Lisa_F Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Hi, my name is Lisa and I stumbled across this forum about a week ago. I've been having a blast reading about everyone's experiences building dollhouses and have spent quite a bit of time admiring all the photo's in the gallery! I've been trying to post an introduction for the past few days - but kept running into error messages - so in the meantime I just "lurked" and read more posts Thanks to Tracy & her help on getting past the error messages - tonight I'm able to start posting! I don't have a lot of experience building dollhouses - but hopefully that is about to change in a hurry! The first house I built, was about 15 years ago - my mother decided she wanted a dollhouse to build & decorate so she bought the San Franciscan. It took more patience to build it than she had - so she brought it with her to my house and we built it together over the weekend. Then she took it home to wallpaper, paint & decorate. That was enough to get my interest started in dollhouses but I didn't really have the money to spare to buy one of my own so I just kind of forgot about it. 10 years ago I put together two little dollhouses that a friend had bought for her daughters for Christmas. Again my interest level went sky high! My husband bought me my own San Franciscan for Christmas that year, as well as several smaller dollhouses to build up some "building" experience before I tackled the large dollhouse. None of them got put together though, because I went back to school and between college, a husband and two sons - there just wasn't enough hours in the day to add dollhouse building to the schedule. But I remained interested & refused to get rid of any of the dollhouse kits - I even managed to acquire a few more kits throughout the years for the eventual "someday" that I would have time to work on them. Looks like "someday" is finally here!!! My kids are grown and my husband is mostly self-sufficient these days - so I finally have some time to devote to this! I have a seven year old neice who just loves dollhouses so I decided that this year is the year that I'm going to build one of these kits to give to her for Christmas. Since I don't have much experience building - and any experience I have is more than a decade old - I decided I am going to start with one of the smaller houses and do a little learning before I tackle her house. Right now I'm working on a Duracraft Sweetheart. I'm aiming for a gingerbread house when it is finished but I'm having a little trouble locating artificial candies to decorate the roof with. After this one I may start on hers. The unbuilt kits I have are: 2 more Sweethearts 2 Duracraft Ashley's 1 Lafayette 1 Greenleaf Westville 1 Duracraft San Franciscan I was planning to build the San Franciscan for her - but the more excited I get about the dollhouses - the more I am thinking I'm gonna keep that one for myself So she'll get the Westville. Besides - the San Franciscan is probably gonna take quite awhile to build - I opened it up this week and took an inventory (that's something I've already learned that I should do - from reading this forum) and I discovered that there are no instructions in the kit. I looked around online for some - but discovered that Duracraft is no longer in business. I was able to find instructions for the model 557 I think? But mine is the older model - the 555. Awful lot of parts in that kit - it's gonna take some courage to attempt to build it just going by the picture on the box! Okay - enough about me. As you've probably already guessed - I can be quite gabby when I get started! Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hydroped Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Hi Lisa, Sounds like you've got a good headstart on building knowledge. I started with miniatures about 2 years ago and have been dragging my feet and very sloooowly making my way into house building lol - I love it but I still have a LOT to learn!! Looking forward to seeing your progress. About the artificial candies for the top of the sweetheart - I kind of doubt if they have much of anything left but you might check with your local Micheal's Crafts or Beverly's Craft stores and see if they happen to have any christmas stuff left over. Out here the Christmas stuff went 90% off in January and it's all gone by now but they had a few garlands of candy and candy ornaments in both mini and real life sizes. If it was me (I'm very cheap but don't tell anybody ) I'd probably wait till next year and try to pick them up on sale. -David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wenlaine Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Hi Lisa, I'm glad that you're finally able to start posting. It's nice to have you here. Welcome!! As you've probably read, we all love to see photos, so don't forget to take pictures during the building of your houses and post them here in the Gallery. Wendy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa_F Posted February 24, 2006 Author Share Posted February 24, 2006 Thanks David for the suggestion on where to find the candies! I checked our local Michael's back in January - but I looked in the tree decorating stuff - didn't even think to look at the garlands! I'll have to do that next year! Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa_F Posted February 24, 2006 Author Share Posted February 24, 2006 Thanks for the welcome Wendy! I definitely plan to share pictures of my house-building progress - just as soon as I figure out how to add pictures! Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggi Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Welcome to the forum Lisa. A lot of experience and good advice here. Enjoy your building. Peggi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniMadWoman Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Welcome Lisa! Sounds like you're off to a good start with dollhouse kits! You'll be busy for awhile, but don't be surprised if you buy more along the way . . . they're addictive, as I'm sure you've found out! Good luck and can't wait to see pictures of your progress! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCullen Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Welcome Lisa! Glad your problems with posting got fixed! I'm looking forward to seeing progress pictures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuttiwebgal Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Welcome to the forum! I can tell you from personal experience that giving a dollhouse is very rewarding! the smiles on mom and daughters face is thourally enjoyable! looking forward to hearing of your progress! I have been building dollhouses going on 4 yrs now. I just love it! nutti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakyshaky Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Hi and welcome. If you did not want to wait you could cut circles from a dowel and paint them ti make pepermints and such for your candies. You can also use dowels to make pepermint sticks. I can't wait to see pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted February 25, 2006 Share Posted February 25, 2006 Welcome, Lisa, my first kit (which I built for DGD & it took 3 1/2 years) was the San Franciscan. I no longer have the instructions nor video, never realizing how badly the mini bug had bitten me I'm having a little trouble locating artificial candies to decorate the roof with. In addition to the garlands and dowels, for roofing candies you could make polyclay star mint canes and slice them thin, or you could paint the kit shingles ( or use construction paper) to look like candy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa_F Posted February 25, 2006 Author Share Posted February 25, 2006 Thanks everyone, for the nice welcome & suggestions on candies for the gingerbread house! I did buy some clay to try to make peppermints with - but haven't given it a go yet. What I'd most like to find are those sugar covered spiced gum drop candies - artificial ones. I may be putting the gingerbread house aside once it's completely built until I can find the candies or figure out how to make some - I have the whole thing pictured in my head - so I can wait if I need to - to complete it. Besides, I'm anxious to get started on my niece's dollhouse! Once I finish her dollhouse I may tackle - or at least attempt to tackle the San Franciscan. Not sure how well I'll do on it just going by the box picture - but I hate to just leave it sitting in it's box in my closet. After that I've got my eye on a couple other dollhouses I "just have to have" I want a HUGE dollhouse with lots and lots of rooms So I've been drooling over both the Garfield & the Queen Ann II. The problem will be in figuring out where to put one or the other lol. My husband has already agreed that when our youngest son moves out (sometime within the next year or so) that I get his bedroom to put dollhouses in. Until then, space is a bit limited. If push comes to shove though - I'm not adverse to tossing a piece of furniture to make the room! Thanks again, Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted February 25, 2006 Share Posted February 25, 2006 If push comes to shove though - I'm not adverse to tossing a piece of furniture to make the room! <chuckling> I like you already! For a Queen Anne II, the son is lucky you're not tossing him. Welcome to the forum Lisa. It's nice to have you here. Deb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted February 25, 2006 Share Posted February 25, 2006 sugar covered spiced gum drop candies You can add scant amounts of acrylic paint to polymer clay to tint it, use translucent for your gumdrops and after they are baked you can coat them in slightly diluted white glue and roll them in fine white sand to give the sugared look. I've seen one done with the shingles painted to resemble pastel mints in yelow, pink, blue & green that looked quite good, as well as gingersnaps (possibly polyclay slices) trimmed with caulking "icing". You might try googling for gingerbread house pictures to inspire you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa_F Posted February 27, 2006 Author Share Posted February 27, 2006 You can add scant amounts of acrylic paint to polymer clay to tint it, use translucent for your gumdrops and after they are baked you can coat them in slightly diluted white glue and roll them in fine white sand to give the sugared look. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thank you for this very informative description on how to make gumdrops! This made my day! I've really been puzzling over how to make these things or where to find them. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa_F Posted February 27, 2006 Author Share Posted February 27, 2006 <chuckling> I like you already! For a Queen Anne II, the son is lucky you're not tossing him. ;) Welcome to the forum Lisa. It's nice to have you here. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks for the welcome Deb. Yeah, ever since I got bit by the "mini" bug - I've been drooling over the Queen Anne and trying to figure out a place to put it! Actually - the more I look through my dollhouse catalog - the more I am drooling over several others too ;) Another one that has me very inspired is the front opening victorian farmhouse by real good toys. I keep envisioning all of these grand dollhouses set out on tables in my sons room! I haven't gone so far as to measure the room yet to see how many I could fit in there - but I have actually walked in there and surveyed the walls - to get a mental picture My son was horrified when I told him what I was doing! But, he's almost 20, works full time - he'll get over it eventually. He didn't actually think I would make the room a shrine to him when he left did he? lol Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 Welcome to the Forum Lisa!! I am so glad you were able to get it working. My goodness, you have LOTS of kits. I can't wait to see pictures soon! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 Yeah, ever since I got bit by the "mini" bug - I've been drooling over the Queen Anne and trying to figure out a place to put it! Oh, I understand that feeling perfectly. I go back and look at it again and again. I'm sure someday, I'll break down and get one. It can live on the street with the Pierce and the Beacon Hill. ;) My son was horrified when I told him what I was doing! But, he's almost 20, works full time - he'll get over it eventually. He didn't actually think I would make the room a shrine to him when he left did he? lol You can always remind him that he's lucky you didn't do it *before* he moved out. ;) Deb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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