Fireplace

As soon as I saw this fireplace in a dollhouse store in Denver this summer, I knew I had to have it. It surprised me that I wanted it, actually, since it is more traditional--I have been dreaming about a retro/modern brick one for my Doll Domiciles Contemporary house, which is under construction--but I just liked it. And the price was good too: $19.99!

I have not used it until now, but it has been on my mind. I then realized why: it strongly reminded me of the stone fireplace in our summer house when I was growing up. That one was a darker grey stone, but the profile was similar, and it even had a wooden mantle. This room is arranged in a completely different way than our cabin, which had dark wooden panels and country plaids, but it managed to make so many good memories come flooding back.

Let me know if you've done some creative fireplace work lately -- would love to see your ideas, especially as inspiration for the Doll Domiciles home. Here's a picture of the house in progress as a refresher!

A bit tricky, eh? I hope to go visit the house again soon to check its progress!

I hope lots of you out there are busily working on your scenes for the Call of the Small/Cubebot Challenge! There were 10 lucky international readers who were the first to respond on my post, and free Micro Cubebots are on their way to Canada, UK, The Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Finland, Spain, and Italy! Can't wait to see what they do! Remember, the winner gets a $200 gift certificate to the amazing design store AREAWARE! Submissions are due on December 1 to minibotchallenge(at)gmail(dot)com. If you don't already have a Cubebot, AREAWARE is now offering a 20% discount on their site; use the promotional code MINIBOT upon checkout and have fun shopping!

Credits: Fireplace is from Norm's Dollhouse store in Denver; couch is minimodernistas; side table is from miniatures.com; rug is handmade by The Shopping Sherpa; cat tower is Re-ment; light fixture is vintage German; flooring and wallpaper are all from the Paper Source. Accessories are beads, Playmobil, Michaels, and vintage eBay finds.

The time it took me: 1 hour, five minutes

Cubebot Challenge

I am so excited and pleased to launch the Call of the Small/Cubebot Challenge! I intimated in this post that I had a special giveaway coming, and I've been busily working out the details with the great folks at AREAWARE, who are responsible for the David Weeks-designed Cubebot, a phenomenal wooden puzzle "person" with endless options for endearing poses and shapes.

Cubebot has attracted a following worldwide, creating demand for Cubebots of all sizes, including the latest: Micro Cubebot, which was just released in a rainbow of colors on October 1.

Photo courtesy of the Cubebot Facebook page

I've tried out Micro, and it is so well suited for 1:12 dollhouse environments, closed or open (or somewhere in between)! So...I thought why not put out a fun challenge to dollhouse hobbyists working in all scales (that's right, my 1:16 and 1:6 friends, that means you too!) to use Cubebot in a creative, innovative, and unexpected way!

Are you up for it????

Here are the details:

1) Have a Cubebot already? Great! Don't have one? Not to worry! AREAWARE is offering a site-wide 20% discount to help you along in buying your very own Cubebot! Use the promotional code MINIBOT at the time of your purchase on www.areaware.com to receive 20% off. The discount applies to your entire order, not just the Cubebot you choose to purchase, so have fun shopping!

A special note for my followers outside of the United States: I WANT you to participate, but the international shipping costs from AREAWARE are quite high. So...thanks to AREAWARE, I am able to offer a FREE Micro Cubebot to the first 10 international followers who leave a comment on this post. In addition to being located outside the U.S., I ask that you don't already have a Cubebot -- I really want to give those Cubebot-less folks a chance to participate! Good luck! UPDATE - 10/8/12: All ten Micro Cubebots are claimed! 

2) Use any sized or colored Cubebot in a dollhouse or room box, using any aesthetic. This challenge is open to all tastes and scales. ***Regardless of style, color, or scale, it is important that you use your Cubebot in an innovative way, completely open or closed, or anywhere in between. It is also important that we still know it is a Cubebot -- so let us see his face! The three key criteria that will be used to choose the winner of the challenge will be: a) creativity/ingenuity b) artistry c) fun/surprise quotient***

3) Take photographs of your Cubebot setup and submit a maximum of FIVE (really, only five) of 1MB or less each to minibotchallenge(at)gmail(dot)com. Please include the subject line: "Cubebot Challenge." You may only submit once. Submissions MUST be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on December 1 in order to qualify for the challenge.

4) I will post all submissions as I receive them to a public group on Flickr: Call of the Small/ Cubebot Challenge. You will be able to view the submissions even if you are not on Flickr, but you need an account if you want to comment on any photos or pose any questions to the group. Go here to join Flickr.

5) All submissions will be reviewed by a panel of judges after the contest closes on December 1. The panel will include yours truly and a group of very enthusiastic folks at AREAWARE. One grand winner will be chosen, as well as one runner up. The grand winner will receive a ***$200 gift certificate to AREAWARE*** and the runner up will receive a Cubebot (AREAWARE will select a bot especially for you)! The winners will be announced within a week of the close of the challenge on December 1 right here on the Call of the Small blog.

Have I gotten you very excited about participating in this fun challenge??? You have a whole two months to  use your Cubebot in new and unusual ways, and I hope it's a chance for you to get reacquainted with your bot, or make Cubebot's acquaintance.

I tried my hand at it, and it is challenging, but fun...!

Go and get started, and look for updates and posts on the Call of the Small Facebook page, my Twitter feed (hashtag minibot), and on AREAWARE's social media networks, including Cubebot's Facebook page and Twitter feed!

I cannot wait to see what you all come up with!!! GOOD LUCK!