Finding my marbles

The next part of the build concerns electrics and until I can get my head around that I looked for something to do quickly. I bought this little console table in eBay for about 25 euros, made by JBM miniatures. It is pretty but I'm afraid that I've seen too many thickly varnished miniatures to love it as it is. I know that I could sand it down but with the detail it would be tricky. I hesitated to dip it in stripper and take it back to wood but in the end I went with paint.

I roughed up the surface with wire wool and gave it two coats of mat white acrylic.

I then decided to paint the top in black marble effect. I just painted some mat black then dabbed a kitchen towel in white paint and transferred the white in blotches here and there but not too regular. I did Something similar with some Emerald green paint then with a fine brush I wiggled some whitish lines over  the surface then picked out parts in brighter white. I then rubbed the surface down with wire wool and took a stiff paintbrush and coated the whole table with dark antique wax rubbing it into the detailing. Next day I brushed it up and with a cloth made the top shine.

It brings out the wood detailing much more this way.

I think it looks more interesting and besides I love painted furniture. 

This style is Chippendale, a sort of Chinoiserie variation.

The top, I admit that the photo is not great.

In place against the wall which is itself not fixed in place yet. The chair is just for scale, I will use others and put one at each side of the table.

With some decor. I would love a silver tray from Mike Sparrow and some decanters and glasses on it here and maybe a vase of flowers too. I might put a basket of books under it or a dog basket.

Below are some tables for inspiration, some for the shape or colour or marble top.

I think that it's good to look at some of the miniatures on sale in a different way and imagine them painted or altered. Idealy we would carve and make all our own furniture but only a few of us has that talent. I do not ! 

The Midas Touch

I know, ANOTHER post in the same day. 

As I decided to try to make a mirror for above the fireplace I looked at my stock of trims and frankly was not over impressed. A year ago I had made molds from some picture frame trim and cast them in resin but again was not impressed. 

SO

I often buy pictures from the local charity shop either for the glass or for the thin wood backing and usually the frames are not very nice industriel gold. I never chuck anything so I dismantle the frames ( throwing them on the floor at an angle usually works ).

Last night late I thought , mmmm maybe I could chop of the pretty bits into fine strips.

My first attempt I took off too little of the base wood and as the 'pretty bits' are molded onto a wood backing they just broke up into small pieces. This does necessitate a table saw as there is no other way. My table saw was about 60 euros to not impossible to buy for us. I then adjusted the guide to take off a mm of the wood along with the decorative molding and it worked. I managed to get two types of trim from one frame piece and a plainer piece from a plainer frame. Please if you do this WEAR A MASK as I am sure that the resin dust is not great for our bodies!

Here is my trove from two pieces of frame. This encourages me to look out for more frames to canibalise for other projects.

A close up of the trims. I think that they look great and will make great frames or even panelling if you have enough of the same type. You could also buy new frames to have enough of the same.

The ruler is in centimètres, the trim is nice and flat and really pretty.

This is the plainer one but again really useful for plainer picture frames. I am thrilled to have found a way to frame some pictures for the house without having to juggle with resin frames.  

I hope that this helped someone.

Huggggssss 

Zero alcohol content

Well as much as I said that I needed some vodka to manage this, it happened without. I was so putting it off and making a big deal of it that I just put my movie on pause, got up and 'did it'. 

I glued the back of the card, as I had said previously, on which I laid the parquet, knowing it would dry but believing that this would give an extra bite to the process. I noticed how MDF has a tendancy to suck up the glue quickly so this acted as a sort of barrier.

I then glued really quickly the floor, laid down the card and placed all the weights I had already calculated to weigh it all down all over.

So here at last and quite painlessly I add is the finished floor! Notice the join between the dining end and the main floor that appears to be a different colour. I will rectify this in daylight as I always seem to work at night in Ramsay House. The dark floor helps the pink walls somewhat.

I had cut the ceiling board, glued in a huge Sue Cook ceiling rose and painted it to match the rest.

It will only go in when the lights are fixed in and the blinds are made up and installed. The back blind has to go in now and the front side one can go on standby for now but I will make it at the same time. I have found a green silk shantung petticoat that I made for my wedding dinner in Mumbai that no longer fits ( it shrunk! A LOT !!  ) that will be the perfect colour.

I realised that instead of hanging the mirror above the fireplace I could put a painting there and the mirror where the painting was going to be. Time will tell. I never know in miniature builds if things have to be glued down and fixed in place or set and hung as in a real house ? What do the rest of you do. I do like the idea of changing the decor from time to time.

Light brigade

When preparing myself psychologically for the glueing down of the floor I realised that there was no light switches in the room! How to put on the lights ( is this going too far ? ) 

I love antique brass light switches but the ones I saw for sale in miniature were really bad resin ones.

So I thought how hard could it be to make some.

I used similar brass studs to the ones used for the wall cornice moldings. For the button I found some ball headed wires. I folded in the spikes, made a pre hole in a piece of mount board, put a dab of glue to the back of the stud, pushed the pin through the stud ( after piercing a hole ) and into the card. I bent the pin behind the card after cutting it short. I then bonked the stud with a Hammer to push the pin-switch into the stud.  I then did this again to make a double switch.

Trimmed down and pre painted.

A coat of pink, I wanted the switch to seem like it had seen many layers of paint over the years as I do with all the house. 

The switch in place, painted and patinated with some umber.

I stained the floor surround in case there were ( and are! ) tiny gaps between the floor and wall when glued down.

As you can see I went for the pink walls. The first reaction was not the best. I found it very baby pink but it turned out to be the lighting which was too brash. I did dirty up the colour with a wash of burnt umber which also helped.

The woodwork dirtied up and varnished and below the pink paint before the patination. It was so much easier to work on this panel than the walls of the main build. There will be window blinds and a few pictures on the walls plus a 'picture light' placed where the hole in the panel is placed.

Now you don't see it, now you do! I suddenly realised that there was a panel missing at the side of the door. Soon remedied but now has to be painted up and patinated to match the rest.

Now another dilema ! I had purchased this frame for this room but suddenly it seemed too dominant for the wall size. I'm not sure that mirrors go up over the ceiling moldings. I didn't want it to rest on the mantle so that would bring it up even more.

I fished out this round one that was going to go into the hall, it still has no glass or gold patina. I could paint it black as this would contrast nicely with the pink. 

I have decided to try to make a mirror specifically for this space and if it turns out not to be good then I will re think the problem. I still have to finish the patination of the pink then glue in the floor and wall lights. The new lights I ordered for each side of the mirror, my third lot, came but were too big for the space and stood out too far. I am going with my second choice for which I made lampshades.

This room will be quite dim despite the lighting so the pink will be a lot softer and should give a nice atmosphere once finished. There will be a large chandelier over the main room, two over mantle lights, a picture light, two table lamps and the dining room LED spot lights in all plus the light from the back window.

I thought that this might help for anyone wishing to make some switches. 

The studs came from the craft section of a sewing shop and the pins from Etsy. 

My next post should be with the floor glued in and the lights fixed in place. I have done a dry run on the weights needed to hold down the floor as it dries. I have cut a piece of heavy mdf to lay on the parquet and heavy weights to press down. I will pre glue the card on which the parquet in made and really glue the floor and hopefully the two surfaces with knit and stay in place. 

Where's the vodka? Oh I forgot I Don't drink ! 

Huge hug to all you lovely followers.

Drawing nearer

Working on the drawing room of Ramsay House. I had decided to add an extra layer to the ceiling trim, I used wood from the blind as usual. This wall is not yet fixed or the top corner finished.

I drilled a hole for the cable for the 'picture light' which I ordered from eBay. I am going to put the ivory miniature under it and a table below.

Here some of the wood is dry fitted before painting.

The extra panels are glued in place and painted up to match. I cut the ceiling panel which will take the ceiling rose and chandelier. There will be another layer of mdf above this on which the next floor will be built. I think that these layers make a good cheap effect to replace pricey plaster trims. I will use some Sue Cook trims in the bedroom above this but not in all rooms and not only for economy, simply because it makes for more variation in the overall build. As many miniaturists know when we want something for our build we tend to find a way even if it means having two or three birthdays in one year!!!!! 

I cannot fix the last wall in place as I have ordered my third pair of overmantle lights from Etsy. I hope that this time I will like them and fix them in place, I am running out of options!

Showing off ! I decided very warilly to test the level of the two opposing walls before setting in the ceiling and what do you know it was perfect ! I was so pleased with myself I had to go make tea and have a lot of cake with strawberry jam on it. 

I realised that I had to fill the bookcase before glueing it in place as afterwards access would be tricky. I fished out my box of first made books, varnished the spines and glued up bundles to squeeze in to shelves. I made the books from a download via Etsy. I filled them will real pages. 

I like this view, it 'almost' reminds me of the Thorne Rooms ! The floor is not yet in place and the ceiling needs the large ceiling rose I bought from Sue Cook some time ago.

The wall colour is still under debate, one of me still lthe pink and the other me is thinking of yellow. Who will win?

The bookcase dry fitted and full of books. The table is an Etsy purchase, not sure if it will be used in the finished room.

A lower view taken from the viewpoint of the dog! The log basket is made from Carved bone, found in a charity shop in Scotland for 1 euro. 

Below, a pair of brass fenders found on eBay some time ago and forgotten in a box. I had remembered them as being too big in scale so unused. 

Turns out they are the right scale and look quite good. 

Miniature heaven

I wanted to do a quick post on Henry ' Hank' Kupjack who I just learnt has died suddenly this year!

Hank was a really well know miniaturist from a family of talented people. 

Eugene Kupjack, Hanks father, had worked on most of the famous Thorne Rooms so the pool of talent was certainly very deep! 

Hank was only 67 !! 

When Eugene died Hank became the principal miniaturist and both their work is in muséums and the collections of many a wealthy patron. 

I so often saw his name in print when admiring amazing miniatures and dreamnt of owning something, a pipe dream now impossible. We have to just love and support all the amazing miniaturists that we still have with us, there are so many. 

For the full article in the Chicago Times, see link. 

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/2/18/18314021/henry-hank-kupjack-renowned-for-museum-worthy-miniatures-dead-at-67

Up and down and over and under

Since yesterday I have been reading the blog of the amazing David Johnston who has purchased Balintore Castle ( figuring on my last post ) and he explains how he approaches the task and all the items he sources to furnish it. It's a wonderful read. 

On his blog he mentiones this castle called Chateau Miranda in Belgium. It is similar to Balintore Castle being Victorian Gothic and is a gorgeous Chateau or should I say 

WAS 

In October 2017 this happened! Incredible that today we are STILL doing this! The owner had always refused to sel land apparently prefers a field of rubble than a castle albeit in ruin!

They could not even leave the tower as a Landmark! How sad is that! 

Check out the photos of David Baker, gorgeous but sad.

https://www.davidbakerphotography.com/location-history/residential-urban-exploration/the-history-of-chateau-de-noisy-chateau-miranda-belgium

On a lighter note I received my order of silver from the great Stephen J Randall.

When you are a bit down, this happens to everyone, its good to buy some stuff!

I apologise for the dreadful photo, I wanted to show the scale which is of course perfect.

I love these sauce boats !! Such detail.

This is toooooo cute !! with its little wooden handle and removable lid.

I must have at least six pairs of candle sticks but these are my first silver ones. 

He even sent some mini candles ! Wick-ed ! 

I am slightly stuck on my build as my mum is in need of my presence so I am organising a trip to Scotland which wasn't planned, so having friends come to watch the dogs etc has to be done.

I had intended a trip to paris to do medical stuff but that will have to wait until November.

On a really positive note I have just received some great news. 

I told you that I had to move from here after four years of getting the house in order and doing the garden. The reasons are divers but mainly the lack of shops and 'life' in general here .Years ago I had fallen in love with a house in a nearby village and each time I passed it I told people 'that is my house' and one day our antique dealer friend invited us to 'a house' in the village that he was emptying for the family and it was 'my' house ! I was in love with the whole house, the situation, the old fashioned garden the outbuildings, the high ceilings, the black and the white floors. South facing double living room with a french door leading out to the garden that looks onto countryside.

I then spent weeks looking at houses for rent and they were either terribly 'modernised' or way too big or had tiny gardens. I even hesitated on a sixteen roomed chateau with park but it was too much upkeep. So I found out who owned 'my' house and wrote him asking to rent it and he has agreed. 

I don't want to jinx it by talking too much but in short the whole house is to be restored and he has agreed to allow me to talk to the builders to have things done as I would like within budget, how great is that! The work will take all winter, new windows and heating and plumbing. It will be finalised at the end of the month but I have already begun packing boxes! This is going to be my 'last' home as over the years I have lived in 30 different places!    

Here is a sneak peek for now. 

The village has a bakery and tea room and small supermarket full of organic local produce and the entire area is one huge walking area for daily dog outings !! how great is that. 

To top it all the owners are really lovely people to talk with, the house had been designed by his grandfather as was the whole village. the familly live in the old abbey in the village.

When good and bad news come at the same time its hard to focus without guilty feeling on the good stuff but life in general is a mix of sweet and sour, both are neccesary to appreciate the other. 

There are two ways of looking at life, 

' live each day as if it was your last day' 

and 

' live each day as if it was your first day'.

Mega hugs to all my followers and many thanks for your views and comments.