Jump to content

Color Me Holly

Platinum Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    2,133

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by Color Me Holly

  1. Color Me Holly
    My poor neglected Tennyson. I lost interest in this house. I walk by it everyday. Alysia was going to finish it but then she became a teenager. <sigh> I was looking at her today, wondering if the five minute room rescue would work on her. Maybe just working on the house will get her back in the zone.
  2. Color Me Holly
    I have had a lot happen in the last few months including moving out of my house, moving twice, then moving back into my house. Somewhere along the line the skil craft disappeared. It may turn up, then again it may have just been tossed. I had made a lot of progress on it, but hadn't taken any pictures.
  3. Color Me Holly
    Below are exerts from my personal journal about my Minis and other hobbies. I only recently started to include my hobbies in the journal.

    Saturday~1/12

    I need to finish this house and get it out of my way. I am pretty sure that I now have all the materials to finish it. First, I need to finish the shingles/asphalt roofing. Then I need to finish up the outside trim, fill in the gaps, sand and touch up the paint. I ruined the arch window acetate, so I need to cut a window from Plexiglas to replace it. I need to cut, trim and apply the stain glass decals that I made. I need to touch up the main house color. Paint and install the door and the interior door trim. The exposed edges also need to be covered up or done. My roof sprang a leak, again, but this time it was above the house and dripped on to the second floor carpet. I need to find away to get rid of the water stain. I think that this would finish up the house. At least I hope.


    Sunday ~ 1/13

    After playing Poker with my sister today, I can home and finished the shingles on the house. I also worked on the trim. I took a break to watch a movie while the newly painted pieces dried.

    I suppose if I had any resolutions this year the would be to organize my hobby addiction. To organize my projects and only work on one at a time. There is a lot of chaos in my work room. I have reasoned that to end the chaos I must do one of two things: get it done or throw it all out. Since that latter is not likely to happen, I started to think that maybe a short list of things to do each day on each project might help me reach my goal. I came up with that idea last night. Todays goal was to finish the roof. Its done! The second was to work on the exterior trim.

    I would say that 90% of the trim that came with the kit is done. I need to cut new trim because some of the trim from the kit was damaged when I opened it. I got some colonial moulding from Lowes to replace that. It needs to be cut, painted and installed.

    Tomorrow's goals for Hobbies:
    1. Cut and paint replacement trim
    2. Cut and apply stain glass decals.

    Monday ~ 1/14
    My to-do list today included cleaning out my bedroom closet. This task expanded to the dresser, the rest of the room and the master bath cabinets. I threw out three bags of stuff we don't wear, use or haven't seen in a year. I didn't do any hobby stuff today, but I did get my regular routine done plus the extras that needed to be done. We'll see what happens with tomorrow.

    Tuesday ~ 1/15
    I seem to have caught yet another cold from work. Oh, yay. After the regular chores I painted some trim and cut out some of the faux stain glass. I did get some of them put on; I spent about 30 minutes on the project. I took some cold medicine and fell asleep till my bother called.


    Wednesday ~ 1/16
    I felt a little better today. I did get all the trim cut and installed plus all of the stain glass. I am not happy with how the one window turned out. Unless you run a finger over it it looks natural. It folded over on itself and stuck while I was smoothing on the top. Its ironic it was the last one I did: didn't have any problems with the others. I have the door glass to do but the door still needs painting. There is a little touch-up to do on the teal paint, but I will wait to do that until I touch up the purple. I also got the new arch window cut and installed. I started painting the dowels for the Apex trim, although I think I am going to touch-up the trim before I install those.


    Tomorrows goal:
    Finish painting the dowels and the door.
    Touch up the purple paint and paint the wood edging.
    Touch up the maroon paint.
    Touch up the teal paint.
    If the door is dry put it back together and install.

    Thursday 1~17
    Today on my dollhouse I finished the purple edge trimming, got the door painted, installed the dowels on the apex trim. Also, I fixed the corner on where I had the other gap. I guess I just kept forgetting about it. I also touched up the purple paint. All I need to do now is to touch up the teal and maroon. Glue the stairs back on since they got knocked off.
    I guess tomorrow I will stand back and take not of what needs to be finished.

    Friday 1~18

    Toward the end of the day, I finally got around to finishing off the house. Its done; I think. I will make room for it on the shelf and look at it in a week to see what I forgot to do.


  4. Color Me Holly
    My sister needed a ride to pick up her car. While I was out I stopped to get a jar of Modge Podge. I got two since they only had the small jars. I also got a sewing pattern for stuffed letters. I don't really know why. Its something I could make a pattern for myself. I also picked up some fat quarters and scrap ribbon packs.

    Last night I started the design the Hex sign for the end of the Carry-all and the distelfinks for the sides. So far I just have some base coating done.


    My jars and other accessories projects are taking a little longer than I thought they would. Here is a sampling; I do have a lot more done, I just thought I would be done with this already. Tomorrow I don't have to work, I can work on minis. At least I hope.


  5. Color Me Holly
    I have been looking at my dollhouses in progress, scratching my head thinking 'what shall I do next?' I wanted to finish the roof on the Madison, but I need more tread tape. Its winter and the heating bill makes it difficult to set aside money for entertainment and hobby purposes, I used some of my Holiday gift money to pay it, too. I only need one more roll. Last year at this time Walmart had it on clearance; yesterday they had none. I was thinking Ella could give up her beef pot pies for a week so I could finish a house. (She is on a pot pie kick right now; she will eat other stuff, but wants a pot pie with everything) While I am waiting to get that I could finish up the trimming that needs to be done. I really wanted to finish the roof first and I have no motivation to work on the house.

    On the Tennyson, I ran out of skinny sticks that I was doing the floor with and I haven't been restocking them as I had been. I can work on the porches and exterior of the house. I need to build doors, too. I have been going thru my wood supply and checking out what I have. I could do the wallpaper in some of the rooms , but I have half of a small container of modge podge. I have actually been thinking of an alternative. I have been thinking about using spray mount and then sealing with polycrylic. The problem with that is it is gloss. It is very shining when it drys. A can of matte polycrylic and large jar of matte modge podge cost about the same, I think. Either way I am stuck till I can buy some.

    The Carry-All, I just need to paint it and put it together. Its a large surface area, so I think I am going to need more paint. I could use the purple latex Mabyn painted her dresser with on the inside. I wanted to paint it blue. The inside just needs to be a solid color. I also have one of those tester colors from Lowes. Its a burgundy. I have to think about this one some more.

    My miniature accessories. I have been working on jars and label. This project is going very well. I have everything that I need. I have some Michaels hutches that need painting too. I have been painting other turnings, too.
  6. Color Me Holly

    My Mess

    By Color Me Holly,

    What have I been up to? Well, I did my first craft show. I sold 10% of my crafts I made for the show. For a first show it wasn't to bad. I have been working on the Madison and repairing the Tennyson. I set the Tennyson on the floor because I was out of table space. Dotty chewed part of it. Its repairable, but it is slow going. Its kinda like putting a Monsters, Inc. shredded door back together.

    The Madison: I have been using Duck Brand outdoor tread tape to make asphalt shingles. Its a great way to ruin a pair of scissors. Its a good thing I have plenty of "evil" scissors for this project. The Madison kit was short exterior trim. I have used the trim to do the upper embellishments ( I still need to finish) and will use store bought trim for the bottom. I did use a wrong piece and need to clean off the glue. The next piece of trim is where I had the gap and will have to get creative with Spackle to fix the angle for the trim. I also must fix the paint job, it has acquired some scratches and crayon markings while sitting on the Kitchen table while my work table was being used by Mike to build his computer case.


    I have been experimenting with making my own water slide decals. I did find a local source for the ink jet sheets for these. I did find out that clear sheets don't work well with dark colors. When I have time I have been practicing stroke painting in miniature. My technique is getting better, but it is still difficult. One thing I learn about minis is the same thing in 1:1 must be done differently for 1:12.


    I participated in a Christmas swap(another forum) and received these lovely items. My recipient hasn't opened hers yet so I can't post a photo.
  7. Color Me Holly

    Trim Work

    By Color Me Holly,

    I took a break for a few days for my uncle's funeral and to work on some other sewing projects. I worked on the Madison here and there. I did have to step back and figure out what I was going to do with the door ways. The door ways have rounded corners. I could have gotten some interior door, but I wasn't really interested in cutting them to fit the upstairs doorways. They have a 45 degree angle to accommodate the roof.

    Today, I finished most of the trim work for the main floor. I still need to do the trim around the windows and paint the doorways to match room trim. I was taking pictures when my batteries went dead; they are charging now. Once all the interior trim is done, I'll finish the exterior. Maybe, I can do some more "power" building tomorrow.
  8. Color Me Holly

    Grrrr

    By Color Me Holly,

    I have gotten a lot of work done on the Madison. All of the interior walls and floors are done. I have also painted some of the exterior architectural details painted. I did decide to use store bought picture frame moulding to replace the moulding that came with the kit. A lot of it is in bad shape, chipped, cracked and splintered. (Didn't know crap board, a.k.a. MDF, could splinter)

    Now for the "grrr" part. When Alysia had dry fit the house it went together smoothly. Everything lined up, a perfect fit. She had glued part of the house together and then I finished the rest of the walls. I have one wall that had a 1/8" gap. Not a big deal, its easily taken care of with some filler, carpet and ceiling materials. So I proceeded to the roof doing another dry fit when I discovered I have 1/4" gaps where the two front gables are supposed to meet the roof. I went ahead and glued it with gorilla glue and left for work. I planned on filing the gaps with spackle and texturing the ceiling, still do. While working, it occurred to me that I could have cut off the existing wall tabs and nailed and glued the crap board roof into place and I wouldn't have had any gaps at all. And it would have been a lot less work.
  9. Color Me Holly
    I started working on the Madsion. Alysia was originally building this house. She discovered it was to heavy and bulky for her to move around. I am using the paint colors that she had chosen for it. Its going to be purple with blue and green trim work. I have also removed the wall paper that she had put it. We don't have a mini store here and I haven't ordered a supply of wall paper yet I decided to use fabric as wallpaper. I have a huge stash of fabric. Some of it looks like the wallpapers in my catalogs. I have some pictures in my gallery.

    To apply the fabric. I lightly starched the fabric, this was to give it some stability and to keep it from stretching to much when I applied it to the wall. I applied modge podge to the walls and then applied the fabric lightly rubbing it to get it to stick. I had rolled the fabric up to so I could unroll it as I worked in 5" sections (give or take). Then I applied two coats of modge podge going past the edge a bit. I was able to get a nice clean cut with my razor knife to trim off the extra.

    On the first floor I cut the fabric a 1/2" longer than the walls. I used the the ceiling as my guide to apply fabric. So far, I like the results.
  10. Color Me Holly
    I have been working on the floor of the Tennyson today. I had to take a break from most everything for a few days. I was exhausted. I also had to get my ducks in a row (priorities, not my kids) again. Most of what needed to be done, got done. And I had a good long nap after the lidocaine finally wore off. I did get the tile installed in the bay area of the first floor room. The front room is also done. I have been thinking about adding a window to the wall on the porch side. The only opening for the room is the door. This rescued house didn't come with doors. I am going to have to fabricate my own or buy some. I am not sure which yet. I need to get the floors of the porches laid so I can continue with the stone/brick work on the exterior. I will be using tile pieces for the first floor porch as well. Pictures will come later.
  11. Color Me Holly
    This is an item that I started months ago. All I had done was make the posts for the bed. Last night I got most of it done. I still need to add some finishing touches to it.

    I built this bed from findings that I had around the house. This bed is a From Trash to Treasure item.

    The bed posts are made from Christmas Ornaments. Some of the beads from these had to have holes drilled larger to go over a 5/64" dowel.
    The head board also from Christmas Ornaments and the metal circle from a pip berry wreath that I had taken apart for the Heart Arbor.

    The bunk board/ box spring is made from scrap strip wood, card board and covered with an old piece of cotton sheet.

    The mattress is made from two pieces of an old cotton sheet. Sewn in a pillow, then tied with DMC craft thread to flatten it out a little

    The lace dust ruffle came from a lot of ribbon from a second hand store.

    The sheet is made with gold organdy ribbon and a piece of an old sheet.

    The bed spread is made from samples of fabric swatch books.

    The pillows are made from a swatch sample and a piece of an old sheet.

    I still need to finish the backside of the head board and the corners of the bed.
  12. Color Me Holly

    Good and Evil

    By Color Me Holly,

    I grew up in a Christian Family. As a child I can remember a lot of Bible stories and good vs. evil. I can also remember being told not to use the "good" scissors. When I was five or so the good scissors were the best. All the other scissors were bad or evil. I didn't want to use any other pair. After all, they were bad and I was taught not to do or use bad things. I didn't want to get in trouble for something bad, but I always got in trouble for using the "good" scissors. Being young, I lacked the understanding of why we had good scissors. I was also unable to explain why I always used the "good" scissors. My thoughts on this subject were vindicated when I was in college. A few of my friends and I all had the same thoughts about the "good" scissors as children.

    This brings me to the present day. We, Mike and I, are not very religious; however, we have taught our children right and wrong, good vs. evil, etc. I have told my children that the white scissors are fabric scissors. Now while I have labeled them the fabric scissors I still refer to them as the "good" scissors. The blue, red and orange are the "cut whatever you want" or "evil" scissors.

    Tonight, I was going to make a miniature dust ruffle for a miniature bed. I opened the drawer to get my fabric scissors only to find them gone...again. After a bit of searching, I found them on the China cabinet next to a roll of duct tape. Then I filled a bobbin, when it was full I grabbed the scissors to snip the end. They wouldn't open easily. This is when I found out they had been used for cutting the duct tape. I begin muttering obscenities and asking myself why my family continually uses the "good" scissors. They are a different color than the rest of the ten pairs of scissors we have. Lighting must have stuck me from the sky because that is when it occurred to me: they use them because they are the "good" scissors.

    I don't know about anyone else's children, but mine usually make black and white decisions. If they are unsure about what to do they will normally ask. Their choice to use the "good" scissors must be based on a word. Whether their decision is based on good being "the best" or good being "serene, gentle and kind" is a mystery. Maybe when they are older and have gained worldly experience and knowledge, they will remember the "good vs. evil" scissors and share their reasoning. For now, I will just have to hide my scissors better.
  13. Color Me Holly
    The test of a kraft paper stone floor looked really good. (Sorry, I didn't take a picture. I gave it to Sher and Ella who put it in their rollie polley house. It has been covered in dirt. It is awful sweet of them make a house for the bugs they are catching. ) Once I started applying the colored paper pieces to the floor of the Tennyson it was just too dark. I wasn't happy so I scraped it off. Instead I started using the tiles that I had gotten from last year's Halloween Madness contest. I didn't have any poster board lying around or anything else to make a template with so I started putting the little squares on after I found the center of the room. I should have worked from front to back because now I can't get in there to make a template or take measurements to cut the tiles for the bay. You live and you learn.
  14. Color Me Holly
    I am pretty proud of myself. I seem to be able to work on minis daily.

    Today I laid the hard wood floor in what is going to be a bedroom. It didn't take very long. I used skinny sticks. I know that all of them are not straight, which is ok, it goes along with the "well used" theme. I expected some gaps and some warps. So I get the floor laid and leave it alone only to come back to find the left side had buckled up. I didn't think they were in there that tight. Wood swells when its wet. I ended up taking five rows out and scraping the dried glue off with a curved sculpting tool. This time around I will wait for each row to dry before starting the next.


    I also got some brown kraft paper ripped and crumpled for the faux stone floor for the first floor. I think I may work on that tomorrow.
  15. Color Me Holly
    Today, Michael and I went to the POW/MIA Rally up at the fairgrounds. For the last seven years The POW/MIA Awareness Corp. of Pocatello, ID (best viewed in internet explorer) have a bike rally to promote the awareness of our many soldiers who are still missing in action or may be prisoners or war. This is the first year we have gone.

    This year the rally hosted The Moving Wall. When we were there I couldn't see the wall. I looked for it. Our fairgrounds aren't very big so I should have been able to spot it. Mike later went back to take pictures. I could have asked where it was. From the pictures Mike took, it was located on the lower fairgrounds. From the upper fair grounds, the horizon line is a grassy knoll. Most of the activity was on the upper level; it never occurred to me that it could be on the lower level.

    A motorcycle rally is a strange place to be inspired for a doll house. While there I decided to change the theme of the Tennyson. The overall facade of the outside and inside walls won't change. How it is going to be decorated will change.
  16. Color Me Holly
    When I lived with my dad while I was growing up our house had a beautiful stone hearth. Today, using powder pigments and pastel chalks on brown paper and modge podged onto a board. I have been trying to recreate the stones. Right now, the test of this is drying. If I don't get the look that I am going for I have a back-up plan.

    I wasn't able to work on the house for a week or so. I do belive the house is hoarse from yelling. I have other things going on, still. Today is my last day of the work week. Next week I only work three days. Hopefully, I will have more time to mini. Although, I will probably be recovering from a dentist appointment.
  17. Color Me Holly
    Two years ago, when I bought this house, I tried to find the identity. At this current time there is a Skilcraft on ebay that looks like this house (link posted by Newt). It is possible with as many dollhouse manufacturers that have come and gone it was produced by both Arrow and Skilcraft. As much as I love hearing about the history of manufacturers I don't like to research them myself. I am hoping Calamari will publish a book so I have a handy reference.

    I started working on this house as a second project while I was waiting for the glue to dry on another. The work on this house is very slow going. All I have really done is taken it apart and sand a few pieces. I have done more sanding on it this month than I have in a long time. Since the pieces are pretty small it is easy to get off work in the morning and work on this while sitting down.
    Here is a pic of the front sanded down.


    I have a theme for this house. I don't know how plausible it is. It is still in the planning stages. I tend to over plan my projects. The list of mini projects for this house is getting pretty big. One of them is to have new window trims made. I do have a paint color. I am not going to be adding the porch roof that the house had. Mine didn't have a porch roof.
  18. Color Me Holly
    I spent the morning working on the exterior and looking for ideas for the interior. It was only my intention to brick the outside of the house, but after searching the web for decorating idea both inside and out will have brick. I have been thinking about wiring this house. If I am going to do that I need to buy my supplies. I am not sure if I want to hard wire or use battery boxes. I will probably make my own battery boxes since Michael showed me how when I made my arbor. I will probably use the floral lights sold at Michaels Craft stores. While the exterior isn't fully bricked I think I will need to stop working on that and get the stone floor and wood work that I want to do done.
  19. Color Me Holly
    Today, my mom and I went to Goodwill. I finally found a lamp that I could use in the roost. I am very satisfied with the result. I managed to get one picture before my camera batteries died. :whistle: It's DONE!! I will post pictures later.
  20. Color Me Holly
    I have been slowly making and gluing on large bricks to the exterior. I bought a bundle of drywall shims from Lowes. They are 1 1/2" x 36" chipboard strips. I have been cutting them to 7/8" high. (Sorry, no pictures yet cause I am being LAZY!) I am not to sure how I am going to finish the bricks off. My first thought was to apply spackling compound and then paint. The more that I think about it the more I think I should follow the egg carton method. I may have to do a couple of trials on spare parts to see which I like better. I think that I will also work on the stone floor for the first floor and the porch that I have planned. For this I plan on using crumple, ripped up kraft paper, pearlex powders and and clear polycrylic to seal it. We shall see how this bright Idea of mine works.
  21. Color Me Holly
    ...for minis that is. I started working on the Tennyson and my Arrow. Plus I have plans for the carry-all that Dean sent. Yesterday, I spray painted the all of the trim black. Yep, you read that right, I spray painted the doll house. It gets even better: I also took a chisel to shingles on the roof and stairs. I had all the shingles off and the stairs out in ten minutes and I didn't gouge the wood.

    There are big black spray marks all over inside and out. Don't worry all of what I don't want seen will be covered up. I have attempted to restore a doll house before with bad results. This time I figured I would work my way backwards. Paint the trim, then the walls then roof. I might even power the Tennyson up. Lets hope I don't set it on fire.

    Pics to come.
  22. Color Me Holly

    Bird Parts

    By Color Me Holly,

    Making a bird. I freehanded a pattern to sew a stuffed bird. I was sewing by the light of a desk lamp and chose navy blue thread instead of black. I am too tired to fix it.




    The bird attached to the nest with the tea lights. The bird was sewn with thread to the nest. My bird is a little small so I won't be using the eggs that I found. The eggs are about the size of jumbo eggs from the store.


  23. Color Me Holly
    Yesterday, I went to the dollar store looking for a candle stick type night light. They are out of them. So I went to Goodwill looking for a small plug in lamp. No such luck. I did find some paper mache eggs that I could use in the nest. I am not sure about that, yet. The nest is made from natural raffia. It is twisted, tied every 4-5 inches and sewn into a circle with a doll makers needle using raffia for the thread. I did find an online source for a lamp. I do have to go to the other side of town to day. I will see if the other dollar store has them. I was thinking if I couldn't find the light source that I wanted that I could use the battery powered floral LED light set that I have.

    I am almost done with the touch ups. The blue tape is protecting the tabs so I can fix them to the right color. Even though this kit doesn't require glue, I glued the bottom and sides to the back piece. Under the bottom between the side pieces is getting painted black.
  24. Color Me Holly

    Just Testing

    By Color Me Holly,

    This is only a test to see if it looks good. I put the roost together again; made a mental note of what I still need to do. The roost is coming apart again so I can paint the underside and back. I was in such a hurry to get started I guess I forgot. The heart is not centered on the roof, but I am ok with it. I have been practicing letters, but I am not ready to do them on the roost. Also, have some touch ups to do.
  25. Color Me Holly
    Well, sorta. I play on a dart league with my sister and mom. Today was the final tournament; we came in seventh. Anyway, on the way to the Odyessy I stopped at the new Goodwill to pick up a pair of khaki pants for work. (I was offered a job that was supposed to be part time, I took it because of the rising cost of... well, everything) While I was there I took a cruise through the craft area where I found a $3.99 bag of building components. It had Magic Brick, three sheets of clay bricks on mesh, a bag of bricks, styrene fireplace & pillars and an extra bag of stucco? maybe mortar mix. I also picked up some crafting books for tole and general crafting. Around the corner on the way back to the clothing department I tripped over something. I wasn't exactly looking where I was going. I looked down to see that what I had walked into was a doll house. I immediately recognized it as a Tennyson. So I did what any miniature enthusiast would do, I bought it. :whistle: This one doesn't have a foundation and it needs some minor repairs. After having to pass up the Van Buren a few months back, I just had to buy this one. I will post picture later.
×
×
  • Create New...