Fireplace and Wainscot in April Cottage

Fireplace and Wainscot in April Cottage, a photo by elizabeth's*whimsies on Flickr.

This is fiddly work. I bought a new fireplace (unpainted) for April Cottage because I did not like how the paint came out on the one I sculpted. I painted it this morning and finally installed the wainscot and trim on the walls, except for the wall with the door. I need to stain the trim for the door and get that up before I attach the wainscot on that side.

First Snowfall

Snow on Mums, a photo by elizabeth's*whimsies on Flickr.

It's our first snowfall of the year today. We are not expected to get much, but it really drives home that winter will be here very soon! I still have to run an extension cord to the chicken coop for their heated waterer and to the goat house for the same reason. And the duck run roof needs a little reinforcement before heavy snows come. The chickens are spending the day inside their coop on the shelf by the window, looking mournfully outside at the bad weather. I have given them a cabbage suspended from a chain to give them something to keep them busy.  The wild birds are eating much more seed than they have been the last few weeks.  They were very eager for me to fill the hopper this morning and a titmouse took a seed right from my scoop.  The chickadees routinely do that, but this is the first time a titmouse has done that.

Rose Red

Rose Red, a photo by elizabeth's*whimsies on Flickr.

I finally redressed my Boneka Dianna Effner Rose Red. She had been wearing her original outfit for a LONG time. Her dress, in reality, is darker red than it shows in the pictures. The apron is made of a vintage linen handkerchief. I added a line of embroidery along the bottom.

Peak Color

Fall Leaves in Upstate NY, a photo by elizabeth's*whimsies on Flickr.

The view out back is gorgeous! It's all yellows, reds and oranges.

I got Venetian Carnival Olivia by Helen Kish from MDCC's website. She's gorgeous! I made her a new outfit and had some fun drafting patterns to fit the vision I had in my head of what I wanted to make. The first version came out too large and so it is on an Effner Little Darling at the moment. After I get the snaps and slip done for that version, I'll share that, too.

Song and Tamsin

Song and Tamsin, a photo by elizabeth's*whimsies on Flickr.

I found this great bench at the thrift store and realized it would be perfect for the 14" Chrysalis girls. Song and Tamsin volunteered to have their photos done, with Tulah's cat, Toots.

New Sculpture

Adam in Hand, a photo by elizabeth's*whimsies on Flickr.

I was inspired the other day to see if I could still sculpt in dollhouse scale. I made this little guy. He's 2 inches long! He has hand-painted brown eyes, hand-applied blond hair and a hand-made little (non-removable) outfit. He was lots of fun to make! He is jointed at the hips and shoulders. I will probably list him on etsy at some point in the near future but have no idea what 1:12 sculpted babies are going for these days! Better do some research first!

Cleaning the Goat Shed is Great Fun!

These two are endlessly silly.  They thought that cleaning the shed was party time last weekend.  They were tearing around, hopping from their hammock which I placed on the lawn when I was cleaning the shed, to the wheel barrow and then onto the bales of shavings that were to be put into the shed when I was done.  It was so funny!  It was also exhausting!