Magical Mystery Tower Winner

Ellie Smith from Oxford was the talented winner of this year’s creative competition set by the Derbyshire-based company, The Dolls House Emporium. The lucky winner beat over 300 entries to win the Cadogan Gardens dolls’ house kit.

The annual build-it competition, which is set in March each year, is always a hit with The Dolls House Emporium’s customers and this year saw a record number of entries. The Magical Mystery Tower was supplied to customers as a starting point to build and furnish the tower in whatever style their imagination allowed. Entries varied enormously from lighthouses and fairy retreats to mystical castles and even a tattoo parlour and were judged on both their creativity and craftsmanship skills.

Ellie who designed and built Merlin’s Tower is delighted to have won the competition. The project is based on the stories of Merlin and King Arthur as a boy. Ellie skillfully used her artistic ability and creative talent to make the tower look partially derelict, making the perfect hideaway where Arthur can play. Every detail was remarkably recreated in 1:12 scale, from muddy footprints on the stone floor creating a lived-in look, to a hand-made brick fireplace, and an enchanting landscape complete with sweeping hills, winding paths and crooked stone steps.

Managing Director, Jackie Lee commented, Yet again we have been overwhelmed by the amount of entries we have received and each year the quality gets better and better. Merlin’s Tower is a truly deserving winner due to the creativity applied and skills demonstrated in the project. It gives me great pleasure to know that our customers take such pride in their hobby.

As well as first prize, the company also awarded Linda Boylan from Plymouth of The Dolls House Emporium vouchers for second prize. Linda’s entry was entitled The Faraway Tree and was based on the book by Enid Blyton. She showed great talent in recreating this enchanted home by using layers of modeling clay, artex and a bark roller to create the textured exterior of the tree and completed the project by recreating 1:12 scale versions of Saucepan Man and Silkie; two of the characters taken from the children’s story.

Debra Merritt took third prize of The Dolls House Emporium vouchers for her project, The Faerie Sundial. Her entry showed incredible effort, imagination and attention to detail in both the interior and exterior with many items, including the sundial, a water feature and clothes and accessories for the faeries, being hand-made from a number of different materials.

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Stan Russ is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-toys.com. Find all the toys you wish you had as a kid. Fun and educational toys found here.