The Man In Polly Munca's Life

Tom Thumb, XXXII

A descendant on Tom Thumb...

He's co-leasing the house with Polly. We'll see what develops! :-)

Tom was made with cloth covered wire, tacky glue, cold porcelain clay, acrylic paints and material scraps. I'm still looking for round no hole beads to use for eyes but I can't seem to find them! I like his big head and I think he looks a little more manly than Polly, but I'm still practicing...

Polly is moving in!  Lots of cleaning to do, but she comes from a long line of clean mice, remember Hunca Munca. Polly Munca is just about settled and now I think it's just a matter of sweeping up!

I do hope she doesn't get lonely. Maybe she'll find a nice male mouse to keep her company??

;-)

Odds and Ends

This is a kit that I received from Pamela Junk! I LOVE It!  It's about an inch tall!

 The Furniture came with it, but I had to put it together and paint it. Sounds easy, but the back of the sofa is about 3/16 inch tall! Tiny! It came with a hearth rug, but I had to put a rug in the kitchen! It's a dollhouse for dollhouse!

My Mouse House needed a coffee table so I put this one together.

 My friend suggested that I go by the Bead Store, so I stopped by yesterday and got lots of wonderful ideas. These were two metal "beads" but now they are a lamp.  Great idea, thanks Rocio!

 Another acquisition from the Bead Store. A dishtowel hanger for my mouse kitchen! Not the hot mit in the middle!

I need to start thinking about rugs and pictures!

'Hickere, Dickere Dock'

I'm always curious...where did Hickory, Dickory, Dock come from?  So, this is what I found:

The earliest recorded version of the rhyme is in Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book, published in London about 1744, which uses the opening line: 'Hickere, Dickere Dock'.  The next recorded version in Mother Goose's Melody (c. 1765), uses 'Dickery, Dickery Dock'.  The rhyme is thought by some commentators to have originated as a counting-out rhyme. Westmoreland shepherds in the nineteenth century used the numbers 'Hevera' (8), 'Devera' (9) and 'Dick' (10).  Some reports claim that the rhyme was written by Oliver Goldsmith, in Dublin for a volume of nursery rhymes he was collecting.
The most common modern version is:

Hickory, dickory, dock,
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory, dickory, dock.

So, it kinda fits with the mouse house on yet another level. Remember the clock was made c. 1761, nursery first published in London c. 1744, and in the United States c. 1765.  I think I should frame the nursery rhyme an put it on the wall in the house. Mouse size of course!  Speaking of mice.... 
I finally had a mouse inquire about the house. Her name is Polly Munca. Yes, you're right! She is a descendant of Tom Thumb and Hunka Munca of Beatrix Potter fame.  With references like that, I hope she takes the house!

Biologically, Polly is made from wire, cold porcelain clay, beads, tacky glue, paint and some fabric scrapes!  What fun! She is about 1.3 inches tall, very lightweight but feels sturdy. She is not a kit but I was inspired by the "cat" kit that I bought on Etsy earlier this month. So, yes, I did "borrow" the idea and technique, but I had to modify it in several ways to make it fit my purpose. I love her!  I think there may be other mice in my future, you know how they tend to multiply! LOL.

There Are No 1/4 Scale Couch Potatoes

Apparently, 1/4 scale house inhabitants never vegetate on the sofa.  I looked and looked and no sofas were found. I did find some beautiful cast chaise lounges, but no sofas to speak of.  So, I had to try my hand at it. 
I started with a square dowel of 1mm hardwood. I cut a 1.5 inch length then scored about .3mm down the edge and in the middle of the top (to simulate cushions). Then I started playing with matting boards, illustration board, anything that could work for my vision. Gluing all together I got this:

I painted it French Country Blue but it still looked a little plain.  Thinking, thinking, ohhhhhhhhh.... I started holding up fabric scrapes from my quilting projects. I think that worked pretty good.

I kinda wish it was a little brighter, but I'm pretty happy with my first attempt. I also did an armchair and a table to match.

All this time I have been painting my plastic preformed furniture that I bought from the bargain basket at my favorite dollhouse shop. 

The grandfather clock is the base color of the furniture and it's like a semi soft plastic so they take multipe coats of acrylic paint.

I love the purple for the bedroom but I need another bedspread. The light blue table and chairs are to replace the green ones that I'm not real happy with... 

These are the green table and chairs that I felt weren't good enough. They are not smooth at the edges, like the plastic was not pored carefully.  You can see in the background that my refrigerator (complete with picture of contents, paper clip door handle, and tape hinges is complete. I also painted the stove (it was black plastic when I started).

 

Easter Weekend

Easter weekend went so fast. A friend and I went back to Warrenton (Roundtop Antique Week) on Friday. We bought a couple of items but didn't see a lot for 1/4 inch scale. But, we had a lot of fun looking.

Saturday Cliff went with me to Dollhouse Unlimited in Spring Cypress. Great store, lots of stuff, but not much for 1/4 inch scale to buy. Lots of great ideas in projects that Sherrill has done over the years. I think the key for me is trying to get small figures for my houses.  I remember having lots of tiny figures to play with as a child, but I guess they are choking hazards now so we can't have them.

Anyway, Sunday!  I decided it was time to get serious......with playing.  I just made the box bed and have been mulling over some ideas on other things for my mouse house.  I have a little craft wood but needed more, so I headed for Michael's. OMG! It's Easter, hello, not open.  Hobby Lobby, never open on Sunday.  Texas Art Supply, nope! Joann's, no way. Lowe's, yes but the supply consists of hardwood round and square dowels.  Ever determined, I bought one in every small size for about $8 (should last me forever!)  Starbucks, then let the playing begin.  When I finally sat down in my craft room and started doing, I had no solid plans.  What fun just letting my imagination flow. And I ended up with a sofa, chair, end table, and refrigerator!  The rest of the evening was spent painting these and a tiny stove, table and 2 chairs.

Unsolicited Inquiry...

The housing market is in a slump. I guess that's why I haven't found a Mouse to rent my house! Only a very,
special mouse about 1" - 1.5" will do.
 
I've already been approached a prospective renter. One Miss Pixie Catarina. She seems purrfectly lovely, but she IS a Cat. She assures me that she has no hidden "agenda" (i.e. mouse catching), but that she just loves the house. As it's under construction yet, I told her I would consider when the work is closer to completion, but I'm putting a sign out in hopes of finding the right mouse.

I took a picture for a background check... she is quite a delightful cat.

Miss Pixie Catarina

Mouse House for Rent

I need a mouse, to rent my house

One that's an inch or two

An honest mouse, who needs a house

Only the best will do.

This mouse should be of the greatest taste

To match the Mouse House style and grace

It's not a requirement to dress in lace

But the mouse should have a beautiful face.

If you know of a mouse of good style and face

Leave me a comment, I'll contact the place.

Box Beds

The lights should be delivered today, although I think the tracking site said, "delivery confirmation".  Does that mean I have to sign for them! I don't get home in time and tomorrow is "Good Friday" then the weekend. Sigh... I hope it's in the mailbox when I get home.
Anyway, I've been playing while I wait on the lights. I wanted to try my hand at Quarter Scale furniture soooo...I made a "box bed". Apparently, during the 19th centrury, box beds and closed beds were common. The advantages are quite obvious when you think about it.  They are very cozy in damp drafty houses, they give you privacy without having to build a wall and you and/or your children are protected from rebellious farm animals and/or wolves that come and steal babies. Don't forget in inclimate weather they kept animals for comsumption inside the house. They also, usually, hang a cross inside to ward off evil spirits. Oh, but I digress... LOL!   It looks like a gyspy bed to me, but I had a lot of fun doing it. I found some instructions in one of Dolls House Magazines that was for 1/2 scale and it looked interesting. Okay, if 1/2 scale is this big, then 1/4 scale is half of that, right?  Well, my first attempt looked a little crude because the wood was twice as thick? Simply put...I didn't like it. So, I did it again with thinner wood and I think it turned out a lot better. I need to make a step stool for it and maybe practice a little more, but it seems do-able. :-)

So, this is about 1.5 inches wide (1.5 inches = 6 feet) I probably won't put it in the Mouse House, but I have future plans that may fit it better.

If U Want It Done Right, Figure It Out Yourself

I've been working on my "Mouse House" at every opportunity. Unfortunately, I'm blessed with a great job and a great people/cat house to run, so opportunities are infrequent. :-(  Anyway, this what I've accomplished recently.

• After 2 days (!) or research, I've ordered a lighting package with tiny LED lights that run on 2 AA batteries from Evans Design. Can't wait to see them! I think they will work perfectly because they are tiny, bright, and have a reasonably small battery pack that can be attached to the back of my clock. An on and off switch is included seperate from the battery pack so it can be placed conveniently. They actually have a set that runs off a CR 2032 or nickel sized battery.  Maybe for my next project!
• I've cut my 2 floors from 1/16th" wood. It will be a 2 story house, so I've measured and glued the braces for the floors in place. It's critical that I place the floors at the right height because if they are too low you can't see the rooms through the glass and if it's too high, then you'll see the side of the floor. I had to put notches at various places because the clock case/house is not braced symmetrically. I guess that's one of the characteristics of "made by hand". Awesome!
• I have cut my .08 plexiglass to fit against the aged paper lining the back wall of the house. I was told at Home Depot that it must be cut with a special tool that costs $10-$15, but I thought I remembered that thin plexiglass can be cut with a box cutter? "Oh, no" they replied while shaking their heads. "You don't want to try that" as they laughed out loud!  I got that "stupid old woman" look. Too cheap to buy their cutting tool, I went home uncertain about my plexiglass. However, after much inner debate, I drew my line on the plexiglass protective cover, placed a heavy metal square over the "good" side, applied pressure and used my Olga knife to repeatedly score the line. Voila'! Perfectly cut plexiglass! Short lived satisfaction as I began to experience more stress determining the best way to get holes in the back so that it can be screwed on. I can only deal with so much "inner debate" and stress. So, I took a deep breath, grabbed the drill with a new-ish bit, got it going pretty fast and stuck it to the plexiglass! I had the plexiglass flat against the back of the case with the back plate over it, so the existing holes served as my guide and the back was my brace. A little scary but worked like a charm! Problem solved!  Not, bad for a stupid old woman! 

So, I can't really go any further on the house structure until I determine where and how I'm going to install the lights......

I'm not sure you realize...
Miniature homes, furnished with domestic articles and resident inhabitants, both people and animals, have been made for thousands of years. The earliest known examples were found in the Egyptian tombs of the Old Kingdom, created nearly five thousand years ago. These wooden models of servants, furnishings, boats, livestock and pets placed in the Pyramids almost certainly were made for religious purposes.
.

Design, Demolition, Delight!

So, where did I leave off.... Oh, WTH?
Well, the TOP 10 reasons I thought it was so PERFECT are:
10. It's old but useless as a clock, so I'm not "killing" the clock.
  9. It's the right size for at least 2 floors at Quarter Scale.
  8. It has a glass door that allows viewing of whatever is inside while staying closed.
  7. The back can be removed by removing the screws.
  6. It has a door that allows access from the front.
  5. The original glass in intact, though dirty...
  4. Virtually all the wood is there.
  3. The price was great!
  2. It's got a kind of "regal" design.
And the number one reason...........................
  1.  Hello?  Hickory, Dickory, Dock, The mouse ran up the clock!

Okay, back to work.  I started cleaning the clock by removing the clockworks, 2 screws, really dusty, but brass and pretty heavy duty stuff. Then I removed the door, no problem but the glass has this deteriorated black and gold paint on it (probably with lead in it!) and it was pretty scratched up. I carefully set that aside because the glass was still glued in pretty tight.  I then removed the back, 4 screws, came off pretty easy. I noticed that there was a piece of paper glued to the inside of the back plate, look like instructions...

Hmmmmmm, I thought, I better check on this. Well, apparently this Elias Ingraham made clocks in the mid 1800s and was responsible for several innovations in the clock world during his time. A clock in excellent condition can fetch a fair sum from this clock maker. This particular clock appears to have been made around 1861 (Civil War Era) and the black and gold paint on it represent Elias's Patriotic Series!   http://www.ehow.com/how_6591619_date-e_-ingraham-clock.html    Delightfully, he made these with rosewood (guitars are made of rosewood, so you know I loves me some rosewood!).  I'm enchanted! Now, can I kill this clock knowing it's history?    Yeah, I thought about it and the clockworks are not complete, the clock face is missing, and it's PERFECT for what I want. So, I'm going for it.  However, I did put the clockworks on Ebay just in cause someone can revive it or use the parts to revive another Ingraham masterpiece!  Cliff and I agreed that I should leave the paper on the back "wall" as the mouse wallpaper. So, I got a soft brush and gently brushed the cornstarch textured dust as best I could without ripping the fragile aged paper. It's wonderful. We then cut a piece of thin plexiglass to cover it and keep it intact in the house! I scraped the glass on the doors carefully, while holding my breath, and cleaned the glass as best I could. Then,  I repeatedly brushed dust from inside the main housing. It was like silt, 150 year old dust!  Wood soap, Watco Rejuvenator and my favorite - Fiddle Bright!  Note the maker's technique for forming the arch at the top of the clock. They cut the wood almost through until they got it to bend. These are not precise cuts, they appear to have been done by hand, by a human!! Amazing to me!

In the beginning....

I've been thinking about a 1/4" scale house for quite a while. I'm so fascinated with the "wee" in life.  "Quarter" scale means that every 1/4th inch equals 1 foot in our world. For example, a human in the quarter scale world would be about 5 to 6 inches tall and that's pretty "wee"!  So, I've gathered a few quarter scale items and have been considering what kind of home they should go in. I've looked online and there appear to be some pretty nice ones but I can't look at them in person and some are pretty pricey.... Fast forward to last weekend, the preview weekend for the Roundtop Antique Week in Texas. It's twice a year and we try to go at least once. I was keeping my eyes open for "wee" things, various housings for "wee" things, or just anything concerning "wee" things when suddenly I saw a mantle clock that had a 6 or 7 inch face and was kinda neat looking. As it turns out, it was $125, it still works, and it doesn't open in the front. But, the idea was planted! Eureka, how neat to have a "wee" home in a clock case. Intrigued by the idea, I began a new search.  Sure enough, I see this beautiful piece

$28.00, it's filthy, the "works" inside are hanging by 2 screws, there is no chance that it will ever tell time again, it doesn't even have a face on it... and it's PERFECT!   Soooo, I'm looking at the guy comes over and says, "I don't know if that works, but I can do better on the price."  SMILE  So, Cliff, in his every willingness to deal, says "I'll give you $20 for it."  SMILE  And the guy says, "Okay!"  SMILE   "Wrap it up, I'll take it!"   Now, you're probably thinking, "WTH, it's a nasty piece of junk!"  But, nooooooo, it's a diamond. Wait til you see what I do with it!