Little by Little.....

Progress at Last....

Every day, Dear Readers, I discover another thing that I can do that was much too hard only the day before! I attribute it to the miraculous healing ability of a good night's sleep! Some of you may remember the petit point tea cozy kit I was stitching earlier this spring which was almost finished when I broke my arm. It has teased me for all these weeks.... only a small amount of the white background at the bottom left to stitch, but alas, I could not hold the frame in my left hand and so I could not finish the stitching! But last Sunday I decided to give it a try and see if I could do the stitching.... and I could! It was a little awkward to hold it in the right position, and even harder to hold it steady enough to place the stitches correctly.... but I managed to finish the stitching!

It only took a little over an hour to complete... 

and then I decided to try to stitch it together while I was at it....!

Here are both the sides completed before cutting them apart.

I did trim them a little neater before I started to sew them together....

The edges of the gauze have been turned under 

and now the sides are being sewn together..

And here it is Done!

And the Cloud side...!

You can understand that I had to show it to Blue right away!

And of course, she knew what to do with it right away!

Tea for two on top of the Tower!

I felt so empowered Dear Readers, I could not leave it at that! 

I had to try another unfinished project!

A short time after I broke my arm, 

when I had not realized how little I could do, 

I had tried to make a small plant using a punch and floral wire...

All I needed to do was cut apart the petals and glue them to the stem....

And I managed quite a few before I gave up.

I was not going to be able to finish them until I could paint again....

So they sat there still on Sunday and I pulled out my paints....

First I painted the undersides a pale green....

It was a little difficult to hold the wire at the right angle... 

but the painting did not need to be precise!

Then the other sides needed two coats of a darker green....

Then I painted a pale stripe on each leaf....

and cut the stems apart and glued them into a bunch...

And then I thought I would just use up the rest of the leaves....

making another whole batch!

Adding the stripe to the leaves....

And finally, testing them on The Folly ground by the steps....

This is supposed to be "Vinca" or "Periwinkle" 

a lovely evergreen ground cover.

(Sorry the picture is so dark... it had gotten late!)

I am sure it will look a little better once the stems are inserted into the ground, 

and the bunches overlap in a more natural manner. 

I will wait until I have more bunches before I do that step.

The stems are bendable and can be positioned appropriately as needed.

I have a long way to go... 

a lot of ground to cover!

But I think it is a good start!

And the morning sun made it all the way over to The Folly steps...

Putting the Vinca into clear focus.....

I think it will do....

And I Do feel so accomplished!

I completed Two whole plants!

Little by Little Dear Readers,

I am making progress!

Paint and More Paint....

Walls, Windows, Ceilings....

I was Home last week on Vacation, Dear Readers, and while I did not get anywhere near as many things done as I had hoped, I did tackle a couple of those "Big" little projects that have been waiting for my Time and Attention! One of those is Painting the egg-carton rocks of the Cloud Palace Tower. This is one of those areas where I have to complete the work on the inside before I can complete the building on the outside... and even the next level up... because it will be too difficult to accomplish once the ceiling is in place! And I made it more difficult for myself (I think) by not painting the walls black before adding the egg-carton rocks. Although I think I would have needed to add black paint to all the crevices anyway even if I had under-painted with black. It is a daunting task to add black paint into all the gaps between  ALL the "rocks" on the Tower!

And once it has been added... it looks terrible!

So then I needed to add the further layers of the gray paints

 to make the black recede into the cracks.

Here it is with just the dark gray layer 

added to make the black almost disappear...

It just looks way too dark!

So I added more layers of the lighter gray.....

And washes of browns.....

And I think it is starting to look like rocks!

But are they the kind of rocks I want?

I am not so sure....

I think they need to be paler....

Somehow more Cloud-like!

This might be challenging!

And as you can Imagine, Dear Readers, 

I was not working on only ONE project!

I had also decided to tackle the problem

 of the Windows for the Willowcrest....

I have decided that I need to abandon the order that 

the Instructions for this kit want you to follow

as far as the windows are concerned. 

They tell you to add them as a LAST step!

I am not sure there is a reason to wait for the last step....

and it would mean you can't weight them down while the glue dries....

So I am planning to add them to the walls right from the start.

Above you can see the pattern I have chosen to paint for the 

"Leaded glass" portion of each window.

I decided that since I want to be able to see into the rooms from the outside, 

the decoration on these windows needed to be minimal.

It is very tricky to paint with this "leaded glass" paint, 

so I added the pattern in sections, 

letting each part dry overnight before adding the next part, 

to prevent smearing the paint.

Here you can see the window temporarily in place 

in the kitchen of the Willowcrest....

just so you can see how the pattern looks.

I still needed to add the color to each window.....

One tiny piece of color at a time!

Here is the kitchen window with the color done....

Of course, the color looks washed out when viewed in place....

but it actually looks pretty good!

And here I am testing the Parlor windows in place...

It was too dark without the sconces on....

I think the colors work really well here.

And the bedroom windows being tested in place....

I have used the same pattern for all the windows, 

but used different colors to suit each room.

Here is a closer view of the bedroom window....

Oh, and Madame Durant wanted to come

 see the progress on her house!

I still need to add the lead golfer's tape to the exterior side 

of each of these windows, Dear Readers.

Another task that will take a long time... 

but needs to be done before the windows are glued in place!

 

And as if that weren't enough of those "Big" little projects, 

I also continued work on the painted ceiling of the Castle Great Hall!

Do you even remember those Patient Saints?

Some only just barely begun.... 

and others with only a few tiny details still missing. 

Of course, I forget to take a "before" picture... 

not that you would notice the little details I have added anyway!

In the above picture you can see I have painted 

the borders along each side a lovely golden ocher color.

(It is so difficult to get a good focus on this ceiling!)

Here you can see a close-up of the Saints Lucia and Nicholas 

after I had added quite a few details.

And here is Saint Bridget before I had added anything.....

And with the under-painting of the pleats in her robes....

And the color of the pleating 

and the beginnings of the church and the sword.....

And for Saint Matthew, the beginnings 

of the highlights for his robes pleating....

And some details of his book stand and his seat.

But what I really was trying to get to work on, Dear Readers, 

was the painting of the Borders along each side of the ceiling!

They are going to be populated with little images of the daily life of the Ordinary people, 

the Sinners as apposed to the Saints who live so large above!

Here I have started to paint the under-painting of a group of Nobles dining.....

And here I have started a sequence which includes 

a Couple playing chess, some Musicians playing and Dancers dancing, 

and even a pair of Lovers who are enjoying each other in the bushes....!

Of course, these are Far from finished....

I have added the painted black outlines 

and still need to add all the color and details...

And here you can see the outlines added to the Feasters as well.

This is the central panel in the Great Hall... 

right over the Fireplace and where the Lord and Lady will be seated to Dine. 

It will serve as a constant reminder of the Human tendencies to Sin....

Which the Medieval painters so loved to portray

 in the borders and margins of their works!

There will be six panels in all....

 

 

So you can see, Dear Readers, I still have a long way to go...

But whether it is on the Ceiling, Windows, or walls....

I have been adding Paint and More paint!

(I do Love to paint!)

 

Travels Near And Far....

Losing Track of Time.....

I Hope you will forgive me, Dear Readers, if I take you on a Journey to a place that is Far Far Away and not altogether Certain of its Time. I traveled last weekend to a place near where I had lived in my teenaged years, in order to attend a Memorial Service for the Late Husband of a Dear Friend. The Memorial was held in a tiny, old New England Meeting House, situated at a crossroads in the middle of the woods, miles and miles from any other Village or Town buildings. This Meeting House was only about thirty miles from where we used to live, but it might as well have been in a different land altogether, as we had no idea then, of its existence or the Splendor it contained! On the exterior it was a normal White clapboard "Church" such as are liberally scattered across the New England landscape.

But the moment you cross the threshold, 

you can see that it is no ordinary place!

From the mural in the entrance vestibule 

showing the "community" that tends the Church....

To the glimpse through the doors to the Hall itself.....

You can see that every square inch of wall and ceiling 

has been painted in genuine "frescoes"

a la Michaelangelo!

(For those who might not know, a "fresco" is when 

the paint is applied to the still damp plaster. 

This way the pigment becomes part of the plaster 

not just a surface coating like with normal paint.)

They were created in the 1950's by some artists 

who were teachers at the nearby "Skowhegan School" 

a summer Arts School of some renown.

The Themes are clearly Religious, suiting the nature of the Meeting House,

but are modern in their style, and varied from artist to artist.

I believe Eleven different artists contributed, but I do not know their names.

Here is the view looking back to the choir loft above the entrances.

I took a great many pictures, and will not bore you with All of them....

One of my favorites is this Noah's Ark with the Dove.....

And beside it, up in the Choir Loft.....

Angels spread their wings.....

And Play their harps....

And Save Souls......

All the interior woodwork is the original unpainted pine....

here are the stairs to the choir loft.....

Simply constructed..... all the pews with doors

(almost the only painted parts!)

Such an utterly unexpected and Glorious Creation!

And a close-up of the "Church" in the hands of the people!

And I hope you will forgive me even More, Dear Readers, 

if I skip you from that heightened plane to the lowly world 

of my painted rocks for the Cloud Palace Tower!

We don't even have to Travel far to see it.....

I did apply myself diligently after all 

and covered the interior of the Tower with egg carton "rocks"!

Above you can see the only picture taken before I began to paint them....

It is late at night and the lighting is terrible....

Here you can see the Front corner with the first coat of gray paint applied

this was after the primer, of course.

And here you can see where I have started to paint 

all the "cracks" between the rocks a darker gray...

It is really quite tricky to get the paint all the way into the cracks!

(I am reminded that I should have under-painted the walls 

with a dark color before gluing on all the "rocks"!)

It will take many more layers of paint to make

 the "rocks" look anything at all like rocks!

It is a Journey that is only just begun!

And Speaking of Journeys, Dear Readers,

I have to share with you another Journey that has just begun....

Well, actually, it began a while ago when my Sister was visiting,

and we agreed that it might be a nice thing if there were 

a couple of Fairy Bearys to come live in her Cottage Doll House!

So I asked Birgit....

(really, she Must be tired of hearing from me by now! LOL!)

And Birgit worked some of her Magic.....

And she sent "Buttercup"

and "Marmalade".....

Two sister Fairy Bearys......

who have come to see the Cloud Palace and all the Beary gang

on their way to my Sister's Cottage Doll House!

They are very much alike and completely different at the same time....

just like Sisters so often are!

But I must confess there is only one little problem......

The Minute they arrived here they flew off to the nearest Dollhouse.....

And so it was that Beatrice awoke one afternoon from her nap 

and found the two Fairy Bearys standing in her room!

"Who are you?" asked Beatrice in her most polite voice.

(She was familiar with seeing other small creatures talk.... 

so she was not surprised when they answered her!)

"We are Buttercup and Marmalade" said Buttercup.....

"And we have come to visit the Cloud Palace" added Marmalade.

"There's a Cloud Palace?" said Beatrice, her eyes opening wide!

"I've never seen a Cloud Palace" she added, 

"all I've seen is the Old Castle ruins. 

But they are Dangerous and I'm not supposed to go there!"

 "Hmmmm...."  said Marmalade...

"I am certain there is A Cloud Palace somewhere here...."

"We're supposed to visit our Cousins 

on our way to our new Home...." added Buttercup!

"I've never heard of the Cloud Palace," declared Beatrice.

But privately she thought that maybe she would ask her 

brother Tommy if he knew anything about a Cloud Palace.

But she didn't want to let Tommy know that she was talking to Animals again...

it made her Family a little worried!

Meanwhile, Buttercup and Marmalade asked if they 

could stay for a while and rest from their long Travels....

Beatrice said "Only if you promise to hide when anybody is coming!

They must'nt know you are here!"

"That's easy" said Buttercup...

"We'll just fly off when they are coming..." added Marmalade.

So it was decided that they could rest a while 

and tell Beatrice all about their Journey!

Well, Dear Readers, I must leave you here, 

at the Beginning of another Long Journey.....

For in case you hadn't guessed, 

The Fairy Bearys have arrived in the Right place...

But in the Wrong Time!

(Beatrice lives in the year 1852.....)

So I hope you can forgive me for leaving you here

After Traveling Far and Near

And Losing All track of Time!