Monday, May 4, 2015

Cutting Corners.....




The Tower Stairs......

It was another one of those Busy Spring Weekends, Dear Readers, where the RL Garden was needing nearly all of my Time and energy, so Very Little was accomplished in my Mini Worlds. But in spite of all odds, I did make some real progress in the Guard Tower for the Cloud Palace! In the picture above, you can see the basic configuration of the Towers in relation to the Main Palace rooms, this time from the "Front" side of the Palace! The Guard Tower is going to be square and not as tall as the Spiral Tower. In theory this would make it easier to construct, but I am not sure it is working out that way! For one thing, it also needs to "notch" up against the corner of the Main Palace building. And for another, it is also requiring Stairs to the upper levels! If you have not already figured it out about me, I like my houses to have stairs to the upper floors! Even though the Fairy Bears can easily Fly up and down.... Visitors, like Peregrine, would need to use stairs! And Stairs almost Always use up a lot of Space! In the Guard Tower I am placing the first set of stairs in the interior of the Tower.... naturally this would make access a little more defensible
(If one really needed to worry about such things... 
but it is A Palace... so I am trying to be authentic!) 
as you can see here....

The entire Tower structure is going to be built from foam core 
with paper (Most likely egg carton) stones added to both sides. 
I am trying to keep the structure as light as possible... 
(it being a Palace in the Clouds... we want it to Float easily!)
The difficulty I was having was with the stairs upward 
from the next level to the Tower Roof.
If I placed them inside the Tower, 
it left almost no room for the Beds needed for the Guy Bears.
So I decided to make them go up the outside of the Tower from this floor on....

Here you can see the way the Tower "notches" against the Main Building.
The progress I made this weekend was that I finally Cut the Corner 
off the roof of the bay window so the Tower Front wall could be fit in!
(There is no turning back once the Corner is Cut!)
I also cut the floor of the Sleeping level,
Which I am calling the Barracks, Dear Readers,
(Otherwise know as the Bear Racks, 
because they will be bunk beds stacked three high!)
and you can see the floor here....

You can see what I mean about limited Space with the stairs coming up
and a door needed on the side to access the outer stairs to the Roof!

There will also be an interior wall along the side of the stairwell,
It defines the sleeping area and keeps the stairway safe.
And you can sort of see the beginnings of
 the exterior stairs through the door to the right....

And here you can see them from the "Front" side of the Tower.
I haven't made many steps yet.... 
but they will have to go around the Corner, Dear Readers!
It will require a whole different kind of 
"Cutting Corners" to get these stairs built!

 The stairs will need to climb up the outer wall,
much like the stairs for the Spiral Tower, 
to reach the Tower Roof.

But while we are waiting for me to Find More Time....
The Beary Gang is Happily having their Sunny Morning "Kaffeeklatch"!


So as you can see, Dear Readers,
It's only a Little bit of Progress.....
But I have been Cutting Corners
In order to build the Tower Stairs!




33 comments:

  1. So many decisions to make but I know it is going to look fabulous.

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    1. Thank you, Sharee! I keep thinking this is a "Little " project! LOL! Somehow it keeps getting bigger on me!

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  2. What a big project. I can well imagine all the egg carton collecting that is happening in your household! It will look amazing - actually it is pretty cool already!
    regards Janine

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    1. Hi Janine! I thought this was going to be a "Little" project.... but it is proving me wrong! It is a good thing the building is so much fun! I have a large stack of donated egg cartons.... hoping they will be enough! I do enjoy the architectural challenges!

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    1. Thank you Claude! I wanted it to be small...but the Bears had other ideas! LOL!

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  4. Lovely work so far, I love the tower!

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  5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  6. This is an epic project. I love that it has so many different elements to it. I can't wait to see what it looks like with all of the 'stone' cladding =0)

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    1. Hi Pepper! The stone cladding is still being a challenge! Those egg carton stones will take a long time to apply! But I do love to make the structure architecturally interesting.... and then I have to make Some concessions to "realism" if you discount the stairs which "fly" up the walls! LOL! I was trying to keep this project "small".... but I'm not succeeding very well!

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  7. I can't wait to see these stairs and it is great to see how this small dollhouse kit is expanding in almost-every-possible direction! :)
    Hugs

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    1. Hi Ewa! You hit the nail on the head with your comment! It is expanding in every possible direction.... there will even be another floor Below this one... Someday! LOL! I thought it was going to be a "small" project! Until the Bearys convinced me otherwise...!

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  8. Your tower is amazing. The whole building is Amazing. I cant wait to see all the fantastic ideas you put into this tower love your work.
    Hugs Maria

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    1. Thank you Maria! This Palace allows me to make many "magical" constructions that wouldn't be right in a Real building! That is part of what makes it so much fun!

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  9. The Bear Racks... great! The beary guys are lucky that I didn't include any snoring possibilities when I stuffed them... *grin* You've worked another of your Betsy-Miracles - the Tower looks fantastic!

    Hugs
    Birgit

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    1. Hi Birgit! Even if they did Sometimes Accidentally snore a Little bit.... it would just add a whole lot of fun to their lives! They could have snoring contests or pillow fights to make each other stop! LOL! These guys are already Best Friends and can "Wrestle" each other around quite a bit! You will see when the Tower is done just how much Fun it is to live there!!!

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  10. A mi también me gustan las escaleras, aunque los osos vueles, si vamos de invitados necesitaremos poder subir para ver el palacio.
    Esos ositos ya han encontrado un rinconcito amueblado para celebrar esa fantástica casa que van a tener.
    Un abrazo
    Maite

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    1. Thank you Maite! The Bears are happy that I am building the stairs!

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  11. I love it when you work on your difficult projects that need a lot of thinking about solutions :-) And you always come up with the most wonderful ideas!!!

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    1. Hi Margriet! It sometimes takes a Looooong time for those solutions to show up! LOL! The Bears are very patient... and Blue does her best to convince me that all the ideas are Great ones! LOL! She just wants everything... even if it takes a long time!

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  12. Hello dear friend, it's been a while. :) I am glad I still "see familiar faces" and yours was the 1st such faces or entry on my dashboard. Here I am to say hi and tell you, so good to see you are still building such great work:).

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    1. Oh, My Dear Sans!!!! I am so happy to see you here again! :):):)
      Really Truly!!!
      I hope this means you are still thinking of minis and will come visit again sometime! You have been missed!
      I was just thinking of you the night you wrote here... because I found your Flower blossom tea you sent me the second time....( I have been saving it.....) and had thought maybe I needed to make a cup... and write about it.... like some magic charm that could conjure you up...!!!! Truly!
      Wow!
      I am thinking of you!

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  13. I know I have been away from Blogland for a while, but my! how the cloud palace has grown!!! It all looks wonderful, the guard tower is a perfect addition! I love the Spiral tower too! can't wait to see more!

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    1. Hi Andy! It is so good to see you back here again too! I had Thought the Cloud Palace was going to be a "little" project! LOL! I guess I am really bad at planning ahead! LOL! At least it is a lot of fun to just let the Imagination go... no need to be too Real with a Cloud Palace!!!

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  14. That Cloud Palace is unique. Your imagination has taken flight! From furry bear people to combination Victorian and Medieval - wow. There are no limits! Carry on. (As usual, the execution of your ideas is exceptional.)
    Love,
    Mom

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    1. Thanks Mom! Your vote of confidence is Always appreciated! :)

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  15. What an amazing structure - it really is very clever. I'm so impressed!

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  16. Betsy,
    Your Cloud Palace is awesome! So darling!
    Vixki

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  17. Hello Betsy! I am thinking that this Cloud Palace is going to be a Real Castle in the Air! Just when I think that you are finished, you do another add-on and turn something simple into something Amazing and something humble, into something totally GRAND!
    What I most enjoy is the complexity of all of the different projects you challenge yourself with. Those spiral stairs are a prime example and now this tower addition too.... WOW.... This is going to be EPIC!!! :D

    elizabeth

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  18. Hello Betsy,
    I love it! The tower balances out the palace and I think the staircase on the outside adds a touch of whimsy and magic to the structure. The towers are really great additions. I LOVE that you include staircases. I know many people leave them out for lack of space, but it just adds so much realness to a project. Wonderfulw ork Betsy!
    Big hug,
    Giac

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