I ordered the coffin!!!

I decided on the walnut finish version.  What made me decide to get it was making up a paper 3-D version of it in the size mentioned and deciding that the result was just right.   It is 6 1/2" long x 1 1/2" tall x 2" wide.  Most dignified, I think Barnabas would approve.  I do love the detailing of this thing....
Where did I find such an item?  Grandma Holly's House, Dollhouse Miniatures (online).   They had only 1 each of these, 1 in walnut (which I just bought), 1 in black and 1 with a glass lid!!

 

The Coffin

Bespaq makes this coffin and for once I am considering splurging to buy it.  It is not cheap but then, it's meant to be a very special coffin.

The inside has satin too, it look comfortable and elegant, just the thing for Ariel - but it does cost a pretty penny!   I do like it though and don't think I could make quite so fine a coffin.
And to think poor Willie Loomis had to
build Maggie a coffin! 
I can't imagine having to do that - that poor boy!

Portrait of Josette Collins

Due to some discussion and inspiration from John (Merriman Park) I have been seeking a reproducible in miniature portrait of Josette Collins that I can frame and hang in Ariel.  This one is not quite the whole portrait which is a lovely 3/4 thing, but it may have to do for now.
This link should work:
 Partial portrait of Josette
 But here is what I've found, so far - it will be framed this very weekend:

More bits and pieces I have made

I forget what these are called but I've wanted one for awhile.  It is a wooden turned bit which I painted.
On the right is just a viginette on the door of the parlor of Merebrick.

Below is an "Ironing Stove" which I made thanks to Christiane Berridge's wonderful books.  This is currently in the "laundry" room of Merebrick but who knows if it mightn't move to Ariel.

And last is a Chrysbon table in black the top of which I faux-marbled.   On it sits one of those pencil- sharpener gramophones which I painted with acrylic gloss paint to bring out the detail.  The hallway is in Slothaven.

Merebrick details, Mr. Brick's study

This is the desk in Mr. Brick's study.  I like how nice and masculine it all looks with the photo of a beloved, the guns, the box of cigars to the left, magnifying glass and letter holder (of which I made all but the guns).  
I also made the desk out of matboard and faux-finished it.   The chair which can't be seen too well is one of my balsa wood and toothpick creations from my teenaged years - so - very - long - ago - now.

Here is another picture showing a bit more of the same scene, I made the portfolio also:

And last is a tantalus and two bottles of wine which usually sit in the back of the study but which I propped up in the master bedroom to get a picture of them.  The wine bottles were cheap wooden ones I painted black using acrylic gloss, gold on the tops and stuck labels on them.  The tantalus I made 2 of and fashioned from beads and bits of wood.  They look good enough in the back of a room!

 

Merebrick details, Front Entry hall finally papered!

The front hall of Merebrick has been white since forever.  I wanted a scenic paper of some kind but it had to be just the right colors and I finally found what I liked.    I also just got that baby carriage which will be decorated.  I think too a rug is called for.   The ceiling needs work now though....

Some details planned for Ariel

This little figure of a digging man on a piece of amethyst I found when hubby and I recently visited the Bluesprings Caverns.  It was as close as I could get to the sculpture sitting on a table in the entry hall of the old Dark Shadows series which I am happily watching and working my way through nowadays.    The one in DS is not sitting on amethyst but hey, it adds to the decor.  In fact it is why I chose purple for the upper hallway!

In fact, I plan to have a coffin tucked away somewhere in the basement, a very elegant coffin like Barnabas' has but it will be tricky to see and find - at least that is my plan for now.

Ariel/Sapiens is coming along!

But not as fast as I would like.
Here is the "Lion and the Rose" frieze up at last. Just as soon as I get one element done I am just itching to see the moulding, baseboards etc. all done and in but I have to decide where the fireplace is actually going to be. In other words, I want to get to the decorating!

Below you can see what will the "Morning Room" a la Upstairs, Downstairs, the grey one that is. The blue bit with the stairs is going to be the front hall. Above it is the upper hall leading to the drawing room.

The upper hallway is purple because I wanted lots of color and because of the object on the table which will sit in that hallway on either that table or another.

"Dollhouse Weather!"

So it has come again, hurrah! I had a day off after Labor Day and got some work done on the new Ariel. I plan to take pictures this weekend of the progress but I can say that it is now 4 feet wide and 16 inches deep and it looks and feel right to me.
It has been too long and hot a summer.