Today I made window frames for the harem screen that will go between the master cabin and the ballroom and put together the circular stairway that connects with the upper deck (where the wheelhouse, playground, BBQ area, and garden will be).

The stairway treads, brackets, and base are cut from balsa wood. The centerpost is a wooden meat skewer; it will be trimmed when I figure out what it will look like above deck. The base and treads are stained walnut; the post and brackets were colored with a black Magic Marker. The stanchions were found in the jewelry.beading section at Michael's or Hobby Lobby. The "railing" will be of rope. Haven't decided yet whether to make it of white cotton or tan jute. The stairway will not be installed permanently, so it can be removed easily for modification.

The brass harem screen is too cute for words. Can't wait to get the wallpaper up. It is fairly fragile -- the pads of my fingers caught on the tiny sharp leaves and pulled them up, even though I was being very careful about handling. I think I will put a piece of acetate or other plastic on one side to help stabilize it; am thinking on the best way to do this step. I don't want to take away from the beauty of the brass. There is a matching frame for the ballroom side of the screen.

I just realized that I've been working on this boat for 3 months and haven't reached the third deck yet. Goodness!