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

Eggs!

Tonight, I made a basket of eggs for my hens in progress. Well, Lyssa made the baskets shown in this post, but the eggs were made from clay tonight.

I mixed up five different colors of clay, all similar in tone, to mimic the natural variation of real life eggs. The particular breed I am emulating has lighter color eggs than the brown ones I buy at the store.

Eggs are not an easy thing to get right in clay, at least for me. The shape is somewhere between round and oval. Overall, I’m pleased with the way they turned out, and I can always pick the good ones to show on top. I made a lot more than I needed for that reason. My two hens would be exhausted laying all these eggs!

I do have a smaller basket from Lyssa, but I like the way the eggs look in the lighter color one. Perhaps it’s the number of eggs or the color of the basket I’m drawn to, I’m not sure which.

I borrowed the Heritage for a backdrop. :D

Categories: Miniatures
July 7, 2012 | 0 comments

Grahame

Grandma called and said she swore she saw something on the side of the house.

When she went outside to investigate, she found a varmint on her front porch! :O

I found the artist *Reve* on eBay while looking for a miniature furred cat or small dog for grandma, but when this badger popped up in the listings I couldn’t resist! He’s so well made and realistic that I swear he’s going to dart across the lawn at any moment!

Categories: Animals and birds
July 4, 2012 | 0 comments

Heritage – The Tree, part 2

Continuing work on The Tree. I had considered carving bark texture into the putty but decided it was probably more work than it was worth. Instead, I did a quick sanding over the main trunk with 60 grit sandpaper. This removed the obvious smoothness and provided a nice texture. I also cleaned up any excess putty from around the roots.

Diane says most trees are more grey than brown, and when I was out today I noticed what she was talking about. :D

I started with an undiluted mix of Neutral Grey and Traditional Burnt Umber, both by Americana. This initial dark coat of paint really brought the tree to life!

The branches twist and turn just like the real thing. I stippled the paint on to create additional texture which you can see here on the branches.

I think the lower trunk and root structure turned out great! :D

The next few steps were messy, so I didn’t take photos throughout. I did my second coat of paint with an undiluted mix of Asphaltum and Neutral Grey by Americana, with a dash of black. It darkened the tree too much. I followed that with a heavily diluted wash of Traditional Burnt Umber. It made the tree too brown. I followed that with a heavily diluted wash of Neutral Grey and Traditional Burnt Umber (like my first coat of paint), and that seemed to set things right. All these layered washes bring out a depth not achieved with a single application of regular paint.

On some of the bare portions, I scraped away where branches have fallen from the tree during its lifetime.

Some I made larger than others, carving out an actual hole.

I then painted these individually to darken them. Now, if I wanted it to look like the village just came through to trim the trees along the street, I could have left them. :D

I love the texture on this tree! I am so pleased with the results.

Love, love, love it!

And, like any good haunted tree, you should be able to see faces in it. :O

The tree will remain dormant for now, until I get to the landscaping part. I need to finish up the interior and shingle the roof first. I don’t need to be reaching over a tree trying to work! :D

Update: foliage added here.

Categories: Flowers, plants, and trees, The Haunted Heritage
July 1, 2012 | 0 comments

Heritage – The Tree, part 1

What’s a haunted farmhouse without a big ol’ creepy tree in the yard? :O

To build my tree, I used the tutorial from the DVD Master Miniaturists: Landscaping Primer with Diane Myrick. This whole series is just awesome!

Diane made her tree from 40 pieces of floral wire, but I used 66 pieces: a mixture of 18″ pre-cut floral wire in 18 and 22 gauge. I supplemented the height with 14 pieces of 32 gauge floral wire purchased on a spool that I cut into 20″ lengths.

I wanted roots on mine, so I staggered the wires so that the thinnest wires were loose at the top and the thickest wires stuck out at the bottom. I wanted one long root, so I made sure I had a bundle for that as well.

Diane’s tutorial shows a tree with foliage. Since the Heritage is set in the autumn, my tree will be mostly bare (I think). Ha ha. To that end, I spent a lot of time shaping the branches. I also left the house side minus a branch, which might have hit the portico at some point. ;]

Here’s a nice aerial view of the tree, which stands 18″ tall. The tree has a spindle on the bottom that’s inserted into a box for right now. I will be adding a foam base when I get to the yard portion of landscaping for the tree to sit on, and the root tips will disappear into the ground.

In the tutorial, Diane used Durham’s Water Putty. I ended up with a 4-pound container of it from Home Depot. Did I need four pounds of water putty powder? Uh, no, but it was what was available locally (no shipping) and I had a Home Depot giftcard with enough on it to cover the modest $7.98 price tag. :D

Here it is just after the application.

This was the first time I had worked with the putty and I found it to be a great material. The binding wires around the tree still show under the putty more than I think I want them to, so I might add another thin layer once this one sets. I do like the texture overall, though.

I scraped the excess putty from around the roots to keep them rounded and separate as the putty dried.

I left it overnight, and it dried hard and treelike! :D Some of the binding wires had softened in appearance but others still looked unnatural. I added another layer of putty over the areas that needed blending.

I had kept the cup from the night before, so I just mixed more putty in there. I used a fresh foam brush, though, because the other had hardened. You can’t put this stuff down the drain, so the cups and brushes you use must be thrown away in the trash.

Mike had recently used this material for making river rocks, so I asked him about the properties of it, namely whether you could carve it. He sent me to the Durham’s Water Putty site, and apparently you can do all sorts of things with it.

I used an awl and a file on the dried puddle from last night to see what it was like. It took the carved texturing very easily.

Even with the yellow coloration, it already looks like a real tree.

Next up will be painting once the second layer of putty dries.

Part 2 here.

Categories: Flowers, plants, and trees, The Haunted Heritage
June 30, 2012 | 0 comments