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Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Canada Day Quiz

So now if you haven't run away screaming in boredom, here's a Trivial Pursuit quiz (....and yes, we also invented that game) about Canada.
First one to leave me a comment or email with the most right answers, will receive some typical Canadian things from me, in miniature, of course.
Let's see how many of you can pass for Canadian, eh!:


1. Who was the first aboriginal actor to protray a native american on TV. What was his TV identity?
  • Chief Dan George, Injun Joe

  • Jay Silverheels, Tonto

  • Floyd Red Crow Westerman, Cochise



2. Which of these hairdos is stereotypical of a Canadian hockey player:
  • mohawk

  • brushcut

  • dredlocks

  • mullet


3. Where is the world's largest mall located? (It's been surpassed now of course)
  • Copenhagen

  • Edmonton

  • Singapore


4. Which sport is played the most by Canadians 15 years and older? (Careful this one's tricky)
  • Lacrosse

  • hockey

  • baseball

  • golf


5. Who said these words: "One little chair for one of you, and a bigger chair for two to curl up in and for someone who likes to rock, a rocking chair in the middle."?
  • Klondike Eric

  • Mister Dressup

  • The Friendly Giant


6. What city in Canada can boast of having the world's highest per capita consumption of Slurpees?
  • Winnipeg

  • Toronto

  • Vancouver

  • Calgary


7. The provincial capital of saskatchewan is Regina. However it wasn't always called that. what was its original name?
  • Pile o' Bones

  • Head-Smashed-In

  • Moose Jaw

  • Stuffed Goat


8. In 1998 the massive (and insanely cold) Northwest Territories were split into two autonomous portions. The western section retained the name Northwest Territories, while the eastern part held a vote to rename it. The winning name was Nunavut. What name came third in the balloting?
  • Bob

  • Sunnydale

  • Northwest Territories

  • Trudeaumania


9. Ralph Klein, the Premier of Alberta, added to his notoriety in late 2001 when he did which of the following?
  • While drunk, struck a bear with his pick-up truck, and then took the carcass home with him.

  • Drunkenly threw money on the floor of a homeless shelter, telling the residents to get a job.

  • Showed up visibly drunk to the state funeral for former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.

  • Arrested for drunk driving in Hawaii, and skipped out of the state ASAP.


10. Like American states, the Canadian provinces have a bunch of official symbols. You know, official birds, trees, that kind of stuff. Some of the provincial symbols get pretty silly however. Which of the following is an official symbol of Prince Edward Island?
  • provincial haircut

  • provincial soil

  • provincial wind

  • provincial balloon


11. Only one of the following places is not a real town somewhere in Canada. Which one?
  • Eyebrow, Saskatchewan

  • Climax, Saskatchewan

  • Butt, Newfoundland

  • Dildo, Newfoundland


12. What is a toque?
  • a backyard hockey rink

  • slang term for someone from Quebec

  • a wool hat worn in winter

  • a sleeve put around a beer can to keep it cold


13. If a Canadian says she's going to Tim's, where is she going?
  • Church

  • Doughnut shop

  • Department store

  • Weight loss studio


14. A Canadian gets $17.66 cents as her change for a purchase. What does she have in her hand? (Even I had to look in my wallet for this one!)
  • One blue bill, one purple bill, one polar bear, two caribou, one sailing ship, one beaver, and one maple leaf.

  • Three purple bills, two caribou, one loon, one polar bear, one maple leaf, and one beaver

  • One green bill, one purple bill, two loons, two beavers, three sailing ships, and a caribou

  • One pink bill, one green bill, two polar bears, two sailing ships, one caribou, one beaver and three loons



15. In some parts of the country, notably the Prairies and the North, you will often see extension cords running from houses to the curb. You will also often see many electrical outlets on small posts in places like apartment house parking lots. What are these for?
  • Electric shovels

  • Block heaters

  • Electric windshield defrosters

  • Battery boosters


16. Canada has the longest covered bridge in the world (1,282 feet long). Where is it located?
  • West Montrose, ON

  • La Sarre, QE

  • Gold River, BC

  • Hartland, NB


17. Andrew Bonar Law was the only Canadian ever to do what?
  • Win the Indianapolis 500

  • Serve as Prime Minister of Great Britain

  • Board the MIR space station

  • Win the Tour De France


18. How many time zones are there in Canada?
  • 6

  • 8

  • 4

  • 5


19. Which Province has the largest concentration of moose in North America?
  • Alberta

  • British Columbia

  • Newfoundland

  • Quebec


20. When a Canadian gets his T-4, what is it time to do?
  • Vote

  • Pay his taxes

  • Harvest his garden

  • Die



I'll post the answers on Thursday.
HAPPY CANADA DAY!

As some of you may know July 1st is Canada's birthday known as what else: Canada Day. We became a sovereign country in 1867. Although I wasn't born here, I grew up & lived here most of my life but I'm a proud Canadian.


Here are a few facts about Canada:

GEOGRAPHY:
Canada is the world's second largest country after Russia. France could fit 18 times and the United Kingdom 40 times into Canada.

Canada has the longest coastline in the world: 243 792 kilometres, including the coastlines of 52 455 islands. Hudson Bay is the bay with the longest shoreline in the world.

The biggest island in Canada is Baffin Island, which has an area of 507 451 km2.

Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world, with an area of 82 100 km2.

The world's longest inland waterway open to ocean shipping is the St. Lawrence Seaway-Great Lakes Waterway, which was opened in 1959. It is 3790 km in length, from Anticosti Island to the head of Lake Superior.

Niagara Falls is the largest waterfall in the world by volume, averaging 2583 metres3 of water per second on the Canadian side (Horseshoe Falls) and 233 metres3 per second on the American side.

The oldest rock in Canada is thought to be Acasta gneiss, found east of Great Bear Lake (NT). It is 3.96 billion years old and part of a large fragment of the Earth's earliest crust.

The largest bay in the world measured by shoreline length is Hudson Bay. The Hudson's Bay Company once owned over 10% of the earth's surface and is still around as the world's oldest continuously operating company in North America established on May 2, 1670.

Canada leads the world with 755 165 km2 of fresh water convering 8% of its total land area and has more than half of the world's lakes within its border.

WEATHER:
Temperatures in Canada have ranged from 45°C (113°F) in Midale, Saskatchewan to -63°C (-81°F) in Snag, Yukon.

The greatest one-day snowfall - 118.1 centimetres - occurred at Lakelse Lake, British Columbia, on January 14, 1974.

Medicine Hat, Alberta, holds the record among Canadian cities for the most days without measurable precipitation: 271 per year.

The driest region on record in Canada is around Arctic Bay, Northwest Territories, where only 12.7 mm of precipitation fell in 1949.

NATIVE ANIMALS:
The world's richest area of dinosaur fossils is in Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta.

The largest aquatic animal in Canada is the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), which can reach up to 27 metres in length and weigh 132 tons.

The smallest mammal is the pygmy shrew (Microsorex hoyi), whose total length is 9 centimetres (of which one third is tail). It lives throughout Canada except for the Far North.

The longest and largest insect migration in North America is that of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). Millions travel every fall from southern Canada to central Mexico, a total distance of 8000 kilometres, and a few even travel back again in the spring.

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is the biggest of Canadian carnivores. Adult males average between 400 kilograms and 600 kilograms, with some individuals exceeding 800 kilograms, making them the world's largest non-aquatic carnivore.

SPORTS:
The oldest continuously played sport in North America is lacrosse, which was widely played in pre-European times. Modern lacrosse rules were drawn up by Dr W.G. Beers in Montreal in 1860.

Basketball was invented by James Naismith of Almonte, Ontario, and first played at Springfield, Massachusetts, where Naismith was a physical education instructor, in 1892.

Five-pin bowling was invented by T.E. Ryan of Toronto in 1909.

The first football game was played in Montreal, with Montreal beating Harvard.

The first baseball game was played in Beachville, Ontario, more than a year before Abner Doubleday "invented" the game in Cooperstown, New York. I realize that this issue may be controversial, so read the whole story on this issue.

COMMUNICATIONS:
The first radio telegraphic message was received by Guglielmo Marconi on Signal Hill in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1901.

The first long-distance telephone calls were made by Alexander Graham Bell between the Ontario communities of Mount Pleasant and Brantford, and between Brantford and Paris, in 1876.

The Canadian satellite Alouette 1, which was launched in 1962, was the first non-American, non-Soviet satellite to orbit the Earth.

Canadians enjoy the longest uninterrupted corridor of cellular telephone service in the world - from Windsor, Ontario to Sydney Nova Scotia.

CANADIAN TRIVIA:
The world's largest publicly attended film festival is the Festival of Festivals in Toronto, which began in 1976.

The world's tallest totem pole from a single log (38.28 metres) was carved by Mungo Martin in Beacon Hill Park in Victoria, British Columbia, in 1958.

Canada is the only country to have participated in all United Nations peacekeeping operations.

North America's first known dwelling is the 20 000-year-old Bluefish Caves in the Yukon.

The oldest continuously operating outdoor market in Canada is the Byward Market in Ottawa, in business since 1848.

The oldest continuously operating brewery in North America is Molson, in Montreal since 1786.

There are more grain elevators in Thunder Bay, Ontario, than in any other place in the world.

Canada has ranked first in world production of zinc, second in nickel, potash, and asbestos, and third in gold and silver - all in a single year (1979).


INVENTIONS:
The antigravity suit, a pressurized flying suit and forerunner of the space suit, was invented by W.R. Franks at the University of Toronto in 1940.

Henry Woodward of Toronto invented the first electric light bulb in 1874. He later sold a share in his patent to Thomas Edison, who designed a more practical bulb in 1879.

Arthur Sicard of Saint-LMonard, Quebec, made the first snowblower.

The green plastic garbage bag was invented by Harry Wasyluk of Winnipeg, and by Larry Hanson at the Union Carbide plant in Lindsay, Ontario, in the 1950s.

Dr. Lorne Elias of the National Research Council invented the explosives vapour detector, capable of sniffing out hidden bombs, in 1990.

The cobalt "bomb" for cancer treatment was developed by scientists from Eldorado Nuclear in London, Ontario, and by Dr Harold E. Johns of the University of Saskatchewan in 1951.

Norman Bethune of Gravenhurst, Ontario, devised the first mobile blood transfusion service (in Spain in 1936) and the first mobile medical unit (in China in 1938).

The paintroller was invented by Norman Breakey of Toronto in 1940.

The world's first electronic organ was invented by Morse Robb of Belleville, Ontario in 1927.

Doctors Frederick Banting and Charles Best, both of Ontario, discovered insulin in 1921.

In 1964, Dr. Gustave Gingras perfected the workings of the artificial hand activated by the body's own electrical impluses.

LESSER KNOWN INVENTIONS:
acrylics
air-conditioned vehicle
aircraft de-icer
apple pie
batteryless radio
butter substitute
carbide and acetylene
cardiac intensive care unit (first)
cardiac pacemaker
commercial radio station (first)
computerized braille
dental mirror
disintegrating plastic
electric cooking range
electrical car (North America's first)
film developing tank
goalie mask
hair tonic
heart valve operation (first)
helicopter trap (for landing on ships)
hydrofoil
IMAX
instant potato flakes
machine gun tracer bullet
MacPherson gas mask
measure for footwear
newsprint
panoramic camera
Phi (position homing indicator for aircraft)
pizza pizza telephone computer delivery services
portable high chair
radio compass
retractable beer carton handle
rollerskate
snowmobile
steam foghorn
submarine telegraph cable
Superman
table hockey
washing machine
wirephoto
zipper

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Happy Summer Solstice

Finally the beginning of summer! The longest day of the year!
I've suffered from S.A.D. for as long as I can remember ....Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as the winter blues that occurs when there's a lack of natural light. I love big windows and as small a window drape as possible. Altho I'm an extremely light sleeper & part time insomniac, I'd rather wake early than close the drapes at night.
Lately I've woken at about 4am to the sounds of a lone coyote. It gives you a shiver, I can tell you. Coyotes can sound farther away than they are and usually the howling of one will trigger the cries of another.
Coyote is a Spanish alteration of the original Aztec name coyotl. The Latin name means barking dog. It's only been within the last 40 years that we Canadians have called them coyote. In some areas they're still called Brush Wolves. They're also one of the few mammels whose range is increasing, despite extensive persecution.
Orr Lake, altho surrounded by vast reforestration, is within 5 minutes of a village and 20 to 25 minutes of two cities and one town. But when you hear a coyote or wolf, it still gives a shivering thrill of isolation.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Printie Making Tutorial

Here's the long promised "tutorial" and explanation of imaging terms:

So let's start with some imaging terminology:
A pixel is a tiny block of color and is an image's most basic building block. A digital image comprises thousands or millions of individual pixels. One million pixels equal one megapixel; therefore, a 3.1-megapixel digital camera can take photographs that contain more than 3 million pixels.
The more pixels an image contains, the greater its detail. It's not a measurement. The only physically fixed dimensions that an image has are the number of pixels across/wide and down/high in that image (eg 900 x 700 pixels). When you "enlarge" or "shrink", your image you're merely deciding what size to make each pixel.

Though often used interchangeably, pixels per inch (PPI) and dots per inch (DPI) are technically not the same thing. PPI refers to the number of pixels found in one inch of an image. Typically these days an inch holds 150 pixels or better. DPI, on the other hand, refers to the amount of resolution a printer is capable of outputting. Printers use dots of individual different coloured inks to create an image; the more dots a printer can produce per square inch, the better quality its output.
The term "resolution" refers to the amount of information a digital or printed image file contains, usually measured in terms of how many pixels appear in each unit of width or height. Generally, the higher an image's resolution, the more detailed and crisp it will appear on a printed page.

Still with me?

You typically need some sort of software like Photoshop, or Paint Shop Pro to attach a specific dpi value to a file that you want to print. If you don't have anything at the moment & aren't looking to pay for another program, then pick up one of the free editors like Paint.NET or PhotoScape
These photo editing softwares allow you to set "real world" dimensions.

Since I've used Photoshop since its inception (its at version 9 now, I believe), I'm a bit of an image geek who has troubles explaining procedures to people who aren't familiar or have never used an image editing software...so I'll explain how I do printies & hope you'll keep up with me.

There are 2 ways to get the image to your computer: you either scan the product in your printer or photograph it. This way your image is full sized, large & detailed. If I take a scanned image at its highest printer-allowable resolution, I can ask my software to shrink it to 1/12th while keeping the image resolution to the same setting as when I scanned it....very important!

If I've used my camera to take the image....usually because the item was too large for my printer to scan....I take numerous photos of each portion of, say my huggies diaper box; cut out the background, reduce to a manageable size (using the same size of each of the portions) and paste each part of the box (on a different layer) using a new file. Layers allow me to correct mistakes or move things about without having to start all over again. A 1to12 scale means that every real size inch is a 0.083 doll house inch. So if I know what size my real size huggies box is I can calculate what size my printie should be. When I adjust the physical size, Photoshop automatically adjusts the resolution to compensate, and vice versa. For instance, if I decrease the physical size it'll increase the resolution. Pixel dimensions don't actually change while you're doing all these manipulations. The physical size can be whatever you want, as long as the DPI changes in tandem. The number of pixels don't change--only their size.

Set your printer to use best quality and select the correct paper type, matte, glossy or whatever you're using. Also remember to keep the resolution set to its best level. On some printers this may be the saturation level.

Here's what Tarapiglet of the DollHouse at Pooh Corner has to say on the subject:

When starting a paint or photo program you start with a blank canvas which you usually specify the size of. 816 by 1056 equals one standard paper size. Apply the ruler on the program so you can see if you are scaling correctly. You want to start with a large and detailed image. Generally the bigger the better because you'll want the printer to pick up on every little detail.
You'll notice if you make your canvas size 816 x 1056 and resize the picture to 2" x 3" to fit a picture frame you get a so so print. The tip is resize 300% or 400% the canvas size and match the image size to that degree. So your 816 x 1056 canvas becomes 3264 x 4224, which are those numbers duplicated by 4 or 400%.Say I want my print to be 2 inches wide x 3 inches long when printed, that's 2 feet by 3 feet in 1" scale. I times 2 x 4, 4 being how much bigger I've times'd my canvas. That equals 8. I then divide that by 12, for the ruler. Always measure in decimals.
For example
2 1/2 would be 2.5. Always divide by 12 so you know where to match it on the paint program ruler. I get .66, now I resize my image until the 2 inch long side of the image measures .66 an inch on this huge canvas.The more pixels or details the computer and printer read the better off your prints will be.

The key to making good printies is setting your printer to the highest resolution or best quality print setting that it's capable of and using good quality either matte or glossy photo paper. You'll get more vibrant colors, crisper lines & readable text. You may want to give your printed copy a spray of clear polyurethane to make it moisture resistant & color fast but beware that not all inks accept any type of coating.

Again from Tara Piglet:
I found so far the #1 paper for making a print look like a painting is Post It Photo Paper Matte or Semi-Gloss. The Glossy paper lays the ink on thick which gives the effect of paint. The ink will smear with as little as finger sweat so handle carefully when dry. I had sucess clear nail polishing the matte and semi-gloss paper prints. For the lossy I would use a clear spray paint.

The next thing you want to invest in are detailing scissors or a sharp! xacto knife. Use a metal ruler with cork backing to prevent slipping for making paper folds that are crisp & straight. Use a fast dry glue and watch the amount of glue coming out of the bottle. You may want to use a toothpick or small artists paint brush to apply the glue with. Last but not least tweezers are great for holding glued folds & seams shut.

Now see, wasn't that easy......?

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

a hmmmm moment

Looking out my window this morning, I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought it had snowed during the night! I'd slept with the window open & it hadn't seemed that cold.
But I could definitely see bits of lingering snow on the driveway:
On closer inspection, I realized it's those darn old cottonwoods at it again.
Now before you get the idea that I despise my neighbors, let me hasten to add that cottonwoods are nasty trees that spew fluff everywhere at this time of year trying to reproduce themselves. ...And if that weren't bad enough, they also sprout up thru roots that branch everywhere, for miles it seems, causing you to trip over the roots & causing havoc with garden weeding because the sprouts are nearly impossible to pull out. If all that weren't bad enough, they're also a shortlived tree.....altho not short lived enough for me....whose branches easily snap in a winter's gale to land on any available roof.

We in Ontario have gone green....maybe not always for the right reasons...but green nevertheless!
Most stores here no longer supply free groceries bags with each purchase. In every check-out line you will now hear women complain that once again they have forgotten their canvas carry bags and need to buy the traditional plastic ones. Are the stores really using the nickle they collect per bag for charitable donations?? .....or have we been dinged yet again!

We've also banned pesticides. For years, everyone would spread tons of fertilizer on their lawns, and copious amounts of water in an effort to outdo the Jones next door for the prestigious claim to the greenest lawn. Then complain about the length of time & effort it took to cut their mini paradise. Here's a photo of our lawn leading down to the lake:
When we lived in the city, I used to dig up all the dandelions; we have too much property to do that now. To go along with the yellow dandelions, there are little red flowers coming up, called I believe, Devils Paintbrush. This is one Green effect I'm enjoying.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Multi-tasking Computer desk Tutorial

As you all know, I love using Michael's hutches. Having heard several rumors that they're being discontinued, I've guaranteed my supply. At last count, I now own 14.
And I'm sure you also know that the easiest way to take them apart, is to warm the glue in the microwave. But I'll bet you didn't know the length of time between when the glue becomes pliable & the wood singes: it is the moment before you return to the kitchen!

Having taken my burnt Michael's hutch bottom apart, I decided that it wouldn't suit what I wanted afterall.

So taking the CPU, I drew a box on paper to fit around it. Then I measured my own chair & added 2 dollhouse inches to my box. Add the thickness of 2 pieces of wood & the width of the Michael's door to the other end. This makes my desk 3-7/8 inches in length. On the left side the depth is 1-3/8", allowing the CPU to just peek out. On the right, the desk depth is 1-1/4".
The Michael's hutch feet were a nice shape. I could have used them directly but decided against it as my kitchen still had that lingering eau de cologne odor of charred wood....I reproduced them from a craft stick: they are 1" x 7/8".
I exacto knifed the feet, used wood glue and attached them to the bottom of my desk, leaving them to cure long enough to feed Luna & Kitty. Luna gets a home cooked meal each evening!
The height of my own worktable is 27-1/2"; Kens desk is 25 tall. This means the computer desk height should be at least 2" in height. Deduct 2x the thickness of your wood (either desk side) from the length; deduct the height of the feet & desk bottom from the height. This made the back of my desk 1-1/2" x 3-5/8". Make sure that your cut piece is square. Again sand all cut edges.
Now cut the 2 sides: on the left, your side should measure: 1-12" x 1-3/8"; the right side should be 1-1/2" x 1-1/4". Cut another piece 1-1/2" x 1-1/8". This will be used to complete the cabinet. Again sand. Remove your T-square from your keyboard before your half-finished tutorial erases....and glue the 3 sides & the back to your desk bottom.
Ensure that your door will fit. If you want to show the door in an open position, add a shelf....as my desk will sit in a sealed roombox, I've no need for it. Allow glue to dry while you hang out a load of laundry.
Cut a top (1-3/8" x 3-7/8") and glue on. As it's 9pm & I've run out of household tasks to do...or care to do this late, use rubber bands while the glue dries. For your sliding keyboard tray, calculate where the keyboard should sit; allow enough room for the mouse unless you will be using a laptop. Measure the depth of your keyboard, in my case 7/8" & cut a notch on either end. Now find something slightly taller than the thickness of the wood that you're using for the tray plus the height of the keyboard; attach to all 4 corners of your desk. While you're waiting for the glue to dry, explain to your dog why the cat is allowed on your lap while at the same time typing with one hand & attempting to restrain the cat from walking all over the keyboard with the other.You are now ready for the final top. Contend with both animals who have left in a huff. Cut your top slightly larger on both sides & the front so it can overhang by 1/16 all the way around except for the back. Your desk is now ready to paint or stain:


Monday, June 8, 2009

Remember that ladderback chair.....well here's the reason I made it:


It was made for the Community Sale being held for Canada Day. It sounds like the entire town will be involved with sidewalk sales, live entertainment, silent auction, face painting for the little ones, BBQs and lots more. If you're near Elmvale on June 26th come on over! You'll find me selling inside the hall....

....and speaking of birthdays, today my grandson, Chris, turns 16. He may be sweet but there's a girlfriend involved so the rest of the saying doesn't apply.
We celebrated at his uncle's cottage on the Muskoka River.

It's the only place that's large enough for all of us to sleep without being stacked like firewood. The cottage actually sleeps 16 downstairs with 2 more bedrooms on the upper level. It's usually rented out this time of year so we were lucky to to be able to use it.
We had home made cake & ice cream


Chris got the lime green camera that he'd wanted. Hopefully he won't be too much like his mother who's a camera nut. Whenever we get together, she's right there taking 100s of photos...& that's not an exaggeration!
We had a huge bonfire each night with firewood gathered beforehand. And sat around it......huddling in hoodies & sweats, slathered thickly in insect repellenant. Each one of us including poor Luna, who is a hairless Chinese Crested, brought home toonie sized(CAN$2) mosquito & black fly bites. We could have stayed inside or in the screened in Muskoka room but that wouldn't have been as much fun.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRIS!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Probably the most expensive dollhouse on eBay



EBay's Million Dollar Dollhouse
In the not too distant past, an exquisite mansion went on the market. This distinguished custom built home featuring a classical European architectural design was complete with the finest hand-turned woods, antique ivory, marble, sterling silver and silk tapestries. As an added bonus, each room came fully furnished with custom furniture created by internationally-renowned designers in an array of period styles. A home whose decadent and ostentatious design would surely make a member of the royal family drool, retailed for a bargain price of one million dollars. Not a bad deal in today’s real estate market. The catch? Its occupants must adhere to a mandatory height requirement of 7 inches or less.
The home I describe is actually a dollhouse. Perhaps, the world’s most expensive dollhouse and it was for sale on eBay for a mere starting bid of 6 figures. Barbara Crews wrote an article on About.com describing this abode and its astonishing million dollar price tag. The 1:12 scale dollhouse (1 inch = 1 foot) was designed and built by a collector of miniatures, who reportedly collected dollhouse miniatures for over 40+ years. This miniature home actually houses a vast collection of miniature pieces that took this collector 42 years to accrue.
The dollhouse which took over 3-1/2 years to build featured replicas of works of art popular during the 17th century through the Art Deco period (modern period). Crews tells us that, “approximately 40% of the items contained within the dollhouse are antique miniatures, several of which are centuries old.” The thousands of miniatures contained within come from all parts of the world including Istanbul, Paris and Madrid as well as many other countries.
Featuring hand-turned walnut columns and ornate decorations in the Italian Baroque design, this impressive dollhouse exhibit measures 8-1/2 feet long and 50 inches wide and rests on a solid wood oak base built in one piece. The dollhouse was designed so it can be viewed from each side and each room contains its own miniature lighting system.
Some of the extraordinary details contained within the house are mind-boggling. Over 56 styles of miniature chairs, a miniature table with over 1,000 pieces of inlaid wood, a collection of tiny guns, knives, swords and medieval weaponry made by jewelry makers who are also miniaturists, and a complete boxed manicure tool set with parts that actually move. The tiniest set of china known in the world today is displayed on a table measuring 1-1/4” long. The house contains many more miniature items made of hand blown glass, antique ivory, silver and other precious materials. The spectacular miniature furniture and accessories contained within this masterpiece are too numerous to list here, but were crafted by the finest miniature artisans known to our time. You can read the specifics about this remarkable antique dollhouse collection here.
So, what was the ultimate result of this auction listing on eBay? With a starting price of $400,000, this auction reportedly closed with no takers. Rumor has it the seller has taken the home off the market as they contemplate a short sale.

More Contests & Freebies


Enter to win a FREE Real Good Toys Dollhouse Kit at Zoolabees.com!

Sweepstakes Instructions & Official Rules:
1. Prize includes Alison Jr. MDF dollhouse kit manufactured by Real Good Toys.


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4. This sweepstakes will run June 2, 2009 through June 30, 2009 and is open to individual legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. The last day to enter is June 30, 2009. A winner will be randomly selected from all eligible participants and notified by e-mail on July 1, 2009. Prize to be awarded within 1 week of notification. Return of any prize notification as undeliverable will result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner.


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Contests & Freebies

Monthly cane sampler contest at Betty Hagen's blog starting this month! Find out more at: http://live-mini.blogspot.com