stove is wonderful and perfect for the small space under the stairs. You must be very pleased with the stairs too. Everything looks great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Catherine! The only thing that I Really like about the stairs is that they are DONE! hahahha I can't say much more, other than that I am glad that they are facing AWAY from the viewer. :)) That was one of the challenges in trying to make them fit. They were difficult to see unless I peeked through the window. I have vowed that the next doll's house I make,( if it has stairs), TO DO THEM FIRST! They are like the nasty vegetable that your mother Still made you eat long after the rest of your dinner was consumed. These were far harder to handle as well as view, once everything else was installed and yet how could I not do them? Blah! Stairs are my undoing.
      But the stove has become my DESSERT, and as old-looking as it is, the Flavor of the Fun I had when making it, lingers on. So I Thank You Catherine for your compliment and I hope that when it comes to filling up the Empty Wall, that That will be worth seeing too!
      Your comment has made me smile cause I am so relieved that You like the stove. Again Thank You!

      elizabeth

      Delete
  8. Your kitchen is amazing. I really like the stove.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Fabiola! I Thank You Very Much! :D I am always a nervous wreck when I make a posting for this blog and am ALWAYS SURPRISED by people's responses! Now that the hardest part is over,( the stairs and the stove) I feel that I can finally relax a wee bit before I tackle the sink. Thank you again, for your compliment! :D

      elizabeth

      Delete
  9. Elizabeth, you did it lady. A wonderfully authentic kitchen. Both your stairs and stove were well worth the effort you put into them. I love the details like the matchbox. So very cool...I can just imagine what they may have cooked there!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Grandmommy! I am so glad that you like this kitchen Grandmommy, Thank You! :D When I look at the space, I am thinking " So Many Mistakes!" It reassures me that perhaps my mistakes are not as Monstrous as I think they are. The stairs will Never make me completely happy but the Stove does! I love details and so I had to have the matches close by just in case the pilot light went out! :D

      elizabeth

      Delete
  10. Has hecho un trabajo increíble !!! Con el poco espacio y lo fantástico que ha quedado debajo de la escalera. Los fogones son preciosos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank You Very Much Isabel! I am so pleased that you like the results of the mini kitchen reno! It is such a challenge to make a small space workable and positioning the cooker under the stairs seemed to be the best solution in the end. On the empty wall, I think that everything will have to be narrower than normal, to gain as many millimeters as I can of floor space. There is still much more to do, but I am so happy that you are enjoying the journey! :D

      elizabeth

      Delete
  11. You are so creative and looks like lots of fun making the stove. It suits the kitchen perfectly and all the paraphernalia with it looks so lived in and homy, I love it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Margaret! You are so right, makng the stove was a "gas"! :D Thank you for your lovely compliment about "HOMY"! I really needed the stove to look as old and as comfortable as the room or else it would stick out like a sore thumb. Trying to find something the right size and age appropriate for the space was mind numbing. "What about this one... No! this one instead? ... or perhaps, maybe... how about.....?".... PINTEREST OVERLOAD! I tell you, it was nice to finally find the solution ... in a Book!

      elizabeth

      Delete
  12. This kitchen is to die for!! You have an incredible start with that stove. I can't wait to see the kitchen all done with all your ingenious touches!
    hugs♥,
    Caroline

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there Caroline! I am so glad that you like the way that the kitchen has developed. Many Thanks! Like your cottages, I think of the process as somewhat organic as I make it up as I go along but I don't want it to look that way! :)) As to what that Empty wall will turn out to look like.... well, I am sure that I'll be as surprised in the end, as everyone else! :))

      elizabeth

      Delete
  13. It's incredible how everything fits together. It doesn't even look like a small space now.
    The stove just belongs there. Wonderful work!
    Hugs, Drora

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Drora! I do believe that any miniature project is like a puzzle where fitting tiny shapes and colors together in a particular way, will give you a completed picture down the road. I have changed and re-arranged the items on display many, many, times before I was at last satisfied with the look. I am so Happy that you like the results of this little kitchen and that the stove looks like it "belongs there" How Wonderful!
      :D

      elizabeth

      Delete
  14. You've done an amazing job of everything. The stove is wonderful. I like that the stairs look worn. I love that every inch of space is used with items hanging from the walls. Lovely =0)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Pepper! Thank You so Very Much!!! :)) In retrospect, this experience was not so bad, but all of the Angst leading up to tackling this kitchen was NOT fun! It was a good thing that the rest of the house could support those treacherous stairs and that the more worn they looked , the better!!! :)) That was the Least Favorite part in making this half of the kitchen. The stove was Oooodles of fun and the instructions in Patricia King's books, were easy to follow. I DO love the stuff hanging about, and I tried to make the items easily accessible to the cook of the house. I only wish that I had more space in which to showcase more of my collection of my many Kitchen Littles!

      elizabeth

      Delete
  15. Hi Elizabeth,
    Thank you so much for coming by and for all your sweet comments and Birthday wishes, That was so sweet and always so nice to hear from you.

    Oh my goodness this house is just amazing, the detail is incredible......and I love how it all came out, I actually liked the details on the side of the stove, course, it looks good both ways. It all looks so much like a real kitchen it is amazing. This looks like it should be a kitchen in Italy or Germany or something years ago.........
    Really enjoyed having you walk thru your process of doing it as well. I can tell you
    are a detail person like me!! lol I find that very interesting.

    Can't wait to see what you do with that blank wall, but whatever it is I know it will
    be stupendous, just like the rest of the house. You really do amazing work, what
    a gift and talent you have my friend.

    Hope you have a great weekend,
    Blessings, Nellie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank You Nellie! :)) I LOVE the little extra details that make up a finished project but I am not always the best at construction. I guess we all have our strengths and weaknesses, don't we? Nevertheless, it is fun to try stuff and Lots of more fun if it happens to turn out close to yours expectations. If I could control my ever present exasperation with myself, I might just enjoy this hobby a whole lot more! :D

      elizabeth

      Delete
  16. Oh, dear Elizabeth, you so make me laugh with your stories, you have such a cheerful way of writing.......I think I have said this before ;)??
    I like all of your rooms, because one really thinks that people could have lived in there. They all have that famous E-look, the so alive-look. It is fantastic that you take your time for working in a room, I also love to work that way. But the way you tell us how you did work on your miniatures is so inventive, creative and above all humoristic, I enjoy reading your blog posts every time. Thank you!
    Have a nice weekend. Hugs, Ilona

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ilona! Thank You so much for your kind words about my writing style! :D
      I feel that I have to be truthful about my experiences because often there is an assumption that things are just "born this way", and maybe they are for some people but not for me. Everything I do seems to have to slowly Evolve and become whatever it is in the Longest and most Round-about and Labour intensive way that it can find, before it is comes to a full stop! Often I am just as surprised as the next person at what the end result is. Writing about it sorts it all out for me. ( Why did I do That and would I do that again? ) When your mind is as muddled as mine is, then blogging becomes a form of Therapy; with me on the couch and everyone else as "The Analyst". hahahaha

      elizabeth

      Delete
  17. Thank you so much for sharing the books. I love them and I have many about how to make things and for me books are a treasure. You did a superb job with the stove down to the painting job. You have to admit that it looks very real put in place, in the kitchen. And the old look staircase helps to add that feeling of "grandma" house or cottage. Incredible how many steps you went through to make everything...the huge search to find something suitable for you and look at the results!! I'm happy you are nobody else Elizabeth!! You might not come up with a quick idea on how to make a staircase and work with wood but you surely have your talent too!!! Many people admire you and this is proof that you make wonderful things!! Have a nice week end Elizabeth!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Simona! What lovely words you have given to me to savor; Thank You!!! :D
      I LOVE BOOKS TOO! I have quite a few from back in my early days of miniatures. I'm referring to the mid 80's and 90's when there was either the high end of minis and the low end and very little in between. Books on how to make things out of toothpaste caps and buttons and salt dough were all the rage back then, and such a great help to those of us whose budgets didn't allow for much over-spending. Any book that I can find on how to make things for the doll's house has probably been in my miniature library at some point in my life but it has been a recent project of mine to start thinning some of them out, so that I can make room for some others. My favorite books are Always the trash to treasure types and regardless of how many hours I love to spend on PINTEREST, I get the Greater pleasure in thumbing through my how-to publications.
      I am so glad that YOU are a Kindred Spirit, Simona, and I wish you a very nice weekend too! :D

      elizabeth

      Delete
    2. I agree with you on the feeling of touching a "real" book, touching the paper and smelling it!!! I think Pinterest is a very useful place to be or to find info but nothing bits the wonderful feeling of a book!! I do feel rich just because of my books. I have to say that I would love to come to your house and have a look at all those old books, treasures, you have. We could even share a miniature biscuit and tea!!! :)
      Have a relaxing, great Sunday Elizabeth!! Big hug!

      Delete
  18. Elizabeth, you are about the most courageous miniature artist I know!! You undo what you don't like, and undo again and again till you get the perfect result, that takes courage! Lots of courage. Your imaginative use of this space is utterly amazing and the result is (as usual) perfect!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank You Susan, you are so VERY KIND! :)) But I don't think of it as bravery when I am MAD just because a doll's house is fighting me back! That is why I have to keep repeating the process again and again because I am wrestling with it and it wants to WIN!!!! Sometimes though, I just have to cry "uncle" and let it have the last word. Those stairs had to have the last word and so in the end I just had to work around them and be quiet. The stove was not the Rayburn or the Aga that I had originally envisioned either. The house and I had to have an argument about that too although I still have the instructions for the aga that you sent me, on file. With this kitchen I struggled, because I was JUST NOT INSPIRED at all! That was actually where the "courage" came in because I decided to go forward not knowing where I was headed or where the destination was. It is so rewarding to have it so well received after such a hard fight to get it done! NOW I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and the finish line is AT LAST, in sight. hooray! :D

      elizabeth

      Delete
  19. Oh, Elizabeth!!! I bow down before the Master.... in this case the Mistress of Magical Transformations of ordinary things into Awesome minis!!! I am just floored by your little self-made "Range"!!! Wow! WOW!!! There is Nothing I could imagine that would improve on it.... the perfect knobs, grates, pipes.... and the slightly rusty finish! Oh, My Dear, you are SO Inspiring!!! (Maybe I just need that book....!) I LOVE the old and "distressed" look of everything you have put in your kitchen so far.... it is SO Perfect for the era and mood of your little house! I am in AWE of your accomplishments!!! Please don't stop! And Please keep showing the rest of us all your horrid "beginning" shots.... it gives us Hope.... that maybe we can learn to work such transformations in our own humble ways! (Although I know that most of it comes from your "vision" of what you are looking for!) I can't wait to see what you will accomplish on the Other side of the room!!! What a Wonderful little project this is to follow! Keep up the Great work... I am Enchanted!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank You Betsy Daydreamer!!! I am so glad that this little old stove has found a place in your heart! :)) And Thank you for your timely prodding and nudging for me to get back to work on the kitchen again. Fatima wants me to have it ready for the West Coast Miniature Show 2015 and I said I would, but I wouldn't have it ready if I didn't get the kitchen finished. I usually try to ignore unpleasant tasks ( ie the stairs), but they nag at me in my head and disturb my peace of mind until I can't stand it anymore!
      And what are you talking about giving YOU hope? YOU give Me HOPE! I looked at your winding staircase in that lovely cottage in the air as well as your tree house and I Was Inspired! Your own transformations are Incredible Betsy and we the "Dear Readers" are Always left wanting MORE!! :D

      elizabeth

      Delete
  20. One word "Brilliant". I have to confess I was wondering how your kitchen was coming along as I so love following your work. You have made me look at miniatures in a whole new way and when I do get around to building and decorating a house I will focus on the details. Your stairs and stove are fabulous but it is all the little accessories and the aging techniques that give your rooms such character and life. It is how everything is put together and works as a whole. Like you I find Pinterest a fabulous reference and have a few boards where I am building inspiration for future projects. Also like you I struggle sometimes to get started on something and mull over ideas for what seems like forever. That is where I am with Timeless Toys at the moment. I will have to give myself a talking to and just get started.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sharee! This is such a great comment Thank You!!! :D You are right in that the stove is made to appear better because of all of the accessory action going on around it. I like Team Players in my doll's house and often the very things that I DISLIKE on their own, can become LOVABLE when linked with something else.
      For me, PINTEREST IS LIKE A DRUG! I Think that I can handle it but in fact, it handles Me! I can spend HOURS in the maze of Amazement of all the Incredible things that people can make! There is sooooo much Creativity and Talent and I can never seem to get Enough! Often I want to get started on a project Sharee, but I have to see just one more thing before I do, and before your know it...... I hooked right back in. Who was it that thought up PINTEREST IN THE FIRST PLACE!?
      I wonder how many boards they have.......?

      elizabeth

      Delete
  21. Again, the master dollhouse finisher (the one and only, Elizabeth) blows my mind! WOW!!!! Your attention to detail is outstanding. It is so interesting to look at the photographs of your work.
    I just LOVE how the stairs and stove turned out. You add a lot of history and intrigue with the weathered look.
    Thanks for the before and after photos. It just shows how much work you do, and I love reading your thoughts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OH Thank You Isabell! :D I too LOVE Before and After photos and it is also interesting to me to see how projects all began. I also enjoy the idea of adding History! I think that every object that is placed inside a room, should have a history of some sort. I always question my choices of accessories as to "why would this be Here in this house?" If I can come up with a good reason, and give it a history, then it can stay and become part of the story. If there is no good reason, then I escort the "whatever it is", to the door.... bye bye! :D

      elizabeth

      Delete
  22. I'm always speechless when you show photos of your house. I love your style, I love the story that are, in each picture. The atmosphere in every room. I wish I could walk up at the stairs. Your stove is so impressively beautiful.
    Hugs
    Wyrna

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Wyrna! I got such a good chuckle about your comment of wishing you could walk up those stairs! You are most welcome to try, but my advise is to increase your life insurance policy before you do! They could prove to be hazardous to your health! hahahha
      Nevertheless, I THANK YOU for your most Welcomed comment and the kindness of your words. They have warmed my heart! :))

      elizabeth

      Delete
  23. you should not be worried the stairs are wonderful, you made it look easy, I have a new dolls house and want to change the stairs, after looking and reading all about your stairs, I will have a go, the kitchen looks so realistic, I love Pinterest but it is addictive and I end up spending hours on there getting inspiration, I call it researching miniatures x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank You Debbie for your compliment about the stairs!!! Everything looks easier AFTER you have done it, doesn't it? :D It took me nearly a Year to work up the nerve to get the stairs done and now that they are, I wonder why I didn't do it sooner. It was far more difficult after the walls were in than if I had done them first. I am glad that you like the results though and I encourage you to get the worst over with as soon as you can as it leaves you breathing easier later.
      Your comment about "Researching Miniatures" makes me smile, I tend to do a lot of "Research" too and not enough of the actual "Work", but once I do get started on a project, it is often Full Steam Ahead! :D

      elizabeth

      Delete
  24. Wonderful as always - so talented (and industrious!). Most of all I love the life in your pieces - someone has always just stepped out of the picture.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Em! You call it "Industrious" but I call it backed into a corner! :D
      I am Delighted that you like the results though, but now I am back to the Sabbatical again.
      Thank you for your comment about the "life" in this kitchen. That is one of the chief objectives with anything that I try to do in miniature. When I can get That "look", then I can forgive myself for a lot of what I lack in other areas.
      Your observation is Very much appreciated! :))

      elizabeth

      Delete
  25. cette cuisine est tellement chaleureuse !
    Le vieux poêle est parfaitement réalisé, il a trouvé sa place. Vous avez très bien utilisé l'espace.
    Votre écriture est toujours amusante, je passe (malgré le traducteur) un moment délicieux à vous lire !
    Bon week-end. rosethé

    ReplyDelete
  26. oups ! et l'escalier ? Il est très bien lui aussi !
    rosethé

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Rosethe' I respond to both of your comments with a THANK YOU! :D
      I try to make the kitchen as warm and as inviting as I can so that despite the fact that the stove is very old, the lady of the house still would wish to cook her meals on it and be in this space. Susan, of Minicrochetmad said that she grew up with an old cast iron stove in the kitchen in Australia. My mother in law also had one on her farm in the Canadian Prairies. She told me that it was the heart of the home then, and I can believe it, as she was always cooking for the various farm hands that they employed. This little kitchen is not on a farm and is too small for socializing in but still I want it to be "Welcoming". I am so happy that you think that it is! :D

      elizabeth

      Delete
  27. You did wonder with this small room, it's a perfect kitchen with your stove and all the details. a cosy kitchen, I also love the floor. I can't wait to see what you're going to put on the wall.
    Geneviève

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Genevieve! I Thank You for your comment and the compliment about the kitchen being cosy!:D Interesting that you have mentioned the floor. I made the floor from scrap-booking paper glued to mat board, cut into "square" tiles, glued down and then sealed, grouted and aged. I did it such a long time ago that I didn't bother even mentioning it, so once again I"Thank You" :))

      elizabeth

      Delete
  28. Привет Элизабет! Как я вас понимаю! Мне стоило много усилий заставить себя сделать окна и дверь. В новом доме я сделаю в первую очередь окна, двери, стены, лестницы. А потом буду наслаждаться. Создавать в каждом уголке уют. Мне нравится, что у вас каждый уголок это завершенная миниатюра. Ящик со спичками, разделочная доска в углу, донышко корзины и сито....Любой уголок вашего дома это совершенство. Мне еще учиться и учиться...
    Когда я смотрю ваши фотографии, я слышу шорохи, чьи то шаги на лестнице. Чувствую запах кухни, запах старых стен. Мне нравится ваша старая стена. Жалко, что вы ее закроете .
    Ваша печка получилась очень реальная. Мне нравятся вентили на печке. Как всегда - высший пилотаж!
    Татьяна

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My Dear Tatiana! Your comments are always such a good read and such a pleasure! :D I shall tell you first that the valves were made from the little corkscrew metal bits that are on pierced earrings and a round bead and and a elongated bead all strung on a head pin which I bent. It was very simple to achieve. The valve in the centre is also a bead spacer that just happen to have the right shape, also strung onto a head pin with an elongated bead in behind it. Spray paint is the great Equalizer, as usual!
      I see that you and I share the same view about getting the harder things done first! :D I shall hopefully learn my lesson and apply it to the next project that I hope to do.
      Your comments about the sounds and smells of this old house is always such a cherished one. The sound of footsteps on the stairs and the aromas of the food wafting up the stairway to the rooms above are the everyday Unseen World of this house. I used to have a pan on hamburger patties on the hob but decided that soup would be a better thing to smell cooking so I removed the burgers. As for the old walls, there is still plenty of it to be seen for now. :))
      Many Thanks my friend, for your welcomed words!

      elizabeth

      Delete
  29. Replies
    1. Thank You Carmen! I am so pleased that you have enjoyed the results of this little kitchen! :D

      elizabeth

      Delete
  30. Me rindo de admiración. No se sí por el trabajo de investigación, de realización o por como nos entusiasma con el relato de los pasos seguidos. Gracias por todo y esperando ver la cocina terminada.
    Un abrazo
    Marisa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Marisa! How pleased I am that you like this kitchen project so well! Thank You! :D Making everything work together is part of the steps but that is fun for me. What is not fun is the measuring and the cutting. :( But I keep trying anyway. Next up.... the Empty Wall !

      elizabeth

      Delete
  31. Glad I discovered your site. I love messy little beginnings. Handmade furniture is so much more charming than exact replicas that look like they should be in a museum. Love the "lived in" look to a dolls house and your stuff has so much character!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Theresa! Thank you Very Much for your comment! :)) One of the reasons that I began following your blog is that I saw that we had a lot in common. :D
      I Do love hand-made items but commercial ones are also alright with me. What I like to do, is to customize them to suit, and as you can probably tell, that usually means making them look "Old" as well as "lived in". I think that you can read the character of the occupant by what you can see is being used. And if it is used, it is probably going to look like it after a while. Therefore, I always seem to have rather tatty spaces.
      And Tatty ALWAYS makes me Happy! :D

      elizabeth

      Delete
  32. Hi! I can see that you have beeb very busy and have done gorgeous work! Love your scenes, the athmospere is so soft and warm. The stove is perfect!
    Hugs
    Kikka

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kikka! Yes, after a Very long period of Idleness, I finally "got off the pot" and got busy again! Thank You for your comment and your compliment about the atmosphere in the kitchen. The stove did turn out to be the Perfect stove for this space and I, who have no experience with cast iron or gas stoves, have really enjoyed the construction of this one. I am so glad that you like it too! :))

      elizabeth

      Delete
  33. Hi Elizabeth, The stove you made is really gorgeous, and I love watching how you made it too. Your photographs are all dark and moody, as usual--what a pleasure to follow your latest project! xo Jennifer

    ReplyDelete
  34. Hello Jennifer!!!! Thank You! :D Those two books by Patricia King were such a blessing it giving me the kick start that I needed to make the stove. Somewhere down the pike, I think that I would like to try and make another with a different kind of theme. As you have mentioned the shots are all dark and moody and to me it is indicative of what I seem to associate with "Victorian- style", but I would someday like to try something lighter and airier. It would be a challenge I think to step "outside" my box!

    elizabeth

    ReplyDelete
  35. It is just gorgeous! Love it Elizabeth.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Shannon! Thank You for saying so! :D
      Your comment is much appreciated!

      elizabeth

      Delete
  36. Maravilloso el trabajo, me ha gustado mucho la adaptación de la cocina de los diseños de Patricia King, es un libro muy divertido, el primero que compré en un viaje a Londres hace ya tanto tiempo...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Angels! I am so glad that you like the kitchen and the stove too. Thank You for your lovely compliment about the adaptation of the stove from Patricia King's book. I am glad to hear that you also are a Big Fan of hers as well as I. I love her ideas and how nothing is too hard for her to tackle and to try and make herself. Her book is very inspiring to me and I hope it will be for others, also! :))

      elizabeth

      Delete
  37. This is wonderful! Exactly the same the atmosphere, I love that! How wonderful little details! The stove is phenomenal! I love everything!
    hugs

    ReplyDelete
  38. Hi Anda! Your comment was well made in that trying to achieve the same atmosphere as the rest of the house was very challenging! It would be a waste of time to make a kitchen that looked too new when the walls of the kitchen and the stairs were already leaning in a different direction. On the other hand, I didn't want it to look so old that there would be no good reason to want to cook in that space! Trying to achieve a balance of just enough age denoting a well-loved piece of equipment was how I wished it to be..... and this is the result!
    Thank You for your comment Anda, I loved it!! :D

    elizabeth

    ReplyDelete
  39. Elizabeth, your stove is a piece of art and your stairs are just right for the look you want! They must have been so challenging to make! I have those two books you show. I got them after you mentioned them in another post! I love how you have put everything together around the stove. It looks like an old painting! I look forward to seeing how you will put together the other part of the kitchen! This had to be the most challenging one!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Hi Lucille! I am so glad to hear from one of my favorite people; Thank You dear friend for your comment! :))
    The stairs Are what they Are, but I did construct them that way with the express purpose of making them fit the rest of the house and most especially the kitchen. I Really Enjoyed making the stove but it wasn't until I got the shelves and the accessories up that the stove finally came into its own. I am glad that you like it and that you were able to get those 2 books by Patricia King. Good for you Lucille! I know that there is a wealth of information in both of them even if you just use them as jumping off points which is what I did. Making the kitchen HAS proved to be Very "challenging" but those books helped out a lot!.
    Thanks for mentioning the photos and equating them to that of an old painting; that is such a Great Compliment 'cause taking these photos was a bit tricky due of the lack of light. The grainy effect evoked such an interesting atmosphere that I decided to just go with it.
    I'm glad that you like it too!:D

    elizabeth

    ReplyDelete
  41. Elizabeth....what can I say that hasn't been said. Your post is amazing and your kitchen is coming along superbly! Love the stove! You are brilliant! Can't wait to see it all.
    And yes congrats on another milestone! 400 followers!
    fatima

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Fats! :D Seem that I Need to roll out the "Welcome Ma"t again! See you Tuesday! :))

      Delete
  42. Wow! You have accomplished SO much Elizabeth! I love your stove. It looks so vintage and authentic... very well loved. The stairs turned out great as well. I know all about mismeasuring and cutting before double checking my measurements, haha. :) Love the wooden beam. I may have to add one of those to my staircase. I am also debating railing options. We shall see. :)

    ReplyDelete
  43. Hi Lindsey! I am so glad that you approve my "vintage" looking stove and Yes, it certainly is Very Well-loved"! :D It was heaps of fun to make something new and then erase as much of the newness out in order to add some history to it.
    I am glad that you like the wooden post. I think that was what turned the corner for me after I installed it. It gave some needed definition to the stairs and to the working part of the kitchen, as well as some additional display area, AND supported the floor above! I wish you well in trying to decide on your railing options, Lindsey. There is so much to choose from and so I know the dilemma that you must be feeling now, but I look forward to soon seeing your final choice. Thanks for your comment and for your lovely compliment! :))

    elizabeth

    ReplyDelete
  44. Elizabeth I have to rave to you about Patricia's book, I just got it from Amazon and I love it..it's like the Heavens have opened up and the Angels are singing..but on a much smaller scale. thank you so much for sharing that book on you blog!

    Hugs
    Maris :)

    ReplyDelete
  45. Good Morning Marisa! I KNEW that it would appeal to you. You like to make something out of nothing too, just like I do. :D
    Enjoy and Praise God, on the BIGGEST Scale! :D

    elizabeth

    ReplyDelete
  46. Whooohoooo!!! Studio E is now selling on Etsy! Can't wait to see all the eye candy coming up on Studio E Etsy shop. Congrats Elizabeth on finally getting out your amazing creations and making them available to everyone around the world. Not just at our local Miniature Show.
    Wishing you a much deserved success!

    ReplyDelete
  47. Hey Fatima! THANKS TO BOTH YOU AND JANINE FOR HELPING TO MAKE ETSY HAPPEN!
    I couldn't have done it without you two.... and I Mean It! :D

    elizabeth :D

    ReplyDelete
  48. Fantastic, beautiful and inspiring work. I love coming here!!! Thank you for sharing Elizabeth. Your stove is wonderful!! Carrie

    ReplyDelete
  49. Hi Carrie! I am Very Happy that you like it and I am also Very Happy because yesterday, I managed to FINISH the other side of the room so next week I will show you how the "Other Half Lives!" :)) Thank you for your comment Carrie, I also LOVE to visit with you! :D

    elizabeth

    ReplyDelete
  50. Hello Elizabeth,
    It´s all perfect!! The stairs, the oven... Looks so real! Fantastic work
    again!!
    Greetings and a big hug
    Melanie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Malanie! Thank You so much!!! The stove began as a challenge but then when I got over my worst fears about making one, it actually proved to be a whole lot of fun! Now the wee folks can cook at home rather than having to order in! :))

      elizabeth

      Delete
  51. Hello Elizabeth,
    I love seeing how your genius tackles a room. the kitchen is just stunning. I have just recently started following Fatima's work and while she is an incredible artist, I must say I hope you never change because you are a master at what you do. the stove ins fantastic and incredibly well done. Many people use directions and tutorials to make beautiful, well made items, but none can touch you in terms of character and style. Wonderful work and the kitchen is spectacular.
    big hug,
    Giac

    ReplyDelete
  52. Awwww Shucks!!!! :D
    Giac, you are making very hard for me to be humble! hahhahah
    Thank You so much my friend for all of your compliments and encouragements. I truly treasure Every Single One! :))
    Big Hug Back!

    elizabeth

    ReplyDelete

DO OVERS! a Glencroft Living room redecoration

    Back in April of 2022, I made up a storyline for my Glencroft renovations, which went something like this...   "After due considera...