Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
New Dollhouses: My 1970s Dollhouse
I recently had the good luck to find and purchase a couple of used dollhouses. The first one was listed on Craig's List, a web site for buying and selling items locally. This house turned out to be a child's dollhouse from 1978 with two shoeboxes full of dollhouse furniture and accessories included.
Minuses:
1) Not a 1/12 scale dollhouse. It's just a little bit bigger, like my Dad's dollhouse.
2) No front door, no windows, and no stairway.
3) Made from particle board instead of hardwood.
Pluses:
1) Unfinished inside, so I can finish it to my liking.
2) Includes two boxes of 1970s dollhouse furniture and accessories worth much more than what I paid for everything.
3) Lightweight and not too big--good size for a simple project.
4) Price. I got it for $30!
As you can see, the outside is pretty clean. There are just a few missing shingles that I'll have to replace. The yellow shutters are cute. I'll add a front door to it.
Inside, I plan to do a white basecoat all over, except in the children's bedroom, which is already wallpapered in a fabulous funky 1970s red and white gingham paper.
After the basecoat, I'll wallpaper the inside of the house with funky 1970s-style wallpapers and cover the floors with colorful matching felt. I even found a brown fuzzy felt that looks like shag carpeting! Super fun!
The furniture and accessories that came with the house are great! I've moved a few of the pieces into my Dad's dollhouse. The rest of the pieces are so 1970s fun and funky!
The kitchen has a ceiling lamp from that era (currently sitting on the table in the picture below), a cute radio on the counter, and a metal painted dish set in the cabinet.
The livingroom has a modern-style fireplace, the bookcase with books that I always wanted as a child (yes, the same exact model!) with separate blocks of wooden books that slip into each shelf of the bookcase, and my favorite find (which actually came with the second dollhouse I'll tell you about later), this 1970s stereo turntable with record and disco record album sleeve. Isn't it cute?!
As you can see, there is a miniature family (mom, dad, two older kids, and one baby) from 1978 too! When I complete the house, I may sell it to someone who appreciates vintage retro style or who has a child who would enjoy playing with it. I'm really looking forward to decorating the walls and floors of this dollhouse in the style of that era. Maybe it takes me back to my childhood a little bit! Fun! ;-)
So that is the grand tour of the first dollhouse I bought, which I'm calling the 1970s house. Next, I'll show you the second dollhouse I bought and tell you what I intend to do with it. More fun! Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer
Minuses:
1) Not a 1/12 scale dollhouse. It's just a little bit bigger, like my Dad's dollhouse.
2) No front door, no windows, and no stairway.
3) Made from particle board instead of hardwood.
Pluses:
1) Unfinished inside, so I can finish it to my liking.
2) Includes two boxes of 1970s dollhouse furniture and accessories worth much more than what I paid for everything.
3) Lightweight and not too big--good size for a simple project.
4) Price. I got it for $30!
As you can see, the outside is pretty clean. There are just a few missing shingles that I'll have to replace. The yellow shutters are cute. I'll add a front door to it.
Inside, I plan to do a white basecoat all over, except in the children's bedroom, which is already wallpapered in a fabulous funky 1970s red and white gingham paper.
After the basecoat, I'll wallpaper the inside of the house with funky 1970s-style wallpapers and cover the floors with colorful matching felt. I even found a brown fuzzy felt that looks like shag carpeting! Super fun!
The furniture and accessories that came with the house are great! I've moved a few of the pieces into my Dad's dollhouse. The rest of the pieces are so 1970s fun and funky!
The kitchen has a ceiling lamp from that era (currently sitting on the table in the picture below), a cute radio on the counter, and a metal painted dish set in the cabinet.
The livingroom has a modern-style fireplace, the bookcase with books that I always wanted as a child (yes, the same exact model!) with separate blocks of wooden books that slip into each shelf of the bookcase, and my favorite find (which actually came with the second dollhouse I'll tell you about later), this 1970s stereo turntable with record and disco record album sleeve. Isn't it cute?!
As you can see, there is a miniature family (mom, dad, two older kids, and one baby) from 1978 too! When I complete the house, I may sell it to someone who appreciates vintage retro style or who has a child who would enjoy playing with it. I'm really looking forward to decorating the walls and floors of this dollhouse in the style of that era. Maybe it takes me back to my childhood a little bit! Fun! ;-)
So that is the grand tour of the first dollhouse I bought, which I'm calling the 1970s house. Next, I'll show you the second dollhouse I bought and tell you what I intend to do with it. More fun! Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
A Couple of Changes
Hi! Just wanted to give you all a heads up that I've changed a couple of things on my blog. First, I added a stand-alone page dedicated to all of the various storylines going on at Plushpussycat.
Most of those storylines involve plush critters, such as mice, kitties, frogs, bears, and bunnies. I also put the Dad's Dollhouse series on the "Plushpussycat's Stories" page. Hopefully, this page will help anyone who is interested be able to follow an entire series from start to finish. It might also be a helpful page if you want to re-read a favorite story or series of stories. :-)
The second change I made was adding a dedicated page called "Shop." That page is currently under construction, but as I have time, I will list items for sale. This will allow you to make purchases directly from me using Paypal. Currently, however, my greeting cards, plushies, and (hopefully in the near future) miniatures are available exclusively in my Etsy plushpussycat shop.
Just a heads up! So how to find these dedicated pages on the blog? There are links to them near the top of the blog, front and center. They're just under the name of the blog followed by the paragraph that describes the blog. Just under there! :-)
I hope you're all having a lovely July. I'll write soon with more about my new (to me) dollhouses, I'll show you the work I've done recently on Dad's dollhouse, and I'll have a new story for you very soon. Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer
Most of those storylines involve plush critters, such as mice, kitties, frogs, bears, and bunnies. I also put the Dad's Dollhouse series on the "Plushpussycat's Stories" page. Hopefully, this page will help anyone who is interested be able to follow an entire series from start to finish. It might also be a helpful page if you want to re-read a favorite story or series of stories. :-)
The second change I made was adding a dedicated page called "Shop." That page is currently under construction, but as I have time, I will list items for sale. This will allow you to make purchases directly from me using Paypal. Currently, however, my greeting cards, plushies, and (hopefully in the near future) miniatures are available exclusively in my Etsy plushpussycat shop.
Just a heads up! So how to find these dedicated pages on the blog? There are links to them near the top of the blog, front and center. They're just under the name of the blog followed by the paragraph that describes the blog. Just under there! :-)
I hope you're all having a lovely July. I'll write soon with more about my new (to me) dollhouses, I'll show you the work I've done recently on Dad's dollhouse, and I'll have a new story for you very soon. Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Fun!
Caterina at Le Minis di Cockerina is hosting the international "Holiday Swap 2011." Each person will make a summertime-inspired miniature and mail it to a partner. Each person will give a gift, and each person will receive a gift--how fun is that?!
Check out the link above (it will lead you directly to the swap post on Caterina's blog) for more information. You must sign up by this Saturday, July 9, 2011 to participate. Fun! Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer
Check out the link above (it will lead you directly to the swap post on Caterina's blog) for more information. You must sign up by this Saturday, July 9, 2011 to participate. Fun! Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Two More Giveaways Won!
I was so thrilled when I recently learned that I had won two more giveaways! Now, since both of my prizes have arrived at my home, I can show them to you. First, I won a tiny cake from carol's clay.handiwork:
Carol kindly sent the little cake on a paper doily in a pretty pink cake box and included three pretty ceramic dishes to go with it. Very lovely! Thank you Carol!
Most recently, I won three beatiful mini tiles (mini terra cotta roof tiles that have images on the front and are meant to be hung on the wall):
Wow! Aren't these pretty?! Patrizia at le magie di Patty made these little lovelies. The middle tile is turned around, showing the terra cotta side. Thank you Patrizia!
I don't have them hanging on the wall of my Dad's dollhouse, since it is late Victorian in style, but I just bought two vintage 1970s dollhouses in need of refurbishing, and I know just where I will hang the tiles. In a near future post, I will show you my "new" dollhouses and what I plan to do with them. Stay tuned for that update plus a new mini story that is in the works. Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer
Carol kindly sent the little cake on a paper doily in a pretty pink cake box and included three pretty ceramic dishes to go with it. Very lovely! Thank you Carol!
Most recently, I won three beatiful mini tiles (mini terra cotta roof tiles that have images on the front and are meant to be hung on the wall):
Wow! Aren't these pretty?! Patrizia at le magie di Patty made these little lovelies. The middle tile is turned around, showing the terra cotta side. Thank you Patrizia!
I don't have them hanging on the wall of my Dad's dollhouse, since it is late Victorian in style, but I just bought two vintage 1970s dollhouses in need of refurbishing, and I know just where I will hang the tiles. In a near future post, I will show you my "new" dollhouses and what I plan to do with them. Stay tuned for that update plus a new mini story that is in the works. Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer
Monday, June 27, 2011
New Winner for Giveaway Prize #2!
When I announced the blog giveaway winners one week ago, on Monday, June 20, I said that the prize winners must contact me by Friday, June 24, 2011 to claim their prizes. I heard from Sans!, winner of prize #1, and her package is going out in the mail today--yay!
I never heard, however, from the winner of prize #2 (the handmade chick plushy, the recycled toy it is resting in, the home-grown lavender in a silky bag, and a set of my new line of greeting cards), so I did a re-draw last night, again using the random number generator.
So, drum roll please, the new winner of prize #2 is, amazingly, Rosamargarita of La Tapatia! Congratulations Rosamargarita! Please reply, either here on this post or to my email at plush (at) plushpussycat.com by this Friday, July 1, 2011 to claim your prize. I will pack your prize today and mail it to you as soon as I hear from you. And I just happen to have Rosamargarita's address, since she recently sent me the sweet mini crocheted dress that I featured in my most recent post.
How did this happen? If you look at the comments, Maria Ireland and Heleni were the first two to say they liked prize #2, and they each got two chances in the giveaway, because they posted my blog giveaway on their blog sidebars. They were, then, the first four entries for prize #2. Next came Rosamargarita, who had entry numbers 5 and 6. And the random number generator picked #5.
Again, congratulations to both winners, Sans! and Rosamargarita. Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway. I look forward to hosting another giveaway in the future. Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer
I never heard, however, from the winner of prize #2 (the handmade chick plushy, the recycled toy it is resting in, the home-grown lavender in a silky bag, and a set of my new line of greeting cards), so I did a re-draw last night, again using the random number generator.
So, drum roll please, the new winner of prize #2 is, amazingly, Rosamargarita of La Tapatia! Congratulations Rosamargarita! Please reply, either here on this post or to my email at plush (at) plushpussycat.com by this Friday, July 1, 2011 to claim your prize. I will pack your prize today and mail it to you as soon as I hear from you. And I just happen to have Rosamargarita's address, since she recently sent me the sweet mini crocheted dress that I featured in my most recent post.
How did this happen? If you look at the comments, Maria Ireland and Heleni were the first two to say they liked prize #2, and they each got two chances in the giveaway, because they posted my blog giveaway on their blog sidebars. They were, then, the first four entries for prize #2. Next came Rosamargarita, who had entry numbers 5 and 6. And the random number generator picked #5.
Again, congratulations to both winners, Sans! and Rosamargarita. Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway. I look forward to hosting another giveaway in the future. Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer
Friday, June 24, 2011
Rosamargarita's Tiny Dress
A few weeks back, I was lucky enough to win a beautiful miniature hand-crocheted dress. I saw the post on Rosamargarita's blog, La Tapatia. She showed beautiful plants in her garden, and then "surprise," there was a beautiful pink flower on one of the plants. But the flower wasn't really a flower, it was a beautiful ruffled dress that she had made herself.
I was the first person to comment about it, and then Rosamargarita announced that it was mine! Wow! I was thrilled. She mailed it to me all the way from Guadalajara, Mexico, so it took several weeks to arrive. I was so excited when the package finally showed up in my mailbox. I immediately put the tiny dress on my mini teddy bear. Here is "Teddy" modeling the dress:
Can you believe all of the teeny tiny stitches needed to make all of those teeny tiny ruffles?! It is very fine work, and done so perfectly! To give you better perspective on the size, here is Teddy wearing the dress inside the heirloom 1:12 dollhouse (Dad's Dollhouse) that I am refurbishing:
See how tiny it is?
Thank you, Rosamargarita! I am in awe of your beautiful work. You are an artist and a good friend! Big hugs! Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer
I was the first person to comment about it, and then Rosamargarita announced that it was mine! Wow! I was thrilled. She mailed it to me all the way from Guadalajara, Mexico, so it took several weeks to arrive. I was so excited when the package finally showed up in my mailbox. I immediately put the tiny dress on my mini teddy bear. Here is "Teddy" modeling the dress:
Can you believe all of the teeny tiny stitches needed to make all of those teeny tiny ruffles?! It is very fine work, and done so perfectly! To give you better perspective on the size, here is Teddy wearing the dress inside the heirloom 1:12 dollhouse (Dad's Dollhouse) that I am refurbishing:
See how tiny it is?
Thank you, Rosamargarita! I am in awe of your beautiful work. You are an artist and a good friend! Big hugs! Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer
Monday, June 20, 2011
And the Giveaway Winners Are...
Yesterday I used a random number generator to draw the two grand prize-winning names for my blog giveaway. Once I name the two grand-prize winners, I will offer something special for everyone, so keep reading to the bottom of this post to find out the surprise, OK?
As you may remember, this was prize #1: Victorian-style miniatures, vintage 1980s (baby cradle, tin bathtub, miniature Victorian photographs, miniature Victorian paperdolls, pair of baby books, shabby metal pot with lid, washbowl set, and mini metal basket with mini eggs); home-grown dried lavender in a drawstring bag (I grew and harvested it myself!); and one set of three of my new greeting cards!
And the winner of prize #1 is (drumroll, please): Sans! of The Dollhouse Diaries: My Maharaja's Palace
And this was prize #2: a handmade chick plushy, the repurposed flower and nest toy it is resting in, home-grown dried lavender (I grew and harvested it myself!) in a drawstring bag, and one set of three of my new greeting cards!
And the winner of prize #2 is (drumroll, please): Magrill
Congratulations to both grand prize winners! Please contact me with your mailing addresses at plush (at) plushpussycat.com by the end of Friday, June 24, 2011 to collect your prizes!
And now for the special surprise offer for everyone else who joined my blog giveaway (and for your friends too!):
Use the coupon code GIVEAWAY1 in my Plushpussycat online store for 20% off of each item you purchase (not including the shipping charges) between now and Friday, June 24, 2011. Just use the coupon code at checkout, and each item you purchase will be discounted by 20% (meaning your subtotal before shipping will be discounted by 20%)! This is a great time to buy some of my greeting cards to use throughout the year.
This is my way of saying "thank you" to all of you! I so appreciate all of my blog followers (both long-time and brand-new), all of the people who leave such lovely comments on my blog posts, and all of you dear readers who provide a sounding board and moral support by reading my blog. Thank you everyone! Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer
As you may remember, this was prize #1: Victorian-style miniatures, vintage 1980s (baby cradle, tin bathtub, miniature Victorian photographs, miniature Victorian paperdolls, pair of baby books, shabby metal pot with lid, washbowl set, and mini metal basket with mini eggs); home-grown dried lavender in a drawstring bag (I grew and harvested it myself!); and one set of three of my new greeting cards!
And the winner of prize #1 is (drumroll, please): Sans! of The Dollhouse Diaries: My Maharaja's Palace
And this was prize #2: a handmade chick plushy, the repurposed flower and nest toy it is resting in, home-grown dried lavender (I grew and harvested it myself!) in a drawstring bag, and one set of three of my new greeting cards!
And the winner of prize #2 is (drumroll, please): Magrill
Congratulations to both grand prize winners! Please contact me with your mailing addresses at plush (at) plushpussycat.com by the end of Friday, June 24, 2011 to collect your prizes!
And now for the special surprise offer for everyone else who joined my blog giveaway (and for your friends too!):
Use the coupon code GIVEAWAY1 in my Plushpussycat online store for 20% off of each item you purchase (not including the shipping charges) between now and Friday, June 24, 2011. Just use the coupon code at checkout, and each item you purchase will be discounted by 20% (meaning your subtotal before shipping will be discounted by 20%)! This is a great time to buy some of my greeting cards to use throughout the year.
This is my way of saying "thank you" to all of you! I so appreciate all of my blog followers (both long-time and brand-new), all of the people who leave such lovely comments on my blog posts, and all of you dear readers who provide a sounding board and moral support by reading my blog. Thank you everyone! Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Tomcat Plushy Is a Star!
Tomcat plushy has become a star recently.
He has been featured in an Etsy treasury, is one of two main characters on the thank-you/romantic card in my new greeting card line, and is regularly favorited by a number of people visiting my online shop. But now he has made it to the big-time. That's right, Tomcat has been featured on a web site called I Only Like Monsters! As one of the featured gray cats, he's in an exclusive group. He's a hotshot now, a VIP, a rockstar! But I think he may be getting a big head about all of it. See what I mean?!
Do you think Tomcat's new-found fame has gone to his head? Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer
He has been featured in an Etsy treasury, is one of two main characters on the thank-you/romantic card in my new greeting card line, and is regularly favorited by a number of people visiting my online shop. But now he has made it to the big-time. That's right, Tomcat has been featured on a web site called I Only Like Monsters! As one of the featured gray cats, he's in an exclusive group. He's a hotshot now, a VIP, a rockstar! But I think he may be getting a big head about all of it. See what I mean?!
Do you think Tomcat's new-found fame has gone to his head? Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Tucking You All In the Giveaway
As most of you know, my blog giveaway ends this Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 11:59:59 pm Pacific time. I have been randomly looking through the comments on the giveaway post, and I've noticed that there are a couple of problems:
1) Some of the people who signed up for the giveaway are not followers of the blog using Google Friend Connect (instructions on how to follow with Google Friend Connect are here).
2) Some of the people who signed up for the giveaway did not specify which prize(s) they are interested in (#1, #2, or both).
PLEASE do yourself a favor and double-check your giveaway entry in the comments (sometime before Saturday) and make sure that you have covered both of these requirements. I will not be able to include incomplete entries in the drawing. :-( If you find that your entry was incomplete, write a new comment on the giveaway post with all of the information.
Now I have a question for all of you. Are there any people out there who have NOT been able to leave a comment on the giveaway post or who cannot follow this blog using Google Friend Connect? I have heard from three people who had one or the other of these problems, but in two out of the three cases, the problem has now been solved.
Is there anyone else out there who would like to enter the giveaway but cannot so far? If so, I would like to hear from you. Let's try to solve the problem so that you can have a chance at the prizes too! Leave a comment on this post or email me at plush (at) plushpussycat.com. Thank you!
What do you think of my little mouse plushy? She has just tucked her baby into bed. I hope you don't mind that I have tried to help everyone have a chance to win the giveaway prizes. :-) I feel like I am tucking you all in the giveaway! Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer
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