Working on the roof and the landscaping

I still haven't located my book on Exterior Finishes by Bea Broadwood, so I am doing the roof the best I can remember from reading it..  I showed you the clay on the roof in the last post.  We went to see our daughter the next day and brought our grandsons back to Sydney a day or so later.  So the roof was quite dry when we came back.  But it was also very cracked.  I've not used this brand of air-drying clay before (Boyle), I usually use Creative PaperClay and although that cracks it doesn't crack like this.

A lot of those cracks go right down to the wood, so they took quite a bit of filling with Polyfilla, an interior filler.

Once that was dry I could do the second step and here are some photos of that stage:

 As you can see, I started to landscape while the glue on this layer dried.

 I've finally decided on an autumn theme for the landscaping, but still have to get some tree frames - or make some - and do them with autumn foliage.

 The colours in these photos aren't wonderful, sorry about that but the flash kept working and changing the colours.

I really must get some sort of background too, to show up the house properly without the background clutter.

I left that layer to dry overnight and then gave it the first coat of paint.  Bea says in her book that it takes quite a while for the paint to dry because of the fibrous nature of that second layer. But it is 38deg C here today (100.4 degF) so that has helped despite the air-conditioning being on this afternoon.

 So that's the progress for now.  I need to find my flowersoft or else buy some more which is a pain, to add some colour to the shrubs.    And of course the roof needs at least one more coat of paint because there are some spots that have been missed.

I am really looking forward to seeing it finished now.  Isn't it amazing how every step makes such a difference?

Slowly but surely.....

It's been a rather stressful week since we've been home, due to some health issues with our oldest daughter.  Fortunately she seems to be improving now so we are really relieved.  But I have managed to get a bit done on Woodnook cottage.

First of all I assembled a little dresser (from Templewood Miniatures) for the kitchen, and added some decals to crockery (both decals and crockery are from True2Scale Miniatures) to add to the shelves.  I'm pleased with the way they've come out.

The drawer is filled with extra 'teatowels', and the lower cupboard door is open to give a glimpse of the extra 'dishes' and baking dishes that are stacked in there.  Annoyingly, there are only three cups to hang on the shelf, because one of them went flipping off on its own adventure, not to be found again.  Hope it doesn't get too lonely - if it does, perhaps it will come home again ;)

I also have two darling candles with flowers around their bases (from BJ Miniatures) to go on the mantlepiece in the sitting room.  You can't really see them in place so here they are before they are glued into position.

Aren't they tiny and perfect?  Just beautiful.

But the biggest progress is adding the first layer of the 'thatched' roof, which is air-dry clay.

 As you can see above, I have done the paving for the front of the house as well, so that my mini people won't get such wet feet getting the wood or going to the little seat to rest.  Or to the stairs that lead to the lower level.

 Here is the rear view, with all the lights and both fires turned on.

 There needs to be more added to the woodchopping area, and to the wood store.

 The clay is drying at the moment, and is starting to develop a couple of cracks which will need to be filled before the next layer is added to look more like thatch.

But I'm happy with the difference it makes to the appearance to have the roof even this far.  I'm looking forward to finishing that and starting the landscaping.  When I can decide between a summer or an autumn look that is!  Summer or autumn?  Autumn or summer?  Hmmmmn................