Hopalong Hollow....

Hopalong Hollow, where the Blueberries grow sweet, and the moss feels soft beneath your feet.

Friday, January 6, 2017

Aging the Mouse's Manor

 I want a good bit of age on this house,
 starting with the front door...
 I wasn't too thrilled with the door provided in the kit, it's pretty flimsy.
I purchased a different door with a bit more heft and substance.

Using an acrylic paint, in the color I love, ( my real house is this color) I carelessly painted on one layer, deliberately missing some spots.
I added a burgundy red atop the green on much of the door.

I've sanded the entire door, paying special attention to the edges. I want a worn and shabby old door.
I painted a wash of dark walnut stain over the entire door and frame and quickly wiped it off, this left dark creases in the cracks and corners.
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I brushed on water based varnish is some areas and wiped if off in others, remember, I do not want a pristine door.
 OLDE OLDE OLDE
The addition of hardware: The door knocker is an old earring. I think that is appropriate for the house of a  mouse.

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I will use stone and plaster around the front door.
 Now I'm moving on to the windows.

  As with the door, I did not like the flimsy, cheap looking windows that came with the kit. I purchased  the windows for the turret from Ebay and doctored them up a bit.
  These are the nice windows


Here are some fine old windows after being aged.

 I replaced the acrylic window "glass" with wavy old glass,here is how:
  now this is really a neat trick it is, the best bit.

Using a brush-on glaze, paint a thin layer between each little pane and WOW! You have wavy, bubbled, old glass!'
 

Isn't that COOL??!!
I think my windows are looking very medieval.
 Now I can continue to mortar those bricks around the windows.
For the bay windows on the other side of the house I am making leaded windows...  from another great tutorial I found on Pinterest.
 I can't take credit for these clever window tricks, they come from miniaturist  tutorials that I find online.

 The idea here is to make this look like a manor house that is around 500 years old for the purpose of this new book series.
The inside of the house will have beamed ceilings and old fireplaces, cracked plaster and creaky floorboards.
I will, however, furnish the house with  more "modernized" furnishings.. around 1880's, because that is the time period for this set of stories. My mouse lives in a VERY OLD MANOR HOUSE.
  Next I will show you what I've done to the timbers and the area around the front door.
  This is too much fun!

33 comments:

  1. Your door is just beautiful, Jeri! Yes, the mouses' house needs sturdy door like you have. The smart process of the wavy glass is brilliant. I'm looking forward to seeing what other tricks you have up your sleeve. ♥

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  2. Your work is always amazing. The door is perfect! I love the earring touch.

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    1. The earring was just a temporary fix, and then I thought, "why not?!" it looks just like a door knocker and a mouse could find such an item.

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  3. Oh MY!!! You are just making me so amazed!!! How do you know how to do this stuff?? I always wonder when do you sleep?? Chuckle!
    The windows are just so COOL!!! And the door with the clever knocker is so mousie perfect!! Seeing this brings me JOY!!!
    Love Linnie :-)

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  4. it is turning out so beautiful..

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  5. WOW!!!! Jeri is there anything you can't do when you put your mind to it? You are so creative and I just love your door and windows of this dear little mouse house. You never cease to amaze me with all of your talents. I am inspired with every visit.

    Happy creating ~ FlowerLady

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    1. I'm thinking a few people are interested in making doll houses now, so that's really nice!

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  6. OH JERI!!!!!!!! You thrill me, woman! When I first saw your older post when you acquired this house, I was inspired. Another blogger pal also inspired me with a purchase she made at Hobby Lobby as well. So for three days this week during my second week off work, I attempted to redesign a $2 cardboard "Putz" style Christmas house from Hobby Lobby. I transformed it into a timbered "castle" - I took some photos (not my best shots) of it and posted it on Nowhere. However, I am not done, but unlike yours, it is quite quirky, but I had wanted it that way. Tell me, what did you use to shingle your roof? Since my piece is all paper mâché, I wanted a wonky look, so I made shingles from cardstock. Come to Nowhere to see it and give me your opinion as to what you think I may need.

    This is spectacular and the mice are going to be pleased. They can't wait to move in!

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    1. Now you know, !'ve visited the castle, it is really good, and I like the wonky look. I may have wonked this one up a bit, and made things a bit crookedy and interesting, but I thought it best to age it in other ways.
      You will be interested to know that only ONE mouse lives in this ever so large abode..She has the whole place to herself!

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  7. How COOL! If I were crafty, this is something I'd love to do. I'm not very good with crafts, though.

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    1. It doesn't really require any great skill if you just stick to the kit. I am jumping off course by adding my own individual design elements. That is what makes this a neat project.

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  8. This mouse house is looking great. I am amazed at your ingenuity. I know, you say you found all the information elsewhere about how to do so many of the changes for the house but being able to actually put them into practice so artfully is a skill in it's own right.

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    1. I've also learned a lot of tricks by trial and error. For example, I didn't like the way my leaded windows looked by following the direction online, so I adjusted a few things and they look so much better... I will show them soon>

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  9. I bet it is a lot of fun. So many cute furniture things and such you can make.

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    1. I've got a great book coming in the post that will tell me precisely how to do that. Really neat old French and English pieces.

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  10. Jeri, what a pleasure it is to see how this mouse house is developing!

    When reading this particular post, I was reminded of some pages in the book I am currently reading, Keeping On Keeping On, by Alan Bennet. He describes how he mixed colors to stain paint plaster walls in his house and his visits to various fine London artist supply shops to find the proper paints and shellacs and varnishes.

    xo

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    1. That is interesting about the plaster. I did some research on Tudor houses from the 1500's and they often used pink, yellow and brown plaster, but we are so used to seeing the stark white between the timbers. I'm going to make something of a yellow ochre, if I possibly can achieve it.

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  11. Well, I must say, that's going to be one lucky mouse! I can see what a fantastic aid it will be in producing your artwork once finished - bird's eye/cat's eye view and so forth!

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    1. You are exactly right! I want to be able to draw this house from any angle for my illustrations, without having to imagine what it would look like. I'll be able to position it to suit my needs. And indeed, there will be an illustration where the house is seen from the top of the trees.

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  12. Oh..to be the size of your mouse, I would move right in! It's wonderful!!!

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    1. Me too... and I really like my own house, but I don't have a turret and 4 bay windows!

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  13. JERI LANDERS!!!!! I just came to Nowhere from the outside world (very cold here, 3 degrees!) and I saw your comment! EGG SHELLS, but of course...and yours are pinecones! OK, now you have me thinking about making little bricks with egg carton for my castle, at least the top story! Excellent ideas and thank you for getting back to me! LOVE!

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  14. teeehe.....I just saw your comment and oh glory me, I am losing it! I did mean egg cartons! teehehehe...please don't think me daft!!!!!!

    Do you know that after your first comment, I ran to the fridge, cut a piece of the carton off and started my bricks? THANK YOU JERI!

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    1. Thought that could be a typo.... but it was really funny to think about you trying to cut eggshells into tiny squares!

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  15. Oh Jeri, this house is going to be fantastic! I love what you have done with the glaze on the windows. I have a jar of the triple thick. This medium has so many uses.. Great touch! And I love what you have done with the door. The use of an earring for the door knocker is something that I would have used.. Looks perfect. I still can't get over the roof. Simply amazing.
    I have been looking for just the right doll house that is affordable to build for Lily.. You are right. It would make a wonderful heirloom for her.. And I have plenty of time to work on it. I think she would be ready around 4 years old.
    Looks like you have got more than one inspired on building.. Anita's Castle is really magical!
    Take care
    fondly,
    Penny

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    1. Penny, It is hard to choose between the kits, there are so many great designs now. I found mine on ebay, but I must have looked at dozens before I could decide on the right one at the right price. I think I only paid $88 for mine. Lily will be a lucky little recipient, and the fact that you made one for Brittany when she was little, makes it even more of a tradition.
      That triple thick is the best stuff! Yes, Anitas got something special going on with her castle.

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  16. Incredibly wonderful, I wonder if your mouse minds if i also move in.

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    1. Tammy, She won't mind if you bring along one of your little fairy friends.

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  17. That new door looks like the door to my old house. it's all coming along so great! I think this is why I do gingerbread houses; it lets me play like this again!

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