Project: An Art Deco Screen (Part 1)

I felt Heather's apartment needed more furniture and after seeing these Peacock Panels over at Lorraine's website, I knew exactly what I wanted to make for the apartment next.

I purchased three panels, and a can of Rust-Oleum® Gold Glitter from Amazon. Once everything had arrived, I gave the panels a quick base coat, then sprayed them with several coats of gold glitter.

Here's a close up of the gold, but I must add they look much better in real life than these mediocre camera photos. The glitter is really shiny and makes a wonderful contrast with the black, of course it would also look lovely with the regal purple Heather's furniture is upholstered in.

I have yet to decide how I am going to mount these. In the beginning I was thinking of using black foam core, but decided against it as I don't like the cut edges. Then painted MDF and piano hinges came to mind, but attaching the hinges might be a problem. Perhaps I will simply use a heavy card instead . . . I wonder what colours can be had?

Project: One Bed for Three (Part 2)

After hubby cut all the MDF pieces for me I began assembling the bed trundle and bunks. Once again his tools came in handy to keep things squarely in place while the glue dried.

In the meantime I ordered these lovely decals from Amazon to decorate the bed once it has been painted. They are tiny, come in a set of ten different sheets and are perfect for decorating doll furniture.

All three pieces assembled, glued and ready for sanding.

The bunk bed ends cut, sanded and ready to be attached.

When I glued the the first bed end to the bunk beds,  I used clamps to hold everything in place until the glue set, before adding the second bed end.

All assembled and ready for painting. I debated between painting the beds white or grey, and finally settled on white. I thought the decals would be more clearly noticeable against a lighter background.

After painting and adding the decals.

Next project on the agenda is the bedding and before anyone asks, there is a ladder coming for the bunk.

Project: One Bed for Three (Part 1)

Fitting three little kids into one small 1:6 scale bedroom where space was at a premium was really going to challenge my brain.

That is until I saw the large Badger Basket Trundle Doll Bunk Bed designed for dolls up to 20 inches, on the Badger Basket website.

Of course that bed would be far too big for my kids, hell, even a 1:6 scale bed is going to take up a whole heap of room. However, if I went a little smaller it wouldn't be so bad, and let's face it, these kids are hardly what you would call tall!

Speaking of tall, I realised this bed would need to be exactly that if I was going to fit their fat little heads under a bunk. I think I'm going to have to pull a Jodi and be a little creative with the size of this bed. 

Okay here's where I'm at ~ I've decided it will be 27cm long by 14 cm wide and 27 cm tall.

The next step was to make the head and foot template for hubby to use to cut the MDF.

Project: 1:6 Scale Art Deco Credenza (Part 2)

The assembly of the credenza is pretty simple. After the holes were drilled in three of the four pieces, I glued two of them together and allowed them to dry.

Then I glued the fourteen dowels, which had been cut 100mm long, in the double base before gluing on the top with the holes. Adding the top can be a little frustrating, because aligning all the dowels is a tad difficult to do with out swearing.

Once this was dry I added the other top without any holes. This is when it dawned upon me, I needed to cut two more panels. One for the front to go in between the top and bottom and one for the back to cover it completely.

After adding the front panel, I glued the ribbon onto the corrugated card, then attached it to the frame. The back cover was added last, this will keep the unit square and stop any racking.

All finished with knobs attached, top painted and trimmed, adorned with appropriate tableware. I guess a dining table with chairs will be required  next.

Project: 1:6 Scale Art Deco Credenza (Part 1)

You may or may not know what a Credenza is, for those who don't, it's a cabinet used in the dining room to store china, crystal, linens, serving dishes and seasonal dining décor.

I have been giving this much thought, as my little Heather doesn't have a lot of furniture in her Art Deco home. In fact her room looks quite bare at present.

It's been designed it to coordinate with her settee and chair, complete with the ribbon trim. Below is the template I made for hubby to cut the top and base out of MDF.

I shall use dowels and fine corrugated paper to achieve the curved edges as I did on the Jazz Club bar. Then I'll add the purple, cream and gold Art Deco ribbon to complete the look.

Project: Mid Century Diorama - Space Age 50's-70's (Part 2)

Mid century modern is a term first used by Cara Greenberg in the 1950's to describe a style of architectural, interior, industrial and graphic design that emerged after World War II.

Today mid century modern is often used to refer to the period from the early 1930's through the mid 70's. It has become a standard way of referring to design of the period that featured clean lines, a fusion of organic and manmade materials and retro style.

Teak timber and plastics, graphic shapes and vibrant colours were often used and the style remained popular until the 1980's, when design philosophies like the Memphis design school came into fashion.

My "Space Age" diorama is showcasing the wonderful plastic furniture produced in the late 1950's through to the late 60's.

In these last two shots you can see the recent additions to this diorama. The occupants have remained the same . . . still munching on cake!

Later, I will share a second mid century version which overlapped this period of design.

Project: Mid Century Diorama - Space Age 50's-70's (Part 1)

"The Space Age was an era of new military, political, technological and scientific developments, which began with the Soviet Union's October 4, 1957 launch of Earth's first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1.

The last major leap of the Space Age was the Skylab (1973) and Salyut (1971) programs, which established the first space stations for the U.S. and USSR in Earth Orbit following termination of both country's moon programs." - Wikipedia

Now, a little information about the people who designed the original furniture for the 1:6 scale diorama I'm working on.

TULIP ARM CHAIR

Year: 1957 Designer: Eero Saarinen for Knoll.

Finnish-American Saarinen was just as renowned for his work as an architect as he was for his furniture design. Known for his graceful flowing lines, Saarinen designs include the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and JFK International Airport’s TWA Flight Centre, as well as the Womb Chair and the Tulip Table and Chairs.

Saarinen’s famous Pedestal Collection was developed to clean up the “ugly, confusing world” of table and chair legs.  

BALL CHAIR

Year: 1963 Designer: Eero Aarnio for the Cologne Furniture Fair of 1966.

This isn’t a piece of furniture for fans of subtle designs. Another frequent star of sci-fi films and TV shows and an enduring symbol of the ‘60s, the Ball Chair might be a little dated compared to the rest of this list but it is undeniably fun. It is impossible to look at this chair and not smile, but again, its funky design also served a purpose.

Designer Eero Aarnio needed a large chair and set out to make his own. Aiming for a simple design, he ended up going with the most basic shape there is and created an icon in the process.

PANTON CHAIR

Year: 1967 Designer: Verner Panton for Vitra.

Today, plastic is generally not considered the most luxurious or rarest material around. But in the mid-twentieth century, plastic was still new and relatively fancy. So when Verner Panton designed a chair that was made entirely out of a single piece of plastic (the first time such a chair had ever been made) people’s minds were sufficiently blown. And the chair still looks great today.

Although plastic may have lost some of its lustre, the satisfying curves and gravity-defying stance of the Panton still turn heads well into the 21st century.

COMPONIBILI

Year: 1967 Designer: Anna Castelli Ferrieri for Kartell.

An icon of Italian design known all over the world, the Componibili (initially called Mobili 4970/84), was first presented in 1967 at the Salone del Mobile in Milan and reflects the idea that a design should not only be beautiful, but also functional.

Anna Castelli Ferrieri, an Italian architect and industrial designer, was the first woman to graduate from the prestigious Polytechnic of Milan. Anna was a pioneer in research and production of everyday plastic objects. In 1949 she founded Kartell together with her husband Giulio Castelli, in order to produce high-quality design products out of plastic.

Even now the Componibili is still among Kartell’s best sellers and it is exhibited in the permanent collections of the Modern Museum of Art in New York and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.

Unfortunately the Componibili is not available in 1:6 scale and I couldn't find the right items to make one, so it's not shown in my diorama, but all the other pieces will be included.

Diorama Ideas

Now that I have my 1:6 scale room box, the idea of using it for the different dolls I own, makes me feel at peace with myself. For far too long I had a head full of ideas and nowhere to create them.

The "White Panther Jazz Club" almost made it when I began that blog, then again, "Fleur and Ruben" almost did too. However, having all those odd shapes of foam core which formed those dioramas constantly getting in my way, was beginning to drive me nuts! Using the room box to create both of them, as well as using it for the "Paris Apartment" and the "Kiddies Kitchen" makes sense to me. The room box walls are both reversible and interchangeable, so there will be less to store.

I asked hubby to cut me a new floor, which I will cover with the new black & white checkerboard tiles. This will serve for the Club's floor, but as it will also be reversible, I shall look for something classy to cover the other side which will suit my F&R boutique.

The furniture for these two dioramas is complete and I have begun making furniture for another room, I bet you cannot guess just by looking at this chair, what it's going to be.

I'll give you a hint, along with the walls which are coming, there is a ladder. :)

Project: Dioramas

It's been a little while since I last posted, for this I apologise. I have finally found a few moments to take photos of my diorama progress, though they are not the best. However, they will give you an idea of what I have been doing so far . . . and there's so much more to come.

This is the gold room, with a salmon coloured carpet which I have decided to use with another room in future. I am also working on a small half round side table with a pink marble top to go under the back window.

I'm happier with this carpet, though it's only made of paper as a test run. I will re-print it on fabric at a later date.

I still need to re-paint the skirting boards so they are nice and white like the window frames. I am really happy with the marble floor though. The gold and grey furniture is available in raw form from Fairy Meadow Miniatures.

With the room box walls reversed and the grey furniture which will eventually be used in my Fleur & Ruben diorama. The ice mint furniture below, was made from kits I purchased from Etsy.

You can see more clearly the garden scenes I have used outside the windows. I made these by using photos of gardens I found on the internet, printing them out on A4 paper then gluing it to crocodile board. Hubby made me wooden stands to slot them in, which is great, because I can change them as I need.

My models were my Kurhn Fashion Week Sweet Lolita and my Integrity Toys Poppy Parker™ Gardens of Versailles.

Project: Mia Mary Bedroom

Mia Mary has been begging for a room of her own. So it was up to me to provide one for her, after all we can't have unhappy dolls living in this house. The diorama is the largest I have done so far, measuring 80cm (31.5") wide x 50cm (19.75") deep x 50cm (19.75") high.

This chair, footstool and table was purchased as a raw flat-pack from Le Quak on Etsy, then I assembled, painted and upholstered it.

As this was a bedroom, Mia needed an outfit to sleep in and so I knitted her a set of baby doll pyjamas. They were designed by Jacqueline Gibb of Jacknitss.

Hubby had made and painted a bed for her some time ago, but I only finished the duvet recently (using the same fabric as the upholstered chair). Then I made cushions and knitted the throw to co-ordinate.

Had I known when hubby made the bed, that I was going to paint the chair this pretty Spring White (which is really a very pale shade of aqua), I would have told him not to paint it, so all her furniture would be the same colour. But I guess the white bed doesn't look too much out of place, seeing that the pot that the plant is in, is also white.

The fireplace, also has the mantel painted Spring White. The blue wall and green flooring is fabric stuck to foam-core board. However, I am thinking of re-doing the floor with wood planks and adding a rug to give the room more texture.

I also need to do something about providing a window for her to look out. The little tea-set on the table is miniature bone china by Wedgwood.

Project: More 1:6 Scale Furniture (Part 4)

After spending two whole days trying to perfect a diamond button back for my new sofa and making my hands sore, almost to the point of making them bleed, from pulling the thread through the buttons as tight as I could manage, I finally gave up on the idea.

Normally, I would try and try again until I succeeded in what I set out to do, but this time no matter what I tried, I just couldn't get the back to look the way I wanted. It was only my determination to finish this sofa so I could move on to the coffee table, which actually stopped me from throwing the darn thing across the room in sheer frustration.

So once again the plain back appears on my new sofa, I must admit now I have calmed down, I think it looks quite nifty.

The coffee table, although a little smaller than I would have liked, turned out really well. I managed to give the top a pale pink marble finish this time, surprisingly the technique was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

The ornate "carving" on the front of the sofa was achieved by gluing on stamped brass jewellery findings.

I also made a couple of square cushions from an inexpensive cotton lawn stuffed with poly-fill, then some pretty pink loose covers from quilting fabric. I prefer to have loose covers when possible, as it makes it easier to change the look of a room simply by changing the covers. The third oblong pillow has a permanent cover though and will eventually have a tassel at each end to finish it off (I just need to find some small enough).

The diorama features:
Superfresco foam wallpaper for the dado wall - Bunnings
Stik-a-Tex cotton adhesive fabric available on the floor and the right wall - Spotlight
Metallic scrapbook paper on the left wall - Spotlight
Picture frame and pot plant - Spotlight
Faux suede from my stash used as the carpet
Furniture painted and upholstered by me - Fairy Meadow Miniatures

Project: More 1:6 Scale Furniture (Part 3)

How to upholster the chair:

Make a cardboard template of the seat and back (do this before making the chair, its easier).

Cut a strip of wadding and using PVA glue, stick all the pieces onto it face down. When the glue is dry, trim around each piece.

Cut a piece of fabric about 1/2 inch wider all round. Cut the corners. 

Using your glue, stick two sides first, then fold corners in before sticking the rest down. (You will probably find you get lovely sticky fingers doing this step.) Try to keep it taught, but not so tight that it flattens the batting.

When you turn it over, it should look nicely padded like this.

Then you can glue it down on the chair. Then repeat this process with the back piece.

Once that's complete you may wish to trim the sides of the seat with narrow braid as I have done.

Project: More 1:6 Scale Furniture (Part 2)

Yesterday afternoon, after I had finished the wardrobe, I painted the table and chairs midnight blue (a colour I mixed myself to match the fabric I'm going to use on the chairs). But I wasn't really pleased about the table looking just like a painted wooden table.

I had in mind something a bit different, like one that had a marble or granite top. So I pulled out these two Folk Art paints from my stash (#659 Metallic Pearl White and #660 Pure Gold) along with a couple of small pieces of sea sponge and began dabbing first with the Pearl and then while it was still wet I dabbed with the Gold.

You have to be very careful NOT to drag the sponge across your work, dab straight up and down, making sure there is not too much paint on the sponge. I always have an old rag beside me, so I can dab on that before I dab the table.

Now all I have to do is give this a coat of gloss, as I want it to shine, then I can begin upholstering the chairs. Sorry the photos are not very clear, I just took a couple of quick snaps, to show you what I am up to with the furniture.

Project: More 1:6 Scale Furniture (Part 1)

Just over a week ago, I ordered more furniture pieces to play with. One tall wardrobe and ten tiny hangers.

A round dining table and two sturdy chairs.

Plus two rolls of pretty wallpaper.

Everything arrived in good time from Fairy Meadow Miniatures and the wardrobe and hangers are painted the same colour grey as the other pieces. The table and chairs are going to be used in a different room, and will be painted midnight blue.

The room box still hasn't progressed any further than a picture in my noggin' and a few scribbles jotted down on paper. However, the picture is much clearer and construction pieces are being researched and noted for future purchase. More details will follow at another time.