Le Forge - The Stair Case and Water Closet

Hello everyone,

Firstly I want to thank everyone for your wonderful comments and I also want to welcome my newest follower Drora. It is very encouraging. 

Today I wanted to share with you some more of my work on the outside of  'Le Forge'  that I managed to complete in the past week. It hasn't been much, but for me it's quite an achievement. In Malta it has really been hot and my pregnancy is taking it's toll......so when I complete something even if it is something as small as this, it is like I made a giant's step.

As you all know this kit came without a stair case or doors and so I had to open one of the  second floor walls to add a door and also a leading outdoor staircase. So I have manged to complete most of the stair case. Still I need to fit a hand rail and the front door step. I have also fitted in the front door lantern which eventually will be lit.

Underneath the stair case there was enough room to make a water closet. I have added a small window and door and also fitted in an outdoor lantern.

For the water closet I have fitted in a butler's sink and also an old fashioned loo which I have made. I'm quite please with the out come. I still need to add some accessories to it and I still have to dirty a little this room. 

So this is how it's looking so far. Hope you like it.

Keep tuned as I'm still working on it and I still have much to share.

Take Care and see you soon.

Regards,

Rebecca xxx

Outside  Le Forge

The New Finished outside Staircase 

Matching doors and lanterns

Outside the Water Closet

Inside the Water Closet and the handmade loo

Inside the Water Closet and I also added a lace curtain to the small window

The Loo and Butler's sink inside the Water Closet. 

Le Forge - The Blacksmith's Forge

Hello everyone,

Hope you are all well. This week I have made some more progress on my blacksmith's forge. It hasn't been easy to complete especially when I never have been in one myself.

Unfortunately you don't find any miniatures  fit for a forge so I had to do most of it myself. Piece by piece, I manged to finish it off.  Probably I would still be adding more accessories  to it but the headache of it all is over. Obviously I still need to work on  the whole property.

Firstly I started building the smoke hood and the heart which where both made out of wood. I have added a lit fire basket to the heart so it would light up eventually when all the lights have been added. I also added small pieces of real coal around the fire basket. Then I stared working on the bellows. The bellows are made out of wood and a piece of linen instead of leather. The linen was pleated and painted to make it look a lot like leather. Then I did the water tank which was made out of wood and painted in silver paint.  


After those where ready, I started working on the work bench which I made out of wood. I also made a forge clamp to attach to the work bench. I made the clamp out of polymer clay and painted it. I am actually very pleased with the outcome of it.  I also added a shelve over the work bench which I did too.  


Then I added some more accessories to the room apart from the ready made tools, I made the coal sack, the metal sheets are made out of cardboard and the metal rods/spokes are made out out cut out toothpicks. I also added the ceiling beams to the room.


Then the fun part came with black acrylic paint and a paint brush I dirtied the whole room, tools and accessories to make it look like suet.


I'm quite pleased with the out come . I hope you all like it. I still can't believe it that I have finished this room. 


Here are some photos of the blacksmith's forge.


Please keep tuned as I continue with this project very soon.


Wishing you all a happy weekend.


Take Care.


Rebecca xxxx

The smoke hood,  and heart

The Water tank and bellows

The heart, bellows and water tank.                                                               

The Work bench

The wooden shelve

The Forge's Clamp

The Blacksmith's Forge

A closer look.

Le Forge - My New Project!

Hello everyone,

Hope you are well! In Malta is getting hotter and even doe Summer hasn't started, our lovely beaches are already being filled with people and children to swim in the sea.

Today I will be sharing with you a new project that I have been working on for these couple of months. It is a Dolls House Emporium Kit which was originally called The Gate House. The Gate house is a three story property that comes with a front and back arch leading to the first room. Then there are two other rooms on top of each other with lovely french windows. Unfortunately there where no stair cases which lead from one room to another. I guess that's the fun of this hobby that you can alter your house to your own likes and imagination. 

I had purchased this property as it seems that it will be discontinued and I didn't want to lose my chance of not owning this lovely building. I had a lot of difficulty deciding what to do with it, as the only picture that I saw fit for it was the one picture I desperately wanted to run away from - A miniature blacksmith's forge. The more I looked at this property the more I imagined it. 

The 1st and 2nd floor

 The first progress on this property was the staircases and doors. The first floor is going to be turned into the forge with a back gate leading to a garden. Then I will be adding an outdoor stair case which leads to the second floor where you will find the blacksmith's living quarters. Underneath this staircase there will be enough room for a water closet. 

The door leading to the 2nd floor which  eventually
will have an outdoor  staircase.

Then I had to make an opening in the living room's ceiling  where I have made a ladder to lead to the third floor. The room was too small to make a staircase. The third floor will be turned into the sleeping quarters. 

I had found a french arched door which I have put in for the front arch. This door will lead to the forge. 

The 2nd floor which has the outside door and the ladder leading to the bedroom..

After designing it all, my father helped me by making the back garden gate which is made out of lead wire. It fitted in perfectly and I am really happy with it. I have also stared papering the walls, roof and floors. Have painted most of the doors and windows. 

The back garden Gate which my father has made. 

The Forge painted and decorated from the outside.

I have also designed the sign for this property with the computer. I have decided to call it 'Le Forge' as the property itself has a French style. 

The Designed Sign that I made for the forge..

Now I have started working on the interior of the forge. So far I am managing as all the forge pieces are being handmade by me. They have been quite a headache but now I'm almost at the finishing touches.

Keep tuned as I will be sharing with you more of my progress on this property very soon.

Take Care and see you.

Rebecca xxx

Name Plaques for Dolls Houses

Hello Everyone,

Firstly I want to welcome the new followers of my blog and I want to thank you also for the wonderful comments. It is very encouraging.

Lately I have been thinking about all my projects, and the work and time spent on each one of them. Usually I always change the names of my dolls houses and give them one myself. The only thing is that they never had a name plaque to show off what they are called. I had designed the shops signs on the computer and printed them. The Chestnuts dolls house was called after a name plaque that I had found and as I had completed it just before Christmas it just fitted the scene perfectly. My houses Sea Shells, Butterfly Cottage and Sea View didn't have any name plaques as I didn't want them made out of paper.

So...as I have been trying out my hands at polymer clay, I decided to make some name plaques for my dolls houses. I have first shaped them and designed them. Then after baking them I have painted them and varnished them. To be honest they came better than I expected. I am really pleased with them.

Gilbert asked me if I would be selling any of them as they really came out well. I might give it a go if I find persons who are interested. For those who would like any just email or message me. 

The Name Plaques made out of polymer clay

Sea Shells and the Butterfly are embossed and the dolphin and flowers are impressed.
The wording is all engraved

Sea View is plain and simple as it is a modern house. 

Butterfly Cottage just fitted in perfectly with the outdoor environment. 

Sea Shells gave it more  summery feeling.

Well I guess here they are. I hope you like them. 

Keep tuned for more. I wish you all a very nice weekend.

Take Care

Rebecca xxx 

   

Some More Polymer Clay Minis

Hi Folks,


I think I'm hooked on this polymer clay minis! I have done some more little items and I'm really pleased with them being a beginner. 


I try to go for the simple pieces but it never happens. I have done a Cruet Set for my Chestnut dolls house as I still had an empty spot in the kitchen.


The bottles are made out of crystals which are salt, pepper, oil and vinegar. 

The bottles and the tray

The whole Cruet Set

The Cruet Set in Chestnuts Kitchen

I have also made a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon. I included a doe mixture in the bowl to make it look more realistic.

The mixing bowl and wooden spoon 

Then I did a small cake, a cherry and jam pie and an apple pie. I am very pleased with these little minis especially with the cherry pie. The apple pie has a missing cut out piece and all the yummy filling is coming out. 

The pies and the small cake

I have made these for my Butterfly Cottage display. I guess the old lady was busy enjoying herself baking. 

The displayed items in Butterfly Cottage

I had also done the Recipe Book myself

Granny if very pleased with her baking, so she decided to take a coffee break.

Well that's all for today folks. I hope you all like my new creations of polymer clay minis. I know that there is still room for improvement but I think I'm getting better at it. Sorry for the poor quality of the photos. The closer I get to them the smugger it gets. I think I should take a crash course on photography.


Keep tuned.


Take Care and see you soon.


Rebecca xxx

Butterfly Cottage

Hello Everyone,

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend. Here in Malta summer is in the air and it's getting warmer and warmer. I guess that's the fun of it!

Today I will be sharing with you one of my latest prestigious conquests of my Miniature World, Butterfly Cottage. This lovely cottage is one of the Dolls House Emporium discontinued houses which probably you never saw or came across. It was only on the market for one year in 2001. It comes ready built, decorated, hand painted and hand crafted. It is made out of resin. Even the lovely roof and foliage are made out of resin.  

Butterfly Cottage

I had found this treasure on an auction and Gilbert my husband gave it to me as a Christmas present last year. It was pre-owned but in a perfect condition. I can't believe that it came to Malta in one piece. I consider myself very lucky to own it, being very rare to find and I practically took it for a very ridiculous price. I am pretty sure the seller didn't have an idea what she was throwing away for a very small price.

Inside Butterfly Cottage

Well as I only had to decorate it, I wanted to make something totally different from my other houses so I went for a shabby chic style which suited the cottage well.  I have changed the wall paper and gave it a bit of life by adding some border and tiles. I have made all it's curtains and added battery lights as there was no other way to add lighting being made out of resin. Honestly I prefer wiring the lights, but I am quite please with these battery lights as they are very luminous and easy to put. 

The kitchen-net was another headache but thanks to Elf once again I have managed to do something suitable for this lovely cottage. Obviously I have made it to suit it with pink flowers and a buttler's sink.  

The Kitchen area

The Kitchen

I have found some nice distressed shabby chic furniture for both the living area and the bedroom. I have used two wire arm chairs for the living area and added some cushions that I made matching the curtains. I also added a woolen rug that I made. Probably I will still be adding some more accessories knowing me but so far I'm quite happy with. 

Well now that I have complete it I can focus a bit more on one of my unfinished projects that I would love to finish before the baby comes. Here are more photos for you of Butterfly Cottage. I hope you like it.

Keep tuned.

Take Care and have a nice weekend.

Regards,

Rebecca xxx

The upper floor the Bedroom

Outside the main door with the lovely flowers.

The living area with the wire decorated arm chairs

The whole living room

The kitchen area