Shabby Chic in 1 inch scale, pt. 5

Many of you may recall that last February I was working on this Shabby Chic roombox and that I wanted a different container for the room. Originally I had planed on using two hats boxes to make a round room, similar to one I had seen in an issue of Dollhouse Miniatures several years back.

I had a stroke of inspiration that not only allowed me to be incredibly lazy in my efforts to re-room Shabby Chic, but also gave me an excuse to play with some really nice scrapbook papers.

Here's the original room in the old setting:
I started with a standard display case for a football (an American football, not soccer/real football). I had a piece of thick craft foam that was cut to fill in the hole for the ball, which allowed for me to use a paper floor.
Then I used the scrapbook papers to hide inserts of foam-core craft board. I thought about painting over the wood to make it white, but decided against it.

I was able to add a second window to this room, but right now I still cannot locate the remaining pieces of the fabric I used for the first set of curtains. I also need to find some scenery to put behind the windows and figure out where I stashed a thin strip of veneer to put across the top of the window dressings. If you look closely there is a frame of foam-core board behind each window. I did that so the standard dollhouse windows would sit correctly against the glass side.
The furniture is all strategically placed to allow the box to lift off the base without disturbing the layout and without any wall decorations to catch on the furniture.

I added a few more minis that fit the theme and plan on adding more as I find or make them. Petunia has migrated from the Trading Post into this room. She seems to fit better in here, but I am giving serious thought to making her a "sassy" room to live in. For a better definition of sassy, visit my friend, Marsha's, blog. Until then, Petunia will reside here in much more girlie surroundings.

I wish I could say this is the last of the Shabby Chic room, at least as far as posts go. However until I get the curtains to match, find the veneer strip, and get a few more things in there I think there will be at least one more post in the future. Especially since the dress form still irritates me...

The best part about getting this project going again was it provided me a great excuse to take a break from the holiday cleaning and play. The empty display case and all the papers kept migrating around the living room and dining room. It became necessary to stop cleaning and play long enough to consolidate everything into its present form.

That's all for now. I've got multiple mini irons in the fire, so to speak. I will try to get pictures soon, but I'm balancing miniatures with the house hunting. ;-)

A Mini!

I did work on a mini yesterday before I packed the trading post into the office so I could use the kitchen table for sewing. I made Petunia "sassy!"


I think she looks pretty good in her bling-covered collar.

Now I just have to get through the bag sewing and shirt altering so I can get back to minis.

When I say I'm altering shirts, that's what I mean. We bought some cheap shirts that are over-sized and in colors that work from Goodwill yesterday. I've been taking off buttons and pockets today. Next will be to sew closed the fronts and shorten the cuffs. Then I'll put on either bone or wooded buttons with loop catches. Pics once I actually get somewhere with them! ;-)

Wednesday and Thursday's Work

It's time to relax after running errands and making minis. I've got a pint of stout and an interesting concoction for rice, ginger, sweet onion, beef heart, and Thai sweet chili sauce that tastes like an Asian version of haggis. I like it.

Yesterday I stained pieces for a small bed to put in the Greenleaf and added more accessories to their final destinations.

Today I assembled the bed.You can see my pint behind it. After I'm sure the glue is dry I will hit it with spray varnish... probably tomorrow.

I also found a second dog for the Greenleaf. Her name is Petunia.
I decided it was hard to tell see was a she, so I gave her a bow. I thought of Marsha while I was doing this, so I chose pink! ;-)
Isn't she pretty? :-)

I might still give her a collar. Not sure. If I do I'll use a strip of black leather leftover from covering the Poe project and put sparkly bits on it. Aren't you proud of me, Marsha? ;-)

Tonight I'm looking for solid color fabric that isn't yellow to dress the mattress with.

Tomorrow I need to finish the baseboards and get the rafters in place. Then maybe I can finish the outside of the building, since there isn't much left to do for it.

Saturday I'm gone all day to a Rendezvous. No minis for me. Sunday I might start trying to make Patch and Petunia's owner...maybe.

That's all for now. I've got quite a bit to get done before Monday's deadline. I haven't even dug through the garage for a base to landscape and set the building on. Ugh. I will probably do that tomorrow too.

At this point if I get it presentable to enter the contest, cool. If not, at least I've got a good chunk of work done straight on one project. That's a rarity around these parts. ;-)