My poor neglected Tennyson. I lost interest in this house. I walk by it everyday. Alysia was going to finish it but then she became a teenager. <sigh> I was looking at her today, wondering if the five minute room rescue would work on her. Maybe just working on the house will get her back in the zone.
I have had a lot happen in the last few months including moving out of my house, moving twice, then moving back into my house. Somewhere along the line the skil craft disappeared. It may turn up, then again it may have just been tossed. I had made a lot of progress on it, but hadn't taken any pictures.
Below are exerts from my personal journal about my Minis and other hobbies. I only recently started to include my hobbies in the journal.
Saturday~1/12
I need to finish this house and get it out of my way. I am pretty sure that I now have all the materials to finish it. First, I need to finish the shingles/asphalt roofing. Then I need to finish up the outside trim, fill in the gaps, sand and touch up the paint. I ruined the arch window acetate, so I need to cut a wind
My sister needed a ride to pick up her car. While I was out I stopped to get a jar of Modge Podge. I got two since they only had the small jars. I also got a sewing pattern for stuffed letters. I don't really know why. Its something I could make a pattern for myself. I also picked up some fat quarters and scrap ribbon packs.
Last night I started the design the Hex sign for the end of the Carry-all and the distelfinks for the sides. So far I just have some base coating done.
I have been looking at my dollhouses in progress, scratching my head thinking 'what shall I do next?' I wanted to finish the roof on the Madison, but I need more tread tape. Its winter and the heating bill makes it difficult to set aside money for entertainment and hobby purposes, I used some of my Holiday gift money to pay it, too. I only need one more roll. Last year at this time Walmart had it on clearance; yesterday they had none. I was thinking Ella could give up her beef pot pies for a wee
What have I been up to? Well, I did my first craft show. I sold 10% of my crafts I made for the show. For a first show it wasn't to bad. I have been working on the Madison and repairing the Tennyson. I set the Tennyson on the floor because I was out of table space. Dotty chewed part of it. Its repairable, but it is slow going. Its kinda like putting a Monsters, Inc. shredded door back together.
The Madison: I have been using Duck Brand outdoor tread tape to make asphalt shingles.
I took a break for a few days for my uncle's funeral and to work on some other sewing projects. I worked on the Madison here and there. I did have to step back and figure out what I was going to do with the door ways. The door ways have rounded corners. I could have gotten some interior door, but I wasn't really interested in cutting them to fit the upstairs doorways. They have a 45 degree angle to accommodate the roof.
Today, I finished most of the trim work for the main floor. I
I have gotten a lot of work done on the Madison. All of the interior walls and floors are done. I have also painted some of the exterior architectural details painted. I did decide to use store bought picture frame moulding to replace the moulding that came with the kit. A lot of it is in bad shape, chipped, cracked and splintered. (Didn't know crap board, a.k.a. MDF, could splinter)
Now for the "grrr" part. When Alysia had dry fit the house it went together smoothly. Everything li
I started working on the Madsion. Alysia was originally building this house. She discovered it was to heavy and bulky for her to move around. I am using the paint colors that she had chosen for it. Its going to be purple with blue and green trim work. I have also removed the wall paper that she had put it. We don't have a mini store here and I haven't ordered a supply of wall paper yet I decided to use fabric as wallpaper. I have a huge stash of fabric. Some of it looks like the wallpapers in my
This is an item that I started months ago. All I had done was make the posts for the bed. Last night I got most of it done. I still need to add some finishing touches to it.
I built this bed from findings that I had around the house. This bed is a From Trash to Treasure item.
The bed posts are made from Christmas Ornaments. Some of the beads from these had to have holes drilled larger to go over a 5/64" dowel.
The head board also from Christmas Ornaments and the
I grew up in a Christian Family. As a child I can remember a lot of Bible stories and good vs. evil. I can also remember being told not to use the "good" scissors. When I was five or so the good scissors were the best. All the other scissors were bad or evil. I didn't want to use any other pair. After all, they were bad and I was taught not to do or use bad things. I didn't want to get in trouble for something bad, but I always got in trouble for using the "good" scissors. Being young, I lacked
I have been working on the floor of the Tennyson today. I had to take a break from most everything for a few days. I was exhausted. I also had to get my ducks in a row (priorities, not my kids) again. Most of what needed to be done, got done. And I had a good long nap after the lidocaine finally wore off. I did get the tile installed in the bay area of the first floor room. The front room is also done. I have been thinking about adding a window to the wall on the porch side. The only opening f
The test of a kraft paper stone floor looked really good. (Sorry, I didn't take a picture. I gave it to Sher and Ella who put it in their rollie polley house. It has been covered in dirt. It is awful sweet of them make a house for the bugs they are catching. ) Once I started applying the colored paper pieces to the floor of the Tennyson it was just too dark. I wasn't happy so I scraped it off. Instead I started using the tiles that I had gotten from last year's Halloween Madness contest. I didn
Today, Michael and I went to the POW/MIA Rally up at the fairgrounds. For the last seven years The POW/MIA Awareness Corp. of Pocatello, ID (best viewed in internet explorer) have a bike rally to promote the awareness of our many soldiers who are still missing in action or may be prisoners or war. This is the first year we have gone.
This year the rally hosted The Moving Wall. When we were there I couldn't see the wall. I looked for it. Our fairgrounds aren't very big so I should
When I lived with my dad while I was growing up our house had a beautiful stone hearth. Today, using powder pigments and pastel chalks on brown paper and modge podged onto a board. I have been trying to recreate the stones. Right now, the test of this is drying. If I don't get the look that I am going for I have a back-up plan.
I wasn't able to work on the house for a week or so. I do belive the house is hoarse from yelling. I have other things going on, still. Today is my last day
I am pretty proud of myself. I seem to be able to work on minis daily.
Today I laid the hard wood floor in what is going to be a bedroom. It didn't take very long. I used skinny sticks. I know that all of them are not straight, which is ok, it goes along with the "well used" theme. I expected some gaps and some warps. So I get the floor laid and leave it alone only to come back to find the left side had buckled up. I didn't think they were in there that tight. Wood swells when its
Two years ago, when I bought this house, I tried to find the identity. At this current time there is a Skilcraft on ebay that looks like this house (link posted by Newt). It is possible with as many dollhouse manufacturers that have come and gone it was produced by both Arrow and Skilcraft. As much as I love hearing about the history of manufacturers I don't like to research them myself. I am hoping Calamari will publish a book so I have a handy reference.
I started working on thi
I spent the morning working on the exterior and looking for ideas for the interior. It was only my intention to brick the outside of the house, but after searching the web for decorating idea both inside and out will have brick. I have been thinking about wiring this house. If I am going to do that I need to buy my supplies. I am not sure if I want to hard wire or use battery boxes. I will probably make my own battery boxes since Michael showed me how when I made my arbor. I will probably use th
Today, my mom and I went to Goodwill. I finally found a lamp that I could use in the roost. I am very satisfied with the result. I managed to get one picture before my camera batteries died. :whistle: It's DONE!! I will post pictures later.
I have been slowly making and gluing on large bricks to the exterior. I bought a bundle of drywall shims from Lowes. They are 1 1/2" x 36" chipboard strips. I have been cutting them to 7/8" high. (Sorry, no pictures yet cause I am being LAZY!) I am not to sure how I am going to finish the bricks off. My first thought was to apply spackling compound and then paint. The more that I think about it the more I think I should follow the egg carton method. I may have to do a couple of trials on spare
...for minis that is. I started working on the Tennyson and my Arrow. Plus I have plans for the carry-all that Dean sent. Yesterday, I spray painted the all of the trim black. Yep, you read that right, I spray painted the doll house. It gets even better: I also took a chisel to shingles on the roof and stairs. I had all the shingles off and the stairs out in ten minutes and I didn't gouge the wood.
There are big black spray marks all over inside and out. Don't worry all of what I d
Making a bird. I freehanded a pattern to sew a stuffed bird. I was sewing by the light of a desk lamp and chose navy blue thread instead of black. I am too tired to fix it.
The bird attached to the nest with the tea lights. The bird was sewn with thread to the nest. My bird is a little small so I won't be using the eggs that I found. The eggs are about the size of jumbo eggs from the store.
Yesterday, I went to the dollar store looking for a candle stick type night light. They are out of them. So I went to Goodwill looking for a small plug in lamp. No such luck. I did find some paper mache eggs that I could use in the nest. I am not sure about that, yet. The nest is made from natural raffia. It is twisted, tied every 4-5 inches and sewn into a circle with a doll makers needle using raffia for the thread. I did find an online source for a lamp. I do have to go to the other side of
This is only a test to see if it looks good. I put the roost together again; made a mental note of what I still need to do. The roost is coming apart again so I can paint the underside and back. I was in such a hurry to get started I guess I forgot. The heart is not centered on the roof, but I am ok with it. I have been practicing letters, but I am not ready to do them on the roost. Also, have some touch ups to do.
Well, sorta. I play on a dart league with my sister and mom. Today was the final tournament; we came in seventh. Anyway, on the way to the Odyessy I stopped at the new Goodwill to pick up a pair of khaki pants for work. (I was offered a job that was supposed to be part time, I took it because of the rising cost of... well, everything) While I was there I took a cruise through the craft area where I found a $3.99 bag of building components. It had Magic Brick, three sheets of clay bricks on mes
