Ann's Dollhouse Dreams

 I missed the last 2 weeks posting simply because there was too much going on.  Last week Nathan spent most of his Spring Break with us, so I set aside the mini projects. I did learn how to use iron-on vinyl to make Nathan a t-shirt. 

Wanting to do a project together, I asked him if  he'd like a to make a t-shirt. He came up with the design and we shopped Hobby Lobby for supplies, did  Jennifer Maker and Mr.Crafty Pants Youtube videos  to learn how to use iron-vinyl, and got to work.

I used Design Space on the Maker to find the image of the mountains and to create the meme. It was a relatively simple process and I ruined only one cut. I had to figure out the blade setting on the Cricut for the vinyl because it cut clear through the backing. I used Hobby Lobby's Paper Studio vinyl because it was a better price, but then had to second guess the settings. 

Adhering the vinyl was a simple process. Both videos gave instructions for ordinary irons, but I borrowed my daughter's Cricut heat press, placed the vinyl in the correct spot, covered it with kitchen parchment paper, and applied the heat. It's hard to believe that my little dude turned 13 last week. He's a teenager now and will have a Saturday job working at the roller skating rink where his parents had his birthday party Saturday. No. He didn't wear his shirt. 

But now I know how to customize t-shirts.

It has been unseasonably cold--too cold to work outside in the yard and tomorrow we are supposed to get some snow. For the last week, we've have wind, so yesterday I did play a little on the Manchester's second floor.

The kit comes with half walls for the first and second floors, so I had my husband cut a full length wall with a doorway for the second floor. The stairs and the railing were built months ago, so I can't--or won't--change my mind now on how to handle that opening. I switched the location of the walls from the left side of the stair opening to the right side to accommodate the floor plan for where I wanted the kitchen and upstairs bedroom; however, on the second floor it makes for an awkward stairway. I still have the option of installing the half wall instead of the railing, making a narrow hall. 

I am now fully committed to using the second of 3 entertainment centers that I built. Using card stock and porch railing, I have fashioned doors to convert the cabinet to a closet. Once I get them measured correctly, I'll make the doors using 1/16 inch basswood. I've been bothered because the bedroom is so small that there is not enough room for even an end table, let alone closet. I like the openness of the room without the second wall. While the cabinet was designed for glass shelves, I'll build storage boxes and replace the "glass" with wood shelves. 

On a side note, I have problems with my ability to reply to the comments that you kindly leave, and sometimes I have problems leaving comments on your Blogger posts. I think I have narrowed the glitch down to an Apple OS problem since I did an update on my newer MacBook Pro. I can leave comments on my old MacBook because it doesn't have enough space to update to Monterey, which I think has a bug in the system that won't allow for comment replies, so I will either email you my comments or if you are on Instagram I comment there. I don't seem to have a problem with other platforms, such as Word Press, just Blogger on this computer. 

I was trying to free up room on the old laptop (a 2015 model) thinking that it was my Photos app with 31,000 photos in it that was taking up all the space, but once I really studied the memory use, it's the operating system that takes up so much room, leaving no working space left on the hard drive. I can still access Safari, but that's about all, so when I remember to, I'll comment from that the old computer.

And that is about all I have to say for this week. 

Thanks for visiting. Have a great week.