otterine Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I usually use bricks 1/4" x 3/4" just because it's easier to remember and it's close to scale, though not exact. True scale is smaller. I make a straight line with a metal ruler and a utility knife on one edge, then I measure 1/4" from that line for each row. I draw a straight line across and then cut a strip with scissors. I then measure 3/4" pieces and clip off a scant bit from the four corners of each brick. After about four rows, I redo my straight edge with the ruler and utility knife because cutting with scissors isn't completely accurate. My bricks are close but not perfect, and they don't need to be. The painting and grouting process makes up for any discrepancies. If any bricks are really off from the rest then I just don't use them. http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/index.php?app=gallery&image=73658 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fov Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Brae, that chimney is gorgeous. I wish I had your patience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otterine Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Thank you! Slowly but surely is how I manage the larger projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollymmoore Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I usually use bricks 1/4" x 3/4" just because it's easier to remember and it's close to scale, though not exact. True scale is smaller. I make a straight line with a metal ruler and a utility knife on one edge, then I measure 1/4" from that line for each row. I draw a straight line across and then cut a strip with scissors. I then measure 3/4" pieces and clip off a scant bit from the four corners of each brick. After about four rows, I redo my straight edge with the ruler and utility knife because cutting with scissors isn't completely accurate. My bricks are close but not perfect, and they don't need to be. The painting and grouting process makes up for any discrepancies. If any bricks are really off from the rest then I just don't use them. Brae, I am a huge fan of your blog. I check it everyday! I have learned so much from it over the past few months, it has saved me years of trial and error. I feel better, the bricks are pretty close, not perfect. Yours looked perfect though, and you are my inspiration for trying this out. I will have to do another little test with a few more bricks and work on a grouting mix and see how it turns out. Thanks so much for responding! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otterine Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Aw, thanks! Good luck and most of all have fun making a mess! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Making messes is the most fun of DIY in minis! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparklepuppies Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Y'all will like this - The other day I was eating lunch out, and looking out the window. The dumpster was outside the window, with a wall around it to block the view. I looked at the wall and thought, they sure did do a good job with those egg carton stones, they look very real!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 That's funny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otterine Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 I did the same thing when I was in Denver last summer, but in this case the wall of the adjacent building had the most horrendous brickwork I've ever seen. Rows were uneven and bricks were crooked, some rows didn't line up and were just cut off or pieced with broken bricks. I thought to myself, "Well, that should be scraped off and done correctly." Here I was critiquing real life brickwork because being an egg carton mason makes me some sort of expert. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Isn't it interesting how working in mini has made us more aware of the world around us? I am forever noticing details that make me think they should be redone! One biggie is a house in Marshall that has wooden siding on the ground floor and fake stone siding on the second floor. Why ever would someone build a house with stonework above a wooden wall? The weight would collapse it. Of course the fake stone siding is light enough, but still ... it just looks wrong! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nathaniel Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I AM DETERMINED to try egg cartons soon. How do you make the grout though??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caseymini Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Nathaniel, some people use "real" grout, such as spackle mixed with paint. I cheat. I paint the surface that the bricks or stone are going to be glued to with a grout color of paint. then I do the bricks or stones over that. I always round the edges of the brick/stones with a ball stylus and paint the egg carton part the color or colors that I want. That way there is not really a nead for grout unless you want it the same level as the stone or brick. See the foundation of the Clockwork trailer on my blog. Not a bit of grout on that. Even the Shower tower is done that way. http://caseymini.blo...daywe-hope.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I don't use grout, either. Often in real stone walls it is difficult even to see the mortar that holds them together simply because of the irregularity of the stones. I glue the "stones" close together and then paint the whole wall with a base coat of a medium gray. When that dries, I go over it with washes of paint and blends of powdered pastels to give color and variation to the stones. Here is a larger version of my avatar photo that shows some of the detail from the pottery shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otterine Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I use Andi Mini Mortar: http://www.otterine.com/blog/blog1.php/haunted-heritage-red-brick-foundation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I also paint the surface the basic grout color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nathaniel Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Thanks! I won't use grout! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollymmoore Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I AM DETERMINED to try egg cartons soon. How do you make the grout though??? Great! It would be neat if everyone who has tried egg cartons to share a photo or two, or three.... of their project and tell how they did it. Maybe the next time someone is researching it could be easy to find multiple examples in one place??? What do y'all say? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patkneazle Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 When I have used cardboard egg carton for stonework, I painted the egg carton with the colors I wanted, then varnished, then spread grout and wiped the stones with a damp paper towel. If you need to, you can touch the stones up a little after that. The varnish protects the egg carton. A caveat though, I've only used this technique on 1/4" scale. For my big house, I used a bag of flat-sided dollhouse stone. I can't figure out how to attach a picture, but I think this is the link that shows how it turned out. http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/uploads/gallery/album_5571/gallery_13509_5571_659083.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patkneazle Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Oh, and the grout was a lightweight spackle from any paint or hardware store. Worked GREAT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I LOVE the door and window! Did you make those? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patkneazle Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Thanks! The door was made from scratch. The window is a Grandt window, but I used manila folder to make the shaping at the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Aha! I thought you had tweaked or made them. I love how they turned out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollymmoore Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 That is a very cool project! LOVED it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fov Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I started my egg carton stone foundation today. This is what I have so far. I painted the foundation gray before gluing on the stones. I haven't done anything to the stones yet, this is the "raw" egg carton material. I started with the side that will be covered up with the deck, on the assumption that I'll get better as I go along! In the pictures I've seen in this thread and in the gallery, the stones have such nice coloring. I'm wondering what people use to paint them? I read online about using a dry brush technique with various shades of gray and brown, which seems like a good idea. Am curious to hear some suggestions before I get started. I'm a little concerned about the grout lines between the stones being too big. I feel like this looks more like a path than a foundation that's holding the house up. :o (But that's why I started on the side I'm planning to cover up!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otterine Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I use grey and brown acrylic paints for grey stone, applied with a stencil brush. The stipple effect of the brush keeps it from looking painted. I know some use crushed pastels to color the stones, but I am a painterly person. Just make sure to seal the surface before you grout to protect the pulp material. You'll likely still need to touch up the color afterward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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