Primrose Cottage: Stucco to Stone

In the last pic that I shared of this house, the house was covered with siding. My intention was to strip the siding off and change to stucco. What can I say, plans continue to change.

This little house has really been a challenge. I have learned that water-based glue should not be used with thin Birch siding. The siding will warp and curl. I used a chisel to remove almost ALL of the previously applied siding and purchased fine sand to prepare the stucco paint. I decided on a basic medium brown for the house and got stuck on the accents. (Sometimes I become very color challenged.) What looks good in my mind looks awful in reality.

First Painting - Tan with gray accents - UGH!

Second Painting - Tan with red accents - NAW!

Third Painting - Tan with dark green accents - Not quite right.

At this frustrating point, the house went on the shelf to await further inspiration. Weeks later, I was in the garage, noticed a bag of Pea Gravel and "Stone House"  became the next project.

I decided to keep the green accents on the door. Kinda wish I had changed it to brown before I spent time drawing lines on and installing the windows. Maybe, I'll change the door to a solid green. The shutters aren't installed yet but, like the door, they are two-toned. I will have to wait and see how it all looks when the shutters and flower box are installed.

I cut foam board to make the chimney and fireplace additions. I really do like this rustic look. With all of my scraping, painting, and handling to add the stones, I have pulled a few of the roof  shingles out of line. Fixing that problem will be one of my last touch-ups. 

So far, I'm happy with the way this is going. I will add updated pictures to show my progress.

Happy Mini-ing!

This and That

It has been a while since I've had time to sit and write. I've been working on Stone Cottage and will have pictures to post soon. I thought I would share some pics of my practice collections and craft projects. First, the miniatures:

Miniature Hat Collection I

Before I began the Red Hat Project (A collection of 18 different Red Hats.), I followed a variety of on-line tutorials. There are many ways to make a miniature hat. They range from scaled down versions of real hat making procedures to shaping the had out of clay. I combined those techniques that worked best for my fingers. One day I'll add to this collection and make a Hat Shoppe. The Red Hat Project can be viewed on my "Shutterfly" photo page. Red Hat Project.

Cake Collection

Nothing to do on a rainy day - try playing with clay. So far I've only attempted cakes and french bread. These are my best practice pieces. I'll continue to add to this collection as I work on different clay techniques

The Teapots

I absolutely love making these little teapots. These three are my favorites. When I finally finish the  kitchen room box I am working on, I will display the teapot collection around the kitchen. 

Halloween "Mardi Gras Masks"

These were so much fun to make. A little lace, ribbon, some feathers a lot of glitter and hot glue.

Potting Shed 3 - Potting Table Tutorial

The dimensions of my purchased potting table overwhelms the interior of  the Potting Shed. As I sat looking at the beautifully finished commercial table, I wondered, how difficult would it be to replicate a smaller version.

Materials Used:

           Note: finished dimensions will be based on your needs.

          1/4" square dowel rod.(6 pieces cut to the same height)

          (Popsicle, craft, lolly) sticks - (2) sizes: one wide, one thin

               The larger (wider) sticks are used, side-by-side, for the shelf and top.

               The smaller (thinner) sticks are used as braces.

          Round tooth picks (to make the hanging pegs under the top shelf)

          Cutting Tool

          Sandpaper

          Craft Glue

          Paint

Step One: Determine how tall you want your finished table and cut the (6) table legs. If you prefer, the table can be made without the middle legs.

Step Two:  Using the thinner of your craft sticks, cut (6) cross pieces. the length of the  pieces is determined by how wide you want your finished table. Put (2) aside for later.

Step Three:  Decide on the height of your shelf and glue the cross pieces to the legs, as shown: One cross piece on the inside left legs, two cross pieces to the center leg, one cross piece on the inside right leg. Let dry (very important) leave it alone until the cross pieces are firmly stuck.

Step Four: Using the larger craft sticks, cut, install, and glue the shelf pieces.

Step Five:  Attach the remaining two crosspieces. One to the top, left, outside legs and one to the top, right,outside legs.

Step Six:  Cut the larger craft sticks long enough to reach from the left outside cross piece to the right outside cross piece. Lay the larger sticks side-by-side and glue. Let dry.

Step Seven: The upper shelf can also be as wide and as deep as you desire. My upper shelf construction is two skinny sticks wide. Using the two-stick wide model, I was able to use one long skinny stick (toward the front of the table), add a skinny stick shelf midway, and lock it in place with two smaller skinny sticks.

Step Eight:

    The top is finished off with two larger craft sticks, glued together at a right angle. 

    The round toothpicks have been cut into pegs and glued to the back of the right angle .

Step Nine:  Sand any rough edges and paint as desired. 

In a later post, I will share my method for making the little stools.  Until then,

Happy Mini-ing!

Primrose Cottage - Siding Disaster

Note to self: Do not use water-based glue to install future birch siding strips! At the end of my last post, I congratulated myself for a job quickly and well done. This morning I awoke to find the overlapping sides of the birch siding strips curled up like a layered flipped hairdo.

This picture does not show the awful detail - take my word for it, it's a mess. The only solution I can think of is to grab a scraper and peel this stuff off.  Dealing with a disaster sometimes result in new directions. Instead of a traditional cottage with siding, I will now have a traditional cottage with a stucco exterior.

Doing the exterior in stucco eliminates the need to smooth out rough surfaces left after removing the siding. Scraping off this siding is an unplanned job, I do not want to spend time or effort sanding. I have some fine sand in my stock of supplies so getting the textured exterior will only require adding sand to my paint choice. 

Repeat note to self - always use the correct adhesive for the product you are gluing. Following this simple rule will save time and money.

Happy Mini-ing!

Primrose Cottage - Siding Installation

This is my first attempt to complete the exterior of a house with siding. I choose birch strips (they were on sale), drew guidelines similar to the method used for placing shingles and glued each strip directly to the house. 

                              

The foundation of the house is to be brick, so the siding starts  about two inches above the base of the house.

Once the guide lines are drawn and checked to make sure that they meet at the sides, adding the siding was quick and easy. 

All sides complete. Nothing to do now but admire the job and select paint colors.

Happy Mini-ing

Potting Shed 2

Still working on my little diversion. I enjoy working on a variety of projects at once. Probably not the best approach. This way, it seems as if it takes ages to totally complete any one project. But for now, at least until I complete the projects I've started this haphazard approach will do.

The shelves for the Potting Shed are completely  painted and installed.

The shingles were stained with a solution of water diluted acrylic paint. 

Lighting is provided by two LED's hidden under the front roof line.  To accommodate the LED light switch, a hole was cut into the wall panel. The hole needs trim, possibly very, very small quarter round.  

A shelf has been added to the window. Support bars are still needed on the sides. The wall shelves are staggered on this side to accommodate the potting bench.

Now that the shelves are in, I really want to start filling them up with all of the garden goodies one would expect to find in a potting shed and of course the little surprises that find there way into a shed but have absolutely no business being there.

Until next time - enjoy mini-ing.

Potting Shed 1

Garden Trellis

Took a little deviation today. Decided to do some work on my "Potting Shed". The trellis was built using skinny craft sticks. The flowers are made out of clay. The flowers were hot glued to some store bought greenery. Of course I can't use a glue gun without burning my fingers. My tip for today (can't remember where I read it) is keep a small bowl of water nearby when using a glue gun. Cool water gives instant relief to burned fingers. Happy mini-ing.

Primrose Cottage - The Electrical System

"The Little (Lil') House"

Being a detail person, I usually start a project with some sort of plan. The Primrose Cottage "Lil' House" has proved that one needs more than a plan. A little bit of knowledge "DOES" go a long way and prevents a lot of RE-working.

My initial vision for the Lil' House started as a small, house with siding, shutters and window boxes. After measuring, I used an old fashioned can opener to score lines in the first and second floor floors. They were stained a warm brown. Next, the base seemed a little flimsy, so a piece of wood was added across the back to stabilize and strengthen the dollhouse.

Support in place, tape wire was added - starting on the exterior, tape wire was run around the first floor, under the windows and outlining the perimeter of the door. .Without cutting the wire, it was attached to the ceiling - and carried across one wall of the second floor. 

The zig-zag pattern on the ceiling allows the tape to be run without making any "joins" (running connecting line). Sometime, I use my own terminology, may be a word, may not - but it makes sense to me.

The tape wire was wrapped around the left-hand corner of the second floor. Luckily, this will be hidden by the back-side wall construction of the dollhouse. When the roof is attached, the tape wire will be run across the second floor ceiling and down the opposite wall.

We have light!  For now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Noelle's Cottage

"Victoria's Cottage Jr" Dollhouse

This small cottage was my very first attempt at making a dollhouse. When I began the project, I had no idea it would take so long to complete - nearly 6 months. It was intended as a gift for my young niece but became a keepsake and not a toy. Noelle did receive a dollhouse that year, a four-story play scale house into which she immediately moved her dolls.

I learned a lot completing this house. FIRST - this can be a very expensive hobby. Although I attempted to purchase  the least expensive items (the dollhouse kit was less than $50), completing it totaled more than 5 times the initial cost. Only a few of the pictures and a couple of the picture frames were hand made. As a" newbe", I just didn't know any better.

The next big realization came when I realized that many of the items I was purchasing could be made from found bits and pieces in my home. You just have to change the way you look at things. Now when eating breakfast in a restaurant and I have jelly in a square tub, I don't see garbage, I see a miniature kitchen sink (round margarine tub - miniature vanity sink.).  As I dig through my projects and figure out this computer program, I will share the money saving and artistically fulfilling techniques I have learned.

The First Day

Although I am new to much of the 21st century's technology, I am looking forward to working my way through this program and learning to Blog. As indicated by the title, one of my passions is miniatures. Currently I only work in 1:12 scale. I fear the smaller scales while more appropriate for my physical space, may be too small for my aging eyes. It is my desire to use this space as a platform to share my completed works (and many works in progress). As well as a place where I can share the many tips and techniques I have learned throughout the years.

The very first dollhouse, I completed, was an expensive process because I had not learned many of the money saving hints I will share in this blog. For example. the wallpaper in that first dollhouse cost about $9.00 per room. Five (5) room dollhouse - $45.00. Scrapbook paper, wrapping paper, and for us older hoarders, stationary is available for less than $3.00 a room. One third the cost - a big savings.