Search My Blog!

Use the Search box below to find keywords that you're looking for quickly and easily!

Search Feature

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Blessings From Afar...

We are so lucky to have such amazingly talented people in our mini community! And so many of them are just incredibly nice people, too! One of those very special and kind persons is Drora who gives us the wonderful Drora's Minimundo miniature blog. Drora had a giveaway in November to commemorate her 7th year of blogging! Can you imagine 7 years! Congratulations again, Drora!

Well, fortune smiled upon me and I was the lucky winner! I was expecting the package to take a long time. After all, Israel is over 6000 miles from Washington state! Imagine my surprise when, after only 3 weeks, the mail lady knocked on my door!


I received so many goodies it felt like Christmas had come early! There were beautiful potted flowers, a shell mirror, an adorable metal tray, a delicate shell necklace and a lidded box decorated in tiny shells!


She also included three of her adorable pipe cleaner animals: a teddy bear, kitty cat and a puppy. Those little faces just make me smile so much I could hug them to pieces!


It means so much to me to connect with like-minded and like-hearted people, and to share what we love with each other. So thank you Drora for your wonderful gifts of creativity, talent and most especially kindness! You are truly a blessing from afar!

Hugs,
Jodi

Monday, December 18, 2017

Brick Walls & Experimental Wood Staining


In keeping with the rustic feel of the Duplex Room Box, I decided on a brick wall treatment for the second shop space. I like the quick results I get with the Magic Systems sticker and mortar kits, so that's what I used.



I want the look of painted brick, so my "grout" and bricks will be warm white. Normally, the under color will end up being your "grout" color so most people use gray or white on the walls and get the kit with the red mortar powder. I got the kit with the white mortar so it would be easier to paint over.


It's kind of fun putting the sticker stencil on. I pre-peel the brick waste cut outs from the backing paper. I've learned from experience that if you don't, they sometimes stick to the stencil while you're peeling and it causes moments of panic that just aren't necessary. Better to mindlessly remove them while Netflix is on.



I actually forgot to take photos of peeling off the sticker - bummer because it's a fun and gloppy mess to look at! Then, I forgot to take photos before I painted the bricks. :o/

I end up with some rough edges on my bricks from when I peel the sticker stencil away. I solve most of this by letting the bricks get almost dry, then just gently rubbing my thumb and finger over them. It works great! I did manage to touch a couple of spots before they had set and kind of messed up some bricks. Notice the lower back corner area on the photo below. Oops!


I thought it would be fun to experiment with some different products for the wood floor (I am using the same Houseworks wood floors I used in the first shop). I took a scrap piece and tested the following products:

  1. Minwax Stain Marker, Provance
  2. Ranger Alcohol Ink, Pebble
  3. Ranger Oxide Re-Inker, Vintage Photo
  4. Ranger Oxide Re-Inker, Walnut Stain
  5. Ranger Distress Stain, Hickory Smoke
  6. India Ink & Isopropol Alcohol



I have used the Minwax stain pen a few times and always really like it. The color was a little too dark and too brown for the look I wanted for this room. But it is a good product, it is not water based so it smells, but that also means it doesn't cause your wood to curl.


The alcohol ink was really interesting! I love how it colors the wood and am definitely going to do more experimenting with it. I think it might be great on wood furniture. Getting color without adding layers of paint could be so good!


The re-inkers were interesting, and while I like the rich colors, it may be better suited as a wall finish. It stayed a little greasy feeling, too.




The Distress Stain was my favorite of the bunch. What you are seeing is from just one coat. It really brings out nice highlights in the wood, and the color could complement a number of color schemes in a room.


A close second was the India Ink and alcohol mixture. The model railroad website where I read an article on it said to use 1 to 2 teaspoons per pint of alcohol. I didn't want to experiment with that much, so I added about 1/3 a teaspoon to about 1/3 of a 16 oz bottle of 99% alcohol. The first coat barely did anything but wet the wood floor. So, I added the other 2/3 teaspoon and put on one more coat. I think this could be really interesting. The ink tends to pool a bit together on the wood, which really leaves a nice aged patina. I think with a couple more coats this could be a fantastic way to get gorgeous weathered boards!


So I decided to use the Distress Stain. It dispenses itself through a sponge on the top of the bottle. Think Bingo dobber. It kind of snagged here and there on the wood floor, even though I had it sanded smooth to the touch before starting. I don't see why you couldn't apply with a paintbrush, but I didn't try. I really love the way it came out!







Then I added the baseboards, crown molding, window and door (hinged in the same manner as the first room).





I may add a bit of ageing to the bricks, but for the most part it is done! Now I get to start making stuff to go inside! I have so many kits that I really want to do, so many things that I really want to try! I think that's going to be the focus for the end of 2017 and into 2018.

And maybe still, before Christmas, I can post some photos of Ellie and Jim enjoying the season in the Sweet Christmas Cottage!

Peace and love to each of you!

xo xo,
Jodi

Friday, December 15, 2017

Eliminating A Trip Hazard


Now that's what I call a trip hazard. And, it just doesn't look very realistic. So what to do? Well, there are a couple options I considered. One was to raise the floor up. The ceiling height of the Duplex Room Box is just over 10", so that wasn't an issue. I could have added some 3/16" floor joists, attached the wood floor to poster board and laid that on top of the joists. Or, I could eliminate the threshold and run the wood floors through the jamb. The only issue then is, how to secure the bottom door hinge, if I still wanted the door to open, and I do. So here's what I did...



Pulled the pin and prevented myself from losing track of it by taping it to the floor.



Poked a pin vice through the original hole to mark the spot for the new hinge hole.



Because the pin hole ended up so close to the edge, I added an extension strip to the doorway.



Then drilled out the hole.




To remove the threshold from the door frame, I clamped it to my miter box and sawed through each side.


I like to tape a scrap piece of wood into the bottom of my miter box. I don't like the using the grooves to hold my wood - it's never as steady as holding it up against the fence. Plus, having the scrap wood underneath prevents me from sawing through the metal, ruining my miter box and my saw blade!


Now that the threshold is gone, there's a gap.


Good place for a kick plate!





I cut and sanded a piece of 1/16" basswood to fit, then added pearls for rivets and a sticker as an embellishment. I painted a base coat of brown wash. followed by an aged bronze metallic coat followed by another brown wash. I dabbed with a Bounty paper towel and it left a cool pattern on the paint.




To install the door, I exchanged the original pin with a nail that was about the same gauge but a bit longer. I applied a little glue to the end of the nail before sliding it into the door, then tapped the head flush to the floor with an awl.



The door closes and opens perfectly and feels very sturdy! This method may present some bigger challenges on a real dollhouse with thicker wood and multiple floors. I guess I'll have to deal with that when I start back in on the New Orleans...



Door and windows finished and installed...


Dusky dark...


One side of the duplex is ready for whatever comes next! But first, the second duplex space!

And maybe, some photos of the Sweet Christmas Cottage with Ellie & Jim?

Back soon!
Jodi