Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Dollhouse: Staircase Renovation

October 2, 2011 at 11:37 am by Claudia

What to do on another in a seemingly endless series of rainy days? Work on the dollhouse.

Though I just wrote a post about my aversion to seasonal decorating, apparently my dollhouse is the exception.

I can’t help it. It’s just so much more fun with a mini.

My big (for me) project yesterday was one of the staircases. It came to me like this:

The previous owners didn’t put it in correctly, so it’s a bit off. Since I didn’t want to take it out, adding spindles, newel posts and a railing involved crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.

It works for me. Each time I figure something out, like enlarging the opening for the front door, installing a new door, realigning the upstairs windows or putting in the rest of the staircase, I must admit I do a little dance.

The lighting varies according to the time of day and that is why you see such contrast. I’m basically shooting into a box! As you can see the windows need trimming. I’m going to make a wood floor, using coffee stirrers. I’m thinking about beadboard in the kitchen and maybe in the living room. Any suggestions?

Upstairs. I still have to do the other staircase but I ran out of spindles.

For me, the dollhouse is by far the most challenging thing to photograph. I spend hours trying to get the right shot. Someday, when I have wallpaper and more contrasting colors, I know it will become easier. At the moment, it’s a mass of white. Bear with me.

Have a lovely day.

Filed Under: DIY, dollhouse, photography 27 Comments

New Toy

August 4, 2008 at 8:37 am by Claudia


Thanks to a blog entry by the Gahan Girls I have discovered Picnik.com. This is a free site that lets you edit and play with your photos. If you are like me and don’t have Photoshop, and have an earlier version of iPhoto, this site gives you a lot more options as to the look of your photo. You can add text, you can change shapes, add frames – a whole lot of wonderful options. I’ve just begun playing, but here are three of my ‘altered’ photos. The one above is a section of my design board, the polaroid option and some text.


This is a shot I took in Woodstock. The building was charming and I loved the colors. With the help of Picnik, I cropped it, softened the edges and added text.

Of course, I had to play with a picture of the doggies…in this one, my husband and I were trying to recreate the image on a card we bought. This particular card had two dogs (looking almost exactly like ours) waiting at the door – It was entitled “Waiting for Postie”. Using treats, we tried to bribe the dogs into the right position. It didn’t work. So I have retitled this photo “Waiting for a treat.” Truth in advertising.

You might want to investigate this site. Its a lot of fun!

Have a great Monday.

Filed Under: photography 3 Comments

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Welcome!

Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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