The Porch Roof is Done

The glue held and the porch roof is now done.  I did put more glue along each edge though to make sure that it does not give way later.  Then I was able to put all the trim up in the gables.  I am not going to put the trim along the edges of the roof though as I do not like the looks of it.

 The next step will be the porch railings. So I got them all primed and then painted the final coat of paint.  Now I am just waiting for them to dry before I can glue them all together.











While I am waiting for the paint to dry, I decided to work on the chimney.  I was not sure how I was going to do this and still have it look realistic.  I prefer a stone chimney so I started to cut up egg cartons to see how it would look.  I painted the top grey as I think it best represents cement but I am still not sure what to do with the flu part.  It is grey for now but I don't know if that is best. 

Porch Roof

Putting the porch roof on was a terrible job as there is nothing to hold on to.  There are some slots but since the roof goes in at an angle, the small tabs just rest on the edge of the slot and it does not hold the pieces in place. As a result only a very small rim touches the walls and it is not much area for glue. 

The instructions said to put the roof up first.  The railings and posts are only very thin strips and they would not be strong enough to hold the roof up.

So I had to use a lot of glue and masking tape to hold the pieces in place and I did a lot of mumbling. But at least it is together. Now I will have to wait until the glue dries to see if it will hold together once I take the tape off.

I also gave a final coat of paint to the trim pieces.

Back at work

 I finally got my desk and work table cleared off and I started giving all the trim a base coat of paint.

 I also made the chimney and the ladder for the attic trapdoor and gave them a base coat of paint as well.

While I was busy painting, David and Julie put the fireplaces together.

It is time to get back to work

 This is my work area! A dumping place for everything.  I have not been down here for awhile and everything is piling up on top of the desk. 

Misty is our anti social cat.  Although she looks gentle, she is very aloof and in the summer she spends all her time outdoors.  But she does not like winter and her visits outdoors is very quick.

 Rusty is our gentle giant.  Although he hides when visitors come, he is always around us.  He loves attention and follows us everywhere we go.  If I am at my desk, he will jump up on it and beg to be petted. He jumps on our lap if we are on the chesterfield, and sleeps on our bed at night.  He very seldom goes outside.

 The two cats do not play with each other or sleep together.  They occasionally confront each other and Misty will chase Rusty away if he gets too close. Rusty is a big baby and he always backs off.

 Brandy does not bother with either of the cats unless Rusty is on our knees and then she will try to chase him off as she is very jealous. This stuffed cat is the only cat she will get close to. Although she does sleep on the bed with Rusty a lot as long as Rusty does not touch her.

Brandy is enjoying the warmth of the fireplace downstairs in the recreation room.  It is nice and warm and cozy, but I am determined to get to work and get my desk cleaned off so that I can get back to my miniatures.  I need to finish building the Pierce dollhouse so that I can get back to the fun stuff.  I have procrastinated long enough!!!!!

My First Dressed Bed

This is the first dressed bed I have made.  I have made beds for children's rooms but this is the first canopy bed I have done.

I belong to a miniature group on line that does group projects and this project was to make a dressed bed. It started with cut pieces. Since I have no stores near me and no car to go to one, I have to rely on what I have on hand.  I cut the pieces from bits I had on hand so they are all different types of wood. Therefore I have to paint them as staining would result in different shades.

I wanted the headboard to have a carved look so I cut a piece out of lace and glued it to the headboard before painting it.

The mattress was made out of a piece of Styrofoam covered with cotton from a jewelry box. 

I also made a set of sheets, blanket and pillow for the bed but forgot to take a picture of them.  I made a stuffed quilt and matching canopy and I even lined the under part of the canopy with a silky material so that you would not be looking up at bare wood.

The colours are slightly different than they show in the pictures.  I did not want white trim so I gave all the trim a bath in tea.  This gave a nice light beige colour which will blend better with the colours of the room.  I was debating on putting curtains on the posts but I think that it would make the bed look too cluttered.

Beautiful Flowers

I was so lucky to win the draw from Janice and my package arrived from England yesterday.  I was absolutely amazed when I opened it up and found not one - but FIVE beautiful arrangements. 

 Beautiful blue iris!

 Not sure what this plant is but I love it.

 Wonderful daffodils.  I have always wanted to have these flowers but never attempted to make them.

 And look at these wonderful clematis.  So real looking!

 This rose wreath is great.  The roses and those little buds are wonderful.

Thank you so much Janice.  It was far more than I expected and I am so thrilled with them all.  And I also enjoyed the Dumbledore's sherbert lemons!!

Our 50th Anniversary

Today is our anniversary!  We have been married for 50 years and what a ride it has been. With many ups and downs, our life has never been dull. We have three wonderful children and six very special grandchildren.

We have had fifteen homes and two recreational cottages and have lived in ten different cities/towns. We even traveled across the country to the west coast. We have seen so many changes over the past 50 years as the world evolves but the one thing that does not change is love. We still love each other as much today as we did on our wedding day. Even more as our love has grown year by year.

My husband is so special and he is a great father. His family has always come first with him and he is the best husband ever. The road may have been a little rough at times but we traveled it together - side by side - all the way. When we got married, some skeptics said that we would not last a year because we were complete opposites. But opposites attract and we compliment each other. What he does not like to do, I do and vice versa. We work so well together and share everything from child raising to housework to yard work and renovations. We are a team and I have the best partner ever! I love you Norris.

Happy Anniversary!!!