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.

Getting the Itch Back

As you know, I've taken the Holidays off and concentrated on my big house. Now that Christmas is over, I'm wanting to get back into my Garfield and work/play with it, but I have to put up Christmas and that'll take another week or so.

Hobby ( Lobby ) wise, I made out like a bandit with over $100 in gift cards from family and friends that I plan to use only for the Garfield, though, if something comes up, I'll use it for non-dollhouse purchases. Many mini thanks to Sue, Angie, Cindy, Sean, and my darling hubby, Ed for making my Christmas merry for my miniature world. And, my friend, Lexie, gave me several pots and pans for a kitchen, though none of my houses have one. It's fine, though, and just confirms my thoughts of building the now unseen part of the Garfield in the future......my mind has it all planned, in fact, and there will be plenty of room in the future addition.

I have used one gift card already, but for my Alison, Jr. and not the Garfield. I needed a better diningroom set and found a nice one at HL that has made me smile more than the one I had made for it in the beginning. The chairs are what made me buy it....gold upholstered with the regal curl on the back. They'll tuck up very neatly under the trestle table. There is a tallboy cabinet to go with it.

The past few days, I've been just sitting next to Garfield, trying to decide what I want to do next. I should be putting on the roof, according to directions, but since I want to place siding on the exterior and make the tower have a fieldstone look, I need to do that first, so I guess a mail order is in order ( snicker ).

I hope you've all had a Merry Christmas and I wish you a Happy New year, full of all the many good things everyone deserves. I'll let you know when I've actually returned to work on Garfield. For right now, I'm just babbling.