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I am working on House of miniature furniture kits, a couple for Joe's house  I think I can beat them up a bit so they don't look do posh and I have found something quite surprising, the earlier ones are a much better quality then the later ones, the wood on the dining room suite I recently did was really hard and had a beautiful surface, I have just made two beds and a small dresser and the wood was much softer.

Joe now has a bed , the double was too big for the room but the single turned out just fine.as did his dresser. I want to make his furniture shabby any ideas anyone. I couldn't start my plastic kits all the shops near me including Michaels have no kit glue., the red label one. So I am making his feather bed tonight instead.

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I vaguely remember the furniture that came with the Sugarplum included a bed, a bench seat and a couple of tables.  I don't think I'd beat up his furniture too much,  just make it look worn.  Maybe a touch with the fine side of a nail board followed by rubbing with a bit of crumpled brown paper bag.

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2 hours ago, havanaholly said:

I vaguely remember the furniture that came with the Sugarplum included a bed, a bench seat and a couple of tables.  I don't think I'd beat up his furniture too much,  just make it look worn.  Maybe a touch with the fine side of a nail board followed by rubbing with a bit of crumpled brown paper bag.

There is indeed a full set of furniture with the Sugarplum (and with the Storybook too) 

as for shabby look, what about using crackling medium to get a lovley old and worn look?

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Well, RL has been throwing some kinks into my mini time....plus I seem to have been suddenly distracted and going in five different directions with my mini projects!  Painted the first coat of grey on the client house (the enormous Federal farmhouse), still working on the demo process on the Pepperwood, AND I just started working on fixing up my Christmas room box for the holidays! 

Spent an evening last week stringing lights on my already decorated tree.  If you've ever tried doing that on a RL tree...it's even harder in mini! :doh:  Everything has been dusted off and readied for placement back into the box......when I get it back from the hardware store!  Yup. FINALLY going to get an acrylic front put on it!  They actually do corner bending, so it will be one solid piece rather than two with an annoying seam at the front corner.  So while I await its return, I am thinking about some additions to the space.....  :clap:I think it needs some additional lighting and a glowing fire in the fireplace.

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Working on Christmasy stuff too :) Received and got started on the Mom and two little girls that I wanted for my tree decorating scene. Deciding whether they are blondes or brunettes. I once read that when artists take dolls to shows, the blonde dolls sell much better than the brunettes. Mine won't b sold but I do think that's an interesting observation. 

For aging the HOM kits, you can take tiny gouges out of the wood with an exacto or similar knife (I use a box cutter). Stain, wipe away, sand..

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Husband continues to help me with the electrical for the rehab of the porch mystery house working from the top down.  Lights installed in the attic rooms.

Waiting for delivery of more wallpaper mucilage.  So many fears that we are making wrong choice, but so far the mucilage is working great.  Only time will tell if it holds over the years.  Am using the mucilage to attach the dollhouse wallpaper to watercolor art paper and letting it dry for about 24+ hours before using the mucilage to attach to the ceiling and walls.  For my much smaller builds, I have used double sided tape in the past to put up scrapbook paper.

Tried the big box store wallpaper border paste, but it warped the dollhouse wallpaper glued onto the watercolor art paper.  I think the wallpaper border paste caused the dollhouse wallpaper to shrink more than the watercolor art paper causing the warp.  No warp with the mucilage.

Now that my husband is involved in this large house rehab, we are using more of the real dollhouse supplies.  Having to order many things online.  So it is a slow process.

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19 minutes ago, thriftymini said:

Husband continues to help me with the electrical for the rehab of the porch mystery house working from the top down.  Lights installed in the attic rooms.

Waiting for delivery of more wallpaper mucilage.  So many fears that we are making wrong choice, but so far the mucilage is working great.  Only time will tell if it holds over the years.  Am using the mucilage to attach the dollhouse wallpaper to watercolor art paper and letting it dry for about 24+ hours before using the mucilage to attach to the ceiling and walls.  For my much smaller builds, I have used double sided tape in the past to put up scrapbook paper.

Tried the big box store wallpaper border paste, but it warped the dollhouse wallpaper glued onto the watercolor art paper.  I think the wallpaper border paste caused the dollhouse wallpaper to shrink more than the watercolor art paper causing the warp.  No warp with the mucilage.

Now that my husband is involved in this large house rehab, we are using more of the real dollhouse supplies.  Having to order many things online.  So it is a slow process.

Just curious, why the watercolor paper?  I just paper directly to the walls. Were the walls damaged?

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The walls of old house aren't in the best of shape.  Had to remove old wallpaper and husband cut grooves deep enough to run 28 gauge wire.  Husband says the 28 gauge wire is heavy enough for 7 bulbs per wire.  The heavy watercolor paper goes on so easily and does a pretty good job covering the wires.  We aren't using tape wire on this house.

I feel like we are such novices learning by trial and error, but we are having a good time working on this big project together.

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1 hour ago, thriftymini said:

I feel like we are such novices learning by trial and error, but we are having a good time working on this big project

The trial and error is a big part of the appeal that keeps me in this hobby. I love the happy accidents that occur when a project goes well and learn from those that tank. 

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My sewing table arrived today! And it's perfect! The only thing is now the sewing machine I got is too large, so it looks like I'll be getting another one. Meantime I found a chair for the sewing table (hoping that fits) and finally! a bathroom set! A Renwal bathroom set for under $9 if you can believe it, although I think I may have to paint it. And I was thinking of getting a Christmas tree to put in front of the living room window, but that would take more money than I like to spend. So far, the most I've really paid for anything has been about $10 and then a little more for shipping. And of course, if I decorate the living room for Christmas, then I'd like to have the little Christmas cards, the candles, a candy dish, presents under the tree, etc. Not sure I want to make an all out try for all that with so little time to finish the shadowbox before Christmas.

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Still waiting for the grout to arrive for Joe' Sugarplum, the brickwork is all done. I have taken out the fireplace upstairs as there is so little space,The first bed I bought turned out to be too short so I made him one, it turned out fine but took up too much space widthwise so I had to make another one this time a single.

I am a bit upset about LED lights. I bought a pair , one didn't work and the other one was barely on.I am being sent replacement batteries to try, in the meantime I saw some better ones, they arrived and one was fairly bright, the other was poor and I was told to clean the battery area, so I am quickly going off the idea, I bought a Hurricane table lamp and it is fantastic so I am going to get a few more and to heck with the hanging ones, even at their shortest they are far too long anyway so I am truly miffed with them. Feel better for that rant!!

Re the Chrsan... whatever kits, I have built the stove, it has turned out super so it is going in Joe's house as his cooking and heat source. the icebox was good too but I did not like the dry sink so I have made one myself from a scrap dresser and some wood scraps. and it fits right in ,.So he has heat, cooking, icebox and dry sink.His table and benches are made now and so is his rocking chair and upstairs dresser and bed complete with chamber pot underneath of course.. I want to age his furniture, I have nicked it here and there etc but am unsure as to how to paint it. I don't want everything in the house to be brown but I can't see Joe with chalked stuff either so I am hesitating doing it. It is much easier to do a house that has a woman in it LOL

I had said earlier he played an instrument  and was thrilled to receive the sweetest little violin in the mail, now I just need music and a stand. I am starting to collect bits and pieces, food, decor etc, still  no shingles on but planned that to be the last job.

The house is going on a base with space at the side so I am hoping to put him in a veggie garden and a couple of chickens so he has game, eggs and veggies to trade.

I never would have thought this little house would have taken up so much of my thinking time bit I am pleased it has.

 

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2 hours ago, Jeannine said:

 I want to age his furniture, I have nicked it here and there etc but am unsure as to how to paint it. I don't want everything in the house to be brown but I can't see Joe with chalked stuff either so I am hesitating doing it. It is much easier to do a house that has a woman in it LOL

I'm excited to see it too!

About the aging - I have heard that India Ink mixed with denatured alcohol makes for nice aging. I have not tried this myself, but it is in my plans for the coming year. Let me see if I can find the links to ratios. I believe it was 10% ink to 90% alcohol. Hold please...

Okay - here's a starting point for you to research: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIp_vUtohQY

Wanna gives lots of info on how to Make It Old: http://www.wannainelpaso.com/tutorials/grunging_rooms.shtml

Sorry if I sent you down another rabbit hole!

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Thank you, I am off down the hole right now

 

Wow, don't they make it look easy.I had a quick look at the second link, the Mother Goose  it was very interesting. The first lady aging the wood looked so supremely confident. I find it amazing that folks can do all this as if they were chopping veggies!!

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