Monday, February 23, 2015

A Cloud Palace Vacation




Filling The Gaps.....

Do you even Remember the Cloud Palace, Dear Readers? Well, last week I mentioned that I had worked on so many projects over my Vacation, that one Post was too short to show all of them to you. Well, one of those projects was the Cloud Palace upstairs doorway. You may recall that in order to add the Tower which houses the Kitchen, Library and Bedroom, to the main building of the Palace, I needed to cut a hole in the roof of the original "Buttercup" kit. It was easy enough to cut the hole where I wanted to have a connecting door to the Library in the Tower and the outer stairs which spiral up the outside of the Tower. It was another thing altogether to construct the doorway in that corner hole in the roof! Of course I couldn't quickly find any pictures with just the hole in the ceiling... so we have to make do with shots that show the beginnings of the door frame construction already under way.


I apologize for the dark picture... 
it was night and I was trying to figure out where to start 
the construction of this complicated corner addition!
I have made a wall that rises above the roof on the outside, 
and descends below the roof on the inside.
And started to make a frame for the inner doorway, 
all of which you can sort of see above.

And then I constructed the outer door-frame, 
which was going to need to have the actual door attached to it, 
so it needed to be sturdily connected, 
because I like my doors to actually open and close with hinges!
And every step required cutting and fitting 
and taping together and then testing for fit
and all the pieces falling down over and over again, 
because you don't want to glue any of it until you are sure it fits!
So it was slow progress.
In case you have forgotten, 
here below is a shot of how the Tower is situated 
in relation to the main part of the Palace.


The Tower is "notched" against the corner of the Palace,
and the stairs circle around to an entrance onto the upstairs at the corner.


Which you can see here with the beginnings 
of the wall and door frame under construction.
I had to make sure the door frame matched the edge of the Tower wall...

Here is a closer view of the "notched" placement of 
the Tower against the corner of the Main Palace.
And you can see the tight spacing of the roof-line 
under the Tower Bedroom floor.


And of course, Blue the Blue Fairy Beary 
had to come inspect the progress!
Each piece that was fitted needed to be painted too... 
because the interior was already painted.... 
and we needed to be sure the parts would all match...
And it would have been much harder to paint them 
once all the pieces were glued in place.
So I had to be very slow and patient, 
and while the paint was drying I worked on other projects!
(Which I will have to post about another time!)

Here you can see I am constructing the door....
attached to the front frame before it was glued in place.

And here you can see a view of the front of the Palace 
with the new door attached 
and me testing the roof-line fit against the Tower.

And here you can see I am fitting the pieces 
for the gabled side of the dormer addition....
It was necessary to make the roof peaked over the door 
or the entrance to the Library would be too low!
You have no idea, Dear Readers, 
how often the roof pieces slid off onto the floor!
There was no standard pattern to guide me here....
I was just making it up as I went!
And I spent days and Days working at it!!

Here you can see I added a ridgepole to support the dormer roof peak.

Here is a closer view of the side door to the Library,
This one is just open with no door.

Here you can see how it abuts the Library section of the Tower.

Here is the view from the inside looking into the Library.
The door to the outside stairs is closed.

And here you see the door from the outside 
as you approach at the top of the stairs...

And with the door open!
Come on in!
(These are the only stairs to the upper floor in the Palace main rooms.)

Another view of this completed little entryway at the Corner
without the Tower in place...
You can see I have also added the decorative trim to the roof ridges.

And I even added the Top Floor to the Tower....
The Lookout or the Star Gazer's Terrace!
Wow! It is Way up there!

But Blue doesn't mind.....
She rather likes the view from up at the top!
From here she can quickly spot any Visitors 
that might be arriving!
So you can see, Dear Readers, 
how I spent at least a Part of my Vacation...
Filling in the Gaps in the Cloud Palace!

14 comments:

  1. Hello Betsey,
    Of course I remember the palace...it was already wonderful, but your additions are really taking it over the top. I love the new door and the corner extension. It was a difficult addition but you worked it beautifully and seamlessly! Th efact that it connects the tower so well to the palace is awesome. I Loe the look and style of the rooms and it really does take me away and make me dream of a nice vacation in the clouds. I love that you can take you can always bring your wonderful imagination to life, and always with great success!
    Big hug,
    Giac

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  2. I'm always in awe of people who have the imagination to alter a kit to their own design. You've done a great job of the door, especially in such a tight corner. Love the tower and curved stairs =0)

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  3. This is awesome, Betsy, you have so much imagination turned into a real Cloud Palace, the whole building is now a magical world for your beloved BiWuBearies :D!! I bet it was very difficult to work in such a small space for making the gap into the roof and to connect the stairs in this kit house, but you did it: chapeau!! Love the addition of the tower.
    Hugs, Ilona

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  4. What a great view Blue must get from the top of the tower. I wonder what she can see. The door looks great.

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  5. Hello from Spain: great job with your palace. Keep in touch

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  6. Fantastic work with the paintings. The palace already looks magical. I love the stairs.
    Hugs, Drora

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  7. It is great to see how this little dollhouse is expanding it's wings. :) I agree with Drora it does look heavenly magical. :)
    Hugs

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  8. The house is looking GREAT! I missed seeing it, Blue, and all of the other fairies!

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  9. Buen trabajo con la puerta, la torre.. el palacio va a quedar estupendo.
    Un abrazo
    Maite

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  10. I don't know how you are able to figure out all of those complicated twists and turns and make them all aline, Betsy! I admire your curved staircase Enormously but think that you must enjoy torturing your brain to achieve the most complex interiors I have ever seen! :D To have to paint the cloud murals on angled interior walls so they match is difficult to begin with, but to outfit a library and a kitchen in curved rooms, And then fit that landing so that it will connect with your stair structure..... Oh My Goodness Gracious!!!! I'm dizzy and I am not even at the Top of the Tower with Blue!
    Well Done my, "Not afraid of a Challenge" friend, Betsy, WOWEE! :D

    elizabeth

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  11. How could I ever forget the Cloud Palace... *LOL* It's always my biggest pleasure seeing it and its inhabitants (all three of them... it's some kind of "Find the BiWuBeary" for me... *grin*). The progress you've made is awesome (as always when you're working on your projects, I can't help it... you're working magic)... you're not forgetting anything and it's incredible what you're doing out of this kit. But my favourite picture was of course Blue having a look around from the tower... well, she shouldn't leave it for long I think... ;O)

    Hugs
    Birgit

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  12. Oh Betsy!

    Only you could take the very simple Buttercup, and turn it into a realistic palace! It's looking fabulous! Perhaps She Who Was All might pay a visit?
    Vicki
    Vicki

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  13. I surely remember about the cloud palac'è and all the work you put into it!! You did a great job with that door, fitting it in a place so tight. Still love seeing progress on your cloud house and looking forward to see more!!

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  14. Amazing work with complicated roofs! I'm impressed. The whole thing is not unlike a lighthouse, with a tall tower attached to a small house for the keeper.
    Lots of love,
    Mom

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