Welcome to Mill Cottage

As you know I've been working on a entry for the Dollshouse Emporium's Creative Competition.  Now that the deadline for entries has past, I can finally show off the result of my labours; Mill Cottage.

Mill Cottage was made from DHE's "Cabin" kit. I modified the kit by moving the front door to the front, raising the height of the walls and adding a chimney and dormer window in the roof.

The walls were given a stone effect by coating them will polyfilla and scoring lines in it while still wet.  The roof is thatched with fur fabric.

I also added a porch over the front door and a small garden at the front.  The windows were given a leaded look by using my favourite product, faux leadlighting paints.

Mill Cottage gets it's as long ago it was a working mill.  Although long since converted into a cozy abode, it retains the old mill wheel.  The wheel was made out of balsa wood and actually turned until the solid water was added (which glued it in place).  The culvert is lined with fishtank stones and a little lichen moss.

 Inside, Mill Cottage is very homey.  The walls are papered with a scrapbooking paper with some wooden panelling around the bottom painted a lilacy-purple.

The reason why I raised the height of the walls was to have the headroom to add a mezzanine level for the bedroom.

Beneath the bedroom is the kitchen.  The oven just fits under the stairs while the table is ready for a tea break complete with cuppa and slice of freshly baked cake.

The sitting area sports a pair of armchairs nestled close to the open fireplace.  A shelf by the front door provides a place to deposit keys and mail on the way in as well as a spot to hang your outdoor coat and take off your muddy boots.

 The front porch and garden are afixed to the removable front of the cottage to make it easier to lift off.  The cottage is home to Florie who wears a hand made apron.

You can see more photos of Mill Cottage in my Flickr photostream here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/dollshouses/sets/72157634780597751/

I will share more details about Mill Cottage over the coming weeks.