Happy Easter and a few mini projects!

Just wanted to do a quick post to wish everyone a Happy Easter! I am lucky enough to have my family up from down South and it was my Dads 65th Birthday yesterday so it was lovely to have him here for that!

That was yesterday though lol so today I thought I would make use of this talents and got him to make me some pub benches for the soon to be expanded pub! He has done a brilliant job of them...well done Pops!!

While he was busy beavering away making those for some strange reason I had an idea to make a little garden for in between the witches shop and house. I already had everything so it was a nice cheap little project and worked out quite nicely. Its added a bit of interest where there was just a space before!

And last but not least a couple of new arrivals to show you! I managed to win a couple of dolls for a bargain price on Ebay a few days ago. I was desperate to win the fisherman as I just fell in love with him! I was lucky enough to win him for just £6!! His name is Cyril after the man that ran the newsagents a few doors down from my Parents toyshop when they lived in Newquay.

I also won the cheeky little paper boy too who is called Jim!

That's it for now just a quick update and wishing you all a lovely Easter!!! xxx

Lots of lovely things! plus a couple of new arrivals!

After a bit of a lull in Dollyland I got my oomf back last night and today!! :-) I finally finished off the bunting around the shelves (nothing like knowing you Mother is coming to make you get things in order!!) And after what seems like forever I got to see the postman today!

I have really been trying to be good as I spend far too much on DH stuff! I haven't been too bad and have stayed off Ebay but I do check in to see what new dollies are for sale everyday and I when there is one I fall in love with its hard to resist! Off course the postage does add up so its always best to get 2 at time, very sensible logic that I think!

This time it was a witch that caught my eye. She just has such a lovely kind face and as soon as I saw her she just reminded me of my Nan with her whispy white hair. Sadly my Nan is no longer here and not really sure she would be too happy about being compared to a witch!

Its the facial features they just really look like her!!! every time I look at I will think of my Nan which can only be a good thing!

My second must have was another pirate! I did say once before I prob should of got both that were for sale when I got the first one so it was inevitable I would end up with another one lol. Now I want a whole motley crew to fill up the new pub. My plan is to have a function room upstairs and the pirates having a private party. Think barrels of rum and maybe a Stacey or two...oh dear theres another doll waiting to happen :-)

He's fab with his hook and peg leg! I love how they are so different, every one is such a different character!!

Next up The maids room in the Manor House. I was thinking of getting some different beds as I liked one I had but the other was a bit small. My friend Carol very generously sent me some pieces of furniture for my houses today and one of the beds was the same as the one I had. Its a double not a single but it works quite well and fills the space a bit better So now we can have 3 maids lol although 2 will have to bunk up!

Debs quilts look fantastic on them! I ended up swapping the vicars as it was just slightly smaller and fitted the single that bit better. It also had a plain edge so its matched the other one.

The walls looks so bare lol will have to do some research and see what I can fill them with!

The new quilt on the vicars bed looks just as good probably even a little bit fancier as it has a patterned trim.

On the subject of gifts another friend Sylvia sent me some cushions for Staceys pad. I added a little trim and some bows but they look great in the room.

Also in with the stuff Carol kindly sent was a nice chair and stool now in the fisherman's pad. I still need to paint the wood burner black, this pic has just reminded me!

And lastly the lovely dress from Alennka. My friend Christine won a blog giveaway and kindly donated her prize of a handmade dress to my village. She sent me a gorgeous dress for my new shop window but sadly they window is so huge it looked a little lost so it will now go in the wedding shop as a fancy bridesmaid gown.

I am lucky to have such generous friends the world of dollies is def a good place to reside in! :-)

I also had a nice surprise visitor in Dollyland tonight. A couple came to deliver a car my OH had bought (another one! he can say it to me so now I get to say it back!) They were really friendly and just by chance I asked if they wanted to have a look. It might sound like a strange thing to do but we don't get many visitors lol and I just got the impression they might like as we were chatting in the kitchen for ages! Well it was worth the chance as she really loved my houses and enjoyed having a good look round the village. She was so pleased I had shown her and its so nice to show someone around. She said she was a knitter and I think if you like any sort of crafty hobby you can appreciate another. I was sure to show her the knitting shop lol! She was so nice and I really enjoyed sharing my village!

More beautiful quilts and having a break!

Yesterday was a very strange day lol I have been a member of the DHE forum for many years as I know things are always changing thats the nature of life but the niceness of the members was always consistent. Everyone always had something nice to say about everyone. Just lately it all seems very angry with people just itching for a fight! I did my best not to get involved lol but yesterday made one little comment that got thrown out of all proportion and resulted in a few less than pleasant exchanges!! I had decided to leave as life is too short for things that make you feel bad but after a few deep breaths and a nights sleep I decided I will just step away for a while! I am certainly not flouncing off as has been suggested lol but purely taking a break from a situation I believe is prob only going to get worse before it gets better and I don't really want to be a part of that after yesterday! These things generally have a way or sorting themselves out but I don't want to be drawn into arguments as I know I will only end up saying something I might regret lol!! So just for a while I will continue with my blog as I really do love doing it and it can't answer back ha ha!! Easter is just around the corner and I have my family visiting so its a good time to take a break :-) On the upside of it all I had some lovely messages of support which far outweighed the not so nice so I am thankful for those. Its nice to be applauded for what you do and I have spent many hours on the forum giving advice and showing my projects so its nice to know its appreciated :-)

Anyway enough of that I received the most gorgeous quilts in the post today from my dear friend Deb. I asked her to make me a couple in darker shades for the maids bed in the new basement. They really are lovely the little squares are so tiny and the colours are just wonderful together. Thanks so much Deb they def brightened my day! :-) I am trying so hard to think of where I can fit more quilts in lol I am running out of places to put them!!

Meet Jack and Beryl!!

We have 2 new arrivals in the village this week!! I have really been trying to be good and stay off Ebay and it almost worked lol!!  I did have one weak moment and got tempted by a new doll as I am always on the lookout for different residents. When I saw the pirate I thought he would def fit into the seaside theme. There were actually 2 and was thinking should I get them both but the other one sold really quickly so the decision was made for me....prob just as well!! I love him he has such a great face and is of course called Jack!! He's loitering outside the pub at the mo although he better not stay there too long or Stacey will nab him!!

I always try and get a couple at a time as the postage costs are so high nowadays and are going up again soon!! I had seen a lady Bernadette made for someone, a bathing belle and thought she would look great on my beach scene. I asked if she could make me one and she made 2 and let me choose! Hard as it was I went for this lady as I liked her ample figure lol.

All set for a day at Quayside's lovely beach!

I have added some Barbie sunglasses and shoes and made her a magazine to read. I also made her a sun brolley from an old Bratz one!

I decided to call her Beryl after Beryl Cook as she reminded me of her fat ladies!

She has her lunch all ready to last the day!

Check out her roll round the middle its so funny it just makes me smile!!

I just love her she is such a fun doll and a great addition to the village!!!

Naughty Stacey!

Not much going on in Quayside this week. After all the recent building work the residents are having some time to just enjoy their village!

Stacey has been busy though she has a new belt and some ribbon added to her shoes to make them look a bit more eyecatching.

Shes also been out spending and has some lovely new shoes and matching bag and some sexy undies......

......and a nice fur throw on her bed (made from a fur stole £1 from Primark!!)

The stockings and corset are so well made they are lovely!

The WI ladies have called an urgent meeting about this shocking turn of events in their nice quiet village! They've not met for a while as they were having a nice new fitted kitchen put in the village hall! They just need some shelves built for all their mugs.

More expansion, a new front and Quayside Cutz!

It only seems 5 minutes since I last posted but things move fast in Dollyland lol! First new thing to show is a new shelf for Upper Quayside so it now goes round the whole room. There really is now where else to go unless I move under the tables lol! I moved 3 of my little shops onto the new shelf and had just enough room to add one more!.

By moving them round to the side left me a nice big space on the middle of the back shelf. I moved the fronts I already had and asked Julie to make me one more just so it looked more like a row of shops.

I have to say adding the fronts has really added another dimension to the village and make it look really quite different.

Having the fronts on the shelf is great as it means I can display things like the market stalls and the postbox and postman without having to keep moving them as the fronts don't need accessed one they are in place, although I do have to fill them up yet!

I bought the market carts cheap from Ebay and they were all originally red and white. I have redone the blue one as the seafood stall and repainted the pink one ready for some sweets. I might keep one red for a butchers cart as I had intended to do a butchers shop but meat really doesn't do it for me so I couldn't get inspired by that!

The new front is such a pretty colour and fits in perfectly with the other 2. The French windows weren't glued so I have added a plywood back to it so I could leave them slightly open. I have printed off a lovely picture of a shabby chic sofa and put that just behind and it just needs a light. Adding the back gave a nice back to the window area too.

I decided it was such a nice display area it needed something special in the window so I stole the gorgeous crystal chandelier from Knitting Pretty. I was looking for a suitable lovely dress to display but hadn't found anything that was anywhere near nice enough. Then yesterday morning I received a lovely email from Alennka to say I hadn't won her giveaway for a handmade dress but my good friend Christine has and had asked her to pass it onto me. I am still smiling about it and cant believe her generosity its something I don't think I will ever forget. I had originally said I would have a wedding dress had I won so after a couple of emails to Christine asking what she would like me to get, after all it was her prize, we decided on a dress for the new window. That way it would have its own special place rather than in amongst other dresses in my bridal shop.

I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to be getting such a wonderful gift and I really can't thank CHRISTINE or ALENNKA enough, you have both made my week!!! How fab will it look in this window :-)

By adding the extra shelf created a nice little corner area just right for a lamppost, tree and bag lady with her trolley! Something else I now won't have to keep moving every time I open a house lol!

Next up is the new little shop from Julie. As the front was being posted anyway it made sense to get it at the same time to save on the postage (good excuse anyway!) I was just going to leave it empty til I had an idea for it but I decided to move the hairdressers in!

Bethany of course made the signs and for a bit of fun we added her picture to the outside! She was a bridesmaid last year and had had all her hair all done lovely so we thought it would be good advertising lol

I am quite proud to say that expanding it didn't cost me a bean!! I moved all the things I already had and then made another stylists station to match the existing one. I also made the large mirror at the back and the shelving unit. It too me ages to stick all those little crystals on but it does add a nice bit of bling! I made some bottles of product and the towels are just cut up facecloths.

I am quite chuffed with this little shop as I made so much of this myself. theres not much available to buy and what you can is very expensive so it was great fun to make all my own!

The wall unit was just made from stripwood and painted black and the stylists trolley was a little butchers block that I made some drawers for and added the accessories.

The modern blinds were just cheap sushi mats cut to size but they do look just the part and add to the modern feel.

I also had a lovely little cardigan in the post today made by my good friend Deb. It really is gorgeous I love the little dolphins on it and so much work has gone into so I think its def one that needs to be worn to show it off!!

Finally one more little piece of exciting news! I had an email from Dolls and Miniatures magazine saying they have a contributor in Scotland and although she is no where near me she has some business in Aberdeen in September and will come to see and photograph the village! I am really chuffed they are actually sending someone in the flesh rather than me just sending photos as you really don't get the feel of it without seeing it for real!! Lots of time to add a bit more and finish things off lol!!