Pillars and kites

Added an edge pillar to each vertical of the opening.
Still thinking about how/if to dress the outside of the box

Made two kites a-flying to give some height and a little more ‘welcome’ to the children’s display

Can’t hide from the decisions about the outside of the box, having got this far with the internals

Choices:

• The MDF box kit came with a shaped store front roof-standing name board – a bit curly looking for my taste and not sure if want to use that
• Also box front trim framing pieces were provided – neither the name board or these edgings seem to be usable if the perspex (also provided) is being used(?)
• Wall lights at the back are falling off again – drastic decision to be made or just play along with them?  Not exactly earth shattering but v annoying
• External side walls – use brick papers which are to hand and give least work necessary or make new stonework?
• Roof cover???

None of these are major (except poss those dratted lights) and may set the tasks aside to simmer for a while and turn to a little something else.

Greenery everywhere – last bits of work nearly done

A Member of Dolls Houses Past and Present

Been busy with this and that, health and weather but have reached a point where I believe there are only a couple of things needed to finish this piece – at least for the moment.

Front (the item that might get changed later)

The almost hidden drake floating around. Can be seen by the naked eye but not the camera …

External back and righthand side before and after the straight line join was broken up

The drake is just visible on the right side of the pool …

Frontage and around to the left side

with lighting box behind gate, back and left side needing the join disguising a little too

All the greenery – excluding the back of the waterfall – has been gleened from a photo appearing on the Waymarking site and is of St Andrew’s Gardens.

What’s next?  Dunno really; probably a more room box sized piece to hold the remaining pieces of the matchbox sitting room suite from the 1950s.  If so, I know exactly how I’m going to dress it.

 

Making bits and pieces

while awaiting arrival of the post/mail.

I’ve owned a matchbox three piece suite for some time but never got to use it as it always looks rather dominant in a room space.     

The suite is covered in a fabric of the period and the whole construction of it looks and feels like it has some age; possibly 1950s or so

I also have what I think may be a Romside fireplace which I rather like, though as it has a pointed mantel shelf, dressing it with an ornament or clock is going to be a problem – over-mirror it is then, with possibly a small bonbon dish and photo frame.

Trying out a layout – decided had to ‘help’ the chair back a little and made it slightly more upright as old stitching was weak

In need of a doily or three here

Homemade mirror (lopsided) with brooch. Looking odd and in need of a tall vase(?) All looks unbalanced

One period button with shank and one larger modern one with holes opened up to take the shank for making a two layer wall clock

Bit messy but made a curved photo frame that just about fits on one side of mantlepiece

One bon-bon dish – there always seemed to be one in the living room of houses we visited

The other items that might go in the mix are a jumble of newly acquired pieces and others I’ve had in the storage drawers, and they are also a bit of a mixture of scale; 1:12 and 1:16 I think.

Imagine one doorway and two windows on that back wall, and as long as no one wants to move much in this room this is a likely layout with a few more additions.

A room box and an optical illusion – continued

Ceilings and puzzles and an attempt at ‘gardening leave’

Starting with the puzzles, or more truthfully, one puzzle with lots of parts all dealing with the order in which to carry out the remaining tasks.

I would like (and definitely in my imagination, see) this room box is being the inside of a book or group of books.

The image in my mind

Imagine four or five books side by side on a shelf but the book spines are false and are mounted on what forms the fourth wall of the box so that it can swing open in one piece to view the room(s).

• Now go back in your mind to the real books side by side on a shelf.  What do they look like?  Which part of a book possibly stands higher than other parts – in this case I’m thinking that the edges of the spine and covers will stand slightly higher than the pages enclosed, therefore for building an imitation, the room box ceiling/page edges probably needs to go on before the sides/covers.  I think …
• Are the imaginary books a set so that the two outer walls/book covers can match?
• Will I be able to add odd bits and pieces of a house, like doors, windows etc inserted in the spines and do they need to be in the same scale????
• And so the queries need answering, and there are a number further basic questions I still need to work on before moving on with the outer walls.

Yes, I did plan all this before I started, but time has passed, I’m getting older minute by minute and things change, so planning questions need answering once more.

One decision made

I have, meanwhile made a move on the ceiling/page edges I believe.

Over the hidden corridor which provides the reflected ‘extension’ to the house I’ve added a further LED bulb shining down the full height mirror and given it a perspex ceiling so you can view the set up down there should you wish.

This arrangement throws much more light down the reflected corridor and even appears to light up the paper figure’s head and neck. It still leaves a shadowy appearance too which I rather like and once the box is sitting in the cubby hole the corridor will appear even more shadowy, I hope, as the perspex itself will not then allow in so much light.

The ceiling and the page edges

Scanned and printed page edges and another piece of perspex.
Will be adding ceiling beams and woodwork around the top of the walls too, which might throw some interesting shadows, who knows?

These page edges are supposed to represent a number of books side by side so I’m rashly imagining being able to add some indication of the intervening book cover edges over the top of the paper.  May not as it’s only a whim but I do rather like the thought.

Another decison taken on furniture, figures, odds and ends

The figure (hovering over a Barton Tudor chair) is peering round the door – presumably the female figure in the corridor has called out some message/instruction before walking away.  The dog will be placed more or less as was, looking pleadingly at the male figure and the only other furniture in the room is a lovely small corner wall cupboard bought in, a homemade cardboard coffer, placed bottom right against the wall hanging, and a rather lovely chair that I could just not resist.

The chair does need re-angling so that the items on the table become more visible, but it will sit more or less here, possibly facing the open window so that the gent can rest a foot on the back cross piece, perhaps

Table items added

I’m hoping to place some reading material in the hands of the figure for him to be reading.  I seriously suspect that he’s skiving, hiding behind the door reading illicit materials.

Theoretically there’s not that much left to do, so here’s hoping.

The ‘gardening leave’?

I’ve been determined to get on in the raised bedswe have in our very small garden areas as I needed to get something planted, but it’s been a struggle (as I imagine it has for lots of us).  Trying to gauge what’s going on with the weather, particularly the temperature, and balancing that against just how short the growing season might be up here near the Scottish border is one puzzle over which I have no real control.  So much hail at this time of year is causing havoc with the apple blossom (three miniature trees) and throwing off all the planning and planting too.   Got lots of sorting and clearing done though so that’s been good, and have now more or less put in all the seeds etc that I think I’ll go for this year.  Time will tell what we’ll get and I’m looking forward to seeing whatever veg we get grow and develop.  I do like this time of year – once the basic chores are more or less done.