Anette Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Hello Everyone! I'm Annette and I'm from southern california. I've just joined the forums. I am also new to dollhouse making I haven't purchased my first dollhouse kit yet because I've been looking around town and it seems that no one carries them in my area. I might have to order it online. I'm thinking of buying the Primrose because I want to start off small. Any advice for a newbie?? Are there any must have supplies that I should go out and purchase?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuttiwebgal Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 WELCOME to the forum! so glad you found us. lots of places online to order a kit from. check out e-bay also. you are getting ready to take a plunge into a very addictive hobby! Have fun! nutti a newbie's toolbox xacto knife with xtra blades---sharp knife works best sandpaper---emery boards tape---masking or painters tape works best glue---several types available DO NOT USE HOT GLUE pencil --for marking peices baggies--keep small peices together till you need them spackle for filling in the slots and tabs clamps are nice---but you can be very creative with tape to hold things in place while gluing those are the basic tools for the construction for the decorating you will need primer---kilz spray works nicely brushes--- paint--- inside and out stain-- wallpaper flooring---if you do not stain the kit floor for yourself you will need bandaids---sharp blades cut skin baby wipes ---makes keeping hands clean between steps easier. Happy Building nutti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anette Posted August 28, 2006 Author Share Posted August 28, 2006 Thanks for the list!! I've always loved dollhouses but I didn't know they sold kits to make them. When I was a little girl my dad bought me this really huge dollhouse, I loved so much. Eventually we had to get rid of it when we moved. So it went to another little girls home. Now that I think about I wish I would of kept it because now that I'm older I could have done some great things with it. Are the kits fairly easy to assemble?? Is the primrose kit ok? I wanted to try the Orchid or the Buttercup but I don't want to overwelm myself... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hydroped Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Hi Annette, Welcome to the neighborhood There are some shops in So Calif but it all depends where you are and how far you want to drive Otherwise mail order isn't a bad way to go - the only really awesome thing about going to a store in person is getting to see all the stuff!! I feel like a kid in a candy store everytime we go to our mini shop. Oh And So. Calif also has some miniatures shows too! As for what you need to get.. I think Nutti about covered it. I wouldn't have put down quite as much but I tend not to sand the walls unless they really need it heheh - and when I do I cheat and use my dremel ;) . So I'd say: Glue (Tacky or woodglue ) Masking tape - I use that instead of clamps and it's easier to store in the drawer I'm not sure I could put a house together without my dremel.. but I do tend to bash things quite a bit. And when Nutti said pencils and baggies - those are SO handy to put parts in so they don't get lost.. I'm still trying to figure out where I put pieces before I realized just how indispensable those baggies are! For floors you do them however you want, I've seen some fabric used for carpetting that looks pretty darn good or you can just varnish the floor as is or you could put actuall mini wood flooring down etc. The thing is this - you can make your house as simple or complex as you want In fact you can just about do anything with a kit house! The Orchid is a sweet kit to put together! And the Buttercup is also really nice! If you look at the top of the page there is a brown bar . There you'll see the links to the gallry and the blogs and some other stuff - if you click on "Blogs" you can see the blogs for the Orchids that several folks here are building and even read along to see their step by step progress if you want to. There are 2 Orchid blogs, just you don't think you're seeing double :lol: One is the by the team builders and the other is by the community builders Yes kits are easy to put together - some of them have their tricky spots but if you get stumped or even just unsure someone here will definitely have the answer for you Welcome back to the wonderful world of miniatures -David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Welcome to the forum!!! The primerose kit is one of my favorites. I have built so many of those I can't count them all !! I say don't go for simple though, you should buy the house that you can afford and the one that speaks to you the most If you love the kit chances are you'lll complete it. If you don't like the kit, no matter which one it is, you won't like it when built. If you like the primrose, I say go for it. It's not too expensive either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowan555 Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Welcome! I'm brand new here as well, and I'm waiting on my kits to arrive. I ordered the Orchid from Overstock (great deal - $31.99) and the Haunted House from ebay ($39.99 shipped and it comes with some furniture to build). I'm going to do the haunted house first because I figure the more I "mess it up" the more it will look like a creepy old house I've got my eye on the Glencroft, so as soon as I get the haunted house together and confirm my love for kit-building, I'm going to order it. It has the look I really like - reminds me of the houses I dreamed of when I was a kid - and I can't wait to make it! My 5 and 7 year old kids have convinced me to help THEM make some houses as well - boy, I'm in over my head! I'm going to get a Sugarplum for each of them - I considered the Primrose, but the Sugarplum is cheap cheap cheap and includes furniture. My son wants to make a Christmas house and my daughter wants to make a "fairy flower house", whatever that is. Should be quite an adventure ahead of us! Looking forward to learning all about this new hobby right along with you! Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missymew Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Susan - You've chosen great kits! If you click on Blogs (located on brown bar at top of forum) you'll see that a number of us are building the Orchid kit right now. The Glencroft has always been a favourite of mine and I'm planning on getting that one as my next kit. I also saw your post on another thread where you inquired about electrifying the dollhouses. I've got my answer to the question that I posted there ... I'd asked which kits you were interested in. I'd also love to do a Haunted House one day. I think though that for this year's Halloween (fast approaching), the best I'll get time for is building a front porch kit. Good luck on your builds, and remember to post lots of pictures. -Susanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakyshaky Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Hi and welcome. The primrose is super simple. I would say go with a house you love too. I can't wait to see pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annette Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Hi Annette and welcome to the forum :lol: . The primrose is a great little house to start off with and there are so many possibilities on what it could become . Buying one online really isn't a bad idea if you can't find any around you, there are many inexpensive places to get them (ebay and overstock.com are a get place to start looking ). Nutti did cover most of what you would need, just remember take your time and enjoy building, it's very relaxing and a good stress reliever . Don't be afraid to ask questions if you get stuck on something, someone will be able to help you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anette Posted August 29, 2006 Author Share Posted August 29, 2006 Thanks everyone for the welcomes! It seems that I may have to order online. I found one shop in my area that I'm going to go check out tomorrow and see if they carry greenleaf kits. Hopefully, they do so that I can atleast get started before I go back to school/work. I already have some supplies like paint and tacky glue and a couple of other things. I'm so excited I can't wait! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maresiedotes Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Okay, this is totally off the subject, but it seemed a little strange for Annette to welcome Annette and that they have the same avatar over to the left where the member information is seen. I'm going to have to watch which Annette is speaking and from which part of the country. Anyway, to the new Annette, welcome! Hope you have the best experience possible with your very first house! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anette Posted August 29, 2006 Author Share Posted August 29, 2006 Okay, this is totally off the subject, but it seemed a little strange for Annette to welcome Annette and that they have the same avatar over to the left where the member information is seen. I'm going to have to watch which Annette is speaking and from which part of the country. Anyway, to the new Annette, welcome! Hope you have the best experience possible with your very first house! :lol: I noticed that too!! lol Ok I changed my avatar so we don't get confused here ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maresiedotes Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Thanks, Annette...I do appreciate that...it's just too much for my feeble old brain! LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniMadWoman Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Welcome to the forum Anette! I agree with Tracy, buy the house that speaks to you and the one you can afford. The smaller houses go together very easily (The Orchid, The Haunted House, The Buttercup) and wouldn't be to over the top for you as a beginner. My first 'build' was the Haunted House and other than gluing the base on sideways (you really should READ THE INSTRUCTIONS) I didn't have any problems. It's in my gallery as 'Forestgate Cottage'. Most of all, have fun and let the house 'speak to you'!! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anette Posted August 29, 2006 Author Share Posted August 29, 2006 So today I went to my local dollhouse store and they don't carry greenleaf kits so I'm thinking about ordering a kit from miniatures.com. Has anyone ordered from them?? How fast do they ship?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annette Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 I think almost everyone here, as far as I know, does order from HBS (miniatures.com). That's the main place I order from. Their prices are very reasonable and they're shipping is pretty quick when ordering furniture and supplies, I guess it's the same with their houses. If what I order is in stock I usually have it in about a week, I hope that helps you out a little. BTW, I must have been half asleep last night when I welcomed you, I noticed that we had the same name but really wasn't paying attention to the avatar. That's too funny, same name, we like the same avatar and the same hobby. :lol: (Hubby's reading over my shoulder and he just said 'Oh no, there are two of you') Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maresiedotes Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 Annette, check with Overstock.com for Greenleaf dollhouses at very good prices. I got my Garfield for a huge discounted price...so look on their website and see what they've got available...it might be worth your while. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anette Posted August 30, 2006 Author Share Posted August 30, 2006 Thanks for the help guys! I ended up ordering my kit on miniatures.com I thought the prices were reasonable and I got a discount! :lol: I'm so excited! I can't wait for my stuff to get here. Annette---I changed my avatar so no one would get confused but we did have the same kitty one! I spell my name with 2 n's too but for some reason on the forum it only has 1....BTW my boyfriend thinks I'm crazy because I spend so much money on my favorite hobbies (dollhouses, scarpbooking) but yet he sees nothing crazy in buying his model car kits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokkie Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 Goodevening Annette! Welcome here, You will have great fun here, I know I do and enjoy your search for a house, that is where the fun really begins, greetings from the Netherlands, wilma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladybug324 Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 Hi Annette!! Welcome to the community! I'm also new to the dollhouse hobby. I'm currently working on my first dollhouse, the Pierce. Like you, I was worried about going in over my head so at first I was looking at smaller kits to do first. But then as I kept researching all the different kits, I kept returning to the Pierce. It was calling my name! So far I've encountered a couple of bumps along the way, but I posted my questions/problems on here and everyone has helped me out so much! So, I agree with everyone else - get a kit that you are really drawn to. If you have any problems with it, rest assured you have this community here to help you out! Can't wait to see your pics! Brenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anette Posted September 4, 2006 Author Share Posted September 4, 2006 Question!!! What kind of spackle do I get and where??? and where do I buy primer?? I'm sorry I'm such a newbie.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakyshaky Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 You can get spackle and primer from any home improvement store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hydroped Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 BTW my boyfriend thinks I'm crazy because I spend so much money on my favorite hobbies (dollhouses, scarpbooking) but yet he sees nothing crazy in buying his model car kits Ahh he does models - don't be surprised if slowly he starts to show an interrest in your miniatures hobby. Dollhouses are contagious especially when guys start seeing the really cool things that can be done with them and how much they can be bashed There are also more and more guy type miniatures being made like tools and 1:12 vechicles to put in 1:12 scale garages -David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anette Posted September 6, 2006 Author Share Posted September 6, 2006 Okay, I've officially gone nuts! My Primrose is not even here yet and I'm already thinking of ordering another kit :o I want a bigger one. I really like the Orchid, I'm also keeping my eye out in ebay. Just in case I see anything....lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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