Memory Lane......

While cleaning my workroom I ran onto a photo album of minis that goes way back almost to the beginning. It's kind of fun to look at the different stages that we go through as we learn new techniques. I scanned a few of the photos. I will probably do that with most of them sooner or later, but I wanted to show you a few today.

These are various beds from over the years. The first photo is what got me into this whole mess. This is the top floor of my daughter's first dollhouse. After a few years of playing with it, she didn't want it any more so I inherited it so to speak. I turned it into a country cottage because that was what was the rage at the time.

I used regular wallpaper on the ceiling. Back then you could go into a paint store and ask for their discontinued sample books and carry them out by the armload for free. I haven't done it for a long time. People started getting on to it and that made it hard to get them. Some stores even have waiting lists and charge for them now. They got wise too. Anyway, the "rug" was a piece of matching fabric from one of the wallpaper books cut and trimmed to the shape that I wanted. I turned two long edges under with glue and fringed the two short edges. Instant floorcloth.

I designed and made the candlewicking bedspread and pillows. Here, they are on the first bed that I made from scratch. It's the one that I showed you before with the crooked headboard. The cross stitch spread that I have on it now came later.

After a while I tired of the house too and turned it into the Three Bears' cottage. Then I sold it. Sometimes I wish I would have kept everything that I made.

This is another one that I sold. It got "best of show" the year that I entered in the Tucson Miniature Society show. The headboard is hand carved walnut. There is a matching dressing table, stool and chair. The room goes on to infinity. It was called "A Miniaturist's Bedroom". See the room boxes set into the back wall? They were all electrified. The center bottom room is a replica of the actual room box. At the center back of that there is another smaller scale replica. In theory at least, they could go on forever smaller and smaller......The whole thing was designed and built from scratch. I have no idea where this room box ended up. The lady that bought it later passed away. The last I heard it was somewhere in Washington state.

These two pieces are original and one of a kind. I did a series of beds that were all made with cherry or walnut hand carved headboards. I think that I was around # 40 when I quit. Can you say "Burn-out"?

I still have the dressing table It has a curved front and a working drawer. The front of that drawer was the hardest part. I have no power tools other than the jigsaw. Every curlicue was carved by blade and files. If I ever get going on the Harrison house I will use it in the lady's bedroom along with the white bed that is in another entry. Notice that I said "If".....

Please don't ask about Buttercup. It's on the table pouting because I'm not working on it today. We may have to have a long talk later.........

See you tomorrow.