Fancy bow front dresser, part 3

Continuing work on the fancy bow front dresser. As much as I loved the bare branches, I decided to go ahead with more painted details on the bow front dresser for the Heritage bedroom.

I added a smattering of leaves.

It softened the look overall.

I added pale lavender flowers and then added a satin varnish. I would like to add a bird and left space for one, but I need to practice painting that small. The knobs are vintage hardware I bought from The Little Dollhouse Company at the Bishop Show.

I love the worn wood top.

The paper lace doily is from Stewart Dollhouse Creations. The cat figurine, ring holder and doily were purchased at the local mini shows.

The Bentham Tulip Table Lamp by Houseworks is from miniatures.com, and I painted the LED to make the light more natural — a tip picked up on the Greenleaf forum.

I think the dresser fits wonderfully with the bedroom furnishings.

Categories: Furniture, The Haunted Heritage
July 18, 2013 | 0 comments

Fancy bow front dresser, part 2

I’ve worked more on the fancy bow front dresser including two coats of Tapioca paint by Folk Art.

The dresser construction left some gaps between the parts, so I spackled and sanded those seams before painting.

The dresser drawers have been sanded to fit. I’m always wary of that phrase. I bumped a corner on only one drawer, so I think I did pretty well.

The kit didn’t fit all that well in the front – the drawers were too recessed in comparison to the dividing panels. I added a shim of veneer to the inside back. This helped level the drawers in front by pushing them forward slightly.

I wanted a painted finish with branches, flowers and birds, so I bought some small detailing brushes for fine painting.

I added an aging wash and then painted on the branches. The nice thing about making a vintage painted dresser is if you mess it up, you just wipe away the paint. And residue just adds to the age and depth of painting.

To paint the front, I added the drawers.

Once I had the branches painted, I masked off the top.

I painted it to look like stained wood. There are a few imperfections in the wood that I could not sand out in the initial construction, but it works well for a vintage piece.

With the mirror propped in place, it looks like we’re getting somewhere.

I rather like it with just the branches, but I wonder if it looks too incomplete like this…hmm…

Categories: Furniture, The Haunted Heritage
July 13, 2013 | 0 comments

New minis

Even though I don’t have a build started for this beautiful bed, it’s hard to pass up pieces that speak to me. I’ve noticed that if I skip over something, it tends to be sold out and out of production by the time I’m ready for it. I picked up this lovely bed from Regent Miniatures (a new name for a long time supplier on eBay).

It has wonderful vintage styling with crisp white upholstery.

I also had a recent business trip to Vancouver, British Columbia where I had a couple of days for personal touring, too. It was my first time there, and I definitely want to go back.

I had brought some needlework with me, but it was pretty much a non-stop series of events between meetings, meals and activities. During my off weekend, I stopped at Ross’ Miniatures in North Vancouver.  Mary was so helpful and friendly. I was able to find a number of interesting and vintage items.

This Timberbrook closet kit comes with working sliding doors and wood pieces to make an enclosed closet.

These are no longer made and hard to find.

I bought a number of packages of brackets for The Brownstone. The ones that came with the kit require assembly and since I plan to add to the overall structure, there would not be enough of them to go around.

I found a contemporary chair and side table.  I’ve never seen anything like these before.

While I was away, some fun new minis from Blake at A Bohemian Bazaar arrived at home. They are so well made and so tiny!

Categories: Furniture, Miniature Shows and Shops
June 29, 2013 | 0 comments

The Artist’s Studio – Daybed, part 1

The daybed I’ve been using in The Artist’s Studio is one that I had in my collection and wasn’t necessarily meant for this space. I painted it burnished copper to coordinate better with the other furnishings.

The problem with it is that even though it’s a good size for the room, it’s not really a daybed so much as a settee. My model can’t comfortably recline on it.

I have a sofa kit in my collection of furniture kits that might work better. It’s from the Realife Miniatures Country Living Room kit.

I’ve wanted to build this sofa for awhile now, so today I put it together. I’ve been spoiled by House of Miniatures and precision laser cut kits. The fit is sloppy in places, but paint will take care of that!

This sofa is lower but wider than the original settee, and my model seems much more comfortable.

It fits well in the space, too.  :D

Categories: Furniture, The Artist's Studio
February 24, 2013 | 0 comments

Bespaq bed makeover, part 1

You might recall from my previous post, this is where the bed started. The finish was too dark and the bedding too large for scale.

I then primed it with grey spray paint to cover the red wood and varnish shine. Of course, I didn’t take a better photo of it in grey. :\

Here it is after a few coats of Krylon Almond in satin finish. :D We’re already getting somewhere!

There are a few imperfections in the paint coverage, but those will be hidden by the bedding.

To age the bed, I removed some of the Krylon Almond satin paint using a sanding stick. I picked up a package of these at Hobby Lobby.

I went for a little less wear than my inspiration photo.

Detail of the wear patterns on the inspiration bed.

Detail of the wear on my bed. I wanted to emphasize the lines and details of the bed without overdoing it, especially since miniature finishes tend to work best when they are subtle.

I dry brushed some brown paint into the grooves and recesses, again using only a little. It added some nice depth.

I cut new foam core board pieces to replace the original mattress.

We’re ready for bedding!

The bed looks somehow heavier now than it did in plain almond, don’t you think? :D

Categories: Furniture, The Haunted Heritage
December 28, 2012 | 0 comments

Grandma’s comfy chair

I’ve been shopping for a comfy chair for the bedroom, something light in color with a tall back. I had an ah-ha moment when I remembered I had a House of Miniatures Chippendale Wing Chair kit. This was part of a miniatures lot I bought, though I never thought I would end up using this kit.

I bought this fabric some time ago, too (don’t recall from where – likely a local mini show). I love the fabric, but it’s not my usual style…it’s rather vintage. Perfect!

So, I’m going to give it a shot. If it ends up being a disaster, it can always go in the attic. Of course, an old wobbly, threadbare chair would fit so well in the Heritage. 

The kit was in near perfect condition, but I needed to make some adjustments. First, the card supplied with the kit is manila-folder type cardstock. It was in usable condition, but it made the fabric appear more yellow when placed underneath. I wanted the chair to be more of a true ivory like the original fabric.

I cut new pieces from some thin white cardboard. It was so thin, I decided to just glue it to the original pattern pieces and use them together. Here they are before gluing.

The foam inserts were in better condition than I had expected, but I still didn’t want to risk using them. They were starting to degrade and would probably break down completely over time. I cut layers of millinery batting to replace these foam pieces.

I painted the wood foundation Tapioca by Folk Art. I think it will complement the fabric well. I also didn’t want the legs to be lost in a dark room and make the chair seem like it was floating in air. :D

I found the instructions for this kit to be well thought out and adequately descriptive. The illustrations were helpful and made putting the chair together relatively simple. I just followed step by step, and the chair came to life.

Let’s not confuse matters and say it was easy, but simple in the straightforward approach the assembly follows. I did make a few modifications to the directions, and these might not make sense unless you are making this exact kit. I would not have thought to do these things if I hadn’t made the Millie August sofa kit previously. I am so glad I ran into that kit. It taught me a lot of tips and tricks for upholstering mini furniture. Unless otherwise noted, I followed the directions exactly.

In Step 3, the rounded moldings were longer than the chair sides. I glued them so the tops were flush and then sanded the excess from the bottom once the glue was dry. This might not be an issue for all kits.

In Step 8, you are to wrap the fabric around the card piece, including the bottom and back edges. I left these loose and wrapped only the curved front edge. I then glued the card to the side and wrapped the back and bottom edges around the wood, cutting flush with the opposite side. Otherwise, I would risk the fabric pieces not matching up with the back and seat coverings added later, therefore leaving gaps. (Doing this actually saved the piece in the end.)

In Step 9, I wrapped all edges of the card except those around the bottom of the rolled edge.

I again wrapped these ends under the wood on the bottom. (This did end up being a little bulky in the end, but I would have had gaps without doing it so it was worth it.)

Any gaps along the back or bottom edges for Step 9 won’t matter since these are joined on the inside with the back and seat to form the chair.

I did plan having roses centered on the arm rests, but I left the pattern random for the rest of the chair. :]

I will point out that you may need to cut new card pieces. A couple of the pieces were shorter than needed. I had to cut completely new pieces for D and E in Steps 8 and 9 for the second of the side assemblies, even though the first side worked perfectly with the original card pieces. Here you can see just how off the original piece E was around the front curve.

The patterns aren’t very precise, especially after you’ve added fabric in previous steps. Depending on the lightness of your fabric any shortness around the edges may show. Here you can see a little of the wood underneath at the bottom of the rolled edge. This should end up looking like nothing more than a shadow and not be obvious in the end.

I should add, too, that the white card I added to the kit card pieces to make the color of the fabric truer did not interfere with the assembly of the chair. It might have resulted in slightly thicker “piping” around the pieces, but it still looks in scale. If you add anything, though, it has to be very thin or take over for the kit supplied card in like thickness.

In Step 12, I painted the chair base (piece 52) white before adding the fabric. Otherwise, the fabric would have appeared darker on this piece due to being over bare wood instead of white card or white batting.

Also, since I wasn’t using the more rigid foam for the back cushion, I cut an extra piece of card for the back of the millinery batting layers to make it easier to cover with fabric.

In Step 13, I painted the edges of the seat cushion white for the same reason I had done so for the chair base.

In Step 14, for the actual assembly of the fabric covered pieces, I glued the back to the seat as indicated. I then glued on one side, but this is where I deviated from the instructions. I glued in the seat cushion next.

I then glued in the back cushion and slathered on the glue.

I then glued on the other side. This ensured a good, solid fit for all the pieces instead of waiting until the end to try to make adjustments. One happy accident: using millinery batting instead of a solid foam piece for the back cushion resulted in a delightfully saggy back to the chair. It looks like it has been well-loved all these years. :D

The Tapioca paint on the foundation ended up being a little too light when paired with the fabric, so I added a coat of warmer yellow. I mixed the paint on the fly to coordinate, and I’ll never be able to replicate it.

I think the chair turned out very well and I’m so pleased with it. I think using patterned fabric helps hide any inconsistencies that the solid blue fabric included with the kit would have accentuated.

In fact, I love the fabric I used. It’s just the sort of feminine touch I was after. The piece I used was 11″ x 11″ and, with careful planning, I had just enough. If you use a fabric with a pattern that needs to be matched, you might need a larger piece. Interestingly, the black and white photo shown on the instruction sheet shows a similar floral pattern.

If I were to to this kit again, I would change out the simplistic base. It’s fine enough in the bedroom since it sits in a corner where the bed blocks the view of the base.

I’ve added one of my white patterned pillows with lace flower detailing. It was the only one I had on hand that coordinated well. A red one might be nice, too.

Considering I didn’t think I’d ever end up using this kit (it was included in a lot I bought), I might be inclined to pick up another if I find a good deal. :] It really is a classic design that can be so many things depending on the fabric. Ophelia loves it.

Miss Kitty loves it, too. :D

Categories: Furniture, The Haunted Heritage
November 14, 2012 | 0 comments

Vintage display cabinet

I was going to build a display cabinet, but with the projects still to be completed and the due date in just over a month, I started looking around for something ready-made. I stumbled across this vintage curio cabinet on etsy at Vintage Calico Garden. Perfect!

Here is it after a good cleaning. There are no maker or manufacturer markings as far as I can tell.

The piece is in excellent condition overall, though the shelves were a bit rough for what I needed.

Heather helped me by sending some scraps of paper for the Heritage bedroom, and she included some coordinating dark striped paper in the package. I used this striped paper to make liners for the shelves. I colored the edges for the top two shelves with a marker (not seen here), because the white paper edges would have shown through the front and side glass panels.

The cabinet needed a backer to complete it, so I cut a piece of spare Heritage plywood.

The wood backer just slides in place and is held straight by the shelves.

Knowing I would never be able to match the stain of the outside, I painted the backer Vintage White by Folk Art. The items I put in the cabinet will stand out nicely against the pale backdrop. Perhaps one or two of these things might stay in the cabinet, but I just filled it quickly with items I had around to take photos.

Update: Here it is after being filled with items appropriate for The Aero Squadron Lounge. It really is a lovely piece. :D

Categories: Furniture, The Aero Squadron Lounge
July 29, 2012 | 0 comments

Farmhouse hutch reproduction, part 2

Continuing work on the farmhouse hutch I found on European Paint Finishes. With the hutch mostly built, I needed to stain the entire surface. I plan to paint all except the back and counter top, but I will sand that top layer down to show the stain color underneath. One of my favorite materials is Staining Antiquing Medium by Americana. It acts somewhat like a glaze, looks a little like an ointment, and makes acrylic paint behave like a liquid stain.

You can use any color you want and still have the wood grain show through. And, you don’t have to buy a whole can of stain every time you need just a little color. Here I’ve used Coffee Latte by Folk Art, which has a warm honey color.

The hutch looks rather rustic, though I will neither confirm nor deny if that is my intention. :D

I let the stain/paint dry overnight then sanded all the pieces smooth and reapplied the stain as needed.

I painted all of the pieces except the counter top and the hutch back boards Slate Green by Americana.

It’s close to the color used on the inspiration piece.

I sanded the pieces to reveal some of the stained wood underneath the top coat and then sealed with Delta Ceramcoat satin varnish. The knobs are clear flower-shaped beads held in place by silver pins. The faux drawer fronts look convincing, no?

I added the notched detail on the shelves. Fran suggested this might be for displaying spoons, and even though I don’t intend to display mini spoons, I liked the detailing. The lovely flowers are by Michelle from Little Rabbit Miniatures.

I moved the crown molding up slightly during final finishing, so the entire unit measures 6 1/4″ W x 7 5/8″ H x 1 1/16″ D.

I think it turned out very close to the original.  :D

Now to fill it. I won’t be using these items with it, but I wanted to show the relative size with some minis.

Basket by Lyssa. :D

Categories: Furniture, The Aero Squadron Lounge
July 15, 2012 | 0 comments

Farmhouse hutch reproduction, part 1

I have started my miniature reproduction of a farmhouse hutch I found on European Paint Finishes. Here’s the original farmhouse hutch for reference.

I have the base assembled and ready for paint and stain. The counter top is separate since I plan to stain it and paint the rest.

The drawers in my version are not functional, so I’ve recessed the front portions for now. I will make faux fronts to “float” in these openings to make the drawers more convincing.

I used laser cut scallop trim from Heritage Laser Works, cutting every other scallop to a point to mimic the original. Mine has three complete scallops instead of four like the original to maintain the look of proper proportions.

Below is a more detailed shot of the original. The hutch is shown on a similarly colored wall, so at first I thought the bottom was enclosed on the back. It’s actually open between the back two square posts.

The front posts are Houseworks newel posts cut to fit. I may or may not add the bottom brackets. I have an idea how to make them, but they will be tiny and perhaps more trouble than they’re worth. I was trying to keep the height down on the overall piece and haven’t left much room for them.

This part of the hutch measures 5 3/4″ W x 3″ H x 1 1/16″ D.

I forgot to mention that Patie of minisx2, where I found that delightful and whimsical modern cabinet, sent me some Dura-Craft wood from my want ad and included two bundles of cut wood for projects. It’s very nice wood, unlike what I’ve been finding in the craft and hobby stores lately. I’ve used it for the counter top of the base and the back of the hutch top.

Very little of the top is glued since the back will be stained and the rest painted, so it’s being held together with magnets in my gluing jig. Here’s an approximation of what it will look like with lower portion. As you can see, I’ve cut the veneer inserts for the faux drawers.

My first measurement for the top had to be the scallop trim since I needed complete scallops all the way across. Having them uneven, with one chopped off on one side and another whole on the opposite side would have offended my sensibilities. ;D

I order wood trims and parts from Manchester Wood Works quite often, and they include a small sample bag of various wood trims. I use these samples all the time when I just need a little bit of something to add to a project.

To create the decorative bases for the side panels, I used 1 1/16″ tall baseboard trim – a sample from Manchester Wood Works. I am guessing this might be for play scale. I’ve used half scale and quarter scale items in my full scale builds before, too. I cut thin cross sections, then measured the depth I would need based on my side panels.

Now I have wonderfully decorative bases without having to carve them individually. This was the method I had planned to use to make the lower brackets, but the space is just too small. Until I delve into quarter scale building, cutting wood that small just eludes me. :D

The pegs on the upper trim are model ship belaying pins. Just a quick drilled pilot hole and some glue, and there you have it!

Here is a close up of the original hutch top.

I ended up with 1 1/4″ spaces between my shelves to accommodate what the hutch will eventually hold. I’ll cut sides for the crown molding on top after it is all painted, stained and assembled. Things have a way of shifting during the building process and I find it’s best to fit that final trim at the end. I still need to add the notched details on the shelves, but I’m taking a break from the project for now. I can fiddle with these things only so long.

The hutch top measures 5 1/2″ W (not including the crown molding) x 4 1/2″ H x5/8″ D (not including the decorative bases), making the total unit 6 1/4″ W (with the crown molding) x 7 1/2″ H x 1 1/16″ D.

Categories: Furniture, The Aero Squadron Lounge
July 7, 2012 | 0 comments

Fancy bow front dresser, part 1

What I like most about the Heritage bedroom is while all required pieces are accounted for — fancy bed, nightstands and vanity — nothing matches exactly. I don’t mind a bedroom suite, but I rather like the idea that grandma has chosen pieces simply because they spoke to her not because they made up a matched set.

To that end, grandma still needed a dresser. I picked up a furniture and accessories lot from craigslist some time ago, and in it was a Houseworks bow front dresser kit.

I made no changes to the base kit, though I did add a mirror made of frame strip wood.

To fancy up the mirror, I added laser cut embellishments from Heritage Laser Works. They have such great things!

I made sure the dresser wouldn’t be too tall for the corner with the added mirror. I plan to angle the dresser so I can see more of it when looking into the room from the open back. Here I’ve used The Chair from the parlor as a stand in for the one I plan to make. I think everything will fit well in the room without seeming crowded.

I wasn’t keen on wiring this corner, so I picked up a battery operated LED lamp for the dresser. It’s been noted on other blogs and forums that these lights have a blue cast that’s not like candlelight or incandescent bulbs. A Greenleaf forum member, Debora, found a wonderful fix for it. She dotted some peach/orange glass paint on the tip of the bulb. The complementary color softens the blue and makes for much better light. The light from this lamp is actually a bit green.

The paint I had on hand for glass and ceramics wasn’t transparent, but I used just a little bit of it so it didn’t block out too much light. I had to mix red and yellow, but it worked! :D

The red paint on the bulb is somewhat visible when the lamp is off, but I’d rather have a closer approximation of candlelight when the lamp is on, so it’s not really an issue for me.

Categories: Furniture, The Haunted Heritage
May 23, 2012 | 0 comments

Antique drum nightstands, part 1

I’ve been thinking awhile on the type of side tables I wanted for the Heritage bedroom. With the ornate bed and feminine vanity and chair, I needed something with antique style while not being overpowering.

My artist models came with round wood bases and metal pins to hold them up, though they stand on their own just fine. I removed these bases when I first got the models, but I kept them since they were smooth round wood shapes and I knew they would make a fabulous trash to treasure project some day.

The bases measure 1 3/8″ in diameter and 9/16″ tall. I grouped them with 1 1/2″ x 1/8″ wood circles and Houseworks 1 9/16″ long spindles.

I first glued two circles to the top and bottom of the base.

I then added thin veneer strips to delineate a front drawer.

I drilled pilot holes for the four legs.

For now, I’ve just pushed the legs into place. I need a clear head and a steady hand to get these glued in straight and even since I like the tables without cross supports.

The pillows were made by me, and Mr. Rabbit is by K. Kuti. I still haven’t replaced the stock bedding that came with the Bespaq bed I’m in the process of refinishing.

With some fancy painting and antique knobs, the nightstands will fit right in! :D They don’t take up much room but have a nice style.

The nightstands received a light spackling to remove some of the imperfections in the wood pieces as well as the rough grain that was showing through the paint. They will need at least one more coat of paint.

Even though the base coat is lighter than that of the bed, I think the pieces will coordinate well in room. As I mentioned before, I don’t want everything to match but be a collection of well-loved items.

I might give hand painting designs a try for these pieces. They seem to call out for fancying up beyond just pretty hardware, don’t they? I will practice on scraps first, though. I don’t want to have to start all over!

Categories: Furniture, The Haunted Heritage
May 22, 2012 | 0 comments

House of Miniatures Hutch Cabinet to bath cabinet

love House of Miniatures kits for their adaptability. This can be a quite formal piece, but with some soft Italian Sage paint by Folk Art and some copper knobs made from jewelry headpins it turns into a pretty bathroom cabinet.

I’ve made one of these cabinets before, for the Newport. As with that cabinet, I added an extra piece of wood to fill in the gap between the drawer and the cabinet top.

Now grandma has an attractive storage solution for all her necessities. :D I plan to put different items inside the cabinet but had these already on hand. I love hidden details even if they aren’t readily seen.

I lined the drawer with a scrap of Cute Little Diamonds paper by The Paper Studio, the same paper I’ll be using for the wallpaper. Grandma is frugal and has found a use for her leftover wallpaper scraps!

The bookshelf and African violets I made earlier will sit here. I also made up another jewelry finding tray as I had for the bedroom vanity. I will make new bottles specifically for this room but borrowed these from the Newport.

I found that I rather like the loud Flower Frenzy paper by We R Memory Keepers for the flooring. Adding sealer will yellow it a bit, but that will only add to the age of the floor.

I’m not sure if the cabinet will sit next to the door or next to the bathtub on the opposite wall. I’ll have to get the room put together before I make that decision.

Categories: Furniture, The Haunted Heritage
April 6, 2012 | 0 comments