My Miniature Japanese House - 1" Scale
Once upon a time, there was a Buttercup
house kit (the Buttercup Cottage by Corona)... and it looked, or was supposed
to look something like this....
Well as we all know, husband and I don't 'do' - we 'Over Do' and we can never just follow the typical pattern!! Also, in my mind I wanted a Japanese House and husband is wonderfully talented and creative. So husband and I looked at the plans and we searched on the internet. And we found this lovely website on Oriental Architecture (check it out - there are TONS of pictures and different oriental styles). My favorite was the Heian Jingu Shrine (built in 1896) in Kyoto.
Front of the Japanese House
Back of the Japanese House
Upstairs Bedroom
Upstairs Bedroom & Bonsai Kathy's Bonsai
Downstairs
Geisha relaxing
Landscaping
The Pond & landscaping
Well as we all know, husband and I don't 'do' - we 'Over Do' and we can never just follow the typical pattern!! Also, in my mind I wanted a Japanese House and husband is wonderfully talented and creative. So husband and I looked at the plans and we searched on the internet. And we found this lovely website on Oriental Architecture (check it out - there are TONS of pictures and different oriental styles). My favorite was the Heian Jingu Shrine (built in 1896) in Kyoto.
From "Poor Little Buttercup" to "The House of the Orchid"
So we banged and we bashed and we totally destroyed the 'Poor Little Buttercup' (all the while singing the refrain from the H.M.S. Pinafore Song). But in the end, we (husband helped immensely in the construction phase) ended up with a glorious and regal Japanese House for a lovely Geisha who lives within.
Front of the Japanese House
Back of the Japanese House
Upstairs Bedroom
Upstairs Bedroom & Bonsai Kathy's Bonsai
Downstairs
Geisha relaxing
Landscaping
The Pond & landscapingBasic How To...... (for more info - please email me with Japanese House in the subject line)
- The base is made from pink 1" thick insulation foam cut and then glued together and sprayed with gray 'granite' like craft spray.
- The Lion Guard Dogs were resin figures we found at a model train show and sprayed with the same granite spray.
- Husband built and electrified the Japanese lanterns.
- The doors and windows were created from vellum paper, small plastic mesh and balsa wood
- The roof tiles are from a plastic sheet obtained at a model railroad store
- Husband hand and machine carved the lovely roof finshing touches.
- The furniture was all purchased as an inexpensive set on EBay.
- The bedding and quilt were made and stuffed lightly with drier sheets (the quilt), with square cotton pads glued together (the bedding) and cotton balls (the pillow).
- The pond includes koi and water lilies made with Premo polymer clay and the pond was created with small rocks and Woodland Scenic's E-Z Water (with a bit of blueish tint added).
- The Zen Garden was made with a few lovely rocks and landscape sand from Woodland Scenic. A base of glue was covered by sand and left to dry. Then more sand was added and 'raked' for the Zen Garden look.
- I handmade all flowers and plants in the house and the landscape. Most were made from kits by Mary Kinloch (including phalanopsis orchid, shefelera tree, maidenhair fern, boston fern, rabbits foot fern, I also took a wonderful class with Mary in May 2003 at the Dallas Dollhouse Miniature Event and created the large floral arrangement. Other plants include - A palm tree and a flowering bonsai that I made.
- The Geisha is the first doll I've ever dressed/wigged and although I know I can do better with practice, I'm pleased with the way she turned out. I got the Geisha (actually Yoko) kit from MiniatureArts.
- Various contributions from swaps with friends - Bonsai in bedroom by Bonsai Kathy, tiny pink hyacinth from SHY from the Half Scale Group Monthly Swap, several pots from friends in a Pinch Pot Swap from the MSATClayArt group last year (I feel really bad that I can't identify the pot contributors, but I'm going to try to find out).