From All Sides

My work area was a mess, so it was time to clean it up, put everything back in it's place, dust the Garfield, and start fresh. These are shots from each side of the house; exterior doors are NOT glued in place; fabric is hanging, waiting for the back wall; the upstairs fireplace is not stationary, waiting to see if I'll further decorate it. I removed the staircase and partition from the Parlor. I'm carpeting the stairs right now and finally adding the decorative parts to the newel posts.

I'm also working on the ceilings of the second story/floors for the third story.The directions have me installing those when complete and then the walls that separate the stairs/ bedrooms. I've not decided if I'll need to decorate them before I install them, but I'm pretty sure I'll have to, to make it easier reaching inside this baby. This house has such awkward angles that decorating would be so difficult if I completed the building before I painted/papered it. I have not followed the directions to the letter, obviously. It won't let me.

In the photograph that shows the front of the house..the one where you can see both exterior doors... you also see a good 1/4 of this room. It shows how much space I ( don't ) have to work with in this small 2 bedroom house. The Garfield dangles over the twin bed that's in here and to the front of the table it sits on is a card table that I use to work on, with boxes under both tables holding wood, parts, tools, and whatever. In front of that card table is where I am right now, at my desk, typing away. On the wall to the side is a cabinet full of all my crafting supplies and my own personal closet. Thank goodness I'm the only one that uses this room or the chaos would be much greater.

Today, I'll finish the staircases and the ceiling/floors and maybe sort more of the supplies and spare wood. I'm usually an organized person, but I've let that get away from me this past month. (My husband is pretty much recuperated from his accident and I don't need to ignore my own needs as much.) I want the house to sit around and talk to me, too. I need to learn where it wants to go from here, what to make the rooms do, and what they want to look like. I want to think about the lady who lives here-her name is Novella-and how she spends her time. And, of all things, I need to read the directions and do some dry fitting.

Thank you for your visit. I always enjoy it when you stop by.

We'll Call It The Library For Now

So, here I sit with 2 rooms half finished and they'll be staying that way for a while. The directions are sending me to work on the 3rd floor floorings/2nd floor ceilings...2 different sections that need to be prepared.

The blue flowered room will be the library. The shelves were closets in the plans, but I liked the idea of bookshelves, so there you go. The fireplace is one purchased from Hobby Lobby. It's really the same tan color of the bookshelves, but shows up white. It cries for some decoration and I'm waiting to decide what that will be before I glue it in ( IF I glue it in. ) The trim work will all be the Cabernet stain. I am going to buy the French doors rather than use those provided and there will be casing around the bookshelves.

As you've already seen, the room below is the Dining Room The post is just to keep the floor level until I can install the end wall, which is a long time from now. The fireplace is one that came with the kit, with some modifications. The "marble" is a photograph of rose colored Tennessee marble. ( Appropriate, since I was born in Tennessee. ) There will be wood trim around the base of the hearth.

I have to get those floors done. Since the floors will be for the third floor, ones not very important to the "living areas" of the house, they will be nothing too fancy. I have a lot of sanding to do and I think I'll be marking them with lines for planks and staining/shellacing them. In between waiting for the stain or shellac to dry, I'll work on the baseboards, crown moulding, and steps for those 2 rooms.Once the floors are complete, I'll flip them over and work on the ceilings that will be for the 2nd floor. Kim Hammond sent me some "paintable wallpaper" that I plan on trying, using that which looks like plaster. She couldn't have sent it at a better time and the wood that will be covered is not very nice looking, so the paper is going to cover a multitude of ugly spots. Thanks, Kim!!!!

I'm in the process of carpeting the staircases, but will save that for a later time, just in case I change my mind about what's happening there. I can't seem to commit myself to what I want yet; you know how that goes.

As I've said repeatedly, I am thoroughly enjoying myself building this beauty. I'm spending several hours every day on it, but not all at once. I paint, go do something, glue, go do something, on and on. And, I spend a lot of time thinking about it, not adding paint or glue until I'm positive it's what will work. I've realized that there are many people following the construction of the Garfield and your comments make me very proud. I truly appreciate it and welcome your thoughts and ideas. ( Got any for that fireplace??? )

Thank you for visiting.

My Dining Room Floor...Finally

After false starts, bad moves, poor results, tears, and a bit of swearing, I received some wonderful advice from Larry Marshall of "Woodnbits", whom I "met" through the Miniature Collectors Club, I have a beautiful floor for my Dining Room. It is not glued to the base as yet...much work to do before I make that important step, but I had to show it off and send kudos to Larry.

The floor is a mahogany veneer that I cut to shape, sanded clean, and stained with 3 coats of my favorite stain, Cabernet by Varathane. ( This stain will be prominent all through this house ) The border design and "medallion"are from my scrapbook supply...peel and stick trim. I love it's look..in fact, I used it as crown moulding in my Alison, Jr. house. I had the problem, on the first attempt, of the Bullseye varnish drying with streaks and clots, bubbles and ridges. Pure T ugly and, after complaining about it through MCC, Larry suggested that I dilute the shellac with denatured alcohol in a 50-50 proportion. I mixed up the concoction and practiced on a scrap piece of wood and was delighted !! I was so cautious when I applied it to my already pretty floor, knowing, if it turned out wrong, I'd have a bad behavior. I knew immediately that I had a good thing happening. I quit at 2 coats. I was afraid to press my luck. I think it's perfect!

As you can see, this is another cranky spot in the Garfield Manor and I'll need to decorate the already attached wall around that awkward corner before I erect the outer walls. The small 3" edge leading to the side porch has a door I don't really care for, so I bought the Houseworks door with the 4 pane transom from my local Hobby Lobby and am altering that wall and the trim to the door to make it fit. It's going to take a few days to finagle it all, but I have all the supplies I'll need to get it adapted correctly and decorate the area.

I've also been working on the ceiling to the Dining Room and the floor to the 2nd story room above it.( not shown ) The floor is the store bought plank flooring, stained and beautifully shellaced with the same great results. The ceiling was another pistol. I wanted it to have the rough texture of plaster ( tiny orange peel look ) and bought some stuff at the hardware store that was a total bust. After cleaning off the wood and returning the product, I purchased Rust-oleum's multicolored textured paint...mixed tans...and sprayed on 3 coats. Awesome !!! and, again, I'm happy. Lots of work to do before it's ready for Show and Tell. I (underestimate ) a week before the room is finished.

As I've said several times before, the Garfield Manor has me fascinated and I hold myself captive in my spare room every chance I get, often ignoring chores and garden. The house seems to speak to me and tell me what it hopes I'll do with it. I have file folders full of ideas and hopes to turn this into the fine Victorian home it is meant to be. Many of you have sent me compliments and great words of encouragement and that just spurs me on to do this house justice. I do thank you for all your kind thoughts and, as always, am open to suggestions.

Until later............................

The Garfield Manor's Dining Room

Sorry...no photo today, but there's not much to see at this point. It's still in my mini-brain. After some thought on how to approach the Dining Room and putting a plan of action down on paper, subject to change, I'm sure, I've begun work on the Dining Room. In the plans, Greenleaf labeled this the Kitchen, but I prefer to ignore a Kitchen in this house, placing it in an unseen area, and am making this a Dining Room. It has an odd shape, just as the Parlor did, and will need to be decorated as it is built. There's an angle and small area in a corner that will be tough to get to if I put up all the walls first. I dislike the door provided and have purchased another with a window and transom above it that does not fit in the space provided.....I WAS aware of that at the time of purchase. I'll be playing with that wall to make it work.

But first, I'm tackling the floor. Initially, I sanded and stained the base flooring provided to see what it would look like and I hated it, which I kind of suspected I would, so went out and bought a sheet of 1/8" maghogny veneer. After looking at the grain, I felt it was too large to look real in the house, so I flipped it over to a smaller grain look. I made a pattern of the odd shaped floor, traced it on to the veneer, and cut her out. I've sanded it down to a fine smooth feel, dry fitted to the base and walls and am ready to stain it today. The dry fit caused some trimming to be done, especially at the tower area, needing the slots of the wall it slips into to be enlarged somewhat. It'll work and I am excited all over again!!!!

Tomorrow, probably, after I get the floor stained and glued down, I'll start back with the photos, making sure you can see the odd angles I have to play with in this room. I have so many ideas for this Dining Room and I'm looking forward to sharing them with you.

Garfield's floor, wallpaper, many mini etc.'s

So much encouragement !!!! I thank you all !!!

I have done so many different things for Garfield these past few days....a lot of it hardly seems worth talking about, but it's always the little things that make a house a home. I have the 2nd floor holding on by masking tape and the wall tabs..no glue yet...to help me align the wallpaper. I'm sure you'll remember the wallpaper is a "printie" and I printed it all out, including "just in case" extras at one sitting, to assure color consistency..I did this immediately after installing new ink cartridges. (It's amazing how much ink it took. The printer told me right away I needed more ink soon.) I've also started gluing up the bead board, which I'll cap with trim ( note:time to make up a new order from my fav.."Ernie" @ Miniatures.com ) This part of the wall needs to be decorated ahead of time or I won't be able to reach inside easily.The walls on the right of the photos are also NOT glued in yet, just there for support.

It's here I have to stop decorating on the walls and, yes, place that order which will include the Palladian door and insert, prepare some windows, glue the tower extension floor to the main flooring, then glue the entire floor up, prepare some crown molding and baseboards, prepare the staircase post toppers, glue those walls that are loose right now, and then go back to wallpapering. WHEW ! It's as confusing at times as it sounds and easy to get off track.

I am normally a very organized person, but building Garfield has chucked that out the window. The lack of space IS most people's with dollhouses complaint, and I'm no exception. I'm in a small house's spare bedroom with bed, computer desk, storage cabinet, file cabinet and 2 other dollhouses....The Alison, Jr ( with additions on either side) and a smaller farmhouse of unknown name. I HAVE to stop every so often and clean up, put things back where they belong, and take out the trash.

Since I don't work and have only my dear Ed ( 4 cats, 2 dogs, no kids ) to care for, my working on the house is off and on all day. "Lucky me" I say.

The Garfield Manor's 2nd Story Floor

The second story floor to Garfield sits wet from varnish on the work table, looking beautiful, however, unfinished. After piecing together the flooring sheets, I glued them all to the wood provided in the kit, taking care that the tabs and holes were not covered. ( Lots of sanding, cutting, and whittling away to make that happen.) I dry fitted all the slots to make sure of proper fit and then sanded it all well, cleaning the dust by vacumning, air blowing, and wiping off with a damp cloth, then brushed on 2 coats of the Cabernet stain, matching the staircase. I have but one coat of the varnish on at this point, but will lightly sand, clean, and apply one more coat. The floor has a deep rich color to it and a shine that glistens, but does not glare. After letting it sit for several days to completely dry, I will flip it and work on the ceiling for the first floor. That will end up with the ceiling sheets of small circles, which are ordered and on their way to me. While I am waiting for delivery, I think I will start with the wallpaper for the walls in the main room on the first floor. I am still a long, long way from fitting the pieces together to make it look like a house.

Planning Ahead, Buying Ahead

I just love a good sale and Hobby Lobby is having one on dollhouse miniatures and accessories, all half off !! My local store does not stock very many different things and few of what is available. I was able to stock up on trim pieces...crown molding, baseboard, bead board, and hardware. I, also, picked up 1 small circle ceiling sheet and 3 of the wood flooring. A good solid $50 was spent, providing a savings of a good solid $50. When it comes to building a dollhouse, we all know that it's a pricey hobby and every penny saved helps.

Almost everything was sorted out and stored for later, except for the flooring. I decided to use the wood flooring for the 2nd story. Originally, I was just going to score lines in the floor and, then, stain it. Using the sheet of floor saves me a lot of time and aggravation ( a fact I have learned from the past ). I have cut down the 3 sheets to fit the floor and am about to dry fit to the walls to assure a neat joining. I do know already there will be some trimming/sanding down for the floor and walls to fit precisely.

I will go back to Hobby Lobby in a few days, just in case they restock their shelves, but I'm doubting they will. In the meantime, I will prepare an order for more of the ceiling sheets that I will use for the first floor and work on the flooring to get it ready to stain and glue...something still days away.