Monday, February 6, 2017

Bunka!!!




Oh What a Difference....

I can Hardly believe, Dear Readers, that I was very Nervous about applying the Bunka to this House! I had never used it before, and in spite of having read many many tutorials and mentions on other blogs about how to use it on everything from rugs to doll wigs, I really had no idea where or how to start! The Secret Christmas House kit supplied the bunka, already partly unraveled, but I had no idea if it was supposed to be "pulled" more or applied as is.... or what kind of glue.... or how to shape the applied pieces....! I really wanted to Not mess up the exterior of this Beautiful House! So I looked it up on-line and sure enough the Tutorial by Casey of Casey's Minis showed up near the top of the list! It is no wonder, it is a great Tutorial! Thank you Casey! It explained everything and showed useful steps and even though it was explaining the techniques for a rug, it gave me the confidence to just get started! In the picture above, you can see the "potted trees" that come with the kit. On the left it is just the wooden piece painted, and on the right I have added the bunka! Oh, what a difference it makes!

Here you can see I am testing the "potted tree" next to the door, 
and you can also see a close-up of the printed Christmas greenery 
decorating all the windows.
Seeing what a difference the bunka made to the tree 
gave me the courage to add it to all those windows!

I used a toothpick to apply a small dab of Aleen's Quick Dry Glue 
on the end of the printed garland on the house
 and carefully lined up the end of the very squiggly bunka thread 
where I wanted the garland to start. 
Then I added another dot of glue and gently nudged the bunka thread into the spot..... 
it is a little hard to control because it is so stretchy and wiggly.... ! 
As greenery it is best if you don't try to make it lie in a straight line, 
but let it have little waves and wiggles in the application.... 
if you see what I mean!

Here is a close-up view!
The red "ribbons" are tiny snips of red bunka pushed 
into the dab of glue at the appropriate spot.

Here you can see the windows on the Parlor side of the House.

And the front of the House too!
And while I am adding all the greenery in its 
Three dimensional  splendor, 
I am also finishing a few of the other tiny details....
like the doorknobs!

Can you see them?
I had to cut down a couple of little brass nails or pins, 
and carefully press them into the holes 
which were pre-cut in the kit wood.
It was not easy to get the tiny stubs of the pins into the teeny tiny holes! 
And at one point one of the "knobs" pinged off into the room...
 but I heard where it hit and was able to find it!
It was important to add the knobs 
before gluing the Potted Trees into place.
And since the green garlands made from bunka worked so well, 
I also added the green bunka "boughs" to the window boxes.
Of course, it will all look even more festive when it "snows"!
Which reminds me, Dear Readers,
 that I had been working on perfecting 
the Icicles that are to hang from the roof eaves.

They are the last wooden pieces of the kit and are very delicate!
And they required many coats of paint,
 all applied carefully so as not to clog the "teeth" of the icicles.
First I painted them with a gesso primer then plain white on both sides.
 And then I thought about real icicles.... 
and realized that they are actually a clear bluish gray color.... 
being frozen water.... 
and so I painted my icicles a pale bluish white. 
And then I coated them with a layer of Aleen's Clear Gel glue.... 
hoping that it would make them look a little more like ice!
(And I think I might add another layer still...!)

I think the Icicles will look a lot more realistic 
once there is some "snow" on the roof too!
And I am really glad I completed the bunka garlands 
before I attached the icicles which hang over them.

And here I have attached the Lovely potted Topiary Trees too!
The Table still needs its drawer pulls added, 
and perhaps some decorative detailing.
But other than that,
 I think the only other part still not added is the Snow!
I might be almost finished with the House portion of this kit!


And I don't know about you, Dear Readers, 
but I still can't believe what a 
Difference that Bunka makes!

28 comments:

  1. Yay, the bunka looks excellent Betsy. It really is a wonder material for getting some texture into tiny builds. I just love the look of the house :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Pepper! Once I got over the fear of starting it all went very well! It does make an amazing difference!

      Delete
  2. Yes, the bunka makes the difference, especially because of the great effect in 3D, it looks absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for sharing the link with the tutorial made by Casey!!
    Love the added icicles and I agree with you that adding snow will make your tiny house completely in the mood for Christmas of this year ;O. The tiny house looks beautiful, it worth all of your efforts, dear Betsy!
    Warm hugs, Ilona

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ilona! Yes, it Might be ready for next Christmas! LOL! At the rate I go... there is a lot to do for the inside kits.... and I get distracted a lot!

      Delete
  3. Les plantes donnent beaucoup de vie à cette petite maison,c'est ravissant!!
    Isabelle

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Isabelle! They really do make the house come "alive" don't they? I am so glad I figured it out! Thank you for commenting!

      Delete
  4. Excellent this use of bunka!
    A lovely tiny house
    hugs

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello Betsy,
    It amazes me how you can turn an already beautiful kit into something absolutely spectacular! You did a fantastic job with the greenery and it looks marvelous. I think I would go nuts working with those fine icicles, but they look amazing and add so much to an already gorgeous mini building. Keep up your incredible work.
    Big hug,
    Giac

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Giac! It's great to see you here again!!! I am having fun with this kit... it is very well made, but always there are a few details I want to add...! Now I need to learn how to do the "snow"... and I am always wishing I could have the seasons changeable.... but the icicles really can only work for winter! So I will just have to accept it!

      Delete
  6. So festive!! I love the way this looks! :D

    ReplyDelete
  7. The details are so perfect it's hard to believe they are so small. And you found that runaway doorknob - I never did find a tiny earring that ran away from my bureau top. Too late now...
    Lots of love,
    Mom

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes I was very lucky with the doorknob! It was still a fairly clean rug so I spotted it right away. This is a wonderful kit... the furnishings are going to really make it a fantastic project!

      Delete
  8. Hello, Betsy - Yes! What a difference that Bunka makes! You've achieved beautiful, realistic results on all the greenery. I've never used Bunka, either, but now I'm looking around to see where I can try it. It seems so practical - I like the way you even made the red ribbon from snips of Bunka. The topiary trees are perfect, as are the window boxes, all filled with boughs. You were so clever to think of painting the icicles a bluish-white; they do look like frozen water! I can't wait to see the house with the snow. What a creative spree you've been on - with absolute success.
    Marjorie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Marjorie! I think I am going to have to do some "Practice" with the snow.... there are so many options! Eventually it will really look like Winter! Right now the icicles are looking a little unrealistic without the snow!

      Delete
  9. The bunka is perfect for the decorations. Great work.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Fabi! I Love the way they turned out! This is a wonderful kit!

      Delete
  10. Your mastery of Bunka is no surprise Betsy because you do all things with an Amazing about of both skill and precision! I am Loving the garlands and the potted trees and the greenery filling the flower boxes. Everything is looking so festive! I am glad that you stuck to your Secret Christmas house theme, Betsy because this house is not only in its element but your skills with tiny details and with the Bunka is making the house sing the HALLELUJAH chorus-
    Well Done! :D

    elizabeth

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Elizabeth! The bunka made a huge difference... adding just the right amount of texture and color! I am a convert and will be buying more bunka! I am sure that I will be really happy if I can get the rooms all decorated for Christmas.... ahead of schedule! LOL!

      Delete
  11. El bunka ha dado un aspecto perfecto a tu casa, es una maravilla el resultado. Gracias por el enlace. Un beso

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Maria! It really does make a big difference! I am glad you like it!

      Delete
  12. Wow the bunka is amazing it makes such a wonderful difference to all the greenery. This house just gets better and better.
    Hugs Maria

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Maria! I am always surprised at how much difference the tiniest details make! But that is what we love about miniatures! This is a great kit!

      Delete
  13. Love the bunka!! It looks perfect. The house is so warm and inviting! Perfect!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Veronique! This is a fun kit! I loved the rooms in this house from the moment I saw them! Yes, they are warm and inviting and filled with those tiny touches... at least they will be when I get all those furniture kits built! LOL!

      Delete