Back in the saddle again.

Before I began Ramsay House I read many many blogs and articles, I did my research as I do for any project. Sometimes in life it stops at research because we realise that what we planned to do is beyond us. I tend to go with the saying ' He knew it not to be impossible so he did it'. 

One thing that I soon realised that not being as pliable as I was in my Younger years the idea of 'getting into' these rooms to decorate was going to be a problem. I read our lovely Giacs blog where he cracked ribs redecorating his ballroom!

I decided to make the core of the house, the hallway and stairs and landings as one tall edifice and then add the rooms on each side as I went, giving me access to the spaces.

Here you can see I cut out what is in fact a large and tall window which will be mullioned with metal cross bars. I bought some lead tape to try to make this happen. 

The wall panel slots into a gap in the side and in the end the whole side panels of the build will have an added layer of mdf added to 'knit' all the layers together and give more depth to the windows.

To balance this window when I get round to the facade I will add a dummy window to the left as was often the case in architecture of the period.

This is the view from the hallway through the drawing room to the new window. The idea being that you can peek through the side windows and get a view of the rooms from a different angle.

As I needed the wall to be deeper than the thickness of the mdf I decided to line it with finer mdf and use the gap to hide wiring etc. These are some of my antique irons, they have felt glued Under them to protect the items weighted down.

The panel set in and the second layer cut with an added piece below the window to give depth.

At this stage I decided to make the Template for the parquet flooring as this would have to be installed before the wall was fixed in place and until the wall is fixed  I cannot finish the cornicing around the ceiling and so forth. I used large pieces of kraft card with a gum paper join.

Below are two photo used for inspiration. I will add shutters at one point. I decided not to make a window seat but make the added depth higher to put some potted plants on later. 

My window is deeper than these but too late to do anything about that!

The wall panel prior to decorating.

Skirting/base boards some chair rail trim, a piece of 'blind' wood at the top to give depth to the cornicing and some mount board panels layered over white kraft card. I 'framed' the window but it still needs some extra molding.

The wall dry fitted with a chair to check scale, the book case will be glued in place knitting it all together.

Another view, realising that what I thought was going to be a small room is in fact a good size.

In this view you can see the ceiling of the dining room with a ceiling rose ready to take a chandelier , working or not, because the holes you see are for LED lighting. No one will actually see this ceiling!

Below my inspiration for the ceiling.

The panelling painted up and not yet patinated. The walls will be pink, unless that changes. The colour of the woodwork is almost the same as the hallway colour but is in reality different. it's Farrow & Ball 'Shaded White', they do so many 'off' colours.

I will say this now, DO NOT CUT OUT SOCKET HOLES AT 2 AM !! I decided last night to check my workroom before going to bed around 1h30 and had the idea before I forgot to cut out the hole for the electric socket and messed it up so spackeling I will go !

Nothing here is glued in place as the floor has to be done first.

Beginning the parquet floor, so much fun to be had, except cutting out the strips.

Below is a rough idea of what the windows will be like, stone mullions with iron and lead glazing bars. Initially I was going to do a classical Georgian English facade but on seeing so many wonderful buildings in Scotland I decided to go for an older style. I add that it will be a LOT more work.

If Icon then you can too

I am still messing about with post storage triage and totally frustrated about not working on Ramsay House but the end is in sight! I also fell ill with bronchitis and that took its toll too.

I absolutely had to post the images of my recent acquisition freshly arrived this morning.

Some weeks ago I came across an Etsy store specialising in the painting of miniature Icons and based in Moscow Russia. Although their work was indeed miniature it wasn't small enough for 1:12th scale but after a couple of emails to the wonderful Anna and Roman they accepted to make me three icons in various examples of 'smallness' and in fine wood. Just a few days ago I received a photo of the finished work and hardly believing my eyes I paid and waited and today voila! 

Russia seems to be a hub of incredible talent and I often come across artisans there who make everything from baskets to jewellery and paintings. I have found many wonderful pieces there in the past, such an incredible people, such an incredible country.

Years ago I was sent to work in Moscow, to design a shop for the Gum, the Red Square department store now home to many famous labels. The project fell through but my time there was a real eye opener as it was barely post 'freedom' and still reeling from the effects of isolation. Once I got over the presence of armed body guards and bullet proof windows I adapted quickly and was able to get free of my 'friends' and discover the city for myself. I even managed to persuade the guards at the gate to let me into the Kremlin and visit the many cathedrals therein. It was the most incredible experience as I was almost alone and could take in the sheer scale and effect of the architecture.

In the first photo you can not comprehend the scale so look at the second one!

The ruler is in centimètres not inches. I am so enthralled by the detail even in the tiny tiny one that is just a sneeze away from being lost in time. The toothpicks give an even more astonishing idea of scale and detail. 

I had them painted to put into the Chinoiserie bedroom where I wanted to mix elements of different cultures. I am now terrified that I will lose these pieces so I have to find a way of setting them into small alters in order to be able to handle them.

From their store you can get an idea of the price of their work which is incredibly accessible for such museum quality art work. I am fortunate to have them and they will add to my small collection of original art in Ramsay House.

I will definitely go back and purchase more and have an idea to do a wall of them!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/OrthodoxSmallIcon

August thoughts

Regarding my miniature work this month is really frustrating so I thought that I would show you all some of the tiny purchases I recently made via Etsy and eBay and our local charity shop.

I also came across boxes of goodies and a LOT of baddies in my storage unit. Back from Scotland I had only one day before having to drive many miles to retrieve the last of my five storage units that had been there for over 12 years. Real life does have a tendency to get in the way of fun!

I am struggling with bronchitis and the news that I am going to have to move from my lovely house.

The veggie items below came from a charming Young woman in Porto Portugal called Cecilia on her Etsy store 'MiniCilocas'. She had made them from airclay and are exactly what I wanted for the country dining room. She does make to order and her prices are very good.

The table was painted for a project that I had to abandon but will perhaps use in Ramsay House.

A close up, you can imagine them full of fruit!

The tiny incredible temple building in bronze came from Moscow Russia, the jadeite temples I found in storage and will maybe go into the Chinoiserie bedroom if there is room !!! 

I bought these three vases for the tall one as they came in a group, it's very French Art Nouveau.

These two quite primitive jugs I found in the US via Etsy. The one on the left is quite big but in my hallway here I do have a giant jug filled with branches on which I have clipped fake birds.

The green vase via Etsy, the antique bronze, the cat and the ivory elephant came from storage.

This was also from storage, it's very 'Henry Moore'.

I have had these vases for 15 years, cannot remember where I found them.

The 'silver' serving dish came from AliExpress for about 1 dollar, I bought two, the twin jugs are cake favours via Etsy and the other things came from storage. The 'Frozen Charlotte ' doll is the smallest I have ever seen. The tiny sheep are adorable.

This is a pendant found in storage, maybe to be used as art work.

I found this mini snuff box in papier maché and the tiny ivory pill box ( 19 th century ) in an abandoned house in my home village when I was 11 years old ! They have survived these years of multiple moves and storage.

This is just plastic but they look quite good and as 'background' china they could work.

This super cute bathroom suite came from my local charity shop the other day for 3 euros. The bath and toilet look right but the sinks look a bit tall.

The other day I made a flower from a kit and it drove me mad it was so fiddly. It made me think that I could actually make the petals myself so I found these on AliExpress for a few euros. I can make many types of flowers with these. Geraniums, hydrangeas and Auriculas, my favorites.

We are suffering a heatwave here in France, it's quite unbearable. SO we chose this hot day to go out and pick some brambles and tomorrow I will make bramble Jelly by heating up the fruit with some water, then strain and boil with sugar before potting. Its the easiest thing to do and much preferable to bramble jam with all the seeds!

I found this chair in our local Junk shop. It is made from Ash and is probably eastern european and from the beginning of the century. It does look a bit 'cowboy saloon' but I must say that it is the most comfortable chair I have ever sat in! I will maybe paint and patinate it and make a nicer seat pillow from some vintage stuff. It was 90 euros which is way more that I usually pay for my 'junk' but as all my other chairs were either 5 euros or found in the street its a cool average! 

Playing in the woods

After so many many hours admiring all your wonderful parquet wood floors on your blogs I was itching to have a go myself but things have to be done in order. I had to have sufficiently progressed with the floor layout and doors and base boards to be able to make a Template to work on. 

I have bought over this last year quite a lot of wood veneer in different colours but for this dining room end of the drawing room I realised that with the floor being so far back from view and low down on the ground floor it was not Worth really doing anything complicated.

My third sample test after doing two in card for the fit and size was done with 100 year old oak veneer bought in a recent car boot sale / yard sale.

As you can see the 'open' grain of the wood didn't look to scale and was a bit messy for my taste.

I worked on a base of 350 gram kraft card which is rigid enough not to bend but still thin enough to not add height to the floor.

I knew that I could use stain, filler and wax to get it right but having so many other alternative woods to work with it was pointless.

Missed a few photo but the method and design are the same. I chose a fine grained light colour wood veneer from a German Supplier ( ? ) didn't note the wood type. I made a plain strip surround to enclose the parquet pieces laid on the biais of course. Here it is sanded down ready for stain. I used an alcohol based 'Palissandre' stain which is redder than walnut but deeper than dark oak. 

I then gave it a coat of matt varnish, rubbed it down and waxed it up with antique wax to a nice realistic shine ready for a good layer of dust later !! 

 

Here it is glued down, not perfect but for my first attempt, not too bad.

As I just showed you the finished floor I cannot leave without showing the rest of the room instead of doing a second post.

I had decided to make this dining end in a slightly different style from the drawing room end just because it was fun. Here you can see the hutch/dresser dry fitted in place and the back removable window all fixed in place. The door still hasn't been given an extra piece to fill in the lower gap yet.

I was so nervous about glueing in this paper as there was not going to be a second chance. I made a Template for the wall then another in tracing paper to lay over Alison Davies lovely 'English countryside' scenic paper in order to choose the best sections given that the window bites into the scene. I then dry fitted the paper once cut and went to lie down and do some breathing exercises!

I had no idea how to glue, what glue to use etc and of course should have asked the lovely Alison but in the end I gave the wall a coat of slightly diluted wood glue to seal it which I usually do with wallpaper paste on a real scale room. This stops the wall drinking up the glue from the paper too quickly. I even papered to the left where the hutch/dresser would fit later.

Alison's papers are very heavy duty so they don't Bubble or wrinkle when glued.

A dry fit to make sure that ever millimetre has been sorted out. I also gave the base mdf floor a little stain around the edges before laying in case there would be any gaps, rather silly when no one will see the floor from above but just being finnicky as usual.

I made the ceiling cornicing plain with no added decor as the room is busy enough. On seeing the walls papered I decided to do a 'sky' painted ceiling in the end of the room, never of course to be seen! I add that the ceiling height is lower here than the other end. There will be a chandelier, two wall lights and a couple of lamps in the drawing room but I didn't want another working ceiling light over the dining table. I am going to just suspend a non electric light or candle chandelier in a garden theme and set LED spots into the ceiling. The lovely Tony from 'Miniature Treasures' gave me his contact for LED lights 

https://www.smallscalelights.co.uk/

Jennifer Smith the owner is lovely and you can explain what you need and she will make it up and the cost is very fair indeed. I wasn't sure if I could run LEDs and 'normal' dollhouse lights off the same circuit but it's all 12 volt, just the LED set up before the junction is slightly different because the wiring is one way and cannot be crossed.

More on the ceiling later.

To finish I wanted to show off my car boot/yard sale purchase of 100 year plus wood veneer from a lovely old man who saved it from his old boss using it to light his fire he had so much!

There is a mix of oak, walnut and mahogany, I paid 20 euros for the whole crate, enough wood for a lifetime. He said that he would call me when he found more. I have stored it flat weighed down with heavy books for the moment.

Summertime

Summer is still in progress and back home after ten days in Scotland I am back posting some of the build from July. As much as I love my birth country of Scotland I do love being comfortable at home here with my dogs and my workroom, not to mention my own bed!

At the back of the drawing room which is my current build, there is a dining end with a dresser. I wanted the back window to be removable so to allow me to decorate the dining table or make adjustements from behind. I had thought this would take a few days but it took forever in reality.

I began by making a dummy wall on which to work comfortably before installing it into the real wall.

I needed a way to hide the fact that the window is removable so I made a pair of fake 'fixed' shutters using the same technique as the doors, a fine wood base and layers kraft card, some spackle filler and paint. I add here again that if you use this technique it is way best to paint the card before spackling/filling as this stops the sanding stage damaging the card. You can paint two layers of gesso/matt white paint before sanding then filling, it's a long process but Worth it in my eyes.

The shutters made in the usual way.

For the window I used real glass as I knew that there was going to be a lot of scraping off paint and plexi/acrylic doesn't like scraping whereas glass can take a lot. I used fine wood the same thickness as the glass then installed card over the edges on both sides to cover the join glass-wood. I then glued a fine strip of card around each pane to deepen the molding effect. It is important to scrape off the excess paint between each stage and not let it build up, again a LONG process but this is a test for ALL the other windows.

A quick installation test with some back lighting. This is still on the foam card dummy wall.

A dry fit into the real wall to test the praticality of the system. I set in a strip of molding under the window sill. Here you can see I glued strips of kraft card to immitate cross bars which will be spackled and painted.

The side panels will stabalise the window once in place. The gazing bars here have been painted, scraped, spackled, scraped, then painted twice with scraping then patinated and varnished with matt acrylic varnish and scraped again before cleaning.  At this point I realised that if I had to make another 32 windows in this style I would go crazy !

The window finally set in place. I glued a strip of wood along the ceiling line above the window as the wallpaper I ordered from Alison Davies is 8 inches high. You can see that I also heightened the base board. Sharp eyes can see how short my door is, it has since been added to, things like this happen.

This is the back of the build so far. Lots of electric wires all labelled. I used four clips from the back of an old picture frame to hold it in place for the moment.

You can see that the back of the window is less detailed than the front side.

I ordered some antique adhesive lead strip tape to use for the glazing bars in future windows. I have already used this product on real life windows and it was easy and effective and will stop me pulling my hair out if it works well in miniature scale.

When all the back walls are built I will encase the electrics and make it all ' nice and neat'. I wish then to build a back plexi unit on which I will paint greenery to be seen outside the back windows.