. . Tulsa Tiny Stuff

And The Winner Is.......

2012-02-11T00:26:00.000-06:00

This is my give-away for reaching 100 followers!

Here is the list of everyone who expressed an interest in being in my give away.

So this is what I came up with. This a Frank Lloyd Wright cast iron magazine rack that I have in my home. A cherished gift from my sister-in-law many years ago while I was in architecture school.

You may find a magazine or two that you recognize in it?

It is pretty ingenious, three interlocking pieces that slide together to make a sturdy rack.

And this is a miniature 1" = 1'-0" wood version that I designed. It is inspired by the Frank Lloyd Wright one. I drew it in AutoCAD and had it cut out with a laser.

Susan, send me an email to tulsatinystuff@gmail.com Include your mailing address and I will send you a magazine rack for one of your miniature projects.

I am in the process of making some miniature scale magazines to put in it. I grabbed some images online, and brought them into Adobe Photoshop and reduced them down to size. Hopefully I have not broken too many 'copywright' laws. (Punn intended!)

Congratulations and thank you to all my mini blog friends for your kind words and support.

Everyone - back to work!

Recent Acquisitions

2012-02-07T22:17:00.000-06:00

I have wanted an Arcade cast iron couch and chair since I started collecting. I love the Art Deco influence and the curves of the arms. It is fun for me to think about some small child playing with these back in the roaring 20's. Out of frustration and after losing another an eBay auction bid on a couch, I started poking around online. My basic search turned up the usual sites that I browse, so I decided to do an image search.

The image search brought up this living room trio for sale in a garden store in Illinois. I could not believe my eyes. I emailed the owner and made an offer. He responded back with a counter offer.

The heavy cast iron pieces are in pretty good shape for being nearly 90 years old.

Notice the trade-mark Arcade label on the side. I will probably match the pink paint and touch them up a little.

The front of both the chairs and the couch have burgundy colored accents

The chairs each have a removable cushion and the couch has 3 removable cushions. The cushions have a textured surface and each piece is marked with the part number.

These pieces are rare and don't come up for sale very often.

When they do, they are usually missing the cushions or have a broken foot or leg.

The rest of my Arcade Cast Iron Furniture can be seen here: http://tulsatinystuff.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-arcade-collection.html

You might also be interested in a an old childrens book I have that features this furniture!
http://tulsatinystuff.blogspot.com/2010/01/arcadians.html

100 Followers

2012-02-03T00:09:00.001-06:00

It is hard to believe that I have nearly 100 followers on my blog!

I would like to thank each of you for all of your comments, generosity and insight into the wonderful world of miniatures.

I was reminded of the time my daughter and had to make 100 fireplaces for our local miniature club state day event. (We also made 100 birthday cakes and helped out on numerous other projects.)

In honor of reaching this mark, I am going to have a giveaway. As soon as I reach 100 followers, I will put each of your names into a 'hat' and select a winner! I am at 97 as of today.

Please leave a comment and let me know if you are interested.

Cozy Cabin Kitchen Sink

2012-02-01T19:48:00.000-06:00

I decided to do something non-architectural and mix things up a little. I spent some time working on a skirt for the kitchen sink in my cabin. I toyed with the idea of gathering the material all around the sink, but it got kind of bulky and this kitchen is so small,so I ended up with flat panels.

My initial thought was to use red gingham fabric because it goes very well with the floor. But then I found this black ribbon that I liked and I was already planning on using the red gingham fabric in the living room anyway. Or should I use leather in the living room? (These photos looked a lot lighter last night when I took them)

I lined the back side of the skirt with the red and you see it peeking through. I thought up the small peek-a-boo slot. I want to find a little button to attach- any ideas? I envisioned being able to see something under the sink, maybe a basket, or bottles, or a mouse? I am thinking of using the same black and white gingham fabric for the window treatment in the kitchen - probably a valance and some cafe type curtains? Your input would be much appreciated.

Hearthsong Halfpenny Dollhouse

2012-01-31T21:20:00.000-06:00

I purchased this house on eBay a few years ago. The label says "Hearthsong Halfpenny Dollhouse" and It has been sitting in my hobby room in its original bag. I was impressed with the artwork on it.

It is a folding house and is made from "book board" and the hinges or seams are made from fabric tape. The package is dated 1998 and the house folds flat.

The original artwork appears to be a combination of water color and colored pencil and it has been printed on the dollhouse.

Each room is very detailed. Everything from the floors,to baseboards, to the wallpapers and crown moldings and even the ceilings are well thought out.

I do not know anything about the house or what type of furniture or dolls it went with
( any help would be appreciated )

I like the circle side window and the playful wallpaper.

I like this wallpaper, with the flowers "falling" from above and the two types of wood to make the herringbone pattern on the floor.

Here is a detail of the round window on the exterior. Note the bird nest in the tree.

Cozy Cabin Grout!

2012-01-28T13:50:00.000-06:00

I found some time this weekend to grout my newly installed tile in the cabin. I ended up going with a white grout. I figured I could tone it down if it ended up being too bright.
I used a sand-less grout sold in the hobby section.

The first step was to tape off the area. I didn't want to take a chance getting grout on the log walls.

This shot shows the bathroom grouting in process. It is a good thing I used the tape because this process was a mess!

Here is the finished upstairs bathroom. I will probably end up washing it a few more times to remove the haze. This tile is unglazed so the grout really sticks to it.

Here is the same bathroom from the the bedroom. To the left is the medicine cabinet. I found it in a sale bin at a local miniature shop. I think it is out of a Chrysnbon kit. I also painted the medicine cabinet white. I need to find a mirror so that I can install it on the wall.

Here is the finished kitchen floor. I am pretty happy with the way it turned out.

Cozy Cabin Update

2012-01-27T08:04:00.000-06:00

Here is the kitchen space in my cabin - mostly still a blank slate.

I don't remember where I found these tiles, I am thinking it was part of an auction on Ebay. In a box with some windows and doors. I like them, but I didn't have enough to finish the kitchen. I also used them in the upstairs bathroom.

Here are all the pieces I have left. It is glued to a thin fabric backing.

This illustrates my dilemma. I scoured the Internet and all of my catalogs. I considered not putting tile under the sink or some sort of medallion in the center of the room? Maybe a large wood base or border?

This is what I came up with. There are still plenty of the Houseworks plain tiles around, just not the checkerboard. My solution was to make a border out of the plain tiles. I think once I get it grouted, it should be fine.

I stuck some of my appliance in to see what it will look like.

The piece in the foreground is actually a Hallmark Christmas ornament. Its a little small, but I may add some feet to the legs and use it anyway. Hopefully I can find some time to grout this weekend. I also found some fabric that I am going to make a skirt out of for the sink. ( I found the sink at a garage sale for 50 cents!)

Cubanopolis 2012 Follow-Up

2012-01-26T22:31:00.000-06:00

The competition was fierce tonight at the 2012 Cubanopolis.

Last night were the final preparations on Cole's Army Half-Track. ( Our family cat Debussy was absolutely no help whatsoever!)

Cole sacrificed his Tony Hawk belt ( which is now too small anyway) to hold the grenades for his secret weapon.

The vehicle is complete and we are excited for the races.

Cole did awesome and we ended up naming his Half Track "The General"
It was a huge hit - then he got hit, took a tumble, lost a fender, got up and kept running
.

The cub scouts are going to sleep well tonight!

Mixed Feelings

2012-01-25T21:02:00.000-06:00

I came across this photo online (courtesy of Country Living magazine ). I guess I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, its better than sitting somewhere not being used at all or in someone's attic - but on the other hand, I could picture restoring it and using it as a home for some of my antique dollhouse furniture! I do think the large decorative brackets are great and would be a great way to display a wall mounted dollhouse.

Cubanopolis 2012

2012-01-24T08:56:00.000-06:00

We have been sided tracked from miniature buildings so we could build a miniature car! We are building a "Cubanopolis" race car this week. For my son's cub scout activity.
My son Cole did a sketch of the vehicle he wanted to do - a WWII Half Track.
( I had to look this up, I had no idea what he was talking about) It has regular wheels in the front and several wheels in a track on the back ( like a tank)

Cole has an aunt in the Army and really looks up to her.

We got the holes cut in the right places

We mixed some camouflage paint

Mom printed some Army logos off the Internet and we applied them with spray adhesive.

Tonight we finish the gun that mounts on the back and Thursday we race ! More to follow.

Victorian Rooms / Cabins

2012-01-23T21:36:00.000-06:00

I had the opportunity to travel to Boise Idaho a few months ago. They had some great Victorian rooms at the Idaho State Historical Museum.

The most striking thing that I remember about he living room was the wallpaper. The green tile on the fireplace was beautiful also. The yellows and creme colors in the rug were a nice contrast to the walls. (sorry about the flash in the mirror)

The dining room was saved from a Victorian era house that was going to be demolished. It was labeled and numbered and re-constructed inside the museum. It had great built-in cabinets and woodwork.

This is a photo looking at the other end of the dining room. More built-in cabinets and great carved wood work.

Here is a photo of the kitchen. I like the Hoosier cabinet and the old stove. They had a few period accessories. I also liked the skirt around the sink.

I took this picture for my daughter.. She loves the program "Say Yes to the Dress" She wasn't to excited about this Victorian wedding dress.

Couldn't resist this photo of the Boise Girls Tumbling Team in 1933 !

Coston Cabin

On the museum grounds they have the Coston Cabin. You can read about it below.

The Adelmann house was constructed in the 1870s and was moved to the grounds as well.

Logan Home

The Logan house was built in 1865 from adobe bricks and also moved to the museum site.

The Adelmann home was constructed in the 1860s or 1870s and was restored to how it might have looked in 1880.

Adelmann home

Recent Acquisitions

2012-01-19T09:37:00.004-06:00

I have picked a few things up here and there. Garage Sales, Estate Sales, Auctions and Antique stores seem to be my downfall.

I came across this Playmobil Victorian Mansion at a local estate sale. I created a post about it here: http://tulsatinystuff.blogspot.com/2012/01/playmobil-victorian-house-5300.html

I found the table with the checkerboard "inlay" at a new antique mall in the area, the round table at a local shop and the small resin cocker spaniel at an estate sale. I think these should go great in my Victorian House.

I picked up this hand carved wood armchair and an old German looking table at a local shop. I was thinking these would fit nicely in my log cabin. I will need to put some cushions or pillows on the hard chair.

The large mirror, the sewing machine and the two Durham Pieces were at an antique mall. they will probably fit in the cabin, as will the red spatter ware pans. I picked up the napkin holders at a garage sale. I am still thinking about what to use them for - baskets? cages? table base? light fixtures? If you have any suggestions, let me know!

Playmobil Victorian House 5300

2012-01-17T23:30:00.000-06:00

I have seen pictures of these Playmobil houses and been amazed at how much they cost, there are some on Amazon right now for around $1,000. So today when I stopped at an estate sale during my lunch break, I could not resist the $20 that they were asking for this one!
Part of the house was still in it's original box and there was a tub of accessories that came along with it. Literally hundreds of pieces that go together like a giant Lego set.

I figured I would buy it, take it home and put it together and see if there were any pieces missing. I could then sell off the pieces if I wanted to? It even has old model T and a horse drawn carriage.

My son and I put the house together after dinner. I am amazed at the details - the texture and color of the "slate roof", all of the ornamentation, the operable windows and doors, the "stone" base with tiny operable grilles. It came with a big plastic tub that had 50 people in it and all kinds of accessories, hats, aprons, purses.. pretty amazing. All of the pieces are here there except for one small bracket.

The weird thing about this house is that it has so many windows, that there is no place to put the furniture.

Who knows.. maybe I will keep it!

A little progress

2012-01-16T23:05:00.003-06:00

I had a little time tonight after we got the kiddos to bed so I decided to start the large fireplace in the living room.

This was my concept sketch. I need to find the right piece of wood for the mantle.

I am using air-dry clay. I first made some flat sheets for the 3 sided of the firebox. Then I decided that they looked to flat, so I added a few more "stones"

I rolled a bunch of different size balls with the clay and squished them into shapes. I put some craft glue on the back of the ones that are next to the log walls.

The box says that there will be some shrinkage when the clay drys. The clay is supposed to dry white, then I play on painting it. I hope that it holds together as it drys...I will keep you posted.

Oklahoma City Day Trip

2012-01-15T00:17:00.002-06:00

Now that I have your attention ...

Just kidding.. This was our desert after a great concert this afternoon. We attended my daughter's All-State Choir Concert in Oklahoma City. I am so proud of her!

We got there a little early and I noticed a bunch of shops across the street. We wandered over and browsed. I think I may have found one of my new favorite shops !

I had not seen this great Reutter bathroom accessories package before.

I really liked this bathroom set, I am thinking something like this in my Victorian house.

I envisioned some great bedding on the these.

I think I have all of these red velvet chairs, but I loved the pink and floral day bed. I also liked the fireplace behind the red chairs, the cabinet above it had tiny metal screens and glass in each of the doors.

This desk and chair were very detailed.

I really loved these two green chairs.

Lots of great pieces for a shop. Man I have expensive tastes!

There are those chairs again !

I have seen these stoves in catalogs, but not in person. Very detailed

I liked these white pieces - it would be great in a some sort of shop. My wife will be glad to know, that I didn't but anything, but I did envision future trips to Oklahoma City with stops to this shop.

Artist Inspiration Cabin

2012-01-13T23:51:00.001-06:00

A while back, I saw this artist cabin come up for auction. I was drawn in by some of its features. I like the copper roof, although parts of it seem a little out of scale. Parts of the house intrigued me and inspired me.

I like the use of the glass tiles for accent colors. I love the little porch on the second floor that also helps define the the main entrance below with a small gable roof.

The wrap around porch adds a lot the character of this house and I really like the round entry at the front and the spindles that connect it to the porch. I also like the artsy corner window on the second floor. It helps to visually balance the asymmetrical front facade.

Inside, the wood paneled walls really add a vintage feel to the house.

Most of the windows are leaded stained glass. Another nice feature, but perhaps feel a little bit out of scale.

The trim around the doors and windows add a nice level of detail. I also like how every once and while there is a pop of color, like on the door under the stairs. I also like the wood tiles on the floor - they reminded me of scrabble pieces!

The stone fireplace is tucked under the second floor and under a whimsical corner turret . After viewing some of the elements, it made me want to do some 'out of the ordinary' things to my cabin that I am working on.

The fireplace appears to be the only pained feature inside aside from a door here and there. I like idea of using the glass tiles and the built-in mirror. The cabin ended up being out of my price range, but I kept some pictures for inspiration on my future projects.

Cozy Cabin

2012-01-11T15:37:00.000-06:00

I did a dry run on the log stairs in my cabin last night. I shot this picture through the side door. Not sure what happened with the flash, but I like it! It almost looks like an actual construction site.

I cut the two stair stringers from bass wood and cut a bunch of logs to the same width then carefully ran them through my table saw. ( I still have all my fingers! )

The staircase will divide the dining room and the living room. I want to find some special pieces of wood to use for the newel posts and the handrail. some burled or knotty pieces. We lost a tree to an ice storm a couple of years ago and I saved a bucket of wood for this very purpose. I have not decided what to do with the finish on the stair stringers. I may try a color, it may look better if it wasn't so light ?

I came across these metal ceiling panels online and may try something like this in the dining area next to the stairs.

This is the current view of the living room. I stuck an extra door in the side door, but I think I will build a custom door. I have an old screen door that I want to use there too. I used some windows from the local hobby store and painted them dark green with red(ish) sashes. If I have learned anything about painting dollhouse windows, it is to use spray paint if you want them to be operable. I have been going back and forth on what to do with the fireplace. River rock or stacked stone ?

This is my sketch of the Living room fireplace not sure if I want to carry the stonework up to the ceiling or not.

This is the fireplace in the master bedroom. I will probably use the same treatment on this fireplace that I use in the living room, but at a smaller scale. I am going to convert the white half dome light fixtures into something a little more rustic. (see the sketch below) will need to figure out a way to make it amber looking instead of white.

This is my sketch of the fireplace and light fixture concept - pine tree silhouettes against a moon

The front of the house and front porch. I don't think the columns are leaning as bad as it appears in the photo. I want construct stone bases around the columns and build some sort of stone patio/porch as well. The stone will continue around the base of the house to hide the pine frame. Another decision I have been grappling with is if I want to add chinking to the exterior. ( this is the filler between the logs to weatherproof them)

This is my sketch of how the stone might work at the base of the columns and around the porch and around the house.

This is the exterior of the living room fireplace. I will cover it with some paperclay "stones" then finish the roof around it. I created a small stoop at the side door to display some fishing gear.

This is the fireplace at the master bedroom. I made the base taller here to conceal the fuse and light controls. I will cover the fireplace, and area to the side with paperclay "stone" and maybe construct a planter or stack some firewood.

I had to play a little with some Adirondack chairs and wirebrush trees before I went to bed.

Cabin Fever

2012-01-10T22:55:00.000-06:00

My son Cole has been working on his cabin too!

I purchased these plastic deer at a garage sale for 25 cents each. Initially I was going to use the antlers for a chandelier, but they are pretty skinny and not as easy to work with as the homemade paperclay ones.

My son enjoyed sawing the head off one for a trophy in his cabin. If anyone needs a plastic deer torso, let me know!

We are going to mount it on a stained wood plaque and hang it on the wall. More on his cabin at: http://tulsatinystuff.blogspot.com/2010/01/coles-cabin.html

Cozy Cabin

2012-01-09T00:04:00.000-06:00

I purchased this cabin kit at a garage sale during State Day in Oklahoma City a few of years ago. The 'bulking' box was full of what looked like big Lincoln Logs from my childhood and the tattered box was held together with duct tape. The seller assured me all of the pieces were there, as were the instructions. I have not really worked on the cabin in a while, but as I have been gearing up for my Victorian house project, the cabin has been calling to me.

Whenever I pick up a item at an 'estate sale' or a 'garage sale' or even something eBay that kind of have a 'cabin feel', I stick it in the cabin. I was looking at it the other day thinking, "I should really work on that." I have accumulated quite a collection of stuff for this place:
fabric, a canoe, a sled, a 1940's Strombecker grand piano, a bear skin rug, lots of fishing gear, books, and even some snow shoes !

The large grid window is the enclosed breezeway that I turned into a small kitchen.

When I brought the kit home, took out all the pieces and compared them to the parts list. The parts list had a brief history of the house and a photo of the Kenneth W. Keller. The note with the following text was included:

"Kenneth W. Keller died June 26, 1988 at the age of 14 years of cancer. He was treated at OMH Childgren's Hospital from December 1985 'till his death. The log cabins were in part, his idea. As a living memorial to our son, a portion of each cabin will go to the hospital. The research and development must go on if we are to spare our children - signed John and Debbie Keller"

I studied the homemade, yellowing instructions and layouts that came with the kit and decided immediately that I wanted to change the layout to allow for more rooms. .

Page from instructions

Page from Instructions

Fireplace instructions

The original kit called for the kitchen to be located in a separate building connected to the main house by a breezeway or "dog run". I decided to enclose the "dog run" and locate the kitchen there. This would allow me to locate a master bedroom in the space that is supposed to be the kitchen. It would have a great big cozy fireplace.

I experimented with paper clay when my daughter Carolyn and I built her house. I plan on using paper clay again to create a lot of the stone-work for this project, including the porches, fireplaces, and column bases. Carolyn's place and our paperclay rocks can be seen here: http://tulsatinystuff.blogspot.com/2010/01/carolyns-place.html

Another change I made was flipping the upstairs floor to the middle of the house instead of locating it on the end. I figured it would look more symmetrical. I plan on building a rustic staircase with half-log steps and twig railings. I have added real logs here and there to help get a rustic feel.

I added a front porch to the house to define the front entrance and give the cabin a little more character. ( note my paper door - I am working on a kind of Arts & Crafts design for the entry with some sort of art glass)

I cut some cedar strips from a large board and made some decorative trusses for the roof/ceiling. I also bought some wood strips to use for the roof. The original plan had some pre-cut pieces of old wall paneling. I also added copper flashing to the roof valleys and will probably trim the edges with it as well or maybe create some sort of rain gutters.

I converted a standard formal brass light fixture into a deer antler chandelier. for the living room.

More posts to come - I welcome your comments and suggestions!

McLaughin Folding Doll House

2012-01-08T15:58:00.000-06:00

I came across this McLaughin Folding Doll House on an online auction site while doing some research for my Victorian house.

I like the detail in this kitchen

Detail of the kitchen floor tile

The Dining room features paneled walls, built-in shelves, and a fireplace with deer antlers hanging overhead.

There is fully furnished folding house at the McKendry website.

The exterior has a brick pattern printed on it with detailed doors and windows that correspond with the doors and windows on the interior.

The original box includes the name of the room.

The date on the box is 1894

There was another one on eBay not too long ago. It had some great straight on looking photos, I may try to enlarge them and print them off.

Gallier House New Orleans

2011-12-30T06:03:00.019-06:00

More research for my Victorian House - My wife and I were able to visit the Gallier House in New Orleans historic French Quarter. The house was designed by famous New Orleans architect James Gallier in the 1850's. The house has been loving restored and furnished with period pieces.

Here is a photo of the double parlor

The house has a long narrow floor plan and a small courtyard at the back of the property. The property backs up to another house and also has one on each side. The skinny portion of the back of the house could be closed off from the front part of the house. The back areas included the kitchen and dining areas on the first floor, and the bathroom and slaves quarters on the second floor. The courtyard has a small garden and had a cistern to collect the waste, as it was designed before the city of New Orleans had a public sewer system. The house is one of first known in the area to have indoor toilets.

The entry hall is pretty unassuming, but still ornate with the woodwork, woodwork and wallpaper

Here is a photo of the front of the house which is directly adjacent to the street. The balcony and iron work on the second floor cantilever over the public sidewalk.

Here is a photo of the front door and very heavy custom designed grill to protect the residence

Here is a photo of the front parlor with dust covers which were used while the family was away. Notice the very heavy plaster crown molding.

Here is a photo of the dining room table. The table was set for a multi-course meal

Here is a shot of the kitchen sink with a view out to the courtyard. Notice the copper hot water heater to the left.

The stove was wood burning and built into the wall in the kitchen. I was surprised at how small the kitchen actually was.

The house was state of the art at the time and featured this copper water heater in the kitchen

The pantry, just off the kitchen was stocked with period necessities

Upstairs, the large hall serves at a library. The tour guide told us that Gallier didn't like the wasted space. Another very neat feature of this room/hall, was a large operable skylight with could be opened to help let all the hot summer air escape and keep the house cooler in the summer months.

The master bedroom was very ornate, furniture, carpet, and even the wallpaper. The tour guide mentioned something about how valuable all of the dark carved wood furniture was, but I missed that part. It was produced by a local craftsman.

The exterior of the house is drastically different facing the private rear courtyard. The facade is wood and plaster, versus the large cut stone and wrought iron on the front of the house.

Here is photo of one of the slaves quarters. They were much simpler than the rest of the house, no woodwork or wallpaper.

Queen Anne Style

2011-12-28T11:59:00.000-06:00

While in Eureka Springs Arkansas last summer we took a tour of a great restored Queen Anne style house. I found some great photos on a photographers website.
These will be another great resource for my Victorian house.

This historic Queen Anne Mansion was originally built in Carthage, Missouri. A century later workers dismantled it, board-by-board and stone-by-stone, marked each piece and put it back together on hill overlooking Eureka Springs.

Around the side, the area that used to be the screen porch, now houses a pretty great stair case down to the basement.

The front parlor is ornately furnished. Almost every room in the house has a different fireplace.

The round or oriel window in the front parlor is very beautiful. I would like to somehow incorporate this in one of my projects.

For the most part, the furniture was the focal point of most of the rooms. There was not a lot of wallpaper used in the restoration.

The tour guide explained that the amount of carving and woodwork in the entryway showed a family's wealth and status. As you can see from the picture and inset, the entrance hall was very ornate.

This picture shows how they decorate part of the house for Christmas - pretty ornate by today's standards, but not how it would have been done back in the 1800's

Overholser Mansion

2011-12-26T22:07:00.004-06:00

We took a day trip to Oklahoma City this last summer to visit the Overholser Mansion. Walking through the halls, one journeys back in time experiencing first hand life as the Overholser family did over one hundred years ago. This 1903 three-story Chateauesque home with original furnishings, hand-painted canvas walls, stained glass windows and lavish fixtures, stands as a tribute to one of Oklahoma City's truly remarkable families. The 11,000+ square foot home provides a unique experience to all who visit. Nestled in the beautiful historic Heritage Hills neighborhood, it is one of Oklahoma City's top tourist attractions.

Here is a gingerbread replica of the mansion on display for Christmas.

The house is brick and stone. The dark brown portions are stone that has been painted.

The 11,000 square foot home and 4,000 square foot carriage house were finished in 1903. Complete with hand painted canvas walls, an interior of Antwerp Oak, extravagant
furnishings, and lavish furnishings and stained glass.

Note the Art Novuea hand painted walls in the entry

The dining room is set for a dinner party

The house still has it original carpet, wallcoverings, furniture and draperies.

These two stained glass windows are at the intermediate level of the main staircase.

The Overholser Mansion’s late-Victorian style interior is one of the few house museums left in America to house 99% of its original collections. It was a private residence until 1972 when it was purchased by the historical society.

Here is a view through the butlers pantry into the kitchen.

Here is a photo in the kitchen showing some of the old baking equipment. The kitchen was remodelled in the 1950's. The tour guide said one of the stipulations of the old housekeeper and cook was that they had to keep the woodburning stove. So they did!

The other interesting thing about the remodel was that they put in the latest kitchen cabinets - they are by a company called St. Charles Kitchen Company and used in famous houses like Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water or Mies Van Der Rohe's Farneworth residence.

Here is an old picture of the house, back when the horseless carriage was brand new

Merry Christmas

2011-12-20T15:21:00.000-06:00

Here is a picture of our Christmas tree.

We don't have any snow yet at our house in Oklahoma, but we are ready for Christmas both Inside and Out!

This is the photo we used on our Christmas cards this year. It is my family being silly and was taken on a trip we took to Eureka Springs Arkansas earlier this year. We received a lot of great comments about the photo, especially since my wife is the choir director at our local high school. I have been blessed in many ways this year. As we celebrate Christmas and reflect back on 2011, I would like to thank everyone who helped make this year a little brighter for me and my family.

I wish each of you a Very Merry Christmas!

Victorian Mansion Ideas

2011-12-19T17:31:00.000-06:00

I have had this project on the back burner for quite a while. My daughter and I received a Duracraft - Marquam Hill Mansion kit from a friend in the Tulsa Miniature Club a couple of years ago. I have had all kinds of ideas for a great Victorian house for a long time. I have also been collecting things here and there - a fireplace, pieces of furniture, wood brackets, wallpaper and even windows and doors.

Manufacturer's photo on the box

Manufacturer's Photos on box

After studying the plans and a few completed kits online, I began to sketch. The kits advertises 8 rooms, but in my architectural mind.. 8 rooms isn't really a "mansion". and that is counting a small attic space as one of the rooms. I have all kinds of sketches of ideas on how to add on to the kit, but I knew it would be hard to replicate the same materials in the kit with an addition. Not to mention that fact that I would need to be able to construct it in a way so that I could get it in and out of my house if I needed to. I began sketching ways to add another wing or an addition to the original house. I saw another Marquam Hill house kit come up and eBay and I had the idea to combine the two kits and create a house that was nearly twice the size. I got the idea to double the size of the house and make it a true mansion.

There are a couple of things that bother me about the kit. The biggest thing is that there does not seem to be a way to do anything with the top/3rd floor of the tower. In my design, I will make that another room. The other complaint about this kit, is the small single story kitchen that is applied to the side is too small. I noticed that a lot of people make the kitchen larger and some even add a second story to the small kitchen. Most make the second story addition into a bathroom.

A kit with a kitchen addition on the right

A kit under construction with a 2-story kitchen/bath addition on the right

So here is one of my initial sketch options to combine the two kits into one house. My hope is that by getting this down in writing, it will be a reminder to keep working on this project throughout the year. So this is where I am at... I have toyed with the idea of 2 towers, but I like the idea of the house being a little more symmetrical.

As always, your comments and ideas are appreciated and if any of you have worked on a Marquam Hill kit, I would love to hear from you.

Here is a preliminary room layout. I have not totally committed to the upstairs room layout. The library may move to the space above the parlor. The actual bedrooms may be a nursery, a master bedroom, and a maids quarters. I am considering a kind of wrap around porch at the kitchen.

Petite Princess House

2011-12-14T00:06:00.005-06:00

I recently purchased this Petite Princess Dollhouse by Ideal at a estate sale just a few miles from my home. I have accumulated 5 pieces of Petite Princess furniture since I started collecting miniatures and honestly, didn't quite know what to do with them. I have 2 floor lamps, a grand piano, a dressing table and stool, and a large kitchen stove.

I like the symetrical layout of the facade and the shadows that they added to the house, it really gives it a 3-Dimensional look, especially in the photos.

I did a little internet research and found a great resource website, called, of all things, petiteprincess.com I sent a picture of my recently purchased house to them to get some specifics. Linda, the owner, wrote me back to let me know that this Dollhouse is an Ideal Vinyl Dollhouse manufactured between 1966 and 1967 to house Ideal's Petite Princess Fantasy Furniture. http://www.petiteprincess.com/

The house is called the Colonial Mansion Dollhouse. It is essentially a carrying case that opens to reveal a four rooms, in a two story house. It is made from some sort of hard board that is covered in vinyl. It is in pretty good shape and has a plastic handle and latch on the roof and a snap on each side that would keep the case closed.

This picture would not cooperate. It shows the courtyard that the front of the house makes when it is folded down.

The Petite Princess website is hosted by a friendly lady named Linda Gant. Linda and her friend Deborah Holman have written a refernce guide for Petite Princess and Princess Patti furniture and houses. Deborah's website is at: http://dorettecreations.homestead.com/

Petite Princess furniture was, for the most part, made of plastic. It was the next step in plastic furniture evolution after the 1940's & 1950's Renwal era of plastic furniture.
I has lots of gold colored trim, detail, mirrors and even glitter.

This floor lamp was the very first Petite Princess piece that I purchased. I came across it at an antique mall in Bartlesville Oklahoma. I had no idea what it was or what age it was. but I envisioned it in some 1920's 1930's kind of setting. For now, I have a place to keep my 5 pieces of furniture.

1970's Walmar House

2011-12-10T14:48:00.003-06:00

I have been looking for a 1970's construction kind of house for my Hall's Lifetime furniture collection. I have seen a few Hall's Lifetime Houses come up for auction on eBay, but they have been out of my price range. I recently purchased this house online. I liked it because it looked like it was from the right era and after a little research I was able to find out some great information on this particular house too. The house also has a similar look to the Hall's Lifetime Dollhouses.

This house was manufactured by a company called Walmar. Through a little internet research, I was able to track down a representative from the company. The company no longer makes dollhouses, but they are still around making cabinetry. The house was still in it's original box. It came with the exterior pre-finished. The architectural style is kind of cross between Colonial and Georgian. Historic styles like Colonial were very popular and copied due to the Bicentennial of the United States during the 1970's. I myself, was riding on a float in the 1976 Bicentennial Parade dressed like historic firefighter!

I was able to correspond with a representative from the company and she told me that
they sold the dollhouse division in 1999. However they are still very much involved in the company, which is now dedicated to cabinetry design and manufacturing. She also shared that as his wife and business partner, and that she too was involved with the dollhouse division back in the day.

She wrote, "The dollhouse in the photo you sent is among the first of our designs. It was manufactured around 1973-1974. It is the Colonial and was one of the largest dollhouses available at that time. It was also a "peg assembly" house. My father, who founded our company in 1972 and was a career USAF officer, designed dollhouses which could 'knock down'. As a military family always on the move, it was the only way he could conceive to design a dollhouse! This line of dollhouses was discontinued in the early to mid-80s.

The stairs are covered in in a dark green felt and have a Masonite 'trellis-like' rail.
I plan to give the house a 70's feel. I have worked on projects that were Victorian, 1920's, 1930's, 1940's and modern. It has been kind of fun and different working on something from the era that was my childhood. I have worked past the "this is old" attitude, to the "this is kinda cool" attitude. I can't wait to start on the interior.

I had to layout the furniture in each of the rooms to see how it was going to fit ! You can see the "pegs" if you look carefully, they are wood and have round balls on the end of them. I can't wait to start working on it.

Fireplaces

2011-12-01T10:52:00.003-06:00

As we move into cold December, I selected a few fireplaces out of my collection to warm you up!

This fireplace is in the four seasons room box that my daughter and I made a few years ago. I believe it was a an old Shackman fireplace that we painted to match our turn of the century winter room. the fireplace accessories are Shackman as well. We lined it with miniature bricks. We hung a Currier and Ives print above the fireplace that we cut from a Christmas card. The stockings were a gift from my friend Ellen at the Tulsa Miniature Club. (click on my Seasons link to see the rest of the four seasons box)

I came across this plaster-like fireplace at an antique mall a few years ago. It is off white and the fireplace insert has a copper finish on it. The bottom is stamped Braxton Payne, N.A.M.E. Houseparty, St. Louis 1981. A google search shows that there are still Braxton Payne items available online. It is one of the items I have been collecting for my Victorian House.

This faux-marble fireplace with gold gild is from Reutter Porcelain. It features a built in log basket. It is another item I have been collecting for my Victorian house. It came with a few little odds and ends to place on the mantle.

This stained wood fireplace with an oval mirror came in a box of miniatures that I purchased in an auction from England. It is nicely finished, but not very deep. I will probably cut a hole in the stained wood that is supposed to be the firebox or at least paint it black.

I am not sure of the maker for this fireplace. It is painted wood and the "brick" section appears to be lithographed or printed on heavy cardboard. I am using this fireplace in my 1" scale walnut Strombecker house until I can find the Strombecker fireplace that goes with the set. I like the proportions of this fireplace and the brass painted andirons. (click on my Strombecker link to see my Strombecker collections)

This simple fireplace was in the Crescent Moon Cottage house when I bought it. I have left it there for now. The house is the current residence of my Tynietoy collection. The fireplace is painted wood construction and has a light inside it and some wires on the back. I am not sure of the maker or what effect the light would have. (click here to see the Crescent Moon Cottage http://tulsatinystuff.blogspot.com/2010/12/green-roof-house.html )

Both of these fireplaces by KAGE have the same printed cardboard wood and flames, but have different wood trim on the sides and one features a stained wood mantle while the older one is completely painted white. Both log baskets are by KAGE as well. (click on my KAGE link to see the rest of my KAGE collection)

This Tynietoy fireplace is all wood construction and has painted bricks. The white paint has a nice aged crackle finish on it. I was surprised that the back of the firebox is just a black piece of cardboard. The brass hooks on the side are original and are to hold the fireplace equipment or a broom. (click on my Tynietoy link to see the rest of my collection)

This Tynietoy fireplace was at a local antique store and included the fireplace tools, the andirons and the basket and wood. The all wood fireplace is painted to look like marble. The painted wood candlesticks on the mantle are by Tynietoy as well.

This was a Houseworks Monticello fireplace that I purchased many years ago and was my first attempt at a faux finish. Its a little busy!

This fireplace is in a large book that opens to display a room box. I purchased it at an antique mall in Stillwater Oklahoma. It is painted to look like marble and is very ornate. The room box has lots of nice details, wood floor, base, chair rail, crown molding - More on it later!

These are some vintage fireplace accessories that I have collected over the years. The andirons and the fireplace tools are by Shackman and still have the original boxes. The shiny brass fan folds up. The fireplace screen is a punched piece of brass that has the screen portion pained black.

My daughter and I made and painted over 100 of these fireplace for a miniature show that our local club hosted a few years ago. We made them from cardboard and the mantle is made from wood.

How to set up a Christmas Village Part II

2011-11-28T22:27:00.001-06:00

Tonight, after dance practice, dinner and homework, we finished setting up our Christmas Village. We made some final adjustments on the 'skyline', then got out all of the accessories to make it really come to life. People, pets, trees, fences, signs, benches, and even deer all around the city.

If you missed my previous post, click here:

http://tulsatinystuff.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-to-set-up-christmas-village.html

The last ( and most fun part) is sprinkling on the snowflakes. We used large 3 bags this year. I like the kind that is ground up plastic shavings and a mixture of iridescent glitter. It looks great reflecting the light. Ok, the actual last part is vacumming up whatever has fallen on the floor!

The other thing that I really like about the village is the lights and shadows that reflect all around the room.

Click here for the link to last year's post:

http://tulsatinystuff.blogspot.com/2010/01/christmas-village-2009.html

How to set up a Christmas Village Part I

2011-11-27T23:30:00.003-06:00

My kids are pretty excited to help set up our Christmas village. I am glad my son is still at an age where he likes to climb in the attic and help haul out the boxes.

My daughter was part of the assembly line too, although she was too cool to wear her Santa hat this year!

I keep each of the pieces in their original boxes for a few reasons. One- It will be handy if we ever move again, Two- it keeps the buildings and the foam packing relatively clean and lastly, if I ever have to sell any pieces, I will have the original boxes.

The next step is taking each building out of it's box and setting aside the foam for use under the buildings. We have marked each piece of foam with the name of the building that it goes to. This makes putting them away much easier.

The next step is separating out the different buildings - this comes from my architectural background or my masters degree in urban planning. We try to have residential neighborhoods, a downtown area and a historic district because this particular brand of village pieces ( Mervyn's Village Square) has some older buildings from the "Dickens" era, as well as Victorian and even a few modern buildings.

Our next step is to build a sturdy base. I have a few sheets of plywood that have been cut in half. I keep these in the garage and drag them out for the village. We set them on some sturdy boxes that I also keep in the attic. I like being able to look down on the village. It is also a good height for little kids to be able to observe. It also gives it a more professional look than just setting it on the floor. I think placing each building at different heights and creating hills and vistas makes the village really come to life.

This year we decided to do one giant sloping hill. We build up the area with the foam packing from the boxes. It doesn't have to be pretty because it will all get covered with fabric and "snow" In previous years we have put a hill in the middle. One of the fun things about the village is that it is different every time we put it up!

We move the buildings around and position them and try to get them at a height that is just right. We also try to position the buildings in some sort of logical order. This is mostly my idea, but the kids play along !

The next task, once all of the building are placed, is placing the white fabric under the buildings. We use the light-weight batting that is sold in hobby stores. After it is fairly even, we poke holes in the fabric for the lights. This takes some work moving the building off and on but it is the best way that I have found to hide all of the extension cords under the fabric.

We have some street lights that we use with our village. These use small Christmas lights. After having a hard time trying to get them to stand up straight the first year, We painted wooden craft sticks white and hot glued them to the base of each light pole. The craft stick and the cord are also concealed under the fabric. The stick can also be placed under the edge of a building or piece of foam to keep the light in place.

That was a far as we got today. We will work on placing the people, trees, fences, benches and giving the town a good snow storm tomorrow!

Part II can be found here:
http://tulsatinystuff.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-to-set-up-christmas-village-part-ii.html

There are some pictures of last years village at:
http://tulsatinystuff.blogspot.com/2010/01/christmas-village-2009.html

Miniatures in McDonalds Commercial

2011-11-21T14:34:00.001-06:00

I came across the website of a company that is using 'off the shelf' modern miniatures for a television commercial - here is a photo from the website of Element Productions. From the looks of the doors, they are a typical dollhouse store-bought item too!

Click the link to go to their website and watch the commercial - its pretty funny:

http://elementproductions.com/work/date/

Recent Acquisitions

2011-11-15T11:56:00.003-06:00

On days when work is not too crazy, I like to go to estate sales during my lunch hour. I am fortunate to live in an area of the country that had a lot of wealth during the 1930's - 1980's. Recent estate sale finds include the wooden trunk and and wooden tray shown above, both have "Sonia Messer Imports" stickers on the bottom. At another sale I came across this mini souvenir plate of the Wrigley building in Chicago - It even has a small brass plate holder. After a little internet research, I discovered the building used to be the headquarters for the gum company by the same name. Other finds have been this homemade hooked rug and the stately plant stand.

At another estate sale I came across this tiny handmade croquet set. It is pretty small, just under 2 inches tall. Even the balls are handmade, maybe from paperclay? This would be a good miniature club or tutorial project.

I purchased this Tynietoy grand piano at an auction. I already had the piano bench so it was destiny that they were finally able to find each other. It needed a little work. It was missing most of it's ornate music holder, but I was able to create a pattern and have a friend cut a new one on his jigsaw. I also had to create the paper keyboard - I did it in autoCad.

I won this shabby chik Tynietoy bed on eBay. It's original finish was stained wood and at some point it was painted, but it kind of looks great with the stained finish visible at the worn areas. I think this bed will make a great "daybed" piece in the Cresent Moon Cottage attic.

My Tynietoy collection can be seen by clicking here: http://tulsatinystuff.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-tynietoy-collection.html

I was able to win this clock on eBay as well. It belongs to the Goebel Miniature Stuart Library. The rest of my collection and the history of the library can be seen here: http://tulsatinystuff.blogspot.com/search/label/Goebel%20Miniatures

I came across this wardrobe at a local antique store. I have no idea on the age, it is hand carved and made from walnut and possibly cigar box parts. It is a great 'folk art' kind of piece. The shop owner said it came in with a bunch of things left over from an estate sale.

The doors have handmade hinges made from wire and possibly cigar box parts? It looks like there used to be some sort of working latch mechanism.

Even the sides are nicely detailed. It is a little larger than 1"=1'-0", but seems to display nicely with that scale of furniture. I guess the old adage is true, one person's trash is another peron's treasure. I keep trying to convince my wife of this, but she isn't budging!

Hall's Lifetime Toys finds

2011-11-13T16:06:00.006-06:00

I recently added a few pieces to my Hall's Lifetime Toy collection and decided to snap a photo or two with some different wallpaper and flooring. I really like the lines of the living room furniture, kind of a cross between art deco meets mid-century modern. The T.V. is totally 1970's and we had a similar one when I was a little. I think with some cool artwork on the walls, this room will look really great.

The dining room set is all wood and has corner cabinets. I wonder if the Hall's company was inspired by the Tynietoy company, because they seem to be a modern take on the 1920's version.

Here is the corner cabinet from my Tynietoy collection for comparison.

http://tulsatinystuff.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-tynietoy-collection.html

The canopy bed is all decked out in a harvest gold colored nubby silk fabric. My sister had a similar yellow ruffle bedspread back in the 1970's.

I like the simple lines of the kitchen items. I also like the splatter pink and gold "Formica" looking contact paper that is on the both the counter top and the front of the fridge. I do not know if it came from the factory this way or was added by a later owner. Note, the chairs are exactly like the dining room ones, except painted white.

The blue bedroom furniture is also simple and sturdy. The rocking chair looks pretty clunky compared to the other pieces. This is the original floral bedding that came with the set back in the early 1970s.

I was fortunate enough to find a complete bathroom set, including the original furry bathroom rug. I like the textured wood on the front of the clothes hamper, another item, that reminds of our clothes hamper growing up.

The baby nursery is all painted a flat pink color and has a decal of little lamb on both the crib and the play-pen. This set also came with its original bedding, and a clothes hamper.

There is a red cushioned living room set with a couch ( which I don't have yet) and a wing back chair. There is more to the chair than meets the eye. It actually has some pretty cool angles.

Most of the furniture is very sturday and built from veneered plywood.

I would like to find a Hall's Lifetime Toy's dollhouse to house all these pieces, but until then, I will make due with a vintage 1970's house I have had my eye on, on eBay. A Hall's house recently came up on eBay, but it was too pricey for me.

A Time To Give Thanks

2011-11-03T14:19:00.002-05:00

As we head into the Thanksgiving Season, I am reminded of some of the many things that I am thankful for. A loving family, friends and those who have touched my life, my health, my job, pets, and of course miniatures.

This is the 'Autum Room' of the 4 seasons room box that my daughter and I made nearly 7 years ago. There are some pictures of all 4 seasons here:
http://tulsatinystuff.blogspot.com/search/label/Seasons%20Winter%20Summer%20Fall%20Spring

I remember the candle/center piece was one of our local miniature club projects. The plate of food was crafted by a local miniature enthusiast and given to me as a Christmas gift. The floor was actually the floor out a dollhouse bathroom that I had started back in high school. The towels hanging on the rack were made cut from antique dish towels and handed out at our local club meeting one day. The table and single chair were purchased on clearance because the other chairs needed repair ( a project for another day)

I started this blog in January of 2010 and in just 2 short years it has grown to a world-wide audience of over 65 followers and over 10,000 hits. I appreciate all of your emails and comments and ideas and inspiration that you have given me. It is fun to see and get to know those of you that have been bitten by the miniature bug all over the world.

My Books About Miniatures

2011-10-13T10:25:00.002-05:00

I was reading a blog the other day and came across a post about the Thorne Miniature Rooms. My wife and I had the pleasure of seeing part of them in Chicago last year and purchased a book about them, mainly because they were so inspiring, and because the photos in the book were far better than the ones I took with my camera.

I absolutely love books with great pictures. Over the years I have kept ones that have special meaning to me and for the most part, they can placed in three categories: Architecture, religion, and miniatures. This is one of the bookshelves in our home. I share it with my wife, so she gets about a quarter of it for her music books. I have my grandmother's old radio tucked in up there too. ( it still works!)

Probably my most used book these days, as far as miniatures are concerned, is this one by Dian Zillner. We have a joke of sorts in the family that if I should die suddenly, the family is to not sell any of our miniatures before consulting this book. It has become very valuable in identifying different miniatures and brands along with learning some history. The odd thing about this book is that it is getting old, (1998) someone needs to come out with an updated version.

Along with the above book, I use another book from Dian Zillner quite frequently, the Dollhouse and Furniture Advertising. It is another great resource when trying to identify or date miniatures.

I have collected a few books on historical dollhouses too. Below are books on Colleen Moore's Dollhouse which was built in the 1930's and now resides in the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.
"The Fairy Castle" is fairly recent, and has some great large color photographs of the house, the large white, cloth covered book with the Colleen's monogram is a book about the dollhouse that was published in the 1970's and the book with the blue cover was published on the dollhouse back in 1935 and has some great black and white photos of the house. I like to compare photos in the old and new and see what has been changed. The books each feature different perspectives on presenting the house.

After seeing the Thorne Miniature rooms I purchased a book with several great photos, and lots of history about Mrs Thorne and how the room boxes came about. I was also able to purchase "European Rooms In Miniature" a few years ago on Ebay. It was printed in the early 1940's and has some great black and white photos of the rooms.

I purchased "The White House in Miniature" after dragging the family to see the traveling exhibit in Kansas City a few years ago. It was on display at the Harry S. Truman Presidential library and we enjoyed going. It is a great book with lots of photos and details about the project. The Zweifel family that created the exhibit, changes out the oval office and the upper rooms to match the current president's furnishings and decor. They also decorate it for Christmas. I would urge everyone to go see this great dollhouse. I picked up The White House Guide at an esate sale a few years ago for a couple of bucks. I like to open each book to the same room and compare.

I was able to visit Windsor Castle back in my early college days, home of Queen Mary's Dolls' House. I remember in my youth being fascinated by this house and used to check out a book about it from the local library behind my dad's gas station in Elko Nevada. I purchased the Souvenir Book on Ebay a while back. It is not dated, but appears to be pretty old. The book on the right was an estate sale find earlier this year.
When I was there during my college days, all I could afford were a few post cards.

I have found in years of collecting a couple of books or "booklets" that correspond with some of my collections. The Arcade company produced a childrens book called The Arcadians Story in 1927 and around that same time TootsieToy followed suit.
( click on either Tootsietoy or Arcade Cast Iron on the right to se my collections )

I picked up "America's Doll House" after visiting it in Washington D.C. earlier this year. I wrote more about it in my blog titled Smithsonian Miniature Finds. http://tulsatinystuff.blogspot.com/2011/04/smithsonian-miniature-finds.html

I have collected several other books since my fascination with miniatures began. I have posted pics of them here. On days when I need inspiration or when I want to relax, I grab one of these and study them.

The Reference Guide to Miniature Makers Marks was recommended to me by the curator at the Kruger Miniature Collection at the University of Nebraska. (It is still on my list of places to go) The miniature museum is part of the school of architecture and they have a lot of photos of the collection on the school's library website. The book is great and has brands and marks from several manufacturers dating back many years and in most part of the world. It is about as thick as a phone book.

I saved this book,The Doll's House for last. This book belonged to my sister and growing up, I think I played with it more than her. It is a reproduction of a pop-up book from 1890. This version was printed in 1979. I asked my sister for it a few years ago.

The book folds out into a Victorian house and shop with working doors. I remember being fascinated with it as a child.

Let me know if there are any miniature books that inspire you.

Haunted Pumpkin

2011-10-03T09:34:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween ! This is a project I made from a foam pumpkin, some paperclay, paint, and a few other odds and ends. The pumpkin and lights were purchased at 50% off after Halloween.

Do you dare trick or treat at this scary house ?

Lots of jack-o'-lanterns line the yard and the porch is decorated for Halloween. I made the stone porch out of paper clay and painted it to look old.

I painted the windows and shutters with crackle finish to add to the effect. Still contemplating what kind of plants to put in the window boxes. Maybe some sort of man eating plant or something from Harry Potter?

The jack-o'-lanterns are from Lemax. I hid the transformer under the floor. The table inside is just an upside down plastic cup that I covered with some Halloween fabric. The cany corn floor lamp is also from Lemax. The parlor stove is a plastic kit by Chrysnbon that I put together back in the 1980s. I am still contemplating how to make a cool chimney for it on the outside of the pumpkin.

The scary skeleton is sitting lounging on a Victorian chaise lounge, waiting to hand out goodies to anyone who dares come trick or treating. I used a piece of scrap book paper to cover the floor. The floor is a piece of foam core that I cut to fit.

I created a niche under the stairs for the display. Did you notice the Halloween candy decorations hanging from the lights?

Schneegas Bedroom Set

2011-09-30T00:45:00.000-05:00

I came across this antique Schneegas bedroom set on ebay the other day.

Schneegas was a German company that produced fine wood dollhouse furniture around the turn of the century.

The detail in each piece is really quite extraordinary, it's as if each piece is a work of art. The lining of the box suggested period wallpaper and the paper doily suggests lace.

I was particularly attracted to the Art Nouveau style of the carvings at the top of the wardrobe, the marble topped dresser and the door of the nightstand.

I love the asymmetrical design of the desk

The text on the box suggests is was intended for the French market.

I believe it translates to bedroom for my doll

Even the box was finely detailed. I was a little saddened to think that these pieces never got the chance to find their place in a dollhouse or room box, but I was fascinated to see how the product was marketed in it's original box nearly 100 years ago.

Wood Model Construction

2011-08-30T23:53:00.002-05:00

I have the privilege of teaching a model building class at a local college. The final class project was a kit of this two story home. It is built of balsa wood and is 3/4"=1'-0". I have to admit I was a little skeptical when I opened the box and saw a bunch of bundles of wood and a set of scale plans, but it turned out being a great project.

The view shows the large open living space below and the kitchen underneath the upstairs bedroom.

The side elevation shows how the open stairs are placed in the large vaulted living room. There is a half/bath tucked under the stairs.

The rear of the house - note the kitchen door and window on the first floor and the bedroom window on the second level.

The front of the house

Tin Lithos

2011-08-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

My two tin lithographed houses reside on the palm-lined street in the study atop some book shelves.

(The palm trees were a 75% off after Christmas find and are made of painted metal also.)

One of the things I liked about these two houses when I purchased them several years ago, was that they are from such different era's - the 1940's and the 1950's. The decor is radically different inside and out. The one from the 40's uses bright and bold colors and the one a decade later is mainly pastel colors.

In 1948, T. Cohn introduced this elegant Spanish themed, tile roof home as their first dollhouse. The detail is wonderful. The lattice windows, which are fully functional are a wonderful touch. The house was unique with its tiled, pitched roof with it centered chimney and lots of flowers and shrubs decorate the exterior

The master bedroom has a floral print wall paper and featurs a floral rug set near the front opening of the house so that no matter how you arranged the furniture in the rooms, it would be visible.

The nursery has a sort of circus theme with toys on a shelf on the wall.

The kitchen is bright with its yellow and red walls and a geometric linoleum floor. The walls are decorated with a a shelf and clock and a large fruit wreath.

The large living room in the T. Cohn house has dark green walls, a roaring fire place and built-in book shelves. The light colored floor also has a tradition green border.

The patio is on the second level and is filled with brightly colored floor tiles.

This house was first produced in 1959. It reminds me a lot of the Brady Bunch House. This one sits on large base that was lithoed to look like a patio and provide the 'Split Level" look. My research showed that the house came with plastic front, back and inside steps, and a plastic grill/bbq that was built right into the wall adjoining the patio and kitchen. There were various models of this house and they all came with some, none or all of the following: playground set, pool set, Corvette or T-Bird car, split rail fences, plastic trees and shrubs, bird bath with birds, dogs, rock fence, vegetable garden, boxwood hedge, horses with riders, 18-20 dollhouse figures, lighting, working doorbell, and an opening front door.

The kitchen is this house is also a bright yellow, but features modern applianced of the day including a built-in oven.

the family room and dining room are done in tones of blue with modern built-in cabinets of yellow and blue. There is a wonderful harliquin pattern wallpaper in the "breakfast" area.

The master bedroom is decorated in kind of mint color and is relatively bare compared to the other rooms in the house.

I really like the living room. It has wood paneling on the walls, built-in shelves, a mid century modern fireplace with modern art hanging on the walls. The pattern on curtains is great too.

The outdoor pation on the modern house is pastel colored flag stones. There is a great website which features both of these and a whole lot more:

http://www.barbigirl.com/marxhome.htm

Another thing that I think is so great about these houses, is that there is so much detail, it is pretty easy to imagine a family living in each of these rooms even without furniture.

Arcade Laundry Room

2011-07-17T23:10:00.000-05:00

Arcade made cardboard rooms for each of the sets of furniture. My family surprised me with the complete Arcade laundry room pieces for Father's Day this year, so I have been working on creating a room to display them in. I bid on an authentic cardboard room a few months ago, but the price soared far above what I could pay. I was able to snap some pictures and create a reproduction of the room myself. Hopefully this didn't break any copyright laws! The cardboard rooms were produced between 1925 - 1936. I used foam core instead of cardboard.

I was amused at the details in the room. Even though it was just a cardboard lighograph, ( 4 color) it has items like electrical outlets at each corner above the base board, a water heater, wall sconces, windows with with curtains and crown molding. I also like the random pattern of the tile floor. The detail on the door with the cottage-like hinges are pretty interesting too.

The Thor washing machine has a wringer that swivels, and a nickel plated agitator inside. The double boiler has 2 burners on top and a giant cast iron pot.

The double laundry sink has "Standard" logos on each side.

The ironer or "mangle" has a large nickel plated press on a spring and a white wooden dowel that spins. It also has a "Thor" label on the front ( and the Arcade sticker on the back) You can see the stand for the laundry sink from the side.

Take A Seat

2011-07-06T22:42:00.000-05:00

Over the years I have picked up a Willitt's resin chair here and there. I snagged a couple more at an estate sale last week and realized that I have acquired quite a few!

I like this one because it reminds me of our family trip to the Biltmore Estate a few years ago! It is a copy of Mr Vanderbilt's Chair from his bedroom and the original dates from 1885.

This chair is also from the Biltmore Estate, it is located in the Billiard Room and also dates from 1895. It was a reproduction of a 17th-century chair.

This one is a model of an Adirondack chair from the 1940's

This one is called "Red Heart" and is a reproduction of the contemporary chair from 1999.

This model is of a mission style rocker from 1908.

This chair is called Form & Function and is from 1999.

This purple chair looks pretty modern, but is actually based on a design from 1944.

This chair, although called Mexican Leather, reminds me of an old Egyptian chair located in the museum in my boyhood town of Ely Nevada.

more to come!

My Biggest Miniature Yet

2011-06-14T11:15:00.001-05:00

Pictured above is a Tynietoy Chippendale sitting on a miniature carved Chippendale Chair. The larger version here was a recent purchase at an estate sale. It measures about 2 feet tall and 12 inches across.

The chair is carved from oak and the seat is upholstered in red velvet. I am considering recovering it in a more traditional fabric.

The chair seemed like an interesting place to display my smallest miniatures. I have a 1/144 scale house and all of its belongings.

I acquired most of the pieces from a fellow miniaturist who had recently purchased in bulk, 'tons' of the lead miniatures.

Everything you would need to set up house - from kitchen, living room, bathroom, even a bassinet and a vacuum. There is even a small wishing well for the yard.

Mini Apartment Projects

2011-05-17T22:02:00.000-05:00

I had the great pleasure of constructing two model apartment units. The owner wanted something in the office to show prospective tenants. It was great getting paid to do something that was so much fun! The project is located at a university so the units are seldom vacant ( or tidy) when someone wants to see what they look like inside. The architecture firm that I worked for designed the units and I served as the project manager during construction of the project. The models are built at 1"=1'-0" and I was able to use some dollhouse furniture and scale parts, doors and some of the other pieces. I had to build the windows to match the actual units. I used 1/2" plywood for the walls and floors. The upper area of the exterior also has wood siding. All of the colors and materials used, match those in the actual building.

The first model is of the two story 2 bedroom townhouse unit. It has a living area, kitchen, 1/2 bath, stackable washer and dryer and storage closet on the first floor and two bedrooms and a shared bathroom on the second floor.

This view shows a closer look at the second floor, bedrooms, closets, bathroom and hall.

This exterior detail shows the recessed front entry.

Here is a shot of the interior living/dining area, stairs and storage closet near the front door. I scanned in the actual carpet and printed it out at a small scale so that the unit would look pretty close to the real thing. The paint colors were the same as the actual project as well.

This view shows the kitchen. I scanned in the plastic laminate for the counter tops and scaled in down and printed it for a realistic view. The door under the stairs has a half bath while the louver door in the kitchen screens a stackable washer and dryer.

This is a view of the front elevation of the townhouse unit. I used scale dollhouse bricks and painted painted the cast stone pieces with a sand texture paint.

This is a view of the rear of the townhouse unit and the back door.

Here is a photograph of the actual apartment complex. It gives you a better idea of how the 2 story townhouse units fit together.

The Studio Apartment

This is a view of the studio apartment model. It features, a large open plan for the kitchen and living area, a bathroom, and a large storage closet. I put a small framed picture of the university president in the hall !

This view shows the kitchen layout. I scanned in the carpet, tile, laminate counter tops and matched the paint colors on the walls and the stain color on the cabinets so that the prospective clients would have a realistic view of where they were going to be living and what to expect.

This view shows the living area opposite the kitchen. It was kind of a challenge to find modern looking dollhouse scale furniture locally in the amount of time I had.

This is a view of one of the bedrooms.

This view shows the bathroom between the bedrooms, the stairs and hallway, and each of the bedroom closets. I was able to use a dollhouse tub and toilet, but had to build the sink unit and cabinets. It was fun building the closet storage systems out of small scale wood.

Lastly, here is an outdoor photograph of the building that houses the studio apartments and the rental office. It is also home to the miniature apartment models.

Smithsonian Miniature finds

2011-04-19T10:41:00.002-05:00

I had the opportunity to travel to Washington DC. The Smithsonian was on my list of things to do. I was surprised to find quite a few dollhouses scattered around in the National Museum of American History.

This first dollhouse belonged to the children of President Grover Cleveland and was made by the White House Gardener in 1896. It was part of a display of the toys of the White House Children.

This green roofed dollhouse belonged to Amy Carter, daughter of former President Jimmy Carter. It dates from 1979. The mailbox had the address "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" painted on it.

This charming little bungalow was with a display of toys from the 1920's. I have found this house in Diane Zillner's Book Antique Dollhouses and their Furnishings. It states that the roof flips up and that that it was probably made in Germany. The railing on the porch and the textured shingles are made from pressed cardboard.

I was surprised to come across this display. I had not heard of Faith Bradford or her dollhouse - but it was amazing. It had everything from Tynietoy to homemade and antique pieces. The display also has a scrapbook that the she kept on the collection.

The collection was donated to the Smithsonian in 1951.

Here is a picture I found online of Faith Showing the house back in 1966. It was curteousy of the Washington Star.

There is a good website here that has details about each of the rooms:
http://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/small_exhibition.cfm?key=1267&exkey=376&pagekey=812

Donna Lee Doll House Furniture

2011-04-06T22:05:00.000-05:00

The Donna Lee line of furniture was produced during the 1940's and was less expensive than other brands that were popular during this time. Woodburn Manufacturing of Chicago produced the 3/4" scale furniture. The box sets that I have are pink and blue, which was produced in the late 1940's. One of the things that I like best about this set is that "Donna Lee" was the name of Dave Rapaport's daughter, the president of the company. The furniture is pretty primitive with not much detail.

I was able to purchase three box sets in the boxes a while back. The bathroom and the kitchen boxes and furniture are in excellent condition. The living room box is in pretty shabby shape.

The bathroom set includes a tub, a toilet, a sink, a scale, a mirrored medicine cabinet, and a dressing table with a bench.

The kitchen set includes an ironing board and an over-scale iron along with a sink, stove, refridgerator, table and chairs.

The dining room has a table, 4 chairs, a china cabinet and a buffet. It may have been played with? I like the whimsical legs on the chairs.

Dees

2011-03-24T23:36:00.000-05:00

I have seen these items by Dees Delights online off and on and finally decided to purchase a set.

I like the fact that they are heavy metal construction, just like the older Arcade pieces, but have a lot more detail.

My Bookhouse

2011-01-14T23:35:00.002-06:00

The BookHouse

I discovered the wooden bookhouse at a garage sale a while back and decided it would be a great miniature room box. At first I had no idea what it was, I assumbed it was some sort of multi-level dollhouse. After closer inspection, I discovered a bronze name plate on the bottom which reads "Cabinet by Churchill, Chicago" I began doing some research and found that the company manufactured radio boxes back in the early part of the century. Some more internet research helped me to discover what the "My BookHouse" decal was on each side of the structure.

A close up of the decal above the painted window, note also the small window cut into the gable.

A close-up of the bronze plaque on the bottom.

This side of the house has a lot more paint ware. I have left it in it's original state. More research led me to the purpuse of the house. It was designed to promote and hold a series of books called My Bookhouse. My Bookhouse was originally published in 6 thick volumes bound in black cloth with pictorial paste-ons and gilt lettering, which I later found at a local estate sale. In 1927 the six volumes were sold as a set in a wooden house with a red roof, two red chimneys, gray walls, and a window at each end. Included were three volumes of the taller My Travelship series, consisting of Little Pictures of Japan (by Katharine Sturges, 1925, dark blue), Tales Told in Holland (by Maud and Miska Petersham, 1926, red) and Nursery Friends from France (by Maud and Miska Petersham, 1927, light blue).

I collected the three large books to complete the collection.

Needless to say, I didn't end up with a miniature room box afterall, but a great conversation piece and I learned something in the process!

The Crescent Moon Cottage

2010-12-28T21:42:00.006-06:00

I won this antique, hand made house in an auction few years ago. It is the current residence for my Tynietoy collection. I believe it was built in the 1920's. It combines a little craftsman style, with a bungalow style roof and a few other architectural elements that make this old house pretty cool. Each room is fitted with a ceiling mounted electric bulb and still has the ceramic insulators and fabric wrapped wiring. As of now, its called the Crescent Moon Cottage, until I come up with something better.

The front of the house has real glass windows with painted mullions and moon cut-outs in the hunter green shutters. The roof is covered with individual painted wood shingles and the base of the house is carved wood made to look like large pieces of cut stone. The door knob on the front door is actually part of a mechanism that releases a lock to open up the front of the house like a bi-fold door.

The one story section of the house was added on at some point and houses a small kitchen.

Note also the window boxes and carved decorative brackets at the front porch and roof.

The rear of the house has windows symmetrically placed on each side of a large carved wooden chimney, made to look like cut stone or large bricks. The chimney also serves as a support when the front portion of the roof is opened to reveal the attic. At some point, all of the windows on the rear were filled in with wood panels - I think this was to allow for more wall space inside the house.

One end of the house has the first floor bay window with the same wood shingles. Note also one of two diamond shaped windows on the attic room.

The attic also has a bungalow shed style dormer window.

A detail of the "stone" base that turns into the front steps.

The front door leads directly into the living room. Currently the living room has kind of mohair type fabric carpet and the original curtains and original fireplace. the rough solid wood walls are painted a glossy creamy yellow. An arch leads into the dining room.

The dining room has the same carpet and paint on the walls. note the wood "plug" where the window was before the kitchen was added on.

The small kitchen has two different sized windows to allow for a sink with a view and third that was plugged by the previous owner behind the arcade hoosier cabinet.

There are two large bedrooms upstairs one painted pink and one painted blue.

Another archway divides the two bedrooms upstairs and the house still has it original curtains. The bed, dresser and desk in this room are not Tynietoy but from the same period.

The attic is one large space that I may divide into a couple of rooms, including a bathroom.

I have been looking at some fabrics to use as wall coverings.

Christmas Village

2010-12-24T00:17:00.002-06:00

Each year we enjoy setting up our "village" The village started out as a starter kit with 3 pieces on our first Christmas. It has become quite the family tradition. We have added a piece or two each year after and it has grown into a mini-metropolis. Almost all of the pieces are all from Mervyn's Village Square.

The kids love to help layout the buildings, place the people and especially throw the snow.

The pieces have become harder to come by now that they have closed Mervyn's here in Oklahoma, but They come up once and a while on Ebay.

Here are some how-to ideas for setting up your village:

http://tulsatinystuff.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-to-set-up-christmas-village.html

My Arcade Collection

2010-12-23T20:42:00.001-06:00

My goal is to find out information about each piece, its propper name, dimensions and part number.

(any help would be appreciated)

The Cable Grand Piano

The Arcade couch or sofa with 3 removable cushions

Arm chairs with removable cushions

Kohler sink with "electric" dishwasher

Thor "electric" washing machine with working wringer.

Finished white lacquer and sturdily constructed, the miniature Gurney Refrigerator is truly and appealing toy. The small doors open and close, and a cake of imitation ice (glass) may is found in the ice chest. It is 5 3/4 inches high, 4 1/2 inches wide and 3 1/2 inches deep.

ALASKA icebox with block of ice made from glass.

"electric" refrigerator

ROPER gas stove ( missing the burner covers)

Hoosier cabinet

The Bath Stool is a toy that may be used in the toy kitchen as well as the bathroom. It is finished in green lacquer; stands 1 7/8 inches high with a seat diameter of 1 1/4 inches.

Night stand

This is a rocking chair from their No. 696 toy bedroom set, which came boxed with a bed, dresser, writing desk, straight chair and rocking chair. It has its original green paint, though worn as shown in photos in places, with minor rust. The legs have a trim color and the seat is textured. Size: 3-1/2 inches height, 1-1/2 inches width, and 2-1/2 inches length. Marked on back: Arcade, and has 693R on each leg.

Laundry room boiling plate

Bed

Bed and nightstand

White bedroom nightstand with blue trim

This is a Crane toy Shower base.

The Crane toy corner bath tub with nickel plated faucets. It is 6 inches long; 3 1/8 inches wide; and 1 3/4 inches high

This Crane pedestal lavatory is made of cast iron with faucets that turn and a stopper handle that pulls out. Finished with a smooth white lacquer finish; it stands 3 3/4 inches high with a 7/8 inch base and a top 2 x 2 1/4 inches

The Crane water closet, an exact toy replica of the real thing, with hinged seat and lid. . Height 2 inches, with lid raised, 3 1/2 inches

J & E Stevens Co. and More Cast Iron

2010-12-23T17:32:00.002-06:00

This is my J & E Stevens Co. cast iron Victorian parlor set. I have not found a home for it yet. It has been sitting in bubble wrap in a box on a shelf. I like to get it out every once and a while and study it. It is pretty crude, yet made to look intricate like the carved wood furniture of the time. Maybe a room box? The pieces were produced in Connecticut and date from the late 1800's.

I have two of these Victorian Settees from J & E Stevens. They are cast iron and measure about 6-1/2" long.

This is a J & E Stevens Co. Victorian Parlor chair and ottoman.

These are J & E Stevens Co. parlor chairs and measure 4-1/2" tall.

I have a few of these J & E Stevens Co. Victorian tables. They measure 3" tall.

This parlor chair was a recent ebay find, to help complete my collection.

This cast iron baby cradle is similar to the Stevens cradle that date from the mid 1800's. It is not marked so I do not know if it is one or not.

This is a tall cast iron grandfather clock. I do not know much about it and I have not been able to find it in any of my research yet.

This pot belly stove is labeled "Flying R Ranch" on the removable 'griddle' on the top.

I picked up this pot bellied stove at an antique store a few years ago. I have no idea on the age, but I suspect it is probably a reproduction piece from the 1970's.

This cast iron stove is marked "ROYAL" on the door. It was an ebay purchase and I believe at some point it was re-painted. It has gas controls so it probably dates from the 1920's or 1930's.

Miscelaneous Finds

2010-12-13T15:12:00.002-06:00

I will be the first one to tell you that I am not into ceramic kitties, however I cam across these guys at an estate sale and figured the $2.00 would be worth it. The pail, spilled milk, and kittens are all made from ceramic, very tiny, and will add some character to a room at some point.

I have come accross a few of these 'reed' chairs in past seen them published in books. I figured the price was right. They were manufactured in Japan during the 1930's and will add a little 'shabby chic' to a mini room somewhere.

These are part of a box set, sadly it is missing the toilet. The tub, sink, and towel bar are part of a set manufactured by Jaymar andthe furniture is called "Happy Hour Doll House Furniture" also from the 1930's and I suspect the kitchen set below is from the same company, since I purchased them together.

My Temporary Arcade Home

2010-12-13T14:53:00.001-06:00

I decided I would store my Arcade cast iron in the old dollhouse I bought at the estate sale a few months ago. I mixed in a few of my extra Tynietoy pieces for scale. The whole house it kind of taking on a blue motif. The living Room / Music room hosts my latest Arcade Cast Iron find, a Cable Grand Piano.

The kitchen has some more modern pieces, the Arcade Cast Iron sink features a "Kohler" stamp on the front and has an 'electric' dishwasher. The fridge was one of my restoration projects, you can see the state I found it in if you look back in my post form January. I threw in a Tynietoy settle since it was blue. The Arcade Cast Iron yellow piece is part of the the laundry room set. This is a hotplate and boiling tub.

The Upstairs bedroom has a double bed, two night stands, a rocker and a side chair, all Arcade pieces.

The second story bathroom has 5 Arcade pieces, a toilet, sink, tub, shower base and a small stool that I recently painted white.

Scotch Serving Set

2010-10-23T23:02:00.001-05:00

I recently aquired this serving set - honestly, I'm hoping it is worth more than I paid.. It will be showing up on Ebay soon.

$5 Tynietoy Chair

2010-09-23T23:23:00.001-05:00

We were in Oklahoma City over the 3 day weekend, We hit the zoo for the mrs and the mall for the kids and an antique mall for me! I came across a single Tynietoy chair with a painted brown seat. I had not seen brown before. The leg was a little "chewed on" but in pretty good shape for five bucks. Got to the register and even better, it was 25% off. So its my cheapest Tynietoy find yet.

A Great Estate Sale Find

2010-09-23T23:07:00.001-05:00

Front View

I happened upon an antique dollhouse today at an estate sale. The house is made from large pieces of wood and nailed together. The craftsmanship is great. It measures about 30" high and each of the rooms are about 12" X 12" X12"

Chimney View

The paint needs some touch-up around the wood chimney and the windows have pieces of glass that are held in with tiny nails. I may put some sort of wood grid over them

Rear View

The back of the house is just plain- yet finished off nicely. The roof and chimney paint have a nice crackled finish.

Second Floor

I love the linoleum floors. I am going to have to do some research and figure out how old it actually is. I am guessing from the 30's or 40's.

My "Play-Town" Cardboard Dollhouse

2010-02-04T23:29:00.001-06:00

Play-Town Dollhouse

No.200

Manufactured by the Sutherland Paper Company in Kalamazoo, Michigan

This house is 18" high X 23" wide X 12.5" deep and it put together with brass fold-tab brads.

This cardboard house contains 7 rooms with printed floor and the front is removable. The house dates from the early 1930's when it was marketed in catalogs for $1. Here we are 75 years later and I payed significantly more. The house sold for $1.77 in 1934 with 42 pieces of Strombecker furniture ( see ad below). This was the inspiration for me to start collecting the smaller scale painted Strombecker furniture to furnish it.

The front of the house

Front view with the front face removed

The back side with the kitchen door

This view shows the side elevation

This elevation shows the sun room

Here is a scan of the advertisement from the

Montgomery Ward Catalog in the early 1930's

The Sun Porch

The living room

Dining room with Kitchen beyond

The green bedroom with bathroom beyond

The pink bedroom

Colonial House by Rich Toys

2010-02-02T11:21:00.004-06:00

Colonial Dollhouse

I purchased this house on Ebay about a year ago and it has sat disassembled in a box until yesterday

I plan on working to restore the windows. The house is by Rich Toys and was produced in the mid-1940's. I plan on keeping my collections of Kage furniture in it for now.

more to come !

Remembering Dougless

2010-02-02T10:52:00.000-06:00

Dougless Strickland Bitler

I came across some correspondence that I had with Dougless and thought I would post it.

Dougless was a regular contributer to Miniature Collector Magazine and I was a little sad to read of her death last month. I first corresponded with her in September of 2006 after finding an old dollhouse in a local antique store and trying to figure out its age and value.

I became a fan of hers after receiving a beautifully hand written note with lots of information and advice and later my question and her response were publised in Miniature Collector Magazine in February 2007 in her monthly column. I have posted her letter below.

Here are some pictures of the house, which is currently home to my 3/4" scale Strombecker Collection.

As it turns out, I found out the unmarked house is from 1946-47. After doing some research, I found it in a catalog. It is called: 4-ROOM JAYLENE HOUSE and sold for $22.05.

The house is constructed of masonite and wood and measures 24" X 8" X 16". The Jayline Toy company was located in Philadelphia PA.

Here is a scan of the her article:

Her contributions, advice, articles and humor will be missed.

My Stuart Library Collection

2010-01-31T20:40:00.002-06:00

The Stuart Library Collection

Goebel Miniatures & Company

1979

The library room box was available and each piece of furniture was sold separately.

Each piece is a perfect 1 inch scale replica and had the name of the item and the year of production incised on the bottom along with an imprint of a butterfly. The pieces are from the Butterfly Collection and were made in the U.S.

The furniture is made from plastic resin material. The picture above is from a small brochure inside the box.

I recently saw a room box for auction on Ebay. But the price went higher than I was willing to pay. I have collected 5 of the 7 pieces.

The Queen Anne Secretary is labeled No. 104-P0

The brochure inside states that this design dates from 1710-1720 and the piece came with mirror panels that could be used in place of the glass in the door. Both were appropriate for the period. The piece is made to simulate oak. All of the doors and drawers are operable and the hardware is brass.

The Queen Anne Secretary with the drop leaf desk closed.

The Charles II Armchair No. 101-W0. The style of the chair has Spanish and Flemish influences is decorated with Baroque style scrolls. The original piece dates from 1685-1700. The finish on this piece is meant to simulate walnut.

The William and Mary Side Chair No. 102-L0. Narrow side chairs with high backs were typical of the end of the seventeenth century. The historic chairs were originally made from walnut, and copies were made in beechwood, painted black or lacquered to resemble more expensive walnut.

The William and Mary Side table No. 106-P0. This reproduction simulates walnut on this seventeenth century reproduction. The original tabletop was a solid plank of wood and inspired veneer inlaid furniture. The drawer is operable and a detail of the top is shown below.

The Queen Anne Bookcase No. 103-W0. This reproduction dates from a piece built around 1710. The only ornamentation is in the bracket style feet and the brass hardware. All four doors are operable.