#12 Grimmauld Place

Still here

2011-06-24T09:02:00.000-06:00

I'm still here and so is Grimmauld Place, but unfortunately Grimmauld Place is still in storage until I have a workshop again. I'm still living at my dad's for now and there isn't the room for working on this massive project. I can hardly wait for the day I can start on it again!

Heading North...Wayyyyyy North

2010-03-29T07:50:00.002-06:00

Just thought I'd update everyone to let you know that in a mere six weeks, I'll be heading back home to the state of Alaska. Until hubby and I can find a place of our own, we'll be moving in with my dad; thus, space will be limited for any mini-making. Grimmauld Place will be going into storage with the rest of my large dollhouses. So, there won't be much updating to this blog for many months. I do plan to make many of the furnishings and accessories for Grimmauld Place by hand as I will have room for smaller projects. As I complete each one, I'll post it here.

Thanks to everyone for following along with me on this project. It is greatly appreciated!!

Wow! Over a 100 followers!

2009-09-14T05:08:00.003-06:00

Thank you, everyone, for taking an interest in this blog of mine. When I created this blog, I never thought in a million years I'd have even half of you following along!

I haven't done anything further to this project in several weeks as I've been in a bit of a slump lately with miniatures in general, but I'll do more before too long. Real life does tend to get in the way sometimes.

On a side note, Dolls House Emporium has also notified me that American Miniaturist and Dolls House World both want to do a more in depth article on my #12 Grimmauld Place project! Very exciting news!

Final Press Release

2009-09-14T05:06:00.002-06:00

I've finally received permission from DHE to post the press release now. Here goes:

A TOUCH OF MINIATURE MAGIC THANKS TO HARRY POTTER

09 September 2009 - Harry Potter fever is once again sweeping the nation thanks to the release of the latest film, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, which has everyone clamouring to see the adventures of the young wizard. However, one fan has gone that step further by recreating Harry’s magical world in her own home.

Taking inspiration from the book, Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, miniature enthusiast Marie Wendt (a proud member of the GSOLFOT Miniatures Club), decided to transform her elegant dolls’ house, bought from The Dolls House Emporium, into No. 12 Grimmauld Place. With dark corners and darker secrets, No. 12 Grimmauld Place is the ancestral home of the Black family and the secret headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.

Marie’s 1:12th scale building stands at five stories high and contains all the rooms mentioned in the book, including the bedrooms where Harry, Hermione and Ron sleep; Sirius Black’s old bedroom, complete with grey silk wallpaper; and the kitchen, which is the hub of the Order’s activity.

The house is a faithful replica of the original building in every sense. From the boiler room in which Kreacher, the house elf, sleeps and jealously guards his stolen trinkets; to the severed trolls’ foot umbrella stand and screaming painting behind the curtain in the hallway, Marie has captured the atmospheric character of No.12 Grimmauld Place created in the book, and brought it life.

“I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and have always wanted to do a Harry Potter themed project – No. 12 Grimmauld Place seemed the perfect choice,” explains Marie.

“I wanted to be as true to the book as I could and the finished house definitely has a certain atmosphere about it. I peeled wallpaper off the walls and covered the ceilings and walls with a dirty water wash to give it that unkempt and slightly abandoned feeling. The exterior of the house is now complete, although there is still more to add to the interior, such as a boggart in a grandfather clock! However, I am really delighted with the way it has turned out so far.

“It is great fun and a great sense of accomplishment to complete a dolls’ house, but this one has been a particular labour of love, mixed with a little bit of magic”, adds Marie.

For further information, please visit www.dollshouseblog.com/collectors and click on Grimmauld Place build in the categories section on the right hand side. Alternatively, please call 080 00 11 44 11 and quote reference PRHP1.

#12 Grimmauld Place released to local UK Press!

2009-08-13T12:54:00.003-06:00

I'm pretty excited to announce that this project of mine is going to be released to the local UK press by Dolls House Emporium! In addition to blogging about it here, I also blog about it at their website since it is their Eaton Square kit I'm using for the project. EEK! I'm pretty stoked! Here's the first draft of the press release. They are going to edit it slightly to convey that the project is still "ongoing" rather than finished.

UPDATE: At DHE's request, I have taken the press release off the blog until it's officially released. I will repost it at that time.

WOW! 60 Followers!

2009-05-27T05:21:00.002-06:00

Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected to ever have 60 wonderful people interested in watching a miniatures creation of mine come to life! I would like to personally thank each and every one of you for your interest in #12 Grimmauld Place and all your kind words about my work...it is truly humbling. Thank you for following along!

The front entry

2009-05-25T10:21:00.003-06:00

This photo was mainly taken to show off the troll leg umbrella stand that Tonks was notorious for tripping over! My friend Cate made it for me and I just love it!

The Basement Level

2009-05-25T10:16:00.003-06:00

So far, this is my favorite area of the house; the basement level. Here you see the kitchen with the boiler room where Kreacher slept. There are flying brooms sitting at the back of the stairs; fresh from the Order's daring rescue of Harry from the Dursley's house.

Interior Shot

2009-05-25T10:05:00.004-06:00

I haven't shown an interior shot of Grimmauld Place in quite some time. Mainly because there really hasn't been much to show. Now, all the rooms are pretty much finished except for the wood mouldings; which will be done this coming week. All the walls have been covered, the floors and ceilings put in, and all the staircases done. The basement level has the kitchen, the first floor is the dining room, the second floor is the drawing room, the third floor is Sirius's bedroom (complete with gray silk walls), and the fourth floor is the room that Harry, Ron and Hermione slept in. I haven't yet decided what to do with the top floor, but I'll probably turn it into the room that Sirius kept Buckbeak in. The only major thing I have left to do is the basement stonework on the inside of the panel door.

Another award!

2009-04-21T13:14:00.002-06:00

A warm thank you to Tiffany for my newest blog award! Thank you!

More of the Kitchen

2009-04-05T10:58:00.003-06:00

Ok, the kitchen walls are finally complete and the room is now ready to be furnished and accessorized. I have the wood I need to make the long table that will go into the center of the room and I also have the light fixtures. I've also started working on the hallway outside of the kitchen and will show pictures of that soon.

My blogs first award!

2009-04-02T05:55:00.002-06:00

I'm so excited! My #12 Grimmauld Place blog received it's first award! It's from Mary at Sunny Sunflower Miniatures and it's truly an honor. Thank you, Mary!

The Kitchen

2009-03-29T11:00:00.002-06:00

The Grimmauld Place kitchen is finally starting to come to life! The stonework on the walls and hearth are made from cardboard egg carton material that was painted, cut into pieces, and glued on. This has been a very tedious process and necessitates me walking away from it for a while to take a break, but I'm pretty pleased with how it's coming along. The doorknob on the boiler room door will be painted silver and the hutch will be filled with dishes that bear the Slytherin crest.

The finished exterior

2009-02-01T11:51:00.003-07:00

The exterior of Grimmault Place is pretty much finished. I will probably add a few more bits of trash on the sidewalk and eventually, I'd like to put a nice wood veneer on the bottom where it's painted black. I'm very pleased with how the outside has come along. Now, I'll be spending my time focusing on the interior details.

The basement and boiler room

2009-02-01T11:46:00.002-07:00

This is the basement as it is so far and the beginnings of the boiler room where Kreacher slept. I still have a ways to go with the boiler room, but I think it's off to a good start. A red grain of wheat bulb adds a glow to the rooom without it being too bright. The boiler was made from an oatmeal canister.

This is the entire kitchen room. The area to the right where there are no stones is where the fireplace/stove will be.

The 4th wall of Sirius Blacks bedroom

2009-02-01T11:41:00.002-07:00

After completely wallpapering the inside of the front panel door, I found out that the walls in Sirius Blacks bedroom were covered in a silver/gray silk. And, since I'm trying to following the books as closely as I can, I had to redo the wall. So, I got rid of what was originally put up and replaced it with a real silver/gray silk. I also used dirty fingers and 'aged' it a bit to make it look older. Once I get the window trim, crown and baseboard up the wall will look more finished. The other three walls in the room will be done the same way.

Walburga Black Portrait

2008-12-04T06:14:00.004-07:00

This is a handpainted interpretation of the screaming Walburga Black portrait in Grimmauld Place. Since we don't really know exactly what the portrait looked like, I think my artists interpretation is absolutely wonderful! I'll be putting a frame on it and the drape around it.

Project Update

2008-12-03T13:09:00.003-07:00

I've received inquiries of late asking if I've done more work to this project. Since my last entry, I've been mainly focusing on collecting things for the inside. I did, however, lay the stone floor in the kitchen and install the boiler and boiler room in the kitchen (where Kreacher sleeps). It doesn't look like much at the moment, but I'll try to get some pictures up within a week or so.

One of the artisans I've hired to help me with this project has recently completed the screaming Walburga Black portrait and it looks amazing!

I've currently been working on a "rush" project lately which is why I've been neglecting my work on Grimmauld Place. But I promise to sneak in a few hours here and there as I've been itching to get back to work on it.

Thank you everyone who has contacted me for your interest in, and following, my project! I truly appreciate your kind words.

Stand by...more to come!

The front view...

2008-08-30T17:11:00.002-06:00

And here is the front view of the structure as it is today. There is still plenty of work to be done to the roof and underground portion of the base, but I've made a lot of progress in the past few days.
With only four inches to spare between the tops of the chimneys to my ceiling, this structure truly is a big one! Not to mention, heavy.
The downspout was made from aluminum tubing.

The front door...

2008-08-30T17:07:00.003-06:00

Here is the front door. True to the story, there is trash strewn about along the sidewalk and front steps. I may add a few more pieces of trash as I run across the right pieces, but for now this will do. Also notice the "12" over the front door.

Troll Leg umbrella holder...

2008-08-30T17:06:00.003-06:00

Here is the handmade troll leg umbrella holder than Tonks was famous for tripping over! Isn't it just perfect?

Inside the main door...

2008-08-30T16:58:00.002-06:00

Here is the inside of the main door to the structure. The only portion of the door that hasn't been finished is the basement kitchen section as I'm still unsure how I'm going to finish the walls for the kitchen.

Exterior view of door and windows

2008-08-03T09:41:00.002-06:00

I had one of those very happy accidents with this part of the project. As I was using the ebony stain to color the flooring, trims, etc. I had a lot on my fingers since I forgot to wear rubber gloves during the process. Well, while handling these windows in order to get them ready to be glued into place, I accidentally got a smudge of ebony stain on them. It made them look dirty and I really liked it. So, I deliberately smudged some stain from my fingers on more of the window and door surfaces and was really tickled at the look I was getting. I had been wondering how I would achieve the look of age on the windows successfully and this happy little accident gave me exactly the look I wanted.

The dining rooms fourth wall

2008-08-03T09:39:00.002-06:00

The is the part of the dining room that is on the inside of the large door that swings open to reveal the inside of the structure. There are still window and door trims to put up, but I couldn't wait any longer to take a picture. I'm very pleased with the direction this project is taking.

The ceilings

2008-08-03T09:32:00.002-06:00

Here is a before and after shot of the decorative ceilings that are in the dining room, drawing room, and hallways. I wanted the ceilings to look very old and mildewy.

The entry hall and dining room

2008-08-03T09:23:00.002-06:00

Here are the beginnings of the entry hall and dining room. I still need to work on the wallpaper so that it appears to be peeling and such. The floors were done in an Ebony stain, as well as the baseboards, crown moulding and door.

Let there be color!

2008-07-30T19:59:00.001-06:00

The project has developed quite a bit in the last few days or so.

The first picture is my project and the second picture is the movie portrayal; courtesy of Wikipedia. You'll see that I'm getting closer and closer to my final goal. I still have yet to paint around the 3rd floor windows, but you can see that things are starting to take shape.

Notice the very bottom floor. This is actually the basement level where the kitchen will be located. Of course, this level is actually underground, so the window and door openings will be filled in. There are some pieces yet to be added to complete this aspect and once they are, you'll understand where this is all going.

The transformation begins

2008-07-26T16:27:00.003-06:00

BEFORE: Here's the dry fit of the main house kit right out of the box.

AFTER: Here's the main house once the extra floor has been added and the entire structure primed and sealed. Altering the kit (or 'bashing' the kit as we miniaturists like to say) added an additional 10 5/8" to the overall height of the kit.

The reason I added the extra floor was because I really couldn't decide on which rooms to do because I really wanted to do them 'all'. However, the one extra floor has given me the opportunity to not only have one more room choice, but it has also allowed me to exactly replicate the number of floors in #12 Grimmauld Place so that it's just like the portrayal.

Shhh...Kreacher is lurking about!

2008-07-25T14:48:00.003-06:00

Well, for those of you who voted to see Kreacher, you won't be dissappointed! Here he is, in all his miserable glory! At only 3" tall, he is truly the star of the show. He's just perfect and I can hardly wait to put him in his home.

And speaking of home, the kit for #12 Grimmauld Place just arrived yesterday and work has begun. Stay tuned for regular updates to this blog.

The Kit!

2008-07-04T18:09:00.003-06:00

This is the Eaton Square w/ Basement kit from Dollshouse Emporium. You can easily see how closely it resembles the portrayal of #12 Grimmauld Place from the Order of the Phoenix movie. The only 'major' difference is the extra windows (three vertical rows instead of two). However, I do not feel this will be too significant a stray from the portrayal.

I'll also be adding an additional floor; and closing-in the arches shown on the basement level. The basement level will be as if it is underground; just like in the story.

Photo courtesy of Dollshouse Emporium.

Doxies amongst us!

2008-07-03T15:41:00.004-06:00

Here's one of the many Doxies that will take residence in the curtains of the Drawing Room. This cute little fella is only a 1/2" long!

Note: There really is nothing documented in Book 5 about the exact details of a Doxie, so this is my artisans best interpretation. I think she did a fabulous job!

Before the Beginning...

2008-07-03T05:41:00.002-06:00

I can't begin to express how excited I am to finally create something from my favorite stories ever, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. This project will revolve around only one of the seven chapters however...Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; specifically, the Orders' headquarters located at #12 Grimmauld Place.

For the longest time, I've wanted to build a 1:12 scale haunted house. Something a bit on the creepy and dark side. Well, #12 Grimmauld Place isn't a haunted house, but it does have many of the physical characteristics that an old, dilapidated haunted house would: aged and dusty floors, peeling wallpaper, spider webs, a sense of gloom, and even a few creepy crawlies. This will be a fun project and will satisfy my craving, if only temporary, for creating something mysterious, dark, and maybe a bit suspenseful.

The dollhouse kit that my project will be made from is called The Eaton Square from The Dollshouse Emporium located at http://www.dollshouse.com. It's the perfect design for this project and it should be on its way to me within a few days.

In the meantime, I want to thank you for stopping by to see the beginnings of my blog. I hope you will come back often and visit. Who knows, you might run into Kreacher one of these days!