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Dollhouse Minis: http://joannesminis.blogspot.com


18” Dolls: http://joannes18dolls.blogspot.com/


General Crafts: http://joannes-place.blogspot.com/


Cooking: http://joanne-kitchen.blogspot.com/





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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

New Project in the Works



I wanted to take a few minutes of your time and let you all in on what we will be working on in the next weeks/months. I'm not really sure how long this will take, since I will be learning right along with you. I will probably be doing other videos in between steps on this project too so don't worry you'll still get your mini food fix.

First let's talk a bit about where I got this idea from. If you have been following me for very long you probably know I recently took over the former bedroom of my daughter and turned it into my office and workroom for minis. In the process of moving into this space I am finding things that I had packed away. Some of these things haven't seen the light of day for a long time.

As I was unpacking a box that had been in the far back corner of my closet since we moved into this house I found a notebook that I had created for a future project many years ago. How many years you ask??? Well, we moved into this house 17 years ago and the box came with us. It may very well have been a box I packed up to make room when my daughter was born, she turns 20 this May. So this has been packed for a long time to say the least.

So way back in time before this box was packed away there was a book at my local library. I was fascinated by the method the author used to build a doll house in it. So I checked this book out as often as I could get my hands on it and kept it as long as they would allow me to. I read it from cover to cover many times and in the process took pages and pages of notes. This was back in the days before we had scanners on our computers so I had taken the book to copy machine at the library and at the cost of a nickel a page I had copied a lot of the diagrams and illustrations in this book. I would dream of making this dollhouse someday, it was way too big of a project to even consider with 3 small children, two cats, and a husband in a house that had seem cramped before the kids. So I just planned for the day when I could build this house. Then the sad day when I went to retrieve this book from the shelves of the library only to find no sign of it. I asked at the desk and was told it was no longer in the system. I don't remember now if it was lost or just discarded but I was sad. I went home and decided to type up all those pages of notes and put them in a safe place along with the pages I had copied from the book. Hence the birth of the notebook I found again a few weeks ago.

The thing that fascinates me most (and did way back then too) is the method of building that the author used. She didn't cut big pieces of plywood to form her house. I say she but I am not totally sure I never wrote down the book title or author's name. Instead the house is constructed with hollow walls that are made up of small strip wood and poster board. And best of all the walls, floors, ceilings, etc are constructed individually and then assembled at the end after most of the decorating is done. All the wiring is hidden in the walls and then connected when the house is assembled. The only piece of real lumber used is the sheet of plywood that is used for the base. For the most part your tools will consist of a craft knife, razor saw and miter box.

I am not going to be following the directions exactly as I took note of them mostly because I want my house to be set in current time and like most minis of the era when this book had to be written the author builds a house from a historical time frame. Also I didn't write down everything in the book so I am going to be flying by the seat of my pants part of the time too. I have read through those notes and I think I understand most of what I have to do but this will be a learning experience for me too.

I haven't decided how big this house will be, I am going to decide that after I get some walls built and see just how complicated and time consuming they are to construct.


After the house is assembled we will have lots of opportunities for videos as I complete and decorate the house. I am looking forward to this journey and I hope you enjoy the trip alongside me. 





 

5 comments:

  1. This definitely will be an adventure! I'm in.

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  2. I am already building a 3 story dollhouse out of hardboard. I drew up plans and cut out all the pieces at the start of the project. I am assembling and decorating it 1 floor at a time. I find it easier to to paint or wallpaper and put flooring in without the ceiling in my way. If I wasn't already well into this project, I would build with you. I still plan to follow your project and maybe I will get some ideas for my dollhouse especially when it comes to doors and windows. Maybe when I finish mine, I will try one your way. Love creative people who are generous with their ideas. I also believe in sharing the gifts God has given me. Thank You for sharing!

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  3. I know exactly what book you are talking about Building Miniature Houses and Furniture by Dorie Kruz! Like you, I used to check out from the local library continuously. Recently, I managed to the track a copy down using the inter-library loan system. I just returned it last month.

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    1. Thank you Danielle!!!! I was hoping someone would know what the book was. Now I can see if I can find it anywhere and I can credit in in future posts/videos,

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  4. WoW, Joann, You won't believe this! I have series of thrift stores that I haunt quite regularly and on one occasion, not that long ago, I found that very book you are talking about! I too, had been fascinated by it. I, like you, had mega amounts of craft stuff and minis stored away waiting for the time to come out of the garage. I also, had taken over my teenage daughters old bedroom to use as a Studio/workspace. I thought that I had a copy of that book already and seeing it in the thrift store was tempting but I was convinced that I just had to find mine now that I had been reminded about it. I went home and started to unload the books in the garage and... NOOOOOOO!!! The book I thought I had was not there!!!!? I kicked myself over and over. About a week or so later, I made a return trip to the same store and found the book AGAIN! This is NOT how it usually happens with me; usually when I snooze I lose and so this has a happy ending after a very close call. The icing on the cake is that this copy was brand spanking New! God IS Good!
    elizabeth

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