Erzgebirge, I have been looking for one of these for a long time...

I love Erzgebirge pieces used as toys in a dollhouse. These hand made pieces from the Erzgebirge region of the Ore Mountains in Germany are so charming.

You can learn more about the Ore Mountains and the manufacturing of them here :.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ore_Mountains 

Making wooden toys from Wikipedia

                 The older the piece the more valuable it is.

The little wooden village pieces are often seen as "doll houses in dollhouses".

The little trucks and wagons are seen as toys in dollhouses too.
This truck is on ebay today (8/29/2012) #120854474773 ending in 2 days.  

                                buy it now $49.95.

The Nursery in the Tynietoy dollhouse with toys.

 The piano is a smaller scale Schoenhut so I use it as a toy. The steamer on the lid of the piano is metal and looks like a Crackerjack prize. The vintage metal horses on the floor were found in an antique shop in Pennsylvania. The carriage was purchased separately.

 I love the little red house from an Erzgebirge  village set.
Here are some on ebay today item #251141935424 ending 2 days 6 hrs from right now. $19.99 at this time.

I especially like how my toy is scribbled on with pencil. There are drawings on the inside and I can see the name "Tildee Clayton"
written on the back, then "MINE" in capital letters.

Baby Downton loves it too. The maid keeps everything in order.
Hmmm, toy with toys. CM

Kestner dollhouse dolls: Grandparents

                                 photo by Barbara Sundberg
      I especially love these German antique dollhouse dolls. 
        I purchased them from Curly Creek on Ruby Lane.
                                              http://www.rubylane.com/shop/curleycreekantiques

 Aside from their detailed clothing, I think the wrinkles on their foreheads are marvelous. Here they are in the Tynietoy Townhouse livingroom.

The Grandfather doll has very detailed clothes. A Paisley sweater with a leather medallion glued on. He is wearing a brown wool shawl collar suit coat.

        The elderly female has a very intricate beaded dress.

                                         Back view 

                            And a very interesting hair style.

                     She really has a lovely look to her.
I don't know much about these manufacturer of these dolls but they are very unique and important. They live half the year in the Christian Hacker, and half the year in the Tynietoy. Just like me visiting each coast, East and West.

Here they are being offered something refreshing from the Schnegass drinks table. All the other furniture is Tynietoy except the vintage music stand, 2 liquor bottles and the red Chinese vase on the baby grand. Oh and the two oval pastorals hanging on the back wall are from Francis Clay Antiques.

Grandmother is going to play us Mozart. :) CM

Taking it to extremes

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/03/willard-wigan-microscopic-art_n_1730736.html

 Tiny Art by Willard Wiggan at Georgetown.

Clearly the Little Assistant's favorite. I love the cultural icons he chooses. The Titanic, the Olympics. Fun. 


I like mini and micros. CM

Congrats to my precious Assistant and her husband on their recently completed original mini design. "The Littlest Assistant" as I've heard him called." Happily, CM

Tynietoy

Here is a preview of my Tynietoy Townhouse:

                                   Notice the chimneys.
Overview

Kitchen: Here is the chauffeur visiting with his Mother in the kitchen. Woops! The clock fell into the sink. The Mother looks alarmed,
she has a lovely straw hat of porcelain. The chauffer doll needs leather gloves. I am on the look out.

Living room: The back wall needs a mural even though they are usually only found in the Tynietoy Mansions. This room contains a black baby grand piano and an Astor spinet behind the blue wing chair. I also need to hang the Tynietoy picture leaning on it.

Nana's room: This front doll is one of my favorites. Oh dear! The tea cups are knocked over and an insert of books for the bookshelf was left on the floor! 

Baby Boy's room: Notice he has a dollhouse in his room even though he is a boy. Perhaps he will be an architect when he has grown up.


Missing, attic servant quarters, (I've been watching Downton Abbey with my Assistant to pass the time) attic bath, upper hall,
lower hall, Mother's bedroom, Dining room. 
I apologize for the pictures, they are taken with a cell phone. My Assistant's good camera is charged and packed in her "take to the maternity Hospital bag" by the front door. 


I would rather not touch it today as I might use up the battery or fiddle it as I am not familiar with it and absolutely do not want to be responsible for it not working on the day of her first child's birth!
 We have named the baby of this Tynietoy townhouse...wait for it "Downton" what else... Yours, nervously waiting, CM

We just can't wait to see...

Shale's new doll houses! Are you back in Canada yet? You better email me! Nana

This one is for Mitchymoo...

Back in the day...


When modern mini furniture was not so easily come by and we looked to Mini modern for sole leadership, I'm talking way before Brinca dada, we had to devise our own modern furniture. Rebecca's post on making 1970's chairs reminded me of this as did Raum fur Raum's summer scene.

        (minimodernista furniture in MH1 by Wes Christensen,
                         rement shoes, Tomy rubber tree)




.
I always wanted a "wire" chair, and the "Ghost" (chair for which  I tried eyeglasses lenses as the seats, see above)

          Now I have a plethora of ghosts! And the Shopping                     
                 Sherpa's post reminded me of them.


We have both now. And the wire chair Christmas ornament, from is it, CB2 is everywhere. (well, there was one available at that time for $400 or so 1/6 " by Vitra but... well I have to eat, and apparently drink.) so

 I  resorted to melting a plastic flyswatter in the oven. Clip off the handle and go from there. Then I spray painted it silver and used it in the MH1 by Wes Christensen.


BUT that is not why I am telling you this.


Mitchymoo this is for you, and all the other clever people who make and design miniatures so beautifully, (Yes Raum fur Raum that means you, Petra).  


When Susan of Susan's mini houses and I were in Paris drinking wine one day I started fiddling with a foil wine bottle wrapper. I turned it inside out and scored it to make a Chanel styled quilted purse. Then I removed the chain from an antique key ring bought at a flea market to make the strap.
All for my doll Colette. A Chanel purse for Paris...


Well the whole thing was a failure but Susan was nice about it. 


So today I got out the same suitcase to pack for my upcoming trip to D.C. 


All of a sudden my elder daughter started hopping around the entry hall shrieking and hooting.


"Yeah MOM, Tell me what you REALLY did in Paris!" She held the mini Chanel purse model in her hand sans strap. I never could get it to stick.


Whatever do you mean" I asked amazed at this maniac laughing in my hallway.


"I FOUND this condom wrapper"... she said holding up the mini "in your suitcase!"


With as much dignity as I could muster I informed her that was a mini chanel purse made from a wine bottle wrapper. 


She was disappointed.  


This is why I PURCHASE my minis and restrict myself to only the occasional creation. Like my flyswatter chairs. I am proud of them. Sniff, CM