Almost Ready!

Hi guys! I'm back with an update on the 3D Printed Vintage Kitchen Minis progress. What an epic and time consuming journey this has been! Today I looked back and was surprised to see my first post asking for volunteer testers was September 1st. And it was a good month of designing and test printing the items before that! It just goes to show you that you never know what surprise adventures life will pull you into. But I am happy to report that I am almost at the point where I can take the product photos.

Prop Kitchen Almost Ready!

In my last post I had shared how I needed to create a photo studio where I could take photos of all the items I may sell. I already had the structure, so I just needed to outfit it with a "prop" kitchen to photograph the minis in. That has been a major undertaking - creating all the fixtures, furnishings and accessories. But it is pretty close to being ready so I thought I'd share some photos. I ended up making two sets of countertops. I used 1/8" basswood for both, applying a faux marble to one set and a butcherblock type top to the other. The marble may work okay in future photo shoots, but for the vintage kitchen items, I thought they would be better viewed with no distracting veining.

Faux Marble Counters

Butcher Block Type Counters

Because I have cookware items to photograph, I thought I should install a gas cooktop, too. I didn't want to go to all the trouble of making and installing a hood, so I made a compact downdraft type version. This leaves the wall space above the stovetop open so that I can add my shop plaque to the photographs. I also left it white/black instead of adding the "stainless steel" to have it be more of a backdrop than a feature. Like all the props, it just sits on the countertop, held in place by Aileen's Tack It Over And Over for removal if I need the counterspace for a different shot. The open shelving is repositionable, too, so I can move them around as needed.

In terms of props, I made quite a few. I tried to leave them as neutral as possible so that they would not compete with the actual products in the photos. I made up some pots of herbs and a tray to place them on, a pitcher with hydrangeas, paper towel holder, hand and dish soap pump bottles, some kitchen signs and wall art.

I made a plaque and some letters to include in the product photographs because all the people said to clearly define your brand. I'm adopting the blog colors for easy recognition, too. Oh there is so much to learn!

Some décor items didn't make the cut. The first utility island I made and painted in black didn't photograph well. I also found the big industrial lighting shade was a distraction, as well, but I may offer it at some future point with all the other lamps and fixtures I have designed.

I made many things, some of which are still having their finishes applied, like the cutting boards. The Java cup holder is still getting some kinks worked out, too.

Luckily, I had wine bottles left over from doing Tasha's Kitchen. That saved me a couple days worth of time.

For the banquet area, I made the bottom cushions out of 3/16" foam core, wrapped in quilt batting then covered with a "snow" colored cotton fabric. I borrowed the pillows from the Beachside Bungalow, with the exception of three that I purchased on Etsy. They turned out to be a perfect compliment!

The table is a design that I used to offer back when I had my Shapeways shop. I just topped it with a piece of scrap plywood stained in the counter color. I designed it to use on the deck of my Alki Point project, and there it is barstool rather than tabletop height and has a "glass" top.

I'm learning some things about photography, like black things often lose their detail when photographed with my phone camera and lighting. Better to use a dark gray to paint things like the spoon and fork in the future. 

Also, I am discovering that by diffusing the bright LED bulbs in my work room fixture, I get better results. I just place a sheet of waxed paper over the Lexan top of the photo box and it removes the glare but keeps the brightness.

So now that the prop kitchen is nearly done, I can begin the product photo shoot process. But first, I need to clear the decks, clean my work room and ready my mind for another learning curve. With a little luck and some dedicated mini time, I'll be back soon with my photos, the volunteers' photos, finishing products and tips and information to share about their reviews.

Thanks for coming along on this epic side journey! I hope you are learning some good and useful things throughout the process, too!

xo xo,

Jodi

1912 Pike Place

Some of you may know that the first Starbucks store was opened in 1971 along the cobblestone streets of Seattle's historic Pike Place Market. The name was inspired by the classic tale Moby Dick, evoking the seafaring tradition of early coffee traders. I wasn't even aware of Starbucks until the early 90's, when my mom introduced me to her ritual of getting a "mocha" every morning. From then and for over twenty years, going to Starbucks became a ritual for almost everyone I knew. A meeting place, a reward for hard work, a hug in a mug when life got hard. It was just a part of everyday life, especially because it seemed there was a store on every corner. And though I can't drink coffee much anymore, it still holds a special place in my memories. That is why finishing this project, which pays homage to that place and those memories, feels so good!

In an effort to keep this post to a reasonable length, I'll make the details short and sweet. To read all about this project from the beginning, just click the Starbucks At Pike Place blog topic. For the exterior cladding, I used a combination of egg cartons for the bricks, a Lucky Charms cereal box for the siding, Onetime spackling tinted with alcohol ink for the grout, Asphaltum brown and Ceramcoat hunter green paint.

Egg carton brick before grout. Space left for siding.

With cereal box siding strips added and bricks grouted.

By the time I had reached the back of the shop I was pretty much board with brick work. I opted for a simple paneled siding. I used a wide length of cereal box at the top for fascia (to cover the exiting wires) and some wood trims. It looks inelegant where the wires exit the shop, so I came up with an idea to distract the viewers eyes...

A dumpster! I found this model on Thingiverse. Thanks tanner3d!

I remodeled it a bit in Tinkercad, adjusting the depth and height to fit my limited space. I also added casters for the bottom to raise it up off the ground.

And while the wires don't completely disappear, they're not as intrusive.

For the front trash receptacle, I came up with my own design in Tinkercad to fit the 1-1/8" square space.

There is nothing like a custom fit!

In an effort to add about 50 years of age to the building, I added layer upon layer of dirty water washes (4 parts Raw Umber, 1 part black and 10 parts water) to everything, including the trash cans. Then I came back over some areas with a combination of green and brown chalk shavings, mixed with a little water, and painted mold and moss on the building, sidewalks, trash receptacles and planters. You may have also noticed that I made vinyl letters and address numbers with the Cricut, signs on my printer (not Cricut Print Then Cut because... LONG story) and sign holders/planters with the 3D printer.

Signs, planters with shrubs, outdoor seating and...

A grungy dumpster... But not too grungy!

The drive thru side of the building...

A peek through the front door...

And peeks through the top plexi covers...

Look! Rose and Roxanne popped by for a refreshing coffee beverage and baked goods?

And now, at long last, I can officially call Starbucks at Pike Place... Done...

Open for business and conveniently located in the neighborhood!

Now that another abandoned project has been finished this year, I have to decide what's next. Something old? Something new? While I'm pondering, my real house could use a good cleaning!

Have a great June, my friends! Hope to be back soon with something fun and interesting!

xo xo,

Jodi