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Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Accessorizing The Vanities


When I began this whole sink/vanity experiment, my motives were to try all of the different finishes, styles and techniques that I'd filed away in the "want to try someday" folder. So in that regard, I have really fulfilled my goals. What I didn't expect was for the whole process to take 2 months. My attention span doesn't hold out that long, so getting them all to this point has been a a real commitment for me! I am beyond ready to put this chapter behind me and start on something less repetitive. 16 at once was a big bite for my little mouth to chew on. :o)


Over the past couple weeks I've made many accessories. I started with hemp baskets for each vanity in the same way that I made the bee skep for the 2016 Creatin' Contest build; wrap hemp around a form. For these baskets, I used a cereal box for the structure and also added fabric liners, interpreting for my own means the picnic basket tutorial video from Julie Warren. I used different fabrics and hemp cord colors to coordinate with the theme for each of the sinks.


I also made mirrors for each vanity. All but two of the frames were printed from chipboard on my Cricut machine. Those were finished to compliment the sink themes, as well. I used Darice real glass mirrors for the round ones, and mirrored sheet cut to size for the square ones.


One note here for the growing number of miniature crafters using the Cricut: Whenever I use the 1/16" chipboard, even with the chipboard setting, I run into a lot of issues with the machine just stopping and throwing error codes in the middle of the second cut. After speaking with the nice tech support guy at Cricut, I came to the conclusion that I was pretty much on my own. To be fair, we did update my firmware, and he is sending me out some lube and a new power cord, so that is something.

After much experimentation, it seemed to me that the problem was due to the chipboard not sticking well enough to the really sticky purple mat. The deep cutting blade had no trouble going through the material, but the mat would slip very slightly, causing a small tear in the chipboard. This would cause the sensor "eye" to see microscopic debris and abort the cut to prevent damage. Once I realized this, I gave the mat a coat of Aleene's Tack It Over & Over Liquid Glue. That solved the slipping issue, and I was finally able to cut the thick material with minimal issue. I just had to be extra patient when removing the chipboard from the mat. This stuff sticks good!


Another accessory was the liquid soap dispenser with pump I designed in TinkerCad back in 2015. I had a bunch of them printed out from Shapeways in the Acrylic Ultra Detail. They are much easier to finish in that material than the White Strong & Flexible (thanks Kristine!), and I like that they are nearly clear. To finish these, I painted the pump and lid area in black paint marker, added tiny labels, then coated the whole thing in clear nail enamel. They are really awesome, if I do say so myself! ;O)




Each vanity will get a floral arrangement of some kind; a mix of daisies, lilies and chrysanthemums were made, along with matching foliage. They are getting hardened in their vases with "water" as we speak.


I also made a bunch of candles and holders in various finishes to match each vanity's hardware and color scheme - the candles were all either cream or white and the holders ranged from silver, aged silver, gold or aged bronze. More photos will follow in the final photo shoot. Still to be done: rolled towels ala Elizabeth's wonderful towel tutorial, and if my endurance lasts, tp rolls, trash cans, tissue holders, and, and and. And if not, I'll call them complete and move on to something different. I'd really like to get Sam's package off to her before March is spent!

Until next time, I hope your spring has sprung with lots of inspired mini dreams, and if you're on the underside of the globe, I hope your cooling fall is a welcome relief!

xo xo,
Jodi

32 comments:

  1. Wow Jodi!!! Your vanities look so realistic! The accessories really add a lot to the scale illusion! Those soap dispensers are amazing!!! And the entire process of seeing you experiment with so many variations on a theme has been both enlightening and admirable! Kudos to you for sticking with the goal! (Yeah, I would still be trying the mosaic patterns! LOL!) I can understand your eagerness to move on... and really look forward to following your next projects whatever they are! :)

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    1. Thanks Betsy! It seems like the more modern styles really demand a lot more realistic looking elements. I think that is one of the reasons I tend to prefer and enjoy the more whimsical and aged styles of builds. But I do really like the way some of these vanities have come together, so it was a good experience overall.
      I am still not at all satisfied with the tile results I've achieved, so that will require a lot more experimentation in the future. Not 2 months worth though, I hope! If you do come up with a great method, be sure to share it, will you? :O)

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  2. Oh my! So pretty! I love all those mirrors and the soap dispensers are awesome. Two months is a long time but now you've got a bunch of experience and sinks to go with it.

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    1. Thanks Sheila! It is one of those situations where if I knew beforehand that it would take up so much time and the repetitiveness would be so mundane I may not have committed to it. But, I am glad for the experience and glad I am reaching the end. Hopefully, it will make future sink and vanity projects less of a mental challenge!

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  3. Your accessorized vanities are Smashing!!! I love the simplicity of the white lily, the the candlestick and the hand soap dispenser - tres' chic!
    The round mirrors and the matching baskets tucked into the vanity, are all so pretty together Jodie and I will be greatly interested in seeing how you will adapt the towel tutorial to suit your series of Fabulous Sinks - BRAVO!!! :D

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    1. Thank you Elizabeth! My real home is very traditional, and I love rustic dollhouses, so to go more clean and modern/contemporary with some of these has been a learning experience for sure!
      The towel tutorial was such a help, Elizabeth! I adapted the method of folding the sides in to the middle, then rolled them up like in fancy hotels. I used Fast Grab Tacky Glue and was fortunate that there were no seeping issues. I made 36 of them yesterday, so am relieved that that piece of the project is now completed, too!

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  4. Jodi, I love these hemp baskets! And the soap dispenser! And the answer to your Cricut issue. And the idea of applying clear nail varnish to the shapeways print.
    Thanks for a great 'behind the scene' blog.

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    1. Thanks Marion! I am glad you enjoyed the post, and hope something in it helps you with a future endeavor!

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  5. Wonderful work and I adore the baskets. I've saved your Shapeways store in my bookmarks so when I get to the point of actually building one of my kits, I have you as a resource. One question: I love the way your daisies look. How do you get the center so flat? I have been working on some myself and can't get them to look right.

    Thanks!
    Marilyn

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    1. Hi Marilyn,
      The baskets were really fun to work on. One issue was that the glue was more apparent with the darker cord, so I ended up going over them with a matching ProMarker at the end. I also learned that the cardboard should be a similar color to the cord for better looking coverage.
      For the daisies, I just pushed the top petal to the tippy top of the stem. You could always snip a little off, as well, if it is still a bit proud before applying the center. I also recommend using a center that is a little thicker, by punching them out of suede or fuzzy paper. This allows you to seat them against the petal a little better. Flat paper seems to be less realistic.
      Good luck with the flower making! It takes time, but is so worth the results!

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  6. Todos los accesorios están estupendos. Son geniales.
    Un abrazo

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    1. Gracias Marian! ¡Estoy feliz de que te gusten!

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  7. ¡Fantásticos! un trabajo impecable. Besos:-)

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    1. Gracias Rosa Maria! ¡Estoy feliz de que te gusten!

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  8. Your sink units are all beautiful and different from each other. Well worth the experiments. I love the accessories. The soap dispenser is stunning and your flowers are simply gorgeous in their vases. Wonderful work!
    Hugs, Drora

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    1. Thanks Drora! Flowers are definitely a challenge for me, but I love when they come out looking so nice in the end. I find myself looking at photos online and then trying to beef up the arrangements with buds and leaves, and have a hard time knowing when it is "enough"!

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  9. ¡Fantástico el mueble del lavabo y todos los accesorios!

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    1. ¡Gracias, Isabel! Estoy feliz de que te gusten, ¡porque amo tu estilo!

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  10. Your sinks are great Jodi. And those soap pump packs!!! Very cool, love how they turned out. Did you cut all those flowers with your Cricut? They look fantastic. I am too lazy to make flowers, even with the laser cutter! Haha! And lastly, NOOOOO!!! No cooling autumn for us southerners!! I need heat! Have a great weekend!

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    1. Thank you Shannon! I actually just used a combination of kits and paper punches - no Cricut this time. Once I saw the shapes, I found a punch that looked similar enough, and I have a bunch of flower making kinds of papers, so I was able to get the 16 arrangements out of three different kits. A lot of the just budding flowers and leaves are just smoke and mirrors!

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  11. Loved reading about your progress. I pinned the baskets so that I can reference them later, they look really fantastic. As I mentioned before I think your soap dispensers are superb, using the transparency material for clear soap is so clever! Were the flowers kits or your own design? They really add a pop to the countertop. :) Still hoping to learn the results of the quartz experiment!

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    1. Thanks Kristine! I am glad you are going to give the baskets a try - I think you'll really enjoy and do a good job with the process!
      I had three flower kits, so I beefed them up using the paper punches I had on hand to make additional flowers, buds and leaves. It was fun to experiment with them, and while I don't think all of them are 100% like authentic, accurate species, they look good enough! :O)
      I ended up pouring some resin over the first quartz counter when it didn't end up clear all the way through, but that's going to need more thinking and playing. I also got some white and silver glitter to try, but will wait for more experiments on those until I get back to the New Orleans kitchen & bath. Will definitely share how it works out tho!

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  12. So I've been working working working.. 12hr days non-stop.. so today I woke up late on my one day off, dragged myself over to the coffee maker then slumped into my chair still half asleep and started browsing.. Wait.. what new post from triple M! :)) That perked me up.. my husband thinks I'm mad clapping and smiling at the computer screen.. lol... This post has made me sooo excited! Which ones are mine.. no wait.. don't tell me.. no tell me, tell me, tell meeeeee!!!...... Okay.. I've calmed down.. lets keep the surprise like we agreed.. Those baskets are brilliant and you have picked the perfect complimentary fabrics for the interiors. Look how perfectly they fit in that first vanity. You are going to have some very stylish future houses my friend. :) And how fabulous are all your flowers! I love the clear vases.. the little mason jar ones are so cute and that single flower in the silver vase.. swoonworthy and so tres chic as Elisabeth says. :) I have to say your soap dispensers are the best I have seen.. such detail. I must swing by your shapeways shop for a lookie loo.. :) And please don't rush yourself to get my package out.. I've barely poked my head into my craft room in the last two weeks and I probably have at least two more weeks before work is going to calm down, maybe more if my bosses daughter has her baby soon.. He'll obviously take time off and that means I may as well set up a camp cot behind my desk.. lol

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    1. Thanks Sam! I am so happy that you are happy with the accessories, and I really hope you LOVE the ones I have picked for you (keeping the tenant in mind, of course).
      I have just a couple more little things in mind to make for some of the sets, including yours. I have templates printed, and with a little luck, I'll be able to get some quality mini time this weekend. Fingers crossed, I'll be email you a tracking number this time next week!
      I hope with those long hours at work that you are still able to find time for mini dreaming and a little mini shopping. It really keeps us going until we can finally get glue on our fingers again!

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  13. Hello, Jodi - It's been such a pleasure to read this post. (I also caught up on a few of the past ones.) I'm so impressed with the beautiful sinks that you made - such a wonderful variety! I love the way you've accessorized the sinks with the soap dispensers, candles, and the amazing flowers. I admire your patience and persistence over this 2-month project.
    Marjorie

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    1. Thanks Marjorie! I am happy that you have enjoyed the experimenting process, too! I was finally able to test so many different paints, alcohol inks, findings, finishes, styles, techniques and tutorials in a relatively short period of time! That was worth the repetitiveness, though I am really looking forward to doing other things!

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  14. I was here before admiring your sinks and accesories and I thought I did comment, mmm. Well, what can I say, your sinks are wonderful enough and now with those accesories they are just superb! love the baskets, the mirrors, the candles, the soap dispenser is wow, and those flowers!! Jodi, this gets better and better. Thank you for all the fun :)

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    1. Thanks Alex! Comments I've left have sometimes vanished, as well. I'm not sure what that's about, but it sure is puzzling! Thanks for taking the time to leave another one! :O)
      It makes me very happy that you like all my efforts in this sink making endeavor!

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  15. Don´t worry Jodi, I think I thought about leaving a comment and then just did not do it. My bad! That´s why I came back because I wasn´t sure and I wanted to leave a comment. I love your blog and all your projects and appreciate the effort you put in it :)

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    1. That is so nice of you to say, Alex! Thank you! :oD

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  16. Hello Jodi,
    How wonderful that you made all these amazing accessories to finish your sinks. The baskets are beautiful, the flowers are lovely, and the mirrors and accessories are just the perfect touch. Well done you and thank you for posting about your experimenting.
    Big hug
    Giac

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    1. Thank you, Giac! I appreciate your nice comments!

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