Monday, October 10, 2016

Dithering Again.....




Disorganized and Scattered.....

I could not seem to Focus on Anything over the weekend, Dear Readers, and so I Wasted a lot of Time just Dithering until I finally decided I might as well just Play with a few little things! With a Hurricane threatening the South Coast near where my sister lives (they are fine!) and nobody sure whether it would come North after visiting destruction on them, (it really didn't) I could not settle on any Plans at all! And with cold weather arriving full steam ahead, I have been pulling out the blankets, and thinking about how to be cozy even in the Mini worlds, and Especially if you are Gypsies and wander the roads in a Caravan! It is an old Old caravan, with lots of carved Dark wood and the doors to the bed alcove are rich with carved details. The blankets I grabbed are the brightest and most colorful I could find.... as I am sure these Gypsies have a weakness for bright colors and beautiful trims! And because these doors were still not quite finished.... I had to get to work and complete the trims that were only partly done....

The side which faces the living area when the bed alcove 
doors are closed has the hinges in full display.
In order to build a frame around the doors, 
the frame pieces would need to be carved away on the underside
 where they cover the hinges, 
so the wood could sit flat against the wall surface.

This I did with my exacto knife.
It is not necessary to be terribly precise, 
just be sure to cover the area where the hinge will be!

The frame piece on the right side 
is now able to sit over the hinges on that side.

And here the left hand side has also been notched to fit over the hinges.
All that was left was to cut and fit the trim for the top
 so it would follow the curve of the arch.

Which you can see has been done ..... 
if a little unevenly!
But perhaps it is good enough for the inside of a dark old caravan?
(I will do a little careful sanding and touch-up with the stains.)

Now when the upper doors are open, the arch is nicely framed.

And while I was attending to cutting and gluing those small pieces,
 I decided it was also Time to paint the outside of the Caravan.

I have chosen a lovely rich green!

And because I was Dithering, Dear Readers, 
I also spent a few minutes in the attic 
of The Lovely Old Dollhouse...

Where the remaining pair of rafters that supported the wall 
in the previous location, still needed to be removed.
I removed them!
(You can see where they were by the dirt stains on the ceiling.)
They will be cut into shorter pieces and used as supports 
along the floor on the back half of the wall, 
to match the supports already in place along the front half of the wall.
But before I attach them in their new places, 
I think I need to upgrade the wiring for the attic!
I only allowed for one light outlet in this area!

Pollyanna is really eager for me to get on with this work!

She has cleared out a lot of the junk and wants to get
 a work table set up as soon as possible.
And she wants to find an old comfy chair to bring up here 
so she can sit and daydream....

Meanwhile Arthur is visiting with Will over at The Folly.


They are having a "guys night" 
and Will is making supper on the grill....


They don't care that it is getting dark so early and it is cold out there!
Will is trying to explain what went wrong in his relationship with Daphne
 and why she won't be coming back....
without giving away her secret.
"She says I deserve somebody better.." he says. 
"Whatever that means!" he adds.
(He is still feeling sorry for himself...)
Arthur doesn't say anything. He just nods.
But he is thinking he should maybe try to set Will up with 
a few dates. Anything to help him move on.
 
Meanwhile, the paint has dried on the Caravan walls....
 
And the pieces have been assembled yet again.
You might notice that the front edge of the side walls 
did not get painted.
This is because I plan to extend the walls forward 
to make an enclosed and sheltering "porch" 
at the front of the Caravan.
This will allow the driver to be protected in bad weather, 
and also allow for extra storage of supplies.
 
You might also notice that the front doors
 still have not had all the trim made for them!
There will be trim on both the inside and the outside.
And they will need the widows' glass panes fitted too.

But the interior is looking much more finished...

But still a long way from done!

Can you just imagine this sleeping alcove 
all soft and cozy with blankets and pillows?
And maybe a shelf for the lantern.....
(And windows and the roof.... 
not to mention a cozy little stove in the main room....)

A perfect place for Dreaming.....!
Or Dithering!
Well, Dear Readers,
Even though I was Disorganized and scattered, 
It appears that I got a Little something done after all!

29 comments:

  1. Hello Daydreamer
    That caravan is going to look glorious. You always make such a beautiful details.

    Best regards:Lea

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    1. Thank you Lea! I am glad you like it! I wish it didn't take me so long...!

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  2. Bonjour Betsy,
    j'aime beaucoup les moulures qui encadrent la porte et bravo pour l'astuce des découpes pour faire un arrondi.
    Les couvertures sont belles et semblent très chaudes et confortables, les tziganes ont de la chance :-)
    J'aime aussi l'atmosphère des photos d'Arthur et Will.
    A bientôt

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    1. Hi Jean-Claude! I am glad you like the door trims! It does take a while to get all the pieces cut, but they are worth the effort! I am glad you like the pictures of Will and Arthur.... sometimes it is so hard to get the pictures dark, but light enough! Light is so important!

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  3. belle avancée, jolies couleurs vives et sombres, elles s'harmonisent très bien

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    1. Thank you Claude! I Love color.... and with the dark, the contrast! It is so much fun to make the mood mysterious!

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  4. Hello Betsy,
    How cozy that bed nook will be with those gorgeous blankets. It is lovely! I really like the color you chose for the caravan and think it is perfect. The doors are a triumph. They look beautiful and so realistic. Great job on the hinges. You always push the bar that much higher!
    I must admit I feel bad for Will, so clearly still in love.
    big hug
    Giac

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    1. Hi Giac! I am glad you like the color of the Caravan! I think it sets such a "tone" and I can't wait to get more done! The covers are just "temporary".... so much needs to be made before I really add the blankets! As for Will.... I need to tell his story too! Yes, I know.... every time I turn around there are more pieces to the story! LOL!

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  5. Love the doors and that trim! Beautiful. I read about a trick to fill in little cracks and joints waayyy back when. You get sawdust and a little wood glue, dab the glue in, cover it with sawdust and let it dry, then sand it. When you stain it the stain adheres to the sawdust and fills in any little cracks you might have.

    I've attempted this and the glue to sawdust ratio is hard to get right but worth it in the end.

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    1. Thank you Sheila! I will have to look into that trick! I will need to be very careful with the trim that is already stained .... even sanding the joins might be too much.... I have a lot to learn!

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  6. So, you got a lot done after all. I love the green of the caravan, and the elegant trim. And I've always had a soft spot for the lovely old dollhouse... Grandpa is watching from Heaven.
    I hope this comment gets published - I tried to re-subscribe.
    xoxox
    Mom

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    1. Hi Mom! It only looks like a lot got done.... :)

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  7. The caravan is amazing. I really like the colors.

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    1. Thank you Fabi! I am glad you like the colors!

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  8. The caravan looks great already, especially indoors. The sleeping nook with the colorful blankets is lovely. It's a great project.
    I hope Arthur and Will have spent a good time together.
    Hugs, Drora

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    1. Hi Drora! I am glad you like the Caravan! There are so many details still to add.... and it always takes me longer than I think it will! Thank you for commenting!

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  9. That's right... Arthur and Will are having a "guys night" and you have to do all the work... with Pollyanna right in your back. But she has good reasons for pushing you to work - wanting a place for daydreaming is a very good reason... ;O) As usual you have managed to go on so much further with your projects... this time with the caravan. The green was a fantastic choice - and covering the hinges with the frame leaves me in awe. Wouldn't it be nice to hit the roads with this caravan, with a trusty Clydesdale or Shire pulling it wherever you would like to go and cuddle in those cheerful blankets at night... looking at those perfect door frames... Yes, that would be great!!! ;O)

    Hugs
    Birgit

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    1. Dear Birgit, you understand so well the business of having demanding..... um... "Participating" little beings always wanting something new added to their words! It is both a challenge and a pleasure... to keep up is impossible.... and Daydreaming is Essential! LOL! And please don't get me started with the Horses....! LOL! You Know I am Daydreaming about the Horses!!! :)

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  10. I love the detail on these doors, Betsy, and the colour is devine!

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    1. Thank you Simon! I wish I had better more detailed trims to work with! But these are turning out to be good enough for the Caravan.

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  11. Your caravan is wonderful. The doors are amazing. I love the color. The sleeping nook looks so cosy.
    Hugs Maria

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    1. Hi Maria! The sleeping alcove will be really cozy once all the windows are in place...! LOL! There are still so many details to add... but that is the fun part!

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  12. Absolutely gorgeous! I thought your first picture was of full size blankets in a full size nook! BEAUTIFUL!

    Really excited to see how the caravan turns out. Nice work, Betsy!

    - Wendy

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  13. hola a sido un gusto encontrar su blog me encantan los trabajos que esta realizando, yo también soy un miniturista disperso jajaja
    un abrazo

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    1. Thank you Contar! I am glad you like my projects! Thank you for commenting!

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  14. Hi, Betsy - I'm sorry for the long delay in commenting on your post - things became hectic here for a while but seem to be quieting down a bit now. But I wanted to take time to tell you how much I'm loving your gypsy caravan, especially now that you've painted it that absolutely perfect shade of green. Beautiful! The doors are coming along nicely, and the sleeping alcove is such an inviting spot - what a nice little nest for a nap. The caravan is such an unusual project; I'm always eager to see more.
    Marjorie

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  15. I love it so far! Can I come and lie under the blankets in the alcove? It's cold here too.
    Hugs,
    Véronique p

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  16. I love it so far! Can I come and lie under the blankets in the alcove? It's cold here too.
    Hugs,
    Véronique p

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