Joy VS Frustration

JOY
Once a year, the two daughters and I meet in Denver to attend the annual miniature show sponsored by the Denver Doll and Toy Museum currently located in near Denver City Park and the zoo.The miniature show, however, is at the Denver Tech Center, a good drive from northern Colorado made worse by wretched traffic, but so worth the drive. The museum will hold a smaller show in the spring at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, which we have only attended once, with all 5 grandchildren in tow.

Not for this show! No grandchildren. It's a rare occasion that the girls and I get together just the three of us and have a day, but the is the one Saturday when we are able to indulge ourselves. Jennifer, who  lives about 40 minutes away from me has three girls, 11 (12 next month), 10, and 6. She is the "stay at home mom." Her girls spent the day with dad fishing and catching crawdads, while her sister lives in Denver and has two boys, 15 and 9. She works as a horticulturist and arborist. It is not easy for the girls get away. We also all belong to the Overland Trail chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and skipped the year's first meeting for the miniature show. Priorities!

We had a lovely morning shopping and then we got hungry and my feet hurt, so we went downstairs to the cafe and had lunch and enjoyed the exhibits that local clubs provided--I took lots of photos of the handiwork of all of the projects, but I don't have permission to share them, so I'd better not, but let's say that I was inspired.

We went back upstairs and shopped some more!

This year the show attracted a large crowd. I was glad to see a good turn out and people buying because the vendors come from all over the world and travel worldwide to sell their treasures. It was fun to visit with them and learn about their businesses.

I didn't have a particular list, but I did find some great things.

Do you put things in your house that reflect or symbolize or honor friends or family? The formerly blue farmhouse now pink has a collection of mounts. I buy them from one vendor who takes already manufactured wildlife trophies and repaints them in more realistic color and detail. My husband is an avid archery hunter though he has yet to take his big bull. I told him when he got home this weekend that I went hunting and was successful. My trophy is now with a friend who will make a wall mounting plaque for this elegant guy. I'd say that that this is my style of hunting.

Tiny twins also live in the Blue Farm house and one is getting a new frock.

Raggedy Andy may go play with them. I so love miniature toys. I wonder if Ethel is still in business because I'd like Annie, too.

The Bellingham farmhouse is a modern Texas farmhouse, so of course I have been looking for appropriate house plants. Love these colorful little guys.

A cowboy, of course, lives in the Texas farmhouse, so I bought him a new pair of boots. I visited with the lady for a bit--rather she talked, I listened. She has been in business for 35 years and her specialty is leather. Her trunks, purses, and cases are exceptional as well as a varied collection of fancy lady's and children's shoes. She used to make horse tack and had a couple of bridles, but tempted as I was, I passed. I need a horse. 

I love the realism of the cowboy boots. My father-in-law dressed western and bought expensive cowboy boots--very expensive, so these are a tribute to him. 

And I found real wax candles. Now I have to make candle sticks.

The lady of the house loves the new boots, though they are a bit big for her.

I am already excited to attend next year's show and maybe I'll spend the night with Heather and attend a workshop. They offered one on stucco and bricking. Boy could I use that one.

FRUSTRATION

I didn't purchase anything for the San Franciscan since I"ll be handing it over to Jennifer, but work on the San Franciscan continues and I am frustrated. Pieces don't fit well, the instructions are confusing, a previous owner made mistakes, which prompted her to sell the kit on a garage sale; now I am dealing with her mistakes and I think I know where she made her fatal error and deeded to give up. I, however, have come too far with the project to give up. Essentially, I am not one to surrender. I am short some pieces, so I turned to eBay to look for them, with not such good luck. Then I stumbled on to Manchester Woodworks, a company that sells limited spare parts for the old Dura-Craft kits. I am in luck. I'll call them this morning to make sure that they have the lap siding that I need. The photos will the story of my frustration.

Time to make the doors. The windows were easily assembled and I nearly made a fatal mistake with the first door because I was ready to clue the jamb to the door--even had the glue in place--but when I went to install the door, I realized that it wouldn't open--it would be glued shut, so I wiped off the glue and finished assembly.

The instructions say to round the edges of one side of the doors so that they open easily. Thanks to the tutorials by Julie Warren that I have watched, I knew how to create that rounded edge.

To create that rounded edge on a lid door, run the piece across sandpaper at less than a 45 degree angle in one downward motion until you have the edge that you want. For longer pieces, use both hands to get equal pressure to insure an even edge.

After

Before

After

The wood in  these kits splinters so easily, it is hard to work with, and hard to see the difference in the photo between the square edges and the rounded edges, but the technique does work.

Ready to install

These are the door knobs. I promised myself to assemble the kit with all of the pieces provided, but these door knobs do not look very promising. I may have to substitute more attractive ones.

With the doors assembled and ready to put in place, I felt that I was ready to install windows--all 15 of them. That's when I ran into problems when I realized that I do have enough lap sidings, during the dry fitting, so I will have to order it from Manchester, nor do I have enough wood for the vehicle tower supports.

This part of the project is quite frustrating and work intensive. The instructions are hard to follow, hard to read, hard to understand, the quality of wood rates poorly, and I am missing pieces. Work on the windows is on hold now until I can get more lap siding ordered. I'll try to install the floors, but the they depend on the the stability that the installed windows give. Maybe I'll start the final project on the Bellingham Farm House, shingles. 

As you can see, I'm assembling this house in the garage, mostly in the early mornings and late evenings when it is cool and I can watch the sunset in the evening. A nice workshop.

Either way, I have plenty to keep me busy. Thanks for stopping by.