The Eye of the Bull

At the moment I am making Something for the dining room of Ramsay House that is a bit bonkers as we say. It's like in computer science with layers of decryption upon layers, making something that no one will see. But I will know it's there.

SO

Watching paint and glue dry is frustrating as you all know but essentiel. 

I pass in front of this clock every day without really noticing it, I cannot even remember where it came from. The blue one below hung in the kitchen of my old country house for years and I recently took it out of storage and there was this hook so I put it there and then forgot about it despite it staring me in the face.

These clocks are called 'Œil de Boeuf' in French, or Bulls Eye in English. They are 'Toleware' or tin of you prefer and are molded over a wooden block to make the shape. I have always liked them and many years ago in Paris an English friend, bored with her husband working all day decided to make something and also liked these clocks so she bought one and had the case replicated by an artisan and found the workings and learnt to gild and assemble and she sold a LOT of them.

Long story short, I thought it would be fun to make a miniature one for the house instead of watching the paint dry on my latest Madness.

I saw this one on the internet and tried to mix them all up.

After searching throughout the house for something to make a mold from I came across this little porcelain bowl. My mold is not great, this product is good but it always seems to leave air bubbles and any piece taken from it needs work. This was always going to be a test and not the final clock. Usually I would go for working clocks in the house despite the cost but this one might just hang in the hallway, hardly seen. I lazilly used the same air clay, really not the best for this but it was near at hand. When it was still soft I scooped out space for the clock face, an image taken from the internet. I would have liked to use a watch face and glass but impossible to find.

Some decorative wire bought by the foot on Etsy and once the face glued in I put on thick layers of 'Triple Thick Glaze' to simulate glass.

And here we have it. It is a test, the size is not to scale, a bit too wide and deep. The chain in quite good, the gold painting is really terrible, yes believe me!

A close up with some clear mat varnish over the paint. The top ring needs a rosace or Something to finish it off. I didn't have all the right things to make this but was too impatient as usual. When I redo it one day I might use polyurethan resin and dent a hollow in the back to make it lighter, I might even add some fake 'workings' !! who knows, mad as I am.

A bit of 'mise en scene' with two air clay obelisks and my two favorite vases.

An out of focus photo of the back, I used an image to 'finish' it and waxed it up, never to be seen !

Ending on something different. I cut out some leaves from real leaves, once dry I will scatter them in the back hallway as if they had blown in from the garden! 

Whisky Galore

I know I know I know , two posts in one day well suck it up!

Last night I decided to patinate the wonderful Georgian fireplace from Sue Cook, yes I know more painting at night, never a good idea. I darkened the area in the middle where the smoke would have make some stains and made the bottom base darker also. I then gave it a coat of mat varnish which never seems really mat but with some wire wool it should dull a bit.

Sue Cooks fireplaces are wonderful, makes you want one in every room.

This is the back door of the drawing room at the dining end leading across the back hallway to the kitchen. You have to think practically even in a dollhouse. I cheated and used base board for the architrave and some plain wood behind the door which no one on earth will ever see. You can also see that I managed to insert the electrical socket in the corner leaving a little hole to be filled.

Last night I had an epiphany and thought that it would be a good idea to really differentiate in the dining end decor instead of using the same panelling and pink colour. 

I love the murals of Alison Davies so I chose this one and another to see what goes best with the colour scheme. I chose the 8 inch high version which should fit exactly between the baseboard and the cornicing.

This is where the WHISKY comes in. I once read that to put in hinges you have to have a couple of stiff drinks and then when you have finished have a couple more. For a reason that goes beyond my friends comprehension I do not drink, not a drop ! I really take no pleasure in it all and no I am not a recovering addict. Joking over, I decided to set the hinges into the door frame and then glue it against the opening, the opposite to what I did on the other door. It went 'quite ' well, Nothing that I couldn't spackle into shape.

I used some picture rail moldings from Houseworks topped with a shelf of coffee stirrer wood. I made a jig on my fret saw to cut the angles.

The fireplace is not yet glued on place, I will do so after painting the wall and wodwork. I will hide the cable on the left of the fire with some logs one day. From the angle of the room no one will actually see Inside this fireplace. There is just room for a nice log basket to the left.

I stopped the detailing against the wall opening that I consolidated visually with a strip of an old wine box which was the right thickness although really difficult to cut even with my Proxxon.

Here you can see the effect. When I think that I am not even half way through one room when there are six in all plus three bathrooms and a kitchen ! Crazy, mad lady ! 

As you can see there are more 'notes to myself', I stroke off what I do as I go. I am really looking forward to the flooring. I will mix two parquet patterns, one different on the dining end. 

As I have to wait for the wallpaper to arrive I will make the china display cabinet for the dining end. It will be nice and relaxing to make a piece of furniture again. 

The clip on spotlight bought for 5 euros is a life saver!

Ending on a piece of fun. I saw this miniature painting on Ebay and at first didn't even bid so sure I was that I could never afford it then one night I saw that the bidding was still low so I bid and what do you know, I won it ! It was about 45 euros.  It is the perfect size for the house and is a real 1920's painting. I also bought three others for small sums which I will show later, I will do a post only on wall art. 

Isn't it just perfect? 

Sharing and caring and sharing

Hello girls and boys. Just a quick share of recent internet finds.

This first one is a Japanese girl called Megumi Hachinohe who makes the most incredible cristal miniatures. Despite looking like cut cristal they are in fact lathe turned clear acrylic! I haven't found any where to actually buy them, it is common for our great Japanese and Corean miniaturists not only sell within their region, more the pity.

Her Instagram account is : 

https://www.instagram.com/meguxmini/

Are these not the most perfect vases ?

Next up is a Young man called Zack Pinsent who specialises in period tailoring.

He dresses excusively in period costume that he makes. He lives in a 'Georgian Regency' era as regards his own wardrobe but he makes period clothes in most periods for customers. He is only 25 and has been doing this since he was 14. 

His Instagram page is : 

https://www.instagram.com/pinsent_tailoring/

This next person is called Karolina Zebrowska and she is the female version of Zack. Karolina makes perdiod costume from most periods and wears her own créations. 

Her videos on YouTube are hilarious. 

https://www.youtube.com/user/czekoladaimaslo/videos

Her Instagram page is :

https://www.instagram.com/karolinazebrowskax/

In the Pink

After deciding to paint the drawing room pink I was anxious to make or find the right colour. Pink is such a happy pretty colour but the wrong pink can be terrible, baby pink or shocking pink. 

I had purchased a tin of what I thought was pale pink mat acrylic some time ago and when I opened it the colour was really bright. I tried adding some off white but it didn't change the colour much. I then added some black but that only turned the pink into mauve, much worse. I tried three times to no avail. My next attempt made a sort of shrimp pink ( to the right )  really not what I wanted. 

Then I had the idea to add ochre yellow, a lot of ochre yellow and the pink became the right pink. I will be shading the walls, slightly darker in corners etc to achieve an aged effect.

The 'before' and 'after' with the ochre artists colour. 

Trying out some complimentary tones for the doors and skirtings. Pink is wonderful but next to white it's really not good. I chose the 'Shaded White' from F&B.

The wallks = pink, the doors and base boards etc = 'Shaded White' and the ceiling= Linen white.

In my previous post I told you about rushing and forgetting the electrics, well I did it again with the power outlet but before going to bed I sorted that out and that was going to be that.

THEN. 

I had had the idea in the beginning to make a 'dining room' end to the drawing room one way or another. I knew I didn't want to cut the room with a wall and I don't like rounded arches. I had begun the ceiling cornicing and was about to continue around to the left of the fireplace when I changed direction and decided to go with my first idea. I also wanted to lower the ceiling at the dining end to make it more interesting. If I had not done this the Drawing Room would have just been one large room, not architecturally intersting. I had to angle the ceiling molding piece over the fireplace once in place to make it turn to the left over the lowered section ! Not easy but I managed.  You can see that I tape up all the things I have NOT to forget ! Poodle brain ! The cornicing will surround the sitting end of the room and a more simple version will surround the dining end. I want to set some LED spots into this lower ceiling, still have to get my head around that!

Opposite the back door leading to the hallway I will make a built in shelf unit to display the gorgeous porcelain that I have yet to find!

I decided to add the walls in pieces as I go and unify and strengthen the whole with an outer skin glued over the patchwork walls. 

Trying out a different door surround from the others with the same round motif in the corner.

The doors ready to install, have run out of whisky so they are on hold!

I painted them 'Shaded White' and patinated and sanded and varnished them. I glued on a lock, the hallway side of the doors have different handles. I figured that the lock should be on the Inside.

I covered the fireplace wall in 350 gm kraft card as I had addded some wood to the left and needed a nice smooth surface. This card is great for levelling walls and adjusting levels. 

I will put in place a 'chair rail' around the room and panels above and below. 

I painted the fireplace in the same 'Shaded White' as the doors. I will shade it to show fire damage and soot stains. The parquet floor will really make this room once the walls are pink. I need a large needlepoint carpet ( will take ten years to make ! ) and a green sofa to 'pop' against the pink.

It is going to be tricky to fit the surround to this door and paint in this corner but others have managed so let's hope nothing strains! 

I am at that point where several things have to be done more or less at the same time. You can see below the power outlet that I still have to fit the base board around. 

If I had to do this house again I think that I would have made each room a separate box and then link by the door frames. 

Trimming and decorating.

The weather, thank goodnesss, is much cooler almost normal for June in France.

Still trying to find ways to make an original plaster trim in the drawing room of Ramsay House. Trying also to do it with what comes to hand rather than go buy some gorgeous Sue Cook ceiling trim! 

I like a challenge and miniatures are all about challenges.

I was given a box of decorative metal clothing studs that had potential.

Maybe you all know this product OYUMARU, if not it's an interesting and very useful way of making molds from this sort of item. It comes in blocks and once immersed in hot water for a few minutes it becomes maleable and can be kneeded then pushed over the item.

 I nailed three identical studs onto a piece of scrap wood and pushed the Oyumaru over it. it hardens quite quickly once cooled and then you can do as I did and push some airdry clay into the mold as many times as needed. 

The GREAT thing about this product is that when you have taken your mold, you can re-heat it and use it again and again !

Once dry you can trim and sand them and ensure that the backs are flat before glueing.

I used this clay as it came in a craft sale for 2 euros. It was the first that came to hand and maybe a whiter airclay would have been better to imitate plaster. This clay imitates stone when dry.

I glued them onto the flat area of my ceiling trim with Tacky Glue and left it overnight before painting.

Once painted up with gesso it looks the way I imagined. 

I added a piece of wood to the top of the lovely Sue Cook fireplace because I chipped it ! 

Next job will be to paint up and patina the fireplace. 

The picture frame molding was too short for the fireplace wall width so I cut and added a piece at a 45° angle which better hides a join than a straight cut. 

The mirror now looks a bit tall but once hung on a slight slant it should be fine.

I now have to finish the back wall with the openings and continue the ceiling trim around the room.

I am thinking of painting this room a sort of faded pink colour with off white doors and ceiling.

Some pictures from Pinterest.

Heat wave madness

Last night late ( it was too hot to work during the day ) I was pleased as punch in glueing in place the fireplace wall section. I had strengthened the wall behind with cross bars as the plywood had warped a little. The two top pieces are to compensate the depth when glueing

After glueing in place the section really really well I went and had some tea and biscuits. I then suddenly had a flash of panic. I hadn't electrified the wall for the two light fixtures I had planned to place on each side of the mirror. I drilled in the front and the sides and fiddled with wires trying to meet up on the other side and after an hour of drilling and fiddling and poking it worked. I then pulled through the electric wires.

To the left the wall has been filled with scraps of mdf leaving a channel for the wires. I used a cardboard drinking straw to encapsulate the wires all the way out the back of the house where a system will be found ( much later ) to set up all the lights.

Then another flash of panic when I remembered that I hadn't wired in the fire itself! More drilling and poking and another straw and voila! 

I covered the fire wire in bronze coloured tape and glued the fire in place. 

The tricky thing, the wire for the fire was too short so I had to lengthen the wire with a longer piece and I had never soldered before. The first solder gave way when the join got stuck when pulling through. The second time round the solder was much better and once insulated and wrapped it puleld through no problem. 

This is the right section of the fireplace wall with its hodge podge of scraps of mdf.

I lined the wall with 2mm plywood. I add that if I had to use a lot of this wood I would need to sell a kidney to pay for it! Horrendous = 25 euros a small sheet! 

I wanted to add lamps here and there and all the sockets I have seen in houses seem chunky.  I cut into the base board and set one in for effect. I DID want to put one to the left of the fire but the idea of going through all that pulling and strawing again put me off. 

I found this garage chariot in our charity shop for ten euros. It needed a good clean but it was so Worth it as it's the perfect height and is stable and rolls well. It replaces a mid century Danish one I had previously found in the street but wasn't practical.

The weather here has been getting hotter and hotter and makes life difficult. The dogs were looking for cool spots over the house. The little Jack Russell to the front is called Caramel, he is the son of my little dog Alias who left me over a year ago. He was born when I lived in Brazil and we gave him to my mother in law who has remained a great friend. I am looking after him for three weeks. When he was a baby he sat on my desk like a toy and never moved except to gaze lovingly at me from time to time. Tonight the weather has changed and the temperature has gone down by ten degrees !