My Buttercup Build

[Tilly Wants Cake]

As some of you know, my fiance bought me the Buttercup for Christmas! This will be my first dollhouse build, and I'm very excited to get started!

I sat down and read the directions last night, and boy was I glad I did. My first instinct would have been to punch out and sand every single piece before doing anything else - imagine me sitting in a heap of unidentifiable wood bits, crying!

So now that I know that I must R&P as I go along, I'm trying to gather together everything else I might need along the way.

I'm at dickblick.com right now, with stucco medium and paper clay in my shopping cart, and now I'm trying to select my primer and paint. (I know that I ought to be able to buy these things in person for instant gratification, but you wouldn't BELIEVE how poorly all the stores stay stocked in my area. I've learned my lesson.)

I have read recommendations that satin finish paint is the best. Is there a preference among master builders here for acrylic or latex? Can I apply acrylic paint on a latex primer if I can't find my colors in latex, or should I plan very carefully?

It sounds like a lot of folks get custom mixes from the hardware store (I assume). Are these always latex? If so, do you use a latex primer?

If I want to stucco the outside of the house (interspersing roughly-hewn bricks with paper clay among it), should I bother with satin for this, or is this traditionally a 'matte' application? Is it correct that I don't neeed primer over the paper clay? I know the stucco medium I'll use serves as an acrylic primer.

I thought I was ready to get going but before I even start I'm drowning in questions! :xmas_tree: I've gone through a few build blogs and tried to search for my answers but have come up dry. Probably using the wrong search terms. :kicking:

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience with me!

Edited December 26, 2007 by Tilly Wants Cake

[Tilly Wants Cake]

Oh, and here's a photo of Tilly Watts (the future homeowner), totally unable to focus on the task at hand...

[havanaholly]

I sat down and read the directions last night, and boy was I glad I did. My first instinct would have been to punch out and sand every single piece before doing anything else - imagine me sitting in a heap of unidentifiable wood bits, crying!

Don't do that! I usually put the wooden sheets into numerical order after I've checked them with the schematics sheets.

So now that I know that I must R&P as I go along, I'm trying to gather together everything else I might need along the way.

An excellent idea. As you finish a section on the instructions you might want to draw a hash-line through it with a pencil, to remind yourself you're done with that part.

I'm at dickblick.com right now, with stucco medium and paper clay in my shopping cart, and now I'm trying to select my primer and paint...I have read recommendations that satin finish paint is the best. Is there a preference among master builders here for acrylic or latex? Can I apply acrylic paint on a latex primer if I can't find my colors in latex, or should I plan very carefully?...It sounds like a lot of folks get custom mixes from the hardware store (I assume). Are these always latex? If so, do you use a latex primer?

Huh? Interior latex paint is quite compatible with acrylic paint, and unless you go with the little 4-oz jars of sample paints, the only "custom mixes" from the hardware store are the ones the original customer changed his mind about and someone bought for US$1! If you buy a can of flat or semi-gloss/ satin white interior latex paint you can use it as a primer and then pour a small amount into a clean empty yogurt cup and add acrylic paint to it a few drops at a time to get the "custom" color you want.

If I want to stucco the outside of the house (interspersing roughly-hewn bricks with paper clay among it), should I bother with satin for this, or is this traditionally a 'matte' application? Is it correct that I don't neeed primer over the paper clay? I know the stucco medium I'll use serves as an acrylic primer.

I use spackling compound for stucco, so I either seal or prime the bare wood before applying it. You will want to apply your paperclay brickwork and paint it first and then apply your "stucco" (whatever technique you use) so the bricks peek out from under the edges.

...I've gone through a few build blogs and tried to search for my answers but have come up dry. Probably using the wrong search terms.

There is no test with this, so it's perfectly OK to ask all the questions you want to. As you have no doubt noticed, most of the windows & door have NO interior trim, so you will want to take that into consideration hinging your door (if you want it to work) and decorating. I have had excellent results tracing the exterior trims onto posterboard and painting it and gluing it down over the wallpaper when the decorating is done.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience with me!

I have only built four of this kit so far, but if I don't find a rehab to fix up by April I'll probably build the kit I have for Toys for Tots this next year.

[Tilly Wants Cake]

If you buy a can of flat or semi-gloss/ satin white interior latex paint you can use it as a primer and then pour a small amount into a clean empty yogurt cup and add acrylic paint to it a few drops at a time to get the "custom" color you want.

See? That's why I came here for answers. That will certainly simplify things, since I wanted pastels anyway! Thanks a ton!

Thank you for the tip about posterboard for the interiors, as well. I have siding pieces I won't be using now, but if those prove difficult or just want to curl, I'll try the posterboard!

Edited December 27, 2007 by Tilly Wants Cake

[Tilly Wants Cake]

well I have everything I need to get started, except time! Maybe Tuesday?

[la-dolly-vita]

oh dear! i'm incredibly glad to hear you didn't just punch everything out! label label label!

[Tilly Wants Cake]

oh dear! i'm incredibly glad to hear you didn't just punch everything out! label label label!

Ooh, I knew you built but I didn't know you were on this forum! Hello Shelle!

Yes, I haven't punched.. have barely had time to do anything. But I did just 'inherit' a whole mess of furniture (I can't believe I resisted the urge to shop like crazy for this place but I was rewarded for it!), and I ordered the Spring Fling Workshop. I'm inspired, let's just see if I can come up with the time!

(After Vita's dress, of course!)

[Tilly Wants Cake]

I actually found some time to sand this weekend, and was blessed with an hour last night in which I was able to go through a dry build of the Buttercup. That was easier than I expected (from hearing horror stories!).

You can see some photos of Tilly in the dry-built Buttercup (and the Winner's Workshop, too!) in my new blog if you're interested.

What I'd really like to do is move the front entrance over to one side of the front wall, to make it look more like the Storybook Cottage. I'm just worried that if I cut and re-glue the flooring and walls that the house will be less stable. Does anyone have any advice or experience in this area?

[Tilly Wants Cake]

I just thought I'd sorta link up the few posts I've had going and just stick with updating this thread.

Asking for Electrical Help

My Thread about Bashing the Buttercup Kit

Thinking about display bases

Okay, so in other news, as seen in my forum blog, the kit has been bashed to move the door on the front wall slightly to the right (when facing the house). I had a tiny adjustment to make to the roof when I attempted the second dry build, but it otherwise went very well!

Next step is to cut pieces for a completely new alcove to house the kitchen stove. I picked up lovely birch ply at Michael's Crafts last night, and began to trace the shapes of the pieces I'd need, before running out of time.

[Toy Chest]

I really like your pig named Tilly. I want her for my house.