Subconscious Intent

My last post spurred some very helpful comments and discussion about clutter and how you might approach it. Thank you!!! I loved reading all of the ideas and commentary, some of which made me laugh, some of which impressed me, and much of which made me realize that I have some work to do!!

On the topic of mini clutter, the newest issue of Dolls Houses Past & Present is out, and in addition to developing very interesting reads about collections and storage, Rebecca asked if she could include in the issue what I have written over the past few years about my collection, and in particular about my storage triumphs and challenges. It was fun to see it all compiled into one article -- read it if you get a chance and please check out the rest of the issue!

This scene tumbled out of my brain. I was on autopilot most of the time and it was a lot of fun to do. What I can tell you is that my very dear friend D. was heavily in my thoughts, since she was in labor with her second child, a girl born late last night. Perhaps that is why I was drawn to a new free downloadable wallpaper by Herman Miller (read more about it). There are eleven, but this pink geometric one caught my eye and ended up on the floor of my IKEA room box.

A little background on the setting and accessories. The colorful wall squares are magnets from Staples. See?

Happy coincidence that the back wall of the IKEA box is metal, so they stuck right on! I randomly placed them above an AG Minis shelf (also magnetic) and accessorized from there. I love the little matryoshkas! And the girly boombox is from an eraser set by Kid Robot. 

There's another little eraser bear tucked in the crib, too. About that womb-like  "crib" -- it is a votive holder from the Crate & Barrel Outlet that had a previous life as a base for a fire pit in one of my other scenes. The bottom of the crib is made of two napkin ring holders, which I got as part of a *free* bag of "junk" at a recent estate sale:

It may not look it, but this crib is soft and comfy, I swear. :)

Welcome to the world, little J.!

Credits: Wall art consists of magnets from Staples; shelving is AG Minis; light is minimodernistas; chair is Reac; "crib" is a Bambu votive holder from the Crate & Barrel Outlet, with a base of estate sale napkin holders; planter is Playmobil. Accessories are from Housing Works Thrift Shop, Jazams, random doll house store finds, and Kid Robot.

The time it took me: 28 minutes

Tea House

I have been extremely busy these days with work and family, and have not had much time for my minis. The level of disorganization here is pretty high, and I feel like none of my houses have a tidy spot for a scene!

Perhaps that is why I chose to do a setup in my IKEA room box, which was (basically) empty. I had a day off on Friday with my two older children, and we had a great time together. One of our stops was the Crate & Barrel Outlet store in Cranbury, NJ, which always yields something for mini play. In addition to lots of Reed chair ornaments for under $1, I scored a silver teardrop ornament that reminded me of the 1:1 scale ModFire fire pits, which were reproduced amazingly in 1:12 by Pepper of MitchyMoo Miniatures. My approach was far lazier than Pepper's...no attempt whatsoever to craft anything with my hands! Instead, I placed it in a Bambu votive holder (on clearance for $1.50), and built my scene around that.

The tea kettle stand is a condiment bowl, also from the clearance bin ($1.95). The flooring is from a sheet of the "Maze Pool and Papaya" paper from the Paper Source. It has an Easter palette so I felt inspired to use it here. The black shelf is a throwback to my childhood -- it was given to me by a family friend, who somehow ended up with a box of my dollhouse stuff from when I was a kid. I initially brushed it off as something I wouldn't use, but then I reconsidered for this scene.

Happy creating!

Credits: Fire pit is an ornament from CB2 and its stand is a votive holder by Bambu; chair is vintage Lundby; planter is Playmobil with an aquarium plant; light is minimodernistas; tea kettle stand is a condiment dish from Crate & Barrel; shelving is from my childhood collection. Accessories are Re-ment, random eBay finds, and Lomography.

The time it took me: 40 minutes

Letterpress

Some letterpress scrapbook paper has made its way into my IKEA room box. It is actually a vegetable bin, but works pretty well as a small, decorative environment. I bought it a while ago and should have bought more, because IKEA does not sell it anymore. Boo-hoo.

I love the color and texture of this paper. It prompted me to go for a garden theme. I framed out the room box with cut-up pieces of a Crate & Barrel place mat and Japanese washi tape to complete the look. My new CB2 ornament chairs add some flair, too, and work quite well here.

See that amazing plant? This is a lovely new find from the Etsy store toHOLD. Owner Kara, who makes 1:1 scale terrariums and planters, is participating in the "I'm a Giant" Challenge and was inspired to go green for dollhouses and create a mini line! LOVE her work, and hope she makes even more! By the way, I found out about Kara on Design Milk -- see her article on "greening up" your dollhouse.

Anyone else going green??

The October ***FREE ALERT*** is going on now on the Call of the Small Facebook page. If you are pining for your own bike and skateboard for your mini digs, go on ahead and leave a comment on this photo. Giveaway ends on Friday, November 11, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time. Good luck!

Credits: Chairs are ornaments from CB2; table is from Fab.com; planter is toHOLD; pillows are handmade by The Shopping Sherpa; flooring is letterpress scrapbook paper from Michaels; framing is a Crate & Barrel place mat and Japanese washi tape; magazine is AG Minis.

Duplexes

I fashioned two different duplexes out of two of my room boxes, one from IKEA and the other from Crate and Barrel. This gave me a nice excuse to share some of my goodies from the wonderful Pubdoll, whom I met last week in New York City. We got each other some gifts, and mine was a set of furniture from the new Lundby Stockholm 2010 line! I had seen it online, but this was my first real look.

Cute, right? Pubdoll did mention that she had to go through a bunch of sets to find a couch with good corners, so I am not sure if this is an early commentary on the quality. Anyone have any sets yet? What do you think?

Here is the couch and table in action...you will see a glittery hanging sculpture, which is a re- purposed Christmas ornament. While I am trying to evoke an electrical light, Oese actually made a light with some decorative silver mesh spheres and they are lovely; see them here.

Speaking of Christmas...I know Halloween is still some weeks off, but Michaels has its Christmas stuff in full swing! They had a train display and I picked up some nice topiaries, as well as some firewood stacks that will go well in 1:12. Keep your eyes peeled the next time you are there.

Here is another duplex with the boxes reversed, featuring my treasured Arc lamp by minimodernistas.

The lovely white soft, cozy rug was a gift from The Shopping Sherpa. While I have not yet checked with her, it looks like the rug is hand knitted by her. Love it! The "Look Up" letterpress artwork is by Ampersand Duck, and is an edition of her work on display in the recently closed "Call of the Small" exhibit in Canberra, curated by The Shopping Sherpa. Having it is almost as good as having seen it in person!

Credits: Stockholm Duplex: couch and table are Lundby Stockholm 2010; shadow boxes are 1:144 room boxes from restless61a's eBay store; hanging sculpture is a tree ornament from Crate and Barrel; Empire State Building on wall is a scrapbook piece from Kate's Paperie; deck is a trivet; "grass" is a piece of green glitter card from Michaels; plants on top are vintage TOMY; deck chairs are vintage Lundby; table is Mighty World; fish tank and elephant are Re-ment; car is Lil' Bratz. Accessories are random finds from craft and dollhouse stores. Arc Lamp Duplex: Arc lamp is by minimodernistas; rug is knitted by The Shopping Sherpa; bed and side table are AG Minis; table at foot of bed is vintage TOMY; artwork is by Ampersand Duck. Accessories are beads, Lundby, and Mighty World.

Kitchenette

I like the neat confines of the IKEA room box -- it inspired a quickly arranged scene (the accessories on the shelf and sink took the most time) that is long on satisfaction! Also, every time I use it or look at it, it evokes sun. Perhaps it is the lacy backdrop, or the handy fluorescents in our basement, or my own wishes for summer amidst the gray March days.

On a sunny note: a big "Hello!" to my new followers, and to the ones who have followed from the beginning. I really appreciate your interest, comments, and support - THANKS! :)

Credits: Light is a Playmobil City floor torchiere turned upside down; sink is vintage Bodo Hennig; shelf is IKEA; chop block is an eBay find; stools are Lil' Bratz; dog is from a children's game called Lucky Puppy Math; doll is Bozart; rug is handmade by Oese; accessories are Re-ment, Manor House Miniatures, eBay, MAR Toys, and from Spain!

Re-ment: I have written about the Re-ment in this scene with some exceptions. The hot sauce on the top shelf is from Black Cat Italian Restaurant #3, and is good for 1:12. The pizza cheese and pepper shakers and green pepper on the sink are from Puchi Fun Meals #1, "Pizza Night," and are good for 1:12. The Palmolive-looking dish soap and paper towels on floor are from Disney Go! Go! Grocery #4, and are large for 1:12. The tomato can on the sink is from Black Cat Italian Restaurant #7, and is good for 1:12. The blue flowered bowl on the second shelf and the cooking pot on the bottom shelf are from I Love Kyoto #1, and are good for 1:12.