Sunday House Chat

Wonky handmade house

This time last year I visited the Beatrix Potter house in the Lake District and fell in love with her dolls house.

The items inside were given to her by her publisher for inspiration and feature in her book The Tale Of Two Bad Mice.

I have always loved dolls houses, in fact I like anything in miniature form. I like arranging little lines of zoo animals on the edges of picture frames and finding tiny boxes big enough for baby teeth or locks of hair. I wonder why tiny version of things are so fascinating?

Anyway, despite the fact I have long been coveting a dolls house, I have always talked myself out of buying one. When I see a beauty in a charity shop, this is how the conversation in my head goes:

‘Oh I love that dolls house. It’s wonky and handmade and I want it.’ ‘But Helen you’re a grown up, you won't play with it. You have nowhere to put it. Don't be silly, you have too much stuff already, walk away.’

And I slump my wee shoulders and walk away (this is the sad bit of the newsletter, it gets more fun after this)

Then last week I watched a video by one of my new favourite Youtubers: Beige Flannel. She’s an art graduate who makes stuff to furnish her flat. (She is into making things using paper mache and her creations are brilliant, with a big dollop of bonkers mixed in.) In this video she uses a dolls house to make a lamp. She sticks a rechargeable lamp inside and bob’s your uncle! Genius, an actual LEGITIMATE use for a dolls house. I have permission!

Beige Flannel’s dolls house lamp

So I bought one:

It’s handmade ✅

And wonky with a weirdly tiny door ✅

And it’s bit like our house: there is a window in each corner and a door in the middle ✅

I love it!

I plan putting it in the top corner of this shelving unit once it’s finished.

I am strumming my finger tips together in excitement. Imagine Christmas with the dolls house lights glowing, I am excited already!

How’s your Sunday going? We had planned a long weekend at my folk house, but there is a weather warning, so we’re heading home early. We want to be tucked up indoors before the winds hit. Stay safe, happy Sunday!

Love Helenx