Little books and cuckoo clocks!

Every nursery needs books and it appears that late Victorian and early Edwardian nurseries often featured a cuckoo clock too...

So I've been making some little books. Beatrix Potter was a much loved children's author and illustrator around this time. Her books are still as enchanting today., who can resist her beautiful pictures of wildlife and her darling little characters who have been popular with children and adults alike for many years....

I had a go at making some little books left open

I thought they would look good laid around as if just put down....

The absurd little bird....

Anyone who is familiar with the film 'The Sound of Music' might remember
A line from the song 'So long, farewell' which the Von Trappe children sang before being sent off to bed...

"...and up in the nursery an absurd little bird is popping out to say 'cuckoo' ( cuckoo, cuckoo)...."

So it seems that the charming little cuckoo clocks did find their way into nurseries...

Here's the cuckoo clock I've made for the Jubilee nursery from a Phoenix White metal kit.

This is such a cute, detailed little kit and after being painted brown, looks just like very intricately carved wood...

The face of the clock was quite challenging being a water slide decal

which had to be carefully submerged in water and then gently slid onto the front of the clock

The overall finished result is pleasing though and I  think it will make a nice addition to the nursery....

The nursery Furniture

Here's the little washstand I've been getting ready for this room.

It started off as a plain, bare wood one.

After a coat of stain and wax I then added a row of ceramic tiles to make a splash back 

Added some linen to see what it would look like...

Decided on a jug on there....

A towel rail...

At each side....

Gripe water! Who remembers that...? 

Just need a small washbowl - not too big as I don't want to hide the pretty tiles...

Then whatever else a Victorian child's toiletry requirements were....?

Back to the research....

In the meantime onto the chest of drawers....

This little chest also began as a basic wood piece, Like the washstand it's been sanded, stained and waxed. 

The tiny rabbit figures standing on top are made of resin and I them bought quite cheaply awhile ago from The Dollshouse Emporium. Just as an experiment I painted the white faces and paws brown to tone them down abit....I thought it would give me a little practise before I begin work on some white metal kit ornaments....

They've had a coat of varnish aswell to give them a shine.....they almost look like porcelain now!

Not Royal Doulton standard by any means but they look better than they did before.

I don't know if they'll stay - we'll see....

Beginning work on the nursery....

I've begun gathering things together for the nursery....

Last Saturday I went to the Pudsey Dollshouse Fair near Leeds and bought some lovely little pieces, including a beautiful white wire bassinette which I've painted today.

I'm so pleased with how it's turned out - it's now a much better whicker colour and looks a lot more realistic I think., I made a mattress for it  and added the  sweet knitted pillow and blanket  made by Ladybird miniatures...look at those tiny, tiny stitches!

Although I am proficient at knitting in full life size I must say I am in awe of anyone who can knit this small! It is so adorable and just the right size. 

I also bought this little blanket from the fair, again from Ladybird Miniatures which looks lovely on the nursery bed.

I was lucky enough to find just the right bed for the nursery at Pudsey too. I've been on the look out for one which was just a little smaller than an ordinary single size as the nursery room isn't all that big.I

 I think this one is probably 1:16th scale and so it's like a toddler size single. An unusual find and not one I've seen before so I'm glad I spotted it.

Here they are together

Something a little different.....

This week I set about customising a basic little Victorian pram. These black metal prams can be bought quite reasonably from various miniature outlets and in their 'naked' form they don't look much but with a little time and a few bits and pieces they can take on a whole new appearance...

This is the little pram I started out with which I bought from the Dollshouse Emporium
Dollshouse Emporium Black Victorian-style Pram

I upholstered the inside and made a tiny quilt and pillow..

And then I covered the body work with Aida embroidery canvas which I stained and varnished to 

look like basket work and added some trim. 

I made an apron which is folded back

I stuck kid leather onto the hood

Made the stays mechanism from jewellry bits and beads

And added trim on the inside of the hood

This was a lovely little project to do, I really enjoyed it - I will certainly have a go at doing another one.....

There are so many ways in which to personalise this little pram, using different materials and colours to make a unique and individual miniature piece for your dollshouse.