NEW YEAR NEW?
Welcome to the first post of 2021 – keeping you up to date on what is happening right now in Dee-Daw land!
10/01/2021 CONGRATULATIONS!
– we made it through 2020!
OK, so 2021 isn’t looking that great at the moment – but there is light at the end of the tunnel (and no, its not a train heading straight for us!)
I have been very busy over the festive break having a good old sort out in my studio, getting organised for the year ahead, with new shelving units and finding a home for all the miscellaneous bits I seem to have floating about in boxes!
With that done, I have had a bit of time to finish some pieces of shop stock and added them to my shop. I have also created a new gallery page of my pick of some of my favourite pieces over the last 12 months – take a look on the ‘Best of 2020’ gallery and see if you agree with my choices (or if something I made for you is included!) – a few are shown below – see the full selection on the gallery page! https://dee-dawdesigns.com/best-of-2020/
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NEW MINI PROJECT!
FANCY A FANCY CHAISE?
I have just added a new mini project for you to have a go at – Upholstery! Because even when you find the perfect bit of furniture, the upholstery is usually the wrong colour or the fabric is poor quality. Re-upholstering an item can seem to be a bit of a daunting prospect, but it’s not really that difficult. Once you have mastered the basic techniques you can tackle anything!
Click here to go straight to the Mini Projects page: https://dee-dawdesigns.com/mini-projects/
…And finally – I have also updated the ‘JUST FINISHED’ section at the bottom of the INSPIRATION page. Take a look to see what I was doing right up until Christmas eve! – click here and scroll to the bottom of the page https://dee-dawdesigns.com/inspiration/
OMG – IT’S CHRISTMAS!
Read on for all the latest news from a festive Dee-Daw land – including some fun stuff like last minute shopping and making mini Christmas stuff – enjoy!
Each new blog entry appears here, with the previous posts available below it – so the very latest news is always the first thing you see!
17/12/2020
Don’t tell me – let me guess, you are all organised for Christmas, presents bought and wrapped, the big Christmas food shop done and now you can relax and enjoy the festive season (as much as you can in 2020!)
Well not everyone is so organised (namely me!) Christmas has snuck up on me while I was nose deep in commissions! I just raised my head to touch base with the world and realised Christmas is next week! OMG – PANIC!!!
(Above – a Christmas Scene I dressed last year – it all looks so perfect – I bet Santa has just popped out to check Rudolph is OK in the stables!)
So I have grabbed a few minutes to put together a few things to mark the festive season – The good news is there is still time to pick up a treat in the DEE-DAW SHOP – last posting dates are on the Home page (UK buyers have until the 22nd December and buyers in Europe until 20th December), and to say a little thank you to all my customers (past, present and future!) I have created a 10% DISCOUNT CODE valid for any purchase in my online shop (excluding my Featherstone Hall Hotel book) valid until 31st December 2020 (discount does not apply to shipping cost – only the item cost). Simply type in deedaw10 when purchasing to have the discount applied.
If you are seriously organised and have nothing to do, you might enjoy the FREE CHRISTMAS MINIATURE MAKES from the downloads page of this website. Simply print out, cut out and make – some are simple and some a lot more challenging!
There are two sheets to this month’s Downloads – the first is the actual pieces to print and cut out, and the second is a sheet of instructions how to make up the more complicated pieces as well as how to finish them off and ideas on how and where to display them. Visit the DOWNLOADS page of the MAKES & ADVICE SECTION to get started.
The sheets include Christmas presents, Cards, envelopes, letters to Santa, wrapping paper, party hat and a fabulous (if tricky!) cracker.
Some of the Christmas cards, envelopes and letters to Santa you can make.
Edward just had to get in on the act with his party hat!
Check back in to the website after Christmas as I will be adding a special new gallery page of some of my favourite commissions of 2020 along with a bit of a review of the year in the random thoughts page on the INSPIRATION section.
Until then stay safe and have the best Christmas possible in the current circumstances – fingers crossed for a better 2021!
Rollercoaster Ride!
Welcome to the news page keeping you up to date on what is happening right now in Dee-Daw land!
Each new blog entry appears here, with the previous posts available below it – so the very latest news is always the first thing you see!
15/11/2020
Its been a strange few weeks – both in the world at large and here at Dee-Daw Towers!
I’ll ignore commenting on the rest of the world though and just concentrate on my own little bit.
I’ve had a tricky few weeks as my 3D printer has broken down and I have been going demented trying to a) find out what the problem was and b) trying to get it fixed and c) trying to get myself back into my printing ‘groove’ with the printer returned to where it was before it broke down!
I think of all of these C has been the biggest problem. I’ll discuss this more on my 3D print blog later, but the good news I am nearly back to running as normal after about 5 weeks of (not) printing misery!
The good news is that I had quite a few pieces ready to start before it went kaput! so in between trying to sort things out I have been able to produce a few things!
As you can see from the pictures above I have managed to make some torcheres – which I had just started last time I posted. I also made use of the test figures I printed and created some flower arrangement stands. I also made an extra set of Torchere figures which I have just added to the LIGHTING section of the Dee-Daw shop.
Of course I have been busy doll making too… and the ladies above are just some of my recent commissions. Left to Right – introducing: Betty the maid with tea tray, Emma the ladies maid, Bessie the cook with apple pie and Dolly the laundry maid!
This custom version of the Harewood fireplace is in yellow to match the room decor and has an additional separate overmantle mirror.
The overmantle is one of my new large picture frames that I make, and I will be adding some to my wall fillers (pictures!) section of the shop soon.
The above – based on my Europa fireplace was quite an interesting commission as it was to match the Coulson dining suite I had created. Using the same colours and custom design china. The dining suite (created earlier this year) is pictured below.
This beautiful tea table set was a joy to do! The table that came with the furniture had a tiny top which was totally impractical for the amount of things I wanted to get on it, so I made a new top and packed it out!
But enough with the ‘Here’s one I made earlier’…. Right now I am trying to get my commissions list back on track after the 3D print hiccup (I really didn’t realise how much I now rely on it until I didn’t have it!) and I am trying to get some new articles and pictures on the website along with some new stock.
I have just added quite a few new bits to to the shop and will be adding more over the next week once the paint is dry!
As everyone seems to be getting ready for Christmas, I have decided to make my next set of print & make downloads will be Christmas themed – I will mail out as soon as I have added the sheet to the downloads page (got to make it yet!)
in the meantime give me a broom as they say!…..
GETTING BOOZY AND STUFFED!
Welcome to the news blog keeping you up to date on what is happening right now in Dee-Daw land!
To explain the title of this post before anyone gets upset! …over the last couple of weeks I have been busy making several bars, bar buffets and drinks cabinets – followed by a large quantity of kitchen tables – so the headline to this post is quite apt!
The good news is that although most of the pieces were custom made orders I did manage to get some pieces made for stock – and they are now available in the shop.
(ABOVE) Both the bar buffet (based on my Eldon dining buffet) and the fireplace were to go in the home of a gentleman who would seem to live a very comfortable life!
There are more details about how the fire above was deconstructed and reconstructed on the JUST FINISHED section of the INSPIRATION page. The lady sitting in her pink four poster bedroom was another recent favourite especially with her boxes of hat and shoe shopping surrounding her – ‘Hashtag goals’ as my daughter would say!
I have just updated my 3D Printing blog with some pictures of my development work on commissions for Torchere light fittings. I have produced cherub figures standing on Corinthian style plinths which I will then connect to 3 arm candelabra to create working floor standing lights. See the 3D Printing blog for more details.
I have also been working on developing my own very large picture frames (pictured left above) to go alongside the standard size ones I usually have at shows. I have now added some of my standard size pictures (pictured right above) to the SMALL STUFF section of the shop and will follow with some large ones once I get them made! Standard frames are 60 x70mm and my large ones will be around 90x100mm.
Thats just about it for this post, but I have been doing things behind the scenes on the website which will make it quicker and easier for me to post – so hopefully you can look forward to more news more often! (and mailed out to you when you subscribe to Dee-Daw Designs).
BUSY NOT DOING NOTHING!!!!!!!
Welcome to the news page keeping you up to date on what is happening right now in Dee-Daw land!
Each new blog entry appears here, with the previous posts available below it – so the very latest news is always the first thing you see!
TIME FLIES….
20/08/2020 I am so busy at the moment – but in the current environment, being busy is something I am grateful for – and to be honest I have been working on some fabulous new commissions which have made the time fly!
At the moment the waiting list for a commission placed now would be about 2-3 months, but I am reliably assured by those who have received their orders, that it’s worth it!
Another benefit of doing commissions, is that I have been creating a lot of new ornaments and decorative pieces which I probably would not have done if not for my commission work, and these pieces then get incorporated into stock items in the online shop – in fact I have just updated the shop with some ‘refills’ and some new buffets and dressers which feature these new ornaments.
Because of the large amount of commissions and stock just completed, I have also massively expanded the JUST FINISHED section on the website (find it on the INSPIRATION page) it is now packed with more and bigger pictures of things so new the paint is only just dry!
I absolutely love my new 3D printed ornaments – at the moment they are just for use on my stock furniture and commissions, but I will eventually sell them as sets in different colours. In the meantime, I have just added two of the buffets below to my shop, in the BUFFETS & CABINETS section.
I really enjoyed making some new figurine and bird ornaments recently and so made a few extra and created these two one-off dressers to showcase them. There are only the two, one mink/cream with hand painted floral decoration and one mahogany with gilt decoration. Both have just been added to my shop in the in the BUFFETS & CABINETS section.
DOWNLOAD DELIGHTS
The new FREE downloads page in the MAKES & ADVICE section of the website seems to be proving popular, and so I have just added the second one – pretty gift or shop boxes – You can find the document to download cunningly disguised on the DOWLOADS page in the MAKES & ADVICE section – enjoy!
SHOWS
With some lockdown easing taking place, I have been asked recently about what shows I will be doing, and I wanted to take this opportunity to ask for an opinion.
At the moment I should be attending York and Kensington in November. These shows (under current guidelines) would have to be socially distanced (so probably fewer stalls) and both visitors and stallholders wearing masks, and limited numbers of customers at each stand. How do you feel about this? Would you still want to attend a show under such restrictions?
I would really appreciate some opinions back to get a feel for what the ‘new normal’ should be. Please get in touch by replying to this email or using the contact form on the website – Thanks.
…AND ANOTHER THING
I have also had a couple of people get in touch recently to ask if I know where they could get their dolls houses valued – either for sale or insurance. And to be honest I haven’t a clue, but if you know of a company that does, please let me know and I’ll add the details to the website.
GARDEN STATUES
With everyone still in lockdown in one form or another – either isolating or just not able to go anywhere, many people now have immaculate gardens – and this seems to have crossed over into miniatures too! I have just completed a set of almost life size (1:12 doll life size) garden statues which I am really chuffed with. I was thinking about what other uses they could be put to and I remembered my trip to Chatsworth house (pre covid-19) and the gallery of statues and how they were also used on the grand staircases. Some of the huge (dolls) houses my customers have told me about – and shown me pictures of, would be perfect to house some – I even have a Roman emperor I have not yet printed out if anyone wants one….
That just about brings me to the end of this blog, but check out the updates on the rest of the Dee-Daw Designs website for more new bits and bobs and stock in the shop!
ORNAMENTS GALORE!
Welcome to the news page keeping you up to date on what is happening right now in Dee-Daw land!
Each new blog entry appears here, with the previous posts available below it – so the very latest news is always the first thing you see!
JUST FINISHED…
20/07/2020 I have updated the JUST FINISHED section on the INSPIRATION page but wanted to expand on the pieces shown. The first is a Wedgewood china version of my Harewood fireplace. I love the classic blue and white of Wedgewood china and the style of the Harewood fireplace ties in to period beautifully – so I was really pleased to get the commission. I found it a bit of a challenge to paint the urns but think they’ve come out really well, and I’d love to do more – so if you like Wedgewood you know where to come!
I love my job! I also love Limoges China, so this garniture, made for the fireplace below, let me go mad with the blue and gold paint! All 5 pieces are 3D printed.
