Trees

Day and Night.....

I had very little Time to devote to minis last week, Dear Readers, as I was trying to prepare my RL house for visitors! This means I have to move Dollhouses off of the chairs and put them back into the corners where they are less in the way! As I was moving the Willowcrest, and all the pieces fell off yet again because they are still not attached, I realized that I really want to get the side walls attached so I can go forward with the major construction portion of this house! So I decided to catalog all the steps that were keeping me from attaching the side walls so I could get started. If you recall, the side wall on the left was held up by all the details required to complete the front hallway which would be inaccessible once the walls were in place. That included the doors and trims, the windows, the lights (for downstairs, upstairs and front porch!) the curtains.... and of course the murals with the Moon Maidens.... and even the stairway up to the top floor! All of which have been done! So what is keeping me from attaching the left side wall, you ask? Courage! Because once it is glued in place those Moon Maidens will be nearly invisible... the trees climbing the stair wall will be just a memory... the stars overhead will be barely visible.... yet I know I have to take this step in order to move on! It was Time, Dear Readers....

After fitting the tabs and slots together and making sure they would all match correctly 

(or as correctly as possible with this sort of kit)

I took my Courage in my hands and applied glue 

to all the joints in the lower portion of the wall!

(The upper portion needs to stay unglued until the attic floor is added)

I held it together with masking tape while the glue dried.

Here you can see the interior of the stairway (I know it is a bit dark...)

without the interior bedroom wall in place.... 

another one of those Details that need to be finished!

With the left side wall glued, I looked at the right side 

and found a much longer list still to be done!

To begin with, there were still many more details 

to add to the murals in the bedroom....

Not to mention the windows and trims and lights...

Above you can see a picture taken in the morning light

(I apologize for the poor focus!)

And in the Parlor below, there were even more complicated details 

and Decisions that needed to be made 

before I could safely attach the side wall. 

(Although, I could probably manage to complete most of it 

with the side wall attached.... it is easier while there is more access.)

Here you can see the Parlor in the morning light as well....

and you can see I have been adding the 

three dimensional trees made of sculpey to the corners of the room.

The biggest decision I have to make with these trees is whether or not to paint them!

I cannot make up my mind!

So meanwhile, I started to make the remaining tree 

which also needed to have a light in its branches.

(I forgot to take pictures of the process.)

And by the time it is finished, Dear Readers, 

it is night time and dark, and you can barely see the tree!

And while the sculpey was baking, 

I worked on adding details to the bedroom murals.

I started by adding a central dot of gold paint to the blossoms on the apple trees....

I know it is difficult to see in the above picture with the glare from the light.

Here you can see them up close!

I know the gold paint looks almost black in these pictures....

But it adds a layer of definition and texture to the trees as  a whole, 

which you can really see when you compare the painted one with the unpainted one...

And in the right light it glows a burnished gold!

This is not the "right" light.... but the tree on the left 

has the centers painted and the one on the right does not.

And next I started to add the leaves....

just the tiny baby leaves that are starting to grow as the trees are blooming....

Here you can see the side wall with the leaves added...

And the front wall with only one of the trees with the leaves.

This wall is the hardest to paint as it is "attached" to the house!

Here you can see the right wall "in place" but still not attached.

Yes, there are more details still to paint!

And while I am shining a light into the back of the room, 

can you see the glitter in the gold paint?

Well, even though you can't see it now Dear Readers,

perhaps when I get the lights for this room attached

Perhaps then the light will be just "right" for seeing the gold glisten!

But meanwhile lest we forget the baking Sculpey trees....

I finished the one with the sconce for the window wall...

and I still can't decide whether or not to paint them!

And until I decide one way or the other, 

the right side wall will not get glued in place!

I spent my Time on Trees, Dear Readers,

But they are as different as Night and Day!