And now it looks more like......

....caramel fudge!

Which is fine - I love caramel fudge lol.  When I started this house I wasn't sure how much I liked it.  Now that is silly - I should have known better than that.  As usual when I look at the completed building I just love it to bits!

The exterior has an elegant simplicity that really appeals.  When I look at this photo I can see that the roof isn't sitting properly on it, but never mind.  


And it isn't quite totally finished yet - I haven't done the 'distressing' and you will notice that the front of the pavement area is still unfinished.  That's because I am undecided whether to put it on a larger base and do more landscaping or not.


 This second photo gives a slightly better view of the smallish gardens flanking the front door and the path.  I have no idea at this stage what will be planted in them, I think I'll keep the gardens slightly formal for a change.


Also the house will probably be called something like 'The Oaks' because I already have a 'Honeysuckle Cottage' so Honeysuckle House is a bit confusing.


The instructions for the tiled roof were to cut the slits 1/8" apart, which was extremely time consuming but the roof is effective.  I really love the colours of the house, they just all blend together really well.  
They are cream, honeycomb, and honeycomb lightened with ivory.  Same as for another kit, but this time I used the honeycomb and ivory mix for the weatherboards.


A feature I particularly like about this house is that it has hidden rooms in the roof.  This attic area is divided into 3 rooms, and the two small ones could be used for a small bathroom on one side, perhaps a sewing room, child's room or study on the other and the larger room in the middle used for something like a bedroom or study.  I haven't lit this house yet, it will have to have its lights on the rear wall or something - I was too impatient to wait for some more LEDs to arrive.  


Here's a good view of the attic area.  So in reality you have seven rooms, which is great.  I've been thinking hard about how to make stairs without cutting holes in the floor for access and I think I've figured it out, by making a stairway with a turn in it, then enclosing the upper half - we'll see how that works out!


Access to the house is through the removable front as usual, but the roof is also removable.  


Here's a view with the front removed but the roof on.  


Since there are two chimneys, I really think there needs to be a few fireplaces in the house, don't you?  So I will have to look into that when we go back to Sydney in a couple of days. 


Now I've been saying and saying that I wouldn't get the clay out at this stage.  In the end though, the clay for the chimney.  s was the only thing that was stopping me from finishing Honeysuckle Cottage off.  So I caved in after all.  And once I had the clay out, well - the roof was the only thing keeping me from finishing Cockleshell Cottage off too, so I did that as well.  I just hope it behaves itself because it's not dry and I can't do much with it on the trip home.  And scraping - or rather chiselling - paperclay off once it is dry is not much fun!  And I speak from experience.  So here is a photo of Cockleshell so far - the angle I took the photo makes the roof seem uneven but it's not, it's evenly spaced over the side and the chimney.  I love this little cottage too, it has come out really well and I am looking forward to finishing it's big brother Barnacle Cottage, when I go home.

So there you have them - two of the latest projects.  I will be happy when I am feeling better and can get in and finish off the final details for all the houses I have made while I've been away.  I have started on the 'stock' for the Cottage Stores, but need to spend a lot of time on furnishings for them all.


I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoy sharing them with you.