Floating House Final Pictures

Hi.  Today's weather is overcast and cool.  I'm loving every minute of it.

The floating house is finally finished.  The only thing missing is the water around it. I am also thinking of adding greenery to the top channels.   Hubby won't let me put water in the living room.  Can't understand it.

Enjoy.

This is my interpretation of the floating house.  I do have to add a railing on the top.  And I put the steps inside but forgot to take the pictures.  I am quite pleased with the outcome, especially since it is 1:48 scale.

This is one side of the kitchen.  I made the cabinet, sink and stove.  

 This is the bedroom.  Behind the bed is a dresser.  I made everything in here, too.

 In this picture, you can see the fridge/freezer I made.  It's silver.

 The picture on the right is the bedroom, looking from the outside.

This is looking into the living room. The furniture is leather.

So although this house has no water potential, I really like it a lot.

Until next time.

Pat

Third times a charm?

This is the third time I've written this post.  Verizon knocked me off twice.  And even though I saved it during the typing, there's no post. I can't even find the drafts.  Can anyone help?

So I am trying to explain how I got from start of the roof to the finished roof.  A few have asked how I got there.  I will say I followed directions but veered away from them often.



First, I painted the roof because, as I explained, it is a heavy cardboard.  I used Valspar interior paint.  It is a 4 oz container that costs about $4.  I can take any color from the color chips and they will mix it free!  While there is nothing wrong with craft paint, I often don't like their color selection.

                           
Then I did the leading that would look like a metal roof.  I carefully marked where all of the wire would go.

Except I found wire to be very difficult to fight with.  I searched and found some thin black cording in my sewing stash.  Voila!  It worked.

I started at the center and glued the cord down. On the above photo, the cord isn't glued.  I then cut and glued on the lines.  I didn't have to worry when the cord raveled.  The next coat of paint took care of it and there would be a dormer window in the center front.

I finished the front leading.  I laid out strips on the top and sides.  I didn't like the overall look.  And once it's done, that's it.  There's no taking them off.  And for a small building, I think less is more.






Next step was to begin the weathering.  First was to take tissue paper and paint it on.  Looks like a Halloween project.

This is where the directions and I parted ways.  I guess my dry brushing is not very good.  This is the third coat after one of cream and then grey.  All dry brushed.  This is the brown dry brush.  All I thought of was an abandoned building with a rusty tin roof.  Nope.  So I decided that dry brushing brown was not my strong point.

I repainted over the brown.  I gave it several creamy coats of paint. I think it looks weathered but it looks as if the owners of the house take care of their things. LOL  At this point, when it dried, it was ready.

This is the roof finally done.  I placed the dormer windows and the roof chimney pots.  I am pleased with the final results.









I am now in the process of assembling furniture kits for the house. They need to be painted.  I am testing them to see how they fit.  I have a lot to do.

See you next time.

Pat

Le Petit Maison Work

I would have had this post written sooner but I couldn't find the transfer cord that goes from the camera to the computer.  I looked everywhere for several days.  Finally found it on the floor in back of the couch.  It's better not to ask how it got there.

Also am going to keep my Le Petit Maison work on a separate blog.  I may put up several on the same day for the Projects in Progress and Finished Projects. 

I did several things on the house that I am entering into the contest.    I tried to use thin wire for the edging but the wire refused to work properly.  So I used a little larger gauge and it worked.

The house is a thick board material. The directions said to paint the roof with 2-3 coats of a solid color so I painted the roof three coats of creamy grey.  I have a bad habit of rushing the drying process of both paint and glue.  This time I was smarter and actually put the roof away from my hands. It worked.

The wires for the roof.

The roof after 3 coats of paint.

I bought some laser-cut quarter-scale furniture kits from this wonderful place, Mini Etchers (www.minietchers.com).  I bought a cottage bed, two cottage nightstands, a stove, a refrigerator, two sets of upper cabinets, a sink, a wing chair, a bread box and a plant stand.  I also bought base cabinets for the kitchen.  They came today!

So I was busy today putting these kits together.  I will paint them in the next few weeks.  I do have some of my progress to show you.

This is what they look like when finished.  I think they are so cute.

See these tiny pieces?

                

I have decided finally that the house will be a French cottage.  I wasn't sure but I am now.  I love the look of them.

Until tomorrow...

Pat

I am back.  I have, in the past few years, been getting stronger after my stroke.  So now I think I am well enough to share some more of my work.

I will post pix of what I have finished.  I will also post the projects in progress.

Also, I have joined up to participate in the contest from Undersized Urbanite (I call it U.U.).  I have a 1/4 scale dollhouse from Petite Properties.  I have until February 2016 to finish it.  Then it's time for the judging. So I will let everyone know how to vote!

I think that I will divide my future posts into three sections:  My work on the house for U.U. will be first, next I will post my projects in progress and then post my finished projects.

I hope some of you will come back to this blog.  I'll try to post several times each week.

U.U. House

This is the front of the house.  It is quarter-scale.  I painted it a silver grey with lighter grey and white trim.

Projects in Progress

 I saw this floating house while searching for something different.  I fell in love with it. It is built by SteelTec and I found there are many floating houses out there.

So I decided to design in in quarter-scale.

The photo on the right is my start.  I wanted the windows to slide like the original house.  That was so difficult.  I had to make channels, which were a challenge  I used this special plasticene sheet that I purchased at a model store.  I will use it for the bent side piece.

I put on the second story and because I want it to be shown, I left the top windows open with only a piece of plastic (for window panes) so the inside can be seen.  The grey posts you see on the corners of my house are from a thin cardboard roll my hubby found at work. I needed something for the top piece so I used the round plastic piece from the milk carton pull-up piece.  All painted grey.


I am getting ready to put the stairs on it.  I will post a picture of the original house with the stairs.

Finished Project

 This is from a kit.  A quarter scale building that I made into a coffee shop.  I made the pictures in the front part of the table and stools.  In the second picture, I put the QS chairs that I received from a friend.













This is the one side of the cafe.  The next pic is the other side.  It has a flowering vine creeping up the side, a flower bed at the end of the patio and a couch that was part of the set from a friend.  You can't hardly see it, but there is a skylight in the left photo.


So this is how I have been.  I will be working on the roof of the U.U. house this weekend.  I have to buy some more brown paint.

Until next time...

Pat

Dragon egg nests finished

I haven't been writing.  I know.  Why?  Because I've been working and have done nothing!  Ha.

Anyway, this morning I am off since the schools had 1/2 days.  I finished the dragon egg nests.  The original nests were so neat and originally I was going to do them that way.  But then I realized how many creatures line their eggs up perfectly in their nests?  Maybe some do.  But not my dragons.






This was the nest awaiting the filling for the eggs.  The original nests used straw but I didn't have that.  And if I'm not sure I'll use it in the future, I don't want to buy it.

 
 
 




So I used mossy stuff and nestled the eggs in the mossy stuff.  They are not perfectly placed.  They fit my thoughts of dragon nests better.  And that is what poetic license is all about.



 

 

Now if you want to see how protective dragon parents are, please look at the photo below.  Papa Dragon and Mama Dragon want to put the nest with its eggs in the house.  There are two screaming children who do not belong in the house trying to prevent them from entering.  It promises to be interesting.  I will look in on them later.

 

 

 

So today I hope to accomplish something else.  I really don't like it when projects take so long but life just keeps getting in the way!

 

Until tomorrow,

 

Pat

 

P.S.  If you haven't already, please go to otterine.com blog and see her latest creation.  She is so talented.  I hope she wins the contest!

 

Finished Garden Corner

We had another snowstorm and it isn't even winter.  I know we're not the only ones.  But it caused me to lose a day of work.  Boo hoo!!!  I drove all the way to school before I found out it was closed.  When I left home at 7 a.m., it still wasn't closed.  They closed it about 7:05.  The h.s. students were already in their classes since they start at 7 so the buses had to turn around and get them to go home.  It was a mess.  But when I settled down after I came home, I decided to finish some projects. 

I finished painting the 45 crates.  I need to make a few more dragon eggs and that's my goal tonight. 






I also finished the garden corner with a bird bath.  You really can't notice but I squeezed some E6000 clear glue into the bird bath and it will look like water when it's dry.  I used a shell for the bird bath and used beads for the stand.

It will be mailed out tomorrow.







Then I have some friends who also collect certain dolls -- the same ones I do -- and six of us exchange holiday cards.  I finished the photo for the cards today and will address them tonight.  I think they came out cute.

I'll be busy tonight.  Until tomorrow,

Pat

Crates galore

Hi there.  We have a cold spell settling in but thank goodness we don't have the snow that is in the west.  Temperature is 28 degrees.  Brrr.

Went out to dinner with a bunch of friends tonight.  It was fun and the food was okay.

So today I finished the crates for the dragon eggs.  I spent the entire afternoon using the miter box.  My hands were sooooo tired.  I don't think I'm meant for manual labor.  LOL

Here are the crates.  I think 45 are shown.  Maybe.  There may be a pile somewhere else.  Tomorrow after church I will tackle the painting of them.  Then it's finishing them up.

 

Still struggling with making a birdbath or bench for the garden corner.  It has to be mailed by Monday!  So you know what I'll be doing.

I plan to put our tiny tree up tomorrow, too, since I didn't get to it today.  And Rowena is making noises about her house not being decorated yet.  I have the decorations out but haven't put them up yet. 

I work all next week so if I have any energy left when I get home, I have to do her house.  Oh yes, I also have another swap project.  I love having projects lined up.

Anyway, hope your evening has been great and your Sunday is marvelous.

Until tomorrow,

Pat

Garden corner view

Hi there.  Warmish temperature.  The cold is expected by this weekend.  However, that was predicted by the woolly worm.  What???  Never heard of it?  Well, when we were living in rural KY, the woolly worm was a weather predictor.  Depending upon its colors, it could be counted on to forecast the winter.  Any dark spot on the caterpillar was very very cold weather.  Medium brown was cold and light brown was mild.  There were "sightings" where people called each other and kept track of the colors.  For example, dark/med brown/light meant frigid/cold/mild.  Beware of the all black one!  There were even annual woolly worm festivals, complete with races where the caterpillars would climb up a rope.  Who could reach the top first??  This is true, I swear.  You just can't make this stuff up.  Anyway, what started this rant is the fact that I saw a woolly worm last week--here in NJ.  It was light brown, dark brown, light brown and then a little dark at the end.  So we are presently in the light brown stage. 

I now have my google back and the ability to add pictures.  It's really annoying when it gives fits.

 

I love the hat and the birdhouse on the top shelf.  The tote bag has gardening tools in it.  I think the whole project came out nice.

 



I am showing you what I've done so far on the garden corner.  I am going to put something in the empty corner to fill it and give it balance, either a table and benches or a birdbath, whatever is easiest to make.  What do you think so far?  Have I missed anything?

Since I can't decide what to do for the outside wall on the left, I will leave it open.  I would rather do that than to put up a fence that doesn't belong.

It needs to be mailed out by Monday. 

Then I am going to start my special project.  I think I can probably do some of it on this blog.  It will be lengthy and isn't due until July 2014 as a contest entry.  I've never done anything for a contest so I want to take my time.  I have the sketch made and things I need, plus a list of what's needed (most of the project has to be handmade) to make the dozens of items.  And I will be tackling some projects I've never done before.  Should be interesting.

Talk to you tomorrow.

Until then,
Pat

Hi again

Hi there.  Well, I tried to write yesterday but for some reason, Google blogger was giving me fits.  And it refused my photos.

So I'll be back tonight. 

I do wonder, though, how much have computers added to our stress levels?  I am old enough to remember the "old days" when things took longer but you didn't lose information after you spent the time to enter it.  Oh well, just my musings.  LOL

Until then,

Pat

New things and storage

Hi.  Didn't have a job today so I worked on my garden swap project.  And I'm still finishing the crates for the dragon eggs.  Then it was off to a friend's where we learned about our 4S phones and what they can do.  Then we stopped at Target to buy covers for them.  I was able to get a simple cover.  Hubby needed one more substantial, since he wears it on his belt and he's more likely to have it fall.  It protects his phone from all nasty things.  And then it was off to Applebee's for an early dinner.  I am tired.

So I decided to go through some of the boxes of dollhouse items I've received that are still in their makeshift boxes.  I keep my assorted and sundry items in plastic containers.  I am going to get a few more when they go on sale or I use my 40% off coupon in Joanns.  I like that the end cube is long to fit those crazy things that need more room.  (I also use these boxes for my dolls' shoes, purses and accessories.  They keep everything neat and tidy.  And clean!

As you can see, I keep my printies in here, too.  Otherwise, they get squashed. 

There's no rhyme or reason to this storage.  The cushions from the patio furniture set is stored in here.  As are other things.

I did find some things I forgot I had:  kitchen knives!  There is a cleaver and a knife.  And I was shocked to find they are sharp like real knives.  They were given to me by a friend and the first time I saw them close up.  Funny!




A week ago I ordered some little items from a company in Thailand and they came today.  Together they cost $9 and that included postage.  I do love bargains. 

These little purple ones are a great bargain for $4.50.  I love them.  They will probably find a home in Rowena's house.  Maybe not.  I guess I haven't decided.  Ha!

These are my favorites.  Just the loveliest yellow.  These are definites for the beach house.  There will be a lot of blues and greens in that house and these will be a welcome addition.









So this was my day.  Right now I'm looking for a tut to make a very basic birdbath at a nominal cost.  I work tomorrow and hope to have enough energy to do some more work on the egg crates.

Until then,

Pat

Wall on potting center done

Still cold here.  It's winter weather but still autumn.  I'm ready for spring.  Looking for a job for tomorrow.  Pretty slim chance since it's the day after a holiday but I may get lucky. 

Today did a little work outside with hubby.  We're cleaning up the yard for the winter.  We clean out pots, put away patio furniture and do a general clean up.  There are some definite spring projects we have found.  That's why it's nice to do an autumn cleaning, IMHO.

Still have not turned my phone on.  We are getting a library book called "iPhone 4s for Dummies."  I love the dummies books. 

So I wanted to finish the wall today and I did.  What took the most time is looking for braces for the small shelf and the tray.  I found both in a pile of stuff.  When I do house and furniture kits, I save all of the little parts, odds and ends and hope to make use of them in future projects. 

I found a half-round for the shelf.  It is not only a good brace because of its large gluing area but it's also cute.

 

Then I hunted some more and found 2 shapes that were perfect as braces for the work tray.  A little paint and sanding, they were glued up.  And there's a good gluing surface, too. 

 

Tomorrow I plan to attach the wall to the base.  I still don't know what kind of wall to do on the one side.  The original photo has a 3/4 length wall but it's lattice, which I don't have nor do I feel like making.  LOL  If you have any suggestions that will work, without doing a great deal of work, I'd be interested.

So what do you think???  I am also gathering things for the scene.  I hope to have something to show you tomorrow.

Until then,

Pat

Garden center begins

First of all, I hope everyone had a great turkey day.  It is said that Ben Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird but it was voted down for the eagle.  Imagine having the turkey on our money and eagle meat for dinner.  Of course, I've never tried eagle (and it's on the protected species list) but I think ick is the word I would use.

Yesterday was a run-around-for-100-errands day.  One of those errands was to get new phones.  It began when hubby's flip phone kept losing juice.  I had a 3G.  Went to the AT&T store and found that neither of our phones were in existence any longer.  Hubby's went out with the Model T.  Ha.  But since our contract was up, we both got new phones.  The iPhone 4s.  I haven't even looked at mine.  Hubby is better because he's playing with his to see what it can do. 

So, what did I do today?  I am in a swap with another lady.  I already have her gift.  This is a Christmas swap so it has to be to our swap partner by Dec. 15 and we can't open it until then.  I looked all over what to make her.  I saw a little potting garden center somewhere on Pinterest.  I decided to make something like it. 

I used Woodsies in the shape of popsicle sticks and thin sticks, a base, basswood, paint and glue.  I racked my brain for a suitable patio base because I haven't the time to make bricks.  So I stumbled across an extra vinyl tile that we have in our home.  It resembles slate.  And two great things: it was free and it has a sticky back.

 

I put an edge on it and put it in the gluing jig to dry square. 

 

 

I took basswood and attached it to the bottom of the base.

 

 

Then I began the back fence.  The original picture used 14 sticks so I did, too.  As I glued them together, I put them in the jig to keep them square and even. 

 



 

After I finished them, I put two thin pieces of wood on the top and bottom.  Then I painted them dove gray.  I noticed a slight bend so I put clamps on them and clamped them to the extra piece of vinyl.  Hope it works.

 



 

 

The original photo showed a very fancy table for potting.  Since I've never tackled something like that and time is of the essence, I decided to make a table top that would be attached to the back fence.  I used two pieces of basswood, gluing them together for strength.  I also had to clamp them.  Then used two skinny wood pieces for the three sides.  It's also painted dove gray. I love how it came out.

 

 

 

Tomorrow I will attach it to the back of the fence.  There is also a top shelf for the fence.  I have a few more things to finish.  All will be glued down.  Then I can find items to put in it. 

 

 

Until then,

 

Pat