Дворянское Гнездо - Day 3 - Recovery!

I wanted to thank everyone who left comments on my previous post. Supported by your encouragement almost all day yesterday I spent making bricks and applying them to the house. When the entire house was covered with bricks I took it to the porch and sprayed with a gray color a little bit.

Now it looks like after the fire, but we can't be afraid of change, true? At least, now the house is talking to me.

Actually, I liked the result. It is still not finished and not perfect but it is closer to what I wanted to see.

I also weathered shingles and they don't look shiny gold anymore...

For the bricks I used DAS clay

It doesn't hurt to admit we all do mistakes. The important part of making them is accepting and talking about them, finding the solution and not giving up. I had so many projects started and forgotten just because of a fear of a possibility of ruining them. In some way your support helped me to overcome that fear and keep working.

I am leaving for the Good Sam show in San Jose, California in one day and will be back only after the 20th of October. I am excited that this time at the show I am not only dealing, but taking 2 classes about which I will tell you later. So, Vanessa's mansion will be left in the condition you see it today and it will give me time to clear up my thoughts about what to do next.

Have a great day!

Natalia

Дворянское Гнездо - Day 2 Disaster!

Usually you are not supposed to make posts about your unsuccessful experiment on your blog, but I am doing it to share my pain with you, :)))

This weekend I had a little bit of time to work on my new dollhouse. I didn't like plain white color and really wanted to make this house old looking. No, not haunted, just with a little bit trace of history on it.

First of all, windows on the sides were removed.

I painted bay windows, the trim of the house and columns dark blue and crackled them...

...and then I went wild! I painted the house blue! Disaster! My poor Vanessa doesn't want to talk to me anymore! My sweetheart and my son laughed all day. I've got support only from Nataly, my little princess, she came to me, gave me a hug and said that the house looks unusual and that's why it is beautiful.

After a while I decided that I am done experimenting with the paint and I always liked dollhouses with bricks and stones and I've never done it before. I made up my mind to cover the house with bricks!

I made bricks from the clay that I purchased with a huge discount when our local Ben Franklin craft store went out of business, added some texture paint

and painted it

What happened next and how house looks now I will tell you in my next post!

Natalia

Дворянское Гнездо - Day 1

Last weekend I examined the house that I recently purchased from Craigslist. As you know Vanessa expropriated that house for her little simple needs and is ready for the renovations.

Many many years ago I came up with a thought that it is always easy to start the project from the beginning then to re-do something that has been already started by somebody. However, the fact that I didn't put any labor in building this house and a nice thought it cost me only $30 gives me a crazy idea to do whatever I want with it, any experiment and without any regrets.

After close look I found out that I am not impressed with the floor on the first level and I can't do anything about it - it is heavily covered with Shellak. If I try to remove the floor completely I, probably, will destroy the house.

These 2 stairs that came along with the house take a lot of space. Thanks heavens they are not attached, just like the walls on both levels. I love space and it gives me a chance to play with it.

I never liked these kind of bay windows. I have them in my real house and they irritate the heck out of me, I feel like I am in prison. I might want to do something with them (both, in mini and real size too, :)))

These windows should go away.

On a bright side, not everything is so negative! I am in love with the color of the shingles - light gold, the pictures don't give justice! But guess what, I will change it too.

The house is already electrified, I just need to add more tape in some rooms. The floor on the second level is not finished. I love hard wood!

I still love this house and want to turn it into the place where Vanessa can spend the rest of her life sharing her memories with us.

will be continued...


Natalia

Vanessa Bought an Estate - Дворянское Гнездо

I picked up this dollhouse from craigslist.com for only thirty dollars. It's not that I don't have enough projects to work on but how could I resist? Would you?

More than that Vanessa's room box is too small for her. We will consider she bought an estate that requires a lot of work. She is happy!

I believe this house is called Southern Colonial?

Happy mining!

Natalia