The Doll House

 A very long time ago, my parents built a doll house for my daughter. I gave them some rough plans and they worked together to make a sweet house. Through the years the house has been played with by many children who visited our home. This is how it looked.

The time has come to move this little house on. I was ready to pack it up, when I had a notion that it would be fun to do a little update. I got a little obsessed, and had huge fun. I used as many of the things my parents made as I could. My only rule was that I could not buy anything.

The first thing I did was paint the house, inside and outside. The outside is yellow. I have 3 tones of yellow. This is the deepest and was from my kitchen. 

Inside the house, I painted the bedroom using the yellow from my bedroom; the rest of the doll house is the off-white-towards yellow of my living room. 

The floor is the colour of our shed. The bedroom floor is some left over bits of veneer. I painted the kitchen b/w tile floor. 

Here it is.

The artwork is mine -- sketchbook pieces that have never seen the light of day -- except for one piece (the one by the door) that is part of a public art installation in Edmonton. 

The doll house is looking for a new home. With the many very small pieces it is not meant for a very young child. I am hoping that there is scope for more creativity with this - like making cushions and other decor. Do you know someone who would like to have it?   

Birthday Number: 42

Explainer - A cube has 6 sides: 6 X 7= 42
 

More Birthday Club for an XI year old

 I wanted to have a sewing project in my birthday club. The project I set up leans heavily on my grandson 's interest in baseball. Hence the project - making a baseball. Fortunately I was able to be with him to guide him through this one. 

This was what was in the kit:

  

After pinning the 2 pieces together, he stitched them together. Backstitches helped him keep control of the stitch size. To his credit, he was able to thread his own needle!

When it was stitched together and stuffed, he started the baseball stitch. 

The finished ball. He was well pleased. 

With Whimsy: EPL exhibition

 Eleven of my Book Houses are on exhibit at the Stanley Milner Library downtown until November 20, 2026. They are part of the With Whimsy exhibition.

 

They are on the third level at the top of the walkway.

There are a few different gallery spaces in the library. There is an 'Art Guide' available, but it gives information about the permanent collection, not about the temporary exhibits. A little wandering and asking staff will get you to the other gallery spaces. 

Birthday Number: 16

 

The Coffee Bag Flower

 This is made from coffee bags. 

The flower ball is about 28 cm across and, with the stick, it is 74cm tall.

Birthday Number: 68

 

68

2026