Welcome to Quayside my town by the seaside!

WELCOME TO QUAYSIDE MY TOWN BY THE SEASIDE



Thank you for visiting my blog and thanks even more if you decide to follow :-) I really do enjoying doing it and love to share my projects with you all! In the village at last count I had 18 houses, 14 little roombox size shops, 3 half houses, and 1 half church (half being just a front!) there's also 1 quarter of a house (just half of a front lol) 2 market stalls, 3 market carts and beach huts on the beach although theres always seems to be room for just one more!

I also have a my 1st house a traditional Victorian manor which is very special as it was bought with money left to me by my beloved Nan. There's also my witches house and a witches shop. I also have a lovely Honeychurch house which is my Christmas shop and house and my latest venture a little vintage cottage. But the bulk of my property empire is Quayside, my little Cornish seaside village full of lovely individual cottages and all its wonderful residents. This has become a real labour of love and has turned me from a Dolls house fan into a complete and utter addict! The links below will take you to each of my houses and I especially hope you enjoy your visit to Quayside :-)


Tuesday 29 January 2013

New arrivals and Happy Birthday Bethany!

A few new additions to the village have recently arrived. The village is getting busier by the minute!! I have a complete addiction to these dolls lol they are my total weakness! I just love it when someone new arrives it just feel like a new life in the village!


First up is Stacey who is a bit of naughtiness in the village. She was going to be Marina after the tarty woman from Last of the Summer wine but I decided that was the perfect name for the mermaid instead! Shes hanging round the bar up to no good and Marylin the barmaid is telling her to sling her hook if thats her game! She was modelled on a Heidi Ott doll that was wayyy out of my price range and you know shes she even better I love her!!!


Jack the retired sea captain has a new regular seat in the pub so no one better sit there from now on! Now I just had to have him when I saw him didn't I!!!


And last but not least Charlie has a new workmate as he was just so busy he needed some help!


I also got a lovely little package from my good friend Deb showing off her amazing knitting skills again!!

I needed another little doll for the wool shop as I stole her for the new nursery. I also asked her to make me a few hats for the shop and aren't they just so cute I love all the different colours!


Its also my Daughters 19th Birthday today so I want to just wish her all my love! As you know she makes all my signs and is very tolerant as I am very picky lol so thank you Bethany and I love you loads now please make me the one I need for the antiques shop pretty please!!


Friday 25 January 2013

Forget me Not cottage and more new villagers

Well its snow snow and more snow here at the moment! I've forgotten what it feels like to be warm!! On the upside it means lots of playing in Dollyland so I have a bit of a pic fest for you tonight!!

I have been busy working on the cottage I got just before Christmas. I wanted it to feel modern but still cottagey and I think its worked lol!



As you know I emptied out my Fairbanks and really wanted to use some of the things from it as I really loved them. The little red kitchen things, the bin, drainer and washing basket are so cute I def wanted to keep them. So I decided to use them for my inspiration!


I started with the red accesories and as the wallpaper had green in I went with a red and green theme.


I had planned to put a fridge or a small dresser here but I already had the green unit and the barewood shelf so I painted that to match and it fits just right. I changed the fireplace back from blue to green tiles (printed from Google) to match and I had a cream Aga but swapped it with the red one in my Christmas house to save a few pennies! I bought the hoover just cos it was cute and red!



I stole the sink unit from Seaview as I had a nice Reutter one to replace it. I changed the tiles from blue to green and added a new co-ordinating CK fabric curtain. I also made plenty of bunting as its a must in my cottages!


I love the Miele Dishwasher and washing machine and def wanted to use those! I made a balsa wood work top to match it in with the sink. The washing basket was so cheap but so effective I love it!.


I made the pin board with matching fabric left from the sink.


There is a baby living in this house so I wanted to have a pram in the kitchen. I was on the look out on Ebay then remembered I had this one and its red and green so it seems silly not to use it!!



The lounge has been filled with Fairbanks cast offs lol although I did buy the chairs as the one I had was too big and the lemon and blue chairs were more cottagey.


Just need some curtains or the whole village square will be nosing through the window!!


Upstairs is where I had a big dilemma!!! I had 2 rooms which prob should be a bedroom and bathroom but I just really don't like bathroom they are a bit boring! I have already done 2 nice ones in Seaview and Seashell and just couldn't get any ideas for another one. It was a good size room so I made an executive decision and took it out! Instead I turned it into a lovely cosy bedroom.


My bestest friend Deb made the gorgeous patchwork quilt. Its exquisite those little hexagons are so tiny its just wonderful!


The next room was originally intended as the bedroom but now thats in the other room I decided to make this one into a lovely nursery. I had a set of stunning wicker furniture made by Wendy which I just love and it never really had a proper home. I have long had an urge to make a gorgeous nursery after seeing maries in her lovely April Cottage so I decided as I had a spare room this was the house to do it in!




The shelf and little girls things were again from Fairbanks and I really liked them so found a way to keep them!  Wendy made the cot, changing unit, rocking/nursing chair and highchair. They are so detailed with opening drawers and little baskets. You know me though that wasn't enough to fill a room I could still see the floor ha ha!


The rocking horse is a vintage one picked up from my local DH shop and I love it so I'm glad I could fit that in too.


The stunning little knitted doll is again made by Deb. I don't know what I would do without her I have so many of her lovely things in my houses shes so talented! She will do 1/12 scale knitting and patchworks to order and I thoroughly recommend them!! here is a link to her Facebook selling page you can contact her through that! :-)


I had been looking on Ebay for a baby but wasn't sure if I really wanted one actually in the house or not so for now I have used one I made ages ago and just redressed it as a little girl. I've also added a little white blonde hair just like Bethany used to have.....awww shes 19 next week! its been a long time since she looked like that lol!!


This was my 1st ever attempt at a fimo doll lol she has cute feet!


Theres been another influx of new arrivals to the village! Paul came especially for the vintage clothing. His scooter is supposed to be 1/12 not sure its a little small but its still fun!


Lizzy is Jocelyns daughter whose home from uni to help out over the summer!


Shes by the same lady who makes my other dolls but I spotted her on Ebay and won her for half the cost, I do love a bargain!! She had a long red dress on so I just swapped the bottom half for a denim skirt as the top is just the right colour for the cafe uniform!


I have also been very naughty and bought a couple more additions. I am really addicted to dolls lol everytime I get one its like a new person in the village and they give me so much pleasure! I don't drink, do drungs or smoke I do dolls ha ha!!

This is Jack he is a retired Sea captain and will be right at home in the pub, after all it is The captains rest!


Charlie has a new workmate with all the cleaning and work going on he needed some help!


And last but not least is Marina.....Not sure how I can put this politely lets just say shes a bit of naughtiness in the village. Last seen hanging around outside the pub when a large fishing boat full of hearty sailors had just come in!! Shes fab lol she just made me laugh so much so a big thanks to Bernadette who got her character spot on!!!



Thursday 24 January 2013

Making Frank the butcher and too much snow!

Its been so cold and snowy here the past few days its def been time to stay indoors. I would say in the warm but our house is over 300 years old and doesn't do warm very well lol. Heating oil costs a fortune so having the heating on all day is not an option! The fire is good if you are in the lounge all day which I never am. It usually warms up just before we all go to bed lol!!

I decided I am going to do a butchers in the village as its a project I feel I can have a go at making stuff myself. First of all it needed a butcher and I had a picture in my head so thought I would have a go. I also needed to make my good friend Deb a fisherman as shes always sending me gorgeous knitting and patchwork so it was my way of saying thanks as I appreciate them all so much!!

I'm quite pleased how they turned out! At least they look human lol! The part I find the most difficult is painting the eyes but they are only the 5th and 6th dolls I have even made so I guess they will get better with more practice!


Frank the butcher (Bethany is an Eastenders fan!)


The fisherman who I haven't named as thats for Deb to do! If you get stuck though Deb I rather thought he looked a bit like a Jack????


Heres a couple of snowy pics......this is the view from the upstairs window


The outbuilding and pergola


My little Beans loves the snow! She goes out but won't come back in lol!!


She is always eating it and ends up with a snow beard!


We put a little coat on her to dry and keep her warm!





Fed up with snow and cold now!!! Bring on the spring and the Daffodils!!

Monday 21 January 2013

Emptying Fairbanks and making use of it all again!

Well the weather outside is frightful......you know the rest!! So we have had a weekend at home cosied up! The good thing about staying in is I get lots of time in Dollyland!!

I have been thinking for a while about selling my Fairbanks house as I really don't spend any time on it. Its a lovely house and I really enjoyed doing it but I just don't have the same passion for it as I do my village. I also had a a bit of a spend before Christmas with 2 new houses and other things so the money will be useful too!! Hopefully its already found a new owner my friend Scarlett who has always wanted one so I know it will be going to a good home! I emptied it out over the weekend and have to say I had lots of fun finding new homes for all the bits and pieces I had. I think I realised then that it was the inside and all the things I have found to fill it that excited me more than the actual house, and now its empty I won't be quite so sad to see it go!

I had a lovely patio set in Fairbanks garden that I had found ages ago on Ebay. There were also various plant pots and a bbq. I really wanted to keep the patio set and I decided it would go best outside the B & B. I had made a little outside area a while ago which to be honest was driving me nuts as every time I opened the cottage next to it I had to move it out of the way. Luckily it was too narrow for the patio set which meant making a new one from scratch. I had a bit of ply the right depth and reusing the fencing I made a new outside space!


I also added the outside signage just to make it look a bit more like a B & B and not just a cottage.


The patio set fits perfectly. I added the seat pads which funnily enough have been waiting to be done for 6 months and the minute its in the village it got done straight away....I rest my case lol!


I love the little no vacancies sign with the chains.


Beans is very happy with her new little house! Its a little resin kennel that Scarlett gave to me when she was over last week. I painted it to match, added a comfy cushion and some bunting. Of course she doesn't stay out at night its just for relaxing outside on sunny days!


Patio set complete with comfy cushion all it needs now is some cocktails maybe??


I had to add some bunting its a Quayside trademark!!


I also had a computer desk and filing cabinet from Fairbanks that needed a new home and I found the perfect spot! It was just what Mags needed to organise all the patients!


The surgery has now filled up nicely it just needs a few finishing touches.  


Also going spare was a nice shelving unit from Fairbanks dining room. I decided this would look nice in the homewares store full of modern things to buy.


The plastic chair was also reused in here and the dolls house!


Quite pleased how it looks, just how I imagine it should it a posh home shop lol


It was sad removing all the things I had spent hours searching and shopping for in Fairbanks. But it was so nice to be able to make use of so much of it in the village where I get to see it more. I used a lot of things in the new French style house as I didn't want that to be in a shabby chic style it was a bit obvious, plus I have already done that in other properties, I wanted something different. I love how its turned out but it just needs a couple of little things I have purchased on Ebay to arrive so pics of that coming soon!!!