Although these people missed one or more check-ins, they still get an "Honorable Mention"
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From Quinn Bronson:
For the year-long challenge, I plan to continue with my current 1:24 roombox project, building and furnishing a total of three floors with full landscaping. The current progress photo is showing a front view of the 2nd floor and attic exteriors.
March Update:
- Ground floor and attic interior and exterior structure complete
- More touches on the 2nd floor interior
- Started on filling the attic
- Made a tree for the garden
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From Amanda Burt:
I picked this up at an IGMA auction and have been intimidated ever since. It's time to take it out of the closet and work on it!
March Update:
I confess, so far I have sorted out the parts. I keep trying to read the novella of instructions and promptly my mind melts. I then try to match the done parts with what I think I am reading and I get lost as a turkey. If you have ever seen turkeys fly you know of whence I speak. I thought the stairs were upside down from where they actually are 3 weeks ago when I tried to figure them out by the banister picture.
I hope to do better this coming quarter. (Editorial: Novella of instructions is RIGHT! Good luck.)
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From Danice Chisholm:
I have a dollhouse that started in 1983 which needs completing. My mother and I ordered one from "The house that Jack built." It's the HouseWorks two story which closes in the front. Jack had donated a modest house as a door prize for the Jason Getzan show and my mother won it! They graciously gave us credit against the bigger house and have been lifelong mini-friends. We drove to Holland, MI to pick it up Thanksgiving weekend -- my father had passed away that summer leaving us a bit untethered that holiday so getting the house was fun. I gessoed the house, put on most shingles and custom mixed a paint color for the exterior. Sadly my Mother passed in the summer of 1984 and I lost my zeal for completing it. Over the years I have made and purchased many lovely items for it. Always thinking what Dorothy would have liked in it. In 2022 (after moving to an apartment from a house with a whole basement set up for miniatures), I said "You need to finish Dorothy's house!" So, I inventoried all the things I had for it. I realized that some of the wallpaper was not usable and I no longer had any of the paint, but this was doable. I painted all of the windows coordinating colors, started to do a wiring chart, and found the roof parts that weren't shingled.
I said "2023 will be the year!" and along came your challenge. There is just one wrinkle. I am in Arizona thru early April and the house is in Michigan so the real work won't begin until April.
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From Adele Crowe:
I bought Debbie Young's Lakeside Cabin 5 years ago in Charleston with the best of intentions. So far, I've completed dozens of furniture kits, but the structure, not so much.
March Update:
Boy, am I ever glad you organized this challenge. This fantastic Debbie Young Lakeside Cabin has been languishing in its box since the Charleston convention and is finally coming to life. Attached is what I've accomplished so far. Right now I'm painting the fieldstone foundation & fireplaces. Will be sooo happy when that part's done.
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From Susana R. Eaton:
This is my wonderful find at the Winter Wonderland convention garage sale. Half scale Houseworks house partially completed. I hope to electrify and complete it this year.
March Update:
I decided that the original owner had done a great job using fabrics as wallpaper. Unfortunately a lot of it was coming of the walls. I managed to re-glue all the wallpaper and trim with minor imperfections showing. It was a trial and error using several glues since wallpaper paste stained the fabric. I ordered some furniture and lights which are not here yet. Unfortunately because of a death in the family I missed the opportunity to attend the first miniature show here in Atlanta since the pandemic where I was planning to shop for the items for the house.
Picture of the completed door of the house and pictures of the living room set and 2 chandeliers that I ordered.
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From Kim Fitzsimmons:
Kim failed to send in her initial picture (she thought she had) so we are including her in our honorable mention page!
March Update:
The roof was removed (that was not an easy task) and new shingles put on roof. The house got a fresh coat of paint. I liked the original colors, but the 20 year old paint need a refresh. I also move the front railing opening and made a stone foundation from egg cartons. Next up-interior.
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From Sharon Johnson:
I want to sign up for the challenge with this project. Its going to be a half scale cabinet house. The first quarter, I want to wire it. Then I'll build a floor a quarter. I'm hoping to use the Hansen method to wire so I can leave the mirror on the back but we'll see.
March Update:
So I have my wiring plan, new windows and doors ordered, wiring items ordered, magnets ordered, and most of the boxes cut for the rooms. I also ordered some new kitchen furniture and a beautiful Jim Coates fireplace mantel. Other than that, the weather here has been beautiful and I have a real life house full of growing seedlings, built 2 new trellises for the outside garden and have generally enjoyed the outdoor weather. I expect to send more time on minis once the summer heats up and its too hot to play outside.
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From Shirley Kerasiotis:
I have attached a picture of a half scale house and furniture I wish to make. The goal is to build, electrify, decorate, and furnish the house.
March Update:
Its been a slow start but I do have the shell built and have picked out my wallpaper and finishes for the outside. Hopefully I will get more done in quarter 2.
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From Sue Ann Ketchum:
I am hoping to get back to work on the half-scale replica of the house where my Mom grew up in Georgetown (Washington, DC). Here is its present state. Lots of blue tape holding the windows in place, LOL!!!
March Update:
For the "O Street" replica of my grandparents house in Georgetown, I worked a bit on some furniture and their placement.
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From Ana Lopez:
I just purchased a small plastic doll house at a thrift shop that I would like to redo. I'm doing a Christmas theme since It's my favorite holiday. I saw the big potential in it with the great front entrance door and the gorgeous balcony with two swing doors. This would be my ideal future display in front of my Christmas tree for future years.
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From Preble McDaniel:
I plan to complete my Petite Chateau inside furnishings and the exterior building. I am not committed to doing the landscaping, but I may surprise myself.
Here are photos to show my current state – the house nearly finished exterior that needs roof finished and the steps added, the basement interior complete, the interior furnishings for the first floor mostly complete, the second floor furniture is started, third floor not started, and lastly a garage.
March Update:
1. Finished the roof.
2. Added exterior windows and other trim.
3. Refilled a stain pen so I can stain furniture kits.
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From Joanne Mcleay:
I have too many projects on the go but I would like to get a large project done as well as complete half a dozen that are close to be finished! This cabinet will become a hotel scene with a long term anthropologist tenant. I had been collecting the pieces and should have all I need to get it finished now!
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From Michelle Miller:
I would like to complete Pickett Hill. It was started many years ago but sadly, I never finished it.
March Update:
I started this house in 2012 and got sidetracked. The walls were done and the first floor was installed when I set it aside. This quarter I finished all the wallpaper, added windows, baseboard, crown molding, lights and added the roof pieces. I have also started to assemble some of the furnishings so I could determine light placement.
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From Madison Mitchell:
I'd like to participate in the year long challenge with the construction of our Foxhall Manor kit. It sat in garages for about 25 years (mainly at my mother-in-law's) and we just finally got it out of its box!
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From Janet Smith:
I’m going to start and finish a series of Christmas market stalls that will be grouped together into one scene full of snow and santas and trees. I’m using kits from the Mini Cousins, but also some of the souvenirs and totebag favors from Indy and gifts from friends and some other special items to make it fun!
March Update:
I tried to start on my year long project this quarter, but couldn’t get things going because my shop was so unorganized and out of control. After taking a couple carloads to Goodwill, and shipping LOTS of boxes to NAME for the auctions, my shop is now organized and I can find things and my unfinished project count is dramatically reduced. I also managed to finish three of those unfinished projects that were SO CLOSE to being done, but just not quite there.
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From Fran Sussman:
This is a 1/144 French townhouse from Small Time Miniatures. I am planning to build it so it opens from the back instead of the front. I am adding lights and front steps. The top floor will be a replica of the Thorne rooms French library. The first two floors will be gallery space (possibly a sitting area or registration desk). I have had this since 2018! So it is time.
March Update:
Making some progress on the French Townhouse No. 1 from Keith Bougourd and Small Time Miniatures. The exterior is painted and the interior is wall-papered. The front is mostly assembled. Next up: installing lighting, shingling the roof, partial gluing, and creating a base for landscaping.
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From Barbara Thornton-Hill:
This is a series of projects I need to finish. 6-1/2 book boxes to fill from 2020, 6 suitcases to fill from 2021 and 13 or14 kits from the 50th Anniversary to put together. I’d love to finish these projects.
March Update:
I cannot find the piece I finished so this is my progress report. I sent a picture of 12 items to finish this year. I finished one!!!! I finished the January Book from the Betterley monthly series in 2020 but I don’t know where it is so don’t have a picture of it. However, I’ve cleaned off my workspace to find it so am ready to work on more. If I find it by Friday (in 2 days), I’ll send a photo.
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From Betty Turmon:
The project I have been wanting to finish for a long time is my Suzanne and Andy's Strawberry Lace house. I took their class at NAME National in July, 2004. So my year long challenge is to finish this house I have hopes that this Challenge will be just the thing to spur me on. Furnishing the interior and landscaping will be have to be for another time. I’m a slow worker.
March Update:
I have made a little progress on my year long project but not as much as I had hoped. I got the outside painted and all those windows and door are painted, too. But I found that the windows didn’t fit in the opening like they should. So much of my time was spent on making the openings the right size. I was put on a blood thinner in January so when I cut my finger that really slowed me down. It took longer for the finger to heal. But I still feel happy about it and glad I joined this project.
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From Michelle Vandepol:
I'm aiming to complete this 9 room luxury home in this hutch this year in 1:6 scale.
March Update:
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From Katie Ketchum Vitullo :
Many years ago I bought a half scale house kit from one of mom’s friends who was downsizing her miniatures. It had a pitched roof, and those lovely wooden windows for the attic space that are arched. Unfortunately, I had very different ideas for this project ... I decided to make it a castle!
Fast forward years and several major moves. This castle has sat holding fort on my crafty desk (granted, shoved against the wall so I could do stuff in front of it) empty and abandoned. As many miniaturists know, sometimes you just don’t want to work on a project. This was that project. Well, this January, for some unknown reason, the bug bit hard to work on this labor of love. Except now I’m getting the distinct impression it’s more like Tom Hanks in the Money Pit. I opened the front and discovered the copper wires had oxidized through the wallpaper, staining it. The wallpaper had bubbled horribly. I would need to redo it all. That little bit of wall with the dragon head was the only nice bit remaining. In my gusto to remove the old paper and start fresh, I broke a ceiling fixture, which of course I couldn’t fix because I attached it through the floor of the second level and the wording was underneath the hand-cut flooring (which was already glued and nailed in place).
I’m hoping this challenge will help keep me accountable and properly document my progress. Though, I already wish I took full “before” photos. I’ll just have to make up for it by taking my “today” photos.
March Update:
I managed to rewire the interior, and re-wallpaper all the rooms. I‘m working my way through curtains, baseboard, and crown molding. Unfortunately I hit a wall on creativity, so it’s been sitting pretty idle the last few weeks. Hopefully I’ll get a burst of inspiration soon.
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From Christina Watson:
My mom sent me this log cabin kit to make a cabin that looks like her little cabin in the woods (inside and out!) This isn’t really my personal aesthetic so it’s been challenging for me to start. I would like to enter your year long challenge so I can get it completed by her birthday and having deadlines will keep me on task.
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