Tattoo Gun, 1:12 scale

Special Orders

I love the challenge making unusual accessories on demand. It started with a request from an enthusiast for a 1:12 scale miniature shopping bag from her favorite department store – Farid’s in Karachi, Pakistan. This is now a specialty. I now have 43 bags from all over the world, and I am branching into 1:24 scale. Shopping bags aren’t that unusual; tattoo guns are. Massage tables too. I’ve had enough orders of each to make two at a time to build an inventory. Read more about other unusual items in my Etsy shop. (more…)

Tudor Half Timber Dollhouse -“A River Runs Through It” is the caption on Gerry Welch Manorcraft Dolls Houses

The Tudor Period (1485-1603)

When thinking about Tudor home exteriors, keep in mind that Tudor architecture is an outgrowth of Medieval design, where the nobility and upper classes lived in fortified castles: crenelated battlements and moats. They were huge uncomfortable places in which to live. Peace settled on the land with the end of the Wars of the Roses in 1485. The Tudors came to power and castles became passé; the aristocracy “downsized” to manor houses. Even though many were as large as the fortresses they replaced, the manor house was built to comfort the gentry, not repel invaders.

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Emerson Dollhouse, with designer Tim Boyle

Emerson Dollhouse

The first time I saw this picture of the Emerson House, with Tim Boyle in the background, I was so excited. Modern lines, plenty of glass for light, stone, and wood for warmth. Now that’s a modern dollhouse; it’s got everything! Seems a bit large in comparison to the designer, though. Maybe it’s the lighting or the camera angle. Or he’s a really small person. Then I read the caption and found … No, no! Barbie world! Oh … darn!

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