Minions Across America...

The more I thought about what's ahead for this summer, the more I realized that trying to work on miniatures when we are in a different place every day would be very difficult. I had made the decision to put working on them on hiatus for the summer and was sad about that when Bob came up to me and pulled on my sleeve. I looked down and saw his quivering lip and his little voice saying, "I want to come too...." Then Kevin came in dragging their suitcases and it was decided.

We will do Minions Across America! LOL! Kevin and Bob were overjoyed and we all had banana donuts to celebrate. The other minions said they had businesses to run and couldn't afford to take the summer off. After all, tourist season and all. So Bob ran in the shop and grabbed his teddy and we loaded them up along with everything else.

They think they're going on a grand tour, but in reality it will be alot of waiting by the side of the road for Bill. Maybe they will share the banana donut recipe with me and we can cook up a batch. So watch this space for pictures of Kevin and Bob going across this great country of ours. Have a great day!

Bubble Wrap and Stained Glass....

All was quiet in the house when I heard a faint popping sound. Since I was still awake, I got up to have a look. I heard it again and figured it was coming from my shop. When I turned on the light, there was Bob having a good old time with a piece of bubble wrap he found!

We both laughed and I thought I may as well do some work on the church since I was up. The rest of the minions were having a party over at Outback Steakhouse so I thought I would start one of the stained glass windows. I had a piece of stained glass look vinyl

left from the window I did in our camper

so thought I could use a piece of it in the church.  I cut out a circle the size of the trim and glued it on. Then glued the clear window that came in the kit over it.

After letting that dry for a bit, I glued it in place.

This is actually the third try...the first time, I glued the stained glass piece in backwards and had to take it apart. The second time I didn't let the whole thing dry enough before glueing it on the church and it slipped around and got glue all over....counted to ten on that one! LOL! So while that was drying, I went over to see what Bob was up to. Well, seems the word has gotten around about the fairy village and the minions want in pretty badly. So they have been resorting to some interesting tactics to prove they qualify. Here's Bob,

then Kevin got in the act too...of course his had to be bigger...

I said, "Hey, where did you guys get this stuff?" Then I looked at my bench! Holy smokes what a mess!

Looks like I'll be busy tomorrow cleaning this up and organizing it. So we have made a little bit of progress and hopefully it will continue. Have a great day!

Midnight Ramblings....

We had some chicken noodle soup and corn muffins for supper and my stomach started complaining soon after. So here I am up late waiting for my long suffering tummy to settle down. May as well do some more stonework! I was sitting there quietly tearing up an egg carton when I had the feeling I was being watched. You know, when the hair on your neck starts to prickle and you have this fight or flight sensation starting up. I looked around and found the culprits.

They all waved and hollered hello and said how they really want me to do up this castle for them. "What?!" I said. "I just built you guys a whole village..." Turns out they've been watching videos of castles online and now want a vacation spot. I just know they are going to want egg carton stonework on that whole thing.....I don't even want to think about it! I just shook my head and went to work on the other side of the church. Now I'm going to have nightmares of egg cartons chasing me...Got the side done with the first coat of glue and set it aside to dry.

I'm finding out that the pastor is a night owl like I have been lately and he came by with a question. He explained that he has fallen several times from the podium and was wondering if I would glue his feet down so we wouldn't have that problem. I said it could be done, but how would he get around that way. (I know he is a fan of those banana donuts over at Buns & Roses) He said, "Simple! I'll just take my shoes off!" Sounds like a plan! So here he is all glued on.

The old tummy was still complaining so I figured I'd finish typing up my journal for Twice Across America . I wanted to be able to copy and paste sections of the old journal into the new one when we start in less than 2 1/2 weeks! I only had a few pages left; when I was done, the glue was dry on the church so added another coat. That dried overnight and we only have the front left to do!

Then I have to decide what color to paint the front doors....any ideas?

Whew! These stones are heavy!

Sleepless nights are good for something! Was too wound to sleep right away so decided to go to my shop. The minions were sound asleep, so I had to be very quiet so I wouldn't wake them. You really don't want to deal with minions who have been startled awake. The fart guns come out, they have slingshots and there is general pandemonium! Bill needs his rest and sure didn't need to wake up to all that nonsense! So I quietly tore up more egg carton and started on one side of the church. My stonework is getting a little better, so I have saved the front for last. The pastor was still up studying, so came over to encourage me in my efforts. A little encouragement goes a long way! I started glueing the "stone" on and trimmed a few to fit.

Then it was on to the first coat of glue!

While that was drying, I took another look at the inside of the egg carton. Hmmm, that divider has bark texture on it...I bet if I cut out the centers, those would make great windows for the fairy village.

The glue was slow to dry, so I quit for the night and went to bed. In the morning, I put a second coat of glue on and this is what it looks like now.

The minions were tickled that I managed to get another wall done while they were sleeping. They even brought me some banana donuts to go with my coffee! Yum! Take care out there today and rejoice that it's spring!

Curly Hair and Packing!

Time spent working on our little beach house on wheels has cut into my mini time! But I am having fun fixing it up and making it more efficient. Scroll through the entries on Twice Across America to see befores and afters and all the little things we've done to it. We'll be leaving in about three weeks now, so I've been starting to pack in towels and sheets and various small appliances and things in the kitchen. I went to get a perm to make things a little easier each day and no, I'm not going to put up a picture of myself! LOL!

Once I curl it with the curling iron, it looks great; but I'm not sure about just going natural with it. There are only a couple more things to do on our little beach house on wheels and then it will be back to the minion church.....I promise! Please pray for us and for the financial support we are seeking. Have a great day!

Disappointment and a Little Progress...

It has been a whirlwind week around here! Dental appointments, truck maintenance, and doctor appointments all to make sure everything is in working order before our trip this summer..including me! ;) I received the 40% off coupon from Hobby Builders Supply a week or so ago and thought I might be able to do better on Ebay. Found another Greenleaf Village for only 19.99. I jumped on it without thinking because it said new old stock. When it arrived, it was a box full of empty frames; not one little house in the lot.

So did the usual and asked for a refund and the seller was prompt and courteous. He had bought it at an estate sale and was told it was complete....he didn't check either. So when you are tempted to buy on Ebay, always, always insist on pictures of the contents and how many sheets there are. My common sense went out the window and I ended up empty handed. But...I got my money back. In other news, I did make a little progress on the church. I finished the stonework and applied the glue. I didn't dampen my finger and rub over the stones this time...I thought, "How much difference can that make?" Quite a bit actually. The first section I did had more dimension and a bit of shine; this second section had a matte look and less dimension. So I ended up putting another layer over the whole thing and this is how it looks now.

I think I'm going to try one more coat and rub it with my finger this time and see how it goes. With all the glue that is on this, it certainly won't fall apart! LOL! While I was shopping the other day, I came across this container in Harbor Freight.

I thought it would work for carrying all the little things I want to use on the Fairy Village I hope to build this summer. Oops! I think I just let the cat out of the bag! Wouldn't it be fun if I could use natural materials I find along the way? I'll either stick them in the freezer to kill any creepy crawlies or toast them in the oven. Another project today was to clear a spot on my workbench and bring the small drill press in from Dear Hubby's shop. It was quite a bit heavier than I remembered and I bet I looked pretty funny heaving this thing across the back yard. If someone could follow me around and make YouTube videos of me doing this sort of thing, I'd be rich....So here it is in place, now I need something to drill holes in...:)

Take care everyone and have a great day!

Becoming a Stonemason....

It's bright and early here in Tennessee. Soft April rain is falling, the birds are singing and everything is turning that amazing spring green. I have been busy unloading our camper and washing towels, sheets, and rugs but am taking a breather to try my hand at a little stonework. Yes, I said it....the church wants to be made of stone. Just because I'm bigger than them, the minions think hauling rocks is easy for me. Whew! And mixing all that cement....for a whole building! ;) I started out by painting a second coat of grey on the church.

It looks blue in some of the pictures, but it's really more like this picture. I have one of those daylight bulbs in my work lamp and it tends to make things look bluish. After tearing up some egg carton,

I started glueing on the pieces.

I decided to start on the back wall to get more of a feel for this.

After doing a section, I decided to add the glue to show you how this works. Normally, I would wait until I did the whole side, but I couldn't wait that long! LOL! Squirt a generous amount of white glue on the stone section and spread it around with your fingers.

Then I wet one of my fingers and run it over the stones a couple of times.

If any small bubbles form, just pop them with a toothpick. I did this last night and this is what it looks like this morning.

So this is going to be a little stone church out in the country. The minions love it already and have been sitting on their bleachers eating popcorn while I work on this. They were discussing how sweaty I get hauling all that rock and how funny my hair looks when the humidity gets to it. I threatened to put them back in the toolbag and they quieted right down! LOL! So enjoy your spring day and even if you have snow where you are, know that that will help all the lovely spring plants to grow as it melts. Have a great day!

Grumpy Minions and The Church...

Had a sleepless night last night so found my way into the shop to see what kind of trouble I could get into. I heard a lot of grumbling and mumbling coming from my tool bag and suddenly remembered that I left the minions in one of the pockets! All week!

It was with many apologies and promises of banana donuts that they were released and went their separate ways. I got a few dirty looks and comments like, "We have businesses to run you know!". So while they were busy tidying their shops and restaurants, I got started on the church. Well, all you have to do is take one of these little buildings with you for a week and they start getting new ideas. (If you want to know what we were up to all week, hop on over to Twice Across America )This church was going to be an American Gothic style with board and batten siding and gingerbread dripping from the eaves, painted a soft yellow with white trim. Well, this little building was having none of that! So as it was telling me all its wants, I started to glue it together. Two sets of walls went together and I made sure they were square.

Those grids on the cutting mat come in handy. Started glueing in the floor

and then everything was clamped in place. You can never have too many clamps! LOL!

This is what it looks like out of the clamps

and then with the first step of the exterior.

"What is she up to now?" you may ask. Well, it's going to be a.......naw, not telling until tomorrow! Have a great day! It's spring here in Tennessee!

Cavorting with Minions...

March in Tennessee means it's grass-mowing time! I got out of it this time because I am still coughing and hacking. So my Dear Hubby went outside to start up the mower. When the minions heard it start up, they all looked at me horrified. "We didn't get to cavort in the flowers yet!" they said. This is something new to me, so I assured them we could go outside and they could cavort all they wanted until Bill got to that section of grass. We had quite a few tiny violets pop up in the lawn this year so there was a nice patch in the back part of the lot. I had to carry them all out there as their legs are kind of short. I think these guys have been hanging out at Buns & Roses a little too much, or it could be all those lunches at Outback Steakhouse, I hear the Crominions have some nice lunch specials; anyway, they are heavy! So by the time I carried them out to the violet patch  

and then over to where some dandelions were,

then back into the house, I was exhausted! I fell asleep on my workbench and the minions figured out how to use my new camera and snapped a shot of me.

I heard them all laughing and woke up. All they could say between gasps is something about my face being scrunched up and wasn't I just hilarious. Oh well, they are funny to have around anyway. So right now, we are on the road!

I packed up the Minion Church to bring along but I'm not sure how far I'll get with it. We are going over Bill's southern part of his bike route before summer to check out road conditions and connect with churches along the way for speaking engagements. Hop on over to Twice Across America to check on our progress. Our little camper has hit a few snags, but we dealt with each one as it happened so we will be all set for summer. Have a great day!

Under the Weather...

Don't worry, I'm still here. When Bill came back from a trip to Dallas, he came down with a heavy cold. After a week went by, I thought I was safe....nope, now I have it. Hacking and blowing my nose and general exhaustion. But today was a little teeny bit better than yesterday, so dragged myself into the shop to have a look around. The minions were very concerned for me and bought me a cake from Buns & Roses.

They were also working on some chicken soup, their very own recipe, and once I was settled on the sofa, they brought me some. The bowls were kind of small...they each had only one noodle, so it took awhile to fill me up. Felt a little like Gulliver. LOL! I didn't ask what was in it, but it had a faint aftertaste of bananas. I guess they thought I needed more potassium! LOL! Then the pastor came by and said he would pray for me so I am in good hands for sure.

This past weekend, we picked up our little camper and started the mini makeover.

For those of you that enjoy following that blog, it's here: Twice Across America  I think I will go get some more rest now, have a great day!

Interior Decorating...

The minions have decided on colors for their church. I was going to paint it white, but then realized that this was a minion church and they might like something a little different. After much discussion, and maybe a bit of arguing and bonking each other in the head a few times, they made a decision. The meeting went on for so long that they started to get hungry and when minions get hungry they start thinking about bananas. So one of them said, "How about a nice pale yellow with white trim just like banana cream pie..." Well, that got everyone drooling and with a hasty "Meeting's over!" they all ran over to Buns & Roses for some of those banana donuts and I hear they've also added banana cream pie in honor of the new color. So this is what it looks like after a couple of coats.

It's hard to get a good picture of it but I will keep trying as we go along. I got the last coat of white on the pulpit

and while I was out doing the Walmart thing the other day, I found some cross charms and one of them fit on the front just right. I clipped off the ring on the top with my wire cutters and glued it on with some 527 cement.

That was all I got done today. I'll put on a couple more coats of paint on the interior and then it can be glued together and I can start the board and batten on the outside. When Dear Hubby came home last night, he brought me a surprise! If you've been following my other blog, Twice Across America , you'll see the trip we have planned this summer. This tool bag will hold many of my tools so that I can "mini across America".

We are leaving the beginning of May and when the time gets closer, I will go over packing up and what I'll be bringing with me to work on while I wait for Bill on his bicycle. But for now, work continues on the Minion Village! Have a great day!

Trees and Podiums...

Started out the day in the shop working on the tree. After painting the trunk, I decided to paint some of the branches too. It looks more like a tree and less like a bush now. I dry brushed it with two darker colors and was very happy with it.

Once it was planted in Larry & Louie's outdoor showroom, I asked them what kind of tree it was. They just gave me a look. "What?" I said. They both just rolled their eyes and looked at me like I was a moron and said, "A Minion Tree of course!"

So we all have the privilege of seeing first hand the one, the only, Minion Tree! LOL! Shot another picture of the layout in front of my big plant for a background.

I call it "Planty" because I have no clue what it is. It was a rescue that I brought back to life and it has tripled in size in less than two years. It's now almost as tall as I am. I've looked online and can't find anything like it....must be a Minion Tree! ;) After the tree was done, I put a final coat of paint on the church pews and the minions wanted to try them out for size. Looks like they all fit!

I had another window punch-out kicking around on my workbench and thought I should make a podium for the pastor. I used a piece of 1/12 scale porch post I had saved from the Steampunk Summerhouse cut to size and a small rectangle of thin plywood. The pastor couldn't wait for the glue to dry to try it out.

This is what it looked like once I took it out of the clamps...or clothespins....

Then of course, we had to try everything out in place to .....see how it will look! LOL! I think they were having a church meeting about what color the pew cushions should be....could be a long meeting.

So this is the Minion Village so far.

Once the church is done, there will be only one building left! I have an idea for another small scale project that I think you will like. Have a great day!