When 5 x 1 = 3

Crazy Maths?

... well, not really.   And I haven't made a mistake either vbg. I have been working on five of my new Petite Properties kits. They aren’t finished yet – I want to work on the lighting for them and decide what to do about lighting for some of the other structures I have already made up.   I also need to complete the cottages I constructed for the Fair that were built but not decorated inside. And of course they all need furnishing, and so does Washtub. So there’s a lot to do and to enjoy. But since I can at times be a bit reluctant to get the clay out and make a mess I thought I’d do the basic shells all together. It’s nice to take my time though and to not have any deadline. Especially since I have this persistent ear infection that really makes me feel off at times, and I am being very slow to get things done.

First there's Barnacle Cottage. Here it is so far,  with the front on, though the trim still has to be added. It is cream outside and inside at the moment but probably won't remain that colour.

 

And here is the interior, though none of the inside pieces are glued in yet. I won't put them in until I decide how I want to set it out. 

Then there is Orchard House. Again, the roof won’t go on until the lighting is completed. The flooring isn’t glued in yet either, to allow for wiring.  I did both the base and the first floor in floorboards this time, to provide a bit of variety.

I did the side scullery with a brick finish to go with the finish on Orchard House and it looks really different from the one I did in stone for Gooseberry Cottage.

I had ordered the side scullery to go with Windy Hill Croft.   Since I was using the clay I went on with the croft anyway,  and I have ordered another side scullery to go with it too vbg (that will be the third)...so here it is so far:

Windy Hill Croft will be a farmhouse, and I already have a few animals from Mini Gems to go on the farm - apart from the kitties that I put in every structure I do, in whatever scale it is.  I’ve done this building in a similar finish to the worn whitewashed stone on Washtub, like the sample that Bea shows.  Only not nearly as well, unfortunately!

And finally, Halfpenny House. I've done a bit of kit bashing on this one, cutting the front wall in half then cutting it again and adding the window from the ground floor to the first floor to give a second window upstairs. The ground floor will have full-width French doors opening on to a paved area.

Again, I've done the 'wooden' flooring on both the ground and first floors, using Bea's technique of strips of paper painted to simulate floor boards.  I've used double sided tape on the back instead of gluing them on, and find that works really well.  I really like this method - thank you Bea!

The final photo I have is because of a discussion we had on 'The Beehive' today.  When I use the clay, I always find that the mdf warps.  Even though I have tried various methods of sealing it - sanding sealer, gesso, primer/sealer and combinations of these, it still warps.  So with flat pieces I let the clay dry, and any warped pieces I spray on the non-clay side with water then put them on a flat surface (both sides protected) and put a heavy weight - books etc, on top for 24-48 hours.  When I did Halfpenny House I foolishly assembled it then applied the clay to the right wall and it ended up with the wall curling mischieviously outwards at the top, separating from the back wall and ending up way out of shape.  That is more difficult.  So here is what I do in this situation - the wall is still sprayed with water and then protected, and the whole thing is clamped to the table.

Hope showing the photo makes the explanation a bit clearer. 

So why does 5x1=3? Easy - it's because Barnacle Cottage will stand alone; the Croft will stand alone (except that it will eventually have a side scullery). But Orchard house, Halfpenny House and the Side Scullery are all being combined into one dwelling. And I'll be adding a bit more in the way of embellishment as well, later on. How is it going to be arranged? Well, my dear readers, you will have to check back and see lol!

And in the meantime I am also working on another project for one of my online clubs -- but it has to remain a secret until after the end of the month. I have completed the building part and am trying to do the decorating part and have run into unexpected supply problems so I'm not sure how it will pan out. As usual I will just have to give it a go and see. So once again - stay tuned, there are developments in the wind!