Here's a shot (above) of the glam, new chandelier that I got at the Chicago show. Ain't it purty? It was made by Gerri DeCave, with whom I spent a highly entertaining half-hour (at least)! getting the 4-1-1 on all the behind-the-scenes goings-on. Of course my crap photo doesn't do the chandelier justice at all!
In addition to magnificent, sparkly baubles for your dollhouse ceilings, Gerri specializes in re-vamping off-the-shelf Bespaq furniture, giving her pieces her signature, high-end flair. All of her drawers are lined in lovely papers, (so naturally, when I got home, I had to do the same)!
And here's the Stokesay Ware pattern I'm collecting...they only had one plate left in my pattern in Chicago --which was probably lucky for my wallet!
I guess you can't really tell that I lined the silverware drawer with fancy paper from Brodnax Prints. The drawer is a tad disorganized --it looks rather like my 'RL' drawers, LOL!-- perhaps I should make dividers for the various utensils?
Candle tipped over in the background. Ugh!
I picked up this perfectly adorable hat from The Doll's Cobbler, a.k.a. Sylvia Rountree. Mere moments before stumbling across Sylvia's cute-as-a-button booth at the Chicago show, I had procured a hatbox just down the isle --so naturally I required a hat to go in the box, right? Well, the hat has ended up on the Entrance Hall table, not in the hatbox, where it tragically would not even be seen --duh! (The hatbox is in the Master Chamber, but that's another post)...
There's already a speck of dust on my new hat :(
Perhaps here you can see the newly-papered drawer holding a pistol? (above) You know us Americans --we always have loadedfirearms lying here and there about the house. Note also the added flourish of a tasseled key. Because you can't have a deadly weapon without a fabulous, hand-made tassel. Yes, darlings, I made the tassel with my own two hams --er, I mean hands (no small feat with my definitely undainty digits)...
NEXT WEEK: The Bedchamber REVEALED!!! (If the rest of my stuff gets here).
This week's music video is in honor of the --finally-- hot, sticky, summer weather we're having --YAY! Enjoy it with a refreshing ice cream treat while you leave a comment!
BooHoo!! Your Video wont show.....: ( Tell me what it is and Ill try and youtube it.
How completely inspiring!! Today is my first day of freedom from painting and I woke up itching to do some miniatures and what better way to get me motivated and inspired but to see your marvellous collection. That chandelier is to die for, the whole room looks so enchanting I wish I could slip onto the little spinet stool and tinker me some dainty tunes. Love the new Stokesay you are collecting and the lined draws are a wonderful idea. The top hat looks perfect in that spot and I cant help noticing how spectacular your toothpaste lids are looking!LOL Now do enjoy the hot weather, we are currently freezing at the moment and as of Sunday we will be heading off to the High Country to freeze our buts off even more. The High Country you ask?? Yes thats the place you'll find the man from snowy river cracking his stockman whip as he chases the colt from old regret down the mountain!!! You have no idea what I'm banging on about do you??? Any way, snow, my kids have never seen it and we are chasing some! Oh dear, I have just taken up way too much space here!! Ta,ta darling!! XXXXX
Hello John, I haven't watched that video in a long while! That chandelier! It is just spectacular! I actually think I prefer this picture then the ones on her web page...the detail of the fixture shows very clearly. I just love Stokesayware and I agree with your choice of pattern ;) I have to go take another looka t all your great purchases. Ultimate illusions lounge eat your heart out...but maybe I'll go and watch a few Cazwell videos first. Big hug, and I cannot wait to see the chamber, Giac
I love the new chandelier! My mother just talked me into lining the drawers of a mini cabinet she was working on. While lining the first one, I was thinking "I should do this in my own dollhouse drawers." By the time I got to the last drawer, I knew there was no way I'd have the patience, though I love that level of detail!
Indescribable beautiful. Your chandelier is so beautiful, I can understand you are happy for it. Your room has a lovely welcoming light and color over it. I see great dresses, many beautiful guests, servants who bustles around. Etc.
Google reader ends 1 July if you still want an overview of the blogs you follow, you must Choose, another provider. Many of us have chosen Bloglovin. Hugs Wyrna
That chandelier is just to die for, beautiful, John! Well, this whole room is gorgeous. The lined draws is a good idea, never seen before like this! The stokesayware is fantastic. I can't wait to see the bedchamber ;)! Here the weather is very cool and rainy, much too wet :( Hugs, Ilona
The chandelier looks great, John. Love the top hat and the hat box, well, you do need it of course when you go travelling and need to protect the hat from being squashed :-)
Yes, dividers for the drawer sounds like a good idea, you can't have all that silver loose and scratching each other, they are in a very stately home after all.
Love the tassel, you did a great job, not so sure about the gun though, hope you never need it ;-)
What glamour! Such elegance! With every post, Merriman Park looks more and more like a 1:1 stately home. The chandelier ties the music room together perfectly.
All your buys are fabulous. I like the pistol also and really want to have a gun cabinet in my dollhouse. The chandelier is magnificent and yes I want it also. All gentlemen should have a top hat somewhere even if its miniature. Stop making me drooling with your posts...so unkind :)
Hi John, It is all the small details that make it feel like a home- what great additions. I especially like the hat and pistol. It's very convenient in the hall table to scare off the Jehovah's Witnesses and Scouts selling cookies. I look forward to the bedroom unveiling! Philip
Thanks for your input and comments, I do appreciate it! Say, Wyrna mentioned that google reader is closing soon, and that I should switch to a different provider...um, I'm not even sure what google reader is, or how to switch for that matter! It's confusing enough already because some of you show up in my sidebar, and others I have to find elsewhere...ugh! Anyway, I would hate to lose contact with anyone so if anyone knows about this stuff, please email me!
Your chandelier is lovely. I want to absorb your talent for details. I can get totally lost in your hat, keys, drawer linings, stair railing design....you name it. I simply love it!
Guess I say what all did already: great chandelier, great plate and hat! Can't wait for that Bedchamber!! Big hug Ewa ps. I still wait for this phonecall from Avon.... LOL!
Gorgeous chandelier! And I love the hat and the detail of the paper in the drawers. Your comment about the loaded gun made me laugh out loud (my son even asked me what was going on).
As for Google Reader, there is a lot of confusion about it. But as far as I understand it is only Google READER which will stop, NOT your Reading list. These are two different things. The Reading list is the list of updates you get on your blogger homepage (the same page where you manage your blog). So you will still get your updates on the Reading list. I don't use an iPhone so I don't know if the Reading list works well for that, you'll have to check.
Hi John! The chandelier is magnificent and so is that blue room. That's what I like to call it. The combination of red and blue in that room is so striking and so pleasant to look at. You have such a wonderful capacity to bring everything together!
Perfection! It's the little details that make miniatures so interesting. Stokesey Ware was one of the first tables I stopped at in Chicago, and I left a substantial part of my money wad there. I had never seen their wares in person before, and pictures don't do them justice. Yes, I like the idea of dividers for your silverware. ;-)
Hi John! Of course I just luvvv your chandelier, it's a beauty! love the tophat, tassel and gorge plate.
`I would only put a devider in a drawer where cutlery is in. 'Cos I like messy drawers, we all have 'em; and I often assume to discover something top secret in there, even if they are my own (ok I understand that sounds weird).
My laptop has died a tragic death, am writing this on my kids tablet, hope I can fix the laptop.
Thanks for showing your new treasures and enjoy the weather :) Hugs, Gee
Okay, now it seems to be a bit Hotter here than it was a short while ago.... guess I'll have to get me some Ice cream.... *Whew* But Really, John, your Chicago Treasures are each one more lovely than the one before.... so many perfect little Touches.... keys, Hats, silverware, lined drawers... Guns, Tassels!!! I LOVE that layer of realism.... the Little People will not find anything missing when they move in! And everything is so Elegant! That Chandelier is THE Tops by Far! I don't think I've ever seen one so Elegant in Mini before this! Those long dangling prisms go so well with the sconces and candlesticks you already have! Just Sublime!!! As for Google Reader.... like the Y2K I think it will be a non event for most of us... I don't use it... not even sure What it is... but If we all wake up on Monday all alone in outer space.... Well.... then that will be soon enough to figure it out in My book! See you then! :)
Oh, I forgot to mention, John, I think in the old days they kept their Silverware in a chest made just for the silverware... with little sections for each piece all laid out with flannel linings to help prevent tarnishing.... The Sideboard held larger pieces and linens.... That would make a Great Mini project!
I had great things to say about your minis and the mini NRA you've got going on and then I watched the video. 😂😂😂😂 Lawd a mercy! I forgot my thoughts....
You find the most incredible chandeliers (and other items)! This room is so beautiful.AS my husband said when he saw this room--"the man has talent".
Your comment about loaded firearms cracked me up. I must check the pistols on display in Derek's office at Sunnybrook to see if they are loaded! I like the tassel you added--just the right touch.
I love the lined drawers--so pretty and so much patience--but I will try some also.
I can't wait to see the rest of your treasures and the Bedchamber. I do envy your trip to the Chicago show.
Oh! I LOVE the new Blog Header Picture with the "gentlemen" from the Eighteenth Century! They look so cheerful and Welcoming! Glad to see they have Moved In!!!
Your rooms are wonderful. The loaded pistol comment made me laugh as well. I tried tassels in my Glam townhouse foyer. They are tough. Mine aren't as delicate looking as yours so your "hams" must not be that bad!
Great work! The room looks amazing and I love the chandelier. I really admire the balance you are able to achieve in your decor. It's rich, but not overwhelming, elegant and full of color. Looking forward to more posts.
Hi John! Your craftsmanship and great taste are 2 good reasons why this is top quality work! I see that you settle for nothing but the very best and it shows in every detail of this room from the top (and top hat), down! Nothing is left out and or left to chance and the results are a refined, elegant and tasteful display of Opulence! It is Spectacular!
Hi John. Your rooms are gorgeous and your eye for detail is the best! The minute I saw your dining room silverware drawer I thought of gorgeous knife boxes (or silverware urns - sometimes they are a bit more decorative). This is an example of what I've seen in miniature: http://www.artfact.com/auction-lot/robert-callahan-knife-boxes-189-c-ba9f8fc2f8 or this single box: http://www.artfact.com/auction-lot/richard-simms-hepplewhite-knife-box-508-c-be9c38ca1b
I love to look at the artisan items listed from the estates. So many wonderful collections have been sold lately, including Adell Venus' collection and Claudia Estes' Collection. Your work is very bit as special as the rooms and items I've seen from collections.
That chandelier is sure glamorous!!! Very beautiful indeed!
ReplyDeletehe top hat is PERFECT for your elegant entrance hall. Who would dare show up at Merriman Park dressed improperly.
How right you are about Americans and their firearms. Better judged by twelve then carried by six. :-)
BooHoo!! Your Video wont show.....: ( Tell me what it is and Ill try and youtube it.
ReplyDeleteHow completely inspiring!! Today is my first day of freedom from painting and I woke up itching to do some miniatures and what better way to get me motivated and inspired but to see your marvellous collection. That chandelier is to die for, the whole room looks so enchanting I wish I could slip onto the little spinet stool and tinker me some dainty tunes. Love the new Stokesay you are collecting and the lined draws are a wonderful idea. The top hat looks perfect in that spot and I cant help noticing how spectacular your toothpaste lids are looking!LOL Now do enjoy the hot weather, we are currently freezing at the moment and as of Sunday we will be heading off to the High Country to freeze our buts off even more. The High Country you ask?? Yes thats the place you'll find the man from snowy river cracking his stockman whip as he chases the colt from old regret down the mountain!!! You have no idea what I'm banging on about do you??? Any way, snow, my kids have never seen it and we are chasing some! Oh dear, I have just taken up way too much space here!! Ta,ta darling!! XXXXX
Hello John,
ReplyDeleteI haven't watched that video in a long while!
That chandelier! It is just spectacular! I actually think I prefer this picture then the ones on her web page...the detail of the fixture shows very clearly. I just love Stokesayware and I agree with your choice of pattern ;) I have to go take another looka t all your great purchases. Ultimate illusions lounge eat your heart out...but maybe I'll go and watch a few Cazwell videos first.
Big hug, and I cannot wait to see the chamber,
Giac
I love the new chandelier! My mother just talked me into lining the drawers of a mini cabinet she was working on. While lining the first one, I was thinking "I should do this in my own dollhouse drawers." By the time I got to the last drawer, I knew there was no way I'd have the patience, though I love that level of detail!
ReplyDeleteIndescribable beautiful. Your chandelier is so beautiful, I can understand you are happy for it. Your room has a lovely welcoming light and color over it. I see great dresses, many beautiful guests, servants who bustles around. Etc.
ReplyDeleteGoogle reader ends 1 July if you still want an overview of the blogs you follow, you must Choose, another provider. Many of us have chosen Bloglovin.
Hugs
Wyrna
That is a very cool hat! The room is so inspiring. Everything is :)
ReplyDeleteperfecto ...todo en su sitio...elegante y refinado ¡¡¡...un beso Elena
ReplyDeleteThat chandelier is just to die for, beautiful, John! Well, this whole room is gorgeous. The lined draws is a good idea, never seen before like this! The stokesayware is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see the bedchamber ;)!
Here the weather is very cool and rainy, much too wet :(
Hugs, Ilona
What can I say...? I love the chandelier, the hat is really elegant, and definitely W&D need some Stokesayware items!!!
ReplyDeleteEach addition that you make is improving the whole house!!! But... what else with your excellent and refined taste? Hahaha!
Hugs!
The chandelier looks great, John. Love the top hat and the hat box, well, you do need it of course when you go travelling and need to protect the hat from being squashed :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, dividers for the drawer sounds like a good idea, you can't have all that silver loose and scratching each other, they are in a very stately home after all.
Love the tassel, you did a great job, not so sure about the gun though, hope you never need it ;-)
What glamour! Such elegance! With every post, Merriman Park looks more and more like a 1:1 stately home. The chandelier ties the music room together perfectly.
ReplyDeleteAll your buys are fabulous. I like the pistol also and really want to have a gun cabinet in my dollhouse. The chandelier is magnificent and yes I want it also. All gentlemen should have a top hat somewhere even if its miniature. Stop making me drooling with your posts...so unkind :)
ReplyDeleteI always love to admire the splendor of your rooms, John… The colors and atmosphere enchant me, everything seems so precious. ♥, Léa
ReplyDeleteHi John,
ReplyDeleteIt is all the small details that make it feel like a home- what great additions. I especially like the
hat and pistol. It's very convenient in the hall table
to scare off the Jehovah's Witnesses and Scouts selling cookies.
I look forward to the bedroom unveiling!
Philip
Hi everyone,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input and comments, I do appreciate it! Say, Wyrna mentioned that google reader is closing soon, and that I should switch to a different provider...um, I'm not even sure what google reader is, or how to switch for that matter! It's confusing enough already because some of you show up in my sidebar, and others I have to find elsewhere...ugh! Anyway, I would hate to lose contact with anyone so if anyone knows about this stuff, please email me!
Thanks,
John
Your chandelier is lovely. I want to absorb your talent for details. I can get totally lost in your hat, keys, drawer linings, stair railing design....you name it. I simply love it!
ReplyDeleteShortest response of all - nothing to say but WOW!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAlso 'google reader' befuddled???)
Guess I say what all did already: great chandelier, great plate and hat!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for that Bedchamber!!
Big hug
Ewa
ps. I still wait for this phonecall from Avon.... LOL!
Gorgeous chandelier! And I love the hat and the detail of the paper in the drawers. Your comment about the loaded gun made me laugh out loud (my son even asked me what was going on).
ReplyDeleteAs for Google Reader, there is a lot of confusion about it. But as far as I understand it is only Google READER which will stop, NOT your Reading list. These are two different things. The Reading list is the list of updates you get on your blogger homepage (the same page where you manage your blog).
So you will still get your updates on the Reading list. I don't use an iPhone so I don't know if the Reading list works well for that, you'll have to check.
See for more info on the Reader/Reading list here: http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/blogger/PzmkGzlg1wk
ReplyDeleteHi John! The chandelier is magnificent and so is that blue room. That's what I like to call it. The combination of red and blue in that room is so striking and so pleasant to look at. You have such a wonderful capacity to bring everything together!
ReplyDeletePerfection! It's the little details that make miniatures so interesting. Stokesey Ware was one of the first tables I stopped at in Chicago, and I left a substantial part of my money wad there. I had never seen their wares in person before, and pictures don't do them justice. Yes, I like the idea of dividers for your silverware. ;-)
ReplyDeleteHi John!
ReplyDeleteOf course I just luvvv your chandelier, it's a beauty!
love the tophat, tassel and gorge plate.
`I would only put a devider in a drawer where cutlery is in.
'Cos I like messy drawers, we all have 'em; and I often assume to discover something top secret in there, even if they are my own (ok I understand that sounds weird).
My laptop has died a tragic death, am writing this on my kids tablet, hope I can fix the laptop.
Thanks for showing your new treasures and enjoy the weather :)
Hugs,
Gee
Okay, now it seems to be a bit Hotter here than it was a short while ago.... guess I'll have to get me some Ice cream.... *Whew*
ReplyDeleteBut Really, John, your Chicago Treasures are each one more lovely than the one before.... so many perfect little Touches.... keys, Hats, silverware, lined drawers... Guns, Tassels!!! I LOVE that layer of realism.... the Little People will not find anything missing when they move in! And everything is so Elegant! That Chandelier is THE Tops by Far! I don't think I've ever seen one so Elegant in Mini before this! Those long dangling prisms go so well with the sconces and candlesticks you already have! Just Sublime!!!
As for Google Reader.... like the Y2K I think it will be a non event for most of us... I don't use it... not even sure What it is... but If we all wake up on Monday all alone in outer space....
Well.... then that will be soon enough to figure it out in My book!
See you then! :)
Oh, I forgot to mention, John, I think in the old days they kept their Silverware in a chest made just for the silverware... with little sections for each piece all laid out with flannel linings to help prevent tarnishing.... The Sideboard held larger pieces and linens.... That would make a Great Mini project!
ReplyDeleteJohn!
ReplyDeleteI had great things to say about your minis and the mini NRA you've got going on and then I watched the video. 😂😂😂😂
Lawd a mercy! I forgot my thoughts....
hugs,
emily
Hi John,
ReplyDeleteYou find the most incredible chandeliers (and other items)! This room is so beautiful.AS my husband said when he saw this room--"the man has talent".
Your comment about loaded firearms cracked me up. I must check the pistols on display in Derek's office at Sunnybrook to see if they are loaded! I like the tassel you added--just the right touch.
I love the lined drawers--so pretty and so much patience--but I will try some also.
I can't wait to see the rest of your treasures and the Bedchamber. I do envy your trip to the Chicago show.
Many hugs and lots of good cheer,
Iris
Oh! I LOVE the new Blog Header Picture with the "gentlemen" from the Eighteenth Century! They look so cheerful and Welcoming! Glad to see they have Moved In!!!
ReplyDeleteYour rooms are wonderful. The loaded pistol comment made me laugh as well. I tried tassels in my Glam townhouse foyer. They are tough. Mine aren't as delicate looking as yours so your "hams" must not be that bad!
ReplyDeleteI too like the new header photo!
Great work! The room looks amazing and I love the chandelier. I really admire the balance you are able to achieve in your decor. It's rich, but not overwhelming, elegant and full of color. Looking forward to more posts.
ReplyDeleteAll best,
Brad
Hi John! Your craftsmanship and great taste are 2 good reasons why this is top quality work! I see that you settle for nothing but the very best and it shows in every detail of this room from the top (and top hat), down! Nothing is left out and or left to chance and the results are a refined, elegant and tasteful display of Opulence! It is Spectacular!
ReplyDeleteelizabeth
Hi John. Your rooms are gorgeous and your eye for detail is the best! The minute I saw your dining room silverware drawer I thought of gorgeous knife boxes (or silverware urns - sometimes they are a bit more decorative). This is an example of what I've seen in miniature: http://www.artfact.com/auction-lot/robert-callahan-knife-boxes-189-c-ba9f8fc2f8 or this single box: http://www.artfact.com/auction-lot/richard-simms-hepplewhite-knife-box-508-c-be9c38ca1b
ReplyDeleteI love to look at the artisan items listed from the estates. So many wonderful collections have been sold lately, including Adell Venus' collection and Claudia Estes' Collection. Your work is very bit as special as the rooms and items I've seen from collections.
Sandy