January Dreaming.....

Looking Back.... Looking Forward....

I have to admit, Dear Readers, that January brings with it the inevitable urge to assess the progress, or lack of progress, made during the past year on any of many "in work" projects. And when I review last year's accomplishments in my mini worlds, the list is small! That might be in part due to the fact that I worked on the Secret Christmas House kits for much of the year..... and the results are Tiny! In a "regular" size dollhouse I would feel I had accomplished a great deal if I had built, decorated furnished and accessorized an entire house! But in this case... it is all so small it hardly seems to count! Not to mention that it is Not quite Done! In the above picture (taken back in November) you can see the "shell" of the house with the morning sunlight streaming in the windows (a rare thing at this time of year!) and illuminating the interior of the rooms before the furniture was added.

I love that you can see right into the tiny rooms 

as if they were much larger than they are!

But the chief thing I want to point out is that there is still No Snow

 adorning the exterior of the house!

Lots of lovely icicles but no snow!

Yes, I have been avoiding this step.... 

intimidated by the types of artificial snow and how to apply them......!

 I need to do some test samples to get familiar with the materials!

And because it is snowing right now in my RL world, 

and might snow all night and most of tomorrow... 

I might have a Snow Day to stay home and play with ... snow!

My lack of significant progress on any of my larger projects can really only be ascribed to my lack of focus.... (we won't mention the broken arm). I made a little progress on painting  the Castle Hall ceiling.... but didn't come near finishing it. I made a little progress on the Cloud Palace Roof... but didn't make any progress on the exterior walls... which need tons of egg-carton rocks. I made a little progress on the Gypsy Wagon interiors and windows, but didn't even get as far as attaching the walls to the base! 

I made a little progress in the Attic of the Lovely Old Dollhouse.... 

but didn't even get the new knee-walls painted! 

There was No progress at all in the chapel...

Even though Father Alban has been on the brink

 of an inspirational breakthrough... for ages!

No progress at all on the Tree House.... 

waiting patiently for the next floor to be worked on...

(I know, you can barely see it behind the lamp.... I can't find the better pics!)

But it is the Willowcrest, Also known as Hardwick Hall, 

that has been calling to me recently!

In particular, all the places on the exterior walls where the tabs show through...

making me decide that I must add clapboards to the exterior to cover them up!

Like right there above the bottom trim..... it's driving me nuts!

And all the corners on the dormers in the attic.... 

absolutely need covering up!

But then I have to admit, Dear Readers, 

that before I can add the clapboards.... 

I must complete the wiring of all the lights....

Yes, I tried so hard to run all their wires down 

through the center wall behind the fireplaces....

Except for the bathroom.......

Which has no wiring at all so far..... 

and the middle wall is the one beside the tub.... 

not really where the lights would be placed!

Not to mention the other side of the kitchen.... 

which right now only has the overhead light....

Shouldn't there also be a light over the sink? 

Which means running the wires down the outside of the wall....

And even in the attic..... there should be a couple more lights....

On the outside walls...

Which means running the wires down the outside walls...!

I guess it's Time to go back to the Drawing Board 

with the layout of the wiring!

Not to mention the interior trim needed to cover 

all those not very appealing corners on the dormers!

And the design for the cupola which brings light into the top floor.... 

and the chimney re-design since the kit placement was so not acceptable!

And speaking of little bits of trim needed in odd places....

The bay window in the living room has gaps between the panels.... 

where daylight shows through!

I filled the cracks with 1/8 inch square strips...

The clapboards will run between the strips....

I just need to decide how I am making the clapboards!

I bought some of the pre-formed basswood panels, 

but don't like the way they would need to join at the ends

 and overlap their sections.....

At least the strips have covered the gaps in the panels!

(But I still need to add the exterior window muntins too!)

So which comes first... 

completing the interiors with all the wiring

 so I can cover the exterior walls... 

or just getting the wires in place.... 

for all the remaining lights...

and decorate later....

 

And surely, the oven should have a light too?

I guess I have a whole lot of re-thinking to do with this house!

But that's what January Dreams are for Dear Readers,

Looking back so we can look ahead!

 

(And I did finish the Christmas Card! 

But I don't want to show it here until

 it has arrived at my family's homes.

 I will show it next week!)