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56 minutes ago, madtex1967 said:

I started dry fitting the Vineyard Cottage last night.  I am going to do some light bashing on it.  I have decided to leave out the downstairs wall and use posts to open up the whole area. I plan on using a spiral staircase in it, so the missing wall should not affect the layout.  I am also going to tack on a small shed addition to house a bathroom.  I think I am going to use mostly Chrysnbon kits in this build as they are small and should fit well. I was going to use board and batten on the exterior, but after some research, most of these cottages are shingled.  I am thinking of getting the strip shingles to make that process go much faster!

Consider half scale shingles.. sometimes the 1:12 shingles can look too big especially on small builds. :) 

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1 hour ago, madtex1967 said:

I am thinking of getting the strip shingles to make that process go much faster!

Good idea!  It really does go a lot faster.

 

24 minutes ago, Samusa said:

Consider half scale shingles.. sometimes the 1:12 shingles can look too big especially on small builds

An excellent suggestion!

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45 minutes ago, Samusa said:

Consider half scale shingles.. sometimes the 1:12 shingles can look too big especially on small builds. :) 

Yes, great reminder to me.  I used half scale on the Cape May exterior and it was perfect!  Thanks!

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I finished one of my 3 inch toddler size dolls today. The smallest I've done so far. She is Princess Alice (Queen Victoria's daughter) based on a painting of Alice painted by Winterhalter in 1845, she's wearing a dress-up costume from the century previous. It was hard keeping all that fabric from overwhelming such a small figure, she's wearing several layers of lined silk taffeta. 

 

IMG_9151.JPG

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Thanks Tracy. So many from that family met with tragedy, I was happy to learn that Alice lived to be 102. 

I was going to add more hair in the back like it is in the painting but I dropped the package of hair on the ground without realizing it and my dogs ate it...spit it back up and that was the end of that. 

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4 hours ago, WyckedWood said:

Thanks Tracy. So many from that family met with tragedy, I was happy to learn that Alice lived to be 102. 

I was going to add more hair in the back like it is in the painting but I dropped the package of hair on the ground without realizing it and my dogs ate it...spit it back up and that was the end of that. 

:roflmao:  Sorry but.. :roflmao:

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13 hours ago, WyckedWood said:

Thanks Tracy. So many from that family met with tragedy, I was happy to learn that Alice lived to be 102. 

I was going to add more hair in the back like it is in the painting but I dropped the package of hair on the ground without realizing it and my dogs ate it...spit it back up and that was the end of that. 

At least your dog spit it back up...

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Yes but it was in an unidentifiable state, I only realized what it was when I also saw the regurgitated ziplock bag. Dogs Law #1: If it falls to the floor......

thanks Cynthia :) 

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Karin, I love your princess! She's so beautifully done! 

I did get my Ashley dollhouse out of here, done up as a stone cottage with thatch. This was my first time doing both PaperClay as well as thatch, so the house was truly a learning experience! I made it very simplistic, and left some "undone" as I was asked to for it being placed on a table for the idea of children to win... wasn't a real fan of that idea, but went with it. More details on that with the pictures in my album with it. 

In regards to what I'm currently up to -- working at getting over a cold of sorts, really scratchy throat and a lot of coughing. Thankfully though, NOT the flu! :)  This has let me do a good bit of research in regards to my next, and originally only planned donation dollhouse project for this year. I've been informed the theme for the Children's Hospital fundraising gala will be Moroccan, so have been scouring Pinterest and most anywhere else to come up with Moorish design ideas. I have one house in particular that I think is going to be used, which surprises me b/c I had other plans for it... but it's out in the shop and I can hear it screaming "This is me!!!"

Funny how it is that works sometimes...

Anyways, that brings me to a question for you all -- who here has tried making their own molds for use with resin? I love the look of Ron Hubbles' walls in his Middle Eastern roomboxes, but he doesn't sell any components like that alone that I can see on his site. For all the jewelry findings and interesting bits and pieces I have collected, I think I can very possibly make my own molds to create my wall sections... but am wondering if the mold making for resin usage is all that different from clay or not? (Can you tell I came here first to ask before going on to look this all up elsewhere?) lol

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I've been oil painting my dolls faces which I'm happy with for the most part, but as I get more serious about dollmaking I feel I need to take it up a notch and try China painting their faces. According to what I've read, a China painted face takes up to 5 firings. My kiln is so slow that will mean 5-6 hrs. per session, so it could conceivably take a week to see a completed face. I have all of the supplies together now so no more excuses. I've been reading these old vintage books about china painting, a big hobby in the 60s that my Grandma was really into. Hoping she'll be watching over my shoulder (from the other side) and giving me some guidance ;-) 

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On February 26, 2018 at 6:54:14 AM, WyckedWood said:

Thanks Jeannine, yes they did lol. So happy with them, these look half scale to me but the vases are perfect. Firing up the kiln today. 

Looking fw to seeing your little houses. 

I think Grandma has already been watching and is proud of all your talents . Waiting a week would try my lack of patience maybe do two at a time any moe than that would be to much a commitment for me .

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Thanks Nellie, I have 3 ladies ready for the process. I chose 2 that are larger dolls (Parker Levi fashion ladies) so they’ll be easier to paint and the third is Brett that u have. Then I’m also going to try some simple flowers on vases and platter. Jeannine’s advice has once again been incredibly helpful.

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1 hour ago, WyckedWood said:

Thanks Nellie, I have 3 ladies ready for the process. I chose 2 that are larger dolls (Parker Levi fashion ladies) so they’ll be easier to paint and the third is Brett that u have. Then I’m also going to try some simple flowers on vases and platter. Jeannine’s advice has once again been incredibly helpful.

Looking forward to seeing the vases and platters . 

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  • Karin your work is frankly astonishing, you have come so far so fast. Please do the china painting I know you will love it. The effect is so subtle. I love blushing dolls faces but I don't do it like the books tell you. When you are ready I will explain.
  • I almost bought those molds from that lady in Hawaii, did you buy the three lots she had?

 Kelli,Re the mold making. Making molds out  of plaster enables  the medium you use be absorbed into the mold. eg with porcelain that Karin is doing she pours liqiuid clay(slip) in the mold and the plaster absorbs water from the slip so the piece sets up a solid wall. With polymer it does not work like that nothing is absorbed so you could use a plaster mold but you would to load each half separate then bond them together when you take them out. If it is an open faced mold, say like a cameo piece then you just press it in. Bear in mind if you use a plaster mold for Poly clay it is useless for porcelain after .Better to use a silicone mold if you don't need it to be absorbent..  I have never handled resin bit I think it would work like polymer. I would try a puddle on a piece of something absorbent, maybe a chunk of polystyrene packing and see if any is absorbed. Then I would try the resin in a mold that you probably have. Inside a chocolate box there are various shapes that hold the chocolate, these in fact are mini molds, if you try your resin in one of those you will have your answer. I don't think you need absorbency but I could be wrong.

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Thanks Jeannine, I’m ready now to start the first firing. I think everything looks ok but I won’t know until I see what comes out of the kiln?! I’m using Gina Bellous China paint tutorial but it’s missing the first page with the blush. I just kept it really soft and light. I found a few other blanks I had that I had bought before I had my own molds so I ended up with 5 dolls to practice on, then I was tired so only added one platter. I’ll be back in 6 hours to let u know how it went lol :) 

So about the actual china painting oh wow I loved it! I do worry that my mix (powder with mixing medium is too runny tho.) it was very pleasant afternoon learning something completely different! 

Forgot to say, yes I bought all three that she had at that time. 

24285263-3418-4DE7-9E6E-F4216A84AAE3.jpeg

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4 hours ago, WyckedWood said:

Thanks Jeannine, I’m ready now to start the first firing. I think everything looks ok but I won’t know until I see what comes out of the kiln?! I’m using Gina Bellous China paint tutorial but it’s missing the first page with the blush. I just kept it really soft and light. I found a few other blanks I had that I had bought before I had my own molds so I ended up with 5 dolls to practice on, then I was tired so only added one platter. I’ll be back in 6 hours to let u know how it went lol :) 

So about the actual china painting oh wow I loved it! I do worry that my mix (powder with mixing medium is too runny tho.) it was very pleasant afternoon learning something completely different! 

Forgot to say, yes I bought all three that she had at that time. 

24285263-3418-4DE7-9E6E-F4216A84AAE3.jpeg

Oh so pretty. Looking forward to seeing the process. 

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9 hours ago, Thimble Hall said:
  • Inside a chocolate box there are various shapes that hold the chocolate, these in fact are mini molds, if you try your resin in one of those you will have your answer. I don't think you need absorbency but I could be wrong.

Another fantastic reason to buy a box of fancy chocolates... for research of course! :D 

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Karin, it is the blush I do a little differently, after polishing the bisque and lightly oiling it,I use a mop brush and I very gently stroke the bisque, as light as a feather with practically nothing on the brush. I don't use the brush for anything else. At first you won't see any color but keep going, gradually the blush will become apparent. I like this much better than putting a dab of paint on the cheek and then stroking it/ My way you will never have too much paint on your doll, just ever so, ever so gently.as if the brush was a hot poker on real skin. I was  taught  doll making by a lady in her late  seventies, her mother taught her ,she was still alive by the way aged 96 and often asked to see things in progress, she sat in the studio. She taught me lace draping,china painting, greenware carving etc etc. She was very old school but she was an excellent teacher, . She had two sayings , one was " never run a kiln without some sort of test piece in it along with the other stuff. The second one made everyone in class groan as  no one wanted to hear  " .if  it is not good enough it doesn't go in my kiln, wipe it off and do it again". Comments like "it is good enough for me " were answered with, when did you buy a kiln ? She was hard task master but we all learned how to  do it well/ Oh and she was the only person I knew who wasn't secretive about her knowledge, she willingly  shared every thing she knew. She taught me everything I needed to know. I went to many seminars after that but I never changed the blush method on a doll.

Grand old lady . her name was Louise and her studio was in Demming Washington. I went there three times a week.

She died a some years ago and I miss her very much.

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On 08/03/2018 à, WyckedWood said:

I finished one of my 3 inch toddler size dolls today. The smallest I've done so far. She is Princess Alice (Queen Victoria's daughter) based on a painting of Alice painted by Winterhalter in 1845, she's wearing a dress-up costume from the century previous. It was hard keeping all that fabric from overwhelming such a small figure, she's wearing several layers of lined silk taffeta. 

Karin your little Princess is so cute! I'm happy to see that they so many dolls makers here!

My actual work is a roombox shop art nouveau, I have no picture yet as the project is a big mess. Moldings are really difficult to find so I printed them. I finished a lingerie and shoes roombox shop last year where I made nearly everything (except the building and the shoes) The building was a roombox from a miniature shop that I customised and the shoes is my collection of miniature shoes from an Italian artisan that I love Patrizia Santi

 

 

 

 

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Thanks, it was fun to see what I ended up with this morning. Some success and some failure but that’s how you learn. The good news is it only took my little kiln 3 hours, 55 minutes to reach temp to fire the paint, so that’s not too bad. I could get 2 firings done in one day (the kiln has to cool before u can open).  Some things I had worried about didn’t happen, some things I didn’t know to worry about did happen. The platter looks fantastic (so far) thrilled with that. One doll I didn’t smooth her blush out good enough on one side so there’s a line, I doubt that can be corrected. One doll that I had bought from someone else had these weird black spots pop up all over her after the firing,  even tho I had cleaned her with denatured alcohol before I painted so I have no idea what was going on there. The colors I used came out really well but I’m not sure which ones they were exactly, so duh...I need to be sure to write those down in the future. Next comes the iris of the eye, hardest part. 

 

Jeannine, I really wish I had read that about the blush before I started but I have it saved now and will use that method and thought process in the future! I have a neat little book I found on amazon by Ruth Little. If there are any other books you recommend please let me know. 

Nathalie I’ve seen your work on Etsy, it’s very inspiring. I love the way you paint your dolls faces. Do you pour your own dolls or use blanks? 

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