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  1. For the first time in my life, I decided to buy something that I had intended to make. I had planned to make the actual boxes for my mother and aunt's Quilt Shop roomboxes. I even made a "first attempt" (as you can see in my gallery photos) to make sure that I could actually make it; it came out cute, but a bit small. So I have ordered 2 roombox shells that I will paint and decorate myself.

    I almost never do that...whether it be pants or a quilt or a shelf, whatever, if I could possibly make it, then I won't buy it from a store or online. When I told this to my friend Juli, she damned near had heart failure. During our conversation, she kept saying things like, "Now wait, tell me again - you're BUYING something that you could MAKE, but you're not going to MAKE it. You're going to BUY it. Do I have this right?" If we hadn't been on the phone, I would have kicked her!

    But the best part about ordering them is that I paid less for two of them, precut and with shipping and handling, than I would have if I made them myself - gas to drive to Home Depot and back home, cost of MDF, cost of glue and then there's measuring and the time and effort and the screwing up and the remeasuring...and the swearing, don't forget the swearing!

    Last year, I was working on Christmas gifts right up to Christmas and realized that I didn’t relax and just enjoy the holiday season. So this year, I've made a conscious decision to finish the Christmas present shopping/making early and spend time stress-free. Come December 22, I will be done with everything; done with gifts, done with baking, done with decorating, done with wrapping said gifts. I just want to sit back and relax, eat some sugar cookies, drink a cup a tea, read a book and watch Christmas shows. For those four days (from the 22nd, when I leave for Mum & Dad's till Christmas), there will be no lists, no pressing matters, no worries, no thoughts other than enjoying those 4 days (then it's back to work, to a totally empty office, on 26th). The house will be cleaned before I leave, the laundry will be done and ironed for work. It's not a goal or an intention...it's a plan, set in stone, that I will bust my butt to make happen!

    So far, I'm getting it done! The shopping is down to 1 person left. The making is down to last minute touches on quilts. And I just recently received the room boxes and started painting them (one is already together, save for gluing the top on). I'm really loving the ease of these room boxes! They go together soooo fast! But now I can see what will and won't fit for mini's and how much more I need to make, like fabric bolt shelves and a ton of fabric bolts, a sewing machine, curtains, another few rulers, some quilt patterns another rotary cutter. With all this in mind, I'm starting to wonder if I will get them finished by Christmas!

    As soon as I have pictures, I will be sure to share them with the forum.

  2. I'm finally up to the attic! I plan to start putting the roof on..... I still have the doors, molding around the inside of the rooms, both top and bottom, the porch, then putting stucco on the outside and outside lights, then shingling....I'm also waiting for the bedroom furniture to arrive that I ordered! I can see a light at the end of the tunnel! I just really love doing this...

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  3. And this is the master bedroom with all the trim now installed! Still need to make the bed up, and some cushions for the sofa/chair, and also install the carpet.

    Notice the sweet lamp on the bedside table? :blink: Well turns out it isn't staying as I decided not to electrify :p But got a lovely bunch of flowers there now.

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  4. We'll I have not been doing much as of late i was waiting for som extra money to come in but that does no look like any time soon. So i decided to go a cheaper way to do the bricking in staed of the stencles and all im trying the paper clay method (LPCullen) So far I like how it looks. I also made two flower planters for the porch.

    I will do some more bricking this weekend untill I run out of paper clay that is :ohyeah:

  5. I have been working on this almost every day, but the photos just wouldn't tell much of a story! I am working on the exterior, but I am having trouble getting some pieces to fit, but the rest is coming along well.

    Here are photos of the hall on the second floor. The chair belongs to another house, but I like the Chrysnbon ones so much, I think I will have to get some for this house. It looks good here.

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    Next pic shows the other wall with a little bedside I painted (actually it has been painted 3 different times!). The accessories won't stay, and I need to hang pics, but it is looking really good.

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  6. After the quilts were done, I got into classic British murder mysteries-- I read all of the Inspector Appleby books (Michael Innes) that Kindle offers (very sad to run out :(), then I read all the Inspector Grant (Josephine Tey), then I started in on Inspector Alleyn (Ngaio Marsh). Very absorbing, and a nice break from everything. :prop:

    Meanwhile I have picking here and there at the house: I discarded the turret because it didn't look good or fit well, and decided to go a different way that I think fits the rest of the house better.

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    On Amazon, I found this plastic railing that I bought several of-- a full piece is lying on the right side of the photo, and it can be cut up easily to fit in a variety of places. Which is what I'm doing with it. I also found this "grass"-- I haven't cut it yet so we'll see how it does. First I have to figure out how much space needs to be taken up by shrubbery beds, so can't cut the grass to fit yet...

    I've been struggling with how to finish the porch. I will have to get on google and look at inspiration. Meanwhile I did decide that since I like porch lattices so much, this porch will have one.

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    I've decided to build the Vineyard Cottage. It's a very pretty house. I can't decide if I want to put it in the diningroom in Charlotte or the Guestroom here in Maiden, but either way the colors I want to use will work in either room.

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    As usual, I have started with staining my floors. I've gone with a darker stain because I want to use bold colors on this house.

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    Believe it or not, I actually dry fitted this house to see how things went, which is something I don't usually do.

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    Then I started gluing the house together. I still like using wood glue, but I've borrowed a little trick that I picked up from Rik Pierce's classes. I use a bit of superglue on the wood glue to get an instant bond while waiting for the wood glue to dry. And I also used my handy dandy special weights--which is anything that I can lay my hands on, LOL! Oh, BTW, I got reminded the hard way that I need to be sure and let glue dry COMPLETELY before running into the house....

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    I went ahead and painted that inner staircase and railing, since I don't want to get paint on my floors. Once that was dry, I glued in that interior wall and the staircase.

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    Then I glued the bay side of the house on. I'm amazed at how well this house is going together.

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    Now the bay side is all nice and dry, and this is how that looks, along with the front wall.

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    Got the back wall glued on too.

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    Did a bit of wood putting and glued in the bay window. I had to go ahead and paint where that bay was going because I knew that once the bay was in I wouldn't be able to access it too well.

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    Then I installed the front porch and the other porch side.

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    And here's where we are tonight.

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    I'm thinking about doing siding on the house. Not quite sure. I'm still debating wiring it, and I think I may not do that after all. One thing at a time. Perhaps next house I build I'll wire it.

    What do you think so far?

    ------------------------------------------

    Let's see, where were we? Oh yes, I remember now! We're working on SIDING. Which takes FOREVER!!!!! I started with the side of the house, and I have to do it in sections. I also went ahead and put on the window trim, and then vividly remembered why I hate doing it that way, LOL! Of course, I want it that way, so that's the way it's being done.

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    Of course, you have to put on a little bit of siding, and then let it dry, then work on the next section. Don't you just hate it when the siding curls up like that?

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    I'm of course using wood glue to put this on. I've discovered that if I put the glue on the siding and then take a brush and evenly distribute the glue on the siding piece, it works a lot better. For me that is. Some of you probably know a better way to do it than I do...

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    I know exactly how I want this house to look, and I'm just hoping I can pull it off. I'm also still debating whether or not to wire it. Maybe. We'll see.

    More pix later!

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  7. I undid all the taping on my bay window after I got home from classes today and took a picture. I'm going to need to touch things up a bit in places, but I don't think it looks, too bad, does it?

    I'm going to have to paint the interior of the cabinet at some point too, because it just looks bad for it to be unfinished in there, even if it is just where the occupant will probably keep her potatoes and turnips :)

    Anyway here's a picture!

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    I figure that I probably ought to see if I can find a scrapbooking paper that I like well enough during the 6 for 96 cent scrapbook paper sale that JoAnn has going on right now. I've decided that half my problem was that none of the stuff that I like even a bit, is old enough looking for me, and then I realized that I can just tea stain it, duh! So, I'm hoping to be able to spend less than $6 for the majority of what I still need to finish the cottage.

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    asherah
    Latest Entry

    I bought a house for the spring fling contest!

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    I can't wait to get started on it. It should be here really soon! I have a great idea for it. =)

    asherah

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    MrsClarkston
    Latest Entry

    I fear i'll never have time to work on my house :)(((

  8. 16. Do I have to say it? Set the bag aside and let the glue dry! Go grab a cup of tea or coffee. Clean up your hands and the work area. Decide on which jewelery findings you want to use, and how many straps you want. If you use a quick grab, thick tacky glue like I do, the wait time is less, but still please wait.

    17. While you are wiating, cut the remaing trim into 1/8" widths. This will become your staps for closures etc. They only need to be 1 1/2" to 2" long, but can be longer if you like.

    18. If your finding has a hole, run the strap through it and glue the end over so it stays on. If you have no hole then glue the finding to the strap, again wait for the glue to dry. You can add them later, when they are on the bag, but I find it less messy to do them now.

    19. Cut your now dry handle piece in half. You may want long handles or shorter ones. With the 3" you have that option. I generally go for smaller ones 1 1/2" being a good average size.

    Note: I have indicated on the paper pattern where you can place the handles. Please use that as a guide, I eyeball it and just attach them when it is time, where I think they look best.

    ****Check to see if your glue is dry on the bag*********Be carefull********

    20. When the glue has dried, you want to repeat the process of applying the trim, just to the inside of the bag. Run glue along the inside edge of the bag, again work in small stages and fold the trim to the inside of the bag. Remember you have to press hard to make it stick. You will note that when you do this, any small ripples you may have had on the outside, smooth out and it looks wonderfull now. Sometimes at this point I have to reglue a spot or two on the front, but not to worry It all looks good in the end. See picture of this step below.

    21. Glue on handles and your straps, press firmly for them to attach. LET IT DRY!!! Pictures below of the front, side and back of my finished sample bag.

    I leave the bags open so they can be filled later for scenes, but you can glue them shut at this point. Heck the inside may be so scary you want to hide it, IDK. But they choice is yours!

    WELL I hope this was clear enough for you all to follow along. If you do get stuck, or don't understand a part, then please PM me I will help you. I don't blog, this is my first, so I won't think to come here often and check for messages or additions. Happy Bagging!!!!!!!!! Dawn

  9. A friend of mine has recently been pushing me to finally get out all the fimo I bought last year, and finally sculpt for Tilly, my baker, and Nettle, who is not specifically food oriented but will definitely need plants, and the occasional Tudor meal.

    I will crumble as soon as I find the time. And of course Nettle is in need of that Glencroft.. or rather is in need of it not being in a flat box...

    Consider this a warning. :banana:

  10. james dean
    Latest Entry

    Hi, everyone in this post I will be telling you how to make a tree. :banana:

    ***FYI The measurements given in this tutorial are only approximate. It's more about personal preference than accuracy. ***

    Tools & Materials:

    • Painters Tape or Masking Tape (Preferably white)
    • Flush cutters (any tool that can cut wire are fine)
    • Wire (28 gauge works well) Since we will be twisting the wire multiple times a wire with less thickness will work best.
    • Brown florist tape (You can also use Paperclay [found at Hobby Lobby & other such stores] however, Paperclay isn't recommended for a bigger tree, because it gets too heavy.
    • Cut several pieces of your 28 gauge wire (approx. 30 Inches)
    • Twist the bundle of wire together for 6 inches
    • Double your wire Twist back down to where your original wire twisting began
    • If you want to make your branches with the different off-shoots, when you double your wire twist down but instead of returning to the original wire only twist about ¼ in down & then return to the original wire
    • Continue to add wire and off-shoot branches until you are satisfied with the thickness of your tree branches.
    • Continue adding branches until you reach your tree design. (you can have as few or as many branches as you want) once the ultimate tree design is met you can create the trunk.
    • For this tutorial I used a toilet tissue roll for the trunk. Take the bundle of connected branches & place them in the toilet paper roll wrap the roll in masking tape
    • *Make sure to also wrap up some of the branches to make the tree look more realistic

    **There are more pictures in My Albums. They're backwards (can't figure out how to put them in the right order) so start at the end.**

    Hope this is helpful :blink:

  11. pin1056
    Latest Entry

    still at a standstill with these beauties....they are softly calling...finish us... finish us... :ohyeah: they will never be finished...a lifetimes work in progress but they are so pretty thought i'd share where i'm up to :banana:

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  12. ;) Molly has been in Australia, Scotland, Sweden, Delta BC Canada, Edmonton Alberta Canada, Bratford Onterio Canada, California, Texas, Ohio, Mass (2)., Maine (2), New York, New Jersey, Maryland, South Carolina, and was lost on her way to Arkansa. Molly had many adventures and they are not all recorded here in this journal, most are though. I was waiting for her to get back with her journal to see what else she had done. She has done way more traveling then I'll ever do in my life time. LOL

  13. cwoods
    Latest Entry

    Have I ever said how much I hate building stairs. I have been working on these for what feels like forever!

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    For some reason there are two pics of the stair post??? OH well.

  14. My orchid

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    So really i dont really know what i want to do yet with the house.Picture.bmp.

    Ive tried stuff,and hated it. Right now im reworking

    everything execpt the exterior colors which are the ones in the obove picture.

    I wont really be blogging for a while because i cant really work on the house.

    I will be printing out all my wall paper,and i hope to finish it this coming year. Cant make any promises. TTFN

  15. pdlnpeabody
    Latest Entry

    I guess I have neglected this blog for too long.

    For the past eight months I have been working frantically to get the house ready for Tom Bishop's Chicago International show coming up this April. It won't be finished in time, but it will be close.

    The more pressing deadline now is the Orlando dollhouse miniature show coming up this weekend. I will be a vendor there, but I will only have the unfinished Tudor on display. The Bed & Breakfast will not be there as it is currently undergoing repairs from the accident that occurred two years ago. With the Chicago show coming up, I finally started the unpleasant task of working on it again. I have dismantled the damaged parts and will spend the next two months rebuilding her.

    I plan to focus on the Tudor's roof during the next two evenings. My almost 4 year-old son got into my workshop last year and nearly destroyed the roof framing. Besides the needed repairs, I have to extend the roof trusses and flooring to cover the 2 inch extension I added several months ago to accommodate the bathroom.

    The first floor is only missing a few light fixtures. All of the staircase banisters were completed several months ago and add to the view from the main entrance.

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    The 2nd floor is about 75% complete. The landing is completely finished, the 2nd floor bed room still needs mortar for the hearth brick work, crown molding and a light fixture, which it will get on Saturday right before the preview show. The bath room needs a ceiling panel and crown molding, the columns and arches installed over the tub surround, and the far exterior wall installed. The Library's walls, floor and windows are installed, but it still needs wall paneling, books and bookcases. It also needs a coffer ceiling, fireplace mantle (the last to go into this house) and chandeliers. The other mantle, in the bedroom worked out rather well, I think:

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    The current view gives you the idea of what it will look like when its completed.

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    I doubt I will get the attic interior sheathed at the show, but I can always hope.

  16. Gazette Gallery
    Latest Entry

    The tips this month were submitted by Margaret.

    Tips for applying paint: Use dollar store eyeshadow applicators-they come in a pack of 25 sometimes. Instead of having to wash your paintbrush-just toss the applicator.

    Free mini item: Look in the section where the bottled water is sold in your grocery store. The little inserts in the caps look like mixing bowls or with a cardboard lid they can become mini canisters.

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    By request, I have been asked to create a tutorial for how to make a braided dh rug. The basis of the rug is from a book by Reader's Digest called "Complete Guide to Needlework", I just adapted it to what I thought would be dh proportions.

    First of all, decide what shape of rug you would like and the approximate dimensions. What follows is for an oval rug, but I'll add a note about circular rugs at the bottom.

    Start with three colours of embroidery thread, the usual 6 strands each that it comes in. Cut a piece of each colour to about the length from fingertip to fingertip. Don't worry if this turns out to not be enough, because it is easy to add more.

    Make a knot at the end of the threads.

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    Attach ends to a firm surface in order to provide some tension.

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    Start braiding (left over centre, right over centre, left over centre, etc.), trying to maintain an even tension.

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    Continue braiding until you have a lenght of braid just longer than (lenght-width) of the final size.

    Then do three 'round turns' as shown in the attached diagram. blogentry-3775-1232654048_thumb.jpg Note that the turn may not be very visible since the thread is so thin. blogentry-3775-1232654217_thumb.jpg

    Continue braiding until you are back to the location of the knot, then do 3 more round turns.

    Then continue braiding until you have at least 6" of braid done. At this point, you can start to sew the braid into a rug, or just continue braiding until you reach the ends of the threads.

    To start sewing the rug together, start from the knot, then gently bend the braid where you did your 3 turns. Taking a needle and thread, start sewing the two sides together with small stitches, making sure to keep the braid flat. (If done properly, you will not see the thread from the front side.)blogentry-3775-1232654640_thumb.jpg

    Before going very far, we will have to deal with the knot. I put a small amount of white glue on my finger and rub it over the knot and the beginning of the braid, then leave it to dry.blogentry-3775-1232654761_thumb.jpg Once dry, cut the knot off and the end threads should remain together.blogentry-3775-1232654840_thumb.jpg If you are worried about the ends unravelling, you can always add another dot of white glue once you have sewn more of the rug together.

    Continue sewing the sides together, bending around the end where you did your second set of 3 turns.blogentry-3775-1232655054_thumb.jpg Then just continue sewing around and around, making sure to keep the braid flat. blogentry-3775-1232655144_thumb.jpg The right side will look like the next photo (note that the yellow thread should not show - I was doing this quickly and didn't notice it until after I had taken the picture.)blogentry-3775-1232655278_thumb.jpg

    Continue braiding and sewing until you have a rug of the desired size. When finished, just make a knot, add some glue, and cut off the knot once the glue dries, then sew in or tuck the ends under the rug.

    Here are pictures of the front and back of the first rug I did. blogentry-3775-1232655497_thumb.jpgblogentry-3775-1232655523_thumb.jpg Note that the shape may not be perfect, but you can get it to the right shape with a bit of tugging.

    If you run out of thread before you reach the size you want, or just want to change to another colour, just use a dab of white glue to join the two ends together, making the smallest bump possible. If you have to add more thread to all three strands, just stagger them so that the bumps are not all at the same place. They will not be very noticable anyway.

    Note, if you want a thicker rug, just use three strands of something a bit thicker than 6-thread embroidery thread.

    For a circular rug, although I have not done one myself yet, start the same way with the knot, then do enough 'round turns' so that the braid turns in on itself to form a small circle (the book suggests 6-12, depending on the thickness of the strands). Glue and cut at the knot, then continue with the normal straight braid until the desired size is achieved, sewing in a circular form instead of an oval.

    Good luck and happy braiding! ;)

  17. 81875_Thumb.jpgWater-damaged plaster and lath wall section. Master craftsmen working on old houses around 1900 and earlier used plaster and lath to construct all interior walls. Lath was painstakingly nailed horizontally to vertical studs to grab the first plaster coat and hold it securely. Plaster walls were smooth and silky, and when cured were paintable. Plasterers were skilled craftsmen who worked long hours perfecting interior walls. Dampness and wetness will cause the plaster to crumble, although fresh plaster may be used to repair water damage and render it new again. Plaster was made and built to last more than a lifetime. Plaster and lath walls took 30 days to cure, although craftsmen advised waiting a period of a year before painting. For this reason, many homeowners chose to wallpaper their walls so as not to ruin the plaster work by painting too early. Plasterers were expensive 100 years ago; now they are extremely expensive and hard to find. Many new residents decide to tear down the old plaster and simply put drywall in its place as a cheap fix to save time and money. Plastering involved placing three layers on top of the other. The first coat stuck to the oak strips and was called scratch coat, which was troweled carefully into the lath to form a bond. The second coat was called brown coat, then a finish coat was applied thickly and pressed firmly to form a half-inch wall of silky-smooth lime plaster. Benefits of plastered walls include soundproofing not present with regular drywall. Plaster walls have durability not seen these days with gypsum or drywall, with plastered walls outlasting their owner and beyond. It's also easy to paint, wallpaper or repair minor damage.
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    I had intended to start my Tudor build blog a week or so ago, but, alas life gets in the way. I've been busy setting up my workshop and getting the garden in the front yard ready for spring planting. I hope to get back to work on the Tudor in the next few days and get back on track. :blink:

  18. My Rosedale Shingle Pattern Tutorial

    I tried to mimic the pattern shown on the dollhouse kit box, but mine was modified a little.

    I should start with the supplies I used. I purchased from DollhousesandMore.com the Diamond Shaped Cedar Shingles. Currently they are priced $19.99 for 1000 pk bag. They were not that much when I bought mine. I did use hot glue. Hot glue is not recommended for building, but I do use it for applying shingles. I glued the shingles right on the roof, I did not use a template of the roof sections in heavy card stock. I painted my shingles black and medium gray. I tried to do the wash, but it wouldn't take on the cedar shingles. There are approximately 370 gray and 330 black shingles on my Rosedale. I believe this pattern works best on the mansard roof.

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    bookmarm
    Latest Entry

    dental visit with the maxillo/facial surgeon today who drilled a big hole in our bank account for the implant to come! Why do we need teeth? Can't we just live on milkshakes after age 50? They'd be a whole lot cheaper than one tiny little piece of metal screwed financially painfully in place over the course of 6 months.

  19. Sunday, June 23, 2013

    I do wish RL would stay out of my way! I had a little time yesterday to work on minis, but spent much of it packing up the little room box I had made for my sister. I've learned a few things from the big companies that mail miniatures to me - pack them with LOTS of padding! I now have a cigar box cushioned in the center of a 17" square box. And my own copy of the same room box isn't quite finished, so I worked on that for awhile, too. Then, when that was clamped and the glue was drying, I got out my micro house. The paint was all dry, of course, so I did another dry-fit, putting more of it together this time. Sorry I forgot to put a penny or a Hershey's kiss in the picture, but it's setting on a cutting mat with one-inch grids.

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    I think this will work just fine to take out the one wall so I can have a larger Parlor, or Entertainment Room, as they were called.

    Then I took the micro LED lights out of their packages, dismantled the house again, and did some experimenting with light placement. I think maybe the hallways will be left without lights - the maid forgot to turn them on! That will reduce the lights from nine to only six. So if I can fasten the lights to the ceilings first, then cover the ceiling with paper, then try to hide the wires down the sides of the chimneys …

    I worked for hours on Sunday afternoon and evening, but don't feel like I made much progress! The wires are on two of the floor/ceilings, but not on the top floor yet.

    blogentry-4286-0-12833800-1372100416_thu

    I think I should paint the top side of it first but not sure if it will be seen or not. I made a paper pattern of the second floor, which is the first-level ceiling, carefully tracing around the stairwell and the slots for the lower walls to fit into. Since I am leaving out a wall on the second floor, I didn't cut slots for it, just covered them over. Not needed, right? WRONG! Half of each slot is for the notches on top of the lower wall. Two walls fit into one notch. I used a pale yellow scrapbooking paper for the ceiling, which I cut out using my scratch-paper pattern. Carefully measured and cut holes for the light bulbs to poke through, and glued it all down. Then I did another dry-fit, placing the first-level walls and the second flooring together. That's when I realized my mistake in covering the slots!

    Why does glue grab quickly when you don't want it to??? I was barely able to get the paper off again! I fleetingly considered trying to cut the paper through the slots, since it was already glued, but the slots are so tiny I wasn't sure I could do it without cutting the wood also. So now I'm back to Square One with the ceiling papers. Well, maybe Square Two, since I still have the pattern.

    I also painted the red "carpet" on the stairways, and painted the banisters and top landing in gold.

    blogentry-4286-0-21827700-1372100444_thu

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