Bricks And Other Things

Revisiting the Tree House.....

The problem with waiting for the Morning Light, Dear Readers, is that it is hard to catch enough of it! Already the sun is slipping back and rising later and further south.... it is a brief opportunity on a sunny morning! But here is a picture of the Newly bricked and grouted garden with enough light that you can almost judge the colors correctly. I think it always takes a while for my "expectations" to adjust after making such a big change in the character of the landscape.... it just doesn't look at all the same as it has for the past three... um four... or five years! This is to be expected, but it does take getting used to! I think I will like the bricks once I am more used to them! But no matter what the color, the grout is all too new looking!

There was no doubt in my mind that the grout would need to be "aged".

(I don't know why my camera has such a hard time with the focus on these steps....) 

but this shows the grout before the aging process. 

The stones themselves were already "aged" before the grouting was done.

Here is the "glass House" end of the Garden area.... new grout still too clean!

And the garden wall.... which I think looks pretty good, but the grout is too new.

The difficulty with "aging" the grout is that 

the minute it gets wet it Looks darker! 

So it is really  Really difficult to tell what color you are making it....

 until it is dry!

So I decided the best strategy was to go Slowly!

I didn't want to overdo it!

Here I have added a dark wash into the cracks of the stairs and the garden wall....

I really wanted to start by only darkening the grout 

where I was Sure I wanted it darker....

Like in the corners and along the base of the walls.

Because it was so hard to tell how much was the added color, 

and how much was the wet grout!

So I did the minimum I thought necessary, 

and then had to wait for it to dry.

And on the following morning during the brief burst of morning light....

try to judge if it is enough or too little or too much.....

Of course, the shadows don't help!

And I have to remind myself that Someday there will also be moss.... 

and plants..... and the Tree House finished.... 

all adding to the feeling of age...

I am sure I will want to darken more of the grout.... 

but I am going to do it slowly!

I think I need to build the Glass House before I will know

 jut how and where all the moss and old grout will look best...

And I will get used to the feel of the bricks and the look of this new space!

So I painted the edges of the "dirt" gardens brown.....

And of course, it is night again... and everything is dark.

But with The Folly sitting where it is, Dear Readers,

The Tree House is right beside my work space 

and catches my attention....

Do you even Remember the Tree House?

I cannot believe it has been several Years since I worked on it!

(Where does the Time go???)

In case you never saw the Tree House.....

Here is a view into the Kitchen at the lowest level with the door open...

Yes, it is too dark without extra light shining in...

(I think the LED Battery is getting old)

Here... this is a little better.

This is approximately 1:48 scale and is the home to my Rat Family....

The next level up is the Salon..... 

they are a very sophisticated Rat Family!

The next room up is the Library.... this is too dark.....

And with more light shining in you can see what a mess this room is!

Many of the items have fallen off the table and shelves 

with all the moving of the Tree House on and off the base!

I will have to tidy up....!

And the Chinoiserie Bedroom!

I hope you have seen it since I completed 

the stitching on the bed curtains!

And the shell-grotto Bathroom!

There are still a couple of details to add to this room....

And the Nursery.... still only just begun.....

with the alcove bed and the bead-tile stove!

The walls are still all unattached on this room!

So much still to do!

Well, Dear Readers, I hope you don't mind that

 when I get bored with the Bricks and the bases...

I just want to return to these other little worlds....

Perhaps it is Time to Revisit the Tree House!