Archives for: "January 2012"
Parlor hearth
The next order of business for the parlor involved turning the cardboard hearth into marble. :D Don't you just love alchemy?
This technique is shown in the DVD by Master Miniaturists called Faux Finishes. I used it once before to make the… more »
Parlor firebox
Before I could truly get to work on the parlor floor, I needed to finish up the parlor fireplace. The first order of business was gluing the final side wall into place. Before I could apply the parlor wallpaper, though, I needed to make channels… more »
Fancy parlor floor - the real deal - part 3
The next step in the floor finishing was staining the guitar marquetry. I wasn't sure if the stain would take to it the same way as the flooring sheets, so I started with a small sample at the end using Minwax English Chestnut. It was too dark and… more »
Fancy parlor floor - the real deal - part 2
Using the same Minwax English Chestnut as I did for the herringbone portion of the parlor floor, I stained the walnut flooring sheet to coordinate. Even though I will be cutting strips out, I made a full sheet to have consistent coloration. I can… more »
Fancy parlor floor - the real deal - part 1
I finally have all the supplies I need to make the parlor floor a reality. The marquetry border I am using is from eBay seller great-instruments and was advertized as being for guitar making. It is thicker than the flooring sheets, so I will need to… more »
1920s kitchen sink and a beautiful basket
I love the 1920s porcelain Kohler kitchen sink by Jacqueline Kerr Deiber that I bought for the Heritage. But, the legs are shorter than the drain pipe, making for a rather wobbly sink that likes to tip forward...and fall down. Bad. :[
To fix this… more »
Pocket door hardware
The lever I built to open and close the pocket door is great and all for my omnipotent hands, but the mini residents need to be able to operate the door as well. ;] Putting a doorknob on it doesn't really work since it would keep hitting the door… more »
Kitchen update and gifts from Italy
For the cooking area, I treated myself to a lovely Ray Storey pendant gas light. If I had had a larger budget, I would have bought the matching 3-arm down light for the dining table. :D But, the white chandelier is still a beautiful piece.
The gas… more »
Dining area lighting
After all the fuss about the color of the dining table and chairs, choosing a light was relatively easy. :D I picked up this white chandelier from Green Gables Dollhouse. I love this fixture. I used one in black for the Newport dining area. The… more »
Fancy parlor flooring - marquetry border
I've been stalling on the parlor floor since I wasn't sure about what type of marquetry border to add between the plain wood border and the herringbone center. I sent Lyssa some of my ideas for her opinion, and she suggested I take the one I liked… more »
Clare Bell Brass hurricane lamp
The area under the stairs in the parlor is very dark, and I don't want to lose the detail of the bookcase after spending all that time on making books.
I needed a light here, but I didn't want to clutter the space with another table or even a floor… more »
Perfect mitred baseboards - a tutorial
One of the best ways to achieve realism in a miniature setting is to add baseboards. But, nothing ruins that illusion more than big gaps at the joins. With a little patience, there's a relatively quick fix to achieve perfect mitre joins, even if your… more »
Kitchen working windows
Today, I worked on the Houseworks working windows for the kitchen. I had already given them their first coat of paint and applied the crackle medium to the exterior some time ago. I can fiddle with windows and painting tiny parts only so long, then I… more »
Kitchen table and chairs update; more new minis
Thank you to everyone who took the time to offer some advice on the kitchen table and chairs. I opted for Sunflower by Folk Art to cover the Italian Sage used originally. Forgive the lighting, but I am moving my house around to accommodate a real life… more »