Another window seat in the making

Above the window seat on the second floor of the Garfield/Greenleaf Thumbelina I made some double sided roman shades out of an ivory silk on the backside and a silk velvet on the front.  I added tiny detail bows and cording out of some silk, ivory samuel and son passmenterie.  I initially had some lace treatments underneath, but then I could not see in the house.  I ended up removing them.

Since this window seat is removable, it made it easier to put together.  I love the tiny tassels and bows.  I used a seafoam silk for the window seat upholstery.  If I could fit I would be sitting on this seat constantly curled up with a good book and my dogs!

I made a pelmet for over the french doors in the 2nd floor hallway.  I used cardstock, a seafoam silk, and ivory, silk cording for the trim and bows.  The soothing, damask wallpaper can be purchased from Itsy Bitsy Minis.  I am excited to start putting the wood, parquet floor in!

La Grande Maison-The Greenleaf Garfield Dollhouse: The Thumbelina is under Construction

La Grande Maison-The Greenleaf Garfield Dollhouse: The Thumbelina is under Construction

Inspired by Claude Monet's Kitchen

 When I went to Paris we took a side trip to Giverney which was the home and gardens of the famous French Impressionist Claude Monet who lived from 1840-1926.  I grew up loving his paintings and reading over and over the book Linnea in Monet's Garden by Cristina Bjork.  When I finally visited I fell in love with his quaint, blue and white kitchen.  I knew my Greenleaf Garfield/Thumbelina had to have a similar kitchen!  The stove unit I purchased is the Mercer oven by Bespaq.  I glued in a delft-blue tile sheet to tie the room together.  It is one of my favorite, tiny details the house has so far.

Shantung Silk Drapery Treatments I made in a Pretty Pleat I by d. Anne Ruff Miniatures.  I find that hot glue works best in keeping the pleats in.  I used a pretty, blue gimp for the top of the pelmets I had in my gimp and passmenterie collection.

I am enjoying putting the bead board and chair rail in.  I used a plastic, embossed tin ceiling.  The small chandelier was brass, and I gave it a coat of shabby chic-esque white paint.  I hand painted the french blue accents with a detail brush.  I added some swarovski crystals that I purchased from Michael's craft store.

The butler pass-through window in the kitchen that leads to the dining room.  It really works!

The Dining Room

The Dining Room is one of my favorite rooms in the house.  I love murals, and I especially fell in love with this wallcovering depicting a hunt scene.  I decided to cut a hole in my Garfield/Greenleaf Thumbelina dollhouse and create a window pass-through from the dining room to the kitchen.  In reality, a cook would be able to pass the prepared food from the kitchen, to the dining room and place it on the shelving unit included in the kit.  I am adding a lovely crown moulding to the dining room.  I love the silk window treatments that match the color of the wallcovering respectively.  A Bespaq Louis XIV ding set and cameo-back chairs will be placed in this room.  They are white and upholstered in a lovely, blue satin. 

This room in the Garfield/Greenleaf Thumbelina will be the living and music room.  I made the window treatments out of a thick card stock, blue satin, and some lovely, cream passmenterie (trim).  I made the window seat using the original Garfield Greenleaf tower window seat and brought it down to the first floor.  I added wood aound the original seat's frame, coving trim to make the detail, upholstered the seat with foam and a silk, and glued everything in place with hot glue.  I used some silk cording from a Samual and Sons passmenterie I had to create the welting around the bench.

I made these little pillows out of a scrap of French Chintz I had on hand.  They are petite fleur de lys in blue on a cream background.  I added some matching silk cording from a Samual and Sons passmenterie I had handy.  I stuffed the tiny pillows with cotton balls.  Initially I tried to sew the pillows, but they will come out much nicer if you use hot glue on the fabric, then turn them inside out, and then stuff them.  Add the cording last.

Some of the pillows I purchased from a fabulous online shop called Itsy Bitsy Minis.  Neu Fam makes these tiny pillows herself, and they are simply gorgeous.  They fit in perfectly with my ornate, French decor in my Garfield Greenleaf/Thumbelina.  Itsy Bitsy Minis has over 2,000 fabulous wallcoverings for your miniature home!  I even purchased some pink and white toile fabric and wallcovering for my Garfield Greenleaf/Thumbelina to match my tiny pillows!  The pink toile items will be used in the "sitting & sewing room" which will be on the top floor of my dollhouse.  The pillows with the ladies on the pale pink background remind me of a monet painting I will be adding to the Thumbelina.

I have purchased many pieces of the Bespaq Louis XIV collection for the living and music room.  I am so excited to show them to you and install them after the wood, parquet flooring goes in!  The Ivory curtains you see in the background are by Barbara O'brien Curtains.  I have received some sad news that the company will be discontinuing the collection.  The tiny blue and white clock I purchased from Ms. Peggie's Place owned by Michael Sue Nanos in Pacific Beach, California.  I know it is not time to put accessoris in the house, but I couldn't help myself in seeing how it looks!  The white mirror in the back was once mahogany, and it is by Bespaq.  I liked the style of it, and I decided to add it to my other Bespaq items.

Its the little things that matter

I love little details!  For the master bedroom in the Garfield/Thumbelina I purchased some antique sconces to frame a Degas painting I had.  Then, I added a picture lamp to create warmth in the bedroom at night. I am currently trying to put the sconces in place.

 Some people like red roses, but I love pink ones.  I found these little paper flowers at Michaels that have tiny metal and paper covered stems.  They are bendable, so the roses are perfect for the trellis that comes with the Garfield Kit.  I like how they look like they are climbing up the vine.  The roses come in bundles of three (i.e. 3 bundles of different color pinks).  They are available in other colors if you are interested. 

I plan on making another trellis.  I am awaiting the arrival of it as well as a white porch swing!  I will also be making flower planter boxes under the windows at some point.

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The Little Oil Paintings

Today I sized and printed out paintings by some of my favorite artists of all time.  I love French artist's work-that of Monet, Manet, Degas and Renoir.  As a little girl I used to have a poster of the little painting you see in the front entitled "La Loge" by Renoir.  All of the mini painting images I chose, because I have a strong, personal connection to them.  One of the paintings by Monet I tried to replicate on my wall as a young girl in my bedroom.  My father used to take me to the museum as a child, and I memorized most of the French Impressionists at four years old.   

The painting I framed a the top of the little girls at the seaside is by Edward Henry Potthast who was an American Impressionis Painter who lived from 1857-1927.  This lovely painting has always reminded me of my sister and I playing at Chautauqua Lake.  The card table the petite paintings sit on is actually from Chatauqua!  To complete the paintings I simply took ready-made frames with a backing.  I sized and printed the images on acid-free paper.  I trimmed them out.  Then, I cut pieces of acetate to create a glass-like piece in front of the painting to give it a nice shine.  I put them together with Alene's tcaky glue.  Voila!

The Thumbelina depicted on the left in a Painting by Rita Auerbach.  My parents have one of her works of Chautauqua's Bestor Plaza above their sofa in the living room.  Her work is gorgeous and brings me happy memories.  You can visit her on the web at http://www.ritaauerbachpaintings.com/.