A Promise and a Fairy Treehouse

Tags

DIY, Dollhouse, Grandkids, Inspiration, Mimi's Cave

My poor granddaughter has been so patient with the extremely slow progress on the dollhouse.  She recently asked me when she could play with it, and I told her I’d make her a dollhouse she can play with right now.  She thought a moment and asked, “Would it be as big as me?”  “Almost,” I told her.

I had already found this idea online for a treehouse dollhouse; I just needed to figure out an easier way to make the tree trunk.  And then I found this great tutorial for making tree bark out of tin foil, masking tape and paper towels.  The tutorial came from this website, which uses a slightly more traditional version of papier maché.  So Mimi’s Cave in Spare Oom once again became a construction zone, this time of the woodland sort.

 I started with papier maché boxes from Hobby Lobby which I spray painted a warm white inside.

 A string of tiny, battery-operated LED lights made a quick, easy way to light the treehouse.  I used an ice pick and then a letter opener to poke holes in the back of the treehouse to thread the light string through.  Then I cut out a round window for each room.

 Next I glued the rooms together using a tube of quick dry glue to avoid white glue which would have dampened the papier maché and to provide a stronger, more flexible bond than hot glue.  A plywood base provided a stable surface to glue the entire treehouse onto.  Once the rooms were glued together, I decorated them–although it would have been easier to reverse the steps.  The kitchen floor was made of scrapbooking paper sprayed with a satin acrylic spray, while the living room floor was made of thin craft sticks glued onto a scrapbook paper template and pressed under heavy books until dry.

 One 300 foot roll of cheap aluminum foil was more than sufficient for the entire project.  I crumpled bits to fill in all of the square crevices and to round off all the corners of the boxes to create a more rounded tree.  I tore off a sheet of aluminum foil longer than the treehouse was tall, then crumpled it into a long piece, which was then hot-glued to the boxes.

 Shorter lengths of foil were easy to glue around the windows and to fill in any gaps between vertical “runs” of bark.

 Once the foil bark was glued on, it was time to cover it with masking tape.  One large, cheap roll was more than enough.  The masking tape needed to cover the foil so that the papier maché would adhere to it.

 Next, a coat of brown acrylic paint went onto the tree and the base board.  One large bottle of paint was more than enough.  Bits of white peeked through the brown, but the next step would take care of that.

 I then brushed dark Minwax stain onto the entire tree.  It ran down into the crevices and helped fill in any tiny white gaps that the brown paint didn’t cover.  I used paper towels to soak up any excess that pooled at the bottom.  After each side was glazed, I gently dabbed over it with an absorbent rag to remove some of the glaze on the protruding areas, leaving more contrast with the crevices.

 When everything was dry, I sprayed two coats of matte acrylic sealer over the tree to tone down any shininess left from the Minwax glaze.  I used Aleene’s extra tacky glue to apply sheet moss around the base of the tree to serve as grass, adding small flat stepping stones.  Then I cut apart a grapevine wreath and hot-glued pieces of it to the tree to serve as vines.  I cut apart a bouquet of small pink silk roses and wove them into the grapevine.

 The final touches were bouquets made of small blue silk flowers and tiny mushroom birds glued here and there.  A tiny wooden mouse nestled in a hole at the base of the tree.

 The treehouse was finished and ready for its fairy occupants and their furniture.  The house was almost completely furnished with extra dollhouse things I’ve collected over the years.

 A dainty fairy stands outside the kitchen and living room.  You can see the mini grapevine wreaths that serve as interior window frames.

 Two bedrooms grace the second level, one for the grown-up fairy and one for the little one and her fuzzy bear friend who is taking a nap.

 On the top level is a bathroom, which has a rooftop garden on top of it, and an open air laundry room, complete with tiny clothespins to hold the lace curtain the smallest fairy is hanging up to dry.

 The fairies seemed very happy, but my creation still had to pass the acid test.  What would the grandkids think?  They were here this weekend, and I can safely say that the treehouse passed with flying colors!  I was thrilled that the promise I made to my granddaughter was fulfilled with such success in her eyes.

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Construction in Narnia–Again!

Tags

Design, DIY, Dollhouse, Grandkids, Inspiration, Spare Oom

Back in April when this view of tender foliage was outside the window of Spare Oom, I started on a new construction project in Narnia.  Then life got in the way, and construction ground to a halt.  Now that working inside to avoid the suffocating heat of summer seems like a brilliant idea, I thought it was time to take my construction project public.  Maybe that will keep me at it!

“WHAAAAT?” you might well ask.  “Didn’t you just finish creating Narnia in your attic?  What could you possibly be building now?”  Well, here’s the answer to that very good question . . .

I’m building a house!  A dollhouse, yes, but a house!  This time I’m the general contractor, builder and decorator!

I bought this house before we moved to France in 1990, and it sat in storage with our furniture until we came back to the States in 2001.  At the time I thought I would decorate it in French style.  But it sat . . . and sat . . . and sat . . . in a closet.  Then in 2008, two things happened.

1)  We left my beloved Victorian house in Tennessee and moved out here to the country.  It was my idea to move, but oh, was it hard to leave my dream house!

2)  Our first grandchild, a girl, was born.  Now at last I had a really good reason to pull out the dollhouse and get to work.

But of course the work of turning this place into a farm took precedence, and somehow the dollhouse languished again.  Then earlier this year during the process of furnishing Narnia, Charis (now 4 1/2) saw the dollhouse and was enchanted.

That was all it took!  I realized that the idea of making a French house no longer seemed so appealing.  Instead, I would rather recreate my beloved old Victorian.  So I ordered lap siding and set everything up to begin construction–again!

So this is an invitation to join me up in Narnia while I build a house-within-a-fantasy-land-within-a-house.  And when I’m done with this, there’s an old Lionel train waiting for its own world to come to life in the basement.  So there’s plenty of magic still left in Narnia, just waiting to be breathed into life!

Marie’s Father Speaks: “We do not want anger in our hearts”

Tags

God the Creator, Inspiration, Jesus

Marie’s sister graciously gave permission to use this photo.

Yesterday an interview with Marie’s father, Pastor Antoine Schluchter, was posted online in the periodical La Liberté.   This incredible story was written by journalist Maud Tornare.  Here it is, translated to the best of my ability:

Marie’s Father:  “We do not want anger in our hearts”

It is after a long and heavy wait, full of hope and anguish, that Marie’s parents must now face the incomprehensible:  the death of their daughter, killed by an insane murderer shortly after her 19^th birthday.

“Although we have seen our daughter, we still cannot believe it.  We haven’t yet processed the irrevocable fact of her death,” confided Antoine Schluchter.  At the other end of the line, the voice of Marie’s father is fragile, broken by long silences that speak for themselves of the immense suffering her parents are enduring.

Their daughter Marie had been living since September with a friend of her father’s in Payerne where she was apprenticed in the restaurant of a golf club.  Born in Madagascar, the young woman went home regularly to visit her adoptive parents.

After living in France for many years, the family returned here five years ago.  Before the kidnapping, the couple had never heard of Claude duBois, the man with whom Marie had recently formed a relationship and who coldly murdered her and abandoned her body in the forest.

“We’re haunted by the fear she must have gone through,” said her father.  “But at the same time, my wife and I are borne up by a hope that is stronger than everything else.”

Pastor at Villars-sur-Ollon, Antoine Schluchter affirms that he finds the strength to overcome this trial through his faith in God.  “I often doubt myself, but never the love of Christ.  This tragedy has not weakened our confidence in God, but has strengthened it,” he explains, weighing each of his words carefully.

Marie’s parents want to express thanks for the incredible support they have received from their neighbors and also from complete strangers.  The tragedy has created an international solidarity that extends well beyond Switzerland.

“This support and this caring expressed by many are so important to us.  I learned that the members of a mosque in a Moroccan village prayed all night for our daughter.  This is something incredibly deep.  We have received support from the United States where our other daughter lives, and there have been so many gestures of friendship from people here, too,” the pastor recounted with great emotion.

Not the least sign of rebellion or anger appears in the words of Pastor Schluchter—not even toward the system of justice that allowed the murderer of his daughter, a man with a serious criminal past, to commit once again an irreparable wrong.

“I have only one wish:  that a tragedy like this one we are living through would bring about a realization, better follow-up and handling of cases like this.  What happened to my daughter is something incomprehensible, but we do not want to fill our hearts with anger nor be at the forefront of a battle that we do not care to fight.”

Marie’s sister shared this precious photo of Marie and her nephew.

What can one say after reading such a story?  Just this:

“To God be the glory” and “Dear God, please bless this dear family.”

 

Stardust from Narnia

Tags

Cair Paravel Library, Grandkids, Inspiration, Narnia

I found this on Facebook today and thought it was a lovely image.

I hope Narnia and all the books in Cair Paravel will sprinkle lots of stardust over our grandchildren’s lives!  I hope Aslan and Tumnus, Lucy and Peter, Billy and Blaze, Pod and Arrietty, Laura and Mary Ingalls–and a whole host of other characters–will be their childhood companions through countless imaginary adventures.  I want them to look back on magical memories of pony rides on Julie, helping Didi feed the animals in the barnyard and making crafts with Mimi.

My family moved around so much that I rarely got to spend time with my grandmothers, and I only knew one grandfather, who spent his time in front of the TV. I loved my grandmothers, but I have so few memories of things we did together.  My own children missed out on what having grandparents can be.  My husband’s parents died before any of them were born, and my parents were so strict that spending time with them was more something to dread.

A few years ago I looked at our children’s book collection and said that some day I wanted to be the Book Grandma.  When we moved here, I said I wanted to be the Farm Grandma.  Then we built Narnia, and I would say I want to be the Narnia Grandma–but this quote says it so much better.  I want to be the Stardust Grandma!  I think that pretty much covers everything grandparents can be to their grandchildren!

 

DIY Decor Project: Let Your Walls Speak with Wall Words from eBuySigns.com

Tags

Aslan, Decor, DIY, Inspiration, Jesus, Narnia, writing

This project ranks right up there with Aslan and the Wardrobe as one of my very favorite design details in Narnia.  And even more clearly than either of them, it speaks to the reason at the heart of our project:  Why Narnia?

I discovered eBuySigns.com while searching online for vinyl wall words.  Reviews on their website say they are lots cheaper than all their competitors.  Their “wall lettering” page claims to provide “Wall lettering made easy” and “Free shipping over $25.”  Believe me, IT’S ALL TRUE!  Once I had designed my wall words in a few easy steps with the design tool, I went to half a dozen other sites and put in the same parameters.  EBuySigns’ price (under $40) was less than every other competitors’ price of $100 -$200.

The design tool lets you choose your own font, the number of lines you want, the height and width of your final product and your font color, as well as highlights and borders to tweak the appearance of your lettering.  You can see your final product on a background color similar to your own wall color.

One tip I would offer is this:  If you have a long quote (as I did), it works better if you copy and paste your quote in line by line.  I tried pasting my entire quote, and it appeared smushed and impossible to read.  When I called the helpline, a friendly tech told me to break the quote into lines, and it instantly appeared the way I wanted it.  Once that was done, I was able to play with arranging the lines in different ways, as well as making the sign higher or wider until I got it exactly right.

I ordered the sign, and a few days later it arrived, safely packaged in a sturdy cardboard tube.

 Jenny and Jean-Marc were already here for Christmas, so I pressed them into service as Official Photographer and Assistant Sign Applicator.  One question I had wondered about was whether the size indicated online would be the size of the sheet or the actual size of the letters.  If you’re working with a limited space, this question becomes very important.  The design tool seemed to indicate that there would be a border of paper around the letters, so I ordered accordingly.  As you can see from the photo above, this was indeed the case.

Applying the sign was just as easy as the tech and the website claimed, and the instruction sheet that came with the sign was simple and easy to follow.  This post will illustrate in detail the steps we went through, beginning with (1)  Position the sign on the wall, making sure it is level.  While Jean-Marc held the sign, I got on a ladder and measured so that Jean-Marc could level the sign as needed.

(2)  Apply a piece of (masking) tape as a hinge across the top of the sign.  (At this stage, we double-checked our measurements.)  Once we were sure the sign was level, Jean-Marc removed the corner pieces of tape.

(3)  Lift the sign, holding it in place by the tape-hinge, and begin to remove the backing paper.  I began loosening the backing paper at the top left corner.

(4)  Steadily pull the backing paper loose while holding the sign away from the wall.

(5)  Completely remove the backing paper, still holding the sign away from the wall.  That’s the easy part done!  The next part was easy, too, but a little scary–made less so by eBuySign’s guaranteed application!

(6)  Lower the sign against the wall and begin to adhere it at the top center.  (The letters themselves are the only adhesive part of the sign.  They are held in place by the cover paper while the adhesive is protected by the backing paper.)

(7)  Using a credit card (maybe the one you paid with!), begin to press the sign firmly against the wall, working outwards and downwards to smooth away any air pockets.

(8)  At this point we added another step:  Using your fingers, apply firm pressure to any areas that appear more opaque (indicating a lack of adhesion to the wall). We found that fingers could exert more concentrated pressure than the edge of a credit card, while being gentle enough not to tear the paper.

You may note the crescent of blue wall that appears at the top of the sign (left of my hand).  I inadvertently left out the right-hand parenthesis and was dismayed to see only the left-hand parenthesis on my sign–despite careful proof-reading.  The solution was as simple as cutting out the offending parenthesis with a scissors before beginning installation of the sign!

Now comes the fun part!

(9)  Begin removing the cover paper from the lettering by pulling away the tape along with the attached cover paper.  Our hints for this step are to GO SLOWLY and to WATCH CAREFULLY where you are pulling.  There were a few spots where the sticky lettering had not been adequately adhered to the wall, and I could see them actually pulling off on the cover paper.  It was very easy to stop pulling and apply extra pressure at those spots to make sure the lettering was stuck to the wall before proceeding.

(10)  Continue removing the paper, working across the top of the sign from left to right.

(11)  Once the top of the sign is free of the cover paper, continue pulling steadily downwards to remove the paper.

(12)  Hold your breath in anticipation as your sign is nearly revealed in all its beauty!  (Just try to skip this step!)

(13)  Turn and face the camera so your Official Photographer can catch the triumphant grins you have applied to your faces at the same time you applied your beautiful eBuySign to the wall!

(14)  Be sure your Official Photographer zooms in for a close-up of your amazing sign …

(15) … and don’t forget to have her zoom out to get the full effect of your quote.

That’s all there is to it!  I promise you, it took me twice as long to write this tutorial as it took to apply my sign, and it will take you longer to read the tutorial than it will take you to follow these steps to your own customized, unbeatably-priced, unique wall words.

Imaging the Creator

Tags

Colors & Paint, Decor, Design, God the Creator, Inspiration, Narnia, The Lodge

Jon and I did the second coat of the ceiling in Narnia today.  He had repainted the flat part of the ceiling with a second coat of Valspar’s “Filoli Garden Pool” (5003-10C).  We decided to use three colors on the walls.  The top color was two parts “Filoli Garden Pool” with one part of our light blue, Eddie Bauer Home “Weathered Glass” (EB8-3).  The middle wall color was one part “Filoli Garden Pool” and two parts “Weathered Glass.”  The bottom part of the wall was pure “Weathered Glass.”

We learned that adding some Fluotrol to each paint color made it easier to blend.  We also learned that it’s extremely important to mix more paint than you think you need, as we almost ran out of our top color (since it had to go all the way around the room, including above the berths.)  We managed to eke out enough by draining the last few drops of Fluotrol and even using a bit of glaze.
Here’s how the room turned out, seen at the end of the day with the sun behind a cloud.  I’m really thrilled with it.  You can still see where we blended the different colors, but it’s nothing that’s going to bother me when I look at it.

Here’s what it looks like with a flash.  Our technique was to work in strips no more than 4-6 feet wide.  Jon would cut in the edge and roll the top color.  Then I would roll the next color.  I would brush the two colors together, alternating between two different brushes with the two colors, while Jon went on to roll the next color.  So on and so forth around the room.

The girls’ side of the room.

The doorway side of the room.  Much of the left part of the wall will be covered by a large hunt cabinet (if we can get it up the stairs!)

The boys’ side of the room.

Jon Cordes, the most patient painter I know!  Watch out for him to hang his shingle as a faux painter, because this stuff is addicting!

Jon and me, glad we’re done and happy with it.  Before we started, we prayed that God would bless our efforts to mirror the beauty of His creation, and we marveled at the ease with which He created the sky compared to how hard we had to work at it!  It just makes us give God all the glory for His beautiful creation!

While we were painting sky, Ben was involved in a more earthly task.

He continued building up the log walls of The Lodge and installed the Brazilian cherry vanity top.  I thought up the idea and bought the Brazilian cherry stair steps; Ben did everything else!  He took them home last night and glued and clamped them together, and he found a strip of cherry in the shop to use as a drop in the front.

I couldn’t begin to count the number of trips Ben has made up and down the stairs today, measuring, cutting, trimming and then nailing the logs in place.  He had to cut out for plumbing and electrical outlets, and it’s beautifully done.

He still managed a smile at the end of the day.  This may have been more earthly work than sky painting, but I think it looks pretty heavenly!  I predict we’re going to have a hard time prying people out of this bathroom!  Simply brushing one’s teeth or taking a shower will feel like a woodland getaway!

I called this post “Imaging the Creator” because we humans (as opposed to Narnians or animals) have the urge to create beautiful things because we ourselves are created in God’s image, and He is the Supreme Creator.

Do you Pin?

Tags

Aslan's Tent, Cair Paravel Library, Construction, Dawn Treader, Decor, Inspiration, Narnia, The Lodge

I’d heard of Pinterest, but hadn’t found a good reason to sign up. Then when I started to plan Narnia, Pinterest kept coming up on searches I did for different styles of decor.  Suddenly, Pinterest had become a valuable tool–and I joined the Pinterest community.

I use my “Narnia in My Attic: The Grandkids’ Dorm” board as a place to collect a wide variety of inspiration photos:

beds under eaves for the kids’ Dawn Treader berths

Moroccan interiors and Gypsy style for Aslan’s Tent (the parents’ room)

woodland style for The Lodge (bathroom)

It’s been extremely helpful in showing contractors, carpenters and others what I’m trying to achieve.  Even if there’s no internet service at a particular store, I can whip out my iPad (with my Pinterest board already open on it) and scroll up and down to save 1,000 words of explanation with a picture!

I’m still keeping an old-fashioned binder of inspiration photos, too, but I’ve uploaded several of them to Pinterest.  That way all my resources are available in one place–and maybe someone else will like the ideas I’ve saved from years’ old magazines.  This inspiration photo for the Narnia ceiling was apparently unavailable on the internet, so I scanned it, posted it to my blog and then “pinned” it; numerous other people have “repinned” it, so I’m glad I put it up.

You can also pin photos directly from your computer, as I’ve done with this chandelier and many other things I’ve bought.  You never know what might help inspire someone who knows in their head what they want, but just can’t quite picture it.  You know, that old “I’ll know it when I see it” feeling!

So if you’re undertaking any kind of construction or decor project, consider creating an inspiration board on Pinterest!  Just click and get going!

Following in Jill Tupper’s Footsteps

Tags

Inspiration, Narnia, Wardrobe

I was just doing a Google search to see if my new “meta tag” is working, and I stumbled upon a fascinating tidbit.  Someone before me actually created Narnia in HER attic for her kids!  Here’s a link to Jill Tupper’s blog.  There’s only this one post describing Jill’s Narnia, but now I know I’m not the only one crazy enough to do this!

One thing I’m definitely doing differently–no furs in the wardrobe!  As a ferret lover, I can’t stand to think of ermine and mink; and while I’m not a fan of foxes, I still don’t want a dead one hanging in my grandkids’ play room!  But I have been saving dress-up clothes for a long time, and the ones that won’t fit in the wardrobe will go in an antique travel trunk cum treasure chest.  I’m sure I can find a down jacket (ducks don’t have to die to give down) somewhere as a stand-in for the furs.  Ideas are always percolating, and I’m sure Jill’s blog will give me some more!

High King and Queen of Narnia

Tags

Grandkids, Inspiration

Where, oh where is the Royal Peanut-Butter-Face-Wiper-Off-er when you need her?!

Our grandson’s crown is a Pier One headband.  All it needs is some (faux) jewels glued onto each scallop, and he’s ready to hold court.  He can also turn his crown into a necklace, which he already did.

Finding this at Pier One (also at World Market) inspired me to create a more feminine version for his sister.

Our granddaughter is modeling a home-made crown, created with ribbon and jewels from Michaels craft store and a handy piece of elastic that’s been languishing in Mimi’s rarely used sewing box.  

These crowns will definitely be more comfortable for little heads than metal tiaras.  Besides, they’re so easy to make, I can make a different one for every grandchild.

This is why I’m a pack-rat. Someday I know I will need that (whatever) I’m saving!

The Wardrobe

Tags

Design, Inspiration, Narnia, Wardrobe

Back in April I saw this ad in the paper and exclaimed, “This is the perfect Wardrobe for Narnia!”  

At one time I had thought of buying an actual wardrobe and cutting the front off to serve as the door, leaving the rest of it inside Narnia with a hole cut in the back for the kids to go through.

Yeah, right, try to get that to pass inspection!

But I know that any carpenter worth his salt could recreate this wardrobe door with pieces of trim from Lowes’ applied to a basic double wood closet door.

It will be less labor than sawing apart a wardrobe; it’ll be cheaper; we can adapt it to the size of our doorway; I can have the fun of staining it–and none of the guilt for destroying an antique.

So that’s the plan.