The remodel - complete!

I think the easiest way to show off the finished doll house is in this little slide show I put together.

It has a few 'before' pictures, but mostly 'after' shots. Dumpling can be seen working away in quite a few of them, and he also invited a couple of friends (Tipsy the rabbit and Rosemary Bear) round to show of his handy work (think he's angling to get more work from Rosemary, as she is Heiress to quite a large estate).

Complete remodel

I gave mention last time of the remodel that Dumpling and I have been undertaking. 


Out of the blue I was given a very large dolls house (it's 3ft wide). I think it was once a beloved plaything - looking like it was built probably in the 70's or earlier, but in recent years had become a little run down and sad. I believe it passed through a couple hands before arriving on my doorstep. I don't like to see things that were once grand fall into dis-repair, so felt the burden of responsibility to return it to it's former glory, or at least a new found glory.

Here are some 'before' pictures. As you can see, some of the windows are in the wrong place and it needs some work!

This is when it's useful having an employee like Dumpling. He's a much better size than me to get inside those rooms and start pulling things apart. I set him to work at once, and before I knew it, the floors were stripped and windows were out ready for re-painting.


Next time I'll show you the finished house!

In the meantime...

I have been painting away quietly, and working on other projects too (which I will share later) but in the meantime, here is artwork for another of the 'Gratitude e-cards' I created for Gratitude Habitat. I don't believe it is available on their site yet, but as the artist, I think it's ok to give you a tiny peek here first!


Dumpling and I have been busy remodeling a house. A dolls house. But still a house. Even with years of experience, the magic bag can still surprise me with the things it produces!
I'll tell more about that next time.

Keeping cosy

We've all been sick here. It started with baby, and has been working it's way around, as these things do.

I noticed on a recent trip, that lampposts in Santa Rosa have a good way of keeping their long necks warm to prevent illness - they wear scarves! Makes perfect sense if you think about it.

Meanwhile, Telegraph poles in Portland don't need to wrap up, as the community takes care of it for them! Each one is carefully wrapped and bulging with hundreds of brightly colored sheets of paper. Very sensible to wear layers, as it is warmer than one thick item. The colored papers have pictures and words embellished upon them. I'm guessing they are positive words of energy and health for the poles, and perhaps the odd apology for all the nasty staples?

Jackie

And finally, here is Jackie, the youngest of the three sisters. She is pictured with Princess Cocoa, the family labra-doodle. Cocoa has an underbite, which is why I painted her front teeth showing!