Oh, I hope you aren't looking to me for the answer, because I don't even know what I'm doing... yet! I have this idea of the finished look in mind, but I'll be darned if I know what steps to take to get there! And then, to make it even more challenging, my lizard brain keeps trying to set me to task on all the "usual" dollhouse building processes. Like starting to cover every wall in wallpaper. No!!! Completely wallpapered walls is not the kind of fairytale treehouse my heart is dreaming of! And when you top that off by going rogue on the dollhouse kit instructions, then you have really made a job for yourself. My "no plan" plan might be way more trouble than I anticipated...
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| Alice's Bed Cubby Pop Out |
So, I started with the things I DID KNOW that I wanted. The girls' cubbies needed to be very fairytale princess, but unique, per their request. Their color choices were primarily purple and green. Pink, they said, is apparently "So Cinderella", and "So Predictable". Okay, no pink. Too bad. I LOVE pink!
The girls picked this paper pack and asked if I could incorporate lots of it in the treehouse without making it look too much like a dollhouse. Uh, I can try...The hues in the paper pack became the color palette for the pop outs. It's just coincidence that the pad is named Alice...
They did say I could include all the frilly details I could come up with, so I dug through my drawers for things like Dresden appliques, tin flowers and leaves, metal "nail heads", beads and pearls and fretwork metal pieces. I painted all the appliques so the detail would remain a bit more textural and subtle.
The inside of Alice's cubby got a two wallpaper detail with bright trim work. She is very excited thinking about how her bed full of pillows is going to look!
Goldie's pop out has a bit less frill because the kit's window was already nicely detailed. Since I turned it into a pop out from the original flat wall window, I had to create the inside trim. It still needs a little work but I'll wait for ideas to hit me.
These are the papers Goldie picked for her cubby...
Later, when the dirty water washes come along to tone down the brightness, I am pretty sure the look will be more "deep woods princess" than "Little Tyke Princess".
A while back Emily shared her experiment using Sakura Glaze pens for mini stained glass windows. They turned out great and it looked fun to try. I just love the acetate window designs that came with the Linfield kit, and they have great potential for a really pretty stained glass look. To start small and slow, I used the clear glaze pen and with a little practice, the windows could become stunning. I started with the SAKURA Glaze 3D Ink Pen - Jewels pack and am awaiting delivery of the Sakura Glaze 3D Ink Pen - Brights pack. I'll let you know how it goes.
Since the kitchen pop out was not part of the original kit, I had to make the window myself. Luckily, there was a section big enough from the kit's acetate sheet to cut it from. I used the white colored glaze pen to try and mimic the kit's acetate windows. The lines are much thicker, but in this fantasy theme, I am happy enough with the result. Here it is in the painted and detailed pop out window. Getting the "glaze" to go where you want it to go is a bit tricky at first, but soon, you get the hang of it.
And here is the right wall with two of the pop outs ready for installation. First, though, this wall will be getting one more feature - a door opening into the third floor/attic space. It is only going to be big enough for the smallest of tree dwelling forest creatures. More on that later...
And more decisions need to be made about just how to make a fairytale treehouse. Some wall doodling is helpful in visualizing just what might look right...
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| Can you see the faint pencil lines? |
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| A closer look. |
I think I have a direction, and after I prepare the house for a weekend full of gathering family, I'll get to play with it some more! All your creative suggestions will be most welcome and any I think I can achieve, incorporated!
Have a great weekend!
xo xo,
Jodi
I have no suggestions as I'm of the mind that you are doing quite nicely on your own; I would have caved the girls' desire for pink, since it is my favorite color as well, especially combined with shads of green, but then purple shades and greens are equally pleasing. I'm enjoying the fairy theme, for I am kid at heart. Love Alice and Cinderella and all the others. I appreciate your willingness to share ideas, techniques and products with us, so thank you. So much fun to watch you work.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ann! One of these days I am going to delve into something totally pink and enjoy it to the max! I am liking the purple, so far, but I'll try to keep it under control, lol!
Delete¡Me encanta la paleta de colores!
ReplyDeleteParece que tu cabeza sí sabe lo que quiere hacer!!!!!
¡Gracias Isabel! Tengo algunos aspectos resueltos, otros que quiero pero no estoy seguro de cómo incorporar. ¡Ojalá pueda encontrar el equilibrio!
DeleteDear Jodi,
ReplyDeleteYou have so much imagination that I'm sure you'll find the right colors. You can always add pink flowers to the scene. Pink blends very well with purple and green.
Hugs, Drora
Thanks Drora! I am really enjoying the challenge, and I find that working with such beautifully colored papers and patterns makes me happy! What a priviledge it is to have these kinds of dilemmas! Hugs!
DeletePink is my favourite colour, but I like the Alice pack. Have a great weekend with your family :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Polly! I am truly a fan of pink, as well! It would have been so easy to go that direction for this project, but I am glad the girls set me on the purple path! We'll see how it all comes together!
DeleteMe gustan mucho los colores que has elegido para la habitación de las niñas,por mucho que te tiente el rosa,siempre puedes combinarlo con los cojines o almohadones,que por cierto estoy deseando ver esa cama llena de ellos!
ReplyDeleteEl kit original de la casa ya veo que va a sufrir una gran transformación!
La ventana de la cocina ha quedado genial tanto en forma como en tono, perfecta para una casa de árbol.
La idea de los rotuladores está funcionando muy, muy bien,me gusta mucho como se ven esas vidrieras.
Creo que tu cabecita llena de ideas, te irá iluminando en cada decisión que tomes y volverás a asombrarnos!
Besos.
¡Gracias Pilar! ¡Su confianza en mí es alentadora! Realmente disfruto las barandillas de esta exploración "rústica" y espero trabajar con nuevos materiales y mezclas de colores. ¡Simplemente hacer algo diferente agrega un nivel completamente nuevo de disfrute, y creo que es por eso que esta pasión nunca se volverá aburrida!
DeleteLas dos ventanas son fantásticas, el colorido es de ensueño para una casa de árbol ,genial me encanta el resultado. Feliz fin de semana:-)
ReplyDelete¡Gracias Rosa María! ¡Me siento como un niño con una caja nueva de crayones! ¡Ay las posibilidades!
DeleteOh Jodi! The bed cubbies look amazing! Alice and Goldie have great taste! I have to say I've never thought of the combination of green and purple together before, but they look really wonderful! I can't wait to see the rest of your progress on this amazing tree house!
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend!
Julia
Thanks Julia! It is so much fun to get to work with a new group of colors and patterns! I knew this project would provide so many opportunities for fun exploration, and I can't wait for my next chunk of time to play!
DeleteAlso very beautiful, lovely materials and colors and the glass pens what a good idea this will definitely be great!
ReplyDeleteHow does one indeed?! I do not know. But I think that you are on the right track though. Just let the girls ideas lead you and the rest will fall in place. without a doubt!
ReplyDeleteThe pencil lines show a half timbered finish of the external wall. The lines are all straight. But if you google for half timbered houses. either English or Mosel/Rhine, you can see that some timbers are curved, rounded or have other decorative shapes. Just look around a bit for inspiration. I think not all lines should be straight on this build. Trees aren't straight either. there is always some bending and twisting going on due to the natural growth process.
Huibrecht
Thanks Huibrecht! There is such a range of ideas I want to try and I know I am forgetting half of them! It is also challenging to work out how to achieve the look with the materials available to me. Curved timbers are such an exciting idea! I'd love to include them! The timbers I've drawn are actually on the inside wall, and I hope they will come out okay - it's a first attempt at this sort of construction for me to be sure. I'd like to incorporate many building styles in each of the rooms/ external areas, a bit of a "found materials" look, like when kids grab leftover building materials from the shed to construct their forts and treehouses. I hope I am up for the job! So many great possibilities for a woman with such a forgetful mind! Thanks so much for the great suggestion on the curved timbers! I will look at the styles you suggested!
DeleteOh! The fairy treehouse is looking enchanting. The purple pattern pack would be an easy choice for me as I have a granddaughter named Violet and much of her world was shades of purple through her elementary school years. This will be a fun build to follow.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sherrill! I would be so happy if it ends up looking like an enchanting place! Being enchanted by dollhouses is among the best feelings in the world! I love the name Violet, and love that she was surrounded by her color! Purples haven't been on my color radar for a very long time, but I am really enjoying it in this project! We are so lucky to be able to work with all the colors we want to and to be influenced so wonderfully by the way they make us feel!
DeleteI love that scrapbook paper, so pretty! And the popouts are wonderful. Can't wait to see how the pens do with the windows.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a fun project. It's a grand adventure!
Thanks Sheila! I love the mix of colors and patterns in that paper pack, too! Hopefully, I can incorporate many of them for the girls! Once my company and responsibilities are completed for the week, I am anxious to get to trying those pens! Fingers crossed they come out friendly with the vibe of the project!!!
DeleteEverything is fantastic. I really like that paper. The windows are so original.
ReplyDeleteThanks Faby! This kit and all its possibilities are making for a very fun project! If only I could stop time and indulge exclusively in the creativity for a good long time! Soon, I hope!
Deletewhat a lovely pattern pack to use as inspiration. I think the plan to age it will bring it into yet another level of loveliness. Your idea for timbering looks like it will work great with the theme. I am so glad to be starting to get back into my minis but I have a lot of catching up to do - beginning by checking up on what everyone else has been up to! Cheers! - Marilyn D.
ReplyDeleteHi Marilyn! It is nice to see you back and I hope that your catching up on blogs carries you away with inspiration! I love these papers and the colors, too! I see exactly how I want the aging to come out in my mind's eye, but it's going to take a lot of experimenting. Hopefully, I'll learn something and come close to my vision without too much angst, lol!
DeleteHi Jodi! I am always excited to see another post from you, and the Tree House could become my Favorite! But the minute you said how does one build a Tree house my mind went all over the place! Lol! (Maybe I should jump back into my Tree House project? Hmmm....! But mine is so much smaller and all made inside the tree... but Inspiration is inspiration!!!):) And as always, seeing you attacking the problem in such a wonderfully random way is great for the imagination. I learned a long time ago to start with whatever I was sure of when I was stuck in a project... and usually it pretty quickly gets the ideas going again! The problem comes when I am not sure of anything!... Which causes me to jump projects. LOL! I think you will need to "elevate" the whole house onto a "tree stump" of some sort... with stairs climbing the side...... and of course, I would make the trunk of the stump hollow and... you know how it goes...! :):) I bet you could get Russ' engineering help with the support for the structure...:):) and as for the beautiful bed nooks.... well... they are looking Dreamy! And I love purple with green... and blue... and gold.... And orange...(think johnny jump-ups!) so I am completely on board with this project!!! I can't wait to see more! :):):)
ReplyDeleteThanks Betsy! I sure hope I won't disappoint either of us with what I am able to do! It is so hard for me to keep true to my ideas and to not forget any of them!!! If only I could have you here in my creative space with me I know you would bring out my best! I agree that you should jump back into your treehouse project because it is already so amazing! Continuing your vision, ideas and artistry would inspire all of us!!!
DeleteI am so in tune with you on working wherever you know what to do next! Once I have an idea in mind it is easy to work toward. Having the inkling and a direction to work toward is often the hardest part for me. Over the past few months I have felt so easily distracted and not had much time to work out the steps. The farther away, the less confidence to jump in. Now my motto is just like yours: just start on something and the ideas will kick in. 🤞
You are envisioning exactly what I am for the tree part! The house has been built into the tree branches and the trunk below is hollow (for other forest dwellers to live in). I asked Russ about using concrete forms for the trunk structure, and he feels like it will be plenty supportive enough, especially when encased in a "bark" paperclay shell. That part seems a long way off now, as I struggle to erect the walls and finish them in a way that makes sense, lol! What I want to achieve and what I have the ability to are so far apart right now, but I am sure going to try!
Yes!!! Lots of pansies! Growing all over the exterior of the tree! A woodland wonderland! Oh if only this dream could come true, it would be marvelous!
Oh, and I forgot to add that I used nail polish for "stained glass" on the Hardwick Hall windows and in the tree house (for the "Tiffany lamp" in the Library) and it worked very well. I used the plastic windows in the kit for the Hardwick Hall windows and the "Tiffany lamp" used no surface, but relied on the polish's "surface tension" to fill the gaps in the metal "finding" that is the frame. Gosh, I need to get back to that build!)!! :):)
ReplyDeleteNail polish for the stained glass is a wonderful idea! And so is using metal findings for the frame! I am going to have to run on over to Hardwick Hall for inspiration! All your amazing projects and ideas just delight me, Betsy, and I am soooooo excited for your retirement! Soon you will finally have time to bring all the ideas you've dreamed of to life! This is going to be such a magical time!!!
DeleteMe encantan los colores que has elegido.
ReplyDeleteVa a tener mucha vida con ellos.
Es fabuloso ver como cada idea tuya va tomando forma.
Un saludo
¡Gracias Mariana! ¡Realmente estoy disfrutando trabajar con estos colores y patrones! ¡Espero que terminen luciendo bien juntos en la casa del árbol!
DeleteWhen I had just seen your post's headline in my blog list the answer to your question seemed pretty easy to me: The Jodi-way of course! ;O) Well, wherever your creative mind will lead you to... I already know you will come along with an awesome and unique result in the end.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds interesting that your thinking of a half timbered look for the interior walls. I'm not sure if I understood your vision right so excuse if I should be on the wrong track. But I would suppose the half timber means the tree grows into the rooms standing out in "timber frames" or "growing out" building niches... if so forget about any straight lines and go for Huibrecht's curves. *LOL*
I love how the cubbies turned out - the girls knew for sure why they put you into charge of building their dream tree house. And no doubt it had to be the Alice pack, such beautiful designs and the touches of purple look so lovely. Anyhow... we have a bit of trouble around here now. Fluby is dancing around shouting Alice and Goldie are girls totally to his taste while his little sis' is totally confused why anybody could ever consider pink to be too Cinderella or too predictable. *sigh* I foresee one, two, three, four discussions around here... *grin*
I'm really looking forward to see the next steps of this wonderful, stunning project... oh, and I forgot to say: What a wonderful post! ;O)
Hugs
Birgit
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Birgit! And your kind encouragement! I'll remember that next time I am wondering how in the heck I am supposed to build a treehouse from a dollhouse! I really have no idea what I am doing, but am working in faith that I will figure it out if I just keep working!
DeleteMy vision for the treehouse starts with a kind of hollowed out area in the trunk of the tree, but a very creative builder has come along to add on rooms wherever extra space and function is needed. You'll get to meet the builder, soon! I really hope I can pull the idea off, because it is so very charming in my mind! I love Huibrecht's idea for curved timbers, too, and I am considering how I can make them!
I'm so glad you like how the girls' cubbies are coming along! Tell Rosey that I love pink, too, and surely there will be pink flowers that I can sneak in, at least! It is a fine line with these girls because they are so rebellious of expectations and traditions, and pink is such a traditional "girl color"!
Hugs!