Not Knowing is Half the Fun

UPDATE: I've been to the basement several times since I began this post. I am glad to announce that my tax report has been turned over the accountant, so now I get on with my life with a bit less stress. 

I do feel a bit more free these days, despite what the news people say I should be feeling. My husband and I have had both our COVID shots, but I guess we are suppose to carry on as though we are contagious. I had adverse reactions while my husband has had none. 

We devoted a couple of days to sick pony. He's 34 years old this spring, and has been healthy, but a week of really cold, sub-zero temperatures have been hard him and he colic-ed mid week. We had the vet out Wednesday night and then hauled him to the vet clinic yesterday, but he seemed to be doing better. Now on medication and restricted diet, we hope to pull him through. He's lost so much weight and with really poor teeth he can eat only a wet mash. We will do our best for him.

It will be cold today, but hopefully will warm up this week and maybe we can see some hints of spring. I will continue to spend most of my time in the basement, trying to get Fairfield half scale finished. 

Here, then, is the post that I started last week: 

 When I head to my basement, I start out with a plan, like today I am going work on my tax prep or I could clean up and organize my work area, but then I see something laying on the counter and I'm off and running in a different direction, making something. After all, I don't see the accountant until next week.

This morning was no different, with good intentions of cleaning up a mess here, there, and over there, I got distracted by the Fairfield. Actually, I am making an effort to work on it so that I can move it out of the workspace. I never realized when I tore it all apart that it would be such a project to renovate. So here's an update on this little half scale project.

Sourcing miniature accessories and building supplies has presented quite a challenge. There just seems to be limited choices and some accessories are non existent or too pricey, so I'm making more things, such as these fireplace grates. The Fairfield has 4 fireplaces, so I started playing with ideas on how to recreate the wood grates and add fire. 

I began by digging in the trash can for a greeting card that I had botched and cut strips about 1/4 inch wide then glued them together in a rough grate.

                         

I ended up trimming the original 3 grates down to two and gluing it the fireplace log andirons--that's what those little brass things are called--that came with the house. The grates are not very fancy, but functional and won't be seen that much. I'll cut really wood branches to make my logs.

  

The downstairs fireplaces will get the grates with the brass Andirons, while the upstairs fireplaces will have the simple grates. I added silver beads as feet and will paint them black, too. For flickering fires, I'm ordering fireplace kits from Evans Designs, conveniently located nearly in my neighborhood in Ft. Collins, so they should arrive in a more timely fashion that orders from out of state--we would hope. I have one more grate to make. Never mind my feeble attempt to make "fire." I glue beads on a clear sliver of acetate, hoping to "make fire." Scratch that idea.

So this is where I stand. I've fitted and refitted, cut and re-cut all of my wallpaper templates, made 3 lights, with more to to make, and I still have more floors to make. I've cut the Cricut walnut veneer, I just need to create the floors.

One side of the house.

The other side: a bathroom, a long, hard to access hallway and the kitchen.

Another challenge has been this odd wall in the kitchen. Inspired by a Fairfield on the Greenleaf Forum, I decided to turn this odd space into a cupboard. I had considered cutting away this bit of wall, but decided not to. You can see the challenges that I am facing. 

Instead, I set about fashioning a cupboard door, using card stock to design my pieces. I cut them on the Cricut Maker, making an extension for the wall and cutting the door that will have a glass window in it.

 

And I manage to get a perfect fit second time I cut the piece. Next I will cut the door from basswood in the Maker.

There's also more work to do the exterior; I've pieced together the porch railing, but I'm still fiddling with it. 

                

So there it is, a work in progress. I've been putting off the wallpaper job, but I think it is time. 

I've been working on this house for months, fiddling with so many of the little details, leaving it to sit for weeks, returning to work, forgetting what I had planned, and starting over then remember my original plan. In addition, there are just so many little details that take up so much time, like the trim work. This week has been dedicated to getting the rooms wallpapered.

UPDATE: Wallpapering

I ordered wallpaper from my favorite online source last summer, Itsy Bitsy, only to be disappointed in some of the half scale prints that are so small, the detail is lost and the color is off. So this week I dug in my scraps stash left over from other projects and came up with a very small pink print that that I had used in the toy it. I do hate to repeat wallpaper in houses because I want each one different an unique; however, I have a hard time resisting pink.

Same process to finish this room: trim, light, and flooring. You can see the blue stripes the hallway. That will be a "fun" job to wallpaper with four 3 doors, and two windows with limited access.

The attic 3rd floor is a very difficult space with the slanted roof wall, the L-shaped floor plan and 3 triangle window walls to paper. I found just enough toile paper that I purchased on closeout at Hobby Lobby and used it in Lily's house, so I thought why not here, too. The print is 1:12, but next to the strip it doesn't seem too out of place, does it? The paper is not pasted in yet, perhaps today. But I need to order a 3rd sheet of the strip because two wouldn't allow to cut three triangles. 

                                     

  

                                       

After I had all of my templates recut and refitted, I cut the wallpaper then put each piece in place and began the pasting process. 

I am using an old Cricut cutting mat with a sheet of Press and Seal food wrap with sticky side up to hold the cut wallpaper in place and flat. Works like a charm. Thinner wall paper might tear when you peal it up, so be cautious. I spread a thin layer of paste with a craft stick.

             

Then I carefully position it on the wall. This bay window is especially hard to get the paper in place on the inside wall with the windows. 

                                 

Once the paper is in place I use an old gift card to press the paper into place and work out any air bubbles that might there. I keep a damp cloth handy to wipe glue from my fingers and excess from the wall paper.

                                  

The living room is now mostly done. I have to finish the fireplace, add the trim, and add the light, finish the flooring and build a fire. Oh and make curtains. 

                                    he l

 

Two rooms remain on the main floor, the kitchen and the tiny front entry. The kitchen has been problematic, too. I ordered 1 sheet of 3 separate patterns, underestimating the amount needed, so instead of ordering more paper, I decided to paint part of the kitchen and paper the bay window.

                            

I am a little more excited about the little house now that it is starter to look a little fresher and cleaner. There is still a lot of work to be done, but I am making good progress. 

I'v ordered bathroom fixtures for the Manchester from Shapeways that won't be shipped until this coming week and kitchen appliances for Elf that won't arrive for a couple of weeks. I am very excited for that house because it will be so different from the other houses I've done. 

Thanks for visiting. I enjoy reading your comments, so please day, "Hi." Stay well.