May I Have Directions to the Inspiration Station?

Inspiration can come from anywhere. A magazine, pinterest, catalog, a favorite blog, nature, colors and the list goes on. I have had my dollhouse for years. My dad made it for me when I was....hmmmm...maybe 4? Can you guess what it is made from? Hint, it was military issue.

 It is made from an old military green Army trunk. One of these days I will have to show you the back. By viewing the back, you can tell that it was a trunk.

Through the years it was painted a soft pastel green, then yellow, then pink, and I am sure some more colors that I can't remember. I have always been puzzled on how to treat the front "face". That blank space right below the roof line as seen in the above photo. Well...I have conquered that dilemma, finally. Enter Jody of Postcards from Funtown! In her adorable article (with photos) in the issue of Where Women Create, I spied some cutie pie shelves in the background of one photo. They were more like cubby shelves, painted white with a red and white faux awning with a flag on top. Oh my goodness! I fell in love with those shelves and immediately started looking for something to add a faux red and white awning to!! Oh, my dollhouse would be perfect!

Ta-Da......

Easy peasy. Using algebra calculus statistics some sort of math, I figured out how to evenly cut each paper strip so that they perfectly fit the 22" + give or take a few millimeters (secretly I am not that good with centimeters or millimeters this is why I have a cheater ruler, some day I will share that ruler). Now it has curb appeal! Riots are at this very moment ensuing amongst the dolls, but not to fear....I have another house. Presented by Creative Breathing Realities.......

The Marx Housing Development. 

Yes. I won this sweet beauty from Creative Breathing. She arrived yesterday via USPS. Is it not the cutest? The squabbling has finally stopped. All is quiet in the craft room.

Elizabeth is so generous. Thank you so much Elizabeth. Every time I come into my craft room I am going to think of you. I have always wanted one of these little tin houses. Look upstairs to the right. See the little green awning. It has an upstairs patio! How cute! 

The interior. So much vintageness! Zoom in and look at the details! Thank you again Elizabeth. I am so excited to add this wonderful piece to my craft room! Your generosity warms my heart!

Here is a Scotty dog wearing his Irish green. The pattern is here. I just changed Snowflake Scotty to Irish Scotty. Hope he doesn't mind being Irish for a while :)

St. Patrick's Day decorations.

Sweet little pom pom chick. Use Elizabeth's  (of Creative Breathing) instructions to make the body, legs and feet.

I have a tutorial on how to make inexpensive 3D eyes for your characters.

You will need half pearls with sticky back (found in scrapbook embellishment section), a fine point sharpie, black paint, paint brush, mod podge.

Cut out one pearl but leave it on the plastic. You can't see it very well but the pearl is still stuck to the plastic. Now color it with the sharpie. It will have a purplish tint to it. The sharpie makes the paint adhere to the pearl. You could rough it up with sandpaper but I find that too tedious, the sharpie works like a charm!

Now paint it black. Let dry. Paint mod podge onto the pearl. You might need to trim the glue a little with some sharp scissors. The companies are not very neat when it comes to adding the adhesive to the pearls. Now your eye is ready to use.

Now your chicky has some cute, "cheep" (couldn't resist) eyes.

Have a wonderful, crafty, chicky kind of day,

Holly