Bought the wrong coloured paint!

Isn't it always the way?

I don't think I told you that the other night I also added the siding to the exterior walls. Next morning when I went to cut out the window and door openings, I found that cutting down your packing to the bare minimum doesn't always pay. I had decided not to pack the larger craft snap-off knife or any other larger knife, I would just bring a couple of small scalpel-type ones. But they didn't cope at all well with trimming out the siding from the windows and doorways, and when Peter went to do some grocery shopping I asked him to pick up a larger craft knife of some description.

While he was gone I painted the interior side of the walls with light ivory (because I have more of that with me than I have of white). That wasn't in the instructions but those of you who have followed my building for a while know that when I first started doing minis I bought a 'how to' book. In it the author stressed sanding and painting all walls even if they were going to be papered, firstly to seal them, and also because white or off-white paint shows the colours in the wallpaper to its best advantage. So I am a bit obsessive about painting the walls before I wallpaper.

I also sand them really, really, really well because there is nothing more annoying for me than to put wallpaper on a wall and find that a blemish in the wood has made a bump or mark in the wallpaper. If necessary I fill it with wood-filler and sand it again. Perfectionist? Who, - me? Whatever makes you think so?

Here is a view of the walls, just to give you another clue to help solve the mystery. I notice that I still had to put siding on the peaks of a couple of them at this stage. The siding wasn't trimmed yet for reasons mentioned above. I stared on the largest piece but had to give up.

Instead of using a stain pen for the floors, I mixed paint in various browns, terra cotta and tan to a colour that I liked - or I liked it in the wet stage, hoped I would like it when it was properly dry, and fortunately I did. Here are the three floors painted but not yet sanded or varnished.

I also painted the rest of the interior walls for the ground floor, and most exciting of all, started to assemble the house itself! First, here is the view from the back.

And from the front. You can see that the floor has now been sanded and had a couple of coats of satin varnish.

And again the front, with the verandah sitting in place.

Instructions then called for painting the exterior, so I brought out my paints. I remembered that as I was packing I saw the colour that I had ordered especially for this particular house, sitting on the table. I grabbed it, thinking 'Mustn't forget you, must I?' and packed it into my tote along with the rest.

Yesterday I went through the paints and couldn't find it. There were two of a similar colour but none of the one I need! Not happy, not happy at all! While washing up I realised that the supplier I bought the original one from was not too far north of Sydney, and Express Post would get a new one to me within 24 hours or 2 days if we are not on the guaranteed express route. So I looked up the supplier on my favourites list, checked the colour chart - and it is no longer listed. I have emailed her, and am waiting for a response. Waiting. Waiting.....

So last night, after the visitors had gone, I just did some painting of bits and pieces so there's not really anything to show of that yet - because they all need another coat. There were doors, door trims and stair railings etc. Not exciting and very fiddly but necessary. But after tonight there will be something quite exciting, so stay tuned. Have you any idea yet of what this very special house is? I showed a photo of the kit when I bought it (clue!) If you love gingerbread you will love this house (another clue!) ..........