Pay It Forward/Backward The End

It's been a week or so that I sent out my "Pay It Forward" minis, plus the "Backward" to Jody, Tiffany and Maia. I want to say great things about Ann Vanture's "Cut and Glue" kits which each received pieces, plus I made some plants from fimo. Duh, I didn't take photos. It was fun, Ladies!!!!


Now, I keep saying, I'll go back to work on Garfield. Wait!! It was about this time last year that I stopped to work on Holidays and the house. In all that time, the stuff in this spare room has mounted to the point I need to really clean the room first. Bought 2 boxes at Wally World that are too big to stash this stuff. If I fill them, there's no good place to accommodate the size of the boxes.

Please, someone tell me that I'm not alone when I stand at the doorway to this room, lean up on the wall, and ask themselves what to do with all this "stuff"- lots of other words to call it. I have small bottles that I want to save because I may need them, spare wood, new tools, spackle, shingles, rocks, scrapbooking supplies, 2 other dollhouses, empty space bags, boxes I can use to mail Christmas in, the beginnings of Christmas gifts, decor, cards, blah, blah, blah..................If only someone could know without a doubt what my intentions are and come in here and do it for me. WAIT!! That's me.....get off my butt and do it!!

I will do what everyone says..."you can do anything for 15 minutes". And so, I prepare to begin to start to get to fixing to be ready to work for 15 minutes. Now, where did I stash that timer?

Pay It Forward...Part Two

I am working my l'il fingers on my "Pay It Forward" items. No, I'm not saying what I'm doing, Jodi and Tiffany. You are my only 2 players right now and I can take 3 more, if other bloggers want to play. See my August 1st blog for the instructions. I'm making enough to send to several people. I guess it's my own fault, since I've not been writing much ( or working much. ) Working these things up has me also working on the Garfield too, but it's just siding and nothing to get excited about. I'll take 3 more people until 9/30. After that, I'll split it all between the 2 ladies I have now.

A New Challenge=A Happy Memory

I've come to realize that crafty people are always up to something. Today, it's Tiffany, at http://www.minimischief.blogspot.com/. She's chosen me and some other bloggers to a photo challenge. I'm supposed to take the 4th photo from the 4th file in my computer, show it, say something about, then pass the challenge to four different bloggers. This one is a joy to do.

The photo is an old, old chair...older than I am...60 plus I don't know how many years. The old chair currently sits in my sister's livingroom. This old chair has been recovered a few times but I always see it's original covering...a green vinyl that had seen better days. This old chair first belonged to my parents. As children, my sisters and I rode this as a horse and it went by different horsey names, took us for miles of rides across our imagination, both as a saddlehorse and hitched to a wagon. We used it as a gymnastic horse and jumped our way winning in the Olympics. If it was placed just right with other pieces of furniture, we could jump from furniture to furniture and never touch the floor. I also remember sitting a few timeouts in it, only they weren't called "timeouts", they were "sit there and don't say a word until you think about it"......"it" was any stupid thing I did wrong.

The name of the file that this old chair's photo is "Furniture inspirations". I intend on making a replica of this old chair, just as I did the twin beds my sisters and I slept in and a humidor chest that had been my Granny's.

So, that's the tale of the old chair. Now it is my turn to pass it on and, as usual, I can't seem to manage that...you see, after checking a few blogs to see if they've "been there, done that", I see that they have in one form or another, and hitting them again takes the fun away and it becomes more work, for them and for me. So, Tiffany, I've failed on my challenge but had so many happy thoughts about the old chair.

WHOA! Nellie!

Pay It Forward

Several months ago, I responded to a fun game in Maia Bisson's delightful blog ( http://maiastwinkleminiatures.blogspot.com/ ) called Pay It Forward. The object is to send a mini-something to the first five people who respond to the offer written in their own blogs. Then, those five people make the same offer in their blog and on and on and on.

I think I was the first one to respond to Maia's offer, by a lucky chance. From her, I received a "cross stitch" book mark and a photo album. At present, they are in my Alison Jr., but are intended for the Garfield when I get it completed.It is now my turn to make the offer.

This is how it works:
For the first five people who respond to this post, I will make a small gift and send it to you. This will be a 1/12 scale miniature gift which I will attempt to tailor, in some way, to the people who respond.
There are a few limitations:
1. Until it arrives at your doorstep you will not know what it is.
2. They will arrive by the middle of October.
3. I will make something lightweight and not bulky to facilitate packaging and mailing. Where’s the catch? You must make the same offer on your blog."

Simple, yes? The rules were cut and pasted from Maia's offer. The only change is the month. The hardest part is the wait, wondering what it'll be and when will it arrive.

So, folks....want to play?

New Award Plus A Shopping Mania

I have been "Illuminated" by Tiffany at www.minimischief.blogspot.com/ . How sweet, Tiffany!! I thank you so much. I do have some guilt accepting the award, since I haven't done all that much on The Garfield Manor in the last couple of months. My garden continues to scream bloody murder for me to work on it and my husband is literally falling down and needs more attention lately. I will humbly accept the award and will "illuminate" ALL others as I have in the past. I cannot pick just one, or four, or however many it is I should illuminate.....they are ALL my favorites; I find myself reading from one to another in no particular order, enjoying each one in it's own right. I have never been so fascinated with so much talent as I have after discovering blogging. Please, everyone, give yourselves big pats on the backs and sing "This Little Light Of Mine" over and over.

SHOPPING MANIA..............I do hope everyone knows that Hobby Lobby has miniature everything 1/2 off. If you're just now learning, you still have 3 days. Hopefully, you won't have people like me, waiting in the parking lot first thing this past Monday morning, for the doors to open. Since there has been no real sighting here in Grand Junction of other miniaturists, I feel no guilt in the 2 large bags of things. I bought 3 packs of small corner trim, 10 pair louvered shutters, 2 Tiffany table lamps, 3 packs books that I'll add titles to later, 2 3- candle sconces, 4 pairs Victorian doorknobs/keys, 2 tulip chandeliers, 3 tulip ceiling light, 2 tulip wall sconces, 2 round hanging ceiling lamps, more baseboard, plank flooring, and a floor globe. All of that feels like a great BIG, happy bargain at $150 ( normally $300 ). WWWHHHEEEEEE.

PSST! Don't tell my husband!!! I want him to know that Spam and wieners are gourmet foods.

I am going back tomorrow to see if anything is left that I want to bring home or will need sometime in the next few months. I had left some books, more trim, a few chandeliers and lamps, more candles, and an old looking Singer sewing machine that I think I want. Maybe, having all this will be the kick in the butt I need to pay more attention to Garfield. Well, the temps have made it into the 90's now and I won't be going out to sweat in the lily patch as frequently, so I'll have time to build on my dream.

Tiffany, again, thank you. You've sent me smiles and I truly appreciate it.

Dilly Dally

What we have here...is a failure to communicate!!! 'My bad!!!!!!! Every once in a while, I don't write to those I should...people think I've dropped off the surface of the Earth. I don't e-mail, snail mail, send cards, write in my diaries....I have three....personal, garden, and dollhouse.....I don't call people very often either. No reason, just closed mouth....which my family would say "that's a good thing", since I can be a motormouth at times.

So, to the Garfield. My silence has not meant I'm not working on it, but the work is pretty slow. The life size garden has the priority right now and, boy, does it need hands on in there.

Since seeing what Gina ( More Minis. blogspot.com ) did to the 3rd floor gazebo instead of a tower room, I have wanted to do something very different to the house. Since most of the structure is done, I had to find some place to create a new look. I've chosen the porch roof. To be more specific, there will be NO porch roof, at least, the way it was intended. In the Greenleaf directions, the porch roof is slanted. In the photos above, you see a triangular piece of wood slanted down from the side of the front porch. It is to hold the roof in place. Well, I cut it off...flat against the walls. I am not going to have a slanted roof on the porch...it will be flat, with railing all around the perimeter of the porch. It will resemble a "Widow's Walk", though it is too low to be have that purpose.

I have taken the wood pieces to the roof and filled in the tabs with spackle and sanded them flat. I will paint the top of that wood the same brown I am using in the trim pieces and the underside ceiling of the porch a creamy color, yet to be picked out. In fact, all my basic house colors need to be picked out.

I have a "what to do first?" list:

1. Finish the siding

2. Paint the exterior

3. Paint the porch floor, ceiling, roof

4. Prepare the porch trim pieces-sanding, dry fitting, painting

5. Install the 3 doors- the front door, the side door, and the 2nd floor doors

6. Get the exterior windows ready

7. Place the stone on the tower-I'm practicing on a scrap piece of wood and I still need more practice

8. Prepare corner trim pieces and trim to go under the roof of the porch ( like a cornice, but a flat piece )

9. I KNOW I've missed something

I'll try to be more talkative from now on...kick me if I take too long.

OOPS, I Forgot

Susan, from the Maharajah's Palace, gave me the "Sisterhood" award for my blog. I thank you so very much for this. I am still surprised when I realize that people other than family and friends read my blog and I actually have "followers". It honestly gives me incentive to do more work on the house. I'm passing it on to EVERYONE who is working on their own blog, as we all need that boost from time to time and to choose just a few is not only confusing, but not fair to the ones not mentioned. I think that anyone who takes the time to share their thoughts with others is just as welcome as those that call and ask how you are doing. It's wonderful that computers bring us all together no matter how far away we really are from each other.

The Kiss of the Sun

I have Spring Fever and the weather is perfect for it, at least, until tomorrow, when it's supposed to change. I've spent the better part of my time cleaning and uncovering tiny little sprouts that hide under Winter's junk. The crocus and mini-daffodils are flowering now and signs of others are following. I get all goo-goo when my flowers start to show from their long Winter's nap.

The Kiss of the Sun for Pardon,
The Song of the birds for Mirth,
One is Nearer God's Heart in a Garden,
Than Any Place Else on Earth.

I've not completely ignored The Garfield, but it's only with monotony. Sanding a new stack of shingles, cutting and gluing them on to the house. Surely you don't need to see the same photo, just on the other side of the house. Boring!

I am guessing it will take a while to get to the point where a photo will be of any real interest. Sorry about that. I'm eager myself, but life comes before it's imitation. The change in the weather that's coming is supposed to be here tomorrow and hang out for a few days, so maybe I'll get something done then - I hope.

Until then, I'll be in the garden if you need me.

A Little More Siding

Putting up the siding is an easy task, but not the least bit exciting. The photo is of the front porch, front door, and tower. The height it's at right now is as high as I can go before I put on the porch roof. I'm only halfway finished, then will turn my attention to the porch, adding a plank floor, and on the tower, stonework all the way up My heart says I'll be done with the siding this weekend: my fingers ask "Who am I kidding?" I need to rummage around in my box of "Gonna Do's" and find my front trim, the planks, the riverstones. Good grief! I thought I said I was organized!!! I love this house! I'm so sad that lately is been a big sigh instead of something more enthusiastic.


ANSWERING MY E-MAIL

Oh, my goodness..all the positive re-enforcement a girl could need. More than a dozen of you have said such sweet things. Thank you so much. Your nudge has done the trick. And, the weather, Springlike, but not quite there, is perking me up some. My crocus are blooming, the mini daffies are in bloom, and the standard daffies are almost there.

Well, HiHo, HiHo.

My Apologies

Well over a month ago, Doreen Playter pass the blogging award back to me. Thank you so much, Doreen and I apologize for doing nothing about it until now. I really do have better manners than that.What's kept me is just cabin fever, my own personal funk, a 1,400 page book, and all around procrastination. In other words, no good reason at all.

I also have the problem of passing it on to others and I just have a mental block there. My reading of others' blogs is a random method, bouncing from one blog to another, and I've already passed it once to my most favorites. This is not to say that there are not other great ones that I read, but that, for the most part, I haven't spent a whole lot of time reading many blogs. Those that I've spent any real time reading, I have already passed it on to them or they have already received it from others multiple times.

As for my dear baby? Garfield, it too have suffered my lack or attention and I only have a few more pieces of siding up, nothing spectacular right now, but on the verge of being show off again. I have, just a few days ago, picked up level and exacto knife and am back on track. It shouldn't be too long now for me to do show and tell. Please accept my apologies for being so lazy.

Progress !! One Wall of Siding Finished!!

It's taken longer than I expected to do one wall of siding, but I haven't worked any long periods of time on the wall. I'd glue a piece on and walk away for a while, come back, slap a piece up, and walk away again.

It took about 1/2 package of the siding to do this wall. It is the outer side of the Parlor. I didn't measure the distances of each piece, just simply glued it slightly over the top edge of the piece below. I DID use a level to make sure it was straight.....I seemed to have a good eye about that; usually, I was dead on level. This wall was really very simple to do, even working around the windows. Slowly, the side was covered and I am pleased with it. Eventually, when all the siding is complete, I will paint it a tan color, not chosen yet. As there are fireplaces on the other side of this wall, I will build a chimney of the same riverstone that I'm going to use for the foundation and the tower.

I will turn the house today facing front and do some thinking before I start that wall. I will need to work around the tower, one window, and the front door, plus I'll have to be sure to allow for the porch roof openings. I need to be sure of my plan for the wall. I'm thinking- first, siding all around, come back, lay the front porch floor planking, do the stonework until I reach the porch roof, add the roof, then finish going up the tower wall. I need to be sure before I make a move. I hate having to undo something and undoing any of these things would be messy and very frustrating. I won't start for a few days on the front...I have a list of real life to work on before I make a move, which will give me time to think of my plans.

Siding Going Up

This is the exterior right side wall.....the Parlor is on the other side of the wall. It is going to be the easiest of the walls to put the siding on, since I only have the windows to work around. The other walls will have the porch roof, both front and side, the tower, and 3 bay windows.

I first started with Elmer's glue..KNOWING full well it would warp and curl...but it was worth a shot, just to see how it'd act. Trashed that piece. Next, I tried Aileen's Tacky Glue and it did the same thing. Trashed that, too. Now, I'm using contact cement, a Dap product, and it's a water cleanup and easy to work with. I'm very happy with that.

On the part where there's no window, it takes 1 full piece and about 2" of a second piece. I glued the first pieces even with the bottom of the house. The second piece I put on, you can't see from this photo and I forgot about it until I started typing. It is on the front, touching down on the porch floor, to give me a guideline of how to keep the rest of the siding straight going around the house. So, the third piece is on the side, even with the piece I put on the front porch. ( Am I making sense? ) From there, it's just straight up the wall. I am barely overlapping the pieces, not measuring the distance, but using a tiny level ( the little black thingie at the corner of the house )

to make sure that it looks, well, level. I tape each piece down once it's up there and go do something for at least 15-20 minutes for it to set, then come back and do another.

I've got to tell you, it's going to be amazing when I'm done; I can tell that already, but it's not a fun thing to do..tedious ( my sister's word and I agree ). Good thing I'm in no hurry. If I was in a bigger room, I could work on different areas around the house, but I only can reach one side at a time.

The next wall to do will be the very front and I may have to do some other things first...I want to do the floor in the wood planking and I have the porch roof and railings to deal with.....the roof is the part that concerns me first. I'm going to let it surprise me.

Take the Good With the Bad ( News )

My siding arrived last night!! Hoorah!!! and the walls of Garfield are almost complete with the prep-sanding and wiping them down. I ordered all I should need, plus extra, in one pop...560 strips in all, ready to cover the exterior of my house, EXCEPT...always an "except", they need sanding. All of the edges are feathered and rough and, being a neat freak, that's not good enough. I want the siding to be smoother than it is, so I'll sand some, glue them on, sand some more, glue them on. Everything about this baby has pretty much needed sanding. I resigned myself to that fact a long time ago. In the next few days, during my favorite TV shows and old movies, I'll be running an emery board across the edges. The actual broad sides are fine. I will be sanding for a few days before I start on the right Parlor wall.

In the same shipment is my newest experiment-corner guards, an architectural detail in so many Victorian homes. These are 4 3/4 inch long posts, described by Harry at Miniatures.com to be precisely 1/8" plus a hair wide. Size wise, they are perfect for the need, but I'll need to tweak them in some way to make them snuggle into the outer corners of the walls, to prevent injury to them when bumped into by the tea cart. I am in no way disappointed with these at all and I hope they restock them as I'll be wanting more, both for The Garfield, but also for The Alison, Jr.


I am so delighted being able to get back to my hobby, even though it does begin with the inevitable sanding.

Getting My Act ( Back ) Together

Finally, finally, finally, the last of Christmas has been crammed into it's boxes, everything back where it's supposed to be, and I've done the last of the cleanup and Christmas vacuuming!!! I absolutely am nuts about Christmas, but procrastinate about putting it back in it's boxes. Anyway, I can go back to work on The Garfield Manor, but first........................

I have to get the big table out from under the bed, move the house to it, so that I can use the smaller table to work on in the "spare" room. I have to get out my tools and other supplies and set up my working area all over again. Oh, how I wish I had a little world where I didn't have to put things up and hide them for neatness sake! And, I need to move the Alison, Jr. ( on a wheeled cart ) back into the dining room for the extra space in here.

According to the directions, it's time to put the small tower room together and, then, the roof, but, instead, I'm going to put on the siding, as it'll be so much easier and neater if the roof isn't in my way. I have a shipment of siding to arrive early next week and I want to be ready for it as soon as it gets here. I L-O-V-E how Gina ( http://www.moreminis.com ) just did a recap on applying siding and I've gone over it a few times and I feel like I'm ready.

Over the next few days, I'll be sanding down the tabs and slots, making sure that all the surfaces are as flat as possible and wipe them down, so there'll be no dust or debris to prevent the glue from holding properly.

Don't laugh....I am actually quivering with excitement about getting back to work on this baby. It's been almost 2 months since I last did anything other than show her off or sit and dream about the plans I have for her. I have truly, truly missed working on The Garfield and have felt that something was missing from my life.

WOW!!!!!! An Award...Twice!!!

I am delighted that 2 of my fellow bloggers have passed on this blogging award. It was truly unexpected...actually unheard of, until it came my way-twice. I thank you, Jodi ( http://minileapsandbounds.blogspot.com/) and Gina (moreminis@blogspot.com) and am passing it on. Now, I'm not really sure how this works, though I did read "the directions"-always important-which said I could pass it on to up to 15 people. Well, if I read that many blogs, I wouldn't have the time to do very much at all, but I do have a few favorites that I try to stop in on at least every week.

First, I'd like Sumaiya ( http://thegarfieldblog.blogspot.com/) to share in this and I think she's already received it from someone, but I would be remiss in overlooking her. Sumaiya has walked me through the steps of blogging, kindly holding my hand and encouraging me all the way. It was watching her own Garfield building that took me to her.

Next, I passing it right back to Gina,( http://moreminis@blogspot.com ) whose site I've been to so many times, since it is full of helpful hints and tips that have never crossed my mind. And her Victorian sites have filled my head with ideas for my Garfield.

I'm also passing it right back to Jodi, ( http://minileapsandbounds.blogspot.com/ )who also admits to being "obsessed" with minatures and whose site is so full of information.

Next comes Larry Marshall (http://woodnbits.com/blog/ ) who will most likely laugh that I think his head is so full of information and I would like to crack it open like a coconut so I could get to it.

For Doreen ( http://doreensminiatures.blogspot.com/ ) who actually just started her blog recently, but is already a favorite from e-mails at MCC.

And, Tiffany (http://minimischief.blogspot.com/ ) who gets her fingers into anything she sees and seems to make everything in her life fun.

I could go on and on, but golly, there's not enough hours in the day. I think it's important to note that, I'm sure, all of us started out with " Who's gonna read what I have to say?" and have been surprised when we find out there are many folks out there supporting us, not just our families, who are obligated to read our thoughts. I have days when blogging feels like homework and others where I can't shut up, but it took me a while to realize that I really did have some folks following my words and I feel honored, especially when I had to be talked in to it by Sumaiya, who went so far as to set it up for me, thank you, dear. I still am surprised by the support from others and this ( not so little, to me ) award just encourages me.

Well, pass it on, ya'll, and keep up the great work, as I always am needing your advice, entertainment, and encouragement.

And, about the Garfield, which is, after all, what this blog is all about, I have an order in for siding that should be delivered about the time I get Christmas all packed back up in it's boxes, and the fun will continue in the blog in just a few days.