In print

 This is very exciting, I decided to use my blog to produce a book

Somerset House is gone, but not forgotten

Just a couple views from inside, a complete record of the house and contents, I was so pleased reading through it, it's just an indulgence for me, I did add in a final chapter my projects room boxes. Every thing in one place.

I use a company called Blurb, through them you download your blog into a book, you then design each page using text and photo's from your blog. It's simple to use, allows you to add more photo's or text.

I have three other books for my other blog Poppy Patchwork

Knit one?

We have had family staying for the weekend, and as a result, I had to move my bookcase full of my craft books, so this afternoon we put the bookcase back, I have been sorting my books and look what I have found.I love anything with lace on, I did try and do some tatting, but as yet I have not mastered it, so I brought this book of knitted lace, it's not a new book, infact it was reprinted in 1990, inside is a great miniature bed set, I do like the top lace, and this would look good on my half tester bed in the main bed room, I feel a trip for thin knitting cotton coming up.
Tomorrow I will be finding out who has won my blog giveaway for the Tiger skin rug and other items. I am pleased to say I will finish my second tiger skin rug tonight, this is for the study of Somerset House.

I hope your weekend has been as fun filled as ours,
and you too have seen the warm sun shine.

On line minature show

I have been making books for the nursery in the attic, I not sure yet how I am going to have this, I do want daybeds in there, but thought there should be a few books.

Books are very easy, if you can get some thin paper, I have had mine for years, it's a thin parchment paper and not white. As for my books, I was looking on the net for some old books and found a site that list "out of print" books, I looked in the children's section and found they showed some pages from each book. so I was naughty, and printed a couple of books, scaled them down and then made them up. For best results I only have 3 or 4 double pages. just fold them stick them together and add a plain cover, you can choose the cover colour. Mine are the true colours of the books
I have added both books to my prizes, yep I have sorted so much I have decided to have a second gift, please add a comment on my post "Time for a giveaway" to have a chance of winning. I will draw the names on Monday 28th.

I am going to be busy this weekend, there is an on line show going on over the weekend, with loads of sellers, from around the world, if you want to be a part of it, you need to register here and they will send you a password to enter the show. Sounds great fun, and maybe a bit expensive.

Please add comments on post Time for a giveaway

Time for a giveaway

I started this blog on 28th March, 2009, and with 154 followers. I love my doll's house and was so very pleased to find so many other's who felt the same. I always adore reading what you have brought, made, and your ideas for your projects.
I also love cross stitching and have made most of the rugs for my house. I use loads of books and the smaller the better.

I have now finished the Tiger Skin rug, it does look good in my house, But, I will stitch myself another, the rug is the first part of my giveaway.

Please note the furniture is not part of my giveaway, it's there to show the size of the rug.

I am also adding the booklet below, it has some good rug patterns,

I have other items in my giveaway, but as we all love surprises, I'm not going to tell you any more,

To have a couple of chances, please follow the guidelines below

• You must be a follower of this site and leave a message on this post.
• For a second chance, please post this giveaway on your blog with a link back to here.
• I will make the draw on Monday 28th March
  

That's all there is to it, good luck.

I have had a good week on e-bay, I sorted loads of craft books, I no longer use, and sold 16 out of 18, which is a good result, I have to get to the post office this morning and send all the books which have been paid for. I was good, with loads of money in my Paypal account I did not go shopping. But I don't know how long that will last.

Ralph Keemar

I don't buy magazines anymore, I have so many in my stash, and alot of things whilst nice to read, do not help towards the building of my house. My favorite magazine has always been Dollshouse World, I was browsing in W H Smith's yesterday, and looked at this months issue.

I was so pleased to see this article on Ralph's shop and flat, I have never met Ralph, but when his shop was featured a couple of years ago,Issue 146, I was impressed by his standard of work, he made the shop as a stand alone box, but always promised he would make a flat to go above. I was very keen to see how it would look. Ralph does not buy much, he makes most of what you see, and he is very good!
This copy will go on my bookshelf with the copy with his shop in, they are too good to be stored in a drawer with all the other copies.

I have been listing loads of my dollhouse books on e-bay, I have so many, and alot of them I have finished with, so I thought I would see if they would sell. The one's that don't sell I will take to our local Sue Rider shop, it's a charity shop, but they sell dollshouses. But don't worry I still have loads of books left. I can't live without books for me to read and use.

I have not forgot I have promised a giveaway, I want to finish my Tigerskin rug as part of the goodies, so watch this space sometime next week I will reveal all.

America's Doll House and a give away!

My daughter Fliss is doing a guest post for me today, she also has a giveaway for the dolls house book she has reviewed, details at the end of her post!

I Started to read this book at three in the morning with a gurgling wide eyed baby on my lap, intending to read just a few pages until Sammy gave in to sleep I began. As the pages turned in my hands and my eyes grew heavy I realised I had been reading for well over an hour lost in the history of Faith Bradford and her miniature collection.

At 69 years old Faith Bradford without a girl in her family to leave her collection to decided to donate it instead to the museum she often visited as a girl. The narrative winds in and out of miniature fantasy, museum politics, and both the museums and Bradfords personal history, bringing together photographs and typed manuscripts of the doll house occupants and their scrapbook of soft furnishings. Peppered with nostalgic musings anddescriptions about Bradford such as 'her favourite colours were lavender and grey...' also ' ... Cutting a grandmotherly figure on the floor of the museum, she wore her hair pulled up under a hat fixed with a pin!'

I enjoyed the notions of Faith as a girl her interests, parades, soda fountains and ice cream parlors and like so many miniaturists the eternal hunt for miniatures, seeing an object as something to be used and cherished within ascene, a thimble could be a waste paper basket, Bradford explained 'Everything looks like something else to me.'

I think Bradford must have been an eccentric soul, never married she described her and her sister as 'not very attractive', during the summer she stayed at the back of her sister and brother-in-laws property in a converted chicken coop! these little details stack up throughout this little book adding charm and insight and for me a little bit of dottiness that I found endearing.

The second half of the book is choc filled with coloured photographs of each room, each tiny detail, from the lamp with its missing globe in the attic to the faithful family dog sat by the fire in the library. Concluding with Faiths typed scrapbook filled with tiny fabric remnants of used textiles.

In summary this book works on many levels, not only does it show readers a history of the museum, and an insight into Faith Bradfords creative dream, but it also showcases through text and photographs (deliciously tactile in the scrapbook section) an inspiring room by room account into a magical vintagedollhouse. Letting the reader decided to delve into the informative text or forgothe descriptive museum history and just sit wondering at the miniature marvels in each glossy image.

This lovely book is available here. or if you leave a comment here before Monday 20th I have a spare copy which would love a new home!