My Cafe Ole Cottage

This house is on eBay right now! Here is the link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item
=290095876482&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:US:11

As I stood on my balcony this morning, enjoying the sweet breeze and spring blooms, I thought it was the perfect day for me to take pictures of my latest dollhouse, the Cafe Ole Cottage! My coffee-loving hubby, Shah, picked out the colors for me ~ needless to say, it was after a trip to Starbucks!

This dollhouse was an experiment of sorts; this was my first attempt at creating clay roof shingles. I used self-hardening Marblex clay and painted the roof with dark chocolate acrylic paint and a soft latte wash. My hats off to the paper-clay dollhouse artists: the process was indeed a test of my patience!

And now on to my love affair with fabric wallpaper! I discovered the perfect fabric to create my faux wood panels: it has a crackle print and comes in various colors. For this Coffee and Cream inspired home, I picked out fabrics in warm beige and pale coffee. The chair rail and moldings were created with lace, which was considerably cheaper than wood molding, and a lot easier to apply. I am in love with this combination: so much so, that I bought a yard more of the fabrics for my next dollhouse!

This house is on eBay right now! Here is the link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item
=290095876482&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:US:11

My Lady Carolyn

This sapphire princess is Lady Carolyn. She is the guardian angel of the The Galerstein Women's Center at The University of Texas at Dallas. She is named after the wonderful Carolyn Lipshy Galerstein whose spirit and vision remains the guiding light of The Women's Center.

The Women's Center celebrated its 10th anniversary today, and I thought it would be the most perfect day for Lady Carolyn to take her place as the Center's guardian angel! So, here we are, Lady Carolyn, my dear friend Patsy Aguilera and yours truly. Patsy is the Administrative Assistant of the Women's Center, and has been a mother to me since the day I stepped into her office in 2001.

Lady Carolyn is dressed in a full-sleeved, high-waisted gown. Her necklace matches her gold and teal gown, and a single blue stone adorns her hair. Lady Carolyn's hair is done up in a braided chignon, while a cascade of gold-bronze curls fall unbound over her back.

I am most excited about the dress I created for Lady Carolyn. I am like a kid in a candy store whenever I go shopping for fabric! The fabric I finally chose is a dark teal chiffon with a sprinkle of sequins here and there and silvery blue threads running vertically, which creates a very flattering profile. What I like best about this fabric is how easily and naturally it drapes around the figure.

I hope Patsy will remember me every time she sees Lady Carolyn ~ and even when I leave UTD when my studies end, I can forever be a part of the Women's Center in spirit ...

Mini Room Boxes by Lenor Johnson

While doing some housecleaning, my friend Lenor Johnson found some more photos of her room-boxes that she so kindly shared with us. I have always been a fan of the "old world" touch in the brilliant paper-clay creations of Lenor. I am always left amazed at how she captures realism in her art: from the sooty fireplace to the draping shawl and floppy pillow: I always feel like I am right there inside her dollhouse!

To see more of her amazing creations, visit:
http://smehreen.polapine.com/lenor/

Yankee Dime Primitives Website

I am proud to introduce to you, my friend Kellie Wachter's first website, Yankee Dime Primitives ~ designed by yours truly! This site features Kellie's latest one-of-a-kind Vintage Inspired dolls, the miniatures she is known for and all her other whimsical creations!

Here is the link:
http://smehreen.polapine.com/yankeedime/

Let me know what you think!

Lenor Johnson Website

Hello all! I just finished making a website for my favorite artist: Lenor Johnson. This website features her timeless dollhouse creations: The Cottage, The Book Room, The Brownstone ~ and all her tiny treasures!

Here is the link:

http://smehreen.polapine.com/lenor/

Let me know how you like the website!