Hogwarts' classroom in 1:6 scale

I have always enjoyed most of the Harry Potter books and the movies. When I first began into the hobby of dollhouse miniatures in 1;12 scale, magical and witchy roomboxes, castles were 'it' and still are. There are a wide array of miniature collectors such as Sally Wallace and her Hogwarts Castle created by Rik Pierce that are famous in the miniature artisan world. 
I recently have been trolling ebay, and noticed a doll that looked like Hermoine. Upon closer searches, I found Mattel had made in 2001 and 2003 replica dolls of Harry and Hermoine in 8 inches high and 12 inches high. (the 12 inch dolls are very rare and hard to find) She was incredibly cheap, and so I purchased her. I plan to acquire the Harry Potter doll as well, and will probably have to make my own Ron Weasley and Draco. Today going thru my miniature items - some I have made some I had purchased, I put together a classroom scene. Elphaba is stepping in for Professor McGonnall.

The school desks including the teacher's, are all from Ebay. I made the books with leather and snakeskin covers as well as the dead plants near the owl cage. (I may paint that black.) The owl was made by a miniature artisan in the UK several years ago. 

The owl cage is actually a 1:12 scale free standing birdcage but works as a tabletop cage for 1:6 scale. I made the dead plants and weathered the little Lemax gargoyle statues. Hermoine is jointed and has a magnet on her hand which allows the little owl's legs to stay in place on her hand. The hand is originally probably made to hold a wand. There is a little handle on her back that her hair covers up that moves the arm up and down. Her knees are also jointed as are her elbows- a really great 8 inch articulated doll! I can hardly wait to get Harry. This has spurred me on to think of creating mandrakes in 1:6 scale, dead plants, and spooky books like I used to. 
Incoming dolls update- right now Broadway Magic Jem is coming as is Dasha, and Spooky Sooki- the Return as well as yeah me! Haunted Beauty 2 the vampire. I have been so inundated with dolls it is hard to remember what arrives and leaves! BUT I am enjoying my haunted dollies immensely- I just wish I had far more time to do the dioramas I love doing with them!

Getting ready for school...

Today is a really rainy, wet soaked day. I have been working on so many different projects, re-arranging LaBelle's, working on tiling the hot tub, scrapbook accessories for the Poppy dolls..I have severely neglected the doll room. Barbietown's boutique window is vacant so I am thinking of doing a Halloween window in readiness for fall/September & October. Or maybe a Back to School window. 

Two of the shelves in the doll room that were supposed to be the classrooms of the towns school were re-arranged. Before I started, seats were empty, teachers were on summer vacation, and the rooms were full of other props and dolls, piled high- these shelves had become a drop point for things I purchased and didn't know where to store. I worked for a couple of hours on these shelves to straighten and organize. Dolly Daily board is already having a themed photo week of Back to School. 

Here are some photos-

When I looked closer for the small children dolls, I finally found Julien with his mom and dad in McDonald's. I have more clone Kelly and Kelly dolls and these little orange Re-ment desks are fragile, Kelly dolls can sit in them- carefully because they are somewhat fragile. I had been collecting alot of student desks like the front two the two Chelsea dolls are sitting in. I got the small desk with the teacher Barbie and the jointed knee Chelsea as well as the blackboard in the Teacher Barbie I can be box set on sale for $6 at Walmart a few months ago. That same set is back up to $22 now! (shakes head) I like the older teacher barbie sets because of the desks for both the students and the teacher. 

This organizing allows me to make a list of items I need to round out my school diorama needs. I purchased the chalkboard from hobby lobby or Michael's and hung it on the wall with t-pins which works. The high school classroom may also double as a diorama shelf for switching out the classroom props for the one room schoolroom I wanted to do for my Victorian/Little House dolls. I have alot of the props I have scoured ebay for which hasn't been easy. I had purchased the slate/chalkboard a long time ago and wish I had purchased some chalk and another one for the elementary school dolls.

My original intention had been to make a school building with hallway with lockers, two or three classrooms, a cafeteria, as well as a playground. (I have some props for a preschool playground.) I was really inspired by Rieckie's Flicker set with her preschool room and playground, as well as Saucy Suwi's The Building of the Priors a doll room I have linked directly back to the school themed photos on both of these links so you don't have to search. When I first began to get into collecting, these two ladies dioramas were the first that entrhalled me with what you could do in 1:6 scale. As soon as I saw these dioramas I was hooked. 
I hope to have more photos and some progress pretty soon on a small photostory. I left off back in February or March as to Poppy and Ryan - Ryan had just asked Poppy to get married. I still haven't finished that storyline to my satisfaction yet. So hopefully I can get that underway soon.
Enjoy!~Lisa