If I was really focussed, I would build my doll’s house toy shop, decorate it on the outside and the inside, and only THEN start to collect things to fill it. That would be in an ideal world, of course. But life isn’t like that, is it? In real life, we get tempted by stuff. Well, I do, anyway.
I obviously already had an interest in miniature toys, or I wouldn’t have wanted to make a twelfth scale version of a toy shop at all, would I?!
I’m just trying to justify what I’ve done – I had this plan, you see, that I’d get all the decorating done, and then I’d go online and start buying stuff. But I kind of gave in a few weeks ago, and ordered some rather nice things. They came in a pretty box like this:
Even the inside was pretty, and the packaging carefully folded:
I had taken the tissue paper off before I thought to take the next picture, but this is what was in the box:
Tiny dollies! And a little girl to be the ‘customer’ in my toy shop, who will be able to choose from all the toys!
They have all been made to order by Diane Yunnie, of South Africa, who makes the most gorgeous little dolls. The little girl doll is fully posable, and if you balance her right, she doesn’t need a doll stand.
I have a real soft spot for French-looking porcelain dolls (I collect reproduction full-size ones too – that’s another blog post or two….), and these are just lovely. If you’re not sure of the size of these, each little doll is just under two inches high.
Cute, aren’t they? Quite an incentive for me to get on with my decorating of the Sid Cooke toy shop kit, so that they’ll have a home……
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Janet Granger's Blog 
Dear Janet,
Thank you for this lovely picture of the box with dolls! I read your mail always with great interest, wondering how you manage to organise and make all these lovely items!
Kindest regards,
Loes
________________________________ Van: Janet Granger’s Blog Verzonden: donderdag 30 maart 2017 09:04 Aan: ldvanharinxma-buiter@hotmail.com Onderwerp: [New post] Look what I’ve bought for my doll’s house toy shop – tiny little dolls!!
Janet Granger posted: “If I was really focussed, I would build my doll’s house toy shop, decorate it on the outside and the inside, and only THEN start to collect things to fill it. That would be in an ideal world, of course. But life isn’t like that, is it? In real life, we ge”
Well, the incentive to make more mini stuff is to be able to buy things like these little dolls to go with them 🙂
Oh Janet… they’re absolutely gorgeous. I love Diane Yunnie’s work too! Can’t wait to see how you’re getting on with the shop 🙂
Cute, aren’t they? At the moment though, they’re all lying together in a box, with the ones I’ve bought from you, so they’re all ‘getting to know each other’!
Dianne Yunnie does lovely dolls, I have some of her half inch scale ones and she has done a wonderful job of each of them. I don’t blame you for buying stock for your shop before it is finished, you need to buy something that seems perfect for a project as soon as you see it because otherwise when you want it, it is gone! Plus it’s so much more fun to have things ready to put on display as soon as the shop is decorated and furnished, isn’t it? Sad to have all those bare shelves and have to wait to find things to put on them! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it anyway lol.
Thanks for being such a good enabler!
Well really I think you are being very sensible buying the toys first. That way when you make the shelving to hold them you will make sure the shelf height is correct for what you want to display. Also the contents you buy may decide the era and therefore the decoration of the shop. I bought a Terry McAlister work bench full of tools. I then added more tools by Danny Shotton. This determined the top floor of my toy shop is where they build the rocking horses and dollshouses. So sometimes having the items first affects the way a building develops.
Yep, my thoughts exactly. I’ve got a Mini Mundus shelf unit kit to put together, and I’m going to adapt it to take the dolls by only fixing alternate shelves in place (that’s the theory, anyway).
Reblogged this on theinfill and commented:
Glorious minis
I’ve never collected china dolls myself but these are lovely don’t you think?
Thanks for the reblog. I think they’re lovely, too 🙂
They are exquisite! Work faster as they now need a setting worthy of their charm.
I’m going as fast as I can….!
I just love your dolls I keep saying I would love a shop must get round to buying one I also liked the pram you had on your first blog Dorothy Heeney
There are a lot of doll’s house shops (kits and ready-built) on the market these days – it took me a long time to actually decide which sort to have.
They are just adorable! I think it was a very wise buy … just think how motivated you’ll be to complete the shop now, so that they’ll have a home to go to! 🙂
Thanks – I’ll tell my husband that, when he finds out how much they cost!!!!
Janet, I also have been working on a 1/12th scale doll and toy shop. I have the building more or less done, now I just need to fill it. Thank you for your post on the lovely little dolls from Diana.Would you like to see my building? Would love to see how yours turns out, so am following your posts.
Trish
I’d love to see your pictures – would you email some to mail@janetgranger.co.uk ? Thanks.
Gorgeous! You’re not the only one to encounter temptation to buy stuff, that’s for sure. 🙂 It’s sometimes with great difficulty that I stick to my “only what’s needed, when needed” policy. 😉
That’s a good policy. I’d fail abysmally at it, though. I follow the William Morris idea of ‘only have in your houses things that are useful or beautiful’ (or something like that!). My house is stuffed with both.
I think your box of tiny dolls are Magnificent and the little girl holding her teddy bear has not only the Perfect face but is also Perfectly dressed! Her costume of deep burgundy and plaid with the warm fur trims looks appropriate for the cooler weather, so will your toy shop be geared towards a winter scene?
It probably will end up being at least wintery, if not Christmassy, as those kinds of scenes evoke the Victorian/Edwardian era so well.
Janet I did same thing over 25 years ago. Won my bid on house at auction over 25 years ago. Husband started wiring then life got in the way and gathered dust in basement. 5 years ago after retirement decided to sell or finish. I chose finish and have (myself) finished wiring installed all the lights (all worked) and the past couple of years have totally enjoyed ALMOST finishing it with all the things collected over the past 25 or so years. So much cheaper then than now. Now am enjoying some of your needlework kits.
Well, these things can’t be rushed, can they?! I agree, things were a lot cheaper then, on the whole.
Oh my goodness, they are gorgeous and I can see why you could not resist the urge!
Dolls are my weakness. And chocolate, of course.