Scotty

I'm a big fan of chalk paint by Annie Sloan and use it in my real home and my mini homes. It's great to provide a base on finishes that are hard to paint with acrylic. For instance, I've just painted some metal fans with it then top coated with gold acrylic. The chalk paint really sticks to any surface, even glass. I personally would only use Annie Sloan and buying a tester pot in white/cream/beige will do loads of work for you. You can mix it with water to do an outer wall coat, or paint skirtings etc. I've turned kids plastic houses into french chateaux using beige chalk paint. I've used pseudo chalk paint and it's really terrible - you have todo so many coats to make it work.

Hi Blueirishmoon, I'm Scotty I've been a member here for a while but haven't posted in the longest time because of work and life commitments. Just tuned in to find a topic very close to my heart. I love Art Deco houses and have done a faux lift twice in mine. The first idea may be more suitable for you and is incredibly easy. I found a plastic building kit for a child, cut the corners and painted it black (any lacy type of item would do just as well), then I glued it onto a clear plastic sheet cut from an old ring binder - again pretty easy to come by. Then I outlined the edge with flooring strip painting black (or any type of thin wood would do), add a small panel to the side with beads on and you have a faux lift. The second was even easier - I cut a rectangle with a door gap cut out of it from balsa wood which I wallpapered to match the room. Behind this, I glued some card painted gold with a photocopy of some wrought iron lift doors onto it (The Chrysler Building I believe).

I've experimented with different wallpaper materials and found that real wallpaper applied with paste is one of the best to use, closely followed by scrapbook paper and then proper dollshouse wallpaper (though this is the most expensive). I've never bothered sealing these with any fixative. Products I haven't got on well with are drawer liners (even though they have lovely tiny patterns sometimes) and downloaded printie wallpaper which always runs. The last time I used printie paper, I copied it onto sheets of adhesive printer paper, peeled off the back and stuck it to the wall to avoid any contact with wet substances but it still smudged.

Obviously, family and pets are a given so.... I'd really really struggle without my cups of tea, but I'd have to say my laptop - how else could I keep in touch with you all?

I'm sorry to hear this news Bea, it's heartbreaking to lose a dearly loved pet.

I am very fortunate to live in an area which is not particularly prone to natural disasters - we have no record of flood, earthquakes etc but it is definitely a food for thought question and I'm impressed by how organised many of you are.

There are lots of songs I like because they are uplifting, particularly things by ABBA, the Beatles and the Drifters but special hubby songs are: Need your love so bad by Fleetwood Mac which he used to sing for me on stage (he's a professional musician) and a song he recorded for our wedding, an old country song by Vince Gill called Look at Us (about a couple who still love each other after many years together - we waited a while for our wedding).

Well done on completing your project. You've done a great job in a short space of time.

Hi Penny, welcome to the forum.

Hi Edward, welcome to the forum.

Hi Jo, welcome to the forum.