Hambleton Hall

A decision has been made.

2012-02-17T15:33:00.006Z

Thank you everyone who gave me suggestions and solutions to my dilemma.

I've made up my mind now and the larger space to the right will combine Nanny and Nursery, to the left of the hall will be the bathroom (I had to have one as I've already got the fitments) and the far left room will be a general attic space.

The bed was originally a garish gold colour that has since been painted black.

This decision was arrived at as I already have some of the furniture, ie. Nanny's bed, washstand, crib and of course the bathroom fittings.

I'm not too keen on the low level cistern so I'll be changing that and I've yet to choose the decor of the room but at least I'm a stage further on than I was a week ago and the only thing to do next is decide which room to start with!

Suggestions please.

2012-02-10T13:36:00.000Z

These are the final three spaces to be filled in Hambleton Hall and I have a dilemma! I thought I knew what I would be doing with them, namely a Nanny's Room, a Nursery and a Bathroom. Now that it's time to start work, I'm not sure now.

These two spaces measure 6 1/2" wide x 13 1/2" deep by 8" high (16.5cms W x 34.3cms D x 20.3 H). My initial thoughts were - Nursery leading through to Nanny on the far left - ok so there's not a lot of space but she is a servant after all and babies don't take up that much space (at least not in my world!).

I hadn't planned to have a door leading through - just a curtain.

The room to the far right was going to be the Bathroom. It's a decent enough sized space at 10 1/2" wide x 13 1/2" deep x 8" high (26.7cms W x 34.3cms D x 20.3cms H) and it would allow me to have some furniture in there along with the bathroom suite.

Then I thought I could combine Nanny with Nursery and have them both in this room with a small bathroom and storage space leading off situated in the rooms on the far left.

I've thought about this for so long and dithered about so much I'm confusing myself so if anyone has any bright ideas, I'd love to hear them. Thank you!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T11:58:00.001Z

May the best ye hae ivver seen be the warst ye'll ivver see.
May the moose ne'er lea' yer girnal wi a tear-drap in its ee.
May ye aye keep hail an hertie till ye'r auld eneuch tae dee.
May ye aye juist be sae happie as A wuss ye aye tae be.

The above, in translation, reads:

May the best you have ever seen be the worst you will ever see.
May the mouse never leave your grain store with a tear drop in its eye.
May you always stay hale and hearty until you are old enough to die.
May you still be as happy as I always wish you to be.

Slainte!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-19T18:17:00.002Z

I'd like to wish all my followers a very Merry Christmas from my home to yours.

A wee sneaky peek......

2011-12-03T11:46:00.000Z

This is not a photo relating to Hambleton Hall. In fact it's a sneaky peek through the basement window of my newest property Netherton. I happened to mention it on Simon's blog Miniature Enthusiast and took pity on his desire to know more!

There's a lot more to see of this property but until I finish one of my others I'm holding back.

I hope you like it.

York Fair

2011-11-28T15:57:00.001Z

I had a lovely day at the York Fair yesterday and was pleased to meet, quite by chance, a fellow Edinburgh blogger - Jackie from Fridayschild blog.

Although I bought quite a bit, not a lot of the items were for Hambleton Hall but sufficient to let me get a bit further with this property.

There's some fabric for Her Ladyship's curtains, two little hankies for her drawer and a toasting fork for the yet to be created Nursery.

A very warm welcome to all new followers. I'm very pleased to have you here and hope you like what you see.

Back from Miniatura

2011-09-26T18:09:00.000+01:00

I returned home today from a very enjoyable weekend, having spent Sunday at Miniatura in Birmingham.

I managed to pick up some lovely bits and pieces. The chamber pot, photographs, journal and lace cloth are for the recently finished bedroom and the boxed shirt is for "him". I have trouble finding nice items for gentlemen so that when I do see them, I snap them up.

A moment of madness and long awaited progress in the Salon.

2011-09-17T18:39:00.000+01:00

I had a moment of madness the other day, as if I didn't have enough to do, and I decided to clean a room in my dollshouse!

Not all the windows have been dealt with in the Hall and I'm ashamed to say I had some real life dust to deal with.

How embarrassing is that - the shame!

It actually turned out to be quite a good little exercise. It gave me the chance to look at some of the items in that room that I'd forgotten about and also reminded me of the fact that when I purchased the sideboard, my intention was to fill it. That will now be done.

Another job I've completed in this room is to make the curtains. I've had this fabric for about three years but was reluctant to cut into it because a) it was purchased from Susan Bembridge to co-ordinate with the wallpaper, and b) I wasn't quite sure how I wanted the pelmet to look so I decided to leave well alone until I could come up with something that was simple enough that it didn't clash with the paper but was grand enough given the status of the room.

I'm happy now!

Just playing...........

2011-09-08T16:10:00.002+01:00

I'm sitting here procrastinating! There are things I should be doing but instead, I'm playing with effects on Paint.NET. There is stuff there I never even knew existed and even the things I knew about, I never remember to use when the time comes.

I took the above photo the other day just to see how the two rooms looked side by side and then today I played with it.

The lady of the house now has a room of her own.

2011-09-05T16:31:00.001+01:00

I've been working hard these past few days to complete this room. I feel I've been working on it forever. The rug and the bonnet were the last items to be added and apart from any other little item that I might find at Miniatura, Birmingham at the end of this month - the room is finished.

The wallpaper came from a beautiful selection offered by Janny at Art of Mini. The dainty little candlesticks came from Flora and her Etsy Shop as did the little box of letters on the table to the right. There was also a plaster bust from Flora but I wont be using that until I've got the curtains made.

The cranberry glass was all purchased from Glasscraft at various fairs. The book on the bed is Jane Eyre from Dateman Books

If you want to get ahead, get a hat!

2011-09-03T16:03:00.001+01:00

A few months ago I ordered some bits from The Mini Milliner, including a kit for this little bonnet.

This is the first hat I've made and can certainly recommend Margaret's kits. The instructions were clear and there were more than enough bits to complete the job. The little glove box and gloves are from Margaret as well but they came ready made.

I have to confess to taking it apart once as I hadn't got the scale quite right but after that it was very straightforward. This will be going into Her Ladyship's room and once I've had a chance to fiddle, I'll be back with pictures as it's pretty much finished.

Inspiration from Sabiha

2011-09-01T17:21:00.000+01:00

Some time ago Sabiha made some pegs from cocktail sticks and posted a little tutorial. With that in mind, I made some pegs today.

I'd never seen cocktail sticks like that here before and happened to mention it on Sab's blog. Janice very kindly sent me some and at long last, I've turned them into pegs.

Thank you Sabiha for the inspiration and thank you Janice for the cocktail sticks.

Asseyez-vous Madam, si vous plait...........

2011-07-08T08:38:00.001+01:00

For a long time now I've had this notion to have a go at this particular chair as created by Lea Frisoni (I tried to post her link but it looks like the site has changed) but didn't have a specific place in mind for it until I started working on the bedroom belonging to the lady of the house.

It took me all last Saturday afternoon to create the frame and all Wednesday afternoon to upholster it! The fabric could have done with being a bit finer as it was tricky to stick down but it's done now and I'm very pleased with it.

I just had to see what the collection of Cranberry glass looked like when placed in it's final position and I think I need to get another couple of pieces. The trouble will be remembering what I've already got!

This room is very nearly complete. I'm just looking for a suitable rug then I'll be back with more pictures.

From Queensland, Australia to Edinburgh, Scotland

2011-06-10T15:12:00.000+01:00

Recently I was lucky enough to win Christine's giveaway and it arrived today. Given that it had come all the way from Queensland to Edinburgh, it hadn't taken that long.

Sitting on the top was a little message from Christine

Underneath that there was a lovely little crate tied with "rope"

Inside were two little "shipping invoices/bills of sale", some wonderfully clever little woodshavings and the gifts themselves suitably wrapped in "burlap"

After carefully unwrapping all the little treasures - a tantalus, pheasant, a very detailed cheesboard, a lovely little cloth and at the very bottom of the crate, some UK newspapers.

Isn't it all great?

The Admiral is extremely impressed with his new Tantalus and will certainly be enjoying a "snifter" this evening.

Cook has decided that tonight Pheasant will be on the menu and you can see it here on the table ready to be prepared.

The cheeseboard has made it's way to my Tearooms and fits in there perfectly.

THANK YOU very much Christine - I love it all and appreciate the care taken with all the little details.

Irene, goodnight - Irene, goodnight..............

2011-06-02T13:36:00.000+01:00

Well, maybe not for me, but certainly by me!

I'd been hunting for a suitable bed for Her Ladyship for quite some time but nothing really hit the spot (despite the fact that there are hundreds of beautifully dressed beds available) and because I didn't want a terribly "frilly" bed, I decided to have a go at making my own. I did it using balsa wood, spindles and decorative railing.

I'd purchased some fabric at Miniatura with the bed in mind and I'm pretty pleased with the way it's turned out. There is a lace robe "artfully" arranged at the end of the bed.

The little rose I've had for a while and the little bundle of letters were made by Flora

At last, some progress and a welcome message.

2011-05-24T19:13:00.003+01:00

At long last I have some progress to show you of Her Ladyship's bedroom. I wanted to add a little more character here rather than just the usual chimney breast so I started playing with the foam board to create little niches on the fireplace wall for her extensive collection of Cranberry Glass. I think it's worked out quite well and has only taken about 1" (2.5cms) off the width of the room.

The wallpaper was purchased from Janny of Art of Mini who has a beautiful selection of papers to choose from. The floor is created from iron on strips then varnished and the door at the back - which leads to Her Ladyship's dressing room - is resin which is why I couldn't match the colour to the main bedroom door.

The ceiling height of each room in Hambleton Hall is only 8" (20.3cms) and I feel that the light fitting is perhaps sitting a tad too low but given that Her Ladyship is vertically challenged, I think I can get away with it! I was just so pleased to find this along with the wall lights in her favourite Cranberry glass that I was happy to live with it.

In time, these shelves will be filled with a collection of Cranberry Glass and at present I'm working on a bed. I also have other pieces of furniture but these require a bit of work before I can show you. All in all, I'm pleased with the way this is turning out. Next comes the fun bit - shopping for accessories!

I'd also like to take this opportunity of welcoming all new followers to my blog. It's very nice to have you here and I hope you like what you see. Thank you.

I've been shopping!

2011-03-23T16:48:00.000Z

Above is the Hambleton Hall selection from my trip to Miniatura at the weekend. There's fabric to dress a bed, a selection of Cranberry glass that I intend adding to, a lovely little silver dish for holding grapes, a razor strop (I'd been holding out for a nice one for a long time) and a flower kit. This will be my first venture into making flowers I'll let you know how it goes!

I did buy lots more but I've had to seperate it all into each relevant property (one of which doesn't have a blog - yet!)

It was also nice to see Mags (Mags-nificent Miniatures) and Julie (Bellabelle dolls). We wont be catching up at the Scottish Miniatura this year as there isn't going to be one :-(

If anyone would like to know who I purchased from, please ask. I forgot to ask permissions from the sellers to post their links - so better safe than sorry.

Shame on me....

2011-03-03T16:15:00.002Z

How embarrassing is this - no updates since the New Year!

It has taken me some time to track down a suitable wallpaper for this room and now that I have it, there's no excuse not to do anything with it. I don't have a fixed picture in mind for this room yet, but it will come. I just don't want to leave it so long till the next entry.

I've been working away on other projects but the time has come to get on with this so... today the decorators moved in. They've primed the walls - they used a brush because they couldn't be bothered getting out the roller. They can do that tomorrow!

I'd also like to welcome my new followers. It's lovely to have you here and I hope you enjoy what you see.

I promise not to leave it so long between posts!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T12:48:00.000Z

A very happy and healthy New Year to you all. Thank you so much for following my blog - it's been a great year. Irene X

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T14:05:00.000Z

A very Merry Christmas to all my followers. I wish you all you wish yourselves. Irene X

An excellent idea....

2010-11-21T13:51:00.003Z

As a follower of Casey's Minis, I had been looking through her Tutorial link and came across what I thought was a brilliant idea. Using a tile and some board, Casey had created a little backdrop that looked really effective when taking pictures of small arrangements.

It was something I just had to have a go at and here's the result. A tile, some board, wallpaper and scraps of skirting etc and voila, a decent backdrop for photos. Thank you Casey for the idea. I was very impressed!

I've been shopping - again!

2010-10-20T13:28:00.004+01:00

I'm an avid follower of Flora's Blog and when I discovered she had an Etsy Shop I just had to have a look.

It was difficult to go there and not shop!

Today a parcel arrived - beautifully presented .......... what wonderful minis did it contain?

A delightful message from Flora, two intricately styled candle holders with candles and a box of mini mail. The mail especially is just so detailed, right down to the tiny bundle of letters tied with a bow - however did you manage that, Flora? - and folded in tissue paper

Mrs Admiral is certainly going to be pleased with these little accessories - I'd better start thinking about decorating her room.

THANK YOU Flora for an excellent service, I'll certainly be shopping with you again.

Welcome, new followers...........

2010-10-17T13:38:00.000+01:00

A very warm welcome to all new followers. It's very nice to have you here and I hope you like what you see.

2010-10-10T20:32:00.006+01:00

I had a fun time today putting all the little items I purchased at the fair last into the Admiral's closet. On looking at the picture, I think I need something with a bit of height on the second shelf though.

Top shelf - grooming treatments and money; second shelf - braces, gloves and golfing socks; third shelf - sketch book, telescope and map and on the bottom shelf - shoes, pith helmet and binoculars.

One thing I hadn't noticed initially was that the Sketch book has actual sketches!

Lots of Goodies..........

2010-10-05T18:46:00.006+01:00

I managed to pick up a good selection of items at the Miniatura Fair in Birmingham at the weekend. It wasn't deliberate but the Admiral has done VERY well indeed.

There really isn't a great selection out there for gentlemen's items so I'm afraid whenever I saw something suitable, I snapped it up.

The fabric and trimmings are for The Salon, the ladies dressing table set will find a home once I get started on Her room (that's the next project) and I'm not sure where I'll put the little candle holders, I just liked them.

The book is a little sketch book, the little tartan items are golfing socks and the item under the shoes is actually a pair of braces but they are a bit more obvious in the picture above. The playing card has 51 other little friends that have to be placed - by me - in their box. It could take a while!

My favourite item of the whole show just had to be the tiny opening and closing cut throat razor which was from Danny Shotton.

The box to the left holds a telescope and came as part of a set with the pith helmet and map; I'm really pleased too with the brush and comb set on the stand as well as the champagne (which I nearly didn't buy then changed my mind!). The item to the front is money in a clip.

Dressing a table.

2010-09-18T12:09:00.008+01:00

It's not very often that I actually make minis from scratch. I prefer to leave that to the people who are really good at it but occasionally, just very occasionally I'm inspired to make a little something

That little something was a covered table for The Parlour. I had had the table there sitting uncovered since I put it in there but to me it didn't feel Victorian enough so......... here is what I did....

I measured the diameter and height of a table I had that I was happy with and cut two circles from balsa and also a section of the inner tube of a roll of foil to the required height. Remember to allow for the thickness of the balsa wood when working out your height. Assemble as above.

Next, cut a circle of your chosen fabric allowing for height x 2 and diameter, add your selected trim round the outside edges and let that dry. Meanwhile, cover the whole thing with food wrap. Spray the cloth with starch or hairspray then arrange over the table adjusting folds.

The next step is to invert the table into a suitable receptacle (in my case it was a jam pot) of similar diameter and deep enough to take the whole table. Leave to dry.

Et voila! One (hopefully) Victorian looking table. Much nicer, I think, than the bare piece of furniture I had before.

Exciting news....

2010-09-11T15:38:00.007+01:00

First things first - a very warm welcome to all my new followers. It's very nice to have you here and I hope you like what you see. Thank you for following my blog.

The latest news regarding the Hall is that I've been published in Miniaturas! I've been grinning to myself all morning.

Miniaturas is a lovely magazine and whilst I had heard of it, I hadn't seen it until a few fellow bloggers were published as well.

I'm afraid I can't follow the content of the articles but looking at the pictures is just amazing. The little clock shop shown on the front cover is a work of art and so imaginative.

Madelva has shown Hambleton Hall in it's entirety and, because there are still three empty rooms, she has inserted pictures of the other two properties I'm working on. (The Tenement top right and left and Apples Tearooms, just underneath on the right). I thought that was quite an ingenious idea.

When I started working on this house six years ago, I never for one moment imagined it would come to this so a very big THANK YOU to Madelva for the opportunity.

Top That!

2010-08-14T14:54:00.008+01:00

A couple of items arrived in the post this morning for The Admiral. A leather top hat box and a tiny pair of grey leather gloves.

They're from Margaret, the MiniMillner. Margaret also made The Admiral's hat.

I had to try it out, and yes - the top hat fits! I've had the leather top hat and cane for some time now and they were made by another Artisan. I know the hat should be the other way round, but it looked better in the photo this way - ha ha!

The Admiral's Bedroom

2010-07-08T19:26:00.016+01:00

At last, I have something to show of the Admiral's bedroom. There are still one or two pieces I'd like to get for this room but I haven't found them online yet so the search continues. At some point I'd also like to fill his wardrobe and chest of drawers as well.

With the exception of the hat, the uniform, the top hat and the dressed bed everything was purchased either at fairs or online. The little box on the chest of drawers is for collars and there's a picture of his hero "Lord Nelson" on the wall. The picture on the back wall is of Chatsworth House, England's finest stately home.

The green leather sea chart tube in the chest contains his nautical maps, there's a tiny little pocket watch on the bedside cabinet and the glass on the carafe is removeable.

Curtains for His good self.

2010-06-30T08:00:00.004+01:00

All I have to get for the Admiral's bedroom is a mirror. Once I get that in place, I'll be able to show you his finished room. In the meantime, I suddenly remembered I hadn't posted pics of the curtains I mentioned earlier. I prefer to make my own curtains as this gives me something a little bit different.

Welcome, new followers........

2010-06-22T18:55:00.010+01:00

I've got quite a few followers to welcome today. I'm not very good yet at the code thing that makes sure everyone's blog is click-able (which was obvious from my last welcome post) but I think I've cracked it now - so..........Welcome everyone. It's lovely to see you here.

Carmen
My Realitty
Jayne
Melissa
Carmen
Flora
Ingrid
Synnove
Lisette
Cynthia
Arantxa
Choupavril
Cheryl
Monique
Monika
Sara Carlson (who doesn't appear to have a blog)
Taenia
Nuria, Rossana and Norma
Dona
Lara
Jody

There are more bloggers to welcome but I'll do that very soon. I hope you were all sitting comfortably!

Scottish Miniatura

2010-06-12T17:46:00.005+01:00

I didn't do too badly today at the Fair. With the exception of the red book (Jane Eyre for Her) and the single rose, all these items will be making it into the Admiral's room shortly. The blue book is Moby Dick.

The blue sparkly item to the right will be taken apart and hopefully become a medal on the Admiral's uniform.

I also met Julie and Mags which was lovely. Julie I had met at a previous fair but had only come across Mags on her blog although I had bought from her at fairs in the past.

The Bed.

2010-05-18T15:43:00.007+01:00

This is the bed I purchased some time ago for the Master's Bedroom. It's got horrible fabric on it so that had to go. This is the first bed I've dressed and wasn't quite sure of the look I was after, bearing in mind that the occupant is a serious Admiral of the Fleet. I always think it doesn't do to get too cocky when doing this type of thing for the first time so I've kept it all relatively simple and this is what I've settled on:

Curtains next.

Master Bedroom

2010-05-09T17:46:00.005+01:00

Well, it certainly took longer than the week I thought it would when I last posted! Here's what I have so far with the main bedroom. The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice a piece of wiring sticking out from the ceiling rose. This is because the light fitting I was originally going to place there hangs far too low so more shopping is called for. The wire lets me get to the hole straightaway!

I already have most of the pieces I need for this room but I've yet to dress the bed so the next batch of pics could be a while coming and I'm waiting on delivery of a chair and table.

At last, things are happening here!

2010-03-24T15:58:00.006Z

Hopefully, some time soon, this little lot will be turned into something resembling an 1880s gentleman's bedroom.

I had planned to be further on with the room today but lack of light fittings has held up proceedings as I was reluctant to order any especially as I'm off to NEC, Birmingham at the weekend. I'm hoping to pick up something there (as well as loads of other stuff!). I did however get the ceiling painted, and some of the walls papered and with any luck there will be more to show you all next week.

Welcome, new followers.....

2010-03-24T15:46:00.010Z

I've been a bit lax recently with this particular blog but things are starting to get going again!

I'd like to welcome all my new followers and hope you enjoy what you see - thanks to Christel Jensen (Christel Jensen - Little Treasures), Pepi_mali, rudoo (Buggaboos), Sylvia (lotjesdollshouse), Glenda (Peppercorn minis), Anneke (pieplyts), genevieve (Genevieve's Miniacollection), ascension (Mis Miniaturas), Bear Cabin Miniatures, Karin (I'm not sure if Karin has a blog or not - one didn't show up but it may be me!), Merry Jingle (merry jingle crafts), Miniaturemaid, Mary Williams (Dolls House Dolls Blog) and Debbie (Tiny Treasures).

It's lovely to see you all here.

An Award for me!

2010-02-26T18:42:00.005Z

I was thrilled today to discover I'd been passed this Award by Gaye - thank you so much for thinking of me.

First of all, the rules:

1. Thank the person that gave it to you;
2. Copy the logo and place it in your blog;
3. Link to the person who nominated you;
4. Name 7 things about yourself that nobody knows;
5. Nominate 7 kreativ bloggers;
6. Post link to the 7 blogs that you nominate; and
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know that you nominate them.

I'd like to pass this Award to:

1. Christel at Christel Jensen Little Treasure
2. Marlies at Marlies En Minies
3. Norma at Make Mine Mini
4. Pilar at Las Minis De Pilar
5. Genevieve at Genevieve's Miniacollection
6. Mercedes at Liberty Biberty
7. Linda at Une Petit Folie

Thank you all for the inspiration and entertainment.

And finally, seven things about me:

1. I played the cello for five years at high school;
2. I am in no hurry for grandchildren;
3. I was presented with a book on historical costume at school age 10 - I still have it;
4. I love new books, especially that very satisfying "crackle" when they're opened for the first time;
5. My ancestors were Norse;
6. I dislike whisky; and
7. I love late Spring.

Welcome.......

2010-02-21T15:35:00.004Z

A very warm welcome to my new followers - Tink (Minitink), Minna (Minna's Doll World), Miniatureallsorts (Miniature Allsorts Blog), Caseymini (Casey's Minis), Sabiha, Nuria (Las minis De Nuri) and Ana Rosa (Las miniaturas De Ana).

It's nice to see you all here.

Something different.

2010-02-21T12:25:00.004Z

It's been a little while since any work was done on Hambleton Hall. I've been searching for just the right wallpaper for "His" bedroom and at long last, I've found it so hopefully there will be progress with that room.

I was searching through my stock of photographs and thought I'd post these two pics that were taken some time ago. I got quite adventurous and had a little play with effects. I was keen to see how "real" looking I could make the room. I quite like the sepia finish.

Welcome new followers..

2010-01-09T18:24:00.006Z

A very warm welcome to Maria Jose (Marivigano), Susanne, Eva and Sandra (Tales from a Toymaker). Thank you for following my blog.

A bit of a diversion for me!

2010-01-04T15:50:00.015Z

When I first started working on Hambleton Hall I decided that the owner would be an Admiral. It helped focus the research if I kept that at the back of my mind.

At the end of 2008 I commissioned an Admiral's Hat with the idea of displaying it on a wooden head. The detail on the little hat is incredible. Margaret, The Mini Milliner even went to the trouble of copying the silver stitching and inscription inside as detailed on the picture I sent her.

Well, I've finally plucked up the courage (after all this time) to make a uniform to go with it. This uniform will stand in His bedroom on a mannequin.

Another Year......

2009-12-31T17:10:00.004Z

Welcome to Marlies, JFolk and Susan (minicrochetmad). Thank you for following my blog and all the very best to you for 2010.

Merry Christmas everyone........

2009-12-23T08:31:00.003Z

A very Merry Christmas to all of you - have a lovely holiday and keep safe. Irene X

Welcome...............

2009-12-16T22:11:00.005Z

Welcome to Pilar and Norma. It's nice to see you both here. Thank you for following my blog.

Something Seasonal

2009-12-16T20:10:00.011Z

I haven't been mini-ing for a little while now as I've been caught up with Christmas so I thought I'd show you this little item I put in the Housekeeper's Room every year at this time. It's a tiny, readable copy of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens from Dateman books

More followers.........

2009-12-07T23:31:00.002Z

Thank you MiniMaker and Marlene for following my blog. It's nice to see you here.

My very first follower......

2009-12-06T23:35:00.004Z

A warm welcome to VM as my very first follower of Hambleton Hall. It's very nice to see you here.

Little details

2009-12-04T15:34:00.014Z

I've not done any work on the Hall for some time now as I can't find bedroom wallpaper that I like so I thought I'd show some pictures of items that are maybe lost or not so obvious when looking at a complete room shot.

The safe sits at the back of the Study looking just like an ordinary cabinet until you open the little door. This is where the title deeds to the Hall are kept.

These little specs were purchased online and even have little lenses. The case is made from very soft leather.

The Housekeeper's Accounts Book is a 12th scale copy of an accounts book correct to period. The detail is amazing and it's bound in very soft leather. I also purchased, from the same artisan, Mrs Beeton's book. Again this is an exact replica of the original.

Halloween at Hambleton Hall.....

2009-10-31T16:54:00.005Z

"I think I've seen a ghost.................!"

The Master Bedroom

2009-10-26T23:24:00.017Z

This is where I'm at with the Master Bedroom at the moment. The decorators are in but have left the site for lunch!

The Dining Room

2009-10-26T18:36:00.019Z

Again, I've made the curtains for this room and the pelmets are padded.

By the time I got to this point, the panelling had changed colour, the wall lights had moved from the chimney breast to the back wall and the chain was back on the chandelier. I'm much happier with it the way it looks now and other than some little items for the dumb waiter, this room's pretty much finished.

Everything looks pretty much the same in this picture with the exception of the open door which is the service entrance from the Hall. There's a wall light in the Hallway that looks very effective in the dark.

When I first decorated the Dining Room I knew exactly what paper I wanted and I also thought I had the ideal paint colour but as you can see, it was completely wrong! The panels were pre-formed and I liked the idea of the concealed door. Also, at this point, I had removed the chain from the chandelier and there are wall lights on the chimney breast.

The Hall

2009-10-25T21:34:00.034Z

Again, I've the made curtains and the pelmets are laser cut kits.

I spend quite a while searching for just the right style of curtain heading and also the best fabric. I've never had any luck purchasing fabric at local fairs so it all has to be purchased online, which can be quite tricky getting the actual colours right. So far, I've been very lucky!

A closer view showing the "silent companion". These were popular in the 1700/1800s and could be used to deter staff from gossiping or even helping themselves - if they thought there was someone lurking in the shadows! They could also be placed in the windows of an unoccupied house to deter possible burglars.

This is a picture of the stained glass window in detail. It came as a
pre-formed leaded window and I added the "stained glass" effect
with glasspaints. The frame was put together using spare window
frames and trimmed and shaped cornicing to finish off the bottom.
It also stands proud of the wall allowing space for two bulbs.

There are four levels here and it took me quite some time to complete this as I kept putting off tackling the staircase. The carpet works it's way from the ground floor, round each landing and up each staircase to the top as one continuous piece. This took some working out and was achieved eventually using a paper template for each landing.

The ground floor hall has a shelf for mail and the dinner gong, the first floor landing features a stained glass window, the second floor landing has a wall shelf with a vase of flowers and the third floor has a "silent companion". Further work has been carried out on the third floor hall and I'll post a picture of that later.

The Study

2009-10-25T18:24:00.006Z

A more detailed view of the items on the desk.

The panelling in this room is varnished preformed panels.

The Salon

2009-10-25T17:56:00.014Z

I'd had the suite for some time and that determined the colour of the room. There are quite a few American pieces here and one or two from Miniatura. As the wallpaper is quite a feature of the room, it didn't warrant too much in the way of furnishings. The little cushion was made by my sister.

This is the grandest room in the House. The paper was purchased online and the chandelier and sconces are artisan made from USA.

The Parlour

2009-10-25T11:33:00.007Z

Here is the suitably stuffed traditional Victorian Parlour. The music on the organ is correctly dated and the clock on the dresser works (although it's not a terribly good picture). Handy when you're working away and don't want to leave what you're doing to check the time! I don't think I can get anything else in here!

The little couch is resin and it has a twin. Unfortunately these are no longer made.

I've never had any luck in finding curtains that I really like and I have to admit that curtains are the only thing I've had a go at making for this house.

I was really pleased with the way this room turned out. Again the floor is made using iron-on edging. The wallpaper is called "The Gathering". I had to chop the top off the overmantle as the room is only 8" (23cms) high but luckily it worked out very well and there is no gap between it and the ceiling!

The Housekeeper

2009-10-21T20:50:00.019+01:00

The Accounts Book is a copy of an original.

A selection of "penny dreadfuls" on the bedside cabinet and her slippers are stored here too.

When her husband died in the Crimean War she kept all his belongings in this trunk and every so often, she goes through them and remembers days gone by......

This may look a terribly grand Housekeeper's Room but given that she gave up her home when her husband died and moved into the Hall, she has quite a few belongings and many of the grander pieces would have been given to her by the family when they no longer had a need for them.

The floor was made by making a cardboard template and iron-on edging strip. It was then varnished, sanded and varnished again.

It was after decorating and furnishing the Kitchen and Scullery that I decided to take pictures of each empty room as I liked the idea of seeing the rooms "before" and "after".

The Scullery

2009-10-21T20:22:00.003+01:00

This room was fun to do. I'm particularly pleased with the hare hanging on the left and the water filter at the back of the room. In time, the shelf along the top of the room will be filled with goods but apart from that, this room's finished.

Again I've used tongue and grooved panelling. The blue painted walls were meant to discourage flies, they also mades the whites look whiter. The shelf around the top of the room was a kit and the pulley is fully operational!

Can you see the little "Dolly Blue" on the shelf to the right hand side? This made the whites whiter than white!

The Kitchen

2009-10-21T19:33:00.007+01:00

The above set of shelves is attached to the "fourth wall". I had just enough room at the end to put this piece - the windows in the basement take up much of the remaining space.

The artisan made cookery book is a copy of Mrs Beeton's original book.

The majority of items here were purchased are fairs.

Probably the most fascinating rooms in a Victorian household are the kitchen and scullery. The little sugar snips on the table to the left are actually jointed and I love the linen drying on the fireguard. There's a cup of tea just waiting for the Cook to sit down and put her feet up for five minutes but I think my favourite piece in this room just has to be the turkey on the block.

There is tongue and grooved panelling round the room and the flooring is fibre glass. The range and surround are a complete unit but I removed the original "coals" and replaced them with a flickering fire.

Welcome to Hambleton Hall

2009-10-21T18:38:00.005+01:00

While I like and appreciate Georgian Architecture, I am fascinated, along with thousands of others, by the Victorian era. I spent quite a while searching for a suitable property, deciding that if I was going to have one - I was going to have a big one!

My aim with this house is be as accurate as I possibly can be to 1880. Why this date? I chose this particular date because it gave me licence to put in plumbing, a telephone and electricity. OK, so the inhabitants would have had to be supremely wealthy, but I decided as it was my world, I could get away with it.

The House is an mdf kit with eight rooms in the main house and three in the basement. There are also four hallways and I made the top floor hallway slightly larger as I figured I didn't need a huge bathroom and I also divided one of the attic rooms into two.

The main body of the house is painted with a textured paint and the roof tiles are self adhesive. I still have quite a bit of work to do to the exterior of the building.

What you see to date is the result of five years work (interrupted by another property, I may say) but I'm in no rush and thoroughly enjoying all the research.