Monday, October 26, 2009

A very unusual but very cool bed...

I was just browsing through the new listings for dollhouses at Etsy, and I came upon this beauty from huesdesigns:

So unique and so well-thought! I love how it includes a bit of soil under the coffin! Many people have forgotten than, according to traditional vampire lore, vampires have to rest in the soil that created them to keep their powers- that means they had to have soil of the land in which they were born as vampires. Why did you think Dracula traveled with coffins full of dirt?

If my lady vampire wasn't used to luxurious beds and fabrics will very much like to have a bed like this one!

Friday, October 23, 2009

ITS HERE! IT'S HERE!!!!

Pardon the all-caps title, it's just that I am so so excited and happy (clapping hands and doing the happy dancing)! The Tudor bed arrived and it's so SO beautiful!!

I just finished re-arranging the bedroom and wanted to share some pics.

Before:
And after:
Let me share with you the insight of some of the decorations of the bedroom...

The reading corner. My lady is a great fan of the classics, and so she is surrounded by "Carmilla", "Frankenstein" and "The rhyme of the ancient mariner". She also is fond of writing her diary while having a glass of Vampire wine. On the wall there is a map of the Middle Earth.

Breakfast is ready! An artisan-made tray with a silver goblet and a carafe filled with fresh blood.

A corset, a garter and a garter belt abandoned on the floor. Maybe the remains of a night of passion? On the trunk, a box of red roses and a box of chocolates brought by her lover. On the wall, two portraits of Edgar Allan Poe and J.R.R. Tolkien. Some people say she knew them quite well...

Oh, look! The bed has a cupboard underneath. Perfect to keep out of sight that pitcher and basin. And a bed warmer, for those long Winter nights...

Can you honestly say you wouldn't spend a night on this bed? Mmmm, I wonder why I feel such an urge to go see "The Tudors" TV series right now...
Don't forget to check Wightcrafts new designs!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Working on my bed...

No, I'm not laying on my bed while working! I am working on dressing my old dollhouse bed while my new Tudor bed arrives. I was inspired by debsminis' beautiful beds, and wanted to try and make my own.

It didn't occur to me to take a picture before beginning the process, but here is a catalog picture of how my bed was dressed when I purchased it - my bed is a different model, though; doesn't have a canopy:

Quite simple and unoriginal, right?

When I began to change the house setting for my vampire tenant, I did not want to spend much time working with fabric, so I simply laid a burgundy velvet bedspread over it and made a couple of throw pillows:

You can see the ivory bedding underneath.

Well, the make-over began yesterday. I chose a burgundy and black theme, to be in sync with the rest of the house. What can I say? My vampire loves those colors! The fabrics of choice were lace, satin and velvet. Luscious and decadent. I'll post pics when it's finished...

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Bedrooms... My favorite room of any house

Even though many of us spend much of our free time in the living room - with friends, family, enjoying meals, football games, reading, listening to music, watching movies, doing crafts - I have always considered the bedroom the "sanctuary" of any home.

Think about it. It's the place when you go when you like to be alone with your thoughts. Or to write in your diary. Or to rest when you are sick. Or to cuddle with your other half. Only your most beloved people are allowed in this room. It's my favorite room to decorate, and the one that is the most true reflection of what I am. And this applies to my real-life house and my miniature house!

I was browsing through Etsy yesterday and I simply fell in love with Wightcrafts beds and furniture. I was fairly familiar with the Tudor housing style, but Leslie's designs are so well made and so affordable! I bought one of his Tudor beds immediately, and I can't wait for it to arrive. My dollhouse bedroom is going to have a make-over, and I am dying to begin with it!

Here is a sample of Leslie's work:


I understand that this kind of beds are not for everybody, though. So if you are looking for a Victorian style, or a more modern kind of bed, you can not miss out debsminis creations! Her beds are deliciously made, and her way of arranging the fabrics is simply outstanding. It's like somebody just tossed them aside! My all time favorite of hers is the Victorian sleigh bed:

From modern animal print sofas to luscious bed and bunks, she is certainly worth a visit! You can also check out her work on her web page. Everything is to die for!

Friday, October 2, 2009

The camera obscura pictures in miniature

Sometimes browsing through a regular miniature catalog can inspire you. Are you familiar with the camera obscura? Before the regular picture camera was invented, people could take a "shadow" or silhouette of their profile to display in frames, as we do with regular pictures. See an example HERE. You can even find frames with silhouettes pictures in miniature that are commercially produced.

But I have a problem with such portraits. Who are the people in them? As the same with antique photographs, why would I want a stranger in the sanctuary of my dollhouse? So, I search for a person that I would like to hang on my dollhouse. My vampire friend is very fond of Thomas Jefferson and his life accomplishments. Did you know that Jefferson owned a camera obscura, and that there is a wall full of frames with silhouttes pictures of his family hanging in one room of Monticello? Well, I found a beautiful silhouette (it even has his signature!), and framed it:

This is how it looks like hanged in my dollhouse's parlor: