My dolls and my miniatures

1/12 scale castle tower dollhouse.

Still working on the preparations for installing the first LED strip; today while working at my temporary standing desk enjoying the view in my summery front yard at the same time.

Got side tracked by altering the drawer front (which is totally not necesary at this stage; it is fun!). I sculpted the stone like surface with paperclay and finished the look with acrylic paints and washes.

I'm not sure why, I always knew there would be a drawer; for extra storage space! Also for the quirkyness of it. Having the freedom to add beautiful fantasy parts to my crafts where everything is possible.

Also did some last paint jobs on the blacksmith shop I built in the armoury.

😍 I love how it's coming together 😍

Project FernField Castle, working on this dollhouse, on and off for four years now.

The cap will get some white spots naturally.

After finishing the cap I'm now crocheting the white gills.

🍄 Love it so much 🍄

On the left: before.

And on the right: today I made the drawer front fit into my mountain.

Making it fit with a plastic bag between the sculpted mountain and the wet paperclay, to prevent it from sticking to each other.

finished the support beams in the Great Hall on the first floor, after filling in the gaps with paperclay, painted with acrylic paints and washes.

My solution for difficult to reach places: my hand through the window for easier access, works out nicely that there is no glass in it yet.

The seams are partly painted with acrylics and I'm enjoying the process very much. It's fun to work on my own makings I created a few years ago.

Love this birdseye view into the great hall; while making this part of the castle tower, I specifically chose to make the whole dollhouse in three parts, so I'll be able to use this birdseye view in future photoshoots (my plan is to make a long table full of food and drinks, plus seven seats for the seven inhabitants and this scene will be visible from five different angles, including the birdseye view, which will definitely give some satisfying photography).

For the drawer I've wanted to change the front for so long; I want it to "disappeare" into the mountain. Before applying another layer of paperclay, I filled in the space with some aluminium foil.

Also sculpted the blacksmith shop, last stages before permanent placing, filling in the gaps, as if it was actually built inside the armoury.

Details are important!

After adding a variety of colour to the flames, better then the solid orange they were. More realistic when lit with the LED strip. Used some alcohol markers on the Re-Ment flames, also tried some colour on the LED strip itself.

The last two photo's: the actual test, LED strip lights the faux flames from below. I very much like how it looks!

Recently got this new Ruby Red Holly Hobbie doll, since then I've been searching around my house for all things Holly Hobbie 🩵

Growing up in 1970s, I had this very large Holly Hobbie cloth doll (similar to the small one in the photo's). I thought she was beautiful, but she never was a favourite toy. Seeing Holly Hobbie in the original artwork, I had always known that her hair and shoes are not the same. That's why I'm so pleased with the Ruby Red version, where everything matches.

One vinyl doll, manufacturer Ruby Red in 2026; one smal cloth doll from 1970s by Knickerbocker, found in a thrift store; two sizes 1970s dresses, manufacturer Knickerbocker, also found in a thrift store; one small vinyl doll + gazebo playset from 1970s, manufacturer unknown, from my childhood. Played with this gazebo so very much growing up. I really love the art style. As a child I looked at these pictures so many times, loved them then and love them now🩵

The gazebo closed. Photograped from all angles. Holly Hobbie and friends. It's all so cosy 🩵

And with all the flaps down: a swing, a hammock, a vegetable garden, a picnic, a stone path and picking apples.

I remember some miniatures with the playset, which are missing unfortunately. There was a tiny filled picnic basket.

The tiny vinyl doll which came with this playset, is missing her shoes and desperately needs some new elastic in her bloomers. I think she and the Ruby Red doll have similar cute faces. I'm really glad that the eyes on the Ruby Red doll don't look like the spider legs eyes on the small vinyl doll.

I love my Holly Hobbie collection and I'd like to do something with the dresses. Don't know what??? Any ideas???

Bought two Playmobil sets.

I love these miniatures, because most of them are perfect for using in 1/12 scale projects. Saves me a lot of time! I just have to weather and paint them, in stead of sculpting and crafting everything from scratch.

I was inspired by these 15th-century support beams I saw in a book "The formation of Europe - Care for mind and body".

Making them a little fancier naturally. Sculpted with paperclay on cardboard and painted with acrylics.

I'm using B-7000 glue plus a mortise and tenon joint for security.

More photo's, enjoying the view. Love it.

Leaving it to dry overnight, to later fill in the gaps with paperclay.

In the cellar of my castle tower dollhouse.

Temporary setup: testing the cellar for the first time in its future place.

This is the atmosphere I'm looking for. Perfect!

(Often when making miniatures I skip the lighting, because designing and installing is boring ánd difficult. For this dollhouse I set myself a goal: this castle is going to live in my livingroom permanently; therefore lights are very important. Goal: I'm going to make the castle tower into een light object).

Today seeing the stone steps for the first time in place makes me so happy, I love it!!

I crafted this dollhouse in 3 main components, for practical reasons only, otherwise the whole thing would be to heavy to work on or to move. The base is like the mountain on which the castle tower is built. I made this with sturdy wood and bricks.

The second part: the armoury and great hall. And the third part: the top floor plus battlements and roof.

Made some faux moss and greenery. This is one of my favourites, love creating faux greenery. I'm happy I was allowed to do a small part today; the rest of the moss and plants and trees? will be installed later in the process, because they're to delicate.

This was a very productive day, the next thing I did was drilling some holes in my dollhouse. Very scary. Also very necessary for installing the LED strips.

These holes will light the smithy in the armoury; designed later in the build. I'll have to do some repairs to the with paperclay sculpted stonework.

As I said, a very productive day.

Translation: Baking and cooking with Barbie.

Translation: Peanut butter adventures!!

Translation: Barbie calls her desserts "Happy Endings"!

Translation: Breakfast to wake you up!

I love these kind of vintage illustrations ❤️❤️❤️

One Barbie photo on the cover.

I purchased this book in a lot: my reproduction Poodle Parade Barbie (to get her, I bought this lot); a vintage Ken from, I guess the 1970s and two Barbie books.

Full set Holly Hobbie from Ruby Red.

She's so cute 🩵 I love her.

Holly Hobbie was a huge part of my childhood in the 1970s, with cloth dolls, playsets, books and more. The one thing I still have is the gazebo playset, including a small vinyl doll.

This doll and her outfit are perfect, hreat quality. For once, I don't have to sew anything! And she came with these cute brown boots.

Her body is vinyl and is stringed with elastic. Very interesting new to me. Lovely to pose.

Working on my castle tower dollhouse again, doing the last bits before installing the first LED strip. Before I can do that, I'll have to finish the cellar plus the smithy workshop in the armoury (both will light up).

That's a fun challenge with such a large project: figuring out the order in which to craft all of the components.

Today I've been constructing and sculpting the smithy with cardboard and homemade paperclay.

Starting point: part of the Re-Ment witchy miniatures. I love sculpting brickwork, a few hours of relaxation.

Brought two of the dolls for hight and scale comparison while crafting the smithy. The blacksmith, and because she is the smallest 1/12 scale doll, I also brought in the knight for comparison (Hobby Base dolls dressed by me).

Temporarily placed some other miniatures inside the armoury, to see if it all fits and is to my liking.

I'll have to paint the smithy in grey because, otherwise the cabinet and the smithy workshop will look to much the same. I have a visual and maximalistic way of designing, I like to see all kinds of shapes, structures, textures and colours together (not to matchy-matchy).

For the smithy I purchased the Playmobil blacksmith miniatures with perfect tools, plus an anvil, which will save me a little time, not to have to make these myself.

Installing the cellar window gate by sculpting the surrounding stones (will be colour matched in a later stage, when the clay has dried).

This is how I left my workspace for the night :-)

With some leftover granny squares.

My mother crochets a lot and when she cleans up her craft space, she collects the leftovers for me.

This time there were a larger and a smaller granny squares perfectly fitting together; I sewed a lining with a piece of green linen and added wooden beads for closure.

Size and colour fits Blanche's outfit 💚

Blanche is a Smartdoll Marvel with elf ears, pear body in tea skintone. Outfit design and made by me.

I still have to finish her outfit, making elastic in her waistband, sewing on buttons; and I'd like to crochet her a pair of barefoot sandals; and perhaps she needs an embroidered mushroom hat

Today I made a tiny tiny door in my 1/12 scale dollhouse cellar.

A secret door, crafted with cardboard and paints. Also grunched up walls and floor some more.

The small faux forged fence I crafted yesterday, today painted in forged iron colour: black, with a little bit of rust (PVA glue + cinnamon = faux rust).

Or did I go overboard with the rust? Although it doesn't look that realistic, I like the look.

Crafted with small coffee stirring sticks, paper, clay, beads, metal wire, glue and paints.

Last I did today: gesso the whole piece. That's so much fun, to see your creation in one colour.

Seeing it in place, in my castle tower dollhouse.

Planning for tomorrow: black paint and maybe a little faux rust here and there?

Love to craft with all these tiny put togethers, and make some beautiful miniatures.