THE DOWER HOUSE- Part 2- my GLENCROFT DOLLHOUSE REHAB.

I honestly meant to have Part 2 published early last month but wouldn't you know, I've been totally engrossed in the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial on youtube, and between that and actually working on the bedroom of this DOLLHOUSE, I've missed my blog deadline by a mile- 🤥 yup- MY BAD! 

The door is a "vintage" Miniature House Victorian front door kit.  I already had in my stash and believe it came from my dear friend BETTIE SMITH'S miniature collection.  I didn't realize how old the door was until I tried to find the image of it via Google and wasn't able to, but here's an image of the companion window which will illustrate  the carved details above the door:  a detail   which I was forced to remove.   I had to take off the cap due to the sloped of the Glencroft roof which angles around the door: there just wasn't enough room  The new door is rectangular however I still wanted to keep the look of the old gothic archway which is original to the kit.  To do this I used the old kit door finishing trim and extended the "legs" of it on both sides to match the taller height of the new door.  The door itself is flush with the exterior front wall of the dollhouse which is pressed up against the existing wood trims.  Making it work from the inside created a 1/2 inch  recess around the front door .  In other words, installing the new front door was the equivalent of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. I had to modify the installation to enable the door to swing open without any impediment caused by the interior door surround resulting in a deep space between the door and the wall. Clear as mud - right? 🧐  In short this is what it looks like and I've left it removable for the time being.  Who knew that changing out a door could turn into something as complicated as this proved to be?  Even so, I'm happy with it because the little recess is unusual and quirky and has a very  'English-y' feel to it! ❤😌    PAINTING THE DOOR I've painted the door both front and back,  several times trying to get it to look fresh without appearing too pristine.  In the end I lightly aged it with a graphite pencil then called it a day.  Just in case you're wondering why I wouldn't want this door to look 'BANDBOX NEW' is because I want my tiny dwellings to appear as though they've been occupied for a long time and time and the elements have a way of removing the surface sheen from just about everything  and people have a way of causing certain amounts of distress on the things we regularly use. Which is why, I didn't want the look of a freshly painted front door.   I Did however, want a letter slot in the front door but I didn't want to have to cut one out of the door  so I purchased a set of 2 brass mail slots and glued them to both sides of the door.  I ordered a package of mini mail from the U.K complete with U.K stamps and postmarks. If you're in the market for British mini mail, I've included the link below- Ebay https://www.ebay.com/itm/202797083017 I left one letter on the floor under the mail slot: the rest are housed in the Secretary.  Because of the long glass panes of door, I felt that The Dowager needed a bit more personal security  therefore,  a iron slide bolt at the bottom of the door became a requirement.  Years ago, I had made one out of card-stock for the front door of  Villa Leone, which turned out quite well,  however I didn't feel like making another so I bought mine on line.   The one you see below is by TOWN SQUARE MINIATURES I really like the look of the black iron bolt against the white painted wood.  It stands out (but not too much!)  and thus the Dowager is able to rest securely!

NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE  LEADED GLASS WINDOW ( a semi tutorial)  Last Year, when I'd removed the old kit windows from this dollhouse, I made sure to save them so that I could use them as a guide   but wouldn't you know it when I needed them-   I couldn't find them   SO I had to make a window from scratch. 😣 NOT MY FAVOURITE THING TO DO! 😫 I made a window then after I'd made it  I didn't like it😱

                                    "glass"panes-whew!  

Once I had the frame(s) secured it was time to move on  to the leading. With the first set of windows I used the metal mesh from an air filter it was good but the mesh had depth and so I needed a lot of UV resin to fill it.  Hence it made the glass too thick.

For the leading in this window  I used the metal cross-hatched mesh from 2 MOSQUITO ZAPPERS!  The Zappers look like plastic tennis rackets with 3 layers of grills (2 big over1 small) which are sandwiched over each other and connected to wires; which are connected to batteries; which are housed inside the handle.   I've seen them in action on t.v. although I've never used one myself.  I found these at the thrift store.    I've included a link to Walmart's so you can read up about it if you're interested.  https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/bite-shield-racket-zapper-electronic-insect-killer-yellow-and-black/6000203257890?

The front and back of both rackets have a VERY FLAT crosshatched metal which I thought would work the best.    I first tried it up against the window opening to see if the scale of the leading looked right but it was too hard to tell

I proceeded to pry apart the plastic frame from the bigger of the 2 zappers because I wasn't able to unscrew it. The smaller racket was easier to disassemble as the screws were more accessible.

This method worked but I had to be careful not to accidentally bend the mesh.  This is what it looked like once the grill was removed from the frame.

The photo below shows how thin the profile of the mesh is

Below the "leading" in millimetres

and in inches

and ANOTHER TEST  I continued to build up the wood panels AROUND and OVER the leading from the inside of the window,  then I repeated the entire process again with a second layer of metal and trims for the outside of the window.   I know... Sounds like a weird way to do it  but I'm not a great builder, so I do what works for ME.

Once the window panels on the inside were completed, I BRUSHED over the leading and the clear plastic with  a very THIN coat of UV RESIN

I USED A BRUSH  having learned the hard way with the first set of windows  that pouring on the resin   makes the glass way too thick and uneven.  unless of course, that that's the look you want

I tested the window once again once the interior glazing was done.

For the exterior side of the window  I had to make sure that the grills lined up with the interior leading on all 3 panels then I began building up the wood trims over them too.    When the exterior trims were completed I again  brushed over the metal with  UV Resin- curing each panel one at a time under the UV lamp.  I'm still debating on whether I should randomly tint some of the diamond panes with a colour to imitate stained glass    🤔 Knowing me,  I'd wreck it and then be mad at myself forever and/or have to make ANOTHER set.... Moving on...

The window in situ fyi I made these drapes for Villa Leone but I swapped them out with some fabulous fabric which Jodi MY MINIATURE MADNESS had gifted me with instead.  Initially they were place holders but then I decided to make them permanent.  They're held in place with Museum wax  and the stiffness of the fabric.   The next thing on my  TO DO LIST was   unexpected.

Above the window bump-out was a connecting strip of the pink wallpaper  I used in the rest of the room.  But now with the larger leading  the window looked proportionally small. My solution was to beef up the window surround and make it look more imposing!

I used an air dry clay casting from this silicone mold which I'd purchased on Amazon for some of the detailed stone carvings on  VILLA LEONE I cut a section of the Egg and Dart trim to fit above the window and glued it in place. I LIKED IT!  I felt it gave the window more  PRESENCE and the needed visual weight  so I went with it. I removed the narrow strip of pink wallpaper and filled  the void with more wood trims above the egg and dart moulding, and then painted everything white.

THINGS ARE LOOKING UP! 😎

More wood trims were added around the parameters of the window until I was satisfied that the window could visually hold its own.  I may add some black hardware to 2 of the side panels to suggest that the window are operational, but for now I'm calling them done!

As I think I mentioned in Part One, this fireplace was formerly a tea-light holder which I found at the thrift store for a few dollars: I LOVE the Size of it!  It had a thick, heavy duty resin hearth which I sawed off with a hacksaw- easier said than done Let me tell you guys sawing resin by hand is labour intensive!  💪  The metal grate is original to the fireplace.

Before I forget to tell you- the little blue and white dish on the wall

The wall sconces were fortuitous purchased from SP MINIATURES originally intended for Villa Leone  however, they didn't work for the Villa   so on a whim,  I tried them out here and THEY WERE PERFECT! The over-mantle mirror is one I've had for AGES (1970's)! It's a heavy metal casting which use to have a print of a Old Masters painting.     I repainted and aged the metal frame and replaced the print with an old compact mirror.

On the left side of the fireplace wall is a fimo cornucopia sculpture which FATIMA  of BEAUXMINIS gave me more than a decade ago! It looks like Murano Glass and   I've filled it with long fireplace matches: wood slivers shaved from a full-sized matchstick. To the right of the match holder is a nesting table,  with a display of a glass pink drinks set by   GLASSCRAFT. The wine bottle contains red printer ink.  There's also a small wooden camel which I glazed with UV resin and a delicate china bowl by Teresa Welch and a photograph in a brass frame; all of which is illuminated by a brass lamp sporting a burgundy shade purchased from an online miniature show.

The pink glass display and the pink roses in the painting appear to have been made for each other! The TREASURED painting  was a gift to me from  Cathrine Buron ( Ninette & co.) which she painted specifically for #43 GREEN DOLPHIN STREET however,  I think I've found a better home for it here in The Dower House! Thank You again Catherine! 💖 The Tea table is a rescued piece from I can't remember where.  I've left the unevenly stained wood as is;  placed a large doily over top and added casters;  then laid out  an Afternoon Tea featuring the work of  Janet Uyetake  TINY TOWNE MINIATURES  crustless tea sandwiches with pickles AND  Rina Vellichor open-faced tomato, basil and cucumber sandwiches. SUPER YUM! 😋 The INCREDIBLE green grapes in the photo above  were made by  the AMAZING Claudia of Le Mini di Claudia And a naked strawberry topped chocolate cake was made by  Valentina of Pink Cute Sugar.  A Very tempting afternoon tea- YES?   For some time now, I've been spot collecting  vintage Stokesay Ware china from all over the internet. I happened to find a set of these vintage cups and saucers from the Estate section of  Dollhouse Junction the  2 matching luncheon plates  came from a winning an Ebay auction  and the silver teaspoons made by Pete Acquisto  were purchased from  SP MINIATURES I've also managed to purchase a single dinner plate in this particular pattern and then my friend Janine, MINWORKS  blog was kind enough to give me an extra dinner plate from her personal collection.  SOoooo   I now have a place setting for 2  - WHOOHOO!  🕺🏻💃🏿 THE SOFA I purchased this sofa brand new from MforMiniatures  it was for another project, so I'd deliberately aged the surface of the leather,  to take the newness off  but then once again, I changed my mind and I decided to use it in the Dower House instead.   I loved the size and the shape but now the "leather" was so abused that I needed to amend it. There are some things once done  that can't be reversed  and this was one of them!   It proved to be a little too shabby for the rest of the room so I did what my mother used to do  and threw a Throw over it!  It has covered a multitude of sins😇 I used an old piece of brown felt to throw over the back which blends in with the colour of the leather.  The faded cushions I made by using the reverse side of a exotic cotton print with I filled with tiny glass beads to make them slouchy then  fringed them using the leftover scraps from the tapestry fabric covering the seat cushion. Any damage I couldn't cover was blamed on the cat!  speaking of which... The "Queen" of the sofa is "Jennie"  a Burmese cat purchased from Ebay (sorry, but can't recall the name of her maker).   I'd originally purchased her for  Villa Leone then ( of course), I changed my mind, so here she is living contentedly in  THE DOWER HOUSE as if she's always been here!       I built the tall case clock from a vintage  Bagnal HOUSE of MINIATURES clock KIT. It's HUGE and totally dwarfs the  leather cat scratched sofa.  It is the perfect fit under the stairs and fills that awkward narrow space like a hand in a glove; I LOVE it!

THE AMAZINGLY TALENTED JONQUIL NORRIE  of Latchkey and Jonquil had sent me a parcel for Christmas  which contained (among other small wonders) a tall blue and white vase which she'd hand painted, herself! 💖 I LOVE IT!!!  I placed it Centre Stage on top of the secretary flanked by a couple of plates from  TWELVE TIMES MORE TEENY alongside a couple of ginger jars I'd found on Etsy  and a large white rabbit from Giulias Miniatures   The Secretary itself, is a vintage resin plastic piece from  The Gobel Butterfly Collection which I'd painted a long, long time ago using a faux bois technique to get it to resemble a dark burl. I've tried to capture the look of the Traditional English Country Style in the vignette above,  without going too overboard with the typical English Cottage cliches but it was so much fun dressing this secretary!    The Oval plater on the wall  is "Vintage" JEAN DAY.  Back in the day ( no pun intended)  Jean used to make Wonderful little porcelain dolls and dollhouse dolls and I'm proud to say that I have quite a few of them   some of which you can see in  my blog back-post of TOYS TOYS TOYS A few years ago, I purchased 2 Queen Anne chairs from an estate sale: 1) with the green velvet seat; the 2)  a Magnificent burl wood side chair with ball and claw feet by the late John Hodgson. I shift its position from in front of the secretary or over by the drop leaf table. The original seat cushion lifts out of the frame,  so I recovered it using a section of a man's Italian silk tie depicting a circus elephant- it's not what's typically "English" but it fits!  Back to the desk Inside the upper portion of the secretary  are a number of homemade books, a toby jug, 3 Staffordshire china dogs and some additional blue and white objects including a Jean Yingling demitasse cup and saucer. which I found at  RUBY LANE MINIATURES The Yingling cup and saucer are Exquisite! A look at the entire upper cabinet area of books, cheap china, Staffordshire china dogs, and a miniature tea box from ZenasMiniatures on Esty THE Messy DESK There lots of paper "mess" on the desk top mostly letters, paper pads, an inkwell and a fountain pen contrived from the extracted pin of a Push Pin

British mail  purchased on Ebay

The small scalloped dish above the light fixture  was made by U.K. Artisan  Nikki Naki Nu and the English mirror to the right of the desk  was purchased from SP Miniatures another favourite resource of mine

A growing collection of canes and umbrellas are placed next to the desk alongside a pair of muddy Hunter Wellies

The canes and the brollies

Mary Poppins  parrot umbrella  from  Miniature Crush on Etsy

This lovely umbrella was made by Fatima of Beauxminis Sadly, I had to steal it out of   #43 Green Dolphins Street whilst I wait for Fatima to make more of them. The Muddy Wellies I painted a pair of yellow rubber boots with a green acrylic paint and then happened to find an ad in an old  Victoria Bliss magazine advertisement of Hunter Boots. I cut out the ad labels and glued them onto the painted boots. I used a thinned white glue and some real dirt  and spread it out over the surface then let it dry and  "Bob's Your Uncle!" INTO THE HOME STRETCH Yes! I'm almost done😄

I like the way it picks up the pink in the wallpaper  but I also enjoy the contrast of it against the golden yellow drapes and the area rug. On the chair are two cushions One made for me a LONG time ago by my friend  Pam Grant and the other cushion I made    using the same fabric as those on the sofa.

The table lamp is "non-working" ever since I accidentally  broke off the wires. Even so-  I already have enough illumination in this room and only required the presence of a lamp to dress this table, so"non-working" works fine!  To make it work for this room, I painted it, glazed it with U V resin then I appliquéd it with gold nail decals. The shade is painted inside and out with silver nail polish and black chalk paint,  after which, the bottom of the shade was edged with a fine black picot trim.

The Staffordshire china dog is the mate to one displayed in the secretary. The painted metal hunting dog was a lucky find inside a bag of thrift store junk. A blue and white Stokesay ware plate sits in front of a bouquet of white daisies, pink dahlias and burgundy peonies. Daisies made by me  Peonies I made from a kit by  The Miniature Garden Dahlias -Ebay

the DOWER HOUSE LIVING ROOM is DONE! actually there are still a few more tweaks which I need to complete so let's say 99.9% DONE!  Thank you for you patience  AND  for sticking it out to-

But WAIT! 

before you go-

here's a teaser of the Dower House bedroom which I'm currently working on....

elizabeth