New furniture for the bedroom, and free printables!

This weekend Kassandra and I have been busy getting ready her new shelves for the refurbished bedroom.  We had a great time assembling them - she said this was her first time assembling furniture, and she thought it was a lot of fun.

She has decided to go for an Scandi look, and this was the first one we did:

Can you see the assembly guide on the floor?

"Thank goodness for illustrated instructions!", she said.  "I thought we would be having to go through technical names, and I am terrible at that."

"Yes, it is true that this furniture is very easy to put together.  Are you going to use it as is?"

"Oh no, I got some storage boxes for it.  What do you think about them?"

 

"Always black with you, my dear!  But I really like the dotted one!  It gives a pinch of informality to the set."

"Yes, I think so too.  Let's start with the second one!"

And said and done, this was the second shelf:

"Very nice!", she said.  "I like the simplicity."

"Let's put it in place."

"I love it!  I'm so happy with my new bedroom!"

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Fantasy apart, I love that these pieces are so similar to a real life ones from a very well known Swedish  shop.  I am very happy that we can find modern looking furniture for modern settings.  You can find them already painted (I have seen them only in white), or in untreated wood (like mine).  I painted them white, obviously.  I have another set in my Japanese room.  In that case I painted them black.  You can find these kind of shelves at Beautifully Handmade.  

Also, the storage boxes I designed myself specifically for these shelves,  inspired by the real counterparts.  So, if you have these same shelves, I am happy to share with you the free printable to make them.  Also, if you are a devil for the details as I am, here is also the assembly guides printable.

As always, feel free to print as many as you like, make gifts for friends and pass the file along to anyone; links back are nice too.  Just please do not sell the file or your creations.  Thank you very much, and enjoy! ♥

Free printable! Superheroes coloring book.

I was talking to my friend Nikolai the other day about superheroes and movies, and of the blue I had this idea of doing a coloring book with superheroes.  Designing coloring books is so much fun for me!  Specially if it is of a theme I enjoy.

So here is the printable for you to make your own - I am sure your dolls will love it!

Feel free to print as many times as your like, make gifts for your friends and pass the file along to anyone - links back are nice too! Just please do not sell the file or your creations.  Thank you and enjoy! ♥♥

Free printable! Easter coloring books

Happy Easter to all!

To celebrate, I am happy to offer a printie for your Easter scene: some Easter coloring books, both for kids and adults - in case your dolls want to have a fun time.

Feel free to print as many times as you like, make gifts for friends and share the link if you like.  Just please do not sell the file, or your creations.  Thank you and enjoy! ♥♥

Free printable! Christmas coloring books

Christmas is approaching - it comes earlier each year... So here is a fun little free printable for you to make and enjoy: Christmas coloring books both for children and adults!

As always, please feel free to print as many times as you like, gift them to friends and pass the file along to anyone (links back are nice too!).  Just please do not sell the file or your creations.  Thank you and enjoy! ♥

My first book nook, Tolkien inspired

It's been some time since my last entry, but I have been working on something special.  My wedding anniversary was last month, and I wanted to make something really special for my husband.  I already gave him a gift that he wanted very much, but I wanted to give him also something from the heart.  He is a lover of Tolkien's work, so I thought, what better way to give him something that he can (somehow) use?  A book nook!

My idea was for him to put it among his Tolkien books, but in the end he decided to place it in his work room, among his comics books, so he can look at it - it even has lights!

I found a lovely shop that were selling empty book nooks, very affordable, and pretty, and that was my first stop - by the way, I strongly recommend them.  The only bad thing was that the package took a long time to arrive, and it was not going to be ready for the anniversary - oh well, these things happen.  So to increase the effect of surprise I waited until he was out of the house for a few days, giving some lessons in another part of the country - I had to work fast!  On the bright side, the kit was amazingly cut, and there were instructions included to make things even easier.  So the work started.  First, I built the exterior part, and attached the included string of LED lights:

While the glue was setting, I printed the image that was going to be on the window; the kit included several landscapes, but we preferred that the image was coming from Tolkien's imagination as he was writing.  So hubby chose a drawing of Gandalf fighting the Balrog, and I made it in transparency paper, like the ones the kit included.  

Then I arranged the lights so they would illuminate well the image:

Gluing the interior walls to each other came next - but I did not glue them to the base.  I thought it would be easier to put the decorative wallpaper without them being already attached:

You can see how the outside light is changing as the day goes by... So I stopped here for the day.

Next day work: decorating!! My favorite part.  I printed a lovely wallpaper made by Evona, of Artsy Miniatures, and cut it to measure for the walls:

Cutting the hole for the window.  No worries, as the window frame will cover any mistakes

I absolutely love the integrated shelf!

As you can see, there was a tiny bit at the top of the walls that was not covered, so I improvised a cornice, and finally glued down the inside walls:

Looking good!

Next step, staining the window frame.  That was the last thing of the day that I did, so it would be dry for next day's work session:

Not even enough light to take a pic, lol!

Next day were the final tweakings.  First, gluing on the window:

Then, arraging the final lights in the ceiling so the scene has a litte more light - I wanted to wallpaper the ceiling too, but I finally gave it up so the lights would be brighter:

Now it is almost done!  Only lacking the floor, for which I chose a lovely French parquet:

Gorgeous design and colors!

My job was finished.  I still had to glue the front frame and decorate the outside.  But I wanted hubby's opinion on that, and waited until he came back.  I suggested we put a Tolkien book cover on the sides, but he preferred simply to stain the wood, so that's what I did:

For the decorations, I kept it simple: a writing desk with a vintage typewriter, some empty pages and some already typed, a pair of glasses, and a pipe resting on an ashtray - Tolkien smoked tobacco pipes.  There is also a framed map of Middle Earth in the wall, and an umbrella hanging on the back of the chair - that damned English weather! 

I am very happy how well it turned out!  Hubby said he liked it a lot, and proceed to put it in a place of honor, very near his working table.  He kept it lit all day!

Free printable! Fall coloring books

Fall is here! Oh, how I miss the beautiful fall colors I enjoyed in Virginia.  Here in Salamanca we go from the heat and brightness of the summer to a grey, chilly fall, with no colors to enjoy, due to the lack of trees.

And what better way to entertaint oneself now that the weather does not invite one to go outside than making miniatures?  So for you to spend some fun time at home with a cup of hot steaming tea and a cracking fireplace, here are some fall and Thanksgiving themed coloring books, both for children and adults.  Enjoy!

 

As always, feel free to print and make as many as you like, gift them to friends, and pass the file along to anyone (links back are nice too!).  Just please, do not sell the file or your creations.  Thank you! ♥

Free printable! Ballet coloring books

I have been having so much fun in the last days designing and making coloring books!  They are so simply, and yet so delightful  I have already 3, and if the mood strikes me, I may do more.  However, since most of them are seasonal, I will be uploading them when the date is correct.

But ballet knows no season, so here is the first one.

 

I hope you enjoy the printie.  As always, feel free to make as many books as you like, gift them to friends and share the file (links back are nice too!), but please, don't sell the file or your creations.  Thank you! ♥

Little details

Sometimes life can get hectic, and you have some small projects that get pushed to the back burner, and never finished.  I had one of those projects since before last Christmas!  So I was very happy when I finally ended it.

It is a very simple wood tray that I made out of popsicle sticks.  My coworker Carlos, who is a darling, cut the sticks for me.  I stained it and put some candles on it for a cozy look in the living room.

 

The handles I bought from Tienda de Casitas; the round candles are from Art of Mini and the pillar candles were a gift from Nalladris.  They are all snow white as if they were just new from a shop.  I do not like to display already burnt candles - not even in real life! - so the wicks are white too.

I love the center table!  It has a sliding drawer under the glass that you can decorate with stuff.  I (oops, my mistake, I mean Kassandra, of course!) put two black and white ballet photographs on it.  The lower drawer also opens.  There are some cutlery sets, placemats and coasters on it.

Also, I made two vintage posters for the museum scene.  This time it's Titanic memorabilia.  You all know that Kassandra was a passanger of Titanic, so naturally anything Titanic interests her:

The largest one depicts an add for tickets sales of the sailing from New York to Europe - that naturally never took place.  I love how they look!

Nursery scene - a gift for a coworker

One of my coworkers recently had a baby girl.  I made a little scene for her that she could use to decorate the baby's room.  

 For the room I used a small coin bank with the coin slot side as bottom.  I dressed up the walls, sides and ceiling with paper - I used one of Zenas Miniatures downloads to make the baby items.  Then I took a couple of frames to hang some art in the walls (one of them features the baby's name), and bought some commercially made baby items to fill the basket; and of course, a teddy bear.

The food packages and the diaper box I designed myself with images found on Google.

 It was super easy and fast to do.  My coworker loved it.  I hope her child can appreciate it too when she grows up :)

The cellar has lights!!

Kassandra is very happy today.  She finally was able to get some appropiate lights for the cellar, and we just got them installed.

She wanted some modern, stylish lights, but also practical for a barely used room.  She found them at Tienda de Casitas, a very nice dollhouse shop in Seville, Spain.  She says that industrial style lamps are in vogue now, apparently, and she liked these ones very much:

She is very happy about how bright they are.  She says soon she will post pics of some of the rooms in the house, so you all can see how many things she already got in place...

Free printable! Opera magazines

I have been busy, so some time has passed since last time I visited Kassadra.  Today I found her storing some magazines in her new library.

"Hello, my dear", she said.  "Long time no see!"

"Indeed.  You have been busy..."

"Of course!  As soon as I finish organizing these, I will give you a tour of the house for you to see all the new stuff" (more info on that tomorrow!).

"More magazines?"

"Well, naturally!  My daughter Jean is very fond of opera, so I got some specialized isssues for her.  I am just putting them in the library, because I really have no more space in the living room".

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Fantasy apart, both my husband and I enjoy opera, so these magazines are a wink at him.  I used real opera magazine covers, and put an ad related to music in the back.  I am happy to share them with you, in case you need some magazines lying around.  HERE you go!  Have fun with them.  As always, please feel free to make gifts out of them, and share the printie with anyone (links back are nice too!), just please do not sell the file or you creations.  Thank you! ♥

Need more magazines?  Here you have some ballet magazines and belly dance magazines!

Free printable, because Christmas is coming

This weekend I found Kassandra very busy.

"What are you up to?", I asked.

"Well, since the weather is awful and we are better at home, I decided to decorate for the solstice.  Our kids love this time of year."

"Oh, you are still starting."

"Yes, I only have hung the bounting.  I still have to take out the Christmas tree and decorate it.  Would you like to help?"

"Sure, why not?  It will be fun."

Taking out the Christmas tree...

... and putting on ornaments

"What about this?"

"Oh, that is Santa's mailbox.  Each kid writes a letter and deposits it inside for Santa to pick up.  We only let them ask for one thing each, although we always put on more gifts for them."

"And do you write Chrismtas cards as well?"

"Those are for the kids to write to their cousins.  We have family all scattered throughout Europe, and they like to send them cards.  But we will see them at the Solstice party".

"Of course!  I forgot that you do not actually celebrate Christmas..."

 

"But you have very little decorations, Kassandra..."

"I have bought some more this year, but I still have to prepare them before I take them out.  You'll see them soon."

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Do you decorate your dollhouse for Christmas?  If you do, do you have a Christmas tree? And if so, does it have its proper box to be put away the rest of the year? No? Well, you are lucky, because I bring you one!

I designed this box some time ago, but today is the day I actually printed it and assembled it.  It measures about 8.5 cm long, so I could fit my mini Christmas tree inside, but you can make it bigger or smaller if you need to.  There are three files: one with the box as you can see in the pictures - you can print this one in white paper; one in which the box has no decorations, so you can use any colored paper that you like; and one with the labels so you can cut them and stick them in the box, if you prefer that look.  HERE you go!  Just click on the file(s) you want, right-click and select "Download". Have fun!

As always, feel free to craft and gift, or share the file (links back are nice too!), but please, do not sell the files or your finished creations.  Thank you!