MiniHelper

We are preparing the Children's room and the attic for photographing. I have an expert and willing helper. My Granddaughter is four and declares that the finished result is "truly adorable Grandma!".

I will continue when my helper returns to Mum and Dad, but in a few days you will see full coverage of these rooms! I'm very happy to be back working on the interior!

OldEarringFun

These earrings must date from the 1980's. I bought them, with many other filigree style accessories. I think I paid about .20c a piece at a Thrift Store. That was in the mid 1990's. As you know we miniaturists must NEVER throw anything out!

I thought originally that I might use them as matching mirrors but I think that this use is more interesting for my house. The central disk is 1 1/2", top to bottom they measure 2 1/2". I have two pair of earrings.

The photos show how easily the earrings were converted to formal French-style and Chinoiserie-style decorative wall plaques. I chose an image, cut it out - then painted the central disk very thinly with all-purpose glue before placing the image. I am very happy with the French ladies but may find different images for the others as they seem a little dark. Interesting how a different style is achieved by turning the earring upside down. You can see I cut the dangles from the disk to enable me to attach the silk ribbon but left them on for the others.

Photo 1: French lady with gold silk ribbon.
Photo 2: Earring blanks.
Photo 3: Magazine page for Chinoiserie-style choices.
Photo 4: Cut-out to define image.
Photo 5: Chinoiserie plaque finished.
Photo 6: Pair of French ladies.

HomeCourtyardinBloom

Dear All, These are a couple of photos of the front courtyard of our home in Vancouver BC. Summer has officially arrived ..... please, please let us have some warm weather at last.
We live very close to downtown (about 12 minutes by car) and most homes in this area have small lots with a small front and back gardens. Most front gardens are exposed to the street. Many years ago we decided we would create a private space by hedging the front garden. This area faces north and as a result it was always a struggle to keep the moss out of the lawn. We resolved this by paving the whole area, building screens to baffle the entry from the street and planted boxwood to define the inner area. On the screens we planted hydranga petiolaris and clematis, in front of this are skimmia japonica and boxwood.
A spreading small leaf maple and bee attracting hawthorn shade this area in the summer but as they lose their leaves in the Fall it is a sheltered spot catching any available light in winter.
In the large planters we have the same clematis as on the screen, a fragrant honeysuckle and annual sweet peas, white impatens and bacopa.
It is a heavenly spot to take tea and read.

FinallySlateTilesDone

Greetings All and a warm welcome to Minworks new followers.

I have found it difficult to settle to write of late as we have had a lot of things happening in our lives. Here are a few photos of the roof to show you more of the process. I know the sequence of the photos is incorrect but I cannot seem to change them once I have downloaded them. I hope the description will assist anyone considering using this roofing technique.

We applied wooden guttering that we painted with copper paint. The inside of the gutters were given some aging with black and dark green paint... then the outside treated to give a verdigris patina.

I decided to add lighting into the Children's bedroom and the entry bringing it up through the chimney. I had to hide the electrical tape on the ceiling of the second floor. The Empire room now has a gilded ceiling (watercolour paper spray painted gold) and the Entry now has the same paper that covers the walls. Bruce has attached all the moldings for the ceiling on the second floor as well. We feel like progress is being made!

Photo 1. Roof with gutter finished!!! Roof yet to be aged but I'm feeling a bit more confident about it now I have realized I can always repaint it if I don't like the aging.

Photo 2. Roof prior to paint touch up and final trimming.

Photo 3. Roof before the guttering is applied.

Photo 4. Roof tipped upside down so Bruce can paint and paper the ceiling of the second floor.

Photo 5. Completed roof tiled.

The following are older photos:

Photo 6. Just a couple of tiles left out to show you the roof ridge prior to finishing the capping.

Photo 7. Completed edges of roof.

Photo 8. Edges of roof - lower section tiled but not retouched with paint after tiles were trimmed to size. Upper section of roof unfinished but showing how tiles connect prior to capping.