havanaholly Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 One 70% Toblerone, coming up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheckMouse Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 I've been bogged down with RL housework - moving furniture, making room for more furniture, cleaning out corners. What a bore! Finally took some ME time and went out to my craft workshop and made a little bit of progress on the Appleby. Finished covering the irregular ends of the siding on the back of the house with Paperclay - already did the front. That has to dry till tomorrow, then I can paint it. With all the paperclay on that now it has definitely gained some weight! I have a bad shoulder, which is getting progressively worse, and it was quite difficult to pick up the house and turn it over to work on the back. Definitely did not want to drop it! I've got one more free weekend before the County Fairs start, so I'm hoping to get the final painting and the ceiling moulding installed tomorrow. Then I can bring it into the house and start working on the interior. I have cleared a spot in my home office for it. My mother no longer uses a desktop computer, and is no longer using her old home office space. She has a laptop that she can use in her recliner in the living room. So her section of the office will become a miniature display area. We are both delighted with that idea. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Be careful with that shoulder CJ, no "fun" to deal with an aching shoulder! Those things seem to take for ever to heal, or atleast get as good as possible... Have had some fun playng with the Dremel on the ceiling beams for the lighthouse cellar, now it will take some paint/stain treatment prior to installing. Hoping to get one coat on before going to see and celebrate my parents, B-days later on today. But first the regular chores to do.... Hugs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suej Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 I use popsicle sticks, coffee stirrers and the extra wide craft sticks. It just takes a little time and patience. They can look quite impressive when all is said and done. I loved my popsicle stick floor in the Primrose bash. I worked with it on a cardstock template which was easier for me to control. I just forgot to allow for the extra thickness when it came time to install the already prepared front door. That was a mess to trim down and I really didnt do a good job with the final fit. Made it a non-opening door:-((. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CutnStuf Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 One of the sites that I looked at recommended gluing the sticks onto a piece of card stock to create a "sheet" of flooring and then installing the sheet onto the actual floor. The sticks that we got are 1/16" thick which obviously is 3/4" in 1:12 scale so they should look pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 A plus using template to glue your popsicle stick flooring onto I that you can sand I before installing to get it flat & smooth. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soapz Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Art, I have used coffee stirrers (thanks to Starbucks) for flooring on a template that worked well. If they are glued down good, they can be sanded and look good. I never tried Popsicle sticks ( I felt too bad for my easy cutter) but if they are mounted right I'd think you should be able to sand them and then give them a great finish. For most templates (walls, ceilings, floors) I use poster board - I buy a 10 pack at Office depot: http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/858277/Office-Depot-Brand-Poster-Boards-22/ It's cheap and works for me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CutnStuf Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 I picked up a pack of construction paper to use as the backing for mounting the sticks to. When you say "template", does that mean that you're drawing guidelines on the backing or...? The sticks look fairly consistent, so I figure they will layout pretty squarely on their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Make a template (trace the perimeter) of the room that you are putting the floor into. That way it fits the room perfectly when are done. I'm not sure that construction paper will support the weight of the sticks for trying to move it around and into the room. It might tear. I have put mine straight onto the kit floor with no problems - no template at all. Doing it that way is a problem if you are trying to run wiring underneath though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soapz Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 I make templates of floor - outline it with used printer paper and then cut a template from cardboard which I use to mount wallpaper, flooring, glue it in and then install the trim or moulding I want. I would still sand the floor if you want to stain it. Sometimes they do have some sort of finish and then won't take to stain or wax or they blotch. I usually sand small parts while the glue is still tacky - the saw dust fills gaps (learned that from using veneer....) and makes the floor look consistent. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suej Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 I picked up a pack of construction paper to use as the backing for mounting the sticks to. When you say "template", does that mean that you're drawing guidelines on the backing or...? The sticks look fairly consistent, so I figure they will layout pretty squarely on their own. I cut the card stock to fit my room. Then to help guide me I drew straight pencil lines all the way across the card so I could follow in a better straight line when gluing the sticks. I wanted a whitewash look so i painted the sticks before i glued. I cut the rounded ends off the sticks then cut the sticks in half (house floor was about a 11x12.. Then used shorter cuts as I finished up on each line alternating the lines like a normal wood floor. The easy cutter is a great little tool. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CutnStuf Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 You guys are a well of information! Hope as I learn more I'll be able to share ideas with others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Construction paper --- I would not use this for a base. Construction paper will break down / disintegrate over time. Something more stable, like the poster board that Soapz uses or card stock from manila file folders or cardboard from cereal boxes, would be a better choice, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CutnStuf Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Luckily the construction paper only cost me 2 bucks, so no big loss there. I've got some old file folders kicking around somewhere. Thanks for the heads up!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Art, I used black construction paper in two layers to make roof slates for my Glencroft pub. I sealed them with clear sanding sealer. The UV turned them golden brown, so my first project in my new workshop was to paint them slate color. I guess the sealer and paint have stabilized the construction paper, because the roof has been on for ten years. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodentraiser Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Lisa uses popsickle sticks and her floors are gorgeous. How the heck do you spell popsickle? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debra from Olde Cape Cod Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Popsicle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodentraiser Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I'm going to the store tonight and I'll check one of the boxes in the ice cream department. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 As a child I survived S FL summers without a/c eating popsicles, so I can spell it, and Debra is right on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CutnStuf Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I think popsicle is correct. Got the spelling from a google search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCullen Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Building the chimney that I added for the Adams... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 <happy dancing> I finished the steampunk observatory this morning!! Woooooooohoooooooooo!!! I'll get pictures taken sometime this week but for now I'm just content to sit back and savor the joy of completion. Even the furnishings are done altho I did leave enough space to be able to add future small steampunk projects here and there when the urge takes me to make a new mini for it. The final touch was to print out and add the latest issue of "The Cosmic Times" newspaper and a cup of coffee beside the steam powered rocking chair in the greenhouse. As I did, I'm pretty sure I felt my dad chuckling his approval. There aren't words to describe how good it feels to be back to mini-ing again. For the past couple of days as I neared completion, I started thinking about what I wanted to build next and y'all know that's a sure sign that all is well. I was pretty sure that I'd want to do the quarter scale houses for the Lizard's Ghost Town in the yard but then I heard a small voice to my left saying, "Begging your pardon, but I've been in dry fit and completely furnished for over three years now and I've been ever so patient. Couldn't it be my turn next?" It was the Tennyson. And I'm considering doing it too. It's a big house but I have a little more confidence now that I've built the Loganberry and devised some new ways of wrapping my brain around the building process. If I do, I'll keep the wiring to a minimum rather than the extravagant light show I'd originally planned, but other than that, I think I can build her the way she's meant to be. <wry grin> I've had every single piece of her carefully laid out all the way from the wiring to the trim to the pictures to hang on the wall and the rugs for the floor so all I need is paint and we're ready to go. <giggling> Okay, after reading what I just wrote I think it's obvious that my heart's in the Tennyson now. I may take a week or so to dress the opium bed in the Willowcrest that I've been putting off for at least 7 years for lack of time just because that sounds like fun and would be a good palate cleanser, but after that methinks it's finally time to get that Tennyson built. If it takes me another three years to do it, that's okay. I've finally realized that I'm not going anywhere and have nothing more urgent to do. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CutnStuf Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Raise a glass to Deb! Can't wait to see the pics. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Atta girl, Deb! My first build too me three and a half years, and this farmhouse is taking another two! I'm finding the journey is as much fun as the destination! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I'm finding the journey is as much fun as the destination! It's been hard for me to accept that my days of being able to do things like build a Laurel in a three day weekend are long gone but after all I've been thru, just being able to build at all is something of a personal miracle. To be honest, there have been times in the past three years that I'd completely given up on ever building again. After going thru all that, it's put building into a completely different perspective for me. I've accepted that I'll never be a professional builder again and that was one of the hardest things I've had to deal with, but this new phase of dollhouses is going to be just as good in a different way. There's no rush to finish anything and it's all about what I can do within the moment. Sooner or later all the moments are going to come together with a finished dollhouse and I'm not going to set any goals about what needs to be accomplished within a time line. I've had to remove the phrase, "I need to....." from my life and replace it with, "I would like to...." My brain took a funny left turn somewhere and the word "need" triggers an amazing amount of stress and then I just shut down so I'm eradicating it from my vocabulary. It has something to do with planning ahead or looking forward past the moment I'm in. In the research I've done on strokes and brain damage, it seems to be a fairly common thing and I'm succeeding with some of the suggested ways of getting past neuro short circuits. Anyway, that's too deep and I'm babbling but I just feel soooooooooo happy today! This is a major milestone and I'm grinning like the village idiot. I puttered in the studio this afternoon and it's all tidied up again. The Tennyson is on the work table and I pulled the flooring, wallpaper, wiring, lights, shingles, and trim for it so it's all laid out and ready to go. Wanna see my inspiration picture for the colors? I'd always planned on doing it in a nice, airy, seaside palette of green and ivory but was leaning toward darker colors til Tracy showed me this house. I shrieked, "Eureka!!" (which always scares the cats) and did a little happy dance because this is exactly what I had in mind. I might add a touch of soft rose here and there, but otherwise the sage and cream (or maybe light yellow if I find one I like) is perfect. This is the same palette as the wallpapers I'd chosen for the interior. Now I'm gonna go order chinese delivery for dinner to celebrate. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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