Parlor drapery, completed
The pelmets and pleated draperies worked so well in the kitchen, I decided to add them to the one parlor window as well. There is a lot going on in this room in the way of color, texture and pattern already, so I again chose a soft white printed curtain topped with a subtle pelmet.
Here is the panel after the Aleene’s Stiffen Quik dried. Using the back board for the straight left edge resulted in a much cleaner panel than the all-pin version I did for the kitchen.
I made a tall pelmet since there was a lot of space between the window and the ceiling. In the photo below, the bedroom pelmet (top) is smaller than the one I made for the parlor (bottom).
A tall pelmet with long curtains makes a window look taller. I covered the pelmet with a soft grey-green fabric from Mini Decorators, purchased at one of the local mini shows.
I glued the curtains to the pelmet.
I glued a piece of fairy lace around the bend to serve as a tieback.
I glued the crown molding in place and touched up the joins first to make sure the window treatments were spaced properly on the wall. This also eliminated my possibly slopping paint onto my new window treatments. I then glued the pelmet to the wall.
I opted for a single side swept panel for the sole purpose of not hiding that little outlet I took the time to add. Though The Chair will block both the curtain and the outlet for the most part, anyone who looks for the details will find them.
I think this simple panel and pelmet adds just the right amount of design to complete the décor, and the white curtain reflects some soft light into an otherwise dark corner.
The parlor is complete now, but it’s too late to set up for a fully decorated photo shoot.
Categories: The Haunted Heritage
July 29, 2013 | 0 commentsParlor and bedroom drapery, part 1
Today was a fabric day, and I used my vintage Millie August Magic Mini pleating tool.
I turned under the four edges of the fabric panels first, but I didn’t sew or glue them. Once the drapery is in place, it won’t show and it won’t be touched so fraying isn’t much of a worry. Plus, I find that there is less pulling and binding when the edges are left unsecured.
The instructions indicate you should wrap the fabric around the metal slats and then use a steam iron. So, that’s what I did. :]
I removed my panels just before they were completely dry so I could manipulate them more. For the bedroom wall panel, I adjusted the pleats by hand on a piece of waxed paper. I had to pleat this panel in sections since it was wider than the number of pleat bars could handle at once.
I used Aleene’s Stiffen Quik to hold the shape. The panel will stay here until completely dry.
For the parlor drapery, I took a scrap of foam core board and attached a spare piece of wood trim using double sided tape. This gives the drapery a straight back to lean against. Using as few pins as possible, I created the fold where the tie back will be. Pins do leave holes in the fabric that can sometimes be tricky to remove, especially on white fabric where the slightest dark spot can show so easily.
A good spray of Aleene’s Stiffen Quik, and the panel was set aside to dry.
Categories: The Haunted Heritage
July 28, 2013 | 0 commentsFancy 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 commentsFancy 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 commentsHaunted Heritage chimney, part 12
Completing work on the chimney. While I didn’t want to cover up all the lovely egg carton brickwork of the massive chimney, I did think some ivy was in order. You know I don’t shy away from cutting and shaping individual leaves, but I found something that not only looked realistic but made life easier. This is O-Scale (1:45) English Ivy from Scenic Express (Silflor Summer Ivy by Mininatur).
There are three sheets in the box. The leaves might be small for true 1:12 scale, but it worked very well. You cut and stretch it to create long vines.
I thought this store was called Scenery Express since I first started buying their landscaping materials, and that’s one of the web addresses that will get you there…but I just noticed that it is in fact Scenic Express. Maybe I always had it wrong or they changed the name or they just have two domain names for the same place. Regardless, they have a great selection of landscaping materials.
I didn’t overdo it and used just under one sheet of the ivy for the project, using Aleene’s clear gel glue to attach it to the house and chimney.
It disguises the awkward edge trim around the chimney.
Here’s the back side of the chimney.
The chimney is now complete! :D
It amazes me how each little thing changes the look of the build.
Categories: The Haunted Heritage
May 18, 2013 | 0 commentsHeritage – lawn ornaments
I added a beautiful aged metal birdbath by Island Crafts & Miniatures to the front lawn. The last time I made an aquarium, I used some leftover Acrylic Water resin to fill the bowl. The birdbath is from Dejoux Miniatures.
I also planted the shepherd’s hook on the side of the stairs to hang one of my birdfeeders. :]
Categories: The Haunted Heritage
May 17, 2013 | 0 commentsHappy Easter from The Haunted Heritage
Presto! No more Halloween and on to Easter…as long as I don’t show the big autumn tree out front. :D
Mr. Rabbit is by K. Kuti Designs. The large basket is from Lidi at Basketcase Miniatures, and I made the flower stems from Bonnie Lavish kits. The white basket was purchased and holds eggs I made for The Aero Squadron Lounge.
The purple flowers in the blue pot are from Michelle of Little Rabbit Minis, and the hydrangeas were purchased.
The stuffed rabbit is from Sisters Dreams.
The shutter garden I made for The Artist’s Studio fits well on the Heritage, too. :D
Happy Easter!!!! :D
Categories: Roomboxes and Mini Scenes, The Haunted Heritage
March 31, 2013 | 0 commentsBlack cat weathervane, moss and lawn care
What’s a haunted house without a black cat? Boring and unfinished, that’s what it is.
I bought this delightful weathervane from Minimum World. It’s made from silver metal, so you can paint it any color you like, but not brass, please. No additional brass is needed in the miniature world. I sprayed the pieces flat black and cut off the bottom from the mounting bracket. The bottom pin I left unpainted. The pin sits in the base and allows the cat portion to spin.
I then applied the same weathering technique I had used for the Juliet balcony.
There was no screw included, so I faked a bolt with glue. I added more glue than necessary and let it ooze out the hole when attached to the flat roof trim.
Once dry, I painted it to match.
While I was up on the roof, I decided to apply a grey wash to the flat roof portion. This gives it a slight age and weathered appearance.
I also finished the moss on the roof.
It was a large job only because I had to clear out the attic and rake up the leaves before working. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to clean up the excess foam that gets everywhere.
Now, I’ve never raked a lawn in real life, but here I am happily doing it in mini! This little rake from Sir Thomas Thumb really works! :D No, I’m not left-handed, but I can’t photograph my right hand all that easily.
Categories: The Haunted Heritage
March 14, 2013 | 0 commentsHeritage – Juliet balcony, part 2
Completed work on the Juliet balcony. It has been glued in place outside the bedroom swinging window.
Here’s a reminder of what the basic structure looked like last time.
I spray painted the “wrought iron” assembly flat black, which instantly changed the entire look. The finials are a little bent, but I like that for an old house.
To age the iron, I dabbed on Bittersweet Chocolate by Americana, followed by a light wash of Terra Cotta, also by Americana.
Doesn’t look like plastic anymore.
I painted the balcony floor with the charcoal grey mix I had used for the main roof and painted the wood trim and underside plain black. I also painted the support piece black. I crackled white over the wood trim and underside of the balcony as well as the support piece. I added a grey wash to the balcony floor to give the charcoal grey paint some depth and age.
With all these layers of glue and paint, the wood bowed on the bottom of the balcony – a happy accident I couldn’t have planned for if I tried.
I widened the nail holes that attach the balcony railing to the house, careful not to poke through the walls into the bedroom. It wasn’t until after I did this that I realized the balcony was not centered around the window. But, you know what? Maybe the miniature carpenters who built this house didn’t measure twice drill once and just left it. Who am I to argue? :D
I glued the balcony railing to the balcony floor and then glued the whole balcony to the side of the house. I added the bottom support right away to keep the balcony from falling off the house. :O
Love this rickety old balcony!
Ophelia couldn’t care less about chasing birds. How beneath her. But, she’ll sit and watch them. :D
Or, she’ll just enjoy the fresh air and beautiful view.
And, grandma won’t risk falling out the window.
A little later in the evening…
Categories: The Haunted Heritage
March 13, 2013 | 0 comments1908 Miniature Underwood Typewriter
I received a nice bonus this year, so I decided to spoil myself a little. For some time now, I’ve had my eye on this 1908 Miniature Underwood Typewriter by Ken Byers of Shaker Works West.
It fits wonderfully in grandma’s attic for now, though I foresee this piece making the rounds in my various builds just as Mary’s afghans tend to do.
Lots of wonderful minis are making their way to grandma’s attic.
From the left, there is a mouse from Sussex Crafts next to Tony‘s catacombs case clock. The wood and brass train is from a vintage lot of miniatures I bought on craigslist. The Christmas box is from M Carmen for Caterina’s holiday swap. I purchased the two snowmen. The sewing machine box is from Four Little Walls. It’s sitting on a crate with some random books I made in front. :]
In black and white, it looks even more vintage!
There’s an interesting story about the taller snowman. A week ago, I noticed he was facing backwards. I thought this was odd of me to do, but I just shrugged and turned him around. When I set up this scene, he was facing backwards again!!!! :O Haunted attic indeed! I was seriously disturbed by this because I knew I had turned him around days earlier. Later that day, I was using the scroll saw and something fell out of the Heritage (the saw is attached to the same table). After picking up the wayward mini, I checked the attic and sure enough, that snowman had walked forward! Mystery solved…or was it? Hmm….
And, have you seen this baby from Uncommon Goods? Nothing like blending vintage and modern! :D
Categories: Miniatures, The Haunted Heritage
March 11, 2013 | 0 commentsWho wants freshly baked cookies?!!
I suppose that is a bit of a silly question. Who doesn’t want freshly baked cookies?!! :D Grandma knows this and has been hard at work.
I won this lovely cookie baking set from Creating Dollhouse Miniatures. The pieces are so well made and realistic.
My mom makes the best chocolate chip cookies. No kidding. Every family gathering has people hoarding the cookies she brings, even though she brings dozens! I know chocolate chip cookies, and these minis are just like hers! :D
Cookies in progress certainly warm up a kitchen, don’t they? :D
Another recent acquisition is the whistling tea kettle by Ulus Miniaturas – purchased from Mainly Minis when I replaced the fire in the wood stove.
We had one of these in real life at my childhood farmhouse. Mom still has it and uses it, too! Next time I’m over at her house, I will snap a photo of it.
The mini version is just as well made and quite heavy.
Categories: Miniatures, The Haunted Heritage
March 4, 2013 | 0 commentsHeritage – roof finishing, part 2
Continuing work on the roof finishing. With the roof shingles applied and painted, the only thing left was to finish the roof ridges. I thought about doing lapped shingles but didn’t like the way it looked on the dormer when I tried it. It doesn’t look terrible here in this photo, but there were a lot of gaps on the top and it just looked off.
I decided to go with 1/4″ corner trim from Manchester Woodworks, which is also an easier solution. I used my new scroll saw to make the cuts; it’s a wonderful machine!
I used old Dura-Craft strip wood to enclose the flat roof portion. I didn’t trim around the bottom edge, because I didn’t like the way it looked.
I painted the new pieces to match the roof.
It already looks more finished, but once the moss is on it will blend better.
Final roof touches here.
Categories: The Haunted Heritage
February 10, 2013 | 0 comments
NOTE: All content on otterine.com is copyrighted and may not be reproduced in part or in whole. It takes a lot of time and effort to write and photograph for my blog. Please ask permission before reproducing any of my content. (More on copyright)
Grandma’s attic – faux slats and rafters, part 4
I continued working on the faux slats and rafters for the attic. Once the back roof pieces were in place, I could finish up the rafters and trim. To save myself aggravation and ruined trim wood, I used paper strips to measure. I learned to cut the long pieces first since if they are too short, you can still cut your shorter pieces from those lengths. I cut each piece a little long so it would need just a bit of sanding to fit in place. The paper patterns worked especially well.
The layout I used was mainly to give the illusion of structure without much concern for how rafters would actually be placed for support. I needed to finish the edges of the cross boards and corners, and this configuration accomplishes just that. In fact, I can see in these photos that I missed the short vertical boards above the main cross beam in the middle. I have enough scraps to fix that.
Love the tiny bit of chimney in the attic. :D
The last item in the attic was the faux stairs. I put one of these in Baslow Ranch based on the Greenleaf tutorial. I altered the upper portion a little, making the door taller than the sides.
It’s not yet glued in place since I need to determine where the lower door will be on the second floor. Most likely, it will end up installed in the bedroom since that room has the largest ceiling expanse. I had originally planned to have this in the bathroom but there was no room there to realistically have stairs that pull down. The same issue arose in the hallway. That leaves the bedroom. It’s a small detail and should be not at all obtrusive.
I love the atmosphere of this space.
Even empty it exudes character. Hmm…looks like I need another vertical board in the front gable, too.
Overall, it’s really taking shape.
Categories: The Haunted Heritage
August 5, 2013 | 0 commentsHeritage – gutters and downspouts, completed
Finishing work on the gutters and downspouts. The original kit intended for only the left side to have a downspout yet there would be gutters all around the front.
Well, that wouldn’t do! Water would be pouring over the sides all over the entryway and porch. The middle gutter required a diverted end to move away from the house and empty into the splash block.
I found a website with a flat bent downspout to help me figure out the shape I needed.
The last gutter required some demolition. The cellar doors had to be moved over about 3/4″ closer to the chimney. There was room, but it was a pain prying the assembly off the base. I built things securely. Anyway, I took no photos of the process since I worked fast to put it all back together. I glued some new dirt cover over the bare spots and then needed to wait for that glue to dry. I still have landscaping to finish besides, so it’s not much of a big deal, just a speed bump.
With the cellar doors moved, the final side downspout could be finished without looking like a wet noodle stuck to the wall. :]
To make the end caps for the gutters, I added pieces of cardstock cut to shape.
I sanded the edges and turns of the downspouts to be more rounded.
To give them a bit of age, I first painted some spots Terra Cotta by Americana, followed by crackle medium. The rest of the pieces were painted black. They look like coral snakes! :D
When I painted white over the assemblies, the black paint toned down the brightness of the white overall, and the paint flaked where there was crackle medium.
With a slight terracotta and brown wash, it became rusted flaked paint. :D
I added an aging wash to the whole thing and then dirtied up the inner track since these are old gutters. I painted some scraps of paper with the leftover paint washes and let them dry.
I punched as many maple leaves as I could from the scraps.
I smashed the leaves and glued them into the track, some sticking out over the top edge.
I glued in some moss material besides.
I then added a final brown wash. Voilà! Good and dirty gutters. :D
I glued the assemblies to the house, and the downspouts helped hold the gutters in place while the glue dried.
The bottom ends of the downspouts aren’t easily seen, but I did paint them black to give the illusion of being hollow.
I painted the splash blocks to look like concrete.
The straps are cardstock. I cut them long so I would be able to work with them during the final fitting.
I painted the paper with a grey wash and then glued them in place. The nails are just painted dots. The straps are mostly decorative since the downspouts are glued in place.
It really adds that little something, no?
Grandma has no leaf screens, so looks like she’ll need some yearly help getting these cleaned up. :D
Left assembly.
Middle assembly.
Right assembly.
Almost done with the exterior! Hooray! :D
Categories: The Haunted Heritage
August 4, 2013 | 0 commentsHeritage – gutters and downspouts, part 1
When you’re working on a house that sits on a turntable, you need a little help. Whoa, Heritage!
The Heritage kit included gutters and downspout materials. One length of gutter-shaped wood and one long dowel. These were acceptable, but I went with different parts.
I bought gutter shaped wood from All Small Miniatures the day I went there for the asphalt shingles for The Artist’s Studio. It’s shaped differently and it is lighter in weight. Considering there will be very little surface area for gluing, I thought the lighter weight material would work better in the end.
I cut the lengths I would need using my scroll saw. The corner joins weren’t the cleanest fit mainly because this house is so rickety. :D But, I was able to sand them to fit well enough. A little spackling here and there, and it won’t be an issue in the end. The ends will also be capped before painting.
I had to forego putting gutters on either side of the dormer, because the area between the main roof and the left side of the dormer didn’t allow for a full turn. Putting it on the right side only would have brought more attention to the problem.
I formed the downspouts by cutting 1/8″ x 1/4″ wood. These will be sanded to shape before painting.
I thought this was a more realistic approximation than round downspouts.
The splash blocks are balsa, shaped by sanding. I had to cut away some of the landscaping to get them to sit flat on the ground.
Update: part 2 here.
Categories: The Haunted Heritage
August 3, 2013 | 0 commentsFramed photos add a personal touch
When I bought Ophelia from *Reve*, there was a photo in the listing that I loved. I asked the artist if I could use the photo, and she graciously said yes. I edited it in PhotoShop and printed a teeny tiny copy for a vintage looking frame I had.
This photo of Ophelia is one I took.
I loved it so much I decided to print it for framing as well. This one is a little larger to keep the details visible.
The bedroom is hard to decorate with its odd angled corner walls, so this is the perfect size for the space.
After repairing the bubble in the bedroom wallpaper, I needed a photo to fill the oval frame that would mask the repair seam. I thought a 1920s wedding photo would be perfect, but I didn’t have any in my own family to use. I searched online and found this wonderful photo from Rick Zolla, who granted me permission to use it for the Heritage. :D I edited it in PhotoShop – adding some background to the left of the man and at the top of the photo, then feathering the border into an oval shape.
It fits perfectly with the ambiance of the room.
I love the relaxed pose and setting…such a great image! Thank you, Rick!
Kelly recently told me she and I share a love of photography, and she was so generous to send me one of her miniature works for the Heritage. It’s titled Ghosts of the Past. How perfect! :D
I think it works wonderfully in the kitchen. Maybe it’s an old faded photo of grandma’s childhood home. The lovely pitcher is from Caterina.
Categories: The Haunted Heritage
August 2, 2013 | 0 commentsAntique drum nightstands, part 2
Continuing work on the antique drum nightstands. Instead of matching the painted bow front dresser, I chose a different design for the nightstands.
As a reminder, the nightstands were made from the round stands that came with my artist models, 1 1/2″ x 1/8″ wood circles and Houseworks 1 9/16″ long spindles.
I painted them with a base coat of Tapioca by Folk Art then added an aging wash of light brown. I then painted the green vines, followed by red and yellow for the roses.
The knob is the fancy end of an antique copper headpin. I love the way it turned out.
It fits in well with the rest of the furnishings.
I finished painting the second nightstand, and they are a pretty close match to one another.
I opted for doing mirror image painting so they would look more like a planned set than two of the same table.
There’s not much room on them for anything besides the lamps, but it all seems to work well together.
With these completed, this room is almost finished! :D
Of course, it hasn’t been fully accessorized yet, so stay tuned!
Categories: Furniture, The Haunted Heritage
August 1, 2013 | 0 comments
NOTE: All content on otterine.com is copyrighted and may not be reproduced in part or in whole. It takes a lot of time and effort to write and photograph for my blog. Please ask permission before reproducing any of my content. (More on copyright)