Tuesday, August 30, 2016

More Progress.....




It's a Lot about the Hinges..... And a Little about the Paint...

I hope you will not be Surprised to learn, Dear Readers, that my solution to the colors for The Glass House involves More colors rather than fewer! All I had to do was step back (morning light helped me to see too!) and really look at the addition to The Folly in order to realize that it lacked the lovely Raspberry color in the trim! This was easily solved by adding the extra trim at the top and bottom of the facing wall! And I also decided that the door needed to more closely copy The Folly door, which was primarily the light blue with some dark blue accents.

Here you can see I am testing the Raspberry trim....

And with a glimpse of The Folly door.....
 
Here the trim has been attached 
but the darker blue on the door has not yet been added....
 

Here you can see the door with the darker trim...
And the windows will all get the light blue muntins once I get the glass....
Which is harder to find than I thought!
(I have to go to an old fashioned hardware store 
where they will cut me some panes of glass... 
not try to sell me a new window!)

(Sorry this shot is a bit dark again!)

And while I was waiting for those many coats of paint
 to dry on those tiny pieces of trim....
I was also playing with more hinges....!
Because, I must confess that I have embarked 
on another whole project that will not be quick to finish....

Well, I hope you will understand that 
the Gypsies must have their home!
(Please do not tell me you are surprised!)
And I know it will take me a while to get it ready.....
So the sooner I get started......

This kit is available from Lea Frisoni of  
and it gives you the basic starter pieces. 
But there are some parts not included in the kit that must be added, 
such as the doors and partitions and hinges!
So there is plenty of room for individual creative expression!
 You can see I have cut my interior partition for the sleeping area
 and am adding the hinged doors!
(You know how much I Love hinges!)
And because the hinge screws stick out on the back side, 
I am adding the decorative trim to cover them.

Here they are covered and the doors are closed.

And a view into the Caravan with the top doors open.....

And a little bit closer.... It is dark in there.... 
because there is so much still to add!
But you can see those hinges work!

And lest you think I had Forgotten, Dear Readers, 
all about Pollyanna's Attic dollhouse workroom....
I finally made some progress there too!

Most of the "Attic Stuff" has been cleared out and put in storage...
But the major improvements have to do with the walls themselves.

In case you did not know, Dear Readers, 
this house was built by my Grandfather 
for my sister and me when we were very young. 
And the original design (designed by my Father) 
left the attic all one open space with the stairs coming up in the middle.
(We used to lie down in it when we were little!)
When I was attempting to update it in my teen years 
(adding real windows and doors) 
I also tried to add walls in the attic to make separate rooms.
This was not easy, and I settled on the method you see above 
of adding "beams" that would hold the plywood walls in place. 
This was done by screwing them into the floor 
and the underside of the roof 
in pairs that would bracket the walls. 
This would make it much sturdier than just using glue,
and I had no way of routing channels into the wood instead. 
As the years passed, the plywood walls were lost, 
but the bracket beams stayed in place!
And when I started to rebuild this House a few years ago, 
I changed the way the stairs enter the attic, 
so now they turn in the middle and take up less of the attic space!
Which means the rooms could be larger... 
if I moved those wall bracket beams! 
I had already cut new walls a few weeks ago....
but neglected to take any pictures!
 
This is the other end of the attic, 
(where Victor and Joanna sleep when they visit)
 and the wall had been positioned just between 
the desk and the bedside table... 
you can see the dirt marks on the floor!
There was an additional set of brackets where the wall now is, 
(because originally all those years ago  
I had thought there would be a small closet in the hallway....)
So I simply removed the extra set of bracket beams....
and re-positioned them on the other side of the attic stairs....

Which allowed me to move this wall over two inches! 
I still need to remove the extra set of old brackets...

But here is the new wall in the new position, 
allowing Pollyanna much more room for her dollhouse workroom!
And because I was so busy adding hinges to all my doors....
I had to add them to the attic doors too!
So the doors now have their hinges!

And the stairwell no longer takes up too much of the attic!

So you can See Dear Readers,
With a little bit of paint and a whole lot of Hinges
I made some good progress!


22 comments:

  1. Hi Betsy,

    I love the raspberry trim!! I am glad you kept the dark blue because I love it. But with the raspberry trim and the darker blue framing in the door it all fits perfectly. As if it was built together with the rest of the folly.
    I love Lea's kit!! I follow her progress and I want to make it some day. Art and Angelique would love it. I had not realized there was so much you had to add yourself. I love what you did with the partition to the bed. Very gypsy indeed!
    And the attic partition walls look great. Smart remodelling!
    You inspire me dear Betsy!
    XXX,
    Veronique

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    1. Hi Veronique! I think of Art and Angelique as I build this Caravan! LOL! Perhaps they know Daphne's Father and Sister???? I am having fun even though it does require added parts to make it "my" gypsy Caravan! And the added paint color for the Glass House was so obvious once I had really looked at it! Sometimes when you are "diligently" constructing something, it is easy to forget to stand back and look every now and then!

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  2. Hello Betsy,
    Bravo! the raspberry trim was the missing touch. It looks perfect next to the house now. I just love it!
    The gypsy caravan is a great project. I love the detail of the doors and I know the gypsies will be thrilled to have shelter with the fall approaching. As for the dollhouse, you really did a great job modernizing it. What a great way to update a family heirloom.
    Big hug
    Giac

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    1. Thank you Giac! Once I had added the raspberry trim I could not imagine why I didn't think of it sooner! LOL! Yes, I am afraid the Fall is coming too fast for my Gypsies.... their caravan will not be done that quickly! I will have to think of something! LOL

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  3. Yes to the raspberry!
    Actually, your grandfather designed the house. It is sort of based on the Pennsylvania Dutch stone farmhouse we had when I was a child. (Check out that little window, high and off-set in the attic.) The attic reminds me of the room I lived in with 4 other girls sophomore year at Putney, the stairs came up in the middle of the room, the opening was surrounded by low bookshelves, so we wouldn't fall in.
    Gypsy caravan! Now there's grist for your story mill!
    xox
    Mom

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    1. Hi Mom! I guess that is how rumors start... I will try to remember that it was Grandpa's design! I like the idea of low bookcases by the stairs! And yes, the Gypsies will need to arrive someday! LOL!

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  4. oh I do like the trim very much.

    hugs
    Marisa

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  5. Yes, the raspberry color was the real missing thing, Betsy, you're right :)!! The glass house suits now great with the Folly.
    Wow, a new project, a Gipsy caravan! I'll follow your progress on this caravan, and I'm especially curious to your choice for the interior.
    How great that you still own the dollshouse of your childhood, I'm looking forward what your improvements will be, great work so far!
    Warm hug, Ilona

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    1. Hi Ilona! I am glad you agree that the colors are now just right! I think it does make it look as though it has been there all along! And the childhood dollhouse is what started this mini-obsession for me! I have kept it all these years and moved it whenever I moved.... I always knew that "someday" I would have time to "fix it up"!

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  6. Oooooooo, raspberry! Lovely...
    The caravan is such a wonderfully different project. You really know how to keep yourself busy!
    All the best
    Vivian

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    1. Hi Vivian! Yes, I do like to keep busy! And no, I can't stick to one project.... LOL! I do Love the raspberry color... I have used it more than once in my RL homes as well as the mini ones!

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  7. I do believe that I AM SURPRISED about the gypsy caravan but hey - what the heck! Just one more miniature project for you to juggle! I just don't know how you manage to do it though, and here you have already made a start as well as some considerable progress- LOVE the caravan door!
    and not only that, but you have been busy on the glass house and I agree that repeating the raspberry trim was EXACTLY the RIGHT thing to do! :D
    and not only THAT but your attic walls and the installation of the hinged doors has changed everything upstairs.
    Your speed, creativity and ingenuity when it comes to space planning and execution has left me feeling breathless, not to mention also feeling like a lazy bum, when it comes to doing something on my ONE doll's house!?! Your energy humbles yet THRILLS me!
    YOU GO GIRL! :D

    elizabeth

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    1. Thank you, Elizabeth! I have to admit I have no space to be working on so many projects.... but they will not be denied! The creative process is a mystery to me... all about following those threads that pull at your heart strings! The Gypsy Caravan has been in the "Someday" list for a Looooong time.... and something told me that now was the time! So off I go! LOL! Eventually the projects all make progress.... and I really must have the settings for my stories.... so I just have to keep going! LOL! I am so glad you are willing to follow here! Thank you for your wonderful comments!

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  8. Hi, Betsy - You're moving way too fast for me, as usual! Not one, but three projects at the same time; how do you keep up with them all? The raspberry trim on The Folly and the Glass House is deliciously perfect! What a fine idea; the new color adds just that extra bit of liveliness and interest. I love the caravan. It reminds me of the gypsy caravan in "The Diddakoi," one of my favorite Rumer Godden novels. (Although that one may lack a few hinges!) You've done such a thoughtful renovation of the attic in your childhood dollhouse. Turning the stairs in order to gain more usable workroom space was a wonderful idea; Pollyanna will be so thankful!
    Marjorie

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    1. Hi Marjorie! It never feels fast from where I sit! The mind races ahead.... the hands are slow to follow... I am glad you like the raspberry... it does feel just right to me! And the changes in the attic of the Lovely Old Dollhouse are so long overdue.... I cannot express how LONG it has taken me to make this change! LOL! Thank you for commenting!

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  9. So the hinging goes on... hooray!!! I know all is well with you and you're making good progress while enjoying yourselves when you're able to use hinges and even more hinges... *teehee* And incredible what difference a litte touch of raspberry can make... it builds the perfect bridge for connecting these two buildings and it's an eye catcher for sure. Wonderful work on your very special dollhouse - and I loved the photos, with the ladders etc. it looks like a picture taken while renovating in RL. And about the caravan... a new project!!! Yippiiiiieeeeeeee!!! ;O)

    Hugs
    Birgit

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    1. Yes.... there is just something so satisfying about hinges!!! LOL! It makes the doors Work! I can't get enough of them! I will admit that there are even MORE hinges in my future too! LOL! As for the paint.... that Raspberry is one of my favorites especially with that blue... you may have noticed it on a few of my other projects too!
      and yes, the Gypsy Caravan is a no-brainer when you think of a certain story I am Trying to tell! LOL! It might take a while to get to that chapter... so you better keep doing your fingernail strengthening exercises!! :):)

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  10. Hey, Betsy. You made me chuckle with your paint colour dilemma. I think we can all sympathis - it's never as simple as you think.
    I loved your ingenious way of securing the new walls. Brilliant! And I can't wait to see what magic you do with the gypsy caravan.
    Hugs
    Si

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    1. Hi Simon! It is funny how sometimes the solution to a problem is right in front of us... but we are "working" too hard to see it! LOL! And the Gypsy Caravan is going to take a while... but it will be a lot of fun!

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  11. My word, you have been busy! It's amazing what we can find to do while waiting on paint drying but I'd never have thought to build a caravan. I'm looking forward to your progress with that one.

    It's also nice to see the house your Grandfather built for you - what a lovely reminder of him.

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    1. Hi Irene! Yes, we can blame a lot of things on needing something to do while the paint is drying! LOL! The Gypsy Caravan is eventually part of Daphne's story..... so I decided I better get started building it! LOL! And the Lovely Old Dollhouse is the first in my heart and always will be!

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