Thursday 18th February 2010

Really looking forward to painting the tree trunk. I could have pushed things today and done it but wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt and left it to enjoy another 24hours’ sunlight and opportunity to dry a bit more thoroughly.

And today was another day of trying new things. I finally braved the challenge of using Shellac for the first time. I was able to use some methylated spirit that my brother had in his garage – handy things, brothers. Fortunately I had been able to retrieve my Shellac flakes from home so had them on hand.

It wasn’t at all difficult to use and I love the results. It’s a lovely thin coat which being metho-based dries really quickly. Perfect for miniatures. So all of the furniture kits have been given two coats of Shellac, the ‘beams’ for the ceiling, the mantle and hearth for the fireplace have been done as well.

After the mantle and the hearth were dry I glued it all together so the fireplace is finished now and ready to go in place.

Note to self: when you ask for help cutting the beams for the ceiling to the correct length (because my back was too sore to be able to use that pressure) – do not ask someone who has just worked two 10-hour night duties to help or you’ll end up with them being the wrong length. Never mind. I’m more conscious of other faults with them than with that ;-) But at least they are glued in and look fine. .

Sadly, I rather doubt I’ll get a chance to paint the tree trunk until Sunday evening. I have to be at an appointment by 7am tomorrow, and then it is full on all day, culminating in the arrival of Cameron and Luke for us to babysit on Friday night. Kylie will come down on Saturday afternoon and they’ll all stay until Sunday afternoon. We love having them close enough to visit – sure beats a 14 hour drive to Toowoomba!

Getting there now!

Wednesday 17th February 2010

Tackling new media

Doing the tree trunk in paperclay has been a daunting prospect for me – I’ve never used it before and although I had Pam’s instructions and photos, I really was nervous.

But today was the day. And I found the paperclay really nice to work with. In fact I was quite pleased with the result. As it dried though I found a lot of the grooves I’d marked in it seemed to disappear, especially over the doorway and on the right side where it was a bit drier when I marked them into the clay. So that’s a lesson learned.  I’ve left it to dry all afternoon; I expect it to take a couple of days to dry thoroughly but have no real idea how long. It’s quite warm even at this time of year, and the rain has stopped so it might not take as long as I think.  I made the door further in than Pam did on hers – I wanted the door to be a little inset.

I’ve also made a ‘hearth’ for the fireplace out of thin timber. It’s stained to match the mantle, then black is added to the middle section where the fire would have left sooty marks.

Painting the furniture is very fiddly and the paint tends to be patchy. Trying to put a blue wash over the white didn’t work out very well at all so I ended up painting all the pieces with light grey-blue. It’s a bit better but not as good as I’d have liked.

The wallpaper is sweet; it really finishes off the room nicely. I like the way it curves around and makes the room look rounded, as it would be inside a tree trunk. the pieces of wall that go across the corner are straight and yet the effect is pleasingly curved.

Tonight of course I had to try out the furniture and fireplace just to see how it looked – how exciting to be at that stage vbg!

Now to consider some finishing touches. Things to go on the dresser of course; something for the table and for the walls too. Pam supplies some pretty little mats for the floor, so that is a nice touch already. I have some white metal dishes so they need to be painted and decorated ready to go on the dresser.

And it’s my ambition to source a Peter Rabbit and Mrs Rabbit to go in the box too.

Tuesday 16th February 2010

Have to do that shopping!

After getting so much done yesterday there wasn’t a lot happening today, which is often the way it goes. Not a lot of the door part needed to be trimmed to fit it to the back of the roombox – about 1/8th” all round. It’s a perfect fit. After gluing it in place I just put a couple of containers on to weight it a bit and let it dry, then this afternoon when I came home from my back treatment I gave another coat of  paint to the inside of the rear wall.

And I’ve just realised that I can’t do the wallpapering tonight because I don’t have any wallpaper paste and Peter is working a night duty tonight and it’s too late for him to go to the hardware shop for some. And after my treatment I’m not really in good shape to be driving tonight either. Grrrrr. I find that I tend to swivel my head too quickly and put my neck out again if I drive within 24 hours after a treatment.

Monday 15th February 2010

Finally making progress!

This housework business sure gets in the way of important things like minis! But I did get a lot done today anyway. I cadged my teaspoon full of grouting from my brother, and used some of it to grout the stones on the fireplace. Looks great.

The back of the photo frame is removed as per Step 1 - I finally worked out what the instructions meant, having had the wrong idea before. I thought they meant to remove just the easel bit, not the back door section as well. And then of course I couldn’t work out what would be the back of the roombox or where the easel part would be attached. More than just a little bit dense! So I took it out and had another look at it today and the penny finally dropped. Took a while vbg! Then I painted the raw inside of the back with white paint rather than leave it raw so that it will seal it and give a nice white background under the wallpaper on the ground floor.

I’ve covered the outside of the box with fabric (Step 3). I had made the box such a tight fit in the frame that I couldn’t take the fabric all the way to the front, but it doesn’t show when the box is in place. I have taken it just to the point where the box enters the inner frame.

And the upper part of the inside is done with light sky blue paint (Step7) which I dabbed on rather than painted. Then I did a wash over it then dabbed it a bit more. This should have been done after the back door section and easel was re-attached but it won’t show because the tree covers it at the top and the back was still drying when I did the sky in the box. Impatient – who, me? What do you mean?

One side of the square piece of foamcore is stippled with white paint (Step 6), ready to form the ceiling of the ground floor/ground of the upper part.

And I’ve done the mantle and the ceiling beams with a wash of light brown paint (Step 7).

The front door looks pretty nice in its first coat of light grey-blue paint (Step 8) and the furniture is looking pretty spick too with a couple of thin coats of white paint on them (Step 12).

So it turned out that I did get a lot done, in between loads of washing, even though I was pretty tired after quite a big day of housework. I’m feeling quite chuffed.


As you can see, I don’t necessarily do things strictly in order. If white paint is required for several things, I try to do them at the same time if it’s convenient to do so. If I’m doing the rafters and the mantle with the same wash I do them together, and so on. So I’m somewhat all over the place – while something dries I’m preparing another step if I can.


And now I’m really excited about this project and feel it’s really starting to move.

I have no hope of finding where my little 1:48scale transfers (decals) are that I want to add to the furniture, so must remember to order some more as soon as I have the Internet again. Apparently I have to have a new mobile device, so am waiting for that to arrive.

Thursday 4th February 2010

Construction begins – just!

Yes!  Today I put together the 1st part of the box itself. Just the four walls – big deal (grin). Most of the day I spent doing one of the Ann Vanture books of the month.

And I also glued the stones to the fireplace. I am very pleased with this. I won’t buy any grouting for it though – mine of course is packed away and I will need a grand total of about ½ teaspoon so there’s no way I am buying another lot. But my brother Terry has just tiled his bathroom and I will cadge some from him when the glue is dry.

The first photo shows the box sides. These are just glued and then pinned with straight pins for added strength. The heads of the pins are cut off.

In Photo 2 the foamcore shape for the fireplace is covered with stones.  Even though it looks quite bulky in the photo, it doesn’t in reality. I am really happy with the appearance in fact.

And I also sprayed the paper flooring with varnish and when that was dry, glued it into the bottom of the (now also dry) frame of the roombox (Step 2) So now it is ready to get going.

Is that all? you might ask.  Well, yes.  But at least it's a start vbg.  And that's a great feeling!


 

Wednesday 3rd February 2010

It’s my birthday today, so what better day to start on the Peter Rabbit &; Friends Roombox! It’s raining quite solidly on and off (a flow-on from cyclone Olga up in northern Queensland) so I am limited to what I can do in Terry’s large carport or in the caravan, but that’s fine.

I have already taken everything out and checked the kit. This first photo shows the contents – don’t you love the frame for the front of the box? Very creative of Pam to think of making a Roombox to go behind the photo frame.

There are also kits for furniture for the great room (the lower level).  One kit is for two chairs and a skirted table, as in the next photo. There are also several rugs to cut out and use.  These will give a lovely touch to the floor. 

The second kit is for a dresser, trestle table and benches.  Kits shown in Photo 2.

I had some Creative Paper Clay at home and my nephew Mark managed to find where he had put it in the storage container so I don’t have to order any more over the Internet, which is very good news indeed. I have never used it before so I am very nervous about doing the tree trunk, my first venture into using paper clay.


I didn’t ask for the craft paints from home, Mark  had already pulled his closely-packed piles in the storage container apart to find things that I wanted on two occasions, so I will have to buy any colours I need if I didn’t take them away with me. Fortunately I did take brushes, glues and tools with me. Yes, you’re right – for all those minis I never got to do vbg.

The first thing I did was to type out the steps one to a page and print them out. That way it will remind me to take a photo for my personal record of each step as I do it. I also find it easier to follow the steps that way. And of course it is logical to start at the beginning and construct the box itself, doing everything in an orderly progression. So the first thing I did was to make up the two furniture kits!

Here is the Hutch Dining Room kit, made up ready to finish. I want to paint it – probably in white with a pale blue wash like Pam did in her display kit.

And here is the kit for Two Chairs and Table with Gathered tablecloth all made up. It is a pretty combination of fabrics on these chairs – a mixture of stripes, checks and floral designs. They went together well but it’s a lengthy process for me doing the kits – I’m not the speediest worker in the world. I’m pleased with the results though.

So now all they need is somewhere to live!

20th January - Gracie's Grab Bag

Today I made a Grab Bag for our eldest granddaughter Grace’s 7th birthday. We bought the fabrics in Albany and now we are within days of seeing them all and I wanted to have it ready to give her. The pattern for this bag is a free one from www.allpeoplequilt.com and I was fortunate enough to receive the link to it from Kathy, my Sockee friend in Australind, Western Australia. So thank you Kathy, it has come in very handy indeed and I found the perfect funky fabric and motif to make a great birthday gift for a special granddaughter!



At first I was able to work on the table outside but once the shade disappeared I moved inside with the menfolk. It got to 37° so it was too hot let alone glaring in the sun to keep working out there.

And I even remembered to take photos of the process – woohoo! How organised is that? Here are the fabrics for the bag. Grace’s favourite colour is purple and her second favourite colour is hot pink. Hence the colour choices – the fabric is purple even though it looks blue in the photo. The hot pink is for the lining and the other purple is for a square to put on the front as a background for a couple of iron-on motifs that I forgot to include in the photo. And  I’ve also put a close-up of the fabric – I was fortunate to find just the sort of thing I was looking for.

It took me most of the day to do the bag, partly because I did a sample one first. I had reduced the pattern, since I am doing it for a seven year old of small stature and the pattern is for an adult. Fortunately I had some pale pink homespun with me – I packed it for the holiday just in case I needed it for something. With my my youngest daughter having her 4th baby in November I hoped I might get a chance to buy some nice baby-themed patchwork fabric after bubs was here and start on a quilt. So I had pink for if it was a girl and pale yellow if that was more suitable for the fabric I bought – for lining or accessories or whatever. I didn’t bring blue because I figured that if I needed it I would buy the right blue for the fabric. However I haven’t found any baby fabric that I like.

But I had the pink homespun so I cut out the reduced pattern and made up the bag – just one layer, no wadding, no lining, no neatening or anything. Just to see if it still ‘sat’ properly when done in this size. It did, but I chose to add just a tiny bit more to it when I cut out the fabric itself.

After that I had to buy more time on the internet to download the instructions once more – I did print them out before but have them stored – somewhere. Under the bed, I think. It was easier to download them again. Of course they are stored on my computer and portable hard drive, but they are both dead and in being replace at the moment.

I ironed the motifs on the purple square then stitched them on so that they won’t come loose in the wash. The photo here shows the purple square – rectangle really - just sitting in place. Then I stitched the purple bit on to the front of the bag. But it kept going crooked (yes, I did pin it vbg) and I ended up doing the jolly thing 3 times. Not hard sewing but boy is it ever fiddly unpicking – always is, no matter what kind of stitching! I really must get my eyes checked when we are back in Sydney. I had lots of trouble seeing clearly. I would have liked to have done a monogram in hot pink in the lower right corner but I couldn’t work out how to enlarge the monogram sufficiently on my machine and of course I don’t have my embroidery machine with us on this trip – so you see I did draw the line somewhere after all lol! I could have done Grace’s whole name in the space but I don’t think it’s a good idea in this day and age to advertise a child’s name.

After I managed to get the motif attached to the front I started on the lining, to which I added iron-on Pellon before I cut it out. I did some pockets for the inside. First I did a long one to go across one side, and did a fancy stitch (a string of flowers) across the top. Just because I could and I liked the look of it. I do love my sewing machine. Once attached I stitched down the centre (three times for strength) to make two pockets. Because I had a bit of ‘pocket’ left, I added a small one to the other side too rather than waste it.

Then finally it was time to start assembling the bag. This didn’t take nearly as long as all the preliminary stuff had taken. The instructions are clear and well written and they are accompanied by diagrams that make it a breeze to go through the steps. It came out very well and I think Gracie will like it. Lovely funky fabric, a great design in her favourite colours – what more could a modern 7-year old miss ask for? Well, I hope that’s the way it will be, anyway lol!

I love making things for my children and grandchildren – the challenge in this day and age is finding things to make for them. But with this great site I think there will be lots more ideas to find.

I really recommend this site to you – have a look, join up and have access to heaps of great designs. Now to find a something for our oldest daughter’s birthday in April......

Sunday, 15th November - Margaret River, WA

What - Christmas plans already????

Our son Nathan is in Christmas mode already - Help! Not yet! - We're still on the other side of the country! He has been asking what I want for Christmas and I decided that some furniture kits for the 1:48scale Sea Shanty that Peter is giving me would be perfect. It also occured to me that it was time to order the kit for the Sea Shanty! So I have spent a delightful evening browsing the net to decide the source for the kit and furniture kits. In the end I decided to order from Karen Cary herself; it is her design and she seems to offer more in the kit. So now I have to put in the order - what fun! I have saved  pictures of it from the website and put themt here - so you can see how it is supposed to come out. So this is not a mini make yet - but watch this space, for ongoing news about this project!

Just before I left Sydney on our trip around Australia earlier this year (see my other blog http://sandrafromsydney.blogspot.com/) I joined yet another online group, Quarter Connection, and I hope to become more involved on my return.  I found that several people I know from other groups to which I belong are also members - and the work done by so many of the members is amazing.  We are all finding that space is running out for those larger projects and we can still get a high level of realism and detail in 1:48 scale.  I am really looking forward to doing the Sea Shanty!

My first Quarter Scale Project

Australian Colonial Cottage

I bought this kit for an Australian Colonial Cottage from AMEA, which is the Australian Miniatures Enthusiasts Association. It is a kit by Pam Junk, made especially for an AMEA Convention several years ago. The style of cottage is still widely seen throughout cities and rural towns, and features the traditional verandah across the front and an iron water tank at the side. I wanted to get it constructed in time to display at the Sydney Miniatures Fair which is held on the first weekend in May each year.

When I first bought the kit several years ago, I opened the box and sorted and labelled all the bits. I did the first couple of steps, which involved painting walls and staining timber; then discovered I had ten thumbs instead of only two! In the end I put the pieces carefully carefully back into bags making sure I labelled what they were, and put the whole thing away until such time I felt I had gained more experience with 1:12th scale.

Finally this year I took a deep breath, so to speak, and decided to tackle it again. At first I could not work out what on earth I had done, but bit by bit I worked it out and as I worked through the steps I found that the mental block I had developed began to dissolve. For this size project the wallpaper has to be put on before the walls are constructed, and the interior trims added as you go.

After the wallpaper, trims and interior wall were done I could add the ceiling, do the electictricals and then the roof. Then with the verandah screens at each end, the posts and the verandah roof it really began to take shape. Having it on the roll of masking tape (right) shows just how little this cottage really is!

Time to move on to the landscaping, and I really had fun with the trees - the first ones I had done by myself. I got a bit carried away here, I was having such fun, making a large one and a small one. The photo here shows the large one underway.

Every Aussie country home needs a water tank on a stand and the tank was included in the kit too. I added a stand for it. A park bench kit for the side of the house was fun to do - after this photo I had to take it apart and redo the seat because when I was taking the photo I moved the slats on the seat part. The kit also included a birdbath which I filled with some PVA glue to make 'water' for the birds, and findings to make a little 'wrought iron' table and chairs.

Then I got busy and added the greenery provided for the shrubs and vines. Where there were gaps or the fence hadn't joined exactly I put more little bits, and some touches along the base of the fence as well. I had some of my own and added some extra. And some more. And some more..... Got a bit carried away there, too, but it was fun and I love the overgrown cottage look it has now. The trellis over the front gate gives it a lovely welcoming look, I think, and it has 'flowers' on the vines too. The front view of the cottage shows this quite well.

Of course, it is no use having just an empty cottage. It was a little daunting to tackle my first 1/4" scale furniture kits but it needed to be done. Pam Junk's lovely little lounge chair and sofa with its coordinating skirted table was perfect for this room, and I was really pleased with my first effort at upholstering in such a tiny scale. And the second photo shows them in place in the cottage lounge room. For display I reduced some family photos and put them on the mantlepiece and on the table, and made a tiny clock to also go on the mantlepiece.

The bedroom also has some Pam Junk furniture kits - a lovely bed, wardrobe and bedside table. I used the chest that was included with the lounge furniture (I think) in the bedroom, painting it to match, and added some decals to all of them. I had some fabric that was perfect to cover the bed with, and I bought the chair. It came with a cat, which was great because all my scenes or houses have to have a cat in them vbg! For some reason I don't have a photo of the bedroom here at the moment so when I get back from my trip I will take one and add it to this blog.


I did actually have it ready to display at the Fair, though it didn't have the extras I would have liked to have added: mats, pictures on the walls, etc. In a swap with Joy, another member of the Stay at Home Miniaturists Club, I was lucky enough to receive a tiny hand-turned wooden bowl with hand-made fimo fruit in it, which is perfect for the cottage, or maybe another one when I do one lol! But it does need more personal touches.  I will add more photos as I do those.

BIG Plans for little things in 2010

I have always loved 'little things' and when I was a child used to make little 'houses' from shoeboxes etc, and furniture from matchboxes. Then my dad made a dollhouse - but to my disappointment it was a contemporary single storey style house, not a traditional Victorian multi-storey one. However I gained many years of enjoyment from it. Then when a subscription dollhouse was advertised I started collecting the issues, and found we had a dollhouse B&M store here in Sydney - what an eye-opener! Through that I discovered the adult world of miniatures and miniature collecting. A few months after that I went to my first Miniatures Fair and was simply overwhelmed – and thus began a very pleasant addiction indeed!

Now I have several 1:12^th scale dollhouses, shops and roomboxes (1:12^th scale is one inch to one foot); two 1:24^th scale houses and an altered book roombox; and am embarking on a series of 1:48 scale projects – it was either that or move out of the house and live in the shed lol!

I belong to several on-line miniatures groups. The three main ones are the Green Socks on Left Foot on Tuesday Club or GSOLFOT (long story – check out the website), the main criteria for membership being a strong streak of craziness (but we do do minis too!); the Stay at Home Miniaturists Club, for people who can’t join a regular club for some reason; and Petitpointers, which is great for all kinds of miniature needlework. The Sockees are great for laughs and a virtual existence as well as MAKES and swaps; the SaHMC has wonderful classes and swaps; and Petitpointers provides great incentive for getting on with those large projects. SaHMC has 'Sunday Show & Tell' each week, where photos can be posted of minis completed; and Petitpointers has Progress Photos on the 10th of each month, where completed projects are shown (as well as during the month) or progress on large projects is shown. All three groups are full of warm, friendly and supportive people, who patiently answer questions about everything and anything – mini related or not, and they are just great to belong to!

So here are some of my ongoing projects that I hope to share with you on this blog in 2010:

Cartwright’s Store – set in the 1930’s, pre -war so there is no rationing. Grocery store with living quarters above. Bought ready made but with the inside unfinished, simply painted white. Stairs are supplied but not installed. I do not plan to put them in, but will put in a false doorway in the back wall so suggest a hallway beyond. There are four floors including the attic.

So far it is totally empty and undecorated. I have however been collecting - lots of produce for the shop, a stove of appropriate period for the living quarters. I need to make a final decision about the layout of the rooms on the 2nd floor and the attic. The 1st floor will house the kitchen and the parlour. The 2nd floor will have the main bedroom and probably another small bedroom. The attic will contain two rooms - either a bathroom and storage space or another bedroom and a bathroom.

Coventry Cottage – Victorian cottage, made from Greenleaf kit. Nearly completed – would like to finish it off for this year’s Fair. Basically just needs landscaping and a little bit of adjusting of the shingles on the roof.
Carrington Villa – this is a craftsman-built house, constructed by a retired engineer. It was my retirement present to myself and is Gothic Revival in style, based on a house in Grafton, NSW. He has used 100-year old cedar in it, and it is all cut by him. The doors were made by him, 4-panel as I requested instead of the 6-panel he had been doing. It comes complete with its own table with a turntable.

The rooms have all been finished in gloss white paint, unfortunately, which makes them rather harsh. So decorating them involves either painting or papering them. Both of which are difficult to do when the house is totally completed. Usually I do that when the rooms are constructed but before the skirting and cornices are added, or the windows and doors are installed. Being gloss white also makes it difficult if I want to paint the walls in a low-gloss finish, which is likely since I have set this house in the present day. That way I can choose furniture and accessories from any period I wish without worrying about being correct for the time. This is a couple who love collecting antiques and have family heirlooms as well, though the home also contains modern equipment. Again, I have collected many objects to go in the house and just have to pull it all together, as well as deciding on the function of the second bedroom: workroom? second bedroom? nursery? office? My Mum gave me a lovely bedroom suite for my birthday this year, which means I have a great start on that room; I have the lounge suite and other bits for the lounge room. But I have not settled for sure on the dining room though I do have a period table and chairs with a petitpoint carpet and chair seat covers in there at the moment.

Noelle Needlework – this is a shop I have made, to fit a pre-made shop front. It is to display a selection of hand-stitched Christmas cushions and stockings and other Christmas items. Quite a few of these were completed last year for a Christmas Challenge on Petitpointers, but more need to be done.

Ann Vanture Cubby Box - I get a lot of paper product kits from Ann Vanture - books and accessories to personalise my settings. This year (2009) she brought out a Project of the Month, a Cubby Box that fits behind a picture frame with several little compartments filled with accessories. Before we left on our 6-month road trip around Australia I had completed the cubby box itself and the first month's setting, but took the next two lots with me - and haven't had time to do it on the road. So there will be plenty to catch up on when we get back just before Christmas!

Wedding Boutique – this shop features beautiful floral arrangements and bouquets by Kathy b of Miniature Artistry, to complement the colour scheme of pink, burgundy and cream. The wedding boxes, invitations, confetti etc are made from Craft Pack Company kits. As you can see I have a lot of work to do in this shop, making dresses, jewellery, and other accessories. And probably a bigger shop too!

Altered book roombox – I have put the steps involved in making this roombox in one of my picture trail albums (http://www.picturetrail.com/sandrainsydney.com) I am thinking that this might be a map shop, since the books are all on travel, so there is still a lot to do on this project too.

Conservatory – I had dismantled this for storage but will be remaking it permanently, and landscaping around it etc. In storage some of the flower baskets, which apparently were made of bread dough, disintegrated, so I have to replace many of them. I also want to include more of Kathy b’s lovely flowers instead of the lesser-quality ones I have.

Toy Shop – again, this was dismantled for storage but will be re-made permanently. I have collected the child dolls I wanted to put outside the shop, looking in, so they need to be dressed for the setting. I have many of the toys I need, and have acquired the stencils for the brickwork on the walls that I want to do. So hopefully it won’t be too major a job to get this project completed.

Quarter scale Sea Shanty – this kit is going to be my Christmas present from my husband, Peter. So it is another major undertaking this year.

All in all I think I have plenty to keep me occupied!