Mooredge Manor

Small Time Masterpiece

2011-12-07T19:01:00.000Z

Gosh it has been a while since I updated here. Sadly all work on my miniatures ground to a halt while my office was being redecorated. Now that is finished and the houses are back in their proper places but I've just not had the time to do anything - I'm knitting like crazy every spare moment of the day in preparation for launching a new venture in the Spring. I must remedy this, miniatures are good for the soul!

I've been oohing and ahhing over the beautiful offerings from Small Time Miniatures. They specialise in clocks but their furniture is also a wonder to behold. Just look at this reproduction Morris & Co cabinet!

They also make a splendid Voysey mantle clock as well as several other Arts and Crafts inspired pieces, including a Liberty bookcase, Voysey's Swan chair, a lovely little table and a chair by AH Mackmurdo.

An Alternative Lodge

2011-10-03T11:20:00.000+01:00

We're still decorating the 'real' house, so progress on Mooredge Manor is minimal right now... but I have picked up a couple of back issues of The Doll's House Magazine (121 and 122). These feature a version of The Lodge decorated by Pearl Hudson (of Literature in Miniature), and it's absolutely amazing! The brick exterior isn't one I'd have chosen myself, but it does work very well, and I love the changes she's made to the windows and the chimneys. I'd love to know how she inserted the leaded windows too, since I haven't been able to work that out yet! Inside, the doors have been replaced with planked versions, which is what I was planning to do. And the fully panelled hall is astounding. The rest of the interior decoration isn't really to my taste, but it is fascinating seeing how someone else has worked with the space, and what has been added or altered.
If anyone else reading has The Lodge from Elphin, I'd really love to see pictures!

Birthday Kitty

2011-09-22T09:30:00.000+01:00

This splendid feline is a belated birthday present from my lovely husband (yes, I do request minis for all my presents!), and was of course made by Sarah Hendry. I've a few other cats also made by her, but I specifically wanted a black cat since my own beloved kitty is a sleek black female called Avalon. I'm not sure which house she'll be living in yet, but where ever, it is I'll have to find a suitably cosy spot.

Progress. And Wait.

2011-09-12T09:07:00.000+01:00

This is where I am right now: The walls have been rendered with Limestone stone coat (which looks great), the stone window surrounds, chimneys and roof pinnacles are painted in sandstone stone coat (also good), and the quoins and main chimney stack have been rendered with the stone compound (which while a little on the tricky side, was actually easier than I'd anticipated. But would have been immeasurably easier if I had a can of spray mount which wasn't a billion years old and only capable of oozing a gelatinous blob of glue when I tried spraying!). I need to paint the window frames (I've settled on Sage green/grey now) and age the stonework. And do the roof. And lots of other things. But it is sadly all on hold for the next few weeks as the room the house is standing in is being redecorated, and I've had to shroud it in dust sheets. So, I'll be right back to it just as soon as I can...

Anniversary Mission

2011-09-07T14:39:00.000+01:00

My lovely husband and I are celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary today, and his gift for me was this beautiful Mission silver cigar box by Don Henry. It is so dainty and lovely! (Thank you my dear!). The American Mission style equates with the British Arts & Crafts so this will fit right in with Mooredge Manor.

A New Look

2011-08-30T18:18:00.000+01:00

I decided to take the summer off from blogging, hence the lack of updates around here. I have been continuing to work on Mooredge Manor though! It took ages for the new paints to arrive so I'm a little behind schedule. So far the limestone render and sandstone details have been painted. This week I plan to begin adding the stone quoins and chimney stack, using the brick compound and stencils. I've never used this before and all the tutorials show it being worked on flat pieces prior to assembly... fingers crossed it goes OK and I don't mess everything up!

I've also been playing around with the look of the blog itself. The background is the 'I Love Little Pussy' wallpaper designed by CFA Voysey in 1898. This is available as a full-size wallpaper from Trustworth Studios. Their collection is jaw-droppingly gorgeous - and I wish it came in miniature! I particularly like 'Whoot' and 'Bat and Poppy'.

Welcome - And An Update

2011-08-04T16:13:00.000+01:00

Just a quick note to say hello and welcome to the new followers!
I am still busily painting away, although I have just run out of paint (argh! That stone coat paint looks wonderful, but takes many, many more coats than it says on the tin!). I'm itching to get on with it - I have to get all the messy work done to the house before the (full size) room I am working in is redecorated. Despite my best efforts I still manage to splash paint around and I can't do that once the carpet goes in...
I'm also struggling against my self-imposed miniatures budget... does anyone else have to limit themselves? I could so easily spend ££££s every year, but instead try to stick to £200 per year (plus whatever kind relatives may pass my way each birthday). Usually it works, but since I'm mid-decorating it would be so easy to overspend on wallpapers and fireplaces and all the other things I need! I've virtually spent up, and it is only August. Oh to be rich! (Well rich enough to be able to afford to splurge on frivolous things like dolls houses anyway!)

Painting In Progress

2011-07-18T17:13:00.001+01:00

I'm at that 'putting lots of work in, but it doesn't really look like it' stage with Mooredge Manor. I've been painting and sanding and filling gaps and sanding and painting for weeks now and it still doesn't look like much. I'm also at the 'oh no, I hope I haven't made a huge mistake' stage - I've found it rather disheartening the amount of work I've had to do to get a semi-decent finish. I think going from Tanglewood which was CAD designed and laser cut in MDF to Mooredge, which is hand made in plywood, has given me unrealistic expectations about the amount of prep work I need to do. I've come to the conclusion that most of the surfaces will have to be covered with wallpaper or render since whatever I do the painted areas still look like roughly painted wood! But on I go...

So far, it's been primed inside and out, the roof has had a grey wash to give me an idea of the final colours and the interior ceilings have been painted. This week I'll start applying the lime stone render to the outside. Fingers crossed I get over the 'oh no' stage quickly. I want to enjoy this!

To distract myself I've just finished a little mini project - I bought this cheap and cheerful book trough, sandpapered all the gloopy varnish off and re-stained and oiled it. It's come up quite nicely, and makes a good home for these splendid Treefeathers books.

Pepperwood Miniatures' Lovely Lamps

2011-07-04T13:12:00.001+01:00

How amazing are these Tiffany style lamps?! They are the work of Dan Worsham of Pepperwood Miniatures. Why, I'd like them all thanks...

Edwardian Era Miniatures

2011-06-27T12:43:00.001+01:00

Proving yet again the universe always provides what you most need at the time you most need it, is the timely publication of Jane Harrop's new book Edwardian Era Miniatures. Having despaired at the distinct lack of Arts & Crafts furniture available I'd resigned myself to making my own. While I have a pretty good idea of what I want, I wasn't really looking forward to all the trial and error of working out how to make them. Enter Jane, who has done the hard work for me - the book contains a wealth of plans for furniture and accessories, much of it Arts & Crafts inspired, for every room of the house. I particularly like the simple little occasional table, the hallstand and dining table. There are apparently furniture kits forthcoming too, which will be excellent for people like me who cannot cut wood in a straight line! I've made a couple of Jane's kits in the past and they're super easy and can be finished however you want. I'm really looking forward to creating some of these lovely projects for Mooredge Manor.

Perfect Paintings in Miniature

2011-06-21T14:52:00.001+01:00

I've been taking a little break from miniatures whilst on holiday in Devon (where I got to indulge in two other favourite obsessions, knitting and faeries). But I'm home now and plan to make a start on Mooredge Manor this week. Nothing major though, I'll just be filling holes and sanding, ready for the priming next week (at least, I hope!).
I just wanted to share a link to a British artist who paints the most wonderful miniature reproductions of Pre-Raphaelite and other artists work. I'm not usually fond of miniature repros since they mostly never manage to capture the spirit of the original, but Linda McBreen's examples are absolutely lovely. I would love to fill the walls of the Manor with Waterhouses and Millais' in 12th scale. Actually, I'd love to fill my life-size house with them too, but since my budget doesn't stretch that far I will have to settle for miniature!

Drumroll Please...

2011-06-07T17:23:00.000+01:00

I hereby present to you a FINISHED* Tanglewood Lodge!

It's been a long time coming but I'm really pleased with how it has turned out. All those evenings staring at the bare MDF structure while nursing my son gave me plenty of time to think and plan and visualise... It looks so different now - the beams have been textured with filler giving them a nice wood-like effect, and I added pegs for a little authentic touch. The walls were painted in 'cord' from Farrow & Ball and given several washes to age them. The roof (oh the roof!) was tiled using shingles from Borcraft Miniatures, with ridge trim from DHE, and then also aged. The spiral chimney is from Romney Miniatures, and I painted it with sandstone effect paint. I remade the front door, which was originally just MDF. Now it is ledged and braced with tiny studs. The hardware is from Sussex Crafts, CA & BA Hooper and Romney Miniatures. Finally the leading on the windows was from Ironworks.

* Well, finished on the outside, anyway. I've some floors and panelling to finish off inside. but that is all!

Mooredge Manor Exterior Decoration Ideas

2011-05-30T16:32:00.003+01:00

Since Tanglewood is so very nearly done (just finishing off the interior now!), I'm beginning to finalise my ideas for the decoration of Mooredge Manor. The exterior is inspired by the stunning Lakeland Arts & Crafts house Blackwell, which was designed by Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott and completed in 1900.

The walls will be sandstone blocks on the lower levels, then rough cast rendered with a off-white limewash finish (Farrow & Ball 'Lime White'), with sandstone quoins, roof edgings, drip moulds and window sills (all painted using stone paint). I want the chimneys to look like they're made from stone blocks (using the stencils and compound from Bromley Craft Products). I'd like to add guttering too, either from Sussex Crafts or JSM Miniatures. The roof will be covered in slates, however there is quite a lot of area to cover and the house is heavy enough as it is, so real slate is out. I looked at the versi-slates from Richard Stacey however, and I think they'll do the job nicely. The house's chimneys are a little basic as is, but I think I will replace them with the lovely spiral pots from Romney Miniatures, painted with stone paint. This is what I used on Tanglewood Lodge and it looks great, and it would be a nice little link between the two houses.

The windows are a mixture of sash and casement, painted dark green. I think they will be leaded too, with stained glass in the prominent rooms. The casement windows have wrought iron curled handles and stays (bought from David Provan at Kensington). I'm thinking the flat roofs above the bay windows would look nice in weathered copper.

If I can find or make one, I'd love a carved stone Green man above the front porch entry. Currently the front door is panelled (as are all the interior doors) but I'm considering making a ledged and braced oak door which is more in keeping with the Arts & Crafts style, and putting some strap hinges on! It will be painted the same dark green as the windows. I'm inspired by the door shown here (from a real cottage in Devon). The porch is stone with flags on the floor and a copper bell hangs by the door.

There is a small strip of garden surrounding the house, which will be either paved or grassed, with plants in pots. Since the house has 360° detailing I need to find a way to disguise wiring for lights - right now I think running all the wires down the main chimney and having a log stack and foliage to conceal where they emerge. I'm not sure how well this will work in reality though!

So Very Nearly There!

2011-05-23T12:55:00.001+01:00

The exterior of Tanglewood Lodge is so very, very nearly finished! But I am not yet ready to share photos, as I want to wait until the windows are leaded and that means I have to wait until the York Fair on June 5th to buy supplies!

However I did get around to a task which I've been putting off for ages - wiring the house. As you can see. it worked! (Eventually!) Actually it wasn't as complicated as I'd feared although I was surrounded by little bits of wire by the end and there may have been a bit of swearing going on... But I did a little happy dance of joy when I switched it on at the wall and the room was bathed in warm glowing light...

Kensington Dollshouse Festival

2011-05-16T18:54:00.000+01:00

Last Friday I had a lovely day in London at the Kensington Dollshouse Festival. I was partly on a fact finding mission regarding decoration for Mooredge Manor, and I'm pleased to find the roof tiles, fireplaces and wallpaper I had picked out all look fantastic in the flesh so I can go ahead and order them. I was also excited to find some really realistic looking leaded glass sheets that I'm going to use on Tanglewood Lodge (I've been using thin strips of electrical tape and it just wasn't working for me!). Other than that my only agenda was shopping, and I've come home with some splendid bits and pieces.

The birdcage is by Lidi Stroud; the folding table, table top easel, artists palette and hand rest from Ellie de Lacy; ceramic jug and washbasin by Elizabeth Causeret, orchid and moneybag from The Little Dollhouse Company; ceramic stag ornament by Janice Crawley; and fireback from CA & BA Hooper. I also got a cupboard furniture kit, some more fabric and a set of really amazing curly window latches and stays (that work!).
Also, it was quite exciting to see Helena Bonham Carter there, buying a house for her faery dolls!

Kim Selwood Furniture (And Some Progress News!)

2011-05-07T08:19:00.002+01:00

There sadly isn't much in the way of Arts & Crafts furniture available in miniature, but Kim Selwood is an exception. His catalogue covers Morris & Co., Liberty, MH Baillie Scott, CFA Voysey and many others.

I'd love a Sussex Chair from Morris and Co. for Mooredge Manor. And I really like all the Voysey furniture too! I am going to Kensington Dolls House Festival next week so we'll see what comes home with me...

And news of Tanglewood Lodge - the roof is finished!!! Finally, hurrah! It does feel like I've been ironing those shingles on for years now. In my excitement at finishing I've been in a whirlwind of activity, and am now nearly through with the ageing of the house's exterior. It is quite amazing what a wash of grey paint can do! I still need to weather the beams and flick lichen onto the roof, lead the windows and scatter grass all over the base, but then it will be done! Photos will be coming soon.

A Few New Little Things

2011-04-05T13:58:00.000+01:00

We've just spent a lovely weekend in Bath, so of course I had to pop into Karon Cunningham's Pulteney Bridge shop. I had to restrain myself otherwise I'd have spent an absolute fortune, but I did have a little bit of birthday money to spend, and so these came home with me:

I think they're all by the same German maker, but his name is a mystery!

Still Here! Still Roofing!

2011-03-24T20:11:00.000Z

I just wanted to say a quick hello to the new people that are following this blog. I am still here and work is still progressing on the houses... just really REALLY slowly. In between flu, epic spring cleans and just general busyness I'm having to snatch time to work on the houses where I can. I'm still ironing tiles onto the roof of Tanglewood Lodge - a job I can only do when my husband has taken our son out for a walk, because toddlers and hot irons really don't mix! When Max is here he is very helpful and likes to 'paint' the house with a dry paintbrush and poke things through the open windows! Perhaps I need to get him a dolls house of his own?!

Here is an in progress picture - I've finished half the roof, but it's amazing what a difference it's made already. The beams need touching up here and there and the whole thing needs weathering and landscaping... then there is just the interior to do.

An Arts & Crafts Dresser

2011-02-14T15:34:00.000Z

I actually found something from the Dolls House Emporium that I like! This dresser is from their Charles Rennie Mackintosh range and it's a lovely shape. Sadly it is finished in that gloopy brown varnish as so many of the DHE items are. (Complete with areas where dust and fibres have stuck to it, quality control anyone?!). I've decided to give it a makeover - either remove the varnish completely and restain and wax it, or if getting rid of the varnish is too tricky, I think it would look nice painted. I think I will add new handles and perhaps strap hinges on the larger door too.
I'm very taken with the painted furniture in William Morris' Red House, although they are far more grand and imposing than this! I did a quick websearch and this dresser from the collections of the Te Papa museum in New Zealand is quite similar. I like that the doors are made from boards rather than framed, (and that adzed finish is just gorgeous!). I could replace the doors, which means strap hinges would work better...

But anyway, this is a project that has to wait until after I finish those roof tiles!

My Life Right Now...

2011-01-04T14:33:00.000Z

Rooftiles... endless rooftiles...

Actually, it's not too bad, they do go on quite quickly - it is just time consuming fitting them around the dormer windows and where the two roofs meet.
I am using the iron on tiles from Borcraft Miniatures which are very easy to use, and it does look rather lovely.

Some Words of Wisdom From the Man Himself

2010-12-30T19:12:00.002Z

"If I were asked to say what is at once the most important production of Art and the one most to be longed for, I should answer, A Beautiful House."
William Morris

I also like this quote from Charles Voysey:

"Try the effect of a well-proportioned room with white-washed walls... and simple furniture and nothing in it but necessary articles of use."

A Peek At Tanglewood Lodge

2010-12-15T17:37:00.000Z

I've just thought, although I've mentioned it before I haven't yet shown you a picture of my other house, Tanglewood Lodge.

It is 'The Old Rectory', a limited edition cottage created by The Dolls House Builder for Miniatura's 50th show in 2008. I have number one of fifty, so quick was I off the mark to buy one! It has 4 good sized rooms and a little bit of garden space on the front.

I literally bought it 2 weeks before I found out I was pregnant, and although I did a bit of work before the bump got too vast, I've only really been working on it recently (in between work and toddler wrangling). So far I've added an inglenook and chimney breast inside, replaced the chimney pot, removed the trim on the roof (a bit too twee for me!), textured and painted the interior walls, and textured and painted the beams and exterior. I've started leading the windows and sticking the roof shingles on. Still to do, I need to remake the doors, give everything a nice weathering, install the lights, add some beams to the interior, lay floorboards and flagstones and landscape the base...hmmm, so not much then!

I'd really like to get this one finished before I fully throw myself into the Manor. I am terrible for starting projects and abandoning them unfinished and I am trying to be focused this time. I'll keep you updated on my progress...

Mini Haul from York

2010-11-29T11:52:00.000Z

We braved the snow to visit the Dolls House & Miniatures Fair at York Racecourse yesterday, and this is what came home with me...

Ladder by Harlands of Hedon, trio of copper saucepans and milk jug from Country Treasures, mistletoe bough by Jan Southerton, jar of herbs from Solway Miniatures and a most lovely shaped copper teapot from Forget-Me-Not Miniatures. (Pictured outside a nowhere near finished Tanglewood Lodge... )
I also picked up for wood and fabric for future projects.

The fair itself was pretty good, although really quiet. Perhaps the snow put people off? It is also the Kensington Christmas Fair next weekend so perhaps people were saving for that instead (I can't make it, as it clashes with my son's second birthday!). We've decided next year to give Miniatura a miss completely, and just go to Kensington and York. I really need to direct my time and money into actually decorating my dolls houses instead of just buying things for them!

A Little Patch of Faerie Magic

2010-11-23T17:15:00.000Z

This lovely planter (made by Farthingale) has been filled a little patch of faerie magic by the talented Veronica Ann Pickup. There are foxgloves, wild pansies, ferns and ivy (all associated with our Good Neighbours). This beauty will be sitting proudly outside the Manor... perhaps one day I'll be able to fill a whole garden with Veronica's work!

The Lodge Has Landed

2010-10-18T15:42:00.008+01:00

'The Lodge', or as it is henceforth known, Mooredge Manor, is here! And very impressive (and somewhat intimidating!) it is... My initial thought was 'Crikey, it's huge'... quickly followed by 'this is going to be a loooooong project'!

Now it has been moved into my office it doesn't look too vast, although I am going to have to get a special table or cupboard with a turntable for it to stand on. It is going to take a very long time to finish however... but that is all part of the fun!
I've been making tentative plans for decoration over the last few months but now I can actually see the rooms I can better visualise what will and won't work so I will be able to start finalising my ideas. The rooms include the big hallway with attic above, kitchen, studio, bathroom, conservatory, drawing room and bedroom.

Pear Tree Miniatures

2010-09-20T12:26:00.000+01:00

I've just received my latest parcel of goodies from Pear Tree Miniatures. The talented Barbara Moore makes beautiful carved wooden furniture inspired by historical pieces. Luckily for me, she will also rise to the challenge of making bespoke items, which in my case are a mish-mash of historical and fantasy inspirations.
These include a Unicorn Rocking Horse, a Glastonbury Chair carved with acorns and oak leaves (and Barbara's first attempt at this type of chair), a Gothic inspired trestle table (the only catalogue piece) and a matching settle (which combines elements of a few different designs). All of these beauties are bound for Tanglewood Lodge (when I finally finish decorating it! Just tackling the lighting now, and gearing myself up for attaching the 1000's of shingles on the roof...).

Pomegranates & Portabellas

2010-09-13T13:50:00.003+01:00

My husband and I have just celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary, and his gift to me was these lovely baskets of Pomegranates and Portabella Mushrooms. They are the work of IMGA Artisan Kiva Atkinson, and are absolutely AMAZING! And they arrived in time for our anniversary, despite only being ordered a week or so before!

The Highwayman Hideaway

2010-08-16T14:45:00.003+01:00

I want to share a project I started many years ago when I was feeling dolls house deprived (I was living in a rented flat 300 miles away from my main dolls house, which was still at my mum's). I built the cottage from scraps of MDF and liberal amounts of pollyfiller spread over the walls. I deliberately exaggerated the pitch of the roof for a more interesting shape (although in retrospect I think it was a bit too extreme!). The house opened at the side and had a landscaped area on the other side covered in handmade miniature heather bushes. My idea was the cottage was an isolated, windswept moorland croft which a highwayman used as a bolt hole. I made the furniture and the contents are from a number of different makers.

I'm now in my own house and the Highwayman Hideaway is being stored at my mum's. It never did get a roof, and all the contents have been recycled into other houses. I'm undecided about what to do with it - perhaps turn it into a faery house to live in the garden? Or maybe I will finish it off as I originally intended? It's a project for another day anyway!

A World in Miniature (And A Small Rant)

2010-08-09T13:48:00.002+01:00

We were in Carlisle this past weekend, so I decided to squeeze in a trip to the World in Miniature Museum at the same time. Located in the basement of a vast out-of-town garden centre it is an unlikely spot for a museum, nevertheless it is a fantastic collection featuring the work of come of the best contemporary miniature artisans around. Aside from an extensive collection of miniature needlework, the collection is arranged as a series of roomboxes covering all sorts of themes and time periods, from Rembrant's Gallery to a Victorian greengrocers. Predictably, I enjoyed the Hogwarts Tower and the Medieval timber framed hall featuring exquisite furniture by David Hurley most of all! There was also an Arts & Crafts living room which, while more Edwardian than pure Arts and Crafts, had some interesting pieces of furniture.

There is also a small Dolls House Emporium concession on site. It was such a contrast comparing the high quality museum pieces and the items in the shop. I know obviously we are talking about things at opposite ends of the scale, but I think there is no excuse for the lack of quality control in the DHE goods. They're cheap yes, but not that cheap! My husband is an industrial modelmaker by training and knows exactly what goes into the making of these things, and really there is no need for wonky sculpts and the splodgy paint jobs. And why on earth does all the furniture have to be covered in that nasty glossy varnish?! The scales also seem wrong on many things.
I know miniatures can be an expensive hobby, but at the end of the day I would far rather support the work of artists and buy their lovingly handmade pieces, than waste my money on cheap factory imports - even if it means buying fewer things and building my collection up over time. Alternatively, I try to make things I either cannot find elsewhere or can't otherwise afford. I know that not everyone considers themselves crafty and creative, but who knows what hidden talents lie unless you try? There are some brilliant books and tutorials out there with instructions to make just about everything, suitable for beginners to seasoned miniaturists.

Mooredge-in-the-Mist

2010-07-06T16:26:00.003+01:00

As I mentioned before, the place where all my dollshouses are set is a village called Mooredge-in-the-Mist. It is a Neverwhen kind of place, old fashioned by 21st century standards, but mixing up the technologies and fashions of a multitude of periods. It is also a faerie land where magic interweaves with everyday life and your next-door neighbour is more than likely a witch, or an elf (possibly both).

The name is of course inspired by Hope Mirrlees excellent novel Lud-in-the-Mist. Another big influence is Stardust, although Mooredge-in-the-Mist is more fully in Faerie than either Lud or Wall. I also like elements of the magical world as portrayed in the Harry Potter universe.

As I see it, Mooredge-in-the-Mist consists of quaint timber-framed and mellow stone dwellings, nestling in a valley surrounded by moorland and wild woods. Lack of space decrees I will only be able to bring to life a fraction of this enchanted village, but projects so far include:

Mooredge Manor
Home of Lady Gloriana Greenwood, eccentric spinster, amateur photographer and artist. Her 'little man' Brownie Goodfellow keeps the house in order and sleeps in the attic.

Tanglewood Lodge
The lodge lies at the end of Appleimp Lane, just at the edges of the village before the road disappears into the woods. It is home to Elvine and Aubrey Underhill. Elvie is a hedgewitch, and one of the lodge's rooms acts as her still room where she mixes up her herbal remedies. She also has a soft spot for animals and takes in injured and orphaned strays (who usually end up staying, like the fox and owl). Aubrey is a forest keeper and woodworker.

The Highwayman's Hideaway
A tiny windswept croft high in the moors. It is used as a bolt hole by a notorious highwayman who haunts the road over the moor into Mooredge in the Mist.

And Future Projects...

Rosa Sofia's Caravan
Travelling Gypsy Witch, Teller of Fortunes (Love Spells a Speciality).

The Faerie Market
Stalls will include a Wand and Staff Makers; Stones & Crystals; Herbs; Magical Creatures; Flying Carpets...

Crowcairn Tower
The home and workshop of the Wizard Crowcairn.

In Anticipation...

2010-06-28T20:44:00.002+01:00

I have just this day sent a deposit for this most glorious of dollshouses. 'The Lodge' is made by George Parker of Elphin Dollshouses. Sadly, I have to wait until September before it will be ready, but until then I will be eagerly planning decoration schemes and furnishings, all of which I intend to document here.
Although I really, really don't need another dollshouse, I feel this one just had to be mine. I first saw it advertised in an issue of Dolls House World many years ago, but then the Elphin website had since disappeared and I assumed Elphin had gone out of business. Then last month, whilst trying to avoid the rain, I wandered into some canal-side workshops in Hebden Bridge that I rarely visit. I can't tell you how excited I was to notice that one of these workshops was home to a dollshouse maker, and yes, it was Elphin!

From the Elphin Brochure: Based on an 1840’s pattern book dwelling, this unusual house has 5 rooms, a full height hall and a conservatory. The house offers interesting views on every side and the rooms are accessed through 4 opening panels on 3 sides.

I have ordered The Lodge with an additional room, a small attic space above the hallway with a staircase leading from the 1st floor landing. I want to decorate in the Arts & Crafts style as I love that aesthetic, although I am sure there will be a fantasy element creeping in... All my dollshouses are set in the village of Mooredge-in-the-Mist, in a land much like England was long ago, only magic is real and the woods are enchanted. I am so excited to be bringing another little piece of this world to life...