Not to Scale...

Not even close... I just pulled out a quad rule pad and started sketching... I know it's not in scale, but not to worry.

The first idea was to do more trees... However, what if they catch fire?  Maybe not.

It would enhance  the invisibility factor... But I don't think that I want tree limbs and lots of green stuff inside the living room.

This is similar to the one that I did in the weaver's workwhop, but this one will have some real rocks worked in here and there. 

I think that this is the one that I am going to run with.

Then we will have a guessing game as to which rocks are the real thing and which are theater trays.

The hearth will be on the wall between Tessie and Zar.  They announced that they will be sitting there watching until I get it built. 

I guess that I should get to building before they come up with a third choice of designs. 

Back to work.

See you tomorrow.

Brick By Brick and Stone By Stone....

This is more of that "ten times longer than I thought" kind of work. After I left you yesterday, I went back and painted the interior and the exterior of the fireplace with Hippo Gray Ceramcoat. Then I started rounding the edges with my Exacto. I wanted to be able to curve the egg cartons around the bends.

Here's the inside with the carving all finished and some of the egg carton stones in place. When I do the egg carton stones, I prefer to work with them dry at this point. The strips bend easily and if I bend them in the right place before I start cutting the individual stones, it is much easier to fit them in place after cutting. One stone at a time....It takes a while to make the pieces fit.

I did the inside of the firebox in a herringbone pattern of bricks. The outside is random placement. I just do what looks right to me.

I will continue with the stones on the floor to make a hearth also.

Here is the outside. Giac made a comment yesterday that the stone work reminds him of some of the architecture in Barcelona. I wasn't thinking of it at the time, but it was a nice compliment. After he said it I realized he was right. Maybe I was channeling Gaudi at the time?

Anyway, I worked until nine last night to get all of the stone work done on the chimney. I did continue the inside through the second floor. I forgot the hearth....I will have to finish that part today.

Spike is back in Tessie's good graces. It seems that Rufus was annoying her by chewing on her favorite shoes...I know. She doesn't wear shoes, but she does collect them.

Rufus ate three(one from each pair) and mauled at least seven other ones before she caught up with him.

He is now residing in the Green house on top of the computer desk. Nothing but plants to eat in there and he is not fond of roses and violets. That will teach him!

I still have to put a second layer on some of the stones, both inside and out and I need to use the ball stylus on them...More texture and a few cracks here and there.

I probably won't get to it today. Wednesday Witches Mini Meeting.

So......after that, I will have to work twice as hard, according to Tessie's calculations. It would be more easily done if I could get Tessie to stop meandering up and down the chimney. She thinks that I put the decoration on it for her entertainment.

I have to go now and see if I can get a couple of stones put in place before I have to leave.

See you tomorrow.

I Sawed It In My Head First....

Yes, in this case, that is correct English.... I had to think about how to go about doing the sawing before I actually did it....It worked!!!

Sawing the house(annex) in half makes one feel very strong. Even when it is a mini house. It's a case of "I can do it if I want to and nobody is around to tell me not to! Ha!"

Tessie wasn't about, so I didn't have to ask permission. I just grabbed the keyhole saw and did it. I did do some measuring first to make sure that it would work.

I now have an inglenook for the bottom floor and a small storage cupboard for the weaving room.

Here's the outside. It fits perfectly under the eaves and measures five inches deep, from the outside wall where the windows were to the wall of the main house. The width is about eight inches. Just right for an inglenook. I do still have to cut a hole in the main building.

After making sure that it would work, I cut a hole for the fireplace opening in the wall, to match a fireplace surround that I cut from a layer of quarter inch thick foam core.

Did I mention that I filled in the holes where the windows were? I used 1/8" gator board for that.

Then I built out the bottom of the fireplace with another layer of foam core.

I curved the top of that piece and cut the opening to match the other one. The first layer reaches all the way to the ceiling and will continue up the inside of the storage space.

I will be doing some carving on the foam core to make it more smooth than it is now. Then I will cover it with egg carton brick or stone...No decisions yet.

I am being pressured to work faster....Tessie and friend are overseeing the job.

The space at the bottom will be filled in for stability.

I am continuing the diagonal design of the firebox on the outside of the house as well. I have not cut the curves in it yet, but I have given it more depth and all but the last layer that goes up to the roof have the firebox carved into them.

Now I need to cut the pieces to continue the chimney upwards, making it taller than the roof...Tall order.

If I can keep Tessie from climbing on it until I get it all glued together and Rufus from nipping at my fingers, I will start the stonework.

I feel like "The Little Engine That Could" right now...I thought I could saw a house in half and I DID! How about that?

See you tomorrow.