This happens several times a day, every day. Awesome.
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After my huge struggle to get the rowhouse attic wallpapered, I was disheartened when I returned to the house a few weeks later to find that the glue had discolored my white paper. I’m not sure why this happened but am willing to blame it on the fact that I printed my own wallpaper… it’s special paper meant for color ink jet printing, but maybe it just can’t stand up to the wallpaper mucilage like scrapbook paper or standard dollhouse wallpaper can. (I think I noticed some discoloration on the hallway paper, too, but the print is so busy and the room so cramped, it’s hard to tell.)
Rather than waste more of my life trying to make this paper work, I decided to get back to basics. I found two sheets of off-white scrapbook paper in my stash with a very faint cross-hatch design, and decided to use this for the upper part of the wall, with paneling covering the knee wall. I was having a hard time finding two different Victorian patterns to use in the side by side attic rooms without clashing, so this will have the added benefit of making the two rooms work better together.
I bought some 2″ wide basswood (the height of the knee walls) and trim pieces to make my own paneling. The materials cost about $10 altogether. Here’s the rough idea.
I stained the wood pieces with the Early American stain I’m using for the shingles and interior trim.
A couple of weeks ago I saw something odd on eBay and, well, I had to have it. It’s a half scale cottage (I think named the Gull Bay) that seems to have come from a 1980s class taught by Jackie Kerr Deiber. The shell is already sided and assembled and it came with everything in the picture—windows, shingles, porch posts, etc. I paid $100 for the lot, which seemed like a killer deal even if I didn’t need it.
So here’s the odd part. This house is fully enclosed, and slides apart. I like the idea of it, especially if it’ll keep the dust out, but when it’s closed up it’s practically impossible to see the furniture inside. And sliding the pieces apart just to look at the inside seems impractical. (Can we say earthquake?!)
Here’s a photo of the finished house that came with the kit. The ’88 in the lower left corner is what makes me think this class was taught in the 1980s. The paperwork that came with it implies that the shell came assembled and was brought into the class for decorating and finishing. Maybe the lady I bought it from never made it to class?
The eBay seller included a handwritten note on my invoice: I hope you have fun with this kit. My friend is in her 80s and after 40+ years of doing miniatures she’s got too many “someday” projects. Her kids want her to clean out and I have the job of helping her. I know she’ll be happy that this house will get finished. (Hmm, too many “someday” projects? I’ve never heard of such a thing…)
Emily is a freelance writer, miniaturist, and adventure game enthusiast.
If you have comments about this site or would like to get in touch regarding a freelance opportunity, please write to hello -at- emilymorganti.com.
