Look What I Did!

So, remember when I told you I was working on something extra-special and awesome for the new dollhouse and I would give you a clue? Have you guessed what it is yet?

I forgot to take a picture of the item I was using BEFORE I
started modifying it, but I figured this clue was close enough :)

Instead of TELLING you what I made, I will just SHOW you:

I have been saving this birthday card for a year and a half
with this particular project in mind. You can't really see the
whole picture (some crazy person has been playing with
markers again), but as you can see, this is the same scene
as in the clue above. For this project, though, all I needed
was the fire, hence the black Sharpie.

This Sharpie was useful throughout the project. You can buy
brick wall veneers or even little dollhouse bricks, but I didn't
need to be that perfect. (It's about imagination, remember?)

You can use a ruler to measure and make straight lines if you
require a bit more precision, but I'm okay with my dollhouse
looking like it is handmade. I also like brush strokes in my
paintings and a little wear on my furniture. It shows evidence
of the human hand.

Next, I checked the size of the bricks against the firebox on
my card and marked it. Have you guessed what we are
building yet?

I decided to add a little glitter to some of my bricks so that
they would look a little variegated, like real bricks. (I'm not
kidding myself, I know these don't look REAL real, but you
know... I like these little details :)

I used my trusty old clear tape to put these together. 

Next, for the mantel. This is probably the least successful
part of this project, but I can always go back and change it.
I used a brown marker to bring out the wood grain a little
in some popsicle sticks.

A little white school glue to make it stick, and set it aside to
dry. While that was trying, I worked on the flooring and
wallpaper in the living room. (More on that in another post.)

Now, after the build up, are you ready for the awesomeness? (Drum roll, please......)

Now you can see why I've been saving that card for so long :) I'm so excited to have a "working" fireplace in my new dollhouse!!! (Can you tell?) 

I did not cut any windows in this dollhouse, I plan to add other lighting features like this one as I can. That's one reason I did not finish the roof or paint the outside--I may have to conceal some wiring, once I have all this figured out. We'll see. But, for the moment, I am quite satisfied with the progress :)