Day 135-A Dream Home For Sans!

It was love at first sight.

Strange, isn't it, how you may have never seen it or imagine how it looks like and yet,
the moment you lay your eyes on it, you knew.
This is you! And yours!
That is exactly how it was for Sans! When it came to this house.

You must agree with me that this eclectic,eccentric and irrationally beautiful house which comes with a "formal garden" is so very Sans!

And how appropriate it is that the 1st home to be completed at the palace grounds should belong to the palace craftsman.

"Formal Garden" with a magnificent courtyard, 2 benches, 2 "jewelled chairs", 2 mythological chairs, a fountain, a trellis and a "harem girl".

I found the wonderful Ilisha Heffman through Penny Plain, Two Pence Coloured , a magical blog on toy theatre (another one of my many interests) owned by Trish Short Lewis. I think I read all of Trish's posts in 1 sitting, including clicking through all her links. One of them, Hestia House led me to my kismet moment with Emily's Dollhouse.

Sewing Room with "Emily", sewing machine, sofa, mirror & mannequin

I knew then that this is the dream house for Sans! And as if to confirm our destiny, the house bears the name of the street I live on, "Emily". I was thus anxious to get in touch with Ilisha so I emailed her twice and when she did not reply immediately, I left a comment on her blog, Sunday Magazine Paper Doll Challenge.

I was stuck at her blog for a while, thanks to Ilisha's 1" scale paper dolls (another of my love). Each o f them comes in a kit and are really made for budding fashion designer to play with.

Victorian Samplers

I also found out that Ilisha is a graphic designer and a toy maker who loves buttons, printed fabrics and the wonderful world of fashion.

Childhood Miniatures

To me, Emily's Dollhouse is a culmination of how Ilisha has so boldly and effectively combined all of these talents.

The pop-up dollhouse is half scale. There are 50 animals hiding in the full set.

Master Bedroom

Ilisha mixed patterns and imagery from all periods of history, all over the world so it could not be pinned down to one specific time or place.

Details

As an example, one doll has a skirt from a Russian Icon, a blouse fashioned from Indian fabric, Italian mosaic flowers in her hair and a face from a Pompeian fresco.

Details of Harem Girl and the 2 mythical chairs

Another doll has a skirt made from an Indian parasol.

Guest/Craft Room

Ilisha made patterns from her Italian mosaic pins for the quilt on one of the beds (a "glass" quilt!)

Reading Room

and for some of the upholstery (the blue flowered club chairs).

Courtyard

Fountain and Chairs

She made the fish in the pond from Chinese clouds....

Parlour

She said "I also made way too much furniture than could ever fit in at one time because when I was a child I was intimidated by toys that had a right and a wrong place for things. "

Kitchen & Dining Room

"I was afraid to play with them, so with this house it's impossible not to play."

Sitting Room

And so play I did, till the wee hours of the morning yesterday.

And I fit every piece of furniture inside the house and on the courtyard,
which makes a very happy Sans!