wastedutopia Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 Hello everyone. I'm from Michigan. I've been into minis for ages, and I have a bunch of bits on display on a shelf, but I've never done a room box or a house. It is always something I've wanted to do, but I've put it off for whatever reason. Well, I was gifted an Orchid for Christmas and I'm itching to get started on it. I do have a lot of experience building architectural models. Most of them are built entirely out of bass wood. I'm hoping those skill will translate well to the dollhouse world. The painting and staining is probably the scariest part for me since I don't have much experience with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 Welcome to the little family! I love basswood because the grain is more in scale and it takes stain beautifully. I apply stain with a rag of old undershirt. I use interior latex paint; flat finish for priming and semigloss or satin for finish coats. There are two building blogs for the wood version of the Orchid and a gallery of pictures of the plastic version, the White Orchid. You are going to have so much fun here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgansmith Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 Welcome! Soooo......you saaaaaay you were gifted with an Orchid. You will soon discover you've been gifted with an OBSESSION! Have a wonderful time with your kit and here on the forum. You're going to love both. Good luck! Morgan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrchob Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 Hi and welcome! What part of Michigan are you from? I live in the SW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalesq Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 Hi and welcome! So that we don't shorten your user name and just call you "wasted" you might want to update your profile with your real first name. Like Holly I use interior latex, but I also use spray paint and acrylics, and tend to mix my own colors. Basswood is great and finishes beautifully. For mini furniture I like the Miniwax stain pens. They are easy to use and I like having several stains to chose from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalesq Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 Welcome to the little family! I love basswood because the grain is more in scale and it takes stain beautifully. I apply stain with a rag of old undershirt. I use interior latex paint; flat finish for priming and semigloss or satin for finish coats. There are two building blogs for the wood version of the Orchid and a gallery of pictures of the plastic version, the White Orchid. You are going to have so much fun here! Hey Holly, The Orchid came in a plastic version??? I've seen "white" Orchids in some of the galleries, but thought it was paint. What year was the plastic one released? Did you build one? What was it like? It didn't need sanding did it? I'm really curious and wonder if the kits are still out there on eBay or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mesp2k Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 Hi wastedutopia, welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackiem Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 Kimberly,Welcome! I just started my Orchid yesterday and I am really looking forward to building this one, it has been waiting a long time for me to start it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Debora, the plastic version was a limited run the company produced to see how it would go, and it didn't, so Dean offered what was left in inventory at a special price for those that wanted to try their hand at building it. One of the discoveries I made was that while the solvent that works with PVC didn't work with the kit plastic, nor any of the other glues I had on hand, E6000 did the trick! I also used it to attach the mylar to make the mirrored bedroom ceiling in the gable. It is a Christmas house: and here's the link to my album for it: http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/index.php?app=gallery&album=2918 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalesq Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Debora, the plastic version was a limited run... and here's the link to my album for it: http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/index.php?app=gallery&album=2918 Wow! I had seen the white orchids in different people's galleries, but thought the were painted all white! Which I like! :lol:/> Thanks for the link to yours. It was fun seeing what you did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GirlPiper Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Welcome from one wolverine to another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyrene10 Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Welcome Kimberley and good luck with your Orchid. Keep us updated with your progress and we can share topics and ideas as we progress, I am on to my second kit which is a Magnolia which I have had for 20 years so I am really enjoying building this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anson Longbottom Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 I'm also from Michigan, but not a Wolverine....I am a Chip from Mt. Pleasant area. Can't wait to see what you do with your house! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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