So for something fun instead, I thought I'd share a few of the wonderful and special things I've been collecting for the project. And boy do they inspire and make me excited to get to the decorating part!
Alex Meiklejohn
Ann Gilling
Ina Williams
Janet Uyetake
Janice Crawley
Julie Parrott
Julie Warren
Kim's Mini Bakery
Mini Gio
The China Closet
Valerie Casson
Veronique Cornish
Victoria Fasken
So as I slog through all the boring windows, then through the endless roofing, I'll keep looking these incredibly beautiful things, made by astoundingly talented artisans. They inspire me and keep me going!
Hope you've all got something special to keep you going too!
xo xo,
Jodi
Jodi, sometimes one is just not in the mood for making tiny, delicate things ... like windows. I tend to switch between structural work and stuff I need glasses for, too. Once it grabs you again, you will finish these windows without 'pains' ;-)
ReplyDeleteExactly Marion! Better to move on to something else until the mood strikes you!
Delete!Pues si que son unas cuanta¡, pero seguro que las terminarás para poner esas maravillas que has ido recopilando.Las porcelanas de ensueño. Feliz verano:-)
ReplyDeleteGracias por el voto de confianza Rosa!
DeleteWOWEEE!!!! your collection of items for the cottage are SUPERB!!! Their pink theme is apparent and it will be So Cool seeing how everything gets distributed throughout your delightful cottage retreat. By the way Jodi,I recognize that lovely feline and think that she is absolutely the Cat's Meow as your Pet in Residence- the Purr-Fect choice❣️
ReplyDeleteThanks Elizabeth! It's funny how people are almost embarrassed to admit it these days, but I LOVE PINK! There will be a little green mixed in there, too, just for balance. ;O)
DeleteI have been looking for the right kitty for sooooo long! I love the work of so many animal artisans, but Julie's especially. It always seemed like when I found one I liked, my budget fell short and I was outbid every time. This time, I went all in with my mini savings, and was so excited, literally shaking, when I WON!!!! She's going to be a treasured character in my Storybook!
Hi Jodi! If you want, I can send you some of my aluminum mesh. The 'pains' won't be as large, but with aluminum black you could get the effect. I've got some shipping tubes and can easily cut you off a bunch to experiment with. Just remember to use your aluminum black outside because eeeww stench/fumes. Or you could use an acrylic to fill the 'pains' and not use plastic sheeting at all.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain with the windows though. How many weeks was I doing windows?
I love all your little treasures. They'll fit in perfectly with the house!
You are a wonderful and generous friend, Sheila! Thank you! I absolutely love your windows with the mesh leading, but had already bought the lead golf tape and have just about completed all of the first sides. I am not in love with my skill or the results, but they'll do! :O)
DeleteAnytime! I'm sure your windows are going to come out great.
DeleteWow, is right! The windows do sound like a lot of work, but you will be so much happier in the end that you've done them this way.
ReplyDeleteYour collection is amazing and beautiful! Now I see the inspiration for the colors, which I've always loved. I just keep looking and looking at them. Eye candy for sure! What lovely items they are, and they will be so happy in the lovely new home you are building for them.
Thanks Deb! Some of these tasks are just not as fun as the others, but need to be done nonetheless. Just gotta keep plugging away!
DeleteI am so excited to start getting these gems inside so I can enjoy them every day!
It is Sooo pretty!!!!!I can't wait to see how you use all of those pretty dishes and knitted items. I am also selfishly happy that you are doing the windows BUT I do not envy you.... I really want to see your technique. Gird up with some fun snacks....and a good movie in the background.
ReplyDeleteCarrie
Thanks Carrie! I am not doing the best job of it, unfortunately, but they'll have to do. I can't seem to cut my lines thin or straight enough. Hopefully, they won't look too bad once installed with everything else going on. I'll share the links for the Glorious Twelfth and Casey's Mini's tutorials I based the process in in the completed post.
DeleteLas ventanas quedarán preciosas Y es verdad que todas esas maravillas quitan el desanimo a cualquiera.
ReplyDeleteEso espero, Isabel! Voy a intentar lo mejor y ver qué pasa. De cualquier manera, estos maravillosos tesoros me mantendrán feliz y esperando!
DeleteJodi! Those minis are so beautiful! Wow! Good thing there is lots of shelving to display all those. Good luck with the roof and windows and have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteThey really are special, aren't they Shannon! It is so hard to judge at this point if I have a complementary amount of items for the display spaces, so I'll either be pleasantly surprised or shopping for/making more. It's sure going to be fun to have everything out and play either way!
DeleteHope yours is a great weekend, too!
Oh boy that does look like a lot of work, but judging by everything else you have made will be fabulous when done.
ReplyDeleteYour collection of all things 'tea-time-pretty-in-pink' is just divine. I am especially in love with the little pots by Alex Meiklejohn.
Anna x
Thank you, Anna! I am finding the most difficult thing about the windows is just finding uninterrupted time to do them. It has been a crazy busy and unexpectedly full week of friends and family!
DeleteI'm happy you like the little pink treasures, too - I hope I do them justice in the little cottage!
I find the tedious (ish) stuff like ALL those windows usually seems more daunting as I set off on it than it turns out to be. I seem to go into quite a soothing automatic mode and trundle on. Then, a bit like childbirth, you can't remember any of it and there is that wonderful thing you created smiling back at you. Happy windows making. As for your truly wonderful collected pieces - utterly breathtaking makes by such talented people. The China Closet was new to me but your utterly fabulous dish set me off on a search - incredible things - worth collecting entirely in their own right - I am sure several someone's already do. The cat too is breathtaking. It is going to be such a fabulous project. Enjoy. M
ReplyDeleteYou know Marilyn, you are so right about that! The few moments I've been able to steal to do them this week, I kind of got into a rhythm. The biggest issue has been having no time to sit and focus - too much going on in other areas of life. I am hoping the evenings next week will be quiet and peaceful enough for me to focus and actually make some progress.
DeleteYou are right about The China Closet pieces, too. In person, they are impossibly delicate, and so detailed as to be almost unbelievable. You MUST get at least one piece and see for yourself! It could easily become an addiction!
Hi Jodi! I feel your Pane....! You will get through it and you will be so glad you made the effort to have the windows the way you envision them! And the eye-candy you have shown us is just gorgeous!!! You have been saving Treasures for this project for a while! I love it all and really can't wait to see it come together! That marmalade cat is just purr-fect!!! :):)
ReplyDeleteThanks Betsy, lol! It's wonderful to know I'll have these wonderful pieces sprinkled throughout the cottage, but I am really going to have to step up the quality on all the things I'm making! Yikes!
DeleteOnce in a while it is nice to have a break from windows and roof. I'm sure you'll overcome the pains and have everything perfect and ready for all the new treasures you acquired. I love every single one of the items, especially the cat!
ReplyDeleteHugs, Drora
Thanks Drora! It is sometimes a blessing in disguise to have a couple days away to think things through. That has been the case here, and I hope my newly thought of ideas will make them look better in the end!
DeleteHello, Jodi - Well, I'm overwhelmed just reading about the painful window panes, but you seem to be taking it all in stride, so I have complete confidence that all those windows will be finished to perfection in short order. I'm looking forward to seeing them! It was such a treat to see all the lovely pieces that you've collected for the Storybook Cottage. I love every single thing - pink is one of my favorite colors, too - but I must tell you that the pink-polka-dot teapot made me smile and smile with happiness! It's going to be such fun to watch you bring the cottage to life with all these fabulous accessories. Thanks for the preview!
ReplyDeleteThanks Marjorie! That pink polka dot teapot is even more adorable in person! I'll be sure to get better photos when I start putting things in their semi-permanent homes.
DeleteI hope to get some good time in on the windows this week, but with my dad still in town from AZ and my son still slowly moving things out and in to his new place, there is a lot competing for my "free time" attention.
Now I know why pane and pain sound the same... ;O) Let's see… a little motivational talk… hmmm… in the end you will be glad you did it and it will be worth all the effort and pane- eh... pain… and... hooray - it's a task that doesn't need to be done in one setting, do it one window after the other and in the meantime enjoy your beautiful treasures! You've got an impressive collection of awesome miniatures and especially Julie's gorgeous cat. According to me cats are really not able to "re-produce", especially their faces are difficult… but Julie is able to.
ReplyDeleteGreetings
Birgit
LOL! Thanks Birgit! I needed the pep talk! :O)
DeleteAnd yes - the cat's eyes or faces usually put me off, but Julie's eyes and faces just seem to capture a cat's majestic nature. I am just so thrilled that she is coming to live in my cottage - she is sure to be adored!
Others have already said it, do the windows when you are in the mood and do something else in the meantime.
ReplyDeleteI am in love with the exquisite miniatures you have collected. I think my favorite, after the cat of course, is the little dish by the China Closet. Absolutely divine!
Truly great advice, Veronique! I want to be having fun and be confident in the process. Fingers crossed I can make them good enough so as not to bring the property value down! :O)
DeleteThe piece by Teresa Welch (The China Closet) in person is impossibly delicate, and painted with such tiny details that I am in complete awe!
I hope you are making good progress with your windows, we all know how it feels to face that kind of work, but I am sure that soon you will feel it has been wort it. Thank you for sharing with us all your beautiful treasures, now I am even more impatient to see the finished product and all your beauties on display.
ReplyDeleteThanks Alex! I am just going to keep chipping away at them and try not to worry about how long it takes. That is so hard, because I am so excited about getting to the next steps, and then the next... Slow and steady wins the race!
DeleteI hope I can find the right arrangements of all these lovely treasures to give them the spotlight they deserve!
I'll be honest I got half way through the post and got side tracked with the photo of your gorgeous mini cat! It's on the top of my totally don't need-but really really want wishlist! Back from looking at a series of mini cats on the web, and I love all the other items you've collected! So perfect for your storybook theme! I hope the window making goes well! Tasks like that can seem never ending :)
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean! A perfect kitty for this cottage has been on my "totally don't need-but really really want wishlist" since last fall, too! Honestly, I never thought I'd find the perfect pairing for this cottage at a price I could afford, but I got incredibly lucky and my wish came true! It's amazing how when you put something out there, everything just falls into place! I hope you find your kismet kitty soon, too! :O)
DeleteI seem to have nothing but never ending feeling tasks lately, but hopefully, in the end, it will seem worth the exercise in patience!
Catching up a bit here. I feel you on windows and trim work...booooorrrrring! Love that cat!!! :D
ReplyDeleteHello Jodi,
ReplyDeleteWhile windows and such can seem quite boring, they will make the exterior look even more amazing. you have collected amazing items, but I must say the China Closet bowl won my heart. It is exquisite.
Big hug
Giac
That bowl is my absolute favorite, too! I just hope I can find the perfect way to display it in the cottage! It has been fun to collect so many wonderful pieces so far, and I hope to continue to add more as my budget allows!
Delete