Wallpaper Delights

Recently I went away for a weekend of girlfriend crafty fun with some old friends and new ones.  I took only a handful of creative projects to work on since I know I always seem to "over pack" in the project department for this type of getaway and then I feel defeated when I don't accomplish as much as I wanted to.  And look what was waiting for me when I got there!  My mum had called ahead and made arrangements for flowers.  Beautiful!  The drink is from her as well - I think it will take me the rest of the year to finish it!

I planned ahead in order to avoid the "accomplishment guilt" (or lack thereof).  I brought two main projects, a computer task, and a "spare" just in case.  I had some computer work to do, but unfortunately it required brain-power, of which I apparently had none that weekend!  I did get it started, but had to leave it for another day once I realized I was spending more time staring at the screen than actually editing and working on the project!  On to better things I say!

With that in mind, out came the dollhouse.  It was quite the talk of the weekend!  Most of the other ladies were working on scrapbooking or card making, so me with my wooden structure and comments of hardwood flooring got a bit of attention.  The work the ladies completed was quite amazing - a very talented group indeed!

My first task was to decide on the wallpaper and figure out which design would go where.  I found this pad of scrapbooking paper at Michael's and used the coupon to get it at a great price (hooray for the coupon!).  There were two main problems: 1) the papers came in pairs, not enough to cover three walls. 2) there were too many to choose from making the decision a difficult one.  I had to "call in the the troops" (i.e. consult the other ladies) to figure out what would work the best.

Once the paper was chosen, then I decided it was high time to get that hardwood floor installed.  A very special type of wood known to children enjoying a summertime snack, and crafty parents making easy activities for kids - popsicle sticks!  A fabulous idea I found floating around Pinterest as well as over at Cinderella Moments.  Let the installation begin!

I measured out how the sticks would fit across the floor in the right-hand room (which will be the bedroom).  Since the doors and windows are not yet installed I had to be precise about space and measure how much room the door jam would take up.  I had a door for another (future) project handy,  so I used it to figure things out.  I discovered a slight issue - see that tiny dark space right up against the wall...  Yep, that's the sliver of a popsicle stick that is required to fill the gap.  Yikes!  That's some precise cutting!

Needless to say, I decided to leave it for later and acquire the assistance of Mr. Confessions and his professional tools.  The wood is complete except for the few pieces up to the door that will need to be sorted out because of the tiny crack.  Mr. Confessions will also have to trim the floor boards for me (unless I can find the saw myself....).

In this instance Gorilla Glue was my best friend!  Holy moly is that stuff fabulous for wood!  A few days before the retreat I used the Gorilla Glue to make a tiny shelf for my special house - seriously, the best wood glue around!  I have to do some sanding on the shelf and add some more paint, but I love it already!  The flooring won't be coming up or shifting any time soon - it's stuck for good!

After the flooring was as finished as I could get it, I moved on to applying the rest of the wallpaper.  I started with white clue, but quickly realized that was not really the best method.  A fellow retreat goer and friend suggested trying her double-sided scrapbooking tape - MUCH easier and way more effective!  Thanks Janie for the great idea! (Yes, that is Superman helping with a bottle of peppermint essential oil through the window).

We decided that having the two side walls as matching paper and the back wall as a complimentary paper was the best route. The bedroom has pink walls, a very shabby chic beginning, while the main part of the house (kitchen, dining, sitting) is mostly green - quite the springtime colour scheme.

That's all for now on my dollhouse project.  I have to decide what to do with the flooring in the main part of the house and wait for the doors and windows to arrive.  All sorts of creative ideas are popping into my head about decor, paint, style of fabrics, and of course what I will do to make all the tiny accessories...  I'm feeling some teeny-tiny crochet coming on!

Until next time!

Heather