CONVERSATION WITH GOD: Floor

I worked with the floor today. The floor in my grandma's real bedroom was treated with brown paint. Those who live in Russia know what I am talking about. It took me for a while to decide what I wanted to do with the floor in the room box.

My grandma loved to keep the whole house in order and clean. You probably won't believe, but she moped the floor each day, and I thought: in order to give the atmosphere of how clean it is in the bedroom, I will "wash" the floor.

Of course, I didn't wash it with water, I used Lemon oil.

The floor is completed and Nataly is picking to the family generation's history through the window:

CONVERSATION WITH GOD: Windows' Installation

Next step: I painted the walls and the ceiling white.

I've had 2 big windows

and I painted them blue, because this is how I remember them. I also remember that blue was my grandma's favorite color.

Then, I installed the windows:

CONVERSATION WITH GOD: Walls and Ceiling were Added

It is not my intention to build the whole house, I want to reproduce my grandma's bedroom in the way I remember her. It shouldn't be difficult, because my grandma had very simple, modest setting. It was 1980 when last time I was at that house and I am trying to remember all details. I remember 2 big windows, so I cut out the pieces of the wood where I am planning to install the windows,

and I added the roof

The size of the room is 14" long (without frame) x 12" high x 11" width

NEW PROJECT: Conversation with God

I've been carrying the idea to build a roombox to honor my grandma for a long time. Didn't know what to start with till one day I saw this old looking frame on sale at Michael's. Nothing could be better for the frame for my new roombox. I didn't do anything to it, didn't sand, didn't stain, didn't paint. I like the way it looks: old, little bit rusty, at the same time comfortable and cozy, like old toys that you haven't been playing with for a long, long time.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Navajo Burntwater Rug

I am a little bit late again with my update on stitching Navajo Burntwater rug, 1:12th scale.

Haven't stitched too much, I was in the mood to work on a couple of small projects:

Thank you for looking!

WORK IN PROGRESS: Navajo Burntwater Rug, 1:12th scale

Oh, I should tell you it is soooo frustrating to deal with the the fact that one day your computer can be crashed. What is more frustrating for me is that it happens to me each year. Last Friday my computer crashed and only today after examining it my computer guy told me that there is no way to restore the saved information!!! INCLUDING ALL MY PATTERNS!!!! Another lesson for me: keep saving them om the disks! and sorry to everyone on whose e-mails and comments I haven't answered in time.

It was a reason why I didn't post an update on working on my new project yesterday. I haven't installed any programs that I used to work with the images on my new computer that is why this image is huge and not looking nice. Sorry about that. Here is where I ended up last evening:

Now I am going to take a cold shower to cool my steam down.

Have a great week!

New Project: Navajo Burntwater Rug

I wish you would feel my thrill because I am about to start stitching a new rug. It will be a reproduction of Navajo Burntwater rug, my charting. It measures 5" x 7" and will be stitched on 40 count. I again chose Gloriana over dyed silk thread for this project - just love simple down to the Earth colors and a range of beautiful overdyed shadows. I think, I will give myself 2 months to complete the project and each Sunday I will post an update on my work. Christmas is coming and I have some projects to finish for gifts and exchange.

Navajo Burntwater type of Navajo rugs belongs to so-called Modern period (post WWII) of Navajo rugs. Burntwater rugs use designs that are much like the Two Grey Hills style rugs but are woven using vegetal dyed colors or colors that imitate natural dyes. This style of rug was developed in the late 1960's encouraged by trading post operator Don Jacobs. The weavers used actual natural dyes to achieve the unique colorings of Burntwater rugs. Later, Bruce Burnham encouraged the weavers to use more colors in each rug and to use commercially dyed wool yarn.

Have a look at this WOOOW beautiful collection of contemporary Navajo rugs:

http://www.navajorug.com/html/museum-exhibitions/2001-caballeros-western-museum.htm

Have a great week!

GOTHIC RUG IS FINISHED

I finished stitching my Gothic rug. It was stitched on 40 count silk gauze, the size of the rug is 5" x 5". I used Black and Grey Gutermann silk, Dark Red and Red over dyed Gloriana silk.

Now I need to block it and finish the edges.

I am so excited to start a new rug...

SCARLET SAILS MINIATURES

I've been asked where the name of my business "Scarlet Sails Miniatures" came from. Thank you for your question, I am more than happy to answer it.

It was painted by a Russian artist Svetlana Pottratz that lives in Oregon, here is the link to her website: http://www.mysvet.com/

The name Scarlet Sails was adopted from the name of a novel written by Alexander Green "Scarlet Sails".

"Scarlet Sails" is one of the most famous work by a Russian writer Alexander Green.

"Green" is his pen name and sounds un-Russian just like the names of his heroes: Thomas, Asole, Grey, as well as the names of the places where the heroes live: Caperna, Lisse, Zurbagan. The appeal of Green's writing is universal. It lies very much in exotic, romantic, faraway atmosphere that he creates. Because of this he has been compared to Edgar Allen Poe, Robert Lous Stevenson... Yet Alexander Green was a Russian as Russian samovars. He was born as Alexander Grienyevsky, in 1880 in Vyatka, and lived the entire life in Russia.

The plot of the novel "Scarlet sails" is that as a little girl Asole

has been told by the chief of all the sorcerers that once, when she would be a grown up, far out to sea, the sun will shine upon a white ship with scarlet sails and that a handsome prince will be on that miracle ship, and that prince would take her forever to his kingdom, where they will live together in a deep valley of roses, in friendship and joy that she never knows tears and sadness.

Since that time Asole has been waiting for the prince and his ship with scarlet sails.

Her dream came true. One day the miracle ship with scarlet sails arrived.

The prince, Grey, reached out his arms to Asole.

"Asole closed her eyes, fearing that if she kept them open everything would disappear. Grey took her arms, and knowing now where she could find safety, she hid her face, wet with tears, on his chest. Carefully, but with a smile, shaken himself by the fact that the precious moment had arrived, Grey raised the long-dreamed-of face to his. In the girl's eyes he saw reflected everything that is the best in a human being".

Arthur Grey falls in love with Asole without ever having exchanged a word with her, because through her he has learned that "miracles are made with one's own hands". Isn't it a very beautiful and true moral?

I wish that all of your dreams come true!

Have a great weekend!

New Real Size Project was Completed

Last July on the way back to home from the Southern California we stopped at one antique store and I had a luxury to buy this chair for $7.00.

Last week I finally found time to take care of it, I cleaned, sanded and stained it with Red Oak color.

While it was drying I took care of a seat. As a seat cover I used a piece stitched in Bargello I've had.

Here is how my new chair looks like today:

How to Entertain Yourself

Last weekend I entertained myself by applying different ways of finishing on some pieces of furniture from a kit.
This candle stand was aged. First I applied acrylic brown paint, let it dry. Then I sanded a surface a little bit. After that I applied another acrylic Buttermilk paint on the top with a dry brush and wiped it with a cloth.

I crackled another candle stand using Blue acrylic paint as a primer color.

This settee will suite any Antique store, or attic, I guess. I stained it, sanded, and finished with Lemon oil. The idea was to give a look of an old, neglected but still in a good shape piece of furniture with a needlepointed seat cover

Actually it has been already sold.
This little toy wagon was crackled using Red acrylic paint as a primer color

Update: Gothic Rug

Another wasted week, I worked on the rug only last Thursday and a little bit today.

Have a great week!

UPDATE: GOTHIC RUG

Here is a little Sunday update on stitching my Gothic rug. I planned to finish the dark red medallion this weekend, unfortunately I don't feel well lately, out of energy, week and dizzy, so I haven't done it. It means: more work this coming week. Stay tuned! Happy new week!

CABINET MAKING, Not Minis, But Still Fun

It is 1.00 a.m. in the morning here. I came home 2 hours ago. It was last day of a Cabinet Making class at the local Woodcraft store. I brought home my first cabinet I've made by myself. It doesn't relate to the miniatures but I really wanted to show you the cabinet. My dream is to build the kitchen cabinets for my own kitchen, someday... The design is very simple and we used birch plywood, but now I know how to build a case and frame for it,

I've learnt pocket-hole joinery,

and how to make a simple door for a cabinet, and more...

and here is my cabinet,

Tomorrow I will finish it, for now - Good night and have good dreams!

Oh, no, wait, look at this joiner,

and a router table,

and a table saw... Just a dream, true?

Now, Good night and have a good rest!

Update on Stitching my New Gothic Rug

Another week has passed by and here where I am with stitching my rug in Gothic style, just little update.

Have a great week!