Stealing a Moment Here and There

There will be two new posts for you to enjoy today, so when you finish with this one, the second new post follows. 

 The summer heat is on, so gardening will take place early in the morning in the coolest part of the day, while the mini making will wait until afternoon.

We had a lot going on besides having our grandson here, but we did go see Top Gun Maverick.  I bought Top Gun on DVD because I wanted Nathan to see that one first. He was amazed. He loved both movies. Going to the theatre is a rare experience, but this one is a must see on the big screen. We always go to the movies, and generally I let him choose, but I wanted him to see what will be a classic. 

So.

By stealing a moment here and there, I have made some progress on the Manchester wallpaper project. Right now I am focused on finishing the living room and dining room, and installing the crown moulding along the the back wall of the main part of the first floor so that I can install the stairs, but there are still plenty of tasks to finish to get all of that done, like painting wood trim that I did this afternoon.

The living room is all but done. I need to install the moulding around the door and add curtain hangers for the curtain rod and it is finished.

You know my process for doing wallpaper:

√ Apply Grandmother's Wallpaper Past to the back side.

√ Place the paper on the wall and use a gift card or perhaps your Cricut scrapper to smooth out the paper and remove any bubbles under the surface of the paper. 

√ Cut the paper wide enough for this wall to wrap it around the corner to create a smooth corner seam when the side wall is papered.

√ Use wide craft stick to apply the glue to the back of the paper. A bit messy; that's why I use the kitchen paper that be discarded and a new one used for the next piece, and keep a damp cloth handy to keep my fingers clean.

 √ To keep the paper from scooting around I've taped it in place to keep it from moving across excess glue on the kitchen wrap.

√ Once amply covered with glue, slide the stick across it to remove excess that I return to the jar.

The side piece will slide right into place, easily, but will it fit? Did I make an accurate template?

I had a really hard time cutting this opening correctly. Sometimes even with templates I can't get it right. In this case, it's really not a problem.

In this situation, the door trim will cover the little mistake. I don't mind these little miscalculations when the mistake can be covered up. We have a very satisfying fit. Besides wallpaper covered with trim doesn't have to go clear to the edge of the opening only far enough so that the trim covers the raw edges.

The window is another example of miscalculation and then not correcting early in making the template. 

I should have fit the template again with the window frame in place because on the left side the glued paper lapped over the window edge--just a smidge, but enough to make a difference extend beyond the frame. 

Lesson learned--one that I seam to have to learn more than once: The cured glue on the paper won't cut. I looked at the window from the outside and I could see the paper sticking out beyond the window sill, so I knew that I had to trim it. The window frame wouldn't cover up this mistake.

I hacked away at the tiny excess as it just wouldn't cut with the Xacto blade. When I thought that I had enough in scrapped away, I glued in the window. I think next I'll dampen it since the glue is water soluble and see if I can soften it and get it smoothed out.

I'll do better on the remaining windows.

The stair surround nears completion as I most excitedly applied the blue plaid to the wall for the coffee  bar. 

Now both sides are papered and ready for trim.

Took me quite a while to get the trim pieces figured out. The tops of both side walls are such odd shapes with odd angles an required more thought on how to trim them.

I use 1/4 inch corner moulding to cover the corners, even though I was please with the results without the corner trim, but it dresses up the corners, but they won't be seen since they will face that back wall and only visible through the open front door or its window.

Wallpaper Sources: 

• Living room:

Dark green Hobby Lobby open card stock, textured. A nice heavy paper that holds its shape.

William Morris Floral Garden Print found on Raw Pixel. Free download. Printed on mat photo paper 8.5 x 11inches. 

• Dining room: 

Back wall Water Color Roses: Jessica Cloe download printable on Etsy. She also offers a pre pasted paper. I printed on 8.5 x 11inch mat photo paper because it is heavy paper, making it sturdy. You don't have to worry about rips or wrinkles. I also use Krylon Sealer to give it a protective coating. 

 Peach paper: Double sided card stock purchased at a local scrapbook store. I'll use it in the bedroom, too. The two different papers are not the quite same shade. Also heavy enough that it won't tear or wrinkle. A bit stiff to fold for that corner wrap around, but I use a scoring board (Martha Stewart) with her bone folder to crease the paper to make it easier to fold. 

• Kitchen: 

Blue Plaid:I found the original image in a Pinterest search and found it here a houzz.com and grabbed the image. Since I am not going to use the image to make a profit or on anything that I might sell, it should be okay to use the image privately. Full credit:

York Wallcoverings KI0532 A Perfect World Polka Dot Plaid Wallpaper

By York Wallcoverings 
Scrapbook paper and card stock:Gray card stock from my supply. Lighter in weight, but still heavy enough to hold its shape and not tear or wrinkle.
Thoughts on scrapbook papers and printable wallpaper:

• Affordable and easy to source with an unending selection of colors, patterns, and textures. I always buy more than what I need. Two papers cover the Manchester rooms, but if you mis measure? Always buy extra.
• Always consider scale. Is the image too large or too small for the scale of the structure? Not much advice here except to let you eye decide. The images that I used for this house follow the current wallpaper trend of big, bold, colorful floral prints as opposed to the Victorian delicate, tiny prints.
• Sturdy since it is heavier paper
• One notable disadvantage, Size:  the sheets are 8.5 inches wide, so if the room has a high ceiling 9 inches (or 9 ft.) you will have to print two sheets and have a seam or use wider crown moulding or floorboards. I don't like seams, especially if the pattern needs to be matched. Same goes for the depth of the room since the paper is 11 inches long, again limiting the wall coverage of large room. 

Printable Wallpaper:

• Affordable. I print on mat photo paper since I have a good supply of it and get good results. Same advantages and problems as with plain card stock. Etsy venders have great selections to choose from.

My favorite source for good quality dollhouse wallpaper is Itsy Bitsy Mini who I have used for years. They a comprehensive collections of coordinated papers printed on fine quality, heavy paper with a glossy finish that holds up so well to the heavy wallpaper paste. Most importantly when dealing with an online source, the company has great customer service--even when the mistake is theirs. 

As dollhouse beginners search the Web for tutorials and "how tos", they will find a plethora of ideas and techniques ranging from gluing in the wallpaper to a card stock template and adhering that with tape to the dollhouse wall or using hot glue (ugh) or Modge Podge--which I don't have such good luck with because it tends leave brush strokes.

I understand the concept of not wanting to make some things permanent in a dollhouse--I have that same fear of making a commitment when I permanently attach something to the dollhouse--what if I don't like it or change my mind or make a mistake? That's why I use this water soluble made for dollhouse wallpapering paste--glue--adhesive-- because it can be easily removed with a damp cloth or a thin spray of warm water that will penetrate the paper.

In the end, with experience, miniaturists find their own techniques that work best for them and that will fit within their skill set (with grows with each project), their free time, and their pocketbook. 

Thanks for visiting today; now go make something pretty.