A Wonderful Return to Arnhem and Special Treasures

 Hello Everyone,

How are you all? I hope you are doing well. Welcome back to the workshop for a very exciting travel update! I can't believe that it has been two weeks already. 

Between the 17th and 18th of October, Posy and I traveled to the Netherlands for the Dolls House Nederland Show in Arnhem. I always call The Netherlands my second home, and this trip was absolutely perfect.

The weather was amazing, and the show was held as usual at the beautiful Papendal Hotel. It was so incredibly nice to meet and catch up with old friends from the miniature community.

There were so many beautiful and detailed miniatures to see and buy. 

 Naturally, I also got some wonderful goodies! Returning home from the Netherlands, one truly special treasure managed to make the journey back with me. 

It is an antique German Kaufmannsladen, or grocer shop room box, which dates to around the turn of the twentieth century. Traditional German workshops crafted these angled three wall shops so children could immerse themselves in the daily routines of a dry goods merchant, known as a Kolonialwarenladen.

The original details have survived remarkably well, from the early printed geometric floor and patterned wall frieze to the warm wooden apothecary cabinet. The miniature pull out drawers still carry their original German paper labels for staples like Mehl for flour, Gries for semolina, Kakao for cocoa, Bohnen for beans, Bonbons for sweets, and Zucker for sugar. In shops like this, merchants weighed loose provisions on tiny brass balance scales and packaged them into hand rolled paper cones. My intention is to keep this piece preserved in its original authentic state. I will simply be restoring the few missing details, gently cleaning the aged surfaces, and sourcing the right period accessories to bring this little historic grocery back to life. I cannot wait to share the gentle restoration process with you as it unfolds.

I also got two Blue Delft miniatures. I picked up a tiny naughty puppy and a tiny rocking chair that fitted nicely in my Blue Delft project.

Since I am actively preparing for my Victorian teddy bear shop build, I made sure to get a few miniature teddy bears. One of my favorites is a beautiful bear done by Janet.

 I also found the most tiny one made by Betty! 

I acquired some exquisite furniture pieces made by Mr. Han J. Georgen to go in the sewing room of the Mouse House

A few more teddies to fill in the shop, along with a few lighting pieces and some DIY supplies.

At the very end of the show, I had the absolute privilege to meet a 92 years young gentleman named Mr. Edo Wilod Versprille. 

He traveled all the way from Amsterdam with his wonderful sister Soraya just to meet me in Arnhem! The talented Edo had built a beautiful Maltese dolls house in 1:10 scale after his brief stay when he visited Malta on a holiday. I was so completely flabbergasted with his detailed work. Both of us built a wonderful connection, and I promised that I will visit him in Amsterdam this coming January. It was the perfect ending to a magical weekend. 

Also a beautiful Steiff teddy bear returned with me to Malta.

So this is all for today. I hope you enjoy my new goodies. I am sure you will be seeing them soon in my projects. Make sure to keep tuned for the next updates and latest news.  Wishing you a very happy weekend. 

Take Care and See You Soon.

Hugs,

Rebecca xxx

Returning to NET TV and Exciting New Miniature Projects

 Hello Everyone,

Welcome back to the workshop for some wonderful news! I am absolutely thrilled to announce that I will be returning for the brand new season of Hello Min hemm? on NET TV with the wonderful host and friend Malcolm Pisani. 

A few weeks ago, I was invited onto the show to discuss my summer projects and share what I had been working on during the summer break. We had a lovely time talking about the completion of The Bon Bon Emporium.

I also got to share my new hand painted miniature designs. I am really pleased how these turned out and to do my very first miniature working lamp. 

Also the beautiful designed fruit centre piece with polymer clay sculpted fruit. 

I mentioned the beautiful vintage dollhouse recently donated to the museum by the Catechism Centre right here in Marsaskala. 

During the show, we also discussed of what the audience can expect from me throughout this upcoming television season.

This coming Monday marks the official beginning of my brand new on air project. I will be starting construction on a beautiful Victorian shop, which will specifically be a vintage teddy bear shop! This new build will eventually join my other street of shops down on Regent Street. Designing a space dedicated entirely to miniature bears is a project very close to my heart, and I cannot wait to bring all the tiny details to life right in front of the cameras.

As if one major build was not enough, I also revealed my plans for a completely different endeavour that will kick off sometime after Christmas. For the very first time ever, I will be building a traditional Maltese house on the show. I am really looking forward to it, but I must admit it is also a bit scary since I have never tackled this specific architectural style before. Traditional Maltese houses are quite deep in their building structure, so figuring out how to successfully transform that layout into a functional, open dollhouse format is not going to be easy. It will be a completely unique challenge, and I am excited to take you all along for the journey on live television.

Here is the introduction on the show for those who missed out.

Make sure to tune in this Monday to catch the very first steps of the Victorian teddy bear shop! I am so excited to be back on the show with Malcolm. 

I will be sharing plenty of updates and behind the scenes photos right here on the blog as the season progresses. Make sure to keep tuned for the next updates and latest news. 

Take Care and See You Soon.

Hugs,

Rebecca xxx

A Magical Conclusion The Disney Dolls House Interior is Complete

 Hello Everyone

I hope you are all well. It has been a while but I have to say I have been busy like always. 

Welcome back to the studio for a truly momentous update. Today I am sharing the absolute grand finale of my Disney Dolls House project. After spending the past few summers meticulously building the beautiful exterior at my summer quarters, I have finally completed decorating the entire interior.

I am totally in love with how it turned out, and I cannot wait to take you on a complete tour of every single themed room.

Starting at the very bottom, the basement has been transformed into a cozy Winnie the Pooh area, perfect for a touch of Hundred Acre Wood magic. Moving up to the ground floor, the entrance hallway welcomes you with a beautifully icy Frozen theme. Right next to it, the main sitting room is entirely dedicated to our beloved Mickey Mouse, filled with classic nostalgic details. And right on the other side, the kitchen has become a wonderful Alice in Wonderland space, looking absolutely ready for a whimsical tea party.

As we head up the stairs, the first floor hallway serves as an elegant music area inspired by the Aristocats. The main bedroom on this level is a luxurious Cinderella themed suite fit for a princess, complete with beautiful regal touches. Just down the hall, the bathroom dives under the sea with a vibrant Little Mermaid theme.

Finally, we reach the top of the house which holds some of my absolute favourite spaces. Up in the roof section, the incredible turret room has been designed as a magical Peter Pan themed nursery. 

The centre room in the attic brings a splash of sunshine with a Donald Duck beach and seaside theme, giving the space a wonderful coastal feel. Tucked away right next to it is a quiet, elegant study themed around Beauty and the Beast.

Bringing all these classic stories to life inside one massive miniature house has been an unforgettable journey. Seeing every room fully furnished and decorated exactly as I imagined is the perfect way to close the door on this beautiful summer project!

I hope you have enjoyed it. Make sure to keep tuned for the next update and latest news. I have so much to share with you. 

Take Care and See You Soon. 

Hugs,

Rebecca xxx

Inspecting The Chantry Manor and a Hidden Discovery

 Hello Everyone,

Welcome back to the workshop for another exciting update on our newest arrival! Since introducing The Chantry Manor to you all, I have spent a lot of time carefully inspecting every single corner of this beautiful vintage build.

 

My main goal right now is to plan out the restoration process. I want to be very clear that my intention is purely to restore the dollhouse, not to renovate or change its original character. I would love to keep it exactly as it is to honour the original builder. It definitely needs a very good clean up, and I spotted a few errant paint marks on the roof that will need some gentle attention, but overall the bones of the house are absolutely fantastic.

 

Another testament to the incredible craftsmanship is the windows. I was absolutely thrilled to discover that all the window panes are made of real glass! It is such a beautiful and delicate feature to find perfectly intact on an older piece, and it adds a wonderful sense of realism to the exterior.

 When I first started examining the outside, I immediately noticed that both of the chimney stalks appeared to be completely missing. I made a mental note that I would probably have to build replicas. However, as I moved my inspection to the interior, I noticed something incredibly interesting. 

Every single room had tiny ceiling bulbs, indicating that the house was fully wired for electricity. Naturally, I started trying to track the source of the wiring to see if the system was still viable.

 My search led me to the top of the house, where, to my absolute delight, I discovered a hidden compartment built right into the roof. 

Inside this secret space, there was a designated area where batteries can be fixed, complete with a switch to turn the lights on. But that was not even the best part. 

To my absolute biggest surprise, tucked away safely inside that hidden roof compartment were both of the missing chimney stalks! I was so incredibly happy to find them there.

 It means I have the original exterior pieces and I will not have to worry about replacing or colour matching new wood.

Moving back down to the rooms, I took a closer look at the décor. I am thrilled to report that the original wallpaper and flooring are all in remarkably good shape. While the retro patterns and shades are certainly not my usual colouring, I am determined to embrace them and make them work perfectly for my vision. The layout itself is what truly captures my heart. I am completely in love with the top floor design. 

The staircase cleverly hides behind the central room, and you can see a beautiful line of sight looking straight through the doorways.

Down in the main hallway, there is a lovely mirror fixed to the back wall which adds so much depth to the space. I did notice one tiny flaw, as a small piece of the stair railing has been knocked off, but that will be a very simple fix during the cleaning process. 

The more time I spend with The Chantry Manor, the more I truly love it. It is full of surprises and character, and I cannot wait to start the delicate process of bringing it back to life!

Here is a short video of part 2 of The Chantry.

So this is all for today. Make sure to keep tuned for next update and latest news.

Take Care and See You Soon.

Hugs,

Rebecca xxx

Introducing The Chantry Manor

Hello Everyone,

How are you all? I hope you are doing well. Welcome back to the workshop for a very special update! Today I have the absolute pleasure of introducing a brand new project to My Miniature World. 

Recently, this beautiful vintage dollhouse was passed down to me from The Catechism Centre right here in Marsaskala. The house was most likely given to them as a donation at some point, and unfortunately, they simply no longer had the room to keep it.

When they realized it needed a new home, they contacted me directly. They expressed a strong desire for the house to remain within the Marsaskala community, and knowing that I operate the only dollhouse museum in Malta, they felt they could not imagine it going to a better place. I am incredibly honoured to welcome it into the collection, especially since I do not actually have any old dollhouses in the museum! This makes it a completely unique and exciting addition to our displays.

Finding the right name for such a special piece is an important first step. I decided to name this wonderful house The Chantry Manor. The word chantry refers to a building, chapel, or endowment dedicated to religious and community purposes. Choosing this name is my way of honouring the fact that it came to me from The Catechism Centre.

I have to say, I am completely blown away by the craftsmanship. Whoever built this knew exactly how to construct a sturdy, beautiful dollhouse.

Looking at the exterior, the manor is a beautiful solid wood construction featuring a natural wood grain finish, a wide pitched roof, and a wonderfully symmetrical façade with multiple paned windows. The architecture has a very distinct British influence. This does not surprise me at all, considering Malta spent over a century as a British colony. Especially around the time of World War II, we had a large number of Royal Navy officers and British families living on the island, and those architectural tastes clearly is visible in this dollshouse.

The front panels of the house swing open like grand doors to reveal a fantastic interior layout. The centre of the home features a beautiful main hallway complete with a wooden staircase leading up to the second floor. Surrounding this central hall are five spacious rooms, some of which still feature vintage floral wallpaper.

Having a hallway and five full rooms gives me an incredible canvas to work with. I am already brainstorming how to restore these spaces while respecting the vintage charm of the original build. I absolutely cannot wait to share more of this restoration journey with you all as I bring The Chantry Manor back to its full glory!

Here is a short video too

This is all for today. I hope you'll like it and follow the journey with me. Make sure to keep tuned for the next update and latest news. 

Take Care and See You Soon.

Hugs,

Rebecca xxx