Madame Bellerose and a Giant Cat

From now on, my 'Victorian Gothic' house will be known as 'Madame Bellerose's' after the miniature 'owner' of the house. Meanwhile, take a look below at what happened to her house over the weekend. It was invaded by a giant cat called Ginny!

Two for One . . .

It was kind of inevitable wasn't it? After all, I couldn't decide whether to do the Dragon's Maiden or the Magician's Lookout first, so I did both together. So this time 'round when I had trouble choosing between two ideas I suppose I always knew I'd end up giving up on choosing and doing both together. And so I have. Form now on I am officially working on both a medieval/tudor bakery and a victorian gothic house. At this point the projects are simple called "The Bakery" and the "Victorian Gothic". Hopefully they will attract more inspired titles as they develop. As I've mentioned in earlier blog posts, both projects will make use of cheap flat-packed shelf units. The Victorian Gothic will be built into two shelving units, a three shelf and a two shelf. Here's a pic of each unit assembled as per the instructions: They will be side by side with doors and stairwells cut in at appropriate places. They create space for five rooms which at the moment will be: a bedroom, a lounge-come-study, an entrance hall with feature staircase, a "seance" room where the house's resident psychic conducts business and a kitchen, perhaps with an additional partition wall to create space for a scullery behind. The Bakery will start with the basement which will be built into this box: Yes, I do know that subterranean bakeries are not exactly common, historically or now, but when did I ever say I was trying for historical accuracy? Besides, having the bakery on a different level to the 'shop' means that I can give each area more space and thus more detail. As the next photo shows, I have started work on the basement by cutting boards for a 'fake' floor and front facade. The main chamber is the bakery, accessed by a ladder leading to a hatch onto the 'street' level. Of the two smaller chambers at the bottom, one is for storage (of flour sacks etc) while the other is for a sewer. I think that someone associated with the bakery is engaged in smuggling and uses the access between the storage space and the sewer to come and go unseen. Perhaps the mill where the flour comes from is close to a gem mine and gems are being smuggled into the city in the flour sacks? I haven't quite decided what the story is here, but something nefarious is definitely going on.

More Links

Tried to find some nice ribbon lately? Something that could work as a staircarpet or a decoration on a dress. Around my way, you'd better not even try. This is the best online store in Australia selling a decent range of ribbon that I have been able to find: Ribbon Worx And another aussie miniatures site: Egg Miniatures They are more focused on egg decorating, but do have a small range of dollshouse supplies.

Inspirations and Other Stuff

The following are a mixed assortment of images I've collected as inspiration for my tudor and victorian gothic houses.

Gothic or Tudor?

As my current DH projects are nearing completion, it is time to start planning the next project. My long standing list of ideas contains everything from a viking longboat to an art deco room and is constantly being added to. When I start a project, it usually turns out to be something completely different than I originally had in mind, so the original item remains on the list to I can try it again later. The result? I need a bigger notebook for just the undeveloped ideas! The two forerunners for my next task are a house for a witch in a Victorian Gothic style (or maybe medieval gothic?) and a tudor 'shop'. A few weeks ago I picked up some cheap flat-packed bookcases from a local bargain retailer (yep, Chickenfeed again). One has two shelves (making three rooms) and one is just a single cube, perfect for a roombox. If I decide to go Tudor, I'll use the single box as the basement which will be a storeroom or workroom for the shop. Ontop of the box I'll build the main house (from scratch - what a scary thought!). The first level will be on stilts and open, this is where the shop/market/stall will be, with perhaps a small 'room'section for an office. Ontop of that will be at least two levels of residence. I'm not sure what type of business this will be, but it will be a successful business as the owners living above are quite affluent people with the best of everything. With this project I can build it room-by-room, starting with the basement and working up, treating each level as it's own roombox. If I choose gothic, I'll use the larger shelf unit to make a three story house and maybe go back to the shops and pick up a one shelf/two level shelf to put beside the three level shelves to make a five room house. I'm thinking I will put the 'front' door at the side and cover the open front with clear perspex so that the house has a front fascade but is still open for display. (I don't really see the point in taking so much time decorating the insides and then shutting them away behind a wall!) I want to put in some ornate gothic windows and doors and perhaps a round turrent. The inhabitant of the house will be a witch or sorceress. Perhaps she makes money as a psychic and holds séances in her front room. Both houses can be made as floor standing units, which is a good thing as I am pretty much out of shelf space. Of course, I've thought that for years but keep finding more ways to fit more in!

Interior Design Link

Need help designing or co-ordinating your dollshouse? The following site is designed to help people plan their full size decoration, but the tips and ideas will work just as well in smaller scale. Link: Interior Design Tutor