Beacon Hill Classroom Progress

Happy New Year, everyone! I know I should be posting on resolutions or reflecting back on this year, but the light was coming through so beautifully, I couldn't resist taking these pictures. :)

This is the main classroom in the Beacon Hill Girls' School. In the foreground is a small teaching area (what subject, I don't know yet!)with a standing chalkboard on the right that I'll show in more detail later. In the background, you can see a hint of the traditional American schoolhouse desks sitting on some checkboard patterned paper. That's my way of trying out different flooring ideas.

The top picture also shows my crown moulding shortcut. After wasting many pieces trying to cut the proper angle, I finally decided to cheat and make the corners square cut and put a section of wood block in the corner. A fancy finial will come later. You decide: crafty or cheating?

Again, blog friends, Happy New Year! I hope that 2012 is full of everything that is good and lovely for you and all your loved ones!!

School Necessities

I thought you'd like to see some of the school furniture I've been building. Someone is really struggling with her spelling... :)

On A Roll!

Ever have one of those days where you're having fun and where creativity just seems to flow from your fingertips? I had one of those wonderful days recently and just churned out a series of accessories and shelves for my Beacon Hill dollhouse.

In case you're keeping count, I have 3 houses; the Orchid which is a Victorian era shop and living quarters with a little shabby-chic girly flavor, a Westville which is a 1930's era farmhouse and my someday-to-be-glorious Beacon Hill. The BH was my dollhouse as a girl and after years in storage, it is home. I've talked about it in a previous post or two with pictures of the broken bits and dust bunnies that it collected. I've cleaned it up and applied gesso to almost every surface and now..... I have no idea what color to paint it.

As I usually do when it's time to make a decision like that, I avoid the issue altogether and make accessories! :) But oh, what fun it was! The house will be our current era, filled with folk art and antiques.

Here's a rundown on the items pictured:

1. More Michael's hutches put to work as a girly dresser and a bookcase. I added molding to the bookcase. The dresser has eyelet hooks as the hardware, at least for now.
2. The black painted bookcase and shelves are Michael's hutches too. I distressed and papered them for a country primitive look.
3. A plastic rooster I stole from my son's room and turned into "copper" with teal, white, and copper acrylic paint.
4. A yellow cabinet with a fruit crate label decoupaged on the front. The coppery handles are pieces of fancy toothpicks as are the pegs on the little shelves.
5. The girl picture is scrapbook paper (Graphic 45 brand) and the frame is a cardboard frame for scrapbooking the a glued string designs onto and then painted.
6. More bead charms make the little (tipped) chair and telephone for the girl's room. They'll be painted someday.

Probably more info than you needed :)

The Kitchen

Here is the Orchid's kitchen. Don't mind the crooked curtains! Can you spot the Michael's hutches? There are three.