Sunday, August 11, 2013

Welcome to 'The Whispers'


For three hundred years the people who have lived at the Whispers have reported they heard and felt someone whispering in their ear. Though no one has ever reported they have seen a thing! Just that they heard a woman's voice.

It usually happens at night when people are asleep. They wake to hearing a soft spoken message. "Is the baby alright"? That was heard by a guest who had come to visit with her two year old boy recently. The child had gotten up from his bed and was stabbing the banked coals in the fireplace with an iron poker. As he had seen his mother do before they went to bed.

Sometimes while I am working, I amuse myself with stories. Do you make up stories about the people that live in your dollhouse? Do you know what those people like to collect, what their interests/passions are or what they do for a living? Do you know where or what country they live in, the name of the town or village or street? Feel free to tell a little of your dollhouse story here. After all, isn't this all about having fun.

Still in progress..... A 1: 144 Scale half timbered cottage.
The roof is not glued in place yet. I can't add any weathering to it until it is attached.
I am working on the rooms and furniture now. I am wondering if I will want to do any landscaping in a small area around the house. Maybe add a over the door small roof.  

42 comments:

  1. Hello Catherine. I have based my story of " # 43 Green Dolphin St.", partly on the novel of the same name. The story was a TRUE ONE of 2 sisters in love with the same man. He loves only one of the sisters but ends up married to the wrong one because of a slip of the pen. This mistake, that he never reveals, is worked out in the lives of each only after years of grief and adventure for all 3 of them. Yet over the course of time, is resolved to the mutual benefits of both the husband and his un-loved wife and her sister as well. My doll's house contains subtle clues and references to the story and that has been fun. Not a literal translation of the book, but more of a hint of the times and the places and the principals of the novel, that I have judiciously translated into my doll's house. It has been a fun, frustrating and interesting translation into miniature, that,( even as I write this), is not yet over!
    Thank you, Catherine for the opportunity to tell my story here! It was
    a challenge to condense it. I hope that I didn't run on too much?
    Your half-timbered cottage is beautifully done and the interior will be just as spectacular as the exterior is. I as looking forward to seeing how you do it.

    elizabeth

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Elizabeth... How WONDERFUL! I loved hearing the story of your dollhouse. Thank you for sharing it with us.

      I can imagine that it has given you a direction in respect to how to stage your rooms and the things you have collected for them. I might like to read that book it sounds very interesting.

      Delete
    2. Hi again Catherine, I should have added that the story is set in Victorian times but the doll's house is an accumulation of both then and now. It is really more about the writer of the novel, and how she lives, than of just the novel itself.

      elizabeth

      Delete
    3. Thank you for coming back to clarify more details for us. I love these stories!

      Delete
  2. An eerie story Catherine, but the house is delightful.
    I think my Petit Parterre is haunted, that is why renovations have taken so long. Matthilde who was overseeing the work, was found dead at the bottom of the empty stairwell, no explanation of how she got up there. The workmen have repeatedly walked off the job as they get an eerie feeling when they go near the back of the shop. Investigations are still underway but meanwhile work on the shop has come to a complete standstill. I am currently looking for a male manager to take over the supervision of the work (I am too scared to spend too much time there while it is empty!).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Another great story! Thank you for telling it to us Margaret. Speaking of creepy... Your house seems to embody a bit of that too. ;-)

      I really believe that a house without a story has no soul. I think I can spot those dollhouses too. They remind me of builders show houses. Lots of lovely things but they are sort of sterile.

      Delete
  3. Hi Catherine,

    You always have such great topics in your posts.Its so lovely of you to ask about our houses, I have already enjoyed Margret and Elizabeth's stories. I just adore your whispers tale, I really got a little chill down my back when I read it, so imaginative and the cottage is just delightful.
    Whilst Ambrosia Place is essentially timeless I think it's set after the second world war and is in South Carolina, the Lady of the House lost her husband in a horse riding accident and is left to care for her twin Girls and baby. She is a very creative woman, an artist and photographer, she is sensitive but strong and misses her husband deeply, treasuring momentos of their lives together. The overall feeling of the house is transient, highly feminine with the 3 females and baby and a spiritual energy throughout the house. On some level I think the house is the essence of my mother who passed away in 1993, there are reflections of her through out.
    Interesting that so far we all have some form of tragedy linked to our houses.
    Thank you Catherine for the opportunity to share the story of our houses, I will be back later to read some more.
    Oh, and I need to come up with a story for my new house!!

    ML Fi xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ANOTHER wonderful house with a story! Being the creator of the story allows you to incorporate personal elements into it. Such as the remembrance of your mother. That is lovely!

      You are not the only person I know who does not have a man living in her dollhouse. We have another blogger friend who also doesn't. I am hoping she will come in and tell us the story.

      Thank you Fi!


      Delete
  4. I love the mini house! :D I usually have a story for the house, though the occupants are always out of the scene. I am just finishing up The Haunted Heritage posts this week and will miss writing about grandma and her falling-down house. :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I look forward to seeing your new post. Your work is always fantastic and always tells a story.

      Thank you!!!

      Delete
  5. Catherine, your little cottage is fabulous, such detail! And the story, as well as all the stories, very interesting and well...creepy. I love it! I don't have one to share but I've thoroughly enjoyed your story behind the cottage/name and those of everyone who commented here---

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You have a dollhouse. I know a bit of it's story and it is a good one. I wish you have told it here. :-)

      Delete
  6. I love your beautiful little house and story and everybody else's stories. Oh, goodness, my own story is very long, I think I will write a post on my blog later this week instead of cluttering up your comments ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Elga!
      I look forward to reading your story post. BUT.... You could have written it here no matter how long it is. We aren't going to run out of paper. :-)

      Delete
  7. Oowie! Great post Catherine! You're right bout the stories, for some they can really drive a miniaturist individually to give shape and dimension through creating objects and scenes to portrait it all. Learning bout these stories, like here for instance, make these houses come more to live! Like you said, they gain soul... Unfortunately I cannot add my story (homeless girl ;) but be assured i do appreciate them. Like your eerie one.... brrrr....

    btw, awesome cottage! I keep telling myself; this is really really SMALL! Unbelievable :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am watching your beautifully carved table emerge out of a block of wood. No one could do that with out putting a bit of their soul into it. All you pieces have that sort of feeling about them.

      Delete
  8. Catherine, I LOVE The Whispers - such a darling little house, and such an intriguing story. Now I'm wondering who the woman was and how she died...

    I'm building a California Craftsman house, built in 1920 and given a few midcentury "updates" in 1962. It's set in an older neighborhood a few blocks from the beach (it could easily be in one of several beach towns, so I'm giving it a fictitious address - the house number is going to be an area code and the street name is going to reference something else) and is now lived in by a modern-day family of three - mom, dad, young daughter (still haven't found the right names for them). Almost everything in the house will reference real places, artists, bands, companies, etc. here in California.

    My previous project, a French townhouse, is my dream home in miniature. I also have a back story and carefully-thought-out occupant for this year's Greenleaf Spring Fling (sorry, no spoilers)!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Comment une chose si petite peut elle contenir une grande histoire effrayante ? BRRrrr ! C' est magnifique .
    Merci à toutes pour vos histoires concernant vos maisons . Elles sont étonnantes . C'est passionnant de lire ce que vous avez écrit sur ce qui motive vos choix et votre création .
    Je ferais plus attention en regardant vos maisons .

    ReplyDelete
  10. that story reminds me of the uninvited http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037415/

    great story and lovely house

    Hugs
    Marisa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you!

      That movie 'The Uninvited' scared the daylights out of me when I was about 8 years old. It was really creepy!!! It had an interesting twist too.

      Delete
  11. Hello Catherine,
    I loved your story. I think stories are important. It helps figure out what belongs in a house or else it is just a collection of stuff. When you have a story you can fill and build the rooms with "real" characters in mind which is what makes a room realistic...you keep on coming up with those stories.
    Big hug,
    Giac

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Giac! Your house already tells a story and it isn't finished yet. :-)

      Delete
  12. I am fascinated by your gorgeous little house. The detail that you manage to achieve on something as tiny as this is truly amazing. It's not my decision, but I think a little garden around the front would be lovely. I look forward to what comes next.

    Linda x

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thank you Linda,

    I am trying to figure out what I need to add a garden.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Lovely little house and great story. I'm trying to work a story around my vintage house 'The Laurels'. So far I know it will be inhabited by a lady who loves birds and makes beautiful costumes to be able to maintain her beautiful home. I'm thinking her husband is missing - perhaps on a bird watching expedition... I need to work on the story a bit more yet!

    ReplyDelete
  15. That is a wonderful theme! Thank you for sharing it. Have you seen this ladies birdcages
    Ursula Dyrbye-Skovsted https://sites.google.com/site/ursvds/
    They are so beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Catherine, Great post. Your house came out so wonderful. I agree with Linda.....a small garden will finish it off perfectly. Just add a small base that the house will set on. Love all of the stories!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Patty!
      Thank you!
      Yes, I agree. It really needs a small space of a garden around it. I think it needs a vine going up the side of the house too.

      Delete
  17. As with everything you make, I am in love! You do such meticulous work, and I love the story you made up as well.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thank you Alessandra!
    You know I LOVE the story of your cottage. I hope to see some more progress on it someday soon. You have done so much wonderful work already. It looks just like the movie set. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  19. I've been feeling guilty about not getting back to that sooner. I dream about it. During the summer, with my kids out of school, it's difficult to work on minis because they get too intrigued. I need to work on it and thank you for prompting me. I've been feeling like a fraud for saying I am a miniaturist on my blog, so I need to get cracking!

    ReplyDelete
  20. School should be starting soon. Maybe that will give you a chance to get back to building your cottage. I sure look forward to seeing a new post! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hi Catherine! I Love the Tiny Whispers House! And I am afraid I make up too many stories.... the dolls have taken over! But Definitely I would be lost in my building if I didn't know the story of who lives there! If I could only get caught up on some of my building projects.... ! I tend to get distracted by the stories from time to time! In my Tree House project I hope to introduce the owners of the House soon.... !
    I hope you will share your stories often... it does make it a lot of fun!!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thank you Betsy!

    I am still working on the house. Tonight I made curtains and some furniture. There is going to be a small area of garden around the house.

    I am so relieved to hear everyone's stories. I was starting to think I might be alone in doing that. haha

    I look forward to seeing your post of the new owners moving in to the tree house. ;-))

    ReplyDelete
  23. La fachada es espectacular. Un estupendo trabajo con unos materiales con mucha imaginación. También con la historia....

    ReplyDelete
  24. What a pretty house!! Such detail on such a small scale. I am looking forward to the garden! I did get the chills reading the story. I wonder if I could sleep at night knowing there is a haunted house in my house. That said, I am working on a house for my ancestors, so it is haunted as well, be it intentional and so far I have only heard happy noises. Even a party once. I am certain I could smell the cigar smoke... Art and Angélique are the janitors of the house. They keep things ready at all times for the Ancestors to pop in for a visit. Art only just joined us and Angélique is crazy in love, which is good. She's lost herself in his eyes at the moment, which gives me a bit of rest and quiet :-) It's a relief to know I am not the only one who's imagination has gone wild. I do wonder, do you think talking to the dolls is a sign I need therapy? :-D

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thank you for telling us the story of your house. It is a very good one. I think most of the people that have shared their stories also have a few uninvited guests.
    I don't have dolls in my collection but I do have a very clear idea about what the people look like. If imagination didn't go wild...The first dollhouse never would have happened.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Wow, wonderful story and beautiful House!
    Hugs
    Kikka

    ReplyDelete
  27. Thank you Kikka. I am having such fun with it. And now I am working on the inside I realize what I really care about is the architecture.

    ReplyDelete
  28. You know I love stories: soon as they finish all the commitments related to the summer season, this year more hectic than ever, I introduce you ... myself, in 1:12 scale, finally went to live in the dollhouse :-)
    That said, this house is amazing and I'm sure you'll once again shall do a miracle!
    Lovely hugs,
    Flora

    ReplyDelete
  29. I agree with you Catherine. Every home must have a story :) and yours is a captivating one .

    ReplyDelete