1/12th Scale Dutch Style House for Marsha

My good friend Marsha asked if I could build a 1/12th scale tall and slim Dutch style house. She was keen to do all the decorating herself so I just provided the unpainted shell. I think it's possibly the tallest house I have ever built but being so slim and shallow too it hardly takes up any space. It was quite hard to pack though when it came to sending it in the post!

1/12th Scale 'Dolphin Cottage'

This is 'Dolphin Cottage'. It is a two roomed cottage ready to move in to and being nice and narrow it hardly takes up any space at all. Great for the spatially challenged collector!

1/12th Scale Bow Window Shop

I bought two 1/12th scale bow windows at a fair and thought they would make excellent shop windows. This is a simple one up one down shop and the huge windows make it very light inside. I think it would make a great pottery shop or perhaps an art gallery.

1/12th Scale 'Skinny' Shop for Paula

Paula had just a little bit of space left in her witchy village for a small shop/cottage and this is what I came up with. I made the pointy window from scratch - not being good at things like maths and angles it wasn't easy - but I think it turned out alright in the end!

1/12th Scale Cottage with Scullery for Heather

I was asked if I could make a cottage with a scullery and a little yard to the front and this is how it turned out. I had to dash out between showers to take the photo so it's not brilliant I'm afraid.

1/12th Scale 'Cove Cottage'

This is 'Cove Cottage', a recently completed 1/12th scale project. Not all that big but just enough for a taste of the seaside. Just what you need on a dark damp November day!

A 1/12th Scale Beach Hut for Jackie

I was asked if I could build a beach hut to match one already owned by the customer and this is the result. Not really the weather for beach huts but it's nice to dream!

1/12th Scale Partially Finished Shop/Cottage

I am not a great fan of painting. I love the building of my houses but I am not so keen on the painting so when a customer is willing to do that themselves I am more than happy to oblige!

1/12th Scale 'Pumpkin Cottage' for Paula

This is 'Pumpkin Cottage', a recently completed 1/12th scale house requested by Paula. I made a similar cottage several years ago and it has always been one of my favourite designs so I was very happy to have a go at making another one.

The Builders Have been In Again!

This house started life as a room box bought on ebay some years ago. As always I couldn't leave it alone and added an upper floor and front to make 'Rose Cottage'. This little house recently found it's way back to me and - once again - I couldn't leave it as it was so I added a ground floor extension. Now it's quite a spacious 1/12th scale cottage with unusual 'nosy parker windows' as well!

Three 1/12th Scale Shops

These 1/12th scale shops were a special order for a customer. There's a lot of potential for businesses here - shabby chic interior shop, cake shop, gift shop - endless possibilities!

1/12th Scale 'Spindleberry Cottage'

It's that time of year again when thoughts turn to ghoulies and ghosties and things that go bump in the night. Here is Spindleberry Cottage - an ideal home for your 1/12th scale witch or wizard. Just big enough to create a miniature Halloween scene.

Two 1/12th Scale Shops

I was recently asked to build two 1/12th scale shops as a birthday present for my customer from her husband. The blue and white shop is going to be a fish and chip shop and the green and cream shop is going to be a patisserie. That's all the main food groups covered I think!!

1/12th Scale 'Periwinkle Cottage'

This is 'Periwinkle Cottage'. I've just finished this 1/12th scale house and it's a little bit bigger than my usual builds - it has four rooms inside so it could easily be used as a bed and breakfast business or just a simple holiday hideaway.

1/12th Scale 'Compass Cottage'

This is 'Compass Cottage' which is my latest 1/12th scale seaside dolls house just completed. I used my favourite duck egg blue for the windows and door - I think it's a perfect seaside colour. I must be careful how much I use it though - the manufacturer has stopped making it so my supplies are running low!

1/12th Scale Seaside Kiosk

Paula asked me to build a 1/12th scale kiosk with an opening hatch door for her seaside village. I think it's going to be used to sell seaside accessories - buckets and spades and perhaps drinks, Paula likes to paint so she is happy to finish off the bare building when it arrives.

1/12th Scale Shop

A customer asked me to build a 1/12th scale shop and this was the result. It could be used for many different businesses - I always think that the green lends itself to something like a flower shop but it could just as easily be a gallery or a sweet shop!

1/12th Scale 'Smuggler's Nook'

This is 'Smuggler's Nook', a recently completed 1/12th scale seaside cottage. The little porch on the front gives a bit more space inside for storing wellies and coats and it also creates a small garden area to the front with just enough room for a chair and a few potted plants.

1/12th Scale 'Causeway Cottage'

This is my latest 1/12th scale dolls house just completed. 'Causeway Cottage' has the benefit of a scullery to one side or this could be used as a bathroom, store room or cosy snug.

1/12th Scale 'Honeypot Cottage'

I have long been an admirer of the wonderful houses made by Rik Pierce. I also realised a long time ago that I would never be able to afford to buy one for myself so I decided to have a go at making my own. Honeypot Cottage is the result. I used a lot of plaster, cardboard, egg boxes (for the bricks) and air drying clay and had a wonderful time building this project.

A 1/12th Scale Seaside Cottage for Jackie

I was asked to build a seaside cottage for a lovely lady called Jackie. She chose from my blog photos and this is what I've just finished building for her. This is a handy design as it allows the ground floor to be used as a shop with additional living accommodation upstairs.

A New Yard with Outside Toilet for Shell Cottage

The lady who bought my Shell Cottage asked if I could build a small yard with an outside toilet to stand alongside the cottage. There's just enough space in the yard for a seat, some potted plants and maybe the odd lobster pot.

1/12th Scale 'Maple Cottage'

I was lucky enough to find some of these lovely 'Gothic' style windows recently. Made by Glenowen who ceased trading some years ago these windows are now like the proverbial hen's teeth but as they are also my favourite windows I could resist using two of my precious stock to create 'Maple Cottage'

1/12th Scale Shabby Chic Shop Box

I do enjoy building these little 1/12th scale shop boxes. I think the best bit of the building is making up the front with all the trim and detailing. The worst bit is definitely the painting!!

1/12th Scale 'Shell Cottage'

I bought this little cottage as a kit from Bob Willans (Tollgate Miniatures) two years ago when I visited the Dutch dolls house fair in Apeldoorn. It came home in my hand luggage which was a bit of a squeeze but it arrived undamaged. It then sat untouched on a shelf. I finally decided to do something with it a few weeks ago and Shell Cottage was the result.

1/12th Scale 'Seaspray Cottage'

This is 'Seaspray Cottage', a 1/12th scale house built to the plans in the popular Venus and Martin Dodge book. I love this style of house - three rooms but it takes up very little floor space!

1/12th Scale Beach Huts/Seaside Shops for Paula

Here are two 1/12th scale beach huts I made recently for Paula for Quayside village. I made the one on the right into a seaside kiosk with an opening hatch at the front for serving ice creams.

1/24th Scale 'Mill View'

I had a wooden wine storage box on a shelf over my workbench for years, always planning to do 'something' with it. Inspiration finally came a few weeks ago and Mill View was the result - a tall and skinny 1/24th scale seaside house. Great for displaying all your 24th scale furniture as it's quite shallow so everything is easy to see. And it takes up next to no space!!!

1/12th Scale 'Quay View Cottage'

 This is 'Quay View Cottage'. It is 1/12th scale and with two rooms and an attic there's plenty of space inside for a family home. The windows were made a very long time ago by Anglesey Dolls Houses which ceased trading years ago so this really is a one of a kind house - there won't be any more made like this one!

1/12th Scale 'Harbour View'

This is Harbour View, a recently completed 1/12th scale seaside house. I love arched windows and I also like seeing the light come into a dolls house from additional openings so I added the windows in the side of the house. Painted a very pale grey with white windows this would make a great setting for some lovely shabby chic furniture.

1/12th Scale Shop

This is a 1/12th scale shop just completed. Once again I have left it unpainted so that Paula can choose her own colour scheme. As I'm not that keen on the painting I'm quite happy!

1/12th Scale Bus Station

Here is another unusual little building just completed - a 1/12th scale bus station destined for Paula's Quayside village. Public toilets, bus stations - whatever next???

1/12th Scale Shop

I was asked if I could make a 1/12th scale shop to sit alongside one of my earlier cottages and this is the result. I have left it unpainted so Paula can choose the colours herself.

1/12th Scale Public Toilets

I did say I had been having a change from my usual cottages recently - here are some public toilets I was asked to build to add to a 1/12th scale village. I have done one set of toilets before for Paula's Quayside village. I never thought I would be asked to build any more!

1/12th Scale Stable Block

I've been having a bit of a change from building my usual cottages recently. This is a 1/12th scale stable block I made recently for a friend. I left it unpainted so she could choose the colours for herself.

Leeds Dolls House Fair Saturday 18th April - New Stock of Houses Just Completed!

Here are my new 1/12th scale cottages just completed to take to the dolls house fair in Leeds on Saturday. I will also have a selection of 1/24th scale properties and two small shop boxes too. Lots to choose from!! Please come and say hello!

1/12th Scale 'Driftwood Cottage'

This is 'Driftwood Cottage', my latest little house just completed and for sale on ebay right now. I designed this house with the spatially challenged collector in mind - and who isn't stuck for space when it comes to collecting dolls houses! It is nice and shallow so it will sit easily on a shelf or a window sill but it still accommodates 1/12th scale furniture. It's just enough for a little taste of the seaside now that the better weather is just around the corner.

1/24th Scale 'Curlew Cottage'

This is 'Curlew Cottage, a new 24th scale house just listed on ebay this afternoon. It has four rooms inside and it is ready and waiting for a new family to move in.

A Lovely Day at the Thame Fair February 2015

This is how my table looked at the Thame Fair last month. If you haven't been to this fair before it really is wonderful - a great atmosphere, good venue and lovely friendly sellers. I had a wonderful day. I sold two houses, met some very interesting people and have already said I would like to do it again next year.

1/12th Scale 'The Old Chapel'

This is 'The Old Chapel', my most recent 1/12th scale cottage. Based on a pair of Alm's Houses featured in Caroline Hamilton's book on dolls houses I made the Gothic style windows out of mount board spread with plaster - a bit fiddly but I think they worked out quite well. The roof is also made out of card - a stout acid free type - so that I could cut out all those strange angles with my Stanley knife. As the clay tiles dried they created a bit of a wobble in places - just how an old roof should be!!