Just bought my first dolls house... eek!

[Tracyhf1]

Well first one ever for me to do properly that is.
I bought a second hand kit for my daughter a few years back, this was a DHE one, but I don't see it on the website anymore. it was pictured pink at the time, so I painted it the same but then filled it with Slyvanian families for her.
I have always looked at getting myself one, but it was always something that got put off for more essential items. However I have taken the plunge, it will be here tomorrow and I look forward to spending loads of money on it in the next few years. Even if my husband thinks I am mad!

[Winston's Mum]

[IMG]http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn242/chrisseysmi/welcome-3.gif warm welcome to you Tracyhfi hope you enjoy the forum this is the place to come for help, advice and fun. What house have you bought then, and take no notice of what anyone says it is a addictive hobby lol

[Tracyhf1]

Fairbanks! i think it looks fab, I can't wait!
I want to make it more modern day though - i bet some people will think "Nooooooo" but I want it to look just like a NOW house inside.

[Winston's Mum]

Hi TrACY sorry got capitols on!!!!!!!!!1 that is a lovely house well done, and we look forward to piccies when you get it up or even while your putting it up lol

[Amanda]

Hi Tracy

http://s249.photobucket.com/albums/gg221/hamandap/th_welcome-3-1.gifto the forum, and despite what WM says, she knows full well this is a very very addictive hobby!!!!!! do not forget to take a really good smell of your new house when it arrives there is nothing quite like new DH MDF....mmmmm and also your house is your own creatiion so whatever period you want to set it in is fine, but PLEASE do not forget we LOVE PICTURES and take no notice of anybody who says we are all nutters, the noisy ones will be along presently!!! Most important of all in enjoy any problems just shout someone on here will be able to help

[Winston's Mum]

oohhhhh Amanda forgot about the smell, the mdf is lovely just another of my adictions have a good long sniff ha ha

[jeanmtweddle]

Hi Tracy - welcome to the forum. I am fairly new to this as well, hubby bought me Montgomery Hall for xmas but I think in some ways he now regrets it because I have become an addict. I am really enjoying it and there are lots of tips on the forum. If you get stuck just ask - someone will know the answer.

[Valerie]

Welcome to the forum Tracy. A lot of great people here. I am fairly new to this forum, but have been doing dollhouses since the earky 80's. There is so much to learn here in the forum Have fun.

[DeeGee]

Hi Welcome to the forum... just to let you know we all love photo's :) of every stage of the build... can't wait to see a new dolls house taking shape.:)

[davidsmum]

Hi Tracy

Welcome to the forum!

[Lis]

Hi Tracy
Welcome to the forum. I'm fairly new too and building my first house - though I do have my daughter helping - it's our summer project and not going too badly. We're building April Cottage and barn - both are now built and being impatient we've started putting bits of furniture in before it's finished!
Don't forget the Fairbanks pictures - it's a wonderful house and was my first choice only it was too big.

Lis

[julia]

Hi welcome to the forum

[Tracyhf1]

thanks for all the replies. I keep looking up the window for the courier. So excited!

I have been reading lots and lots of thread on here, and can see how it can get addictive.
I must say (hangs head a little) that I just ordered this one because I love it - haven't got the fainted clue where I am going to put it to be honest, or even if it will go back out through door once it is built!!! never thought about that at all.
I will have to get my daughters house down from on top of the wardrobe and fix it back up in the meantime.
Where IS that van? Argh!


.. ok just measured front doorway, and yes it should go back through fine. Thank goodness. We want to move within 2 years and I had visions of not being able to start it then! Of course that DOES mean that when we move I will view houses and be measuring their front doors!

[Ann of Boleyn]

Hi all you people who love the smell of new MDF.

DO YOU KNOW IT IS POISONOUS.

I cringe every time someone says 'take a good long sniff' the fibres get in your lungs!!!!!!!!

[Ann of Boleyn]

Hi Tracy,

Sorry, couldn't resist the note of caution earlier.

WELCOME TO THE FORUM[

Take no notice of that lady there are no NOISY ONES on here only NOSY ones who keep asking you for photos so they can put their noses into other peoples dolls houses!!!!![

So now you know we like photos, any photos, right from laying out all the bits. Don't forget to do a dry build first, then sit and stare. The ideas will come to you. Look through magazines, look on HomeSweetHome thread at other peoples houses.

Look forward to seeing your progress.

Ann/

[Tracyhf1]

At the risk of sounding REALLY stupid. What is a dry build? I am guessing that means you kind of slot it together without glue?

[Ann of Boleyn]

Hi Tracy,

Yes just hold it together with masking tape (easier said than done) but it does make sure that the pieces are all there and you should mark them with pencil which pieces they are, do it very lightly if you are only going to paint that wall or ceiling. It is easier to do the dry build with the dolls house laying on its back. I think that covers it. It also gives you time to stare at it and get some idea of what you want to do with it.

Ann

[Winston's Mum]

Hi all you people who love the smell of new MDF.

DO YOU KNOW IT IS POISONOUS.

I cringe every time someone says 'take a good long sniff' the fibres get in your lungs!!!!!!!!OH Ann i didnt know that, oh i love smelling it too, omg and i ve got asthma wonder if thats why i ve been very chesty lately, omg thankyou Ann, well noted.:confused:

[Ann of Boleyn]

Hi Chris,

I did post that on earlier thread, but perhaps you missed it. MDF is fine if it is left alone, but if you perhaps rubbed it to get the smell coming up then you were breathing in fibres. When you are cutting MDF you should always wear a face mask. And I should know, I have cut enough of it over the last few years making room boxes etc.

Ann

[Winston's Mum]

Hi Ann yes i must have missed it, i dont rub it but do have long sniffs!!!

[Tracyhf1]

I worry about making big decisions! lol
The Fairbanks on the site looks nice and then there is Mike (i think he name is) on here who has done his a little differently... exterior wise. One has brick on bottom bay, the other has the brick around the rest but the bays are cream. And one has wooden windows, the other has white. Then there are different coloured bricks! I wish there was a gallery of about 12 of them so i could choose which one i like the most and copy it! I am scared of going one way, then looking at it and not liking it!

[Winston's Mum]

Hi Tracy first thing to remember is when its built, open it up stand back or sit in front of it and just stare, and also do lots of research, as much as you can stick to a style you are trying to recreate, also remeber it is YOUR house, and its up to you what you do with it, Mike is very clever man to be able to make things like he does, i could nt do that either, but mine would be nice in a different way, above dont get in a flap just take your time also theres no rush, i got Montgomery in May i think we have put it together and its up but have not started it cos am still research what i really want to do, also i would like to get Lutyens but i bet mine will be totally different to Mike's one, but they would still look good, bless you, take care, as van come yet!!!!!

[Amanda]

Hi all you people who love the smell of new MDF.

DO YOU KNOW IT IS POISONOUS.

I cringe every time someone says 'take a good long sniff' the fibres get in your lungs!!!!!!!!

Hi Ann

It is only poisonous if you are sanding it and sniff it in then it can get into your lungs, other than that it is quite safe, so wear a mask if sanding MDF because you should not be inhaling the dust, this info comes from hubby who is in the building trade

[Winston's Mum]

Hi Amanda so am i ok to sniff it then also will affect me with my asthma i have to go now got a grand daughter waiting for me she s 3 today so be back about 6 ish byeeeeeeeee ps please ask him, got a bit worried then X

[Amanda]

Hi Chris

It should not have any effect on you as long as you wear a mask if you are cutting or sanding it, I also have asthma

[Tracyhf1]

[QUOTE=also i would like to get Lutyens but i bet mine will be totally different to Mike's one, but they would still look good, bless you, take care, as van come yet!!!!![/QUOTE]

Nooo, I am beginning to worry now. I hope they get here soon.

[Tracyhf1]

THEY ARE HERE!!! Yipeeeee 7 boxes worth!
My Fairbanks, one for my Mom, and another secret hush hush one that I am going to make for my youngest daughter. Which is why I had to usher UPS man into the garage with it before she came downstairs! Can't ruin christmas.
I am now penniless for a month (potentially a lot more given how much I will have to spend, lol) and we are supposed to be going away soon. HA!

[wombat]

aaaggggghhhhh how exciting!!! i remember my first ever house arriving at the door and pulling all the bits out and then putting them all away again cos it scared me!!! thathouse willbe finished by the weekend and going to reside with my step daughter while i move on to my small summer project thats keeping me going til i get my next house after the hols.

don't worry about making mistakes on your house. take your time and think, lots of staring and you can always try out effects on spare bits of wood (i do this all the time so i can see if i like the effect before touching the house) also as i'm sure most will tell you...mistakes WILL happen and CAN be sorted so don't panic you will notruin your house by making a mistake. we all do it!! even those who have been doing it for years i'm sure still make mistakes sometimes. the good thing is that we are all here if you do to help you find a way to sort it (i've come on in a panic more than once cos i've messed up!!

SO DON'T WORRY AND ENJOY!!!!

oh and welcome to the forum by the way!!!:D

[Amanda]

Hi Tracy

What !!!! 7 boxes!!! have you opened any of them yet, does it smell ggrrreeaatt!!!! sorry MDF new DH MDF attach there!!! bet you are all excited, which house did you get for your daughter for Xmas, are you going to be doing one for your Mum or is she going to be doing that herself or is it a suprise!!!

[shasha]

I will just say 'HI' .....as everyone else has already given you really good advice!

[Tracyhf1]

Hi Tracy

What !!!! 7 boxes!!! have you opened any of them yet, does it smell ggrrreeaatt!!!! sorry MDF new DH MDF attach there!!! bet you are all excited, which house did you get for your daughter for Xmas, are you going to be doing one for your Mum or is she going to be doing that herself or is it a suprise!!!

Hi.
My Mother will be doing hers herself. She is really excited about it too. lol
I saw the Oak hurst one with a garage and lights for £127, which I thought was a bargain. Obviously it is because I haven't bought from them before so i got that 50% offer. But if the idea is to entice you in to spend money i think it has worked. lol
I have spent the last 2 hours checking all of the boxes and ticking the parts off against the instructions.
So I will be putting the fairbanks away for a while now. I am taking oak hurst to my sisters and will work on it there in secret until Christmas. I shall paint and decorate it all properly and then use sylvanian family in it until she is older, where hopefully she will want to decorate and buy proper furniture.
This is what I did for my eldest as we did a house for her with sylvanian family yonks ago.
I am just starting to get the scale of the Fairbanks when I took the bay windows out!

[Winston's Mum]

Hi Tracy so glad it came, how exciting for you, and how lovely for your daughter what a nice surprise she has got for xmas ha ha. Sorry i know you got Fairbanks, daughter is geting Oakhurst whats mum geting (got) well we said we are nosy here, some more than others sorry, ps hubby says i can have Lutyens am so happy BUT has to stay in box until xmas, but thats ok is'nt it at least i know i can have it. Dont know where i will put it but will sort thats prob out in january.

[Winston's Mum]

Hi Chris

It should not have any effect on you as long as you wear a mask if you are cutting or sanding it, I also have asthmaThanks amanda, hubby does my cutting in garage and he always has mask on, even when we spray we put mask on. thanks for that honey.

[Tracyhf1]

Mom had Fairbanks too. There will be much eye rolling from Dad when he finds out. :D

[Winston's Mum]

hee hee he will think shes lost it, until he gets into the swing of it, he may even help her, men are very handy my hubby is good at cutting wider doors and when i want to change a lay out, how nice for you both, also DHE must be so happy , wonder how many more house they have sold this month, its good for them cos they are all suffering, think that why i want one on standy by in case credit crunch hits hard in winter well they say it will, at least i can have something to do, will have to make own furniture too.

[Tracyhf1]

Well, I only went and ordered the Magical Mystery Tower for my girls tonight! :o

You see the whole thing with me having fairbanks is that it is for my birthday, so when the girls told me about it (i had to be shocked) they got looking at the catalogue and saying how they wanted one to make themselves! Now of course I have the bloomin Oak Hurst and garage sitting at my sisters waiting to be built for xmas for Jade, and Abbey already has the old Park Lane one I think it was called. Both heading for sylvania heaven! lol
Anyway they had birthday money left so I said "why don't you get a little tower between you and make it together"?
So... they are! lol.
Abbey is 9 and jade is 7, and I can see a very pink and glittery tower coming up. Fairies and horses were mentioned, and birds... something about flowers and food. LOL
I am absolutely NOT going to interfere, and tell them what they should be doing and saying things like "are you sure you want to paint the door orange when the tower is pink because it will clash" argh... I will be a great mother and applaud their every hair-brained idea!
They can then use pocket money to do it up. Bless them!

[Ann of Boleyn]

Hi Tracy,

Sounds like you are awash with houses and towers. Your girls will certainly enjoy doing the tower. Bet you can't hold back all the comments, there will be 1 slips in.

Don't forget, get them to take photos and put them on the computer and upload them to here.
That will make a good lesson for them, how to upload photos on the computer.

Look forward to seeing everyones progress on these.

Have you started your Fairbanks (was it) yet?

Ann

[Tracyhf1]

No, I am going to leave fairbanks for as long as I can avoid it, as I need to do Oak Hurst first ready for xmas.
We went on holiday not long after they arrived, so haven't started them yet. Oak Hurst is stashed at my sisters so it will be a case of me and my Mom working on it when we can.
I teach part time, so I will spend some days at my sisters when my children go back to school and it is my days off. I will be able to do some nights up there, but at the moment I have a load of planning to do before next Tues!!! Because as usual I didn't do it all as soon as I broke up, but left it until the weekend before I go back! :(

[Ann of Boleyn]

Hi Tracy,

We all think Oh it wont take long I can do that later. But we usually end up rushing about. I am going on holiday tomorrow and don't have a thing packed yet, I spend too much time on here.

Ann

[Winston's Mum]

Hi Tracey sounds like you have enough to keep you busy ha ha i love it when people have new houses how exciting, wish my family would buy me a lovely house, would be in my element, you cant have to many houses ha ha

[Tracyhf1]

Oh gosh, Jade just said to me... "I think I will get a brush and paint the roof tiles lilac and green" I said "what?" and then stopped myself. LOL
Abbey has pretty much poo-pooed that idea though.
They are discussing pink and lilac... or pink and white, or indeed lilac and white. :rolleyes: With glitter paint for edges.
I can see the garden area being awash with animals, as they like the guinea pigs, and the cats, dogs, horse, tortoise etc. LOL

Oh no, just realised that it won't arrive on Saturday but it will be Monday now! The kids will drive me mad!!! I wonder if I should go and collect it instead... lol.

[Ann of Boleyn]

Hi,

Ha ha, told you you couldnt contain the comments!!!:D

But it sounds wonderful, can't wait to see what they do with it.

Ann

[St.Vale]

LOL sounds like your having fun there!! Look forward to seeing what everyone does with their properties

[Amanda]

Hi Tracy

I am so looking forward to seeing what your girls come up with, so far it sounds hilarious, but like you said you have to agree everthing is a wonderful idea no matter how out there it may be, gives them free reign on their imaginations, have you signed them up to the juinor section of the forum yet, or are you worried that you would not get a minute on here yourself!!!!

[gemini37]

Hi Tracy, welcome to the forum and the amazing and additive hobby of dolls houses!!! i am new to this too and believe me you really do get carried away with it all. Lots of help with everything on here just ask and people will be along really soon to help you out it is terrific, looking forward to hearing more about how you and daughters get on with your project, have fun xx Sarah

[DeeGee]

I can see three dolls houses been needed here LOL! Look forward to seeing the pictures.:D

[littlethings]

Welcome to the board...........You'll love it around here, everyone is so friendly :D

[wombat]

Well, I only went and ordered the Magical Mystery Tower for my girls tonight! :o

You see the whole thing with me having fairbanks is that it is for my birthday, so when the girls told me about it (i had to be shocked) they got looking at the catalogue and saying how they wanted one to make themselves! Now of course I have the bloomin Oak Hurst and garage sitting at my sisters waiting to be built for xmas for Jade, and Abbey already has the old Park Lane one I think it was called. Both heading for sylvania heaven! lol
Anyway they had birthday money left so I said "why don't you get a little tower between you and make it together"?
So... they are! lol.
Abbey is 9 and jade is 7, and I can see a very pink and glittery tower coming up. Fairies and horses were mentioned, and birds... something about flowers and food. LOL
I am absolutely NOT going to interfere, and tell them what they should be doing and saying things like "are you sure you want to paint the door orange when the tower is pink because it will clash" argh... I will be a great mother and applaud their every hair-brained idea!
They can then use pocket money to do it up. Bless them!


hehe sounds like your girks tower is going to look great!! don't forget to post pics of how they are doing!! you can show them my magical mystery tower in the home sweet home thread if you like....they may get some less colourful ideas!!hehe

[mad-on-miniatures]

Hi tracy,

Welcome to the forum, as you already know there's lots of us on here who are happy togive advice...so feel free to ask away.......have you any pictures......we like our picture fix.........

Hi All,
Can you tell I'm not Doing anything on my DH's for the moment again.......Im in need of picture fix.........

[St.Vale]

Giggle Mom, probably just as well with you trying to catch up on here.....................hope your able to get back into it soon!!

[Tracyhf1]

hehe sounds like your girks tower is going to look great!! don't forget to post pics of how they are doing!! you can show them my magical mystery tower in the home sweet home thread if you like....they may get some less colourful ideas!!hehe

Ooh we have already sat together and poured over your pics several times. LOL. I even tried to open up one of your images with a paint programme so that i could "paint" bits pink for them, it just looked a mess. Ha ha
They are either going for
1) White/soft grey tower... pink roof and pink windows and door... with pink glitter on the edges of the pink bits.
OR
Pink tower, with white doors/windows/roof and an iridescent glitter on the white bits.
They are freaking out with the task of deciding, ha ha and keep asking me what I would do. To which i say "it isn't my tower, the point is that you choose!"
:D
We did a dry build last night, checked it all took a pic and then put it back in the box. On thurs I will take them out to get paint. Eek!

[mad-on-miniatures]

Hi tracy,

Sounds like you and your daughters are having fun ........it must be lovely to be able to have girls to share this hobby with.......I have all boys.......but my hubby takes an avid interest.......sometimes MORE tham I do.......I like the proposed colour schemes .......Let us know which colour they decide to go for.......:D