give a big welcome to:
Miriam from Germany, fairystudiokallies who creates the most exquisite dolls,and miniatures from polymer clay. I especially loved the realistic little mouse.
Sylvia from the Netherlands, lotjesdollshouse who's doing a lovely flower shop.
April from Michigan, Every Little Thing who's creating the house that she wanted as a child....a Beacon Hill
Moti from Malaga Spain, ooakminis and solominis. She makes the most delightful little people and ooak babies
Kim from Minnesota, flowerkim who is currently making a pink tea shop roombox.
Ingrid from the Netherlands, myday-ingrid writing about her life and hobbies.
The best thing about blogging is that it brings the world to your doorstep and allows you to see how other people live, their hobbies and their interests. It lets us see what incredibly talented artisans there are and what the rest of us can aspire to.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Freebies, Give-aways & Contests
Enter to win $100 dollhouse miniatures shopping spree at Zoolabees.com!
Zoolabees Dollhouse Miniatures is an online retailer of dollhouse miniatures including dollhouse furniture and accessories, miniature building components, miniature lighting, dollhouse kits and dolls. See below for sweepstakes entry instructions and rules.
Sweepstakes Instructions & Official Rules:
1. Prize includes $100 electronic gift certificate to be used towards the purchase of any in-stock merchandise currently featured on our website.
2. No purchase necessary. Complete the sweepstakes entry form below and hit submit. One entry per person.3. Double your chances of winning! Go to www.zoolabees.com and register for a user account (one account per person). Please note that you must also submit the sweepstakes entry form below in order to participate in this sweepstakes. If you are currently a registered user of Zoolabees.com, please contact us at customerservice@zoolabees.com to notify us of the current registered user name on your account. Upon verification, we will submit your second entry.
4. This sweepstakes will run April 20, 2009 through May 20, 2009 and is open to individual legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. The last day to enter is May 20, 2009. A winner will be randomly selected from all eligible participants and notified by e-mail on May 22, 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.
5. Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means will be void.
Zoolabees Dollhouse Miniatures is an online retailer of dollhouse miniatures including dollhouse furniture and accessories, miniature building components, miniature lighting, dollhouse kits and dolls. See below for sweepstakes entry instructions and rules.
Sweepstakes Instructions & Official Rules:
1. Prize includes $100 electronic gift certificate to be used towards the purchase of any in-stock merchandise currently featured on our website.
2. No purchase necessary. Complete the sweepstakes entry form below and hit submit. One entry per person.3. Double your chances of winning! Go to www.zoolabees.com and register for a user account (one account per person). Please note that you must also submit the sweepstakes entry form below in order to participate in this sweepstakes. If you are currently a registered user of Zoolabees.com, please contact us at customerservice@zoolabees.com to notify us of the current registered user name on your account. Upon verification, we will submit your second entry.
4. This sweepstakes will run April 20, 2009 through May 20, 2009 and is open to individual legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. The last day to enter is May 20, 2009. A winner will be randomly selected from all eligible participants and notified by e-mail on May 22, 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.
5. Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means will be void.
Monday, April 20, 2009
finished at last.....thatching that is.
It's been a long time since I actually showed any progress on my Tudor house.
I could use any number of excuses....March school break, one heck of a nasty flu/cold that seems determined to hang on & plague me with a tickling cough forevVver, the new roof that's causing the entire house to be topsy turvy and means that half my kitchen is unusable and then we had about a weeks worth of lovely weather that had me enjoying the sun and doing nothing else, and, and, and.......
So here I am again, the weather is back to cold & wet. Our roof is built and we're just waiting for the steel to arrive so it can be finished. The kids are back home and in school. And I guess I can't use my cough as an excuse any longer.
Some months ago I had found a big huck of raffia at the Goodwill Store that seemed perfect to use as thatch. So with no further ado, I'll just let the photos tell the story:
I could use any number of excuses....March school break, one heck of a nasty flu/cold that seems determined to hang on & plague me with a tickling cough forevVver, the new roof that's causing the entire house to be topsy turvy and means that half my kitchen is unusable and then we had about a weeks worth of lovely weather that had me enjoying the sun and doing nothing else, and, and, and.......
So here I am again, the weather is back to cold & wet. Our roof is built and we're just waiting for the steel to arrive so it can be finished. The kids are back home and in school. And I guess I can't use my cough as an excuse any longer.
Some months ago I had found a big huck of raffia at the Goodwill Store that seemed perfect to use as thatch. So with no further ado, I'll just let the photos tell the story:
If I had to do it over again, I would have used fur like everyone suggested. And if I really thought about it, I'd have used shingles which seem to be easier. But then this is my first, evvVver doll house that I've built. What do I know! I thought about using leftover chair caning material to "stitch" down the top layer of thatch but I think this is how it looks and how it will stay. I rarely redo. So instead I'll get the interior ready for Miss Eloise to move in. See you at her grand opening....
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
your help is needed!
First off, thanks for all your sympathy & hugs.
I know that the leaks are temporary and will provide the perfect excuse to paint the kitchen. I never did like the color that was used by the previous owner.
Supposedly we are due for 4 dry & sunny days, so that should be enough time to finish the roof to the point where the snow/rain membrane will bond enough to protect us until the metal cladding can be attached.
As for my bracelet, since I wasn't insured, the only way I'll recoup the money is next year at tax time when I'll be able to claim the entire value & not just the money that I paid for it. I got into the business because it allowed me to buy beautiful things without filling the house to excess. It's like being on a scavenger hunt. Unfortunately it's not a get-rich-quick business. The people who I feel sorry for are the dealers who need their profits to live on.
All these things, are the kind of set-backs sent to try us. If there's enough of them, then they become character building. At no time can they be classed as devastating....or life threatening.
So with all that said, here's an issue that is devastating:
Lorrie is a member of one of the communities that I belong to, who is facing the possible death of a member of her 4-legged family. For many of us whose 2-legged children have left house or who have never had any, we adopt 4-legged ones to give our love to. Lorrie is facing a large medical bill to pay for the cancer treatment of one of her cats. As a result she's trying to raise the money by selling her mini dolls:
These dolls and many others are from her private collection. If you're at all in need of a doll to complete your dollhouse or if you'd like bare parts to try your hand at doll making, please take a look at what she has for sale.
Lorrie, I hope you know that our thoughts are with you. If there's anything I've learned it's this, although we miniaturists are spread throughout the world, we're a very close knit community! Chin up and mini hugs to you!
I know that the leaks are temporary and will provide the perfect excuse to paint the kitchen. I never did like the color that was used by the previous owner.
Supposedly we are due for 4 dry & sunny days, so that should be enough time to finish the roof to the point where the snow/rain membrane will bond enough to protect us until the metal cladding can be attached.
As for my bracelet, since I wasn't insured, the only way I'll recoup the money is next year at tax time when I'll be able to claim the entire value & not just the money that I paid for it. I got into the business because it allowed me to buy beautiful things without filling the house to excess. It's like being on a scavenger hunt. Unfortunately it's not a get-rich-quick business. The people who I feel sorry for are the dealers who need their profits to live on.
All these things, are the kind of set-backs sent to try us. If there's enough of them, then they become character building. At no time can they be classed as devastating....or life threatening.
So with all that said, here's an issue that is devastating:
Lorrie is a member of one of the communities that I belong to, who is facing the possible death of a member of her 4-legged family. For many of us whose 2-legged children have left house or who have never had any, we adopt 4-legged ones to give our love to. Lorrie is facing a large medical bill to pay for the cancer treatment of one of her cats. As a result she's trying to raise the money by selling her mini dolls:
These dolls and many others are from her private collection. If you're at all in need of a doll to complete your dollhouse or if you'd like bare parts to try your hand at doll making, please take a look at what she has for sale.
Lorrie, I hope you know that our thoughts are with you. If there's anything I've learned it's this, although we miniaturists are spread throughout the world, we're a very close knit community! Chin up and mini hugs to you!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Welcome, Bienvenue, Wilkommen
Say hi to some new followers:
Mary from the States who is new to crafting minis Sunny Sunflowers Miniatures
Tara, a jeweler from Hawaii The Dollhouse at Pooh corner. That Pooh is one lucky bear!
Sabiha, for whom I can't find any info but who is more than welcome nevertheless.
JFolk, for whom I can't much information either, other than her excellent blog A Little Roomer by Jaime
.....and then there is the Egyptian Knight. He(?) has 4 blogs; most of them in egyptian. It seems one is about Viagara; another about cell phones; while the third one shows a bloody hand holding a knife.
At that point I stopped looking.
Mary from the States who is new to crafting minis Sunny Sunflowers Miniatures
Tara, a jeweler from Hawaii The Dollhouse at Pooh corner. That Pooh is one lucky bear!
Sabiha, for whom I can't find any info but who is more than welcome nevertheless.
JFolk, for whom I can't much information either, other than her excellent blog A Little Roomer by Jaime
.....and then there is the Egyptian Knight. He(?) has 4 blogs; most of them in egyptian. It seems one is about Viagara; another about cell phones; while the third one shows a bloody hand holding a knife.
At that point I stopped looking.
Well, the full moon has done it again!!!
1. We've been without Internet on & off for the past week & this is the earliest that I have been able to post. Ah, the joys of living in the country!!
2. We are 45% into a new roof.......that 45% being without shingles of course! The next day we had torrential rain. And so my kitchen was awash not only with leaks but with pans evvvVvverywhere to catch the leaks.
I went up on the roof in the morning, after I noticed the first leak, to put a second tarp over the first one.
Now ever since I fell off the ladder & broke my ankle, ten years ago, I have been rather fearful of ladder climbing. I'm OK going up but not coming down.
I managed to nail the new tarp to the peak of the roof. And then..... I started sliding !! ....hoping all the while that I would be able to stop before I reached the roof edge.
All this time, Ken is in bed with a humongous flu bug that's making the rounds. It must have taken me at least an hour...or so it seemed...to get myself turn around into a sitting position. There's no way I was going to be able to get back on the ladder without someone holding it at the bottom.
Kitkat took pity on me & came up to join me in my plight. I think this will definitely confirm in his mind the notion that human creatures are useless beings unable to look after themselves and the fact that he is right to hunt for our food.
Took a while of yelling for Ken to wake up, hear me & come to help me down.
.......all that & I didn't accomplish anything with my extra tarp.
3. The weatherman predicts snow for most of this week!
4. We didn't get around to taking our dock out of the water last fall and so we have been keeping an eye on it. Orr Lake being a small lake does not.....normally....get the storms that occur habitually in Georgian Bay. After the torrential rains stopped, the wind gusts took over. Whatever they didn't finish on the roof made it sound as if we'd be in Kansas instead of in the safety of Auntie Karin's kitchen at any moment (see "Wizard of Oz" for explanations). After enduring this for most of the night, the next day emerged sunny if a little crisp. Since the house being 400ft from shore & the land sloped, seeing the dock at the best of times is tricky.
To make a long story short, Ken had to get on his chest waders & retrieve part of the dock, 6 cottages away where it had floated to.
It's no wonder the man is sick so often.
5. Two days ago, I was one of three antiques dealers whose showcases were broken into. I lost a $1500 diamond tennis bracelet. One showcase was missing an entire tray of gold rings. A third had an $800 emerald ring missing.
The thieves were obviously professionals. They tore the rubber seal from the side of my showcase; pried up the lock and made off with my bracelet. The mall was full of customers that day and there were 7 staff members working. And to add insult to injury, they took my lock as well as the bracelet! The police couldn't get any prints from the rubber and only smudges from the glass.
........maybe the Middle East isn't that far wrong in loping off a thief's hand!
6. I think I've gotten Ken's flu!
However on a bright note, I should be posting the photos of my thatched roof in a few days. .....now if only I could say the same about our real roof.
1. We've been without Internet on & off for the past week & this is the earliest that I have been able to post. Ah, the joys of living in the country!!
2. We are 45% into a new roof.......that 45% being without shingles of course! The next day we had torrential rain. And so my kitchen was awash not only with leaks but with pans evvvVvverywhere to catch the leaks.
I went up on the roof in the morning, after I noticed the first leak, to put a second tarp over the first one.
Now ever since I fell off the ladder & broke my ankle, ten years ago, I have been rather fearful of ladder climbing. I'm OK going up but not coming down.
- The new roof is 6ft higher than the old one was.
- I have never been any good with heights at the best of times!
- Tarps...being made of plastic...are slippery when wet.
I managed to nail the new tarp to the peak of the roof. And then..... I started sliding !! ....hoping all the while that I would be able to stop before I reached the roof edge.
All this time, Ken is in bed with a humongous flu bug that's making the rounds. It must have taken me at least an hour...or so it seemed...to get myself turn around into a sitting position. There's no way I was going to be able to get back on the ladder without someone holding it at the bottom.
Kitkat took pity on me & came up to join me in my plight. I think this will definitely confirm in his mind the notion that human creatures are useless beings unable to look after themselves and the fact that he is right to hunt for our food.
Took a while of yelling for Ken to wake up, hear me & come to help me down.
.......all that & I didn't accomplish anything with my extra tarp.
3. The weatherman predicts snow for most of this week!
4. We didn't get around to taking our dock out of the water last fall and so we have been keeping an eye on it. Orr Lake being a small lake does not.....normally....get the storms that occur habitually in Georgian Bay. After the torrential rains stopped, the wind gusts took over. Whatever they didn't finish on the roof made it sound as if we'd be in Kansas instead of in the safety of Auntie Karin's kitchen at any moment (see "Wizard of Oz" for explanations). After enduring this for most of the night, the next day emerged sunny if a little crisp. Since the house being 400ft from shore & the land sloped, seeing the dock at the best of times is tricky.
To make a long story short, Ken had to get on his chest waders & retrieve part of the dock, 6 cottages away where it had floated to.
It's no wonder the man is sick so often.
5. Two days ago, I was one of three antiques dealers whose showcases were broken into. I lost a $1500 diamond tennis bracelet. One showcase was missing an entire tray of gold rings. A third had an $800 emerald ring missing.
The thieves were obviously professionals. They tore the rubber seal from the side of my showcase; pried up the lock and made off with my bracelet. The mall was full of customers that day and there were 7 staff members working. And to add insult to injury, they took my lock as well as the bracelet! The police couldn't get any prints from the rubber and only smudges from the glass.
........maybe the Middle East isn't that far wrong in loping off a thief's hand!
6. I think I've gotten Ken's flu!
However on a bright note, I should be posting the photos of my thatched roof in a few days. .....now if only I could say the same about our real roof.
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