Autumn's Pantry

Getting to the end of a project always makes me itchy to get started on a new one. I have been tossing ideas around in my head for a while now, thinking about what kits I have stashed away and what might be calling to me. After the involved and complicated bashing I did on both the New Orleans and the Storybook Cottage kits, I am craving something a lot simpler. Perhaps just a room box type project, and perhaps, since I haven't yet tried the genre, something to display in the fall? That thought was the one that got me remembering all of the fall/harvest/rustic type minis I have stashed away here and there, and soon the idea to combine two of my small kits was born.

In March of 2017 I had the opportunity to visit a miniature shop in Glendale, AZ called Auntie Em's. It was a treasure trove of miniature delights, including lots of new old stock kits. I found Carlson's Old Time Store kit on that trip, and the Victorian Bay Window kit on a subsequent visit. I decided that the store kit wasn't quite large enough on it's own, but if I doubled the floor space and added the bay window kit, it would be the perfect size for a fall farmer's market type of store. The working title is Autumn's Pantry.

Side Note: I've had a lot of questions recently on how I make certain things and what materials and supplies I use. That got me thinking that maybe I have become a little lazy on my blog. It seems I used to share everything in more detail, but somewhere along the way, I began to think I was preaching to the choir and maybe being a little redundant? But in the interest of potentially helping or encouraging any readers to try something new to them, I am going to attempt to be more detailed about what I am doing and how I am doing it. If I inadvertently leave something out, just tell me. I am happy to explain anything, though I am no expert on anything. To me, minis are just about trying new things and having fun!

I combined the two original tongue and groove left/right side pieces to make one double right wall. The original floor and roof piece were combined to create the new floor. The original back piece remained the same width, only needing a 3/16" strip added at the top to match the other wall's height. The left wall would be comprised of the bay window kit and two 1-5/16" side walls to match the width of the right wall. The front wall with the window panels and door would remain the same, so the only piece I'd need to completely invent was the main roof. I decided to keep it really simple, giving it the look of a strip mall store with a clear "glass" top to let in more light. The bay window roof would work nicely with the new facade with no changes necessary. It was a little tricky to cut the mitered pieces, but following the instructions, it came out great with just a little finish sanding. More roof photos are coming later in the post...

The first decisions were colors and finishes. I liked the idea of a Northwest theme using a green/burnt sienna color palette accented with brick. I wanted to go with a rustic/country kind of feel, so all of that gave me a direction to go in. I had a big book of scrapbook paper with a nice variety of patterns to use as both wall covering and flooring. To prep it for installation, I took it out to the garage and sprayed Sealer on both sides, letting it dry several hours in between. To install the flooring, I used Wallpaper Mucilage, applying it to the back of the paper with a 1" paintbrush. I positioned it on the floor, then used a plastic burnishing tool to smooth out any wrinkles and distribute the paste evenly. Any paste that oozes out I quickly wipe up with a baby wipe. Because of the sealer applied to the paper, the paste will just wipe clean away without damage. Don't leave too long or get too wet - the sealer is only so good.
Because I wanted a shiny floor, after the paper was dry, I took the structure back to the garage, taped off the walls with printer paper, then sprayed a few coats of Gloss Sealer, letting each one dry for 15 minutes.

I thought the panels below the windows would look nice with some rustic brick. Since it was such a small area, I decided to use the egg carton method. To determine how many bricks I'd need to make, I laid out each of the panels on the egg carton lid. One lid would be plenty with some left over for later sidewalk or planters.

***At this point, you can paint a grout color as an undercoating where the bricks will be applied.  If you are going to create a very tight brick pattern and will not be using grout but are concerned that the background might show through, painting a grout color will work fine. If you are definitely grouting, painting a grout color is unnecessary, as the grout will cover all of the open grout lines when done properly.

To get the coloring for my bricks, I squirt a blob of each of the colors I want to use onto a paper plate, going from darkest to lightest. I apply my main color as a background to the entire egg carton surface using a brush. The remaining colors will be applied using an old piece of kitchen sponge. I wet the sponge first to open up all of the holes but squeeze all the excess water out. Then I randomly apply each of the colors from darkest to lightest, blending and splotching as I go. If the sponge begins to get sticky, re-wet and squeeze out again. Once you have a result you like, let dry thoroughly. The benefits to this method are that it's fast, and once you cut and apply the brick, you get a nice random pattern.

Base color

After all the colors are sponged on

To get consistently sized bricks, I start with strips. I first cut the egg carton into 1-1/4" width strips the entire length of the carton lid. Then I cut them down so that they are in 2-1/2" lengths. Then each of those lengths are cut into 1/4" widths using a piece of 1/4" basswood strip as a guide. Then each strip is cut into 5/8" bricks. Perfect pieces are put into one cup, scrap pieces into another for later use.

To apply the bricks, I draw a center horizontal line with a dot indicating vertical center. Once the first brick is positioned, I add a line of glue and place the rest of the bricks. Then I measure up from those bricks and draw the next line. If you want perfectly aligned bricks, be precise in your work. If you want a little character, just have fun.

I glue the bricks over the edge and when dry, just trim around the edges. It's much faster than fitting each brick to the end.

TIP: You may find that you go through quite a lot of Xacto blades. I sure do! To safely dispose of them, I fill up an empty prescription bottle with the old blades. Once full, I paste a label that says "Sharps" onto the bottle and place in my regular trash bin. Because the prescription bottle lid is locked, there is no concern about someone inadvertently getting injured. Check your county's regulations, as they may be different.

Once the bricks are dry and trimmed, you must apply varnish. I had unfavorable results once using Mod Podge, so now I only use DuraClear matte varnish. I apply three generous coats, letting each one dry thoroughly in between. I know it's frustrating to wait for things to dry when our mini time is so limited, but it really does pay to be patient. Try to have other tasks lined up so that you are making progress on other things during the necessary drying time.

Now it's time for the grout. I have had my best success using Dap DryDex spackling compound. I just add a bit to a recycled disposable condiment cup. It doesn't take much. I squirt in a tiny bit of complementary color, then mix. The grout wil lighten as it dries, so take that into consideration when mixing up the color. My best application tool is my finger. I squish the grout into the grout lines, wiping away the excess back on to the edge of the grout cup. Once a manageable area is filled, I use a baby wipe to clean up the brick surface. If the surface is extra craggy, you may need to employ the aid of a toothpick to remove excess grout. With a few good coats of sealer, you are safe to wipe several times. If the egg carton surface begins to erode, stop what you are doing and begin the sealing process over again. I learned the hard way so you don't have to!
Let the grout dry thoroughly, then seal again with the varnish.

The backs of my brick panels are visible from inside the store. I decided to make them look like rustic wood panels. I measured out board sections and used a stylus and screwdriver to scribe out seams. Then I painted them burnt sienna and applied a Glazing Medium mixed with burnt umber (4 parts glazing medium to 1 part paint) over the top. Rustic! The exterior tongue and groove got the same paint and glazing effect.

Meanwhile, during the drying time, I installed the wallpaper. It looks Really Green! now, but once the built in shelving goes in it will balance quite nicely.

Back to the roofing... Both roofs will be tarnished copper. This requires several steps. First a coat if raw sienna, then a few coats of Copper Metallic, then an age wash with watered down raw sienna, then some Verdigris patina gilders paste wax. The door will get the same finish. This is where I'm at with the roofs and door, so far.
I plan to leave the front panel and the main roof removable for easy access, so many of my photos will be taken with a helper to hold the wall in place.

Hopefully, when I see you next time, I'll have the roofs finished, the brick panels installed, the built in shelves fabricated and installed, the regular window panes installed and some handy information about how I achieved a stained glass look in the upper windows of the front wall panel. Lots to do and lots of experimentation, but with such a small scale project, it doesn't feel like too much!

Hope all of you are getting to try some new things, too! Whether mini related or otherwise, new things keep us young at heart!

xo xo,
Jodi

A Place To Lay Her Head...

A few weeks ago we had a stretch of warm and sunny weather so I took the opportunity to prime a group of furniture pieces for the New Orleans. I had a mix of furniture with different stains and finishes for the bedroom, so painting them was necessary to create a unifying theme. The primer is dark gray but really gave me a nice foundation to paint on. In the top center of the photo is the original piece I had planned to use as the kitchen island. It turned out to be too big and so it has been put back into inventory.

While I had the sewing machine out, I decided to make a reversible bedspread using teal and gold silk fabric. My first try was just a little too short, but the second try was perfect. I was going to insert a piece of aluminum foil in between the fabrics so that I could make the fabric fall nicely, but on the test fit I decided it laid perfectly and did not need it. I left an opening in the bottom of the bedspread in case I ever change my mind and want to make a messy bed. You can't see the opening, as that part tucks behind the footboard. If you look closely at the bedspread, you can see that I used gold thread in the bobbin and teal thread on top to match the fabrics. I was tickled with myself, lol!
I also later made a set of light teal top and bottom sheets for the bed, but the pillows are all no sew.

I used the lighter teal wall color mixed with white chalk paint to make a light blue base coat on the furniture, then used glazing liquid and the darker teal color to apply a glaze coat over the top. Then I highlighted the raised detail with gold gilders paste. In the first photo below you can see the difference in the nightstand after applying the glaze.

I had a Bespaq chair with light pink upholstery for the room. I wanted to try the alcohol ink trick to make it teal. This was an epic fail, but I learned some valuable things. Alcohol ink will dissolve other dry, seemingly permanent alcohol ink. You may think it is a permanent stain on your plastic medicine cup, but the moment another alcohol ink touches it, it dissolves. So my teal ink turned slightly peacock blue. It was really pretty in the cup, so I went ahead and applied it. Big mistake. It may have passed in another setting, but it was just too dark and jarring in this room. I was trying to keep the bedroom fairly monochromatic and serene. Note to self: Clean the medicine cup with isopropyl alcohol or blending solution before using it for another color.

As usual, though, this mistake was an opportunity to have something even better. I carefully deconstructed the upholstery pieces, using heat from my blow dryer to loosen the glue. I used the pieces as patterns to make new pieces from the same gold silk fabric that I used on the bedding. I also carefully sanded the chair's wood structure, then painted and gilded it to match the other bedroom pieces. That was so much better than leaving the walnut stain and the peacock blue. I used twisted cord in teal around the seams to give it some detail. But it still needed a pillow.

I made a couple really simple bolster pillows. I didn't feel like coming back over to my desk to search for the proper way to make one, so I just made something us as I went. Maybe it will inspire or anger you enough to do it a much better way! :O)

I wanted two pillows - one for the bed and one for the chair. I cut two pieces of 3/8" dowel down to 1-1/2". I grabbed some fabric, some batting and some more twisted cord (though later I used tassels instead).

I cut pieces of fabric to cover each of the ends of the dowel. I cut them into circles, glued them on the ends. Once dry, I cut out wedges, then glued the wedges down to the sides.

I cut the batting to 1-1/2" wide x 1-5/8" long. I cut the fabric to 2-3/8" x 2-3/8".

I hemmed 1/4" of one of the long fabric ends with Tacky Glue, then cut off the corners of the top ends.

I centered the batting, then applied a 1/8" bead of glue all around the edges of the fabric, except for the first hemmed bottom edge.

Then I folded the fabric onto the batting, pressed and let dry.

I applied a 1/4" bead of glue to the hemmed bottom, then pressed the dowel into the glue and left it to dry.

I applied a layer of glue onto the rest of the dowel, then rolled it up like a burrito. I had to hold onto the seam for about 45 seconds until the glue had grabbed on it's own. If you roll too tight, the bating will want to squish out the end and you may need to cut it back a bit. If not tight enough, your fabric won't completely cover the dowel. In other words, you may have to play with it a little.

But if you want a quick bolster pillow, it's a great method! I added a gold tassel and some string to make it a little more interesting. And it's a perfect accessory to the chair I almost ruined! I added a couple more tassels to the finials, too.

I printed a rug as large as I could, so about 8" x 10-1/2". I wish I had a printer with a larger capacity for printing rugs, but it is what it is. It's a nice complement to the room's colors, and it was practically free! I also painted some pot metal frames and added art work to them. There's also a mirror above the dresser to catch and toss around the light from the chandelier.

The bedside lamp being an afterthought (facepalm), I just used a battery powered model I had floating in a drawer. No way I was going to try to run a wire through the house at this point! But the lady of the house has all she needs within reach.

If you look closely, behind the closet door, she has an Apple TV to watch. We all love our modern conveniences, even in a home adorned with old things. I think our lady will be thrilled just to finally have a dedicated place to rest her head.

I managed to make and hang some mirrors in the stairway hall. I made a table to hold one of the floral arrangements, too. For now, I am all out of ideas on what else to add to that room, so I'll let it marinate while I contemplate a runner.

I am almost finished, only the back edge trim and the landscape board, plus a few more minor details. Russ and I decided where in the house to display her, and that has spurred another home improvement project for the fall. What it means for me is that I'll get another built in shelf, three more places to display mini projects, and a newly painted living room and entry hall! I am excited about the prospect now, but ask me how I feel about it after I've spent a couple weeks on ladders painting real life walls! :O)

Hope you're all making exciting future plans, as well!

xo xo,
Jodi