Mary Ann Stage and Hogwarts Castle

I am quite obsessed with Harry Potter, and it seems I am not the only one. I spent much of the weekend visiting friends' websites and found some awesome Harry Potter castles. This is the 1:24 scale Hogwarts Castle by Mary Ann Stage. It was displayed at the Cleveland Miniature Show in August of 2006.

My favorite has got to be the bathroom and the greenhouse. As part of the Hogwarts Castle project, Mary Ann has created Hagrid's Dragon Hut and a Wizard General Store, photos of which can be viewed at: http://www.picturetrail.com/ssmaryann

My Aliya ~ art doll by Sumaiya Mehreen

Aliya, the princess bride waiting for the prince of her dreams. Henna adorns her hands and feet, and she is dressed in a sari, as vibrant as the Indian springtime. She is perfect for a Sultan's harem.

Rik Pierce and Hogwarts

I watched the new Harry Potter movie last night, and if there is anything I admire more, it is the monumental Hogwarts castle by Rik Pierce! That is the dollhouse that first introduced me to the magic of paper clay. I never had a chance to take one of Mr. Pierce's workshops, but had the pleasure of meeting him at the Texas Miniature Showcase.

The Hogwarts castle and more of Rik Pierce's creations can be viewed at:
http://www.frogmorton.com

Bramblemyr Cottage by Melissa Chaple

Enchanting "Bramblemyr Cottage" was designed and constructed by an experienced miniaturist using all new materials enhanced by natural dried flowers, mosses and grasses. This English cottage is a tribute to summers spent in Oxfordshire meadows. A fairy house is an unusual challenge--a small house in one inch scale as if built by fae folk in a big world using natural elements.

The house and gardens were designed for display of OOAK sculpted fairies who are usually not articulated, caught in a single pose. Therefore, the single room medieval construction of each floor offers plenty of room for display of your special collection against a stunning, earthy backdrop of natural flowers and mosses. Perfect for photo storyboarding. The furniture (window seats, benches, bed, wide chair) was designed to be broad enough for kneeling and/or reclining fairies to be posed effectively. Rooms offer plenty of display space for your collection.

Fairy House ~ Patricia Cabrera

This is one of the enchanting fairy houses on eBay this week. Can you believe it is made out of a real mushroom? There is nothing conventional about this one-of-a-kind driftwood dollhouse. Here is a tour of the dollhouse given by the artist:

This OOAK faerie house was made entirely from natural sources. The house consists of a thick wooden floor, large driftwood as a support for the second floor; the upstairs floor is a GIGANTIC REAL mushroom that has been properly dried and preserved. The roof is made of individual pine cone shingles. The front of the house was constructed over the same drift wood that supports the second floor and walls. The walls are a mix of meticulously braided twigs, snake skins, tree roots, dried petals, crushed glass, tiny logs, moss, lichens, dried cactus skeletons, and many others. For the door , used an antique jewelry box lid that has a metal design of roses and butterflies. And of course, a snail door knob. Two seashells hold mini lights that light the doorway.

The bedroom. There you will find a dresser that was made with old barn wood, a little perfume sea shell sits on top of it, and a broken mirror as well. Her bed was rustically made with petals, moss, and sea shells adorning it. In a similar way I made a nightstand next to the bed. There is a wooden chair next to a stairway that leads to a loft. There is a mushroom as a ceiling and a hanging sea shell light.

The kitchen and it is probably my favorite. A loofah wall divides this room. There are a few shelves on the wall with sea shell tea pots, acorn bowls, and a sea shell picture. A wooden stove with a pipe is in the corner. And just like the bathroom there is a sea shell sink. A little broom rests in the corner. This room is also lighted the same way.

This is the room is the living room. The floors are skeleton leaves, topped with rocks and moss. I used loofah as a dry wall. The table is a real mushroom that was dried and sealed. Two wooden shelves are against the wall holding precious stone enchanted books. There is also a sea shell light fixture.

Next to the bedroom is her bathroom. A cactus leaf serves as the wall. A sea shell sink with tiny snail knobs and a branch as a faucet and a little stone serving as soap all adorn the room. There is a shower with tiny sea shell knobs, rock soaps, and skeleton leaf as a rug. A resting chair sits in the corner with a sea shell light above.

Find Patricia Cabrera on eBay:
http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/woolytales

A Collector's Dream

This Pierce dollhouse was on auction on eBay last week. It came complete with lights, furniture and a 360º turn-table which flaunts the garden and gazebo. The Pierce, although not as big as the Garfield, is still quite imposing, and one of my favorite Greenleaf dollhouses.

My Ariel