A Doll's Life

God Bless America

2008-09-11T11:27:00.002-04:00

What makes dollhouses so magical? To many of us, our dollhouses are real, tangible windows into our imaginations; we delight in creating worlds where everything is under our control, and subject to our whim. We can, in a sense, use our dollhouses to make our dreams a reality. In that magical world a dollhouse inhabits, everything is as it should be. Ultimately, to many of us, dollhouses represent the American dream.

The American dream is made possible by the brave men and women who risk their lives to keep the peace, to defend our shores, to give us freedom--and freedom isn't free. Today, it's important for all of us to acknowledge the sacrifices of our soldiers. Whether we agree with the politics behind the war or not, we all rely on these brothers and sisters, wives and husbands, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, best friends and comrades, and we all want them to come home.

Today, please reflect on the blessings in your life and, if you can, please thank a soldier for his or her contribution.

When the River Runs Dry

2008-09-11T10:57:00.003-04:00

It seems to me like every time I fall in love with a product, its discontinued. I can't tell you how many tools, paints, plastic sheets, trims, etc. have vanished from the shelves, replaced, if at all, by seriously inferior products. Apparently, I was the only customer enlightened enough to understand their worth! More times than I care to admit, I've been left high and dry, halfway through a project, unable to finish the way I wanted because the river ran dry.

Even when a product isn't discontinued, sometimes, it can become really hard to find. Suppliers stop carrying products, and that means favorite stores stop carrying them, too. Spending hours on the internet, searching for a missing product, is nobody's idea of a great time.

And, once in awhile, I come home from the store with the same product only to discover...it's not the same, after all. Continuity can be a problem for some manufacturers. Having created multiples of the same item, myself, I know how difficult it can be to ensure that each one is exactly the same as the next. The world of dollhouse miniatures is a small one; often, hiding behind the labels, even the big, brand name labels, are individual artisans, with other jobs and commitments. This field is, for most of us, a labor of love; it's not uncommon for us to stay up late into the night, working on projects, long after we've come home from work, cleaned the house, fed our families, and put them to bed. Moreover, artisans run into the same problem customers do: unavailable, or suddenly incredibly expensive, rare, or hard to find materials.

Resultantly, the same wallpaper pattern from the same company can come in slightly different colors, the same paint can come in slightly different consistencies, the same wood can have a slightly--or totally-different grain. If you're detail oriented, then inconsistencies like these can be a real nightmare, partially or even totally derailing your project. What can you do?

Always buy what you need for a project, plus at least 10 percent more. For example, if you need three sheets of wallpaper to finish a room, buy four. Also, consider working in small, discrete steps; think of the house phase by phase, rather than organically. Instead of buying a few windows, some flooring, some wallpaper, and some pretty trim, buy all the windows you need, finish them and install them, before moving on to the next step. Instead of finishing a room from floor to ceiling, wallpaper--or paint--all the rooms first, before installing trim. Plan out what trim you want to use in each room, and then buy enough trim for each room, finishing the room before you move on. When I first started finishing dollhouses, I tended to snatch up whatever trim looked good, long before I was even ready to install trim, and lose it, forget about it, or discover, much to my sorrow, that it actually looked hideous inside the house. I wasted a lot of money--and time--that way before I wised up. Now, I buy everything in much smaller installments, but I almost always buy enough of everything.

Can't Come?

2008-08-29T07:15:00.002-04:00

But what if you're thinking, "I live in Florida! I can't make it to her classes!"

No problem! The class can come to you! Just email, or call, the friendly folks at Earth and Tree, who host my classes, and they'll send you your class package. All of your materials, plus, of course, thorough instructions, will arrive on your doorstep!

Preview of Coming Attractions...

2008-08-29T07:10:00.004-04:00

Here are some examples of the pieces from my upcoming classes:

If you're interested in taking a class, then please sign up at www.earthandtree.com!

Dear Reader...

2008-08-23T12:14:00.010-04:00

Please post your comments! I love getting your emails, but I also love your posts! Some of the thoughts you share with me via email are really interesting, brilliant, and wonderful; I hope you grace this blog with a few! Moreover, I need your questions, comments, and suggestions! My goal is to ensure that this blog remains as relevant as possible, by addressing the topics and issues that interest you.

Etiquette 101

2008-08-18T20:16:00.004-04:00

As an artist, its important to grow something of a thick skin; not everyone is going to love your art, and you can't let that slow you down. Ultimately, you need to create your art for you, and not for anyone else. However, it's also important to distinguish between criticisms of your art, and criticisms of you, as a person.

I love creating art for clients. Almost always, it's a really positive experience: I have a unique opportunity to help peoples' visions become reality. Unfortunately, not all clients are easy to work with, and some seem completely unaware that I'm a real person, with real needs, wants, and feelings.

Some recent experiences inspired this list of pointers, of how to treat other people:

It might seem obvious, but don't swear, or use racial epithets, or derogatory terms. Not only is it offensive, but also it assumes some silly things. The fact that I, personally, do not have an intellectual disability does not mean I'm OK with using the word "retarded." In my classes, I tell my students that that word is off limits. Some people tell me I'm "oversensitive" or want to know what my "problem" is. My "problem" is that my cousin has Downs Syndrome. How we honor our families reflects some profoundly personal choices; please, let's not judge each other.

Don't belittle other people. Recently, I taught a workshop on how to make a banquet table. During the class, two of the students decided that the class was "too slow," and they wanted to make another piece of furniture at the same time. They grabbed a couple of sideboard kits out of our inventory and, without asking, instructed me to help them make sideboards as well. Throughout the class, they joked with each other about how I probably thought they should pay me twice! When the owner of the store, which hosted the workshop, charged them for two classes, they were very angry. Please, appreciate that no one has an obligation to serve you; whether someone is teaching a class, or cleaning your home, they're doing so of their own free will, and we should respect their choice by paying them fairly for their work.

If you place a custom order, but subsequently experience "buyer's remorse", then please let me know.

If you don't like one of my designs, then vote with your wallet by not purchasing it. There's no need to call, or email, me to tell me how horrible it is, or how much all of your friends hate it. Please, realize that I--and all artists--have feelings, too.

When you find out what I do, don't apologize, speculate on how poor I must be, or ask me how I can possibly afford to pay my bills. I'm a big fan of the golden rule; ask yourself, how would I feel if I were on the receiving end? I chose to become an artist not only because I felt so passionate about it, but also because I wanted more freedom to focus my energy on my family and home. If you want to know more about my choices, values, and beliefs, then please feel free to ask me!

Nonesuch House

2008-08-15T11:55:00.003-04:00

Nonesuch House is my latest house, which will be premiering at the Danbury Miniatures Show on October 19. Nonesuch House is, however, currently for sale for 2,700.00 USD--although not on the website yet--and interested buyers should feel free to contact me for details, including a full description, and payment options.

Technical Difficulties

2008-08-15T11:12:00.004-04:00

In theory, electrifying a dollhouse should be easy. After all, directions on how to do it are usually very brief, involving little more than "stick the tape to the wall, put something pretty over it, like wallpaper, and install a few lights." No wonder quite a few customers of mine tell me, several of their "electrified" dollhouses actually aren't--they could never quite make it work.

Granted, writing instructions is hard. You're never quite sure, as the author, whether you're successfully finding the balance between under-directing, and thus losing your audience, and over-directing, and thus confusing them. The other day, I was going over what I thought were simple, straightforward directions with my better half. I was about halfway through easy step number eight when he interrupted, "now glue your face to the table and give up." Nevertheless, I don't think it should be, or has to be, as hard as it is.

Electrifying a dollhouse is actually pretty easy, if you know what you're doing. The problem is, no one teaches you. The simple instructions that come with every wiring kit aren't bad; they'll teach you how to attach the tape to the wall, attach a junction splice, plug your transformer into the wall, and test for a circuit. At which point, the little bulb on the end of the circuit tester will light up, and you'll feel an incredible sense of exhilaration--let there be light! Except, a few days later, after you've installed some wallpaper, some flooring, maybe some trim...the little bulb on the end of the circuit tester won't light up anymore. Your circuit will be dead, and you'll be wondering, what happened?

Here are some pointers:

Make sure you know where your tape is. I mark my dollhouse walls with a ruler, and attach my tape just under the line. That way, later on, after the wallpaper, panelling, etc. is up, I can still find my tape.

For a light (or a circuit tester) to work, both of its prongs must make full contact with the tape. There must be one prong fully inserted in the pink side (positive charge), and one prong fully inserted in the blue side (negative charge). Otherwise, even if there's nothing wrong with the tape, the light still won't work, because there's a break in the circuit. Electricity is like the old "trust" games you might have played at camp: each person needs to maintain physical contact with their teammates, or someone ends up falling flat on her face.

The tape is waterproof, and corrosion proof, up to a point. Every time you test a circuit, you punch little holes into the tape, opening up the plastic casing that surrounds--and protects--the copper. Later on, when you're finishing your dollhouse, all manner of icky goo can get into the tape through those holes: wallpaper paste, water, glue, paint, etc. Over time, the tape is going to get badly corroded and, eventually, lose the ability to carry a charge. However, there are a few things you can do to prevent this from ever happening:

First, always test your circuit at about the same point, so you can control where the potential trouble area in your circuit is. One grouping of holes is easier to cope with than ten separate sets of holes.

Second, if at all possible, test your circuit on the outside of your house. In this picture, I chose, as my "trouble spot," the point just before the tape enters the inside of the house. Most exterior finishes are applied with epoxy, or some other waterless adhesive, making the likelihood of getting water inside the tape much lower.

Third, after you've finished installing your tape, and making any changes, corrections, or adjustments, leave the tape alone! The more you test your circuit, the greater the changes you'll have trouble later on. Have a little faith in yourself, and trust that you've done it right and it'll work!

Place a piece of tape over your "trouble spot," like I did, above, and "iron" it on with your fingers really well. This will add another layer of protection for the copper. On this project, I'm planning on using a combination of brick sheets and stucco wallpaper, to achieve a Tudor look. Eagle's Nest is a piece of fantasy art and, therefore, draws much of its influence from Medieval and Tudor architecture, although its not precisely faithful to either. I chose to place my "trouble spot" under an area of the house where I plan to use a brick sheet, which I'll attach to the house with epoxy. The epoxy will sit on top of the tape, not penetrating it (silicone epoxy is completely water free).

Take pictures. It's often helpful to have a visual reminder of what tape is where, before you start wallpapering, etc. That way, when in doubt, you have something to refer back to.

Use the right size transformer. Essentially, what you're doing, when you're wiring a dollhouse, is creating an AC circuit, which is incompatible with a standard American made and installed electrical system. The transformer, or confusingly expensive black box the people at the miniatures store keep trying to sell you, is called a transformer because it "transforms" your AC circuit into a DC compatible circuit. Trust me, you need one. You also need the right one--one large enough to accommodate the number of lights you plan to use. The folks at your local miniatures store can help you figure out what size that is.

Finally, start small. Before you tackle that dollhouse, try electrifying a roombox first. It's a lot easier to learn on a small project, and it's a lot easier to correct your mistakes! No one expects to run a marathon, after never having run before; artistic endeavors, similarly, require training.

Rock Me Gently

2008-08-12T18:05:00.003-04:00

This is a picture of Eagle's Nest Pub, in its early stages. It's currently gracing the kitchen island (and preventing me from cooking dinner). In my sketches, and in my imagination, this is a small tudor-style pub on a craggy hill, alive with all sorts of plant life. When you're building a dollhouse of any kind, you start with the "bare bones" and work out--so, here, I have the basic structure of the house, and the hill it sits on. Before I can finish the pub, I need to electrify it, and finish constructing the hill--which, at this point, is giving it a granite finish.

Easier said than done.

I imagined, in my foolishness, that this would be a relatively simple step--surely no more than a few days! Hah, little did I know. I slaved over the hill, laboriously painting it with coat after coat of granite paint--I even mixed multiple colors of paint, for the most realistic effect possible.

This is what the hill looked like, after three coats of paint:

Yes, it still looks like styrofoam. Which is exactly what it is.

Ultimately, I realized I had to try a different tack. Instead of painting it on with a brush, I decided to ignore conventional advice--several thin coats are better than one thick coat--and slather it on. My theory was, the coats were so thin, the paint was simply soaking right in to the little holes.

I discarded my brush in favor of a sponge applicator, and began to shovel it on. Here, you can see the difference:

At first, I was a little discouraged, because the paint looked very soupy. I worried, would this look like an alien's favorite pub? Maybe the moon really was made of green cheese! However, as it dried, the paint definitely began to take on a granite-like look and feel. Now, if only I had more paint...

The Great Outdoors

2008-08-10T15:08:00.004-04:00

I'm doing a few shows this fall and winter; first on my list is the Taylor Jade Productions Danbury Miniatures Show, and I'm really excited about it! Although my kits are currently available in stores, and on my website, this will be their first show. I'm also working on a couple of fantasy pieces, as well as a new line of food, and other small accessories. Unfortunately, when it comes to technology, change comes slowly--I hope to have pictures of some of my new products online soon!

In the meantime, I thought it would be interesting to do a few posts on outdoor landscaping. Last week, I began working on Eagle's Nest, a fantasy-inspired pub on a hill. I decided to include the hill. I'd seen other artists do outdoor scenes, using insulation foam, and I thought, hey, how hard can it be? As it turns out, these were famous last words. After purchasing several sheets of foam--at great expense, I might add--I returned home eager to rip them up. I'd already built a plywood base, and the basic procedure seemed easy enough: stack small pieces of foam on the base, building up a hill shaped object, and then finish it with landscaping materials. For inspiration, I looked to a fantastic model my boss had made of a very famous lighthouse in Maine, for a regional museum; her rocks, sand, water, and even seagulls, looked completely realistic. I knew it was possible.

An hour later, my kitchen floor was completely covered in foam bits, and I was no better off. I had several bizarrely shaped pieces of foam, and no clue what to do with them. Eventually I figured out, I needed a different adhesive; I made another trip to the store. When I returned, I had slightly better luck, but realized that my hill, while more cohesive, was still really wobbly. "This hill needs an armature," I thought. A few minutes later, I was jamming sticks of wood down into the hill. I almost gored my cat. Eventually, several hours, and a not inconsiderable amount of blood, sweat, and tears, later, I had a semi-stable hill. I was just about ready to attach the dollhouse to the top of the hill when I realized, wait, how can I wire this? Now, for those of you who haven't yet had the experience of wiring a dollhouse, it's fun in the way golf is fun. If you can get past the fact that you're basically tormenting yourself to no purpose, you find you really enjoy the time you spend on it! The house was a small, as yet unfinished, shell, and I planned to wire it with two circuits. If I just glued the house to the hill, then the wires would come down over the hill, and completely ruin all of my hard work! I realized, I needed the wire to go through the hill and come out the bottom.

That was, naturally, easier said than done. Once again, I got out a stick of wood, and began jamming it down into the hill. My idea was to thread the copper tape, which would form the two circuits, through the hill. Although it took the rest of the afternoon, I actually did succeed.

The first moral of this story is, don't be afraid to try new things--but consider locking any and all pets out of the room before you start. No human beings or animals were harmed during the creation of this hill, however, my kitchen floor might never be the same. The second moral of this story is, don't be afraid to ask for advice! I found out, after I started creating the hill, that several tools existed, like special styrofoam glue, hot wire cutters, and flexible metal armature posts, which would have made my life a lot easier.

In the next few posts, I'll be walking you through creating a miniature landscape.

My Upcoming Class Schedule

2008-08-08T06:46:00.003-04:00

I'm currently teaching the following classes at Earth and Tree:

Tudor Sideboard, Saturday August 23, 12:00--5:00

Pub Table, Saturday September 6, 10:30--12:30

Two Pub Chairs, Saturday September 6, 1:00--5:00

Pub Bar, Saturday September 13 12:00--5:00

Four Pub Stools, Sunday September 14, 1:00--3:00

Pub Bar Surround, Saturday September 27, 12:00--5:00

Tudor Spice Chest, Saturday October 18, 12:00--5:00

Welsh Cupboard, Saturday October 25, 12:00--5:00

For more information, visit www.earthandtree.com

If you can't make a class, but want to make the piece of furniture, don't worry! Although they're not on the website yet, all of these pieces of furniture are available, from me, as kits. Don't hesitate to ask!

Learn Something New!

2008-06-13T07:43:00.005-04:00

I now teach classes at Earth and Tree Miniatures in Amherst, NH. My first class was June 8, on building the very same pie hutch for sale on my website. It was a terrific success, and I can't wait 'till my next class!

Thank you very much to the wonderful students, who agreed to be my guinea pigs!

You can learn more about my upcoming class schedule by emailing me, checking this blog for updates, or visiting www.earthandtree.com, for their complete class schedule. Full details should be available within a week or two!

I've already had a request for some medieval, and Tudor, furniture; let me know if there's anything you want to either build in class, or see available as a kit. I'm always open to suggestions!

Painting 101

2008-03-31T08:35:00.000-04:00

A recent family effort to paint a hall inspired this post.

Some of these pointers are going to be obvious. Some of these pointers are going to be new. It depends on your experience and skill level. But, we all have to start somewhere, and a refresher is usually a good idea.

1. Two, three or even four thin--thin!--coats are better than one thick coat.

2. Allow enough drying time between each coat--at least 30 minutes.

3. Masking tape really does work--if you use it right. Apply masking tape only to a clean, dry surface. That means, free from oils, dust and any other gross bits. When in doubt, wash the wall first! You can spray a little Windex on a dry paper towel and lightly wipe the area with it, but be sure to let the wall dry. Then, tear a strip of masking tape from the roll. It's better to use several medium length strip than one huge strip--masking tape can become unwieldy. Carefully press the strip down, smoothing it out with your finger as you go. The secret, here, is really good adhesion. After you apply the strip, run the dull edge of a butter knife along the edge, to really press it into place. If you're using multiple strips, then make sure to overlap them by about half an inch. This is where the butter knife trick really comes in handy. When you're painting the edge, don't run your paintbrush along the edge of the masking tape--this is going to encourage paint, especially watery paint, to seep under it. Instead, angle your brush so that your strokes are perpendicular to the edge. You want to brush up to, and over, the edge. Brush lightly! Also, if at all possible, don't water down your paint. It's much better to have a few light coats than one heavy coat. If your first coat doesn't cover completely, then don't worry about it.

4. Don't use turpentine with latex paint. Turpentine is oil based, latex paint is water based. Oil and water don't mix; over time, oil based solvents (like turpentine) eat into water based paints. A good rule of thumb is, don't mix. Either use all oil based products--primer, paint and solvent--or all water based products.

5. Gesso and latex paint are permanent. Yes, this includes craft paint. If you spill some on yourself, then you need to wash it out immediately. Use cold water (hot water sets stains) and don't rub. Turpentine and other solvents do not remove them, so don't even try. All you're going to get is an oily mess.

6. If you put on a thick coat of paint, then you must remember, drying time is exponential--one thin coat might need 30 minutes to dry, but one thick coat might need two hours or more. One mistake a family member made was to assume that, because the wall was dry to the touch, the paint was completely dry. It wasn't. When he pulled off the masking tape, stringy blobs of paint came with it. "Dry to the touch" is not a good test, don't use it. In fact, don't even touch the wall--or furniture or whatever else it is you're painting. Do the dishes, polish the furniture, go grocery shopping or work on another project. Do something to distract you from waiting, otherwise you're going to end up poking and prodding at the wall.

7. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Our brothers and sisters with desk jobs often forget that painting is a skilled trade. It might not be rocket science, and it might not require graduate school, but it does require ability. Being smart, or being good at something else, has nothing to do with it.

Please Bear With Us...

2008-03-30T08:51:00.006-04:00

It was brought to my attention that the archived posts were no longer available--and, honestly, I'm not sure where they went! We're currently attempting to fix the problem, which has to do with how our server is hosting our website. In the meantime, all of the posts in "A Doll's Life" are available on the main page. This way, at least, you, our reader, can see everything there is to see. It's not the most elegant solution, but it is only a temporary solution--we should be up and running again soon!

Some Trim Issues...

2008-03-22T13:37:00.004-04:00

Occasionally, despite your best efforts (and mine), things don't fit together quite right. Even with practice, and, in my case, years of experience, mistakes still happen--we measure wrong, cut wrong or just plain think wrong. The good news is, most mistakes are easily fixable. Don't panic, don't beat yourself up--do remain calm and assess, exactly, what is going on. Some common issues...

Ripped wallpaper--you pulled the masking tape off the wall, and the wallpaper came, too. Sometimes, if it's just an edge, you can glue it back into place. Carefully--and gently--dab a small amount of white craft glue onto the underside of the tear, and press the wallpaper back into place. Make sure you have clean fingers, and use very gentle pressure to rub the paper back into place. Always rub toward the tear, never away. If an entire spot of wallpaper is gone, then you might want to consider changing the decorating scheme of the room. The good news is, nobody knows what your final design is supposed to look like! Strategically added baseboard, chair rails or even floor to ceiling paneling is going to disguise almost any flaw.

Gaps in your trim. Below, you can see that there's a small gap between the window and the window casing--how ugly! Here, I'm adding a small bead of paint, which is filling it in. This also works well for gaps in crown moulding. However, if you're adding paint to crown moulding after you install it, make sure you use masking tape to protect the wall and ceiling--otherwise you might end up with a big blob of trim paint where you don't want it!

Sometimes, you wind up with even bigger gaps--gaps that no amount of paint can fix. This is from a roombox I've been working on over the past week. The room has twin inset bookcases in the wall. I thought, when I did the design, that I'd accounted for the depth of the wainscoting adequately. When I inserted them into the wall, the bookcases were supposed to lie flat against the framing trim. As you can see, clearly, they were supposed to...but they didn't. It's a little hard to tell from this picture, but the gap was quite sizable--about 1/16". That's fairly small in a real house, but huge in a dollhouse.

I cut a second layer of framing trim from 1/8" quarter round trim. Below, you can see it where it's going to go. I wanted to make sure that it fit snugly and securely before I finished it. As it happens, I liked the bookcases better with the second layer of framing trim. Mistakes are really just opportunities to learn new things and, sometimes, they force us to be more creative with our designs than we might otherwise be.

Are there any other trim issues that you want me to discuss?

Trim Part III

2008-03-22T13:01:00.008-04:00

Now, it's time to install the trim. I prefer to start in the back of the room, and work my way to the front. Sometimes, if you've cut the pieces really tightly, there's an issue with fit--and it's a lot easier to find out that the trim along the sides of the walls is slightly too long, where you can make a nice, straight cut to reduce the excess. Here, I started with the baseboard. I ran a bead of epoxy along the back side, and then pressed it into place. I used the other two pieces of baseboard to press it in place and clamped them along the edge of the roombox. For the sake of realism, it's important to get a nice, tight fit with the wall--and wood tends to bow out.

Generally, it's important to double-check your marks and measurements before you glue, and, after you set the piece in place but before the glue dries. I'm a big fan of using scrap wood to hold pieces in place, since, particularly since they're often at odd angles. It's impossible to use a standard clip on crown moulding, for example. The consideration, here, is not gouging the floor. I tend to put a piece of scrap wood, or paper, under the scrap wood to prevent any accidents.

Here, the room is complete. Make sure you allow adequate drying time for each piece before you remove any clamps and supports. Generally, I try to allow at least 25 minutes, for epoxy. You need to allow more time--at least an hour--for tacky glue. If the glue isn't dry when you remove the clamps and supports, then the piece is going to pop right back off the wall. This is especially common when the pieces don't fit quite right, or there's any other type of stress on the wood.

Once the inside of the roombox is done, you can complete the outside. This roombox has a false back, which is going to become the alley. I saved it until last because I needed to install the door and window. Now that the trim is all in place, I don't need to reach inside anymore.

Trim Part II

2008-03-21T07:42:00.003-04:00

Stairwells can be incredibly challenging--what do you do about trim? Do you continue it along the wall? Do you run it around the outer edge? In real houses, both solutions are common. My recommendation is, study a few different stairwells at a few different houses. Here, I chose to continue the trim along the wall. First, I cut the baseboard and the trim. Second, I cut a strip of wood to fit between them. This solution is certainly not the most complex, but it looks nice in most dollhouses.

Trim Part I

2008-03-20T07:22:00.006-04:00

Today we're going to go through some basic cutting techniques. Tomorrow, and later, we'll be addressing some specific techniques, as well as some common problems--like stairwells. What are you supposed to do with those things, anyway? I honestly have no idea, I think the majority of kits don't anticipate most finishing issues and concerns. Here, I can offer you my solutions, but, keep in mind, they're solely the product of my imagination. They're certainly not the only solutions out there--and your imagination might provide you with much better solutions!

The room we're starting with today is a roombox I'm building for the Sturbridge Miniatures Festival. When it's done, it's going to be a Victorian kitchen. I've already installed the door and window, which are going to, when the roombox is complete, face out onto a narrow alley. The opposite wall is going to be a brick wall, the side of another townhouse. Victorian London was, architecturally, very similar to parts of New York and Boston--even the very rich lived in narrow, tall townhouses, squished in together side by side. Space was at a premium, so it was important to use every inch. Commonly, kitchens and garages were in sunken half basements. Not only did these basements have limited light, but also they were much closer to the noise and smell of the street. It's hard for us to imagine, today, but in the days before indoor plumbing and town garbage disposal, city streets were very smelly places. In class conscious Victorian London, everyone--including the servants--expected the servants to be content with such quarters.

This is something you want to keep in mind, as you start trimming your room--what's the room's purpose? Who is going to use it, and for what? A Victorian kitchen, particularly in the home of the very rich, was a utilitarian space. Encaustic tile was durable and stain resistant. Baseboard (and crown moulding) sealed up cracks in the wall and kept out drafts. Chair rails protected the wall against scuffs and scratches from chairs and tables. While today, with our advances in construction techniques, these trims are purely decorative, back then they served important functions. The Victorians tried to make them as pretty as they could. Here, I'm using simple tile and trim, to reflect the room's function. I'm staining the trim with an oak stain, because, while paint was expensive, back then, wood was still cheap--the reverse of today.

I start by using my mitre box to cut the trim at a 45 degree angle. I usually sand the cut lightly--very lightly--to remove any "fuzzies" from the wood. Make sure that, before you cut, you're cutting in the right direction! It sounds silly, but mistakes do happen.

I like to start with the side walls. Push the trim all the way in to the corner, but don't mash it.

Lightly mark the edge, where you want to make the cut, with a pencil.

As you're preparing to cut the trim, keep in mind which side of the pencil mark you're going to cut on. Otherwise, your piece is going to end up either too long or too short. Measure twice, cut once--it really is true.

For the back wall, I use what I like to think of as the "paper technique." Trim usually comes in 24" lengths, but roomboxes usually come in 12 or 15" lengths--and therein lies the problem. The trim you have is almost always longer than the space. You can use a ruler for this, but why? Particularly if it's an odd length, a ruler can be sort of ineffective--you end up cutting closer to the nearest mark on the ruler, even when it's not entirely accurate. So, I push a sheet of typing paper into the corner, and mark along the edge where the trim piece should end. It's not rocket science, but it works for me.

Here, I make my mark just at the edge of the door.

Now, I hold the trim against the typing paper.

Here, note that it's important to push the edge of the trim right up against the edge of the typing paper--you want to make sure you're going to get a tight fit. A few millimeters here or there can add up to visible gaps.

I lightly continue the mark on the typing paper onto the trim.

I use a short piece of trim for the corner. Remember to cut the 45 degree angle at the end before you measure the length of the trim!

Now, I'm ready to cut the chair rail. I start the same way I start with the baseboard--by cutting the trim on a 45 degree angle.

I want my chair rail to be at a 2.5" height, all the way around the room. Here, I'm marking that height very lightly with a pencil. When I hold the trim against the wall (or the typing paper), I want to make sure that I hold it along the pencil marks. If the trim is crooked, then it's going to be the wrong length.

The trim should fit snugly in place, but you shouldn't have to force it. If you have to force it, then it's too long. Here, the chair rail fits tightly enough to stay in place without tape, but I can easily push it out.

After I cut the trim, I taped it in place with masking tape. Next, I need to stain it to match the door and window.

Questions?

2008-03-16T12:10:00.002-04:00

At this point, does anyone have any questions about how to do anything? Are there any issues, comments or concerns about installing, applying or finishing floors, walls or ceilings? I love feedback....

Last Chance!

2008-03-15T11:53:00.006-04:00

At this point, your dollhouse should look like this:

This shell is the Litchfield, available from Earth and Tree. At this point, all of its floors, walls and ceilings are complete. The staircase, doors and windows are in place. It finally looks sort of like a real house.

The title of the post is "last chance" because now is your last chance to make any substantial changes to the dollhouse. Are you happy with the floors? The walls? Do those walls really need another coat of paint? Do you hate the color? Sure, it's painful to fix it now...but better painful than impossible.

The basics of the exterior are done, although I still need to add details like porch trim.

I installed an Architect's Choice staircase, which comes in kit form and is, as always, available from Earth and Tree. I am going to install the treads, balusters and railing when I install the rest of the trim.

At this point, you might be wondering, "why does she keep showing us pictures of different dollhouses? Why can't she just stick with the Hampton?" The answer is, the purpose of this series of posts isn't to teach you how to finish one particular dollhouse in one particular way, but instead to give you a general introduction to a core skill set. You can use these skills on any dollhouse.

Finally Trim!

2008-03-14T10:55:00.005-04:00

By now, your house has all the basics--floors, walls and ceilings. Fun, isn't it? Believe it or not, you're over the hump. Yes, adding trim is time consuming, but it's also a lot of fun. It's the part I always look forward to when I start a new house. So now you need to ask yourself, what kind of house do I want to have?

Now, more than ever, you need to plan. I cannot stress this enough. Why? First, trim is very expensive. I bought trim yesterday for four roomboxes and a small dollhouse, and it cost me about 150.00. You need to know, before you go into the store, what kinds of trim you want and how much of it you're going to need. Of course, don't discount the value of in-store inspiration--one of the reasons I actually trek to New Hampshire to buy supplies instead of ordering them online is, actually handling the different products gives me new and interesting ideas. But, one caution I have is, don't buy it if you can't envision how you're going to use it. I have a "materials graveyard" full of fun components I have yet to find a plausible use for. I'm sure that, someday, inspiration is going to strike...but in the meantime, I'm stuck with them.

The first thing I do is clean out the dollhouse. Do you do it, too? Do you leave little bits of sandpaper in the rooms you're not currently working on? How about your brayer and x-acto blade dispenser? Come on, you know you do. Remove them! Put them away! Dust the dollhouse! You want it clean and tidy--and empty--before you even touch your trim.

The second thing I do is place the trim I want to use for a particular room inside that room. Here, you want to do a little measuring. For the crown moulding, do you need two strips or three? Give yourself a little leeway (for cuts), not less than 2" but not more than 6". It might seem like this procedure isn't necessary...you have a general idea of what goes where, maybe even a highly specific idea. Do you really need to physically place everything where it's going to go, just so you can take it all back out again and cut it? In a word, yes. First, you're going to surprise yourself, when it comes to quantities. You're going to need much more trim than you think in some rooms, and much less in others. The last thing you want is to find out, half way through installing the trim, that you don't have as much as you need. In this business, nothing is certain--sometimes manufacturers discontinue trim, and sometimes they actually change the pattern. Once, I was working on a very elaborate roombox, and, halfway through cutting the trim, I discovered that I didn't have enough. I ordered more of the same trim--I knew it was the same because I had the part number--from the manufacturer, but when it came, it was subtly different. Much to my dismay, I learned that the manufacturer now cut that pattern out of a shallower blank. The two trims, the old and the new, didn't match--I had to start again from scratch. Second, you're going to get confused. It gets harder and harder to remember, as time goes on, what trim goes where. Trust me on this!

Now, grab some rubber bands and some sticky notes. Gather up the trim for each room, one at a time, and gently bundle it together. If the rubber band is too tight, then it can cut into the wood. Write the name of the room on a sticky note, and slip it inside the rubber band. Now, put the trim bundles aside. I favor small plastic wastebaskets from Target for this purpose--they're cheap and useful, an awesome combination. As you work on each room, you can take the trim bundle in question out of the wastebasket and use it. This is a great method if you want to maintain a certain level of organization. I often work with expensive supplies, or work on multiple projects at the same time, so organization is essential for me.

A note on scrap wood: I keep two separate containers for scraps, one for basswood strip scraps and one for trim scraps. Often, a particular piece of wood is too short for my current project, but perfect for a future project. Wood is very expensive, so I try to get as much bang for my buck as I can.

Disaster Strikes!

2008-03-13T09:01:00.007-04:00

By now, if you're following along with me and building your dollhouse, you're probably stuck. I'm deducing this, because it happened to me the first time I built a dollhouse. And the second. And...the fourth. I think the fifth dollhouse was the first dollhouse I actually finished. I'd be going along, reasonably happily, and then something horrible would happen. I'd regard my workbench in mute horror, feet rooted to the floor, as realization washed over me. "Oh, no! This is the end!" Inevitably, I'd become so discouraged that I'd give up. Don't let this happen to you!

Is it boils in your wallpaper? Flooring that just doesn't stick to the floor? Post your issue, and while I can't promise to fix it, I can certainly offer my best "how to get un-stuck" advice.

In the meantime, I recently had quite the disaster in my own studio. I had this great idea for a new flooring idea--hand painted marble tiles. If you visit my website, then you know that I love faux finishes. I figured, hey, I know how to faux finish a tabletop, so I must also know how to faux finish a floor. So, I gathered up my wood blanks (about 40 1" tiles for one small bathroom in my current dollhouse), sanded, gessoed and painted them. These last three steps represented about half a day's worth of work. Seriously, faux finishing can be labor intensive. I finished the tiles, sat back and admired them...little did I know! Disaster lurked just over the horizon....

I epoxied the tiles into place in the bathroom. Those tiles should have been there for the rest of my life. I weighted them, and I let them dry. Overnight, I let them dry. I removed the weights and I applied a coat of Mod Podge. Now, as you know, if you're a regular reader of this blog, I use Mod Podge all the time--and I lay floors all the time. I use exactly the same technique when I lay parquet floors. Secure in the knowledge that the floor is going to look great, I went to dinner. When I came back from dinner, lo! and behold, my floor dreams were now nightmares. I had never seen such extreme warping in my entire life. Needless to say, I tried to fix the problem. I tried everything: glue, weights, sanding, cutting, everything I could think of. It was horrible. Eventually, two days later, I had to admit that all of my efforts at salvaging the floor only made it worse. So, I did what any smart girl would do--I attacked the dollhouse with a chisel. Specifically, I used a chisel to remove the floor. An hour, and some sweat and tears (but, luckily, no blood) later, I was back to square one. I sanded down the plywood and did what I probably should have done in the first place--laid a nice commercially available tile sheet.

If you're in this position right now, then it's important to hang tough. Mistakes are the price of innovation and experimentation. Yes, if we stick to what we know, then we get predictable results. Now, I'm not knocking predictable results--it's important to build up an arsenal of techniques. 99.9% of the time, we're going to be using that arsenal. However, there's only one way to add to that arsenal--and it isn't doing the same thing over and over again. The risk we take, here, is that we become so comfortable that our work stagnates. All of our rooms begin to look the same. We become boring. No! Sure, you lose a few hours, or even days or weeks, of time--not to mention, occasionally, a wealth of supplies. But really, who are you doing this for? You're not a miniaturist to please someone else. This isn't a race, although sometimes it can feel like one. Remember, you're not making mistakes, you're learning new skills. Hang in there, you can do it!

Kits Are Coming!

2008-03-12T07:30:00.004-04:00

I'm premiering a line of kits soon, which are going to be available here and, hopefully, at a store near you as well!

I've had several requests, over the past month, for classes to teach paneling techniques. What I realized is, while I was thrilled about the enthusiasm, a class just wouldn't be possible. There's no practical way to teach half a dozen or more people how to use a table saw. Even apart from my fear of something going horribly wrong and someone losing a finger, it's hard, in a situation like that, to give everyone the attention they deserve. Moreover, the really challenging aspect of paneling is the measurements. A lot of math goes in to each one of my designs, and math isn't everyone's idea of a good time.

This line of kits solves both problems. All of the pieces come pre-cut, so there's no worry about cutting or measuring. Step by step illustrated instructions make assembly a breeze, and the best part is, you can finish the paneling however you choose. Each kit contains enough material to make 12" of paneling, so three kits are sufficient to complete a standard size room. I'm really excited about it!

Laying the Floor

2008-02-15T14:05:00.006-05:00

The quality of your floors are going to determine the quality of your dollhouse. Floors heavily influence peoples' first impressions of a house (large or small), because they're such a large component of its decorating scheme. They are, to put it bluntly, too large to ignore. Therefore, its in your best interests to invest some serious time on the floor. I know it's really boring, but trust me, in the end, it's worth it.

The floors in the Hampton are very simple. In later entries, I'm going to show you how to install more complex floors, but for right now, I'm going to stick with the most ultra basic floor you can lay--the standard plank floor. As with many miniature pursuits, it's a lot harder to lay this floor successfully than it looks. Make sure you master the techniques in this post before you move on.

For the Hampton, I used flooring sheets. Commonly called "scribed sheathing," these are sheets of basswood that come already inscribed with lines. The scribed sheathing here is 1/16" thick, with 1/4" thick lines inscribed on it. Each sheet is 3" wide. I started by cutting sheets to fit into the room. This can be sort of a delicate process--you want all of your sheets to line up along the front of the dollhouse. Be careful when you cut the sheets, and remember: it really is better to measure twice, cut once. Once you've cut all of your sheets, lay them in a line somewhere out of the way.

I stained the edges of the sheets before I installed them, to save myself some time and effort. The disadvantage to installing, and then staining, the edges of the sheets is you have to get the sheets saturated with stain while, at the same time, keeping the stain off of the walls. This isn't easy.

To install the sheets, I use quick grip, although any contact cement would work. I prefer not to use tacky glue for this step, for two reasons: it contains too much liquid and it takes too long to dry. A very wet glue is going to warp the wood, and the longer your drying time, the greater your chances of something falling out of alignment.

Spread quick grip along the underside of the sheet, and then snug it against the wall. Always start with the sheet that's going nearest to the door. You want to make absolutely certain that the sheet is flush with the threshold of the door. Here, because the room was slightly too small to fit my heavier (and larger) books, I used scrap wood to weight the strip in place. This is a good technique to use, because it makes use of your otherwise useless lengths of scrap wood. I snugged each piece of wood into place until it was firmly (but not too tightly) pressing into the sheet.

Wait for the sheet to dry--at least half an hour. Then, you can proceed with the next sheet.

After you install the last sheet, you can stain the rest of the floor. Here, the center section of the floor is still bare. For the Hampton, I used a stain I mixed myself. However, you can use almost any stain. When I'm looking for a pre-made stain, I'm looking for one that's water based and fairly opaque. I want one that's water based, because it dries more quickly and it's less toxic. If at all possible, I prefer to work with non-toxic materials. They're a lot safer for me, and they're a lot safer for any children or pets who might come in contact with one of my dollhouses. I want a stain that's opaque, because it disguises the grain of the wood better. Nothing ruins scale like a huge knot in the middle of your floor, or wall.

Once the stain dries (wait 24 hours), apply 3 coats of Krylon matte finish spray. I always apply at least 3 coats before I sand. 3 light coats look a lot better than one or two heavy coats. If you want a more "new" looking floor, apply 3 more coats, sand and apply a final finish coat.

Gallery of Examples

2008-01-24T17:53:00.004-05:00

These are pictures of several different rooms, from different dollhouses and roomboxes. Although each room represents a different historical period and architectural style, I created the components using the same basic techniques we've been covering. As always, please feel free to post any questions or comments.

I created these two rooms using the applique technique. The white on green simulates the plaster appliques, which were so popular in Edwardian architecture. The blue on blue simulates the comparatively simple woodwork, which was common in working class colonial American homes.

I created this half wall using the inset panel technique. Paneling only one wall can help to add some architectural interest to the room.

Here, in the library of the Hampton, I combined floor to ceiling paneling with wainscoting.

In the dining room of the Hampton, I combined floor to ceiling paneling with wainscoting. Here, I replicated a classic Georgian style, where the door blends into the woodwork. Georgians were obsessed with symmetry; it wasn't unheard of to go so far as to balance a working door at one end of the room with a pretend door on the other. More practically, many Georgian architects compromised symmetry and practicality by hiding doors in the woodwork.

Here, in a roombox, I used trim to frame wallpaper panels. In colonial America, wallpaper was very expensive; trading ships imported it from China, where artisans painted it by hand. Even wealthy homeowners could only afford a little at a time, particularly since they had to replace it every few months. In an era where artificial light came only from candles, kerosene and whale oil, decorations got very dirty very quickly. Panels such as this were actually removable; the homeowner (or, more likely, his servants) could remove it from the wall, change the paper inside of it and replace it.

I created a different look for the wainscoting by reversing the trim; instead of an inset panel, I created a raised panel.