About This Scene:
by Barbara W.
Barbara W's Doggie Deli is a delight!
My latest project I would like to share with you is my "Doggie Deli". I had always wanted to do a shop, restaurant or some type of store in miniature as opposed to the large dollhouses. Now, it goes without saying that I am a dog lover, and I owned three beautiful black and tan miniature dachshunds, Bonnie, Clyde and their son, Bo, whom I love dearly. One day I was watching a television show about unique restaurants in some of the large metropolitan cities in the country.
The show featured a restaurant that allowed patrons to bring their dogs, and the dogs were actually fed at the table. Well, I just thought that was too cute. It made me think about my three babies, and how they would act if they were taken to a restaurant. Now my three doggies loved to eat and had very discriminating tastes, had favorite foods, desserts, and liked it prepared certain ways. So I thought, how about doing a restaurant for doggies in miniature. Of course, the restaurant would be called Clyde's Doggie Deli.
The restaurant would be owned and operated by canines and would only serve canines and felines. My entire family loves dogs; my son and daughter-in-law own two Boston Terriers, Lucy and LB; and my sister and her family own a chocolate Labrador, Josie; a red miniature dachshund, Holly; a German shepherd, Labrador mix, Sandy; and at one time owned one of my Bonnie and Clyde's puppies, Snickers. So I thought that each of these family dogs would have a job in the restaurant, thus, my creation for the doggie deli. I now no longer have my three beautiful dachshunds; I lost all three last year to some very serous illnesses; however, they had lived to ages 13, 13 ½, and 15 so they were very much a part of my life. I started this project before their death and finished it just before losing my little baby Bo. I think it is so neat to have this project that they inspired me to do and is also one way to honor them with something that will always be kept in the family.
I used a room box that I converted to a storefront by putting in a storefront door, bay window and decorative trim, along with a sidewalk, trees and some landscaping. I finished the roombox in off white brick and all the trim was done in red. The interior was electrified with lighted ceiling fans, wallpapered in red and white stripe, with black and white linoleum flooring. I have a bar type counter with stools as well as wire wicker tables and chairs. The restaurant is complete with all types of deli meats and cheeses in the meat counter, all types of foods on store type shelves, hamburger and hot dog grills, sausages, hams and chickens hanging in the bay window, soft drinks and a dessert display case. Prepared foods are on the tables for the doggies to eat. We also have a delivery wagon for take out. Of course, I have miniature dogs representing the dogs in our family as well as other visiting patrons, and feline friends.
I used my computer, photo paper and transparencies to make the food signs that hang in the restaurant on miniature chains, the store name and hours on the entry door and the sign that sits on an easel beside the front door listing the staff and their respective jobs in the restaurant. One of my favorite touches is the picture of our family dogs that hang in the restaurant. I used my computer, scanner and PhotoShop software to scale the pictures down, and framed them in miniature frames to hang on the walls.