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30+ years old DollHouse


~morningstar~

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Here's the photo I took of the sandpaper sheets after I colored them and before I cut the "bricks out; I just rubbed the flat side of the chalk lightly over the sandpaper, two colors and then white, and I still had to wash the finished brickwork with some of my dirty paint water to tone them down.:

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and here's the blog entry it goes with:  http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/?app=blog&module=blogs&controller=entry&id=248

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On 3/13/2019, 1:17:41, havanaholly said:

Here's the photo I took of the sandpaper sheets after I colored them and before I cut the "bricks out; I just rubbed the flat side of the chalk lightly over the sandpaper, two colors and then white, and I still had to wash the finished brickwork with some of my dirty paint water to tone them down.:

blog-241-1125282419.jpg

and here's the blog entry it goes with:  http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/?app=blog&module=blogs&controller=entry&id=248

Goodness holly! That looks like a lot of work. I saw where you said you used 240 grit sand paper? Is the grit of the paper important?  Also, I found some that is *almost* the right size and self adhesive. I hope that will work. I am looking forward to working on mine soon. :)

I will post pics soon.

 

 

~morningstar~

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23 minutes ago, ~morningstar~ said:

I saw where you said you used 240 grit sand paper? Is the grit of the paper important?

The grit refers to the size of the  granules of "sand" on the sandpaper. Choose a size that looks in scale. The smaller the grit size, the larger the coarser the granules.

Some time ago Brae shared her guide to sanding grits.

60 grit feels like road rash, removes wood in a hurry with little pressure needed, leaves a rough surface

120 grit feels like a cat's tongue, will remove wood in less of a hurry--easier to control, leaves a moderately rough surface

220 grit feels like wool, will remove wood if needed but also buffs painted surfaces, takes fuzzies from wood edges, leaves a generally smooth surface

320 grit feels like canvas, won't remove wood without some effort but buffs painted surfaces, takes fuzzies from wood edges, leaves a very smooth surface

400+ grit feels like a paper bag, used for really fine finishes, leaves a surface soft as a dog's nose--the higher the number the smoother the finish

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1 hour ago, ~morningstar~ said:

...That looks like a lot of work...

It's a creation, a union of what the kit wants and my interpretation of that, and it takes what it takes.  We aren't in a race to finish these things, or I'm going to have to find a new obsession hobby.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 3/15/2019, 5:55:48, havanaholly said:

It's a creation, a union of what the kit wants and my interpretation of that, and it takes what it takes.  We aren't in a race to finish these things, or I'm going to have to find a new obsession hobby.

It is much the same with just about any creation, no?

My copy of Beryl's book came in, recently,  I will begin working on the foundation (brickwork) of the dollhouse, probably tomorrow. It depends on how I am feeling, physically. I went to collect my packages the other day and my neighbor said I look like a ghost. (I have been having difficulty sleeping and  my oxygen saturation level is a bit low.

I am attaching pictures of what I have accomplished and some things I thought would be cute for the garden of the house. I am learning that even though I want to make her totally Victorian, that may not be what she wants......The stairway is a repair job. The bench is a wreck, I had to reassemble because the shipping method was inadequate for the safety of the bench. The sign was my own design. I am going to make a new one, as I'm not thrilled with how that one came out. The frog pond is something that I will likely put in  the garden.

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On 3/30/2019, 7:14:23, Keifer said:

I really like that bench and the frog pond looks like a fun addition. 

I loved the bench until it arrived in pieces. I almost tossed it, then I decided to try to put it back together, with some success. It isn't perfect but it's workable.  The frog pond is an afterthought. I was on the phone with Mom and she just loves frogs. I was describing to her all the little ideas I had for the garden. I found this online while I was talking to her, and decided it was definitely a worthwhile addition to the garden behind the  Big ol' House. :)

 

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On 3/31/2019, 5:20:53, havanaholly said:

Your repairs are very well done.  The frog pond will look great!

Thank you, holly. I am taking my time and going very slow. I am also listening to what she wants.  I haven't begun working on the interior, because everything I have offered, she has turned down. We will see what happens when the next batch of floors and wall coverings come in.  At this rate, she might end up covered in paint and contact paper, LOL. I will keep trying. :) There are some windows that still need repairs. Framing, and "glass" put in. The foundation will be the very last thing I will work on, before I begin working on the garden.

 

~morningstar~

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See if your library has The Tasteful Interlude (a book of photos of Victorian-era interiors) and show some of those photos to your lady to see what she says before ordering anything else online.  Then look for Making Victorian Dollshouse Furniture by Patricia King.

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21 hours ago, havanaholly said:

See if your library has The Tasteful Interlude (a book of photos of Victorian-era interiors) and show some of those photos to your lady to see what she says before ordering anything else online.  Then look for Making Victorian Dollshouse Furniture by Patricia King.

Since I have little chance of getting to the library, I went to Amazon and got a copy of "The Tasteful Interlude" and it will arrive by the end of the month. I also purchased "Making Victorian Dollshouse Furniture" that will arrive next week. :) As I work on this house, my book collection grows. :)I have two copies of  "The Big Book of a Miniature House" by  Christine-Lea Frisoni. :)

If I ever find the other books, I will likely have duplicate copies of other books too. :) If I find that I do, I will offer them here first. If there are no takers, I'll list them on eBay.

~morningstar~

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Before Patricia King, Helen Ruthberg published books about making all sorts of miniature furnitureee and accessories for dollhouses.  Her books were published by Chilton, 'way back when.

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21 hours ago, havanaholly said:

Before Patricia King, Helen Ruthberg published books about making all sorts of miniature furnitureee and accessories for dollhouses.  Her books were published by Chilton, 'way back when.

I think I saw a couple of her books on Amazon. I may still go back and look some more. Right now, I have a whole box full of books, so I am going to keep working with the ones I have, and see how we work. It almost feels like she doesn't want to be dressed in Victorian era dressing. I keep seeing more modern looks to her. I don't know yet. We shall see.

 

~morningstar~

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They have very definite ideas about what they want and how they want to look; my McKinley wanted to be Edwardian with lots of William Morris and the farmhouse wouldn't settle for anything later than pre-World War II.

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