Small Steps....

 

 Tree House and Leaves....

As I was finishing the windows for the Nanny's Room, Dear Readers, and the Dressing Room in the bath, I began to mentally count the windows still to be made for the topmost attic level of The Tree House. And that level was probably only going to need one or two at the most. Was I almost done with the windows? But then I remembered the stairs! On the bottom floors the stairs went up in the walls to each new level. But when it came to the bedroom level, I realized the inhabitants would want privacy, and so the stairs needed a different route upwards. Thus I built the little winding staircase on the back corner of the tree trunk... and realized that it would be invisible unless I added an opening door on the outside wall...

 Which you can see on the left at the bathroom level.

 

Here it is open and you can see the staircase is wallpapered too! 

But the window itself was not yet constructed... 

and in order to build it I was going to need to remove the door from its hinges...

 and in order to do that I needed to move the entire Tree House out of The Folly base

 because I could not reach the hinges with my screwdriver otherwise.

 

It is a very delicate and tricky operation 

to lift the Tree House out of the base... 

It has to tilt forward to bypass the living room window,

 but mustn't tilt too far.... 

and then it must stand alone... 

tall and just balanced enough that it won't fall...

unless bumped!

 But I was able to remove the staircase door from the hinges!

 

 It has a chevron shape to the wall 

in order to "curve" enough around the stairs...

 

And there is very little clearance on either side of the window for the frame.

 

 

 The window pieces were made the same as for the Nanny's Room...

 

 

Then the door needed to be balanced over another piece of wood

 so the window could be weighted while the glue dried.

 

 Here is the finished exterior...

 

 

 And the interior too! 

But this side still needs the frame attached...

 

Like so! 

The clearances are very tight! 

And then it needs to be reattached to the hinges...

 

Which you can see here.

 

 

And the open view!

 But I was nervous

 with the Tree House out of the base...

 so back it went!

 

Here you can see it is so close to The Folly

 that it is hard to see that it even opens!

  

 

 And it needs the flash to see inside...

 I might have to put a light in the stairwell... 

 

Because I still need to build the walls around the stairs

 as they go upwards to the top floor....

 the Attic level!

 

And as for those leaves I mentioned, Dear Readers,

 they are the final leaves of the Chinese Dragon Carpet central area.

 

If you recall, I had rearranged most of the kit pattern

 throughout the central area when I added the Dragons to the center.

 I stitched as much of the rest as I could according to the original design.

 But at the end I had to rearrange leaves on the ends too.

 Here I have begun the final leaves for this end...

 

And finished!

 (Except for the designs in the border... 

and the gold border... 

and the background....)

 but hey, the central section leaves are done!

 

So Step by step, Dear Readers, 

those Small Steps are

 making good Progress!

Windows.....

 

And Doorknobs.....

I Found myself recently, Dear Readers, staring at The Dollmaker's Studio project and wondering what it was that was preventing me from just gluing the second floor ceiling in place and moving on with the next level. So I pulled the building onto my kitchen table... the only place where there was room to work on it... and started to make a list. The reason for not gluing the ceiling in place has to do with a whole bunch of small details to finish on the inside of that room that would be much trickier or impossible once the ceiling is glued down. Little things like attaching the oval mirror over the fireplace, attaching the chandelier to the ceiling and spicing those wires, adding doorknobs to the doors, putting a few more curtain rings on the lace window curtain so it would fold more naturally, and so I could finally glue the window frame into the alcove extension, even though that could not be attached until after the ceiling was glued down..! (You can even see the thread that has been tying the window in place to keep it from falling out!) It gets complicated! But I could at least make a start!

 

 The mirror is now attached to the wall above the fireplace.

I used a small hook on each end to "grab" the mirror frame. 

The mirror is originally a Christmas tree ornament and is made of resin. 

(There is a matching one in The Folly Dollhouse.) 

 

I added six more curtain rings to the curtain... 

the original seven just left too much space between the gathers.

 

I spliced the wires for the chandelier

 and the window alcove Christmas light string

 and added shrink tubing to the joins.

I still need to "bury" the wires in the walls... 

but not until the alcove and ceiling are in place!

 

 

And I did glue the window frame into the alcove frame...

 

 Here you can see the building with out the Window alcove.

 

And while I was working on the windows, 

I decided to figure out how to attach the smaller window

 in the front opening door wall.

I had a couple of the small windows from Houseworks,

 but they are built for walls that are 3/8 inch thick,

 and these walls are only 1/4 inch thick.

I needed to decide how to pad the opening 

and support the window frame sturdily in the opening.

I decided to have the frame sit on a 5/8 inch square wood block

 which would attach it firmly to the door.

 

 

 Like so. 

The frame could be built around it easily

 with standard stock wood strips.

 

Here you can see the framework built around the window.

And if you look carefully, 

you will see the glint of a shining doorknob 

on the balcony door and at the top of the tower stairs.... 

 

 Which you can see slightly better here!

 

And while I was pondering those windows and doorknobs, Dear Readers,

 I was also doing the same for the Tree House! 

 

Waaay back when I had last worked on the

 Tree House Bath Dressing Room,

 adding the light to it's ceiling,

 I knew just what kind of window it needed...

 but I didn't ever get around to making it.

 And it had been so long... 

I wasn't sure I knew where the materials all were....!

 I needed some of that gold mesh I paint gray or black

 and I found a scrap partly painted 

(I thought I had more!)... 

but this was enough to get started!

This window wants the "Georgian" treatment

 with a vertical grid of window panes, like I used in the Salon.

You can see the beginnings on the above photo.

 

Here the window panes are being glued to the outer wall of the Dressing room...

 being weighted down by the glue bottle!

 

And here it is with the outer frame glued over the window pane.

 

And here is the interior view!

 

 

And the Nanny's room windows also needed to be constructed.

 Here I have added a knob to the shutter over the smaller window.

The Nanny's Room windows wanted to be

 the old fashioned "diamond pane" glass.

 

 

They always need a spacer frame and 

an outer frame to secure the pane to the wall.

 

Here the larger window has been glued to the wall.

 

 

Here are both of the Nanny's Room's windows

 with the knobs on the shutters!

 (Just look at all those beautiful tiny hinges!!!)

 

The interior view with the shutter open...
 

 And the larger window in the opening door wall.

 

And The upper side of the Tree House....

The Nanny's walls are still not glued in place.

 

And the side view with the doors open... and no flash....

(when will I ever learn!)

 Yes, Dear Readers, I have been 

wandering from project to Project, 

chasing Tiny details like

 window frames and doorknobs...

and making Progress! 

 

Teeny Tiny Progress...

Why Things Take Longer.....

I am sure I am not Alone, Dear Readers, in thinking my creations will be simple and quick to make... and I don't know why I have not learned that this is never the case! For instance, I decided that I needed to make a "few" tiny birds for the Park... because who ever saw a Park that had No Birds? And I wanted my birds to be Pigeons and Sparrows... because they are always the most noticeable little Park residents.... so I started with the Sculpey.... but I wanted my birds to have little wire feet... with four toes (just for accuracy's sake!) ....

So I twisted together four strands of very thin gauge jewelry wire

 and bent them into a little armature for the birds...

I started with the Pigeons, as they are larger and therefore easier to make!

I think they are a little large for true scale... 

being just over an inch long...

And then I tried the sparrows... 

each is about a half an inch long!

Isn't he cute???

But does he need Paint????

(I think he needs paint.....)

 

And Can you see their little wire feet???

I have not trimmed them to a correct length yet....

because I decided I needed to make More of each....

How many birds equals a "flock"???

And then, of course, Dear Readers, 

while the Sculpey was baking, 

I was also adding the details to the 

Bed Alcove for the Tree House Nursery!

I finished the matchstick "paneling"....

And I found some scraps of worn out paper Twist 

that was used for chair seats... 

and fits perfectly as the edging for the opening to the Alcove!

And I added a second layer because 

the Door frame is two layers of plywood thick....

so both the layers are edged in the paper twist.

Then I stained it with a light maple stain...

And While the stain was drying.... 

I was also making the "leaded glass" windows!

And because it had been So LONG since I last 

made any of these windows for the Tree House, Dear Readers, 

I was not at all sure of what I was doing!!!

They consist of several layers of cardboard 

cut to the shape of the opening, 

one layer just slightly larger than the other,

and painted on all sides, 

and glued together with the clear plastic "window pane" inserted in the opening.

Then I add the "mesh" which is cut very carefully to fit the pane 

and glued in place with a thick layer of Aileen's clear gel glue.

Once they are completely dry I attach them to the wooden window frame....

And this whole panel is the outer layer 

which will attach to the outside of the opening on the Bed Alcove....

 And here you can see it just held in place temporarily....

(I don't glue until I am sure the parts are assembled as far as possible 

because it is easier to make the pieces when they are flat and not inside a tiny hole...!)

And with the light shining in the windows....

Perhaps we can imagine sleeping in this little Alcove...?

And while we are Imagining Things......

Perhaps we can test how a little lace curtain will look....

But Of course, we will need a soft mattress too......

Does that look inviting....?

If we Imagine we are very small.....

 

Well.... it is a Start!

And while we have been lost in Imagining this Tiny Alcove....

Somebody has been feeding the birds in the Park.....

Yes, I do think they need to be painted...

But it is a Start!

So I think you can see Why it is, Dear Readers, 

That even though there has been Teeny Tiny progress....

Everything Always takes Longer!