Sad final product

[DorothyB]

I essentially finished my Princess Anne dollhouse. The interior needs to be done and there's touch up painting, but my daughter-in-law and grandchildren will be doing the decorating to please themselves.

I'm not happy with the final product. I tried, I really, really tried, but it just didn't come together the way I would have liked. No pictures, because I'm not willing to advertise my lack of skills, although it's all documented in sad detail on my blog.

Blah. I need another hobby.

[kandykidsaturn]

Dorothy, you need to hush. That dollhouse is BEAUTIFUL! I love the colors you picked!! You did a great job on it and your grandchildren will love it and cherish it. I think it's lovely!

[tappy]

Hi Dorothy--you piqued my curiosity, so I looked at the pics in the blog and I thought it looked good! I am sorry it didn't turn out as you would have liked, but I don't think it looks bad at all...maybe you are just being too hard on yourself?

Tappy

[Sherry]

I wish my first house had looked that good! I think you did a great job, and the furniture and accessories are cute as can be! Don't expect to be the Van Gogh of dollhouses your first try. You are off to a great start!

[THmini2]

Dorothy, Dorothy, Dorothy, WHAT ARE YOU TAKING ABOUT! The house turned out beautiful!! They are going to love it! The shingles look great and I love the colors of the house. Painting windows 3 colors is never easy. You did a wonderful job. But I think you were setting yourself up for diappointment as all your blog titles were so negative! Now get out there and buy yourself the house of your dreams. You have learned alot with this house and you can use your likes and dislikes to your advantage now. You can take your time with this one and not feel the pressure of a time line. We are our worst critics. Remember if you make a mistake (and I make plenty, even though I have done a few houses now) it can be fixed or sometimes mistakes send me into a new direction that I like even more then where I had intended to go. Your first house was wonderful, just think of what you can do with your second one! O.K. off my soapbox now. Pep talk over, now get to work. Don't even think of quiting! :lol: Now look through Greenleaf store or HBS, or Hobby Lobby and see what is calling your name. Remeber big girls have to play too! A just for you house will call your name. Can't wait to see what you find. Hugs, Teresa

[DorothyB]

You're all so kind.

I'm afraid of what my husband would say should I buy another house.

However...

At a recent visit to my local miniature store I was chatting with the salesclerk about building a house to decorate for holidays -- lights and trees for Christmas, ghosts for Halloween, Easter eggs and so on. She blushed a very deep red and said that that's what she had planned for her first house, but, to her surprise (she was a sixity-ish grandmother) it had turned into a brothel! My husband's eyes lit up at that and I've been possessed with the idea ever since. Imagine a multi-room mansion with the entire first floor dedicated to 'reception' and a bar, with upper floor rooms decorated as a 'doctor's office, ' a 'dungeon room,' etc.

hmmm...

[kandykidsaturn]

Dorothy, we should hang out. That's what I want to do with my next house. LOL

[kawinkle]

I am planning a brothel in my futures as well! Well in dollhouse form, let me make that VERY clear! LOL I think we should have a thread for dollhouses if ill-repute! LOL

[Wolfie]

I do dolls of ill-repute! See my webpage under Boudior Dolls!

Some are partially nude, so if you don't like nudity, please don't go there! LOL

[Roxxie]

Geeze Dorothy you sound like me...from what I can see your house looks very good! I understand though when you have a picture in you mind of what you think the outcome should be and you get something very different at the end.

After my first experience like that I learned to just let the house become what it is and enjoy the process. :angry:

[kawinkle]

Dorothy, I read through your blog. The house is gorgeous! I am doing my first dollhouse ever and I have had it a year and it is about half way finished. I keep getting sidetracked and doing other things. I have done two 1/4 scale houses and am now working on a Michael's puzzle house which is on hold due to a family illness at the moment. DragonFly Manor (aka Orchid) has some specialty touches, but she is nothing like your house! Good job!!!!!

[MerriMagic]

As to your sadness over the condition of the other house...you are WAAY too hard on yourself. This is supposed to be fun! Don't wring your hands over it...go on and build another house..if you build it, you will have fun.

As to musings about a brothel... Well, that's one way to get more guys into the group, and if it softens your hubby's heart for you to make one... :angry: I say go for it! You'd have a lot of fun making that one!

MM

Edited August 12, 2010 by MerriMagic

[Just One More]

I don't see why you are unhappy with the house. It looks very well done to me. The first house or two I built ended up in the thrift store and even one in the dumpster. Now when they don't go the way I want, I start a new one. :angry: I put the one I don't like aside and go back to it later. Sometimes taking a break changes how you see it.

[SallyG]

My first house back in the 1980's was a disaster...I actually never even finished it! But it taught me a LOT about dollhouse building. 30+ houses and 30+ years later, I am still learning new things with each house. Each house is like a new adventure...a fresh canvas.

You might not like the way this house turned out, but I'm sure you learned a lot while doing it...and your next house will be even better! (actually, it looks great!)

Ditto on the houses of ill repute. Years ago Nutshell News did a piece on them, and while it was met with some controversy by the more straightlaced readers, I was enchanted by the piece and the beauty of the rooms. Although I think I'd go with a more Victorian type of brothel.

[Mesadollz]

Dorothy -- I think its just fantastic for such a large house and isn't this just your second dollhouse project? I loved reading you blogs on both houses. Your writing made me feel like I was right there with you and such nice photo's to show each step. The colors are great and I am sure your grandchildren will adore it !

I can only hope to have as much success on my Victorian Cottage. I will tell you one thing , the shingles have me nervous as can be! I wish I could leave them as they are, no color .. maybe just seal them, I don't know.. It looks rather tricky getting them just right!

Wolfie -- Your dolls of ill repute are something else! Very creative and enjoyed your site/store!

[Merry]

Dorothy, Your house is beautiful. I PROMISE! If I thought it needed improvement, I would volunteer my thoughts about that. I think I understand how you feel. I'm a perfectionist, and many times I doing things over again just because I'm me.

Your house is in no way sad. It's super!

[More Minis Dollhouses]

I do dolls of ill-repute! See my webpage under Boudior Dolls!

Some are partially nude, so if you don't like nudity, please don't go there! LOL

LOL That sentence struck me as hilarious but ill-repute or not you do beautiful dolls Wolfie.

Dorothy, I agree with everyone else, your dollhouse came out beautiful but I can totally relate to how you are feeling. Sometimes we are our own worst critics and we tend to be very hard on ourselves. This happens to all of us. All of us build that one dollhouse (sometimes more) that we are just never happy with. The cause of the unhappiness may be trivial to others but it just nags at us to the bitter end and we cant get over it. Sometimes our projects just dont turn out the way we invision them and there is nothing wrong with that. It happens, to us all. Dont let it discourage you. The dollhouse you built will be loved by the children that will play with it and you can buy yourself another one to try again.

I was in the same boat as you when I built my first Beacon Hill. There was just something about it that I just couldnt get past and I was scared of buying another one and what my husband would say about it but I did it anyways. I just waited for it to go on sale and bought it again and even though I was scared I would fail once again in achieving what I wanted to achieve in the dollhouse, I tried anyways and it came out as the dollhouse I always wanted. I wouldnt even mind taking a third crack at it some day. Part of the fun of this hobby is to just keep building so go for it. No build is ever sad, you always learn something new from each and every one of them.

[Momof2Moos]

Dorothy, there is nothing that can be said to you that hasn't already been said so I offer you many mini hugs and a whole bunch of great big ones, too. I think your house is beautiful. :welcome: