Miss Leah's Preparation's for the Grand Opening of the Boutique.

Hello my dear friends, 

So here we are once again preparing for Christmas time. Time flies and waits for no one. This year I have be planning something completely different for you. As you have seen on the right hand side of the screen there is a Christmas Advent Calendar 2014 which I have made. Everyday behind each door there will be a miniature project or tutorial for you. Most of them are not my makings but I have used them and they are just great. So I decided to share them with you. So please do share it with your friends and I really hope that you will enjoy it. 

Miss Leah has been very busy preparing for the grand opening of her boutique. I have been making so many miniatures that I have completely lost count if everything will fit in. I am sure that everything will find it's place eventually. I have finished some more accessory sets that match my hated busts. I think they will be my last for the boutique. 

The dark pink set

The Lilac Set

For the lovely counter I decided to make some boxed corsets which will be displayed opened. I have made and printed out some boxes that I made myself. For the top shelf I have made very tiny boxes where they hold tiny spectacles and hair combs. 

The boxed corsets

Inside the displayed counter

The Counter from behind.

On top of the counter I have made and printed an old Victorian style catalog. At that times in boutiques they used to have like a folder with lose pages to see the designs of what the boutique had to offer. One of my center of attraction pieces is the cash register which my father built and painted from a kit. I made the cash and have added the tag display for the register to make it look more realistic. The tags are actually closed  in a plastic casing built around them.

The Cash Register

I have also made some hat pins in a little vase. It is unbelievable how much you learn when you make research on certain items to add more detail. I have looked up for these hat pins which where very fashionable in the Victorian Era as they wore hats constantly. They where made from all types of metal. They came in various sizes even up to 18 cm. Some times they where even used as weapons and sometimes terrible accident happened while trying to pin a hat. 

So I have made a couple of hat pins in various sizes. I have used jewelry wiring and tiny beads in different shades and sizes.  

Hat pins in Vase

I have made some boxed stockings for the shop and also a couple of pairs that will be displayed in the dressing room. They came out very nicely.

Ladies Stockings

Boxed Stockings for the shop display

After all that I had the pleasure to continue decorating the boutique and I just love how it turned out to be. I still can't believe that most of all the miniatures where done by me. It give me such a satisfaction. It does take longer but than again it is all worth it at the end.  So here it is.

Miss Leah''s Boutique

The Center piece

One side of the shelving

The other side of the shop

The Counter

The Proud Miss Leah in the boutique

I still need to add more miniatures and accessories but now it is definitely filling up beautifully. 

And here is Miss Leah's Entry on her diary. 

14th November 1879

Dear Diary,

It has been a long, long time and I have missed you so much. You always help me to clear up my head and I was desperate to write to you. I have been working without stop. I have managed to sleep a couple of nights in the boutique. It is not easy. Most of the accessories and clothing I have been doing them myself. I just hope that it will be worth it all. Sometimes I just lose heart but I have done so much now that there is no turning back.

I have been boxing and shelving the shop and now it is looking great. Quelina thinks that we should start preparing for the grand opening of the boutique. Father wants it to be a big due. For me, I can just wake up in the morning and open the doors and that will be it. Neither the elite nor my family will be thrilled about it. So father wants us to send invitations to the refined folk. I will be inviting my old friends from back home and some new friends that I have made in these couple of months. I will be also inviting some shop owners from Regent Street. Quelina thinks that we should try to open the shop before Christmas time as it gets busy at that time. So now she is driving me all over the city preparing for the grand opening. She is really excited but she has been already through it years ago when Matty and her opened  Matquel's.  At least I am keeping her occupied and she feels useful. Besides I can never complain about her. She has been a darling and I just can't imagine myself with her and her support.

Being so busy now with the final touches Quelina and I haven't been doing any house hunting. Most probably that will happen after the New Year. We have decided to spend Christmas week at the Manor house with father like we always do. Hopefully Matty will be here too for the grand opening and will spend some quality time with us. 

So that is all for tonight. Time to retire. Tomorrow is another long day.

Nighty, night dear,

Hugs Leah xxx

I also wanted to let you know that my 14th downloadable book is available just in time for Christmas. It is called the Christmas Carols which is actually a Christmas song book with notes and the classic Christmas Songs. It does fit nicely to decorated a Christmas Scene in your dolls house. Here is the link to the Christmas Carol Song Book.

So that is all for today my dear friends. Keep tuned for more of my progress on Miss Leah's boutique. We will soon be having the grand opening. Let's hope that it is before Christmas. 

Take Care and see you soon.

Hugs

Rebecca xxx

Accessorizing for Miss Leah's Boutique

Hello dear friends,

It has been a few days and I hope you have enjoyed your weekend. I can't believe how time flies one day it is Halloween and the next day you're thinking of Christmas. I have been very busy with my everyday life, kids, work and didn't have much time for my miniature world. I don't like it when it happens but sometimes certain things come first. The weather here hasn't been very good. We actually had some rain, thunder and we have been hit by a cyclone. Not bad!

Any way, As I said before not much has been done but I have focused very much on the boutique. There is so much to do that you don't know from where to start and as I am doing most of the miniatures well you all know it; It takes quite some time.

I have been making accessories for the shop and see what fits in nicely for the shop.  Firstly I wanted to share with you two original Encaustic Art in Wax paintings which where made by my dear talented friend Hazel Rayfield. She has painted them especially for the boutique. Miss Leah loved them and they will eventually be framed and will be put in the boutique. You can see more of Hazel's work on her site and blog Art in Wax.

Art in Wax Paintings by Hazel Rayfield

Miss Leah is so proud of her new paintings

I have also noted that most of the items that I will be having in the boutique will be actually made by me. I highly doubt that there will be anything that I won't be making myself unless the obvious stuff. I have been also printing quite some printouts for the boutique to make boxes, posters and labels for the shop. They do take quite some time to do but at the end they are worth it.

I have been making perfume bottles from beads and also added labels to them to make them look real. The small table that I had in the dressing room I decided to decorated a little and make a perfume display instead of just keeping a mantel clock. It definitely looks much better like this.  

The hall table with the perfume display

Perfume bottles made out of beads. 

I have also managed to make some perfume displays for the boutique. They look quite good as well. Unfortunately the perfume boxes of the ivory set had a little accident. While making the display. I had the 2 year old Miss Leah trying to open the boxes. You might see some dents in them as her tiny fingers tried to open them. I wouldn't change them for the world. They where touched by the real Miss Leah and so I will keep them as a memento of her.

Can you see the little finger's work on the perfume boxes?

The Ivory perfume display

The purple perfume display

Finally I have made four sets of accessories for the boutique. The first one I made was the Ivory set. It was the first bonnet I ever made and to match I have made gloves, a bag and the parasol. I am really happy how this set turned out. 

The Ivory set accessories

After that I have tried to make a blue one. Like the other set I made the hat, bag, gloves and parasol. I even hand painted the shoes. Also the boxes where printed and made by me. 

Blue accessories

After the blue set I tried to make a pink one. The hat is very similar to a lady's top hat which also has a matching bag and gloves. The lovely bow ties shoes where hand painted by my father.

Pink Set accessories

And the last set that I made was the light green set. I have also made the hat, gloves, parasol and bag. I think all the colors can be mix and match. 

Light Green accessory set

I am really happy how they turned out and I am really enjoying it. I have also tried my hand in making miniature lady's hand fans. In the Victorian era they where quite in fashion so I did give them a try. I am really happy how they turned out. With a little practice they will get better.

Miniature lady's hand fans. 

And here are some pictures of the how the displays will look in the boutique. I still have to finish 2 more but here are the first three. I have tried to make a combined color scheme for each section. 

Ivory

Blue

Pink

So this is how it all looks. And finally here is Miss Leah's Diary Entry.

20th October 1879

Dear Diary,

The last time I wrote was on Quelina's birthday and believe it or not today is Matty's birthday. The two of them celebrate their birthdays in October. We didn't plan anything festive for his day. He doesn't like them very much and to prove it he isn't even in the city to celebrate it. I think he knew that we would end up doing something for him behind his back. He is a good lad and a fine gentleman. No wonder that the young ladies are swooned by him. 

I have been very busy in the boutique and have been really working hard to start filling up the shop. I have managed to make some fine hats and matching accessories with the fabric that Matty has gotten me from Madrid. Some shoes have arrived yesterday from the shoe maker. I gave him some designs of how I want them and he did a brilliant job. I also received the latest perfume orders from Paris which are being displayed both in the shop and in the dressing room. The fragrances are amazing and there are so many choices to choose from. Quelina is having a ball with them. She enjoyed fixing up the table I had in the dressing room and they look quite nice.

Today I had quite a surprise. Madam De France came to visit me. She was impressed how the shop is turning out. She helped me with some designs and gave me some useful tips for hat making. She sketched some under garments which I still need to work on. They are not my forte but they are definitely wanted. I really hope that she will visit me again. We had tea and cakes at The Coffee Corner. Madam De France really enjoyed it.  Manuel has such a way with his clients. During my way back home a came across two beautiful paintings which I couldn't resist. They where just perfect for the boutique and they where at a very good price. Hazel the artist was really happy to give them to me. 

I am still hunting for an apartment and I am losing hope now of finding one. It is getting very difficult. I am sure I will eventually find what I am looking for. Until then I am happy staying with my sister. The place is getting smaller as I got more of my stuff from the Manor house. Most of it I am keeping it in the boutique. 

So this is all for today my dear friend. Hopefully I will be opening the shop very soon. I am hoping that it will be done before Christmas. I am really excited about the festive season. 

Time for some shut eye.

Nighty night.

Leah xxx

So that is all for today my dear friends. Keep tuned for more updates on Miss Leah's Boutique and her adventures. 

Take care and see you soon.

Hugs,

Rebecca xxx