School Daze

Some of us look back on school days with nostalgia, and some not so much. School rooms give lots of challenges, for both design and construction.
Our mini group decided to create a 50’s primary school room.
This is our inspiration.

First came the desks. In my stash, I had a desk part, which was our starting off point. From this came the pattern.

And the prototype done with card.

Then to cut out a gazillion pierces of desk legs from cardboard., glue 6 together.

Coat with wood hardener. (This is optional. I don’t think it made the paper that much stiffer!) Sand edges smooth

The card prototype

This is the underside with supports for the book shelf.

And the other side showing supports to fasten the seat.

Now for the real thing. The pieces before being gessoed and then painted.

Clamping jig setup, painted pieces in place.

What do you think of the wood used for the desk? Can you believe it is made from foam core?  Just cut to shape and sand the edges. Use a steel brush to create the texture. I have a tiny one I found at a garage sale, but you could use a pet brush. The ink wells are air dry clay, rolled thin and cut to shape with a large straw. Place on double sided tape, glue a small bead on top, allow to dry and paint the whole thing black. Then glue in place.

Several coats of Modge Podge and the desks are ready for occupants.

All the desks in line. Notice anything? We had planned for 6 students, and there are only 4 seats! Doggone!  Back to the drawing board to make 2 more seats. Cut down the desk supports to make a chair, went through the whole process again.

Now the kids in the back have a seat.

Remember those blinds that would all of a sudden flip up and make a terrible racket as the spring took control? They were never straight, either!

 

This was a fun project.

Remembrance Day 2018

This year is the centenary of the Armistice signalling the end of the Great War, with hopes that this kind of carnage would never happen again. Well, we know how that went!

This is an excellent article explaining what reality was like on the battlefield. Imagine not being able to tend to your wounded friend, who would have to wait for the stretcher bearers! Attack at all cost!
Many conscientious objectors were allowed to play in a non-combatant role as  a stretcher bearer, not participating in the slaughter, but providing aid and comfort to the wounded.
http://guysboroughgreatwarveterans.blogspot.com/2013/07/stretcher-bearers.html

The bravery and dedication of the stretcher bearers who risked life and limb to rescue wounded and dying soldiers is recognized in this painting by Brian Lorimer.

http://www.projectremembrance.ca/in-flanders/

https://www.brianlorimer.com/project-remembrance/

This is a room box with poppies in the foreground using Brian Lorimer’s painting as backdrop.

Nutcracker Sweet

Once upon a time, I came upon this sweetfaced doll at a garage sale. Then I came across these nutcrackers at the $ store. Hmmmm.......

The little lady was somewhat strangely bulky around the waist. And once her clothes came off, what did appear! Gee, aren’t there smaller music boxes?

So to reshape and dress.

Then sit her in a dome to admire her nutcracker.

Before and After Gazebo

Now how great a garage sale find is this for 25 cents!

I had some small scale figures in my stash, a couple of trees, and a large cake container, and this is how it ended up. The base is foam core cut to fit the container, lawn is a mix of paper mache, sawdust, glue and paint. The bushes are moss, dabbed with glue and sprinkled with flocking. The walk is paper mache, painted after it dried.

And then the cake containers for storage....a nice little project, kept me busy and out of trouble for a week!

King Sized Bed

There have been a lot of photos on the Net referring to a manger as a king-sized bed.
It was a simple Christmas project,starting out with some stir sticks and toothpick.
First the frame, 4 sticks and a toothpick.

Once the basic frame is dry,it is easy to fill in the sides.
Note: the sticks forming the x shapes were not thick enough,so extra strips were added
This is a picture of the finished manger, painted a Dresden blue and dry brushed with tan.

 

The base beside it was started using the video below

The base was cut to fit into this container, from the grocery store.

The finished project...

Toy Xylophone for Santa’s workshop (Let there be noise!)

Made following directions from Joanne’s Minis on YouTube

Replaced the dots of grey paint with circles punched from silver cardboard used for cakes. The punch also is useful for tiny buttons on doll clothes.

Let them Eat Cake!

Got a birthday or holiday cake? Don’t throw that container out.
This little scene fits inside nicely for storage.
Start out with a little house.

Fill in the back panel with windows, doors and windowboxes to blend in with the front and sides. Landscape, using moss. The windowboxes are filled with green Bunka and clippets of red.

The base is foam core covered with quilt batting.

The snow effect is quite wonderful, a train modeler’s trick. Use diluted glue with a drop of dishwashing soap, and spread where you wish to have snow. Then sift baking soda over the area. Shake off excess once dry.

Then cover.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/OLRyekQPa9wufhBE2

In Flanders, Remembrance Day 2017

In 1914, the war-torn fields of Western Europe became a natural breeding ground for the Papaver rhoeas or poppy, as it is more commonly known. It was in these fields that Canadian soldier John McCrae wrote “In Flanders Fields”, probably the most widely known poem of the First World War. It was McCrae’s words that turned the poppy into a powerful war emblem and the symbol of Remembrance Day.

In what has become the signature piece of Brian Lorimer’s Project Remembrance collection, In Flanders carries on the tradition of the poppy. Depicting a moment of calm before the quiet field is transformed into a battlefield, the painting hints at the destruction to come; the soldiers who stand waist deep in the scarlet poppies will soon stand in the blood of their fallen brethren.

http://www.projectremembrance.ca/in-flanders/

https://www.brianlorimer.com/project-remembrance/

This is a room box with poppies in the foreground using Brian Lorimer’s painting as backdrop.

Teapots and cakes.

This is a Niagara minis project. The teapots are from air dry clay, as well as the cakes. Some of the frosting is dimensional paint. The cake rack was made from bits and pieces of wood, shelves slightly slanted for display.
The roof is a glass insert from a picture without the frame. It lights the room effectively, adding shadows and light.

For more info, go to Niagara Minis Tea Room

West Coast BC Big House

Edith Newman from Sooke British Columbia, has completed an astonishingly detailed replica of a big house.

This is the front of the house, with the dugout canoe and nets. The lady is splitting salmon to dry on the drying rack near the front door. The children are carrying fish from the canoe to the bentwood box.The girl with the basket on her back has just come back from digging clams. Can you see the Hudson's Bay blankets through the front door?

The totem has an eagle atop a copper which is shield shaped and is a sign of great wealth. 

The design on the front of the house is of the killer whale. 

The design on the dugout canoe is of the sisiutl or double-headed sea serpent. It is a protector. 

The mats on the ground are old worn mats that are dampened and put over the canoe to keep it from drying and cracking when it is out of the water.

The drying rack on the roof, where small fish are dried.

The elder is teaching the youngster how to spear a fish.

Interior view from roof

Man climbing ladder and view of various storage baskets.

View from the front.

Man is filling bullkelp with fish oil to store for the winter

Salmon being cooked on the fire, an elder weaving a mat and the kids are singing and drumming.

Smoke is rising from the fire.

This gives an idea of the size of this unique project.

Edith is a member of Small Endeavours, Miniature group in Victoria B. C.