Laundry Day and......Texans?

 Laundry day sure seems to come around too quick....but if we all quit washing clothes, the world would be a little difficult for those of a delicate persuation...LOL!  My husband and I went to Ben Franklin the other day and I found some small cowboy hats.  Of course one had to come home with me and I tried it on our lovable Doc:

He appreciated the thought but said it wasn't quite his style.  No one wanted to lay claim to it although the minions did give it a try....

They didn't like how it kept flying off when they were going around on their dirt bike.  So I thought the little hat would have to just sit on the shelf for now.  However, I was having my breakfast listening to my machines chug through the laundry minding my own business when I heard....."Hey podner, I'm callin' you out!" Say what?  I turned and the steampunk robot moseyed into the kitchen with the hat!

I smiled to myself and thought, "He really needs to work on his cowboy stance!"  I know Rose had to be in on this too as he is a clockwork and he needed someone to wind him up.   He's insisting I call him "Tex" and wants me to pick up some six shooters next time I'm out....seriously?  He ambled back to the shop and hollered over his shoulder that a horse would be nice too if I was so inclined.  You just never know around here! LOL!  I can just see having horses in the shop...I say horses plural because you know the skellies are going to want them too and I can just imagine the chaos when the dirt bike with the minions starts zipping around the shop with skellies and "Tex" riding after them at full speed trying to lasso them!  Maybe this too shall pass...I can hope can't I? LOL!

I did get a couple of small projects done over the weekend.  I was looking at my Glencroft dollhouse and noticed the little hanging pot of pansies that a friend gave me years ago.  Rose is always trying to put little feminine touches in with all the steampunk, so I knew she would like it.  Trying to get an eye hook in the plywood ceiling of the porch was no simple task, but it was accomplished.  I'm glad I waited to put the trim on the edge of the porch roof as that would have made the job even more interesting! LOL!  Once the pot was in place, I put up the trim and held it in place with my clothespin clamps and stepped back to have a look.

Rose heard me banging around on the porch and came out to see if I needed her to hold the ladder for me.  She was really tickled with the flowers and I got a hug of thanks.  

I can't believe that I am so close to doing the electrical!  I am excited but hesitant as I have never electrified a dollhouse before.....or a summerhouse either...<);^) Enjoy the summer days as we start heading into fall. Have a great day all!

Porch and Calamity!

By Debra from Olde Cape Cod, 20 July

I have been cautiously glueing on bits and pieces that I have made for the Summerhouse. I try to think through whether it will be in the way of something else or there's a chance of it getting knocked off. The bathroom exhaust fan seemed to be okay to glue on, so here it is: 
I know I can't glue the balcony on yet, but I can glue on the sticks with rivets: 
I glued the porch posts in place and borrowed one of my husband's clamps to hold them in place.  I also was able to finish painting another piece of the porch roof and glue it into place.

I knew it was time to quit, but I had another idea I wanted to start on the back of the house. I needed some, well, kind of alot, of rivets and wanted to use the smaller ones I had. It was kind of awkward trying to glue them on, so I had the house in my lap. Well, these smaller ones are adhesive backed and they were stuck to my fingers, stuck under my fingernails and stuck to the tweezers! Everywhere but where I wanted them! Of course I had a rapt audience and I swear one of the minions was selling popcorn as I was being quite entertaining! LOL! I managed to unstick them only to find that I had knocked out one of the porch posts and knocked the fender loose. Got those fixed again and finally got all of the rivets where they were supposed to be and now have to wait for glue to dry.  When things get tough, the tough get going...out of the room and on to something else! LOL! Have a great day all!

Had to add a PS to all this craziness....I was washing my hands and in the mirror saw two more of the adhesive backed rivets stuck to my arm:Then when I took off my flip flops, there was another one glued to my little toe! I guess I'm just stuck on this hobby! LOL!

Porch Roof and Motorcycle Madness!

By Debra from Olde Cape Cod, 18 July

People on the Greenleaf Forum were talking about the unfinished furniture that was back in stock at Dollar Tree. Of course I had to zip on over there and have me a look see. No luck at the one near me so I wandered around and picked up a few things. When I got to the checkout, there was a dirt bike in my basket! I know I didn't put it there so figured there was a minion that hitched a ride in my purse. I brought it home and the minions were all excited! I didn't know how they'd get on it, but after talking for awhile, they figured it out. This was one of those "how many minions can you get on..." things and they piled on as many as they could and took off!  I forgot how loud those dirt bikes are in close quarters. After zipping around the shop and doing jumps off the workbench I was starting to get a headache. Once they ran out of gas, they put it up for the day but they had a blast for sure!

Couldn't seem to fall asleep last night so was up working on the porch roof. I painted the underside the traditional blue to keep the flies away and let it dry.....4 times.....  I glued it in place and started painting the textured piece of wallpaper I had black to look like rubber roofing and glued that in place too. The second roof piece is still undergoing it's multiple coats of paint and the porch posts are next. I keep thinking I want to make another fender for those front wheels, but not sure yet. Looks like we're about to have a thunderstorm so will say good-bye for now! Have a great day all!

Doors and Mischief.....

By Debra from Olde Cape Cod, 14 July

Was in the kitchen having breakfast when I noticed it was too quiet in the shop. If you have children, you know that too quiet is not a good thing! LOL! When I went in, I heard a lot of scurrying and found this on my bench. Rose was giggling and there was general hilarity on the skellies carnival ride. They took Selkie's comment about the alien faces and ran with it. I told them "Forget about it...!" Everyone just cracked up then and it was a good joke on me! Once things calmed down a bit, I glued the medallion onto the door.  I had decided to hinge this so cut a piece of tyvek aka white envelope to use for the hinge. I tried this on the front door and it has worked great so after the glue was dry on the green door side, I glued the strip of tyvek onto the hinge side of the black part of the door. After that dried, I glued both sides of the door together and that's where they're at right now.  So, back to the sticks with rivets! Made a few more this morning, just waiting for the glue to dry so I can paint them all black.  As you have probably surmised, you spend alot of time waiting for things to dry with this hobby! LOL! Of course the Captain had to happen by while I was taking this picture and Rose hurried him away for a game of darts before he was dazzled by all the bling. I'll probably only need to make about half a dozen more small pieces of this and then we can move on to the porch roof. My DH suggested I put a touch of black on the porch post and I had to "metalize" it too. What do you think? 
The minions have been settling in nicely although two of them have designated themselves as Rose's personal bodyguards. Personally, I think the smaller one just likes to snuggle.....Have some laundry to finish up, so you all have a great day!

Doors and Wood Paneling

By Debra from Olde Cape Cod, 12 July

Got out my Easy Cutter today and decided to start putting on the wood strips to the left of the door.  I again used the E6000 cement to apply them and I think the wood strips were just what was needed!  Of course now you know what that means....I need to make more sticks with rivets! LOL! But that's okay, I do kind of enjoy teasing the Captain with all the bling.....The front will also have a porch roof which will require a couple of porch posts. I was originally going to paint them up like porch posts on a Victorian painted lady, but this house has its own ideas. I stained one of them with some Minwax Golden Oak stain, and I think that's how these will be finished.  I glued the fender in place too, so we are getting closer to the finish line. 
The work on the side door has continued. I was in the backyard spray painting bridal veil fabric.  It was a little windy, so I had to chase it across the yard, but the job was accomplished! I attached it to the black part of the door with some 527 cement.  While that was drying, I was working on the decorative medallion for the green side. I decided that I need to paint the edges...alllll the edges!  So that will be an "in between other jobs" project. Next we'll be assembling the door and working on the hinge. So, I hope you all are enjoying some sunshine in your life today, see you soon!