July 10, 2015

windowscene with a fun detail

hi there again my dear minifriends, I hope you are doing well. I've got some positive news (I'm now confident it's not just an occasional-upswing): I'm doing better finally! Some treatments I started, one months ago, another one last week, are definitely kicking in. Meaning I've - mostly - got more (muscle)strength, air (!) and energy and I feel a little bit human again! And so I've put another little scene together the past week, just because I could :D. This time using my mdf-corner with the window in the windowopening it came with (I've always just stuck a 'wallpaper' and fireplace in front of it ;). Nope, unfortunately not my view (although mine is great too!), just a printed one, nice hey?


the dressings and floor are for the scene I've started last year - and mostly finished - and I wanted to show the blinds and floor already. The Roman blinds are easy to make and to get the look and thickness I wanted, I used a single layer of a tissue as 'fabric'. Although it's very fragile of course and I'm not even sure how - or if - it will hold in time.., but we'll see.


and I made a little video to show how the blinds pull up, how fun is that? I couldn't get the close up of putting the cord around the metal thingy in focus or the cord around the metal ends, but I was already very happy I managed to get the first part of the cord on there (after a few takes), I actually need tweezers for that ;). Or a pair of minihands, but the only ones I have at my disposal ere my cat's and they just don't suffice :D.



how about the anti-peekfoil on the windows? You might say it's redundant since this room is 'overlooking' a canal with the next buildings on the other side. And I would agree, buttt.... I always like how it looks AND what you don't see is that there's a(n imaginary) sidewalk directly under the window, where mini-people walk, always looking (way too) curiously inside, haha :) . I've used some of the scraps of the fullsize kind I've had on my windows in my previous house and it works just as well for a small scale.

 
http://www.dollhouseminiatures.com/images/houseworks/hw5044TraditionalSidebySideWorkingWindow.jpg
the Houseworks window I used, it came with the mdf-corner it's in
the real fun part of this all I think is the tiny thingy to wrap the cord of the blind around. 'Cause hey, you can't leave that just hanging right? :D It's from a very thin sheet of brass I first made 2 tiny holes in and then cut a small strip using the holes as guides. Since I figured doing it the other way around, would just have been torture ;). Folded the ends at a slight angle, et voilá! I think real ones have slighty longer ends, but this is just a short-ended version. In the months I hadn't seen it I'd forgotten how small it is and I think it adds some real fun and realism to the window. I can get a bit squeeky about details like that ;) And that's saying something, not being a very 'squeeky' kind of girl :D haha. It's só small, that the nails - that are absolutely tiny - look a bit too big for it.


something else I love how it turned out: the Arts & Crafts-chair-kit - another last year's birthdaygift - that I think fits well here. It's from mdf and just needed some paint. But how to get a realistic woodlook on mdf? The description on the kit's website is to mix a gel-medium (for adding transparency) with paint (50/50) and then: paint-sand-paint-sand-paint-sand and seal.

but as it turned out not necessary (in this case anyway): this cool wood-effect (if I may say so myself, I'm very pleased with it!) was the happy result of just ONE layer of gel-medium mixed with some lightbrownpaint, then very slightly sanded (hobby-sandingfile grid 240/320) not to loose the grainy relief that comes from the brushstrokes and the thickness of the gel-medium, added some darker brown paint I just 'smeared' with my finger in a not so orderly fashion to add depth to the colour.

these steps resulted in some unexpected, but surprisingly realistic, woodgraineffect that I really like! And my sandingfile happened to have some unidentified black on it, that accidentally rubbed some on my chair and gave it a perfect extra layer of usedness. Don't you just love happy accidents? I do, love them! The light sanding also unwantingly rubbed of small pieces of the paint that I wasn't too happy with at first (the gel-medium or maybe the acrilyc paint I used? makes the layer rubbery, which doesn't combine well with even the very light sanding I did), but those simply became wear and tearspots, and to disguise the exposed mdf in those places I just rubbed in some darker paint: PERFECT!


I discovered later that I've always put the backsupport upside down to what it's 'supposed to'. So I turned it again, but although I do like it the right way too, I actually prefer it the unintentionally 'wrong' way I had it. And apparently makes more sense to me :D. Below the picture how it was meant to be. I might be messing up (an important part of) the design, but hey, that's a bit of 'artistic' freedom the maker will probably forgive me ;).


26 comments:

  1. The scene is so realistic! I can imagine the thinking of the little person living there! lol The books holding the window up is a fantastic accent!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you Grandmommy! I had to do something to keep that window up (it seriously has the tendency to all of the sudden drop down) and most used (in students homes I came in the past) are bricks or pieces of wood, but I thought books would be so much nicer :)

      Delete
  2. La silla tiene un precioso diseño y me encanta como van subiendo el estor. Fenomenal!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. muchos gracias Isabel, eso es un muy buen complemento!

      Delete
  3. Oh that's amazing! I love these blinds in real life, they are all the more attractive in mini. Thank you, Monique!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you're very welcom, thank you Azteclady, for letting me know!

      Delete
  4. Me encanta el efecto tan real que has conseguido con el estor,y en el vídeo se ve muy bien!!!! la silla encantadora,así como cada detalle,tienes unas manos mágicas!!!
    Besos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. eso es un gran cumplido y me alegro lo aprecias Pilar! Encontré el video demasiado agradable volver a hacerlo y para mostrar cómo "funciona". No dar algunos extras fotos comparadas.

      Delete
  5. The window looks great, and I love functional minis! :D I have that same chair (and the table). You did a fantastic job with the finishing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you Brae! Functional mini's are fun aren't they? Ah, great miniatures to have right? Thanks for your compliment on the finishing, always nice to hear/read!

      Delete
  6. Wow! Wow! WOW!!! I Love the whole setting! It looks so fantastically real! I Love the tiny cleats (nautical term) that really work! and the shade and the window propped open with books... and the tiny flower in the beautiful glass!! You are just Awesome at these little scenes! And the chair looks great too... I would never have known it was upside-down either! Lol!
    And its great to hear you are feeling better too! Keep up the Great work!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. your enthousiastic and wonderful comment makes me smile from ear to ear, and blush! And thank you for all your great compliments and words, it means a lot!

      Delete
  7. Brilliant news to hear that you are doing better! :)

    The blind is fantastic, and seeing it work in real life, always fun! :D I am definitely that person looking in through the windows......... anyway... the chair is brilliant too, I like it both ways, and the finish is spot on. I love all the details in your scenes, as always. The little pile of books holding up the window was a nice touch.

    Sarah :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you Sarah, it feels good to be able to say it too :D
      Oh, so you are the kind of person I have to always stick my windows full of foil, haha, well: I've always LOVED to peek inside homes as well, I totally get it :D Thanks for your compliments!

      Delete
  8. I'm so happy to hear that your treatment is working and you're feeling better. I hope it continues =0) The blinds are fabulous. The whole scene and chair are fabulous. You always manage to pack so much realism into each scene. =0)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Pepper, I am too :), and I hope so too! And thanks a lot for your great compliment *blush* :D

      Delete
  9. ik doe het even in het nederlands want in het engels kom ik er niet uit: SUPER dat het wat beter met je gaat, ik hoop dat de verbetering doorzet!

    weer een mooie post, mijn favo deze keer is het gordijn; wat een ontzettend leuk detail, dat ophaalding -sorry, weet niet hoe het heet ! Maakt het helemaal echt.
    en de 'stof'' die je gebruikt hebt ziet er ook heel echt uit, zelfs de transparantie ervan.
    knap hoor!
    Groetsels,
    Gee

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dank je wel Gee!
      ja lachen he, leuk dat je het ook zo leuk vindt ;)

      Delete
  10. Hello Monique, I use to have Real Life roman blinds that looked identical to your mini ones and operated like yours except that there was an automatic locking system in the valance that kept them up as opposed to winding the cleat with the cord. The effect was the same though, a crisp clean window treatment that never goes out of style!
    Beautiful Work- as Usual! :D

    elizabeth
    p.s. I am also pleased to learn that your health is finally on the up-swing.. This IS Great News! :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a great compliment Elizabeth, thanks! Oh, I knew I had forgotten something.... the automatic locking system, hahaha :D. But I have seriously planned that for wooden blinds that I want to make someday, I even think I know how to do it (but time will tell if I do or that I haven't thought of something important..)
      And thanks for your sweet words :)

      Delete
  11. Hello Monique,
    I am thrilled to hear you are doing better! The roombox is lovely. the window dressing is just superb and the fact that the shades work is awesome. I love the scene. Good job on the chair. It is beautiful.
    Big hug,
    Giac

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Giac, that sweet of you. I was thrilled to be able to write it! ;)
      And thanks for all your compliments, always great to read!

      Delete
  12. Oh blinds =) I have been working (read started, put away and never seem to pick up again...) on some blinds for my bathroom. But it felt so hard, I wanted them yo be able to go up and down, but for me it seem a bit impossible, but I know all impossible things, you manage to do =) I'm very impressed and they really look amazing!
    And I love how the paint on the window is missing on all the right places =)
    Hannah

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for you wonderful compliments Hannah! About the blinds: not so impressive as it looks. And contrary to most of what I think up, I looked this up myself (as well how to make a full size one to get an idea as finding a mini-tutorial), 'cause I had the same thought: didn't really know how to. But if you know: really simple! I haven't photographed the steps, but I have photo's of the finished blinds that I plan to do a simple how-to on and you'll see. And then you can finish your own, and they will go up and down too! :D

      Delete