We know that you are as excited as we are about the new catalogue so we thought you might like an update on its progress.

Yesterday we were told that it had gone to press, which means that somewhere in the UK, right now, the brand new Dolls House Emporium catalogue is being printed. You can almost smell the new print can’t you?!

Here at Dolls House Emporium head quarters we’re all on tenterhooks because next week, just the other side of the weekend, we should be getting our grubby little hands on the first copies of the brand new catalogue.

There’s been late nights and hard work a plenty to get this one ready so we’re all eagerly awaiting the arrival and culmination of all the effort. We know that you are too so don’t worry; it’s not long to go now!

We’ve noticed that a lot of our forum members are working on their own projects.  We’d love to know what you are up to, whether you are a member of the forum or not.  You can email them to us,  post them on the forum or even use the good old Royal Mail.  For more ideas,  keep an eye on the blogs here and look out for the collectors blogs updates with plenty to keep you interested. To contact us, have a look in the contact us section on the website. We can’t wait to see what you’ve all been working on!

We know it’s hard to keep the old grey matter ticking along in the sticky summer weather, especially if you are working on a new dolls’ house or small build project.  Sometimes the 1% inspiration just isn’t forth coming! So here are a couple of tips to help get those ’little grey cells’ firing on all fronts.

·     Obviously stopping by our forum and seeing what the other miniature enthusiasts have been up to is a must.

·     But don’t forget the collectors’ blogs where you can find fellow collectors projects step by step with their own commentary.

·     Additionally there are some wonderful websites such as www.dollshouseartisan.com providing a vast library of articles and projects.

·     Have a flick through those dolls house magazines and if you don’t have any to hand, your local library should have copies from the last 6 months or so.

·     And of course the local library will be the place to find some of the best dolls’ house books to browse before purchase!

And if all else fails, stop thinking about it, go and have a cup of tea and a flick through our catalogue and something is sure spring out at you!

Here at The Dolls House Emporium we are always interested in the depth and commitment that you all show to the hobby and we wondered how many of you are active members of dolls’ house clubs. Dolls’ house clubs are based up and down and the country and indeed, around the world and provide a great place to meet like minded people and extend that network of miniature enthusiasts. There are also many places to meet with dolls’ house enthusiasts on line, to connect in the ‘cyber’ world. Try looking on Yahoo Groups for dolls’ house clubs and you’ll quickly find you are overwhelmed with choice, and they are also prevalent on social networking sites like Facebook.

To find your nearest club check the dolls’ house press and look out for them at regional fairs, you never who you might meet and strangers will quickly become friends, just as many of you have discovered on our forum!

A visit to The Dolls House Emporium shop is a real treat at any time of year, but during school holidays it’s even more special! There’s so much to see, displays that are not in the catalogue, creative small build projects, unique hand -  crafted items exclusive to our shop, and even free drinks for customers.

We have a Junior Collection house all set up to keep the little ones occupied while you shop, and friendly, helpful staff to advise you on your latest project.  There’s always something new to see, so come along and have a wonderful dolls’ house day out!

The shop is at High Holborn Road, Ripley, Derbyshire. Open seven days a week from 10am - 5pm, with free parking and full access for the disabled.

We look forward to seeing you soon!