Sleeping mice

In addition to some other nice gifts, mom gave me a wonderful set of needle felted mice from Rustles from the Meadow. I just love Johana’s animals.

They have their own little bed to snuggle in and keep warm.

Don’t they look like they are having the best dreams?!  :D

They are fully formed mice, too! You bend the tails and feet to balance them for standing alone.

Hmm…I might have to make some robes.

Categories: Animals and birds
December 26, 2013 | 0 comments

Merry Christmas 2013

My tiny scene for Hampton House isn’t as complete as I wanted, but with the busy holiday schedule, it was the best I could do.

I started a House of Miniatures cabinet for the wall, leaving off the front doors. This still needs to be sanded and finished.

As with many of you, I often have more than one project going at a time. Hence, the partially completed Tinysaur T-Rex.

Look at those tiny pieces waiting to be cut from the frame. :D I will post about this project separately.  The paper towels are from Lyssa.

Cora is running around but staying out of trouble…so far.  ;]

I made a tiny roll of masking tape for the work table.

The Hampton House is in a state of dry fit to determine where the greenhouse will sit.

It was not easy getting the tape to stick.

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas!  :D

Categories: Micro Scale Models
December 25, 2013 | 0 comments

Walnut Bay Light – turning wood into concrete

Walnut Bay Light sits on a large base that serves as the breakwater.

It started out as a large wooden box with a hollow interior for holding the wiring.

I started the conversion to concrete by spackling the rough ends of the boards and any nails. I wasn’t careful or sparing in the application since concrete in real life is not perfectly smooth. I also masked where the structure would sit to keep that surface clean.

Once that was dry, I applied matte gel medium with a sponge brush, tapping the mixture onto the surface.

I let this dry and then applied a second coat in the same manner.

I let this dry overnight and then painted with leftover Benjamin Moore Silver Fox flat paint. It was a great base color.

It also helped me see where there were still issues with the wood grain or spackling patches showing.

I touched up those areas with spackling and matte gel medium before painting the second coat of Silver Fox. Next came the aging washes. This was a very messy process, so I didn’t take any photos during the applications. I spread newspaper under the base to catch the excess paint and used these colors in a series of diluted washes. Folk Art: Black, Clover, and Vintage White. Americana: Neutral Grey, Bittersweet Chocolate, Terra Cotta, Plantation Pine and Foliage Green. Joann: Robin’s Egg Blue.

I brushed them on and wiped them off in random spots. Over the sides, I let the paint washes drip down the surface and sopped up the excess with paper towels around the bottom. I just kept adding until I liked the result.

Around the bottom of the base, the paints were less diluted.

The top is more consistent in color than the sides since the surface would have been cleaned regularly. There were a few more washes added later, but they didn’t change the look much from this initial application of color.

With the addition of the ladder and boat bumpers, it really looks like a water-aged concrete structure.

The railing and ladder are made from brass rod painted black and brown. The boat bumpers are made from a foam hair roller.

Categories: Walnut Bay Light
December 23, 2013 | 0 comments

Hampton House – window trim

I have the main building pieces painted and ready for the window trim. I used a tiny brush to paint the trim while it was still on the frame. I tried to keep the paint only on the trim because I didn’t want to fuse the trim pieces to the frame or to each other.

I used a brand new X-Acto blade to clip the trim pieces from the frame. Before I could glue them in place, I needed to paint the remaining edges.

Since I was using such thin layers of paint, the paint dried quickly and I could handle the pieces right away. But, this also caused the paint to coagulate on the brush. I just kept washing the brush as I worked, and that made painting much easier.

Only the tiniest amount of glue was needed to attach the trim. I cleaned away any excess with the tip of the X-Acto blade. The windows have two coats of Warm White which make them a shade brighter than the wall color.

I made a quick tablecloth for the work table and cut a tiny corner of the sandpaper I’m using for the mini scene. I also added presents under the tree. :D

The marvelous mini X-Acto is from Ulus Miniaturas.

I have many more accessories I plan to add to the scene, so I will save the rest for the final Christmas post.

Categories: Micro Scale Models
December 22, 2013 | 0 comments

Prepping the Hampton House work room

Time to set up the work room for Hampton House. When I set up my fly-by-night scenes, I use a lot of tape in addition to smoke and mirrors. These rooms aren’t meant to be permanent, so the materials I use are quick and plentiful. I don’t use limited papers (unless they are only clipped in place) or spend a lot of time on room design. It just needs to be a box with finishes that will blend into the background.

Here’s my Halloween 2013 scene, for instance. It was set up on the kitchen counter. I used a sheet of unfinished wood flooring, a scrapbook paper sheet clipped to a piece of plywood and held up by a can of paint and miscellaneous miniatures to create the scene. I have a box for balancing the camera in low light for the nighttime photos and a piece of white foam for diffusing the overhead light in normal lighting conditions.

Since I’ll be working on this new scene for a few days, I set it up on a board so I can move it around. For a room with sidewalls, I usually use the pre-cut piece from the Foxhall Conservatory I used to make the Newport garage. Unfortunately, it was one of the few things ruined in the lightning strike, but I have the front board from that kit as well as the windows. I could cut a new board, but this will work for now.

The windows have only a coat of primer, so perhaps I should take some time to finish them eventually. :D

I need one side wall for this setup, so I used duct tape to attach another spare board for better stability without permanence. I didn’t have a large 3/8″ thick board for the floor, so I used three smaller scraps.

I taped an unfinished flooring sheet in place since I don’t have any finished ones awaiting installation.

I use common cardstock paper in a neutral color when I cut for my temporary scenes. It’s replaceable after use, though I do try to keep it for future scenes if I can. I use double-sided tape to keep it in place.

I install the windows backwards so I don’t have to worry about interior trim. I don’t have a double French door painted white, but I have one stained for the Chalet. I just hope it doesn’t offend anyone’s sensibilities to have white trim throughout, except for the door. I put the “glass” in the corner window but left it out of the door and far window. I happen to have some finished baseboard pieces, so I used mini hold wax and a clip to keep those in place.

To fill in the view through the windows and door, I placed a scrap of white foam on the work board to simulate a snowy ground. I added a smaller Lemax tree that I bought to decorate for the Heritage…looks like that won’t be happening this year. It’s a nice stand-in for an exterior tree seen through the window. I propped up my scene board with a printout of Winter Landscape and Trees by Icefront that I found on Crestock.com. I will try to find a new scene for this set-up, but this is the only winter one I have on hand.

My decorated tree has lights operated by a large battery box. The rug is from Dale’s Dreams.

I set the tree in the corner and pulled the battery box through the door and around the solid side wall out of sight.

Now we’re getting somewhere!  How to hide the wire going out the door? Two options…PhotoShop or a really huge present! :D

I tried out a work lamp (this is the lovely lamp Monique sent to me). The cord can exit stage left.

Both the power strip and the tree battery box are behind the scenes.

While I do love this lamp, I think it is going to glare too much for the scene. I’ll dig through my stash of lights to see what I have or I could whip up a new shade for it.

I have most of the Hampton House pieces painted. Soon it will be time for assembly.  :]

Categories: Micro Scale Models
December 21, 2013 | 0 comments