Finishing Touches

It's the little details that make me want to become 5-1/2 inches tall and live in my little projects. Pillows, plants, books, sculpture, photos all draw me in and make me want to stay awhile...

Today, I managed to carve out a little time from the busy day to add a few final touches to the barn's living room. Namely, rugs and curtains.

I think I posted before about the printable fabric I purchased from Amazon a while back. Avery makes one, too, but this one came with 10 sheets instead of 5, and was a little less pricey. Currently, it is just over $9, and if you have Amazon Prime there is free 2 day shipping. So far, I really like it!






I had read a thread somewhere that it was nice for making mini rugs. I thought I'd give it a try, and I am very pleased with the results! I was able to fit one 8"x5" and four 2"x3" rugs on one sheet. I set the coloration on my Cannon printer to a 10% increase in the saturation, and I really like how well the color and the detail shows through.







Here is the smaller door mat sized rug. I read also that someone makes velour printer paper. The original link to the site showed that the web site was no longer in existence. I did a Google search, and found a web site 'Across The Pond', but nothing closer to home. Amazon did have an Epson paper that says it is velvet artists paper, but I am not too sure that is what I am looking for. $21 is a little more risk than I am willing to take on a project.






I was avoiding the curtains for a while in hopes that I would come up with something brilliant for the awkward living room window. No cleaver ideas whatsoever have come to me, so I am just going with the same style and material that I employed for the loft windows.









I needed a rod (prestained dowel - check), and rod holders. In the loft windows they are set far back so the rod is just glued to the frames. This window is totally visible so I needed something better.

I had these leftover trim pieces from some old dollhouse furniture that I bashed, so after a little Xacto work and some sanding, they'll work perfect!

I made some measurements, cut the fabric out, ironed a hem in, cut away the excess fabric, then used fabric glue to glue them.












I waited a while for the glue to dry, attached them to the rod, added ties and hung them up.

I think (I may add more photos to the wall) this living room is getting close to being Ta-Done!

Quick and Cost Saving Paint Sample Tip

Many of you may already know this because I am usually the last to know or find out. Could it be that I am fiercely independent and don't usually resort to asking for help first? Likely, but I just found an inexpensive and convenient way to order paint online. Free delivery, no traffic, no parking lots and no crowds? Sign me up!

I went to the Home Depot web site to start narrowing down the color choices for the exterior of the barn. I went to the Paint category, then the Interior paint section. I was delighted with what I found!






 It the search results window, there were several drop down menus to narrow the search. I chose the Blue paint color category, then selected Free Shipping To Home under the How To Get It menu, then typed in $0 to $5 in the Price Range menu, and then sorted by Price Low To High in the Sort By menu.

This brought up all of the paints in the blue color family, that offer free to home shipping and that offer the 8oz sample paint for $1.94. Now all there was to do was choose a color!

I went with a flat, matte BEHR sample called Waterscape. I got 4- 8oz samples for $8.37 including tax. The quart prices start at $12.98, so I saved $4.61! If you can wait 8 days (mine says it will arrive 10/13), this might also be a good solution for you.




I hope this information will make someone's day like finding it made mine!

*** UPDATE***

The sample paint arrived one day early. It was packaged well, a band of tape to seal the jars, then packed inside zip top bags.

havanahholly on the GreenLeaf blog pointed out that your computer monitor might mislead you on the actual color. That is a good point to consider if you are looking for something very specific.

In my case, a warm and country looking blue was all I was after. I brushed on a patch and I think it will work out perfectly for me! I am very pleased!

On A Fruition High

It is such a great feeling when you get on a creative roll! Motivation rages as you see the fruition of ideas coming to life, and more and more inspiration begins teaming through your mind! This feeling is why we spend countless hours, and why so many miniaturists become hopelessly addicted.

Today, there was no Seahawks game to watch (they are on Monday Night Football this week), so I delved into the barn's To Do List. Next item: Wall sculpture.

This is the empty living room wall that I needed to fill up. I do like the modern and minimal look in miniatures, but my current home, and what I imagine our retirement barn will be like, is much different. Maybe it is because I need to get rid of some stuff, or maybe I am just very sentimental (hoarder). Either way, I like my home to have elements that make you feel as though you've just received a big, warm hug. As soon as you walk through the doorway.

It is pretty difficult to reach into the back of the space, and my eyesight isn't as good as it used to be. They are no good for measuring at a distance, so I made a template of the wall. It's very, hmmm... Rustic! That's it! But it will do...

These are the items I've been collecting to use as wall decor in the barn. I didn't really have a solid plan as to what would go where. There are some plastic frames from HBS as well as some unfinished metal frames that I purchased from Minis And More on eBay. A couple of the metal frames are from Russ' aunt Lu. She gets free stuff at the casino and likes to give it to us. Love you aunt Lu!

I measured and drew ley lines on the template (my version - remind me to pick up some drafting paper) so that I could lay out and trace around the final design. This way, after I got everything painted and assembled, I'd remember where everything was supposed to go. 

Here is the layout that I finally settled on. 

I have a mixture of all kinds of metals in the barn, because that's what I have in my 1:1 scale home. I'm kind of disorganized eclectic in the way I accumulate things to decorate with.

 I decided to paint the frames in flat black, then spray a light coat of aged bronze over the top. Here they are before spraying them.

I wanted to print photos of Russ and I on our forest adventures together, because wherever we are together, that is home. I resized and cropped them to the frame sizes in Publisher. Then I printed them in black and white on glossy photo paper. Here are the photos with the finished frames.

After I cut them out with my Xacto knife, I glued them into the frames. Then I drilled a pilot hole for the coat hooks and affixed them to a piece of trim board. I made the plate rack and plates in July when I delved into learning how to solder. I'd love someday to get involved in a mini swap and make them for my new kindred friends.

Now it was time to transfer everything to the actual wall. That's the hard part! I concluded after much thought that the chances for success would be greatly improved with the assistance and employment of gravity (although it's not doing my boobs any favors). I carefully removed any items that were not glued down so that I could put it on it's side on the floor. That way, I'd be gluing on a flat surface, and would maybe have a better chance of getting everything even and straight.

That reminds me. I've been really curious... How many of you permanently attach everything in your projects? I usually do, but I am not the proud owner of any expensive art pieces from artisans at this point. Pros? Cons?

I just have a few more details to add on the entry/living room before I can move on. The next project will be the garage, and I'm really looking forward to getting my grease on!