One down

 

the Kitchen floor

In the beginning there was a floor and some walls and a whole lotta parts

I thought I had taken more pictures at this stage but it was months ago now and I cant find them.

Waiting in the wings

 

Assembling after wall papering & flooring

with size appropriate graphics 45 

paper 

The ceiling

I also experimented with some of my paper cutting dies 

for the tin look on the ceiling and  walls 

This one came out quite well. Wiring is an acquired skill, I have obviously not mastered yet.

Rats nest

Though it is not as scary as it looks (really!)

this is 3 rooms worth that will run off the ceiling of the kitchen.

Inside wall wireing

The short hallway leading from the front room to the stair room is around enough of a corner it shouldn't be seen from any angle, I hope!

Because that is a nasty mess!

There is a lot of initial planning that has to be done here

Before I just start to "wing it"

And building out the walls and ceiling with cardboard, elmers glue and spackle is part of it

kitchen through the window

It looks ugly now but some sanding and wallpaper spiffies it up quite a bit!

Here are the done pictures of the assembled kitchen.

Left side

 

 

I'm a little chuffed because a few friends have suggested it looks like a real room!

Right side

 

there is a lot of baking going on here

I am really pleased with how this all turned out

Full frontal

 

 

 The trim looks good and despite not having a stove top

the kitchen looks like a workable space

 

Though something seems to be missing.

 

Here is the ceiling put on 

My wonky hinges

The refrigerator ! 

No wonder it looks strange that big empty spot needs to be filled with a fridge.

I cant find an appropriate one But I did find one on Bently house minis 

Ara is super detailed and very precise.

 

  She gives you a lot of really good advice and watching her make stuff is soothing.

 I got a ton of great ideas and lots of encouragement to try new stuff

.

From the stair room

she is well worth the watch.

 Her fridge is made for a 1:12 scale house, so I had to scale it down for my size.

I think I succeeded 

 

Looks pretty good in spite of those wonky hinges

 

Now on to the front room. Starting with the floor.  Those clamps are a life saver BTW,.

I could use s few little "C" type clamps I cant find any small enough

 

I'm also quite proud of this window.

 

 

I bashed the whole thing with wood, plastic I scrapped from a container 

and cardboard with its front panel ripped off

So now on to siding and maybe some paint for the garden side

 

This will take some thinking time.

Into Lilliput

My table when I started

So what started with a 1:24th scale room kit

 Has ballooned into several kits and a few

Other things here and there

 I started this shindig with the stairs

They just seemed so cozy, with the fireplace 

and all the snug little cubbies for chotchkies

In a nod to 2020, I found these tiny wine bottles 

and used my own fabric for the chair

Though looking at it it needs some trim.

I lovingly assembled them and all the 

little parts, then decided I needed real tiny bricks 

for the fireplace and it stalled, so I bought another kit

 This is your only warning! Tiny rooms are addictive.

A little bit about the kits you can find tiny room kits 

on amazon and ETSY 

they run from about $30 that are just a room, 

to $80 for the larger house kits

 I ultimately got 6 kits, most are single room kits

And I have now decided to kitbash 

a house from the pieces

Because the kits weren't fiddly enough by themselves

I'll feature the trailer first, 

since it's the only kit I have completed 

not just assembled the furniture and the accessories.

Sink, hot plate and oven

I have loved the delicate tiny work of putting the parts together!

I have been down and feeling very not creative since the virus hit us

and having these kits to work on has been a god send

To spend hours assembling all the tiny parts

A bit of mindless assembly

A cozy bed

 that takes all your attention

to make a cohesive whole, is just what I need to feel better

Even my Hubbs likes the results

The kits themselves come in a flat box

 full of lettered baggies of parts, 

a book of instructions and a few sheets for wallpaper 

flooring, books and pictures 

All of which you assemble yourself

It is very much a puzzle

hmm, that chandelier is wrong

  

Most of the kits also come with paint, glue and a few tools 

But you will need more

A pair of needle nose pliers is essential 

as is an exacto knife, a pair of snips and real tweezers

the ones that come in the box are a joke.

I also suggest clamps, big and tiny, 

A nook for eating and reading

 

I've been using binding clips for little things 

that need a bit of pressure until the glue dries 

 A pair of sharp scissors for precise cutting paper

Masking tape

 

 

All you need for a get away

 

 

Skills you will learn while making this kit

Time is relative, I can loose whole days

Patience. Because throwing things across the room,

when they are this small, is a disaster!

Electrical wiring is easier than you thought

Some new tools

 

 

For a dollhouse, that is.

 

 

 

My desk now

 

 

So now let the kitbashing start in earnest!

Victory!

 Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Win the Presidency!

Our first Female, African/Asian American vice president!

Today I am thankful and happy! 

The stress of the last 4 years will fade with time and the country will, hopefully start to move forward and heal.
Tomorrow will come and we will take care if it then 

but today we celebrate a win for the soul of the country.

Nothing ever gets "Done"

 Of all the things to think about, I have thought about this a lot through out my life. As a Mom, A Wife and a Maker, there are things around the house, that just never seem to get "Done".

I used to get frustrated with my Ex-hubbs because he could not understand why the house wasn't clean, enough for him. Never mind the three entropy with feet machines, AkA children. I dare you to keep a house clean when you have kids, I double dog dare you...o0! The vast pantheon of things that must be done every day to be considered a "good" housefrau are the most frustrating to keep up with, even with help. 

Lest you all think I am just here to complain about "Woman's work is never done" well, yeah, kind of. BUT I invite you to, myself included, to think about it in a different way. Maybe. 

Yeah, yeah, give me a break,  I'm still working on it. 

The different way is this, change your expectations. 

Stop expecting certain things to be "Done" 

Laundry, dishes, dust, sweeping, mopping, cat litter/dog walking, the dreaded vacuum, etc.

They won't ever be "Done"

EVER 

Stop expecting it to happen.

Even if you have a housekeeper to come and help, they, will, not, ever, be, "Done"

That's it.

No, really.

That's the sum total of my ground breaking philosophy so far.

Excited?

Yeah, I thought so. me either.

This is why I'm still working on it.

Vote!

 

 

The most important thing I have done all year!

 

Where is Alice?

So the rabbit was first though I'm still looking for a tiny pocket watch to put in his hand

  The Mock turtle came next, With her eternal tears

       Then came the Dodo, elegant and wise

The calm Griffons wisdom

 

looks like she just left

 The Caterpillars curiosity

 

 The doormouse in his pot

and the painting of the rose trees

More time and more tea

Flamingos for our game of croquet

 But where can Alice be?

Koala

Omg, omg, OMG!

I'm so excited!!!!

 

 

I got my new sewing table!

Look at it now before I have a chance to muck it up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look at it! isn't it pretty!

It's a Kolala and it has more drawer space 

than my 60 year old singer sewing table

and it has an elevator so I can put my machine away 

 

and do other things on the table!

 

 

 

Wheeeeeeeeee!

 

 

 

 

Table goes up, Table goes down...........

I Finished something!

Even though it is one of those dratted new projects I wasn't already working on

 

 

I figured I had to start somewhere

 

 

This cunning little box is one of Mary Jo Hiney's kits

 

 

 

It came with all you need, except the fabritac glue, 

 

And nice clear instructions, to finish in a day

 

Though I used my own ribbon for the yellow Rose

Easy peasy

 

 

Just be cautious with the glue and let it dry between stages

 

Sidetracked

 Just a little bit.

OK, a lot.

 

But in my defense it has been a busy few months, 

 

with doctors appointments for the whole family to coordinate, 

 

 

yardwork to avoid, Ahem, do.

 

and then t

here is this pesky new hobby

 

 

I seem to have picked up and obsessed over for the past month

 

Like I need another one.

 

I must admit making tiny furniture for a dollhouse, 

 

I probably will never get around to making, has been curiously satisfying. 

It's also excellent avoidance material, 

turn on the music 

 or your favorite audio book,  

Try to find some semblance of peace While your government is 

trying to burn down the world around our ears

ignore the chaos that is created by men of no conscience

 

and create.

 

Who's hiding?

 

 Isn't that what I originally started crazy quilting for? 

hmmmm. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You know how you start a project,

 

then you start another project and the first project never seems to get done?

 

 

 

 

 

Then suddenly you 10 projects scattered around the house.

And just as suddenly they are all done?

I'm not there yet, 

 

to the done point, that is.

If it weren't for the whiskers I would not have seen her this morning!

but I will be

If only Molly would stop poning my chair.......