What I learned today

[Deb]

Building mini's is definitely an ongoing learning experience for me. Today, I learned that wrap around porches require *lots* of magic words. In fact, they sometimes require brand new magic words that make the cat blush and run away.

I knew I was going to have trouble on one side of the house because that's the wall that was warped and even after being unwarped, it was still off by *this* tiny bit. But, I won the battle and the porch is done! The front of the house is wrapped in so much blue tape that it looks like a depressed bureaucrat, but when the glue dries, it'll all be staight. Well, except for one small part of trim on the end. <grinding teeth> It's a triangle. Because of that teeny bit off on that wall, the triangle was trying to fit into a space that defies any geometric definition. Sooooooooooooooooooooo.......I gave it some thought, grabbed my saw, whacked off the tall posts from the rail, tossed the trim over my shoulder and now I have a gate at the back of the porch.

Actually, that was kinda fun. I wanna whack up something else now!

Deb

[havanaholly]

On the Haunted House kit I used siding on the porch part of the front and the shingles I didn't use on the Glencroft for the other three walls. That was also fun, but obviously not as much fun as whacking things off

I haven't used nearly as many "magic" words with Greenleaf kits as with Dura-Craft, although there was one Buttercup kit that the wall the bay goes into was miscut; the air turned so blue with that one that little birds flying overhead dropped dead from the sky & all the tailless feral cats from miles around came flocking to our yard :o

[Minis On The Edge]

Oh magic words! Yes I think a lot of us use *magic* words to get the houses to act right. I can't wait to see your updated pictures! I know your house is looking Beautiful!

[Nameless1]

The front of the house is wrapped in so much blue tape that it looks like a depressed bureaucrat

I love this statement!

I use a lot of trim that wasn't originally in the kit, as a means of hiding bits where the house and I couldn't agree on the definition of "straight."

[hydroped]

LoL Deb

Don't it feel good to take a whack at something? :o I was so ticked off at my Christmas house that last night I basically did the same thing - I pulled out the Dremel and started in on the front - mind you I have the place fully wallpapered now so here I am cutting away through paint, wood, wallpaper and all - it sure felt good - Great stress reliever - And I bet your gate looks wonderful!!! :o

-David

[Deb]

I haven't used nearly as many "magic" words with Greenleaf kits as with Dura-Craft, although there was one Buttercup kit that the wall the bay goes into was miscut; the air turned so blue with that one that little birds flying overhead dropped dead from the sky & all the tailless feral cats from miles around came flocking to our yard 

hehehehehehehehee You're probably the most popular human in the neighborhood with the cats! When they see you open a new kit box, they tie on their bibs!

Deb

[Deb]

Oh magic words! Yes I think a lot of us use *magic* words to get the houses to act right. I can't wait to see your updated pictures! I know your house is looking Beautiful! :o

I finished all the trim on it today, got the grass on the base and all that's left now is the shingles. <happy dancing> The interior is completely done and there's an album for that in my webshots. I updated the exterior work pictures tonight in the progress folder. If I get the shingles stained this week after work, I should have the whole house completed next weekend. Is it normal to be this excited about finishing a house?

I'm going to add a chimney to the back wall after I've gotten some experience with the magic masonry. I know you've put a lot of chimneys on your houses and after seeing those, I've got to give it a try. They just add *so* much to the house. Do you use a specific pattern for the frame of the chimney before you add the stones, or do you just use wood pieces to build your own and make it "chimney shaped" based on what best fits the personality of the house?

Deb

[Deb]

I use a lot of trim that wasn't originally in the kit, as a means of hiding bits where the house and I couldn't agree on the definition of "straight."

I ended up doing that on the tower of the Pierce. It's on that warped wall too and just wouldn't cooperate no matter how much I threatened it. So, I added some trim to the top of the tower under the roof line to give an optical illusion to the line. Worked out quite well actually. I know it's covering imperfections but if somone drives past it at 90mph, they'd never notice it!

Deb

[Deb]

LoL Deb 

    Don't it feel good to take a whack at something?   I was so ticked off at my Christmas house that last night I basically did the same thing - I pulled out the Dremel and started in on the front - mind you I have the place fully wallpapered now so here I am cutting away through paint, wood, wallpaper and all - it sure felt good    - Great stress reliever    - And I bet your gate looks wonderful!!! 

    -David

<cackle> Guess if we need to take a whack at something, it's better to do it to a house than some other choices! :o :o So, after you beat it into submission with the dremel, did it behave properly?

Deb

[doetexas]

O.K. Deb, Now that I've regained my composure after seeing your Palace....er, I mean Pierce; I have a couple of questions for you.

1)What did you use on the floors? Did you stain them yourself or is it purchased flooring? I want shiny floors like that! :o

2) That awesome staircase, how did you achieve that look?? Did it come with the house or is it a kit or did you get it already made? .....It looks like something out of House Beautiful....I mean it looks like looking into a real house, not a miniature!!!

It's absolutely_________, I still can't think of a word that does it justice.

Sincerely,

Doe

[smallhouset]

Deb, your Pierce is wonderful. I like how you changed the stairs. Much more space efficent than the ones that come with the kit. I also like the waincotting on the second floor parlor. I'm adding a wall there and making it a music room. Seeing your pictures makes me eager to get back to my Pierce, that was pushed aside for the Tennyson build (that isn't finished yet either).

Good job

terri

[Deb]

1)What did you use on the floors? Did you stain them yourself or is it purchased flooring? I want shiny floors like that! :o

2) That awesome staircase, how did you achieve that look?? Did it come with the house or is it a kit or did you get it already made?

Thanks Doe. The floors are the plywood floors of the house itself. I score the floorboard lines in with an xacto blade, then put a couple of coats of stain on them. To get the high gloss, varnish/sand/varnish/sand/varnish/sand/varnish. It takes a few days to complete, but it's worth the effort if you like shiny hardwood floors.

The staircase is definitely not the one that came with the house. (the one that comes with the house is, well, um, it's different.......kinda square and flat) The one I used is from miniatures.com and comes assembled and ready to paint or stain. I used three different shades of stain to get the right look on the stairs and rails where generatons of feet and hands would have worn the middle of the treads and the rails. I have balusters, spindles and rails for the second floor landing but I haven't put it together yet. Instead of the ladder to the attic that came with the kit, I'm going to put in a spiral staircase so I'll wait till I install it to finish the railing on the second floor.

Deb

[havanaholly]

I'm going to add a chimney to the back wall after I've gotten some experience with the magic masonry. I know you've put a lot of chimneys on your houses and after seeing those, I've got to give it a try. They just add *so* much to the house. Do you use a specific pattern for the frame of the chimney before you add the stones, or do you just use wood pieces to build your own and make it "chimney shaped" based on what best fits the personality of the house?

I put an exterior chimney on the Haunted House, I used one of the pieces of chimney to get the width and drew a rough pattern with the chimney width for the upper part and a bit wider than the little wooden premade fireplace the house wanted (I shall try Tracy's idea for the McKinley when I get to it ). I cut out the pattern & laid it on a piece of foamboard & cut it out and then laid it on the house & traced around it for where it would go once it was done. That's when I learned there's a difference (for me) between the paper pattern & the finished product & I went back & added another piece of foamboard to the bottom. I lay all this on a pice of waxed paper & proceded to spackle it, just like frosting a cake. I carved "stones" on the "frosting" with a toothpick and when it was dry I painted it & the upper part of the chimney, which I had aleardy assembled, painted, spackled & carved. I then glued it onto the house.

[Deb]

I'm adding a wall there and making it a music room.

Thanks Terri. I'm also making the second floor parlor into a music room. I just can't imagine any house--no matter what size--without music. I"m planning for a quartet of piano, violin, cello and harp.

Deb

[Deb]

Thanks for the info on the chimney Holly! That helps a lot. That bare wall on the back of the house just cries out for a chimney. I'll put a woodbox beside it and the porch and that'll justify that "gate". Yeah, yeah, that's it! The gate was planned for easy access to the wood box. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

Deb