Greenleaf Spring Fling 2014- Rosie's Craft Cottage

I recently finished up my entry for the Greenleaf Spring Fling 2013.  I love this contest because Greenleaf comes up with great small build kits and it gives me a deadline to finish!  I'm not in it to win it.  I just do something that I love.  

Introducing Rosie's Craft Cottage:

I've always wanted to do a pink house. When perusing the Summer 2013 issue of the Magazine "Where Women Create", I came across Artist Nancy Hamming Anderson's beautiful Studio and used is as inspiration.

Most everything in the studio I had on hand or made. I got to try a few new things like making a wicker chair and a crochet blanket.

Picture above door by Caroline at Cinderella Moments

Desk, easy chair, work table and lamps made by me.

Family photos on desk and pin board

Fun to make books and ribbon rack.  Containers made from kids toy containers.

Sewing machine table was in the stash.  Made the dress form from sculpy and bits of wood.

Michael's Hutch.  Tubes of paint from True 2 Scale tutorial. I made the craft paint bottles
and the wooden box.

Ran out of time to adding to finish painting!

Through the door.

Made the wicker chair.  Pizza "thingy" table.

Mini Greenleaf Spring Fling 2012 & Spring Fling 2013

All the participants in Greenleaf's Spring Fling 2012 received an adorable mini spring fling kit.  I decided to build a tiny replica of my Spring Fling project (minus the sun room):

It took so much less time than the original!

A reminder of Snow's Getaway....

And of course I couldn't resist entering the 2013 contest.  The kit brings up lots of fun ideas.  I'm going with the simple base building.  Not in it to win it, I just like having the deadline (Halloween this year) and the small size of the kits.   The best part is seeing how everyone interprets the kits...

The Laurel for Auction

I have been doing a little mini work over the last few months.  I've been wanting to do a house for my kid's school silent auction for the last couple of years and I finally got around to it.  

This is Greenleaf's Laurel.  I bought it right at the beginning of my mini making before I realized all the gems that could be found on craiglist etc.  

I worked on it literally until it was to be delivered to the function space.  It arrived with tape still holding the last bits of glued pieces.  I didn't even get a chance to take good photos of the house which is too bad.  But here are a couple I took with my phone in bad lighting...

Stunning Practical Magic House

Trying to get back into mini making.  This wonderful house may be just the inspiration I need.  It is an almost exact duplicate the house in the movie Practical Magic.  Even more amazing is that is made from scratch.  I stumbled upon it on Pinterest.  I have  been starting (for about a year now!) my own Practical Magic house from a kit I have on hand.  It will be in no way this amazing.  

Wonderful eye candy.  It was made by a textile artist in Australia, Heather Aspinall.  Here website is loaded with pictures for each room from in progress to complete. http://heatheraspinall.id.au/index.htm Just wonderful.

Greenleaf Spring Fling - Snow's Getaway

After finishing the Glam Townhouse, I decided I wanted to do a small project.  Coincidentally, Greenleaf Dollhouses was starting their Annual Spring Fling Contest at the same time.  Every year, Greenleaf produces a new base kit for participants to use.  I've been so inspired by the past entrants.  This is the first year that I participated.  We had until September 3rd to finish.  Of course, I left all the details to the last minute and then decided to go away the weekend it was due!  I was up late Thursday night finishing the details and took the photos first thing on Friday morning.  I think my family was waiting in the car as I sent them off to Greenleaf.

Here it is: Snow's Getaway...

I've been wanting to do a modern version of a fairy tale setting since seeing the wonderful paintings of Snow White's house by Janet Hill.   Then the Television series "Once Upon a Time" debuted here in the U.S.  I loved Snow White's/Mary Margaret's modern apartment in the series.  This project is inspired by both the series and Janet Hill's paintings...

The apartment is an old Apple Farm office Building...

I've been wanting to brick something and this seemed like a small enough project to try it.  I used Brae's Tutorial on Otterine.com

Old apple crates are the planters.  I used vintage apple crate  labels that had something to do with Snow White (Crow, Queen, Snomaid).  These were my first try at flower kits.  The Pansies and Hydrangea's are Bonnie Lavish kits.  The tulips were a unknown kit that I got in a grab bag at a miniature show.  The other flowers are Dollar store finds.

I bought the kitchen set from Miniatures.com.  I decided the fridge was to big for the scene so I made a Smeg fridge from a Michaels wooden box.

The bedding is taken from a vintage tea towel made by my grandmother.

It was fun to fill the bookshelf with Snowish accessaries.   Forest animals, apples, etc.  The HOME houses are from Katie's Clay Corner.

The shelving unit is the top of a Michael's hutch. The mugs are made with paper.  There are clay strawberries in the basket.

Preparing to make apple pie.  The apple basket is from this tutorial

Time to get back to the practical magic house....

Currently working on...

After finishing up the 1930's Glam Townhouse, I decided that I'd like to work on something smaller and more contained.  I decided to give the Greenleaf Spring Fling a try.  Luckily for me it is more of a Spring/Summer Fling and the due date is September 3rd (Labor Day).

I'm not trying to go for the win.  Just enjoying myself working on a small creation.

1930's Glam Townhouse - Top Floor..

Originally, the top floor of the 1930's Glam Townhouse was going to be garret-like, shabby and rundown.  It was going to be Miriam Smith's large room and art studio.  In my haste to get the house done, I decided to go with the more traditional approach, a bedroom for Miriam and a bedroom for Miriam's daughter, Constance.  Miriam is supposedly a widow.

Miriam's room...

The lamp on the dressing table is my first attempt at a handmade lamp...

 A love letter on Miriam's dressing table (a secret love?).

Miriam's daughter, Constance's room...(Constance looks more like the unwed Eveline than the supposedly widowed Miriam.)

 These rooms were done in haste and I will probably go back to them sometime.  But for now it is time to put the 1930's Glam Townhouse to bed.

I hope you've enjoyed the tour!