Minster Lovell Faery Dollhouse ~ Melissa Chaple

Completed in March of 2008, the Minster Lovell Faery Dollhouse is the second Enchanted Woodland Faery Dollhouse Assemblage designed and constructed by Melissa Chaple based upon the descriptions of Elizabeth Bates, who first discovered the original house in the summer of 1917. Unlike the Cottington Faeiries discovered the same summer in Yorkshire, Elizabeth’s discovery has remained a secret until her diary and box of artifacts and photographs were found and listed in an eBay auction.

The miniature fairy house is built to a 1:12 inch scale set in the real world of the small English village of Minister Lovell on the banks of the River Windrush.The river rock base if 18” by 29” and the house stands 29” including attached fallen branch. All furniture (with exception of harp) is hand carved and constructed. Included with the house are the original manuscript diary of 12 year old Elizabeth Bates who first found the original fairy house, her original Eveready flashlight and evidence collected on her Faery Quest.

Construction details:

The house is hand cut and hand built of ¼” high grade plywood inspired by the Glencroft House by Greenleaf.

All stone work is individually applied river rock or sandstone, embellished with natural and artificial moss. Stone work is aged with thin layers of high grade acrylic paint.Stone floors are handmade and aged.

All wood trim is aged and hand applied. Opening window casements contain from 20 to 28 individually fitted pieces of hand cut wood

Stained glass windows feature the work of Ida Rentoul Ostwaithe, Australian artist of the period and other historic windows.

Furniture is hand carved, sculpted and constructed by the artist for this house.

The hand dressed dolls representing the actually fairies found by Miss Bates are Heidi Ott articulated dollhouse dolls dressed in natural fabrics and leathers embellished with micro beading.

The house is fully lit by lamps, flickering fireplaces and hanging fixtures.

All four rooms of the house are extensively decorated with mosses, dried flowers and berries with hidden pewter sculptures, tiny bottles and jars of crystal and beads.

To view more creations by Melissa Chaple, visit her website The Enchanted Woodland Faery Dollhouse Co. at http://enchantedwoodlandfaer.intuitwebsites.com