2012 Greenleaf Spring Fling Kit Preview
by Deb Roberts
First, the important stuff: There is a coupon at the bottom of this page that you can use to get the contest base kit delivered for only $18.95! Scroll down for details!
This year the contest kit is all about components. Greenleaf has provided a fabulous base kit at an amazingly affordably price but that’s just for starters. I took one look at the base kit and immediately thought of half a dozen different concepts. I got on the phone with Tracy Topps and found that the same thing had happened to her except her half a dozen different concepts were totally different from the ones I’d thought of... and that’s some hard core proof of how much potential that one little house has! Even after the contest is over, this kit is going to remain a huge favorite of bashers and artisans because the components can be used on any house.
Even by itself, the base kit is a unique and inspiring house, but Greenleaf didn’t stop there. Oh no, they took it a little further and came up with some add-ons to choose from. The first was the farm stand which is versatile all by itself. Take a look:
You can build it with the backboard on the front:
Or you can leave it off and have an open cross hatch front:
I’m thinking that a third option would be to add the back and then carefully cut away the cross hatch for an entirely different look. Oh, and notice that the sign is also removable. This add on is 8.5”x4.25”x7” so it has enough space to even create a small room on the side of any dollhouse. I’ve been dying to build a Madison with an Appalachian farmhouse theme and this has the perfect shape of the lean-to added onto my grandparent’s farm house. That’s only one first impression and there are hundreds more being chased about in the minds of miniaturists everywhere. I’d love to see this added to one of the stables as a tack room! Or add screening to the inside, insert a screen door in the center, and attach it to any dollhouse for a realistic mud room. It’s so much more than just a produce or bakery stand. Buy a dozen and make your own flea market!
Speaking of doors, Greenleaf surprised us all with an assortment of doors; each one better than the one before. There’s the traditional cross buck door that says “rustic” and “country” and “Tudor”:
Then came the panel door for a more traditional and elegant look:
And then came my favorite! I swear this made me swoon for just a minute when I first saw it.
A screen door! Oh, how often I’ve longed for a screen door just like this one. There have been so many dollhouses I’ve built that needed a screen door and now I’m going to go back and add one to every house that asked for it. At these prices (regular price $6.95 but sale priced at $4.45), it’s a great time to stock up on them. These doors are the answer to builder’s requests for a door that fits 1/8” plywood so having a stash of them on hand means saving money and time later on. You know you’re going to want these doors for future houses!
Now all of this had me on the edge of my seat already because, well, let’s face it, getting so many creative options for dollhouse builders doesn’t happen every day and this is pretty exciting. However, when I saw the next component, my heart skipped a beat and my jaw literally dropped. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing so I blinked and it was still there so it must be real! A greenhouse! And not just any greenhouse; this is the most innovative greenhouse I’ve ever seen. It can be used as a half shell to add onto the side of a house for a lovely and gracious greenhouse or conservatory.
It comes with both clear plastic and mesh screen which is a very nice choice between two equally realistic styles. I already know that one of these is going to be filled with plants and flowers and all the traditional greenhouse pretties and then it will be attached to my Orchid which has been searching for the perfect greenhouse for the past five years. Oh, and another very awesome option is that any of those doors up there will work on the greenhouse so you have yet another way of customizing it for your own personal look. I like to make vignettes for my non-miniaturist friends and I can already see this mounted to a wooden plaque and staged with a sweet floral scene to adorn a coffee table or office desk.
At first I was so excited about its existence that I didn’t realize it could do this next trick and when I saw the two halves put together it just took my happiness to a whole new level. Look at this beautiful, full sized, stand alone greenhouse!
Of course I want to fill it with plants and greenery and tables covered with potting soil but a part of me also wants to add it to an Aadam’s Family inspired Beacon Hill and fill it with grape ivy “dead plants” and vases filled with rose stems and thorns. Whether it’s attached to a house or standing along side as a full greenhouse, it’s exactly what so many builders have been looking for... .a delicate and realistic greenhouse.
Let’s not forget that there are components from last year’s contest kit that would also work on this year’s base kit. Take some time to look around the Greenleaf store at the accessories like stucco, shingles, wood tiles, siding and even dolls, lights, and carpeting because there’s inspiration around every corner. As for me, I’m going back to my planning all the many things I can do with that greenhouse and then take inventory of all my dollhouses to see who wants a screen door and who needs a greenhouse. If you’d like to get in on all the fun and chatter going on among the builders, click here and join in on the fun. But most of all, don’t forget to make your own list and take advantage of the sale prices while you can.
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