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Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Come Sit Down...


I am calling the New Orleans living room finished! My To-Do list is getting shorter and my project drawers are getting emptier! Only two more rooms and the landscape board to go! Hey, now that there will be empty drawers, does that mean I can start planning a new project?!? I know! I know! Back to Earth, Jodi! You still have the cottage to finish!!! :o)

I'll catch you up on the last two weeks... First, I got out the sewing machine to make the throw pillows for the sofa. I ended up with two passable navy ones and two passable gold ones. Don't look too close, just pay attention to the beautiful embroidered pillow by MiniArtHouse!



I also made a memory pillow for Russ from one of his Uncle Pat's shirts. Before he passed, he used to wear it in the garage to work on sand rails with Russ. It has a lot of sentimental value, and it made Russ cry happy tears when I gave it to him.

Big sewing is so much more forgiving, but I tried my mini luck again by making a reversible bed cover, too. I'll wait to show you more of that when I finish the bedroom. I am a bit more comfortable with the machine now, but lord!!! I still suck at mini pillows!



After that, I went back to something that I've had lots of practice at... Flower kits! I needed six arrangements for vases, so I made hydrangeas, gladiolas, asters, carnations and azaleas. Finding complementary colors in a predominantly teal decor was a challenge! But as always, Susan's kits were a real pleasure to work with!




Next I needed more plants. I had some kits from Mary Kinloch for a few years, and truthfully, I was intimidated by them. They stayed in a drawer, forgotten. It took a few days to work up the courage to give them a try. I ended up finding examples of the plants online and just dove in. I used alcohol inks on the leaves, and thickened up the wires on the Parlor Palm with tinted Mod Podge layers. They convey what I was after, so even if they are not completely accurate palms and ferns, I like them.




I modified a HOM table to narrow it up a bit, and added a back piece so the books had support. I added another lamp to the room which meant drilling holes and running the wire under the house. This house is just too heavy for me and caused a few panicked moments as I lifted and attempted to prop it up. From now on, if I can't lift them, I don't want to do them!



Here's the entry vase in place. I think I need to make a little basket for keys.



It was challenging to figure out what to put where, but I am satisfied with the arrangement. The lighting doesn't look so yellow in real life. I wonder if a better camera would help.



Here's the overall finished living room. My policy is that if I can't decide, do nothing! :O) That is why there is no runner behind the sofa. The lady of the house is just getting ready to enjoy a glass of white wine and a good book. I hope she doesn't mind sleeping on the sofa for a couple more weeks while I get her bedroom ready!

First photos with lights on...









And lights off...








I hope you enjoyed the tour, and find the colors, textures and patterns cohesive!

Next up, the hall of mirrors and the bedroom. Hope to be back soon!

xo xo,
Jodi

59 comments:

  1. Oh Jodi, this is luxurious and rich. That glass of wine is a nice touch. I love all of the color choices you have made. It truly is a New Orleans home.

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  2. Your room is just beautiful! The colors have a lively cohesiveness which gives it a formal yet inviting look. Good work on the pillows, both big and little. I like to glue #8 crochet cotton over the seam to finish it off. The candles in the fireplace are perfect. I had planned to use candles in my Romance Retreat and ordered some wood turnings. Yours are much nicer than what I have found so far. I’m itchy to get back to my minis, but that won’t be until August. 😕

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    1. Thank you Sherrill! I.m happy that you like the room!

      I have some braided thread from Itsy Bitsy Mini and actually tried it on the pillows and the sofa edging but ended up removing it. It made things a little too busy in the setting somehow, and I was bummed because I wanted them to look fancy!

      The candles in the fireplace are the resin set from HBS. To elictrify them, I drilled a hole through the centers and strung a candle flame bulb in them. The bases are just painted in metallic paint. Here's a link to the post from two years ago:

      http://my-miniaturemadness.blogspot.com/2017/07/tangled-and-tired.html

      Good luck with your candles! I am excited to see what you use and how they come out!

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  3. I am afraid this is going to be a very long 'comment' - more an essay.
    I was literally breath-taken by the very first photograph of your room. It is so very pleasing on the eye and so easy to imagine it full scale. The colours are all in perfect harmony, not a single thing jars on the senses. There is a wealth of interesting things to look at but the room remains uncluttered. Your navy cushions were a perfect colour choice to give the furniture some 'weight' and gravitas. You worked well with some very unforgiving fabric. Your sewing skills came to the fore with the utterly lovely and luxurious bed-cover - again what a lovely choice of colours. The choice of flowers, their execution and actual arrangements are glorious. As for all your pots and vases - how wonderful and clever of you to have such a stash. I have craved the Mary Kinloch kits for years but keep ducking the prohibitive postage and not entirely confident I could bring them to life. Your ferns and parlour palm are a delight. I love every inch of your little table vignette, the surrounding prints are perfect and am totally in love with the golden partridge (?). 17th century silver-gilt of course. The entry way setting is also perfect. These two areas are just perfect little narratives all of their own. Finally I spotted the fabulous windows and window sills - I now have the task of seeing if I can find a post about how you did those. So, what else can I add other than I stand in awe and am clapping my hands and shouting Brava!

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    1. Thank you Marilyn for your thoughtful and encouraging comments! I am happy that you like the colors - thankfully, using a peacock's colors for inspiration gave me lots of harmonizing choices!

      Because I am so new to sewing, the material I chose was based solely on color and not on the material. The silk fabric was actually pretty forgiving to work with and the only trouble I encountered on the bedspread was my own lousy measuring the first time! The navy material was some men's suit handkerchief material that was super cheap from China, probably polyester but very good to work with, too.

      I never want to say anything bad about anyone's products, but for the sake of honesty to help you with your kits I will say that the Mary Kinloch laser leaves are perfect but the instructions are useless and there are no helpful photos. Essentially, I had to wing it with the plants. I considered making up instructions with photos and sending them to her but did not want to offend.

      The bird on the small table was marketed as a pot metal pheasant by TandS Craft on eBay. I cleaned up the seams with a file and then colored it with the Krylon gold leafing pen. Super cheap and easy!

      Here's a link to the post where I talk about the windows. Hopefully, there's enough there to get your ideas going but if you have questions I am always happy to give answers!

      http://my-miniaturemadness.blogspot.com/2017/06/redeux-or-re-do.html

      I am so happy that you like the room!

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  4. The whole is very harmonious and the flowers fit well in the decor: bravo, Jodi!

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    1. Thank you Claude! Luckily for me peacocks are equipped with a plethora of colors to choose from! :O)

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  5. The room is gorgeous! Elegant and cozy. Everything is right in place, the color combination is great. I love the flower arrangement on the table and all the plants in their beautiful pots look perfectly at home in this living room. Full of beautiful details and still uncluttered. Simply stunning!
    Hugs,
    Drora

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    1. Thank you, Drora! I am so happy that you like it and wish I could truly invite you in for some summer refreshment!

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  6. This room is so stunning. I'm always kind of speechless after one of your posts. Everything is so beautiful and elegant (although the librarian in me is shrieking at the book lying face down. :-) I love the candles in the fireplace, and I'm glad you explained how you did them. I also really like the way the alcohol inks give such nice gradations of color on the Mary Kinloch kits. The colors of your plants and flowers are a beautiful complement to your teal room. All the little details, all the ornamentation (that is not overdone), make this room worthy of Architectural Digest. Honestly, I could see this house accidentally showing up in a 1:1 photo gallery. :-)

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    1. Thank you Deb! I hope you know how much your thoughtful and encouraging comments mean to me! I am on cloud nine because you like my room!
      I will have a talk with the lady of the house and give her a little wisdom on why books should be treated as treasures. I am sure once she knows better, she'll do better. Or she'll just read them on her Kindle, lol!

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  7. It looks so so lovely Jodi! So elegant and warm but comfortable. Nad I LOVE your flower arrangements, especially your choice of colours. I think the purples add some depth to the arrangements and a little colour to the room. Just stunning.

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    1. Thanks Shannon! I am so glad that you think it feels warm and comfortable! The only problem with making dreamy dollhouse rooms is that you then have to continue living in your real life house, which in my case, has not been updated in over 10 years!!!

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  8. Wooo gracias por mostrar la secuencia en estas fotos fantĂĄsticas , ha sido un verdadero placer ver tanta belleza.besos:-)

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    1. Gracias Rosa Maria! Estoy muy feliz de que hayan disfrutado las fotos! Siempre pienso que deberĂ­a haber hecho esto o aquello de otra manera, ¡pero luego me siento ansioso por publicar y no volver a tomarlos!

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  9. This whole house is absolutely stunning, Jodi! I love the color palette and the architectural details are amazing. Beautifully done.

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    1. Thank you, De! It has been so much work over the past couple years to make the vision I had for this kit happen, but now that it is coming close to being finished I am so glad I pushed past the intimidation and frustration. It's wonderful to have such lovely support and comments and I thank you again!

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  10. So you declare this living room finished??? Sorry for being so critical and honest but there's still important stuff to do! So hurry up and get the lady of the house a bookmark at once - it's a shame to treat a book like this! *LOL*

    But having made this point clear I can now say from the bottom of my heart: BRAVO! I've so enjoyed this post and all the stunning photos - so many fantastic details to discover, so many stunning ideas being realized. The candles in the fireplace are a wonderful idea, I really like the look of this. And as I'm already talking about the candles let me talk about the lights right away. I know a story or two about taking pictures with lights on (believe me, the BiWuBeary Christmas Market with lights on looks different in reality) but yours turned out awesome. They're showing so well the warm, cozy and inviting atmosphere of this special room.

    Btw - calling this just a living room doesn't do this stunning room justice. You should better call it the Peacock Salon. ;O) The color scheme is breathtaking and matches so well… and the flower arrangements are true eyecatchers. You've created some beautiful bouquets and I like also the palm and the ferns, sorry the kits gave you a bit of trouble but the result looks great.

    And I see you've mastered your sewing machine - your pillows and the bedding turned out lovely. But I admired this very special cushion you've made for your husband even more - what a lovely way to cherish the memory of a dear person. And now I'm looking forward to see your newest wonders in your next post - as usual! ;O)

    Hugs
    Birgit

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    1. Thank you, Birgit! The Peacock Salon - I love it!
      After I spoke to the lady of the house and told her that a few of the visitors were a little upset by the treatment of the book she immediately brought out her iPad. She did not fix the book, however. She must be a stubborn one!
      I am glad you like the room and the botanicals! :O)

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  11. Jodi this room is really fantastic, I love everything I see, beautiful furniture, miniatures, the colors, it's just perfect!
    And the plants and flowers ... amazing!

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    1. Thank you Gonda! I am so glad that all of the furnishings ended up playing nice with each other and so happy that you like the room too!

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  12. Fabulous! If my place ends up looking like this I will be very happy. I love the candles in the fireplace.

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  13. Your living room and front entrance are Absolutely EXQUISITE!!!! ❤️
    First let me say that repositioning the chairs to either side of the fireplace was something I was hoping you would do back when you still had the bookcase dividing the 2 spaces. I am SO GLAD that you did this because it has opened up the room and given more flow to accessing each of your walkways. It also makes for a easier way to converse with company and I can already see myself sitting in one of those chairs admiring the surroundings and wishing to never have to leave! :D
    And I ADORE the way you've dressed the sofa, Jodi! Your choice of throw cushions and their positioning are visually balanced with each other as well as those karate-chopped beauties with their Gorgeous cording, on the chairs.
    I find that your entire colour scheme is both Unusual and Unique! The teal with the navy blue is in itself a Fascinating combination but to off-set it with the old gold and the off-white and floral accents in purples and greens, pale blues and yellow couldn't be Better; you have a very delf hand and discerning eye at knowing how to maximize each of your accessories and make them go the distance! There is a casual sophistication emanating from every corner of the room and I don't blame the lady of the house for taking her ease with a good book and a glass of white wine, after having judiciously placed every one of her BEAUTIFUL accessories into their Perfect places, as it was certainly a BIG JOB which was EXTREMELY WELL DONE!
    5 ★★★★★'s

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    1. typo: you have a DEFT hand, not delf, (although perhaps you might have one of those too! )
      Hahahhaha ;D

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    2. Thank you so much for your insightful and self esteem boosting comments, Elizabeth! You could tour the world as a motivational speaker and leave everyone feeling ready and able to take on their next group of life challenges! What a gift you are to our community! And no pressure, but I hope you are getting close to sharing some of your own amazing progress on Villa Leone!

      I am so happy that you like the arrangement of furniture as you know how I struggled to find just the right placement and did not want to have to give up the large round coffee table! In the end it felt like the best flow as you've said and I even had space for the flanking pots on either side of the fireplace. It did leave that sliver of wall between the windows needing something, and that is how the table and lamp came to be.

      I am so glad that you like the solid pillows on the sofa to offset the wild fabric and I can't tell you how relieved I was to have made two of each that could pass (as long as you look quickly). I looked for the right solid navy and gold pillows for a long time to avoid having to make them myself, but there is a serious lack of nice solid colored pillows on the market! I felt as if I was being encouraged to face my fear and get some practice in. I still need a lot more practice, but the fear has diminished!

      Introducing the navy color happened during auditions quite some time ago when I placed the one navy chair I had in the room. It was meant to be just a stand in, but I loved the combination with the teal and set out to find a second chair. I am glad it happened because my original ideas were not as unique and probably would have been nice but a little boring. :O)

      Other than the butterfly pillows, I have not purchased any accessories for this build since 2017. My heart has been speaking to me since the whole Swan House miniatures fiasco last year. It has kindly warned me that spending so much on and saving (hoarding) so many miniatures for "someday" was putting me in danger of my hobby becoming obscene and unhealthy. I have had to listen and reflect on my behavior, and the result is that most purchases with the exception of supplies has ceased. I am finding that looking to my own stash and creativity as resources has really made minis fun again, and so I am grateful for the lesson. No judgement here for anyone else, though! Fortunately, I had planned and purchased a lot for this house before the epiphany. It's going to get a lot tougher after the cottage is finished as my stash will be depleted. TMI? Sorry!

      Thank you again for the lovely and encouraging 5 star review! Deft hand, delf hand, I'll take all the hands I can get! :O)

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    3. in response to your inquiry regarding Villa Leone: I HAVE been making progress but it is in the form of one step forward and two steps back. Redoing and redoing over and over ....
      It is most annoying but I press on anyway.
      Currently working on the garden and I must say that I was hesitating on assembling a laser cut kit because I haven't had a lot of success painting them in the past, but after seeing what you've done by using inks which I already happen to have LOTS of; I've dived in and am having a blast; it' so much easier than using acrylics. So MANY THANKS Jodi for your Very Timely Tip! :D

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    4. The steps forward and then redoing sounds just about right for your pursuit of absolute perfection in a project and a normal process for a genius at work. I know it's frustrating now, but take heart in knowing that you are surely creating another masterpiece which will inspire, delight and make us all strive for our best, too! But I still can't wait to see!!!
      I bet the garden is so beautiful, and so fulfilling to see the hard work all year finally paying off! I hope you'll share some photos of your accomplishments there, too!
      I am so happy to hear that the inks are working so wonderfully for you, too, and can't wait to see how you're taking full advantage of their advantages!!!

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  14. Hi, Jodi - I think the peacock color scheme for the living room is outstandingly beautiful! I love the soft wall color paired with the dramatic navy blue, and the touches of gold lend such elegance. I applaud your choices for the rug, pillows, and upholstery.All the accessories are well chosen, and you have such a talent for placing each item in the most perfect spot. The flower arrangements are so beautifully done - and the palms and ferns are simply wonderful. This is yet another creation that you've brought to life, and of which you can be very proud!
    Marjorie

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    1. Thank you Marjorie! I am proud of myself and I love the way the house is coming together but mostly the pride comes because I did not give up. There were enormous challenges for me in this project and for a time they seemed insurmountable. But if my pushing through encourages anyone else to push through it will all have been worth it!
      I am so happy that the colors and fabrics are pleasing to you, as well! The two teal/green wall colors were speaking to me from the start of this project, and I am so glad that I was then able to find complementary colors to go along with them. Finding the peacock art really helped to give me some ideas and set the mood. Finding one thing I love is usually what inspires a whole project to develop in my mind. With the cottage, it was the two wallpapers.
      Flowers and plants really finish off a room and give them life, don't they? It does take several days commitment and the kits can add up cost wise, but it's the best way to learn how to make flowers so that you can begin to make your own from punches. The SDK kits are great to work with for beginners. Mary's kits could honestly use better instruction and photos or diagrams. I'm so glad that you like how they came out!

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  15. I'm so behind in commenting! But I love how lush and gorgeous this is. The colors are just perfect and the plants are just the right touch.

    I think having no runner behind the sofa looks good. No trip hazards on the way to the stairs. (my mini people are as klutzy as I am.) I'm happy to sleep on the couch if you'll let me move in!

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    1. It's been that kind of week for me, too Sheila! It's as if 24 hour days have suddenly become 12 hour days!
      I was worried about the runner, too. Not so much for tripping as for competing patterns. The mom in me wants rugs everywhere to protect the floors, but the lady in this house is single and so far has no pets. I think the floors will be fine without the runner!
      If you can figure out a way to shrink yourself down, you are welcome to stay in the house as long as you like. We'd probably want to put a back on it and place it in front of a window where you'd get a nice view. Also, Russ would have to run real plumbing but I bet he could! Then you could tell me what's crooked and where I've left gigantic gaps! :O)

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  16. This living room is very very elegant. Everything is perfectly arranged and the colors are very rich and tasteful. Plants and flowers give a touch of life.

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    1. Thank you Faby! It is definitely a fancier style than I have ever attempted before, but we have to try everything once, right?!? It has been challenging, but now that it is almost finished, I can throw the word "fun" in there, too! :O)

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  17. Wow! What a visual delight you have created for us Jodi! I LOVE this room. I would never be so daring in my colour choices because I'm not that great at putting them together but your teal and navy scheme is inspired.. so, so, pretty! And your styling is spot on! I love the pheasant and the and all your wonderful plants, the vignette on the coffee table is perfect. (love that little box by the way, what a treasure. :D ) The modified HOM table is perfect for the little spot in the back. The soft furnishings are wonderful too. Your curtains are wonderfully constructed with just the right amount of ruching in exactly the right scale. Your pillows turned out great & with nice crisp corners.. a near mini impossibility, lets be honest. lol. I'm seriously admiring your mini art house cushion.. I've been eying them off for a while, but have so far resisted the purchase. I'm feeling an itch coming to buy one though looking at how beautiful yours is. :D Your flower arrangements are wonderful. Were you a florist in a previous life? I have found in the infancy of my flower making travels that the making of the components is not the hard bit, it's getting everything to sit in a nice spot in the pot that is the problem for me. What is your secret.. asking for a friend.. :P I've always loved the nook under the stairs and adding that wonderful arrangement has only enhanced it even further. The bag at the front door is adorable btw. How much fun it must have been to turn the lights on now that you've finished the room. Like adding sparkly jewelry to a new outfit. :) You have created a masterpiece Jodi and I agree with Deb, I could totally see that first picture ending up in someones 1:1 pinterest page. :D Congrats on this triumph. Not far to go now and this beauty will be finished.

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    1. P.S. do you glue your accessories down? Wax them? I'm so clutzy I'm always knocking mine over but I can't bring myself to commit them to glue.

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    2. Una estancia muy hermosa y un reportaje fantĂĄstico para poder disfrutar de todos los detalles.
      Un saludo

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    3. Hi Sam! It's so nice to see you here on the blog! I am so happy that you love the room and the color choices! They were a bold risk, but you are right on target by saying "inspired" because that's exactly how they happened! It's as if each choice lead me to the next and before you know it I was here!
      A lot of the accessories, such as the box and the pheasant are the pot metal minis, and it's wonderful how just by taking the gold leafing pen to them, they become special!
      I'm glad you like the curtains, pillows and upholstery, too! After so long a break and then the challenges I had to get past it was such a pleasant and welcomed surprise to have things go relatively well with no second tries required! I love when that rare serendipity happens!
      Don't think about the MiniArtHouse purchase - just treat yourself. The pi;;ow is perfect and if you see something you like it won't be in her shop for long. I learned that the hard way! Have a few really special pieces sprinkled throughout is perfectly reasonable!
      For the plants and flowers, there is no real secret for making them stay. My general method is that for plants that need a layer of dirt, I squish in paperclay, spread a layer of plain tacky glue, dip in a pile of model railroad soil, tamp a bit, shake off the excess. To plant the stems I just test their placement, trim the height if needed, once I like it dip in glue and move on the the next stem.
      For flowers there are two ways. If I want the vase to appear like the stems are in water, I use ICE resin (for jewelry making because it does not yellow with time). I fill the vase about half way, then carefully place in the stems close to the arrangement I'd like when it's finished. Put in a SAFE spot to cure for 24 hours. Once cured, you can manipulate the top of the stems and flowers into the final arrangement.
      For solid vases, I simply use hot glue. I fill the vase's bottom to give it a solid layer, let harden. Then for each step, I dip the end of it up into the glue gun nozzle to coat it. Then I place in the vase, holding it for a few seconds until it's set. Repeat this for all stems, then once it has completely cooled you can move the stems around a bit more.
      It is truly magical to turn on the lights - I am so happy now that I planned them and spent so much effort! Thank you so much for the lovely comments! It makes me so happy that you love the room!

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    4. I use Quick Grip to "glue" some of the difficult things because it really isn't permanent and acts like rubber cement if you ever want to remove it. Fran from HBS also recommends rubber cement, like the Elmer's stuff. The bottle I received from Amazon did not produce the desired effect, so that is something I will have to explore more with a new bottle. In the meantime, I had experimented with the Quick Grip and liked it. I also use tacky wax on a lot of things, too. It just depends on if the wax will give me good contact and be invisible once the object is placed. In my old projects, the ones I dismantled and sold on eBay last year, I had glued a lot of things with Fast Grab Tacky Glue. I found that with heat applied by my blow dryer, most things came off fairly easily and did not leave damaging residue. The caveat to that is, if the glue was really thin, it was harder to remove. A glob worked best to adhere and later remove. So the short answer is, each item gets analyzed, and the best adhesion decision made at the time. I get really annoyed having to pick up falling minis all the time, so tolerance level is also a factor for each individual.

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    5. Gracias por los buenos comentarios, Marion! Estoy feliz de que te guste la habitaciĂłn y los detalles!

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  18. Oooohhh La LA!!! Oh, Jodi, I just (almost!) don't have words for how Gorgeous this project is turning out to be!!!! The living room is so So SO beautiful but still inviting and traditional but very new and modern too! I just LOVE the colors and the patterns and the (lots of)touches of gold! The tiny gold bird on the table, the filigree balls in the bowl on the table... Just Brilliant touches!!! Then there are all those stunning bouquets! WOW! And then the Plants!!! Wow and wow again! I am particularly fond of the pot on the china pedestal under the window.... what an elegant touch! I can imagine your pleasure at finally unearthing all these Treasures... and to see them bringing life to this beautiful, Beautiful House must just make you Squeal with Joy!!! I am sure you are having just as much fun with the bedroom... and I can't wait to see more! (And I'm always sorry to be so late to comment..... I've been back to look at every detail more than once!) :):):)

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    1. Hi Betsy! Thank you for your lovely and kind observations and comments! I am so happy that you like the room! I remember that during the first part of the new millennium, gold was considered garish and simply not done! Even a house that had polished brass from the 90's was considered dated. I am so happy that gold is back in fashion, because for this house and most of these rooms it was the perfect choice. And so much fun to work with! I got to try so many gold products and learned so much about gilding and gold leaf, metallic paints and pens, and gilders paste!
      I love to look at home magazines and figure out ways to incorporate really fun ideas into miniature. That was the inspiration for the filigree beads in a bowl. It was fiddly to get them all glued in there, but because of my lack of tolerance for chasing tiny balls under furniture, it had to be done, lol!
      I can't tell you how happy it makes me when I share my ideas and they are received so enthusiastically by my friends and heroes! It makes me feel like part of the cool mini club which is filled with creative souls compelled to create and explore neat ideas. I admire your talents and fantastic mind so much, and I am on cloud nine that you like mine, too!

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  19. Your sitting room is stunning! The candles and mirror in the fireplace are a genius idea. The pillows turned out really well. I have an antique hand sewing machine that I use for my mini sewing. I've fitted a zipper foot on it because it's very narrow and I can see properly where I'm going. Using the hand crank I can also go as slow as I like. Electric machines can be very intimidating.
    Scattering ornaments and items for daily use is the best part of creating a realistic miniature scene and you've succeeded in creating a very welcoming room.

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    1. Thanks Megan! The fireplace candles were a really fun idea to try and make happen! I am glad you like it and hope you try it in your build, too!
      I don't even know what a zipper foot is, but now I must go find out!
      I have my grandma's old sewing machine in an old cabinet and it would be so wonderful to see if I could make it work one day! She made all of us quilts on it growing up! Someday, I hope to try making a quilt but think I'll take a class first.
      My machine has three speed settings, and I have found with my lack of confidence and control, the slowest setting works best for me too. Just the sound of the machine running faster makes my heart rate increase, lol!
      I'm so happy that you like the room and I hope things are going amazingly well in Germany! I can't wait until you catch us all up on the happenings!

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  20. ¡Es precioso! Me encanta el colorido y la elegancia. ¡No me digas 2 veces eso de ir a sentarme que me acomodo yo tambiĂ©n en el sofĂĄ para una temporada!

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    1. ¡Jaja! ¡SerĂ­as mĂĄs que bienvenido el tiempo que quieras! ¡Estoy tan feliz de que te guste la habitaciĂłn, Isabel! ¡Gracias!

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  21. Dear Jodi,

    Foregoing the fact that there is no runner behind the sofa... :-) this room looks so stylish and inviti g. A great place to repose with a glass of wine and reflect on the things which make life worth living.

    The flowerarrangements are really colourfull and lovely.

    Huibrecht

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    1. Lol! I knew that rug was going to be an issue!
      Thank you, Huibrecht! I'm so happy that you like the room and the flowers!
      I can't think of a better thing to do while drinking wine than to reflect on all of the things we are grateful for!

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  22. Hi Jodi, you have created the most beautiful living room. I was trying to decide which is my favourite feature and I couldn´t choose one as I love everything about this room. The floral arrangements are superb as well as the green plants, I really, really love them, but that´s not a secret I love your plants, you have a special ability to make them, mini super green fingers!!! The colour scheme is so clever and spot on, just the right amount of every colour to create a perfect atmosphere. Yes, it´s gorgeous and looks like a room from a magazine, the design of a very famous and expensive interior decorator. Congratulations!

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    1. Thanks Alex! I am so happy that you like the room and the colors! You never really know how your ideas will translate until the end where you get to put every little detail together. I am so happy that the furnishings worked for the space and that all of the colors came together as nicely as they had in my mind. I could not have achieved it without the furniture makers, kit designers and the lovely minis available for us to personalize!

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  23. My, oh my, Jodi - it is stunning. Like all the other comments I am blown away at the detail and utter classiness of this room. I certainly hope the lady of the house has a good hired help to keep everything looking tip-top so she can continue to simply enjoy.
    I only just spotted the candles and mirror in the fireplace - genius!!
    Thanks as always for taking the time to share so many fabulous photos and all your little hints and tricks - it all takes time and I for one really appreciate it.
    Anna X

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    1. Hi Anna! Thank you so much! I wanted the room to feel opulent out of respect for New Orleans history but comfortable enough that it could be truly lived in and enjoyed by the home owner. She will of course have weekly cleaners come in!
      I thank you for thanking me for sharing the process. I have been feeling as though I have been slacking off lately in that regard, not taking as many photos or being very detailed on the blog in the process. Life has been so busy and my time for minis has been eroding away. I'll do better once the weather has us all stuck indoors again!

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  24. jodi, this is a masterpiece!!! I am so proud to know someone with so much talent as you have :-)

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    1. Ha Ha! Thanks Marion! You are way too kind but I love that we are fan girls of each other! :O)

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  25. Jodi, you blow me away with your creativity! In some of these pictures, if I didn't know it was miniature, I would think them to be real rooms! In my next life, I want a house (a real one) just like this! I wouldn't change a thing! How I wish you lived closer so that I could have some of your creativity rub off on me! I adore this house!

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    1. Thank you, Teresa! That is the nicest and most encouraging complement! It is such a good feeling when someone "gets you" and appreciates the feeling you're trying to capture in a mini room! This house was a huge challenge for me from the very beginning, but I am so glad I stuck with it and worked through the challenges! It makes me happy that you like it, too!

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