Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Lilacs And Love....




Late Bloomers....

You might be surprised to learn, Dear Readers, that our local lilacs are just Now coming into bloom! It is a very very late Spring in this part of the World, but not All of us mind! It is still just as Beautiful as can be with the sun shining and the birds singing. Will and Gabrielle are enjoying the early morning in the sunshine beneath the Blossoming Lilac. Yes, it was time at last to bring it out of the storage box for its brief reign of beauty! This also required a certain amount of shuffling the Houses around, even though it is still too early to move the house plants outdoors which signals the true start of Summer at my house and the rest of the dollhouse seasonal shuffle takes place.

I hope you don't mind if we revel in the lilacs for a minute or two!
 In case you did not remember that it took well over a year
 to construct the lilac shrub, I think it deserves
 a minute or two at least of admiration!
Will and Gabrielle are smitten...
and not just with the lilac!

It is difficult to get good pictures.... 
the sun is either too little or too much...
But, Oh we love it so!

It was one of those weekends when
 there was not much time for minis.
But I did make a Start on the next window
 for the Lord's Council Chamber.

The opening front has one window.
I started by making the paper pattern for the opening.

And cutting the outer framework from 1/8th inch thick plywood.
I must be getting practiced at this.... 
it fits better than the last one!

Yes, I am going to make the bottom section open with hinges again! 
This requires building two separate frames for each half of the window.

Here I am making sure the bottom half
 will fit right with the upper half. 
And you can see the inner side of the opening door
 has been painted to resemble the stone walls.

Both the frames have been fitted,
 now they will be painted while I make the glass panes....

Once again, I have stained the bottom opening section
 as it would not have been made of stone like the upper frame.

You might recall that I had found two panes of glass in my scrap pile
 that were Exactly the right size for the windows.... 
I decided to only use one on the first window
 since I needed to shape the top pane anyway.... 
which means I still had a ready made pane for this window!
What you see here is the top pane which I did have to cut to fit....
 prepped for the lead lines painting.
There are guide lines on the paper
 for the exact size of the window opening 
and the placing of the lead lines.  

Here you see both panes "leaded".
As usual, the lead paint is hard to control 
and my lines are too blobby and badly spaced.
I will be able to do some cleaning it up once it is dry.

And in case you were wondering if I had made up my mind
 about the grouted floor in the Lord's Council Chamber...

Even though it is impossible to get the perfect
 bright sunny morning pictures...

I Absolutely Love it!
 
 
And though the Lilacs are blooming so late, Dear Readers, 
They take my breath away with their beauty!
I Love them still!



12 comments:

  1. I love the lilac bush! Makes me homesick for Chicago. And I still love the floor. Can't wait to see the windows done!

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  2. estoy prendada de esas lilas!!

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  3. Oh my, spring has just started just at your place?? That's very late indeed, but at least now you can enjoy your spring plants and flowers, of which the most of us already did enjoy. And these spring flowers/plants have been bloomed out for weeks now here, some even for months, because we didn't have any winter!
    Gabrielle and Will are enjoying their lilacs and sunshine too, they are sitting front row there outside on the terrace in the sun ;).
    And of course you have to show your lilac shrub once more (and many more returns on your blog) because it's an absolutely gorgeous piece of work in miniature, dear Betsy!
    You are even started with a next window for the Lord's Council Chamber. And again you're making one with the bottom section open for each half windows. Because of the fact that this job is quite complicated, I often think to myself: Betsy will have so much pleasure to make these ones otherwise she wouldn't do this. Meanwhile you're an expert in making them ;).
    It's great to see that your tiled floor turned out exactly how you wanted it, congratulations!!
    Lastly I hope you can enjoy of your real life lilacs outside, Betsy, they will smell delicious and look gorgeous!
    Stay safe, take care.
    Hugs, Ilona

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  4. What a glorious ray of bloomin' sunshine and cheerful lilacs dear Betsy. That scrub is a true work of art and on a windy, wet and (by our standards) cold autumns day in South Australia, your pictures provided me with just the perfect bit of sunshine.
    The windows, the windows.. I did not get around to comment on your previous posts, but I have been following along keenly. Cutting and fitting the curved frames must take so much practice and each one looks just fabulous when in place.
    Photos never does anything justice, but I am so pleased you have grown to love your tiled floor. It is spectacular - fit for a king.
    Enjoy your spring and stay safe,
    Anna X

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  5. I agree that you MUST show the bloomin' lilac bush for just a little time longer. It's such an amazing work of art. It looks completely natural there by the little house with Gabrielle and Will enjoying its beauty and, I'm sure, its lovely perfume!
    My friend Lynda's lilac bloomed a couple of weeks ago, with lovely scent.
    Much love,
    Mom
    (p.s. the floor of the council chamber is perfect!)

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  6. I am so happy that you shared the spring lilac shrub! The photos are so lovely and I could look at them all day! Every detail still enchantingly beautiful, all the moss, leaves and blossoms a delight to see, remembering how they lovingly came to be! It was a true labor of love and one which we should enjoy as long and as often as possible!
    As for the new windows - hooray! This castle is so inspiring and it is a happy moment seeing it inspire you, too! Have fun with all those hinges and straps! Can't wait to see!

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  7. Your lilac tree was/ IS a true labour of love Betsy and it looks Absolutely MARVELLOUS blooming in the late spring sunshine! What a testament to your patience and meticulousness because it looks So Real I would be hard pressed to distinguish it from a LIVE tree.
    And I am so glad that installing the second window in your Castle Counsel Chamber went smoother than the first one. It already adds to the ambience and makes your grouted tile floor Shine like the SuperStar that it is! :D

    elizabeth

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  8. Que maravillosas se ven esas lilas,son extraordinarias!!! La nueva ventana tiene un aspecto genial! Y la habitación se ve tan bonita!!!
    Besos.

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  9. You love the lilacs still - and so do I! What a big pleasure this post was... seeing this fabulous miniature masterpiece again and in the place where it belongs. And also with the two people who have the big honor to host this beautiful shrub in their garden. Will and Gabrielle have chosen the perfect place for their garden chairs to admire the stunning view and get a scent of the flowers' perfume... and of course also for holding hands because spring is not only the time for lilacs but also for lovers. Beautiful pictures, I've really enjoyed them!

    And the new window - I'm still speechless! Only you could ever make a two-parted hinged window in an opening wall!!! *LOL* I know it will be stunning in the end... and I'm glad that you not only became friends with the grout but that you even love it. Well, it's spring after all... ;O)

    Hugs
    Birgit

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  10. This is absolutely facinating. How did you make the floor?Out of tiny tiles?

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  11. Your lilac tree is so beautiful and looks real. The floor is wonderful and perfect for the castle.

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  12. Your attention to detail keeps impressing me with every post and the lilacs are always well worth a mention - at any time!

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