Last 3 canal houses

Ok, you just gotta understand that somtimes I get so involved in what I'm doing in my studio that I totally forget about anything else!  So, without further ado......here are the three houses to finish out the Amsterdam Canal Houses. Their stories follow the photo. Again, keep in mind that there are a bag of embellishments which have items that pertain to the story....like a sewing maching button, tiny flowers, etc.  Oh and don't know if I mentioned it before but because my signature color is purple....each house has some element of purple in it. 

Home of the Local Seamstress (aka House I)


But she is not just ANY seamstress! Her designs can be found gracing the elite models all over the world. Her house may seem unassuming but that is because she so greatly values her time alone in her design studio creating fabulous garments for her collection, royalty, super models, movie stars, etc. But when she goes out, she dresses in a manner not to attract attention. When she is not designing, she is traveling to exotic locations all over the world looking for wonderfully luxurious fabrics, unusual adornments and, of course, inspiration! Perhaps that is why there is often a jet flying over her house! And who knows…soon you might even be wearing a beautiful gown from her latest design collection!

Home of the Mayor (aka House J)


This substantial home is the residence of the Mayor. Being politically ambitious, he figured the best way to curry favor with the Queen was to build his house with orange bricks! (Orange being the Queen’s color). He even keeps orange fish in the canal in front of his home. So far, no royal appointments have been forthcoming but our intrepid Mayor will not give up easily. During the day his windows are closed with thick copper colored tapestry shades. His phone is in one window because he is never far from it. He often shows off his home with lavish parties that last late into the night. If you look into the windows (unless you are one of the very fortunate people to actually be invited!) you will see two HUGE fireplaces at either end of the grand hall that runs the full width of the home at the back of the house. Parties in the summer always spill out into the back courtyard that will have a “ceiling” of Japanese lanterns. He will be very friendly when you meet him on the sidewalk. But be cautious…he IS a politician after all.

Home of the Chairman of the Flower Guild (aka House K)


Not difficult to find the house of the Chairman of the Flower Guild. The full window boxes give it away I think. She purchased this house mainly because it had so many windows and she wanted flower boxes on every one of them…even the one for the attic! Even her window treatments suggest pink hydrangeas. She used to have many many flower pots on the sidewalk in front of her house but so many people picked them because they were so beautiful that she plants them along the sidewalk close to her house. They attract butterflies and dragonflies and usually a little frog to eat all the bad bugs. The rest of her wonderful flowers are in her back courtyard and of course…in EVERY room of her many-roomed home. In the spring though, she will place specially made planters along the steps of her roof just to add to the abundance of color and scent to welcome the milder weather. Her real prize is in her attic which she transformed into her indoor hot house with many large skylights. So, please do enjoy her floral display but please don’t pick the flowers.