Monday, August 6, 2012

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

Saturday, August 4, 2012

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

Friday, July 27, 2012

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

Saturday, July 21, 2012

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

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

We just can't wait to see...


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

Sunday, June 10, 2012

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

Monday, June 4, 2012

Doors are opening

    (This is a picture of my Tynietoy Townhouse front door.)


A dear friend of Susan of Susan's mini houses and mine has a husband who is a collector too. He just happens to be making a trip to Maine in a day or two and offered to pick up Susan's Tynietoy  restoration project.


Saco River Auction House invoiced me today and I have paid through Paypal. 


I think we are all set. Thank you everyone from A to Z


From the Auction House, Saco River Auction Co.  to zee driver picking it up. Merci
CM