Sunday 26 September 2010

Not Long Now......Emporium Part 264!!!



 Nearly there as you can see in this collection of photographs. It has definitely been a learning journey and I have done lots of things wrong but on the whole I am pleased with the overall finish,
 The interior has more or less come out as I expected and the floors - balsa and acrylics - has exceeded my expectations. Thank you everyone who helped me with these! 
 I am glad that I decided on the purple accent colour in the end as it has added a modish feel both to the windows and the outside. As you can see I have not included any of the kit's dividing walls or interior doors as I wanted the shop to be more open.
 The plastic windows that came with the kit were not ideal to be honest even painted up. The see through window sheets do not really sit well with the upstairs windows but I hope to cover this up with vines and foliage.
 The windows do not come with enough mouldings I don't think, in fact nothing is provided for the interiors at all. I have used bits and pieces I had lying around which isn't perfect and I still have to finish the interior of the front 'door'.
I have cut away the MDF underneath the front windows as I thought this would provide great storage space for the shop boxes, bags and all the other paraphernalia of shop life. This did, however, cause some problems when attaching the bay window as there was not a lot to stick to the main 'door' front but lots of glue and clamps seem to have done the job. 
 The stars are made in fimo and break up the grey nicely. The flagstones were a nightmare to cut around the bay. Never again, next time I will lay the flagstones first!
 I will definitely be looking at all the mouldings and building materials at Birmingham this year as I don't want my Diagon Alley shops to have the plastic windows that seem to be supplied with Sid Cooke kits. Plus I need to buy proper railings because the plastic ones supplied all snapped to pieces as I tried to attach them to their posts.
 This is how the doors turned out after the leaf treatment. The texture is still there but I liked the multi-colour finish better and will use it again.
The top window have been treated very simply mainly because the stone mache finish made it impossible to glue the mouldings!
All in all lots of things to do but with the exception of the roof nothing drastic. I really want it all done by next weekend as then I will be able to set it up with the items I have and know what I need to look for at the show. 
Hope you have all had a good weekend despite the rotten weather in the UK!

22 comments:

  1. Your house really looks nice!!
    -Kim :)

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  2. Lots of great details. The colour variation in the stonework is really effective, and I agree that the wooden floors look great. I've still mulling over how to treat the wooden floors that are to go into my French apartment so I'm interested to see how yours have turned out.

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  3. I think you made a wonderful house of it, with all those details. Like to see it with furniture and things!

    Marit

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  4. I like the rough wall that you have done, is it that stuff you bought, umm I can't remember the name now, but it's really a great look and I like it heaps!. :o)

    Where did you buy that ultra fine masking tape that you used for the mortar line?? Or did you cut it to size? I know you did say!

    You've done sooo much and it's mostly done!

    Have you put your glazing for the windows on the outside of your window frames? I've only put the glazing in after the window frame is stuck into the wall etc. Or is it just the way the light has hit the windows? ;o)

    The weather was lovely here yesterday and not too bad today...bit chilly though. :o))

    You are soooo lucky to be able to go to Miniatura, it's too far for me. :o(

    Michelle xx

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  5. Oh my goodness, Janice!! This is superb! The purple colour touch is inspirational, *very* Diagon :)

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  6. It looks superb! I love the colors and look of the outside, it's just great!

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  7. Looks great! :) I like what you are doing with it.

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  8. Its looking really great and I love the leaf effect on the doors! I dont have many interior walls in my houses either, I prefer big rooms too, can get more 'stuff' in there LOL have fun unpacking all your mini treasures and 'moving in'.
    I shall be at the NEC at the w/end too, be nice to meet you :o) x

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  9. I found my bay on this kit impossible to fit as it went onto brick compound and just wouldnt stick!! Youve done a great job Janice, its a really great look! Kate xx

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  10. Janice your Emporium looks lovely. Its all come together beautifully. So looking forward to seeing what wonders your going to fill it with. Bet you've got a big list for Birmingham.
    I adore your Dragon in the previos post. I've been buying Traci's little acorn Dragons, they are so precious. xxx

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  11. Te esta quedando fantastica, me encanta como estas trabajando en ella.
    besitos ascension

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  12. Hi Norma, I got lots of advice about the flooring which was extremely helpful. Mine are simply balsa wood scored, stained and oiled. Very cheap way of doing the flooring and you can make them any colour you like!

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  13. Hi Michelle. The rough walling is the plasi-kote stone effect spray which I bought from Homebase and Hobbyland. If you look at the dividers you can see I used two different widths of tape. The thinner is the masking tape I cut myself and the thicker is with the tape I got in Hobbyland.
    I personally think the the thinner look is much better even if it was much more fiddly.
    I have discovered that Bromley Crafts do a range of masking tapes in all sorts of widths and I am going to have a look at them on Saturday. I think these could prove very useful and they are also available on line. I will do a reccie and let you know.

    Now the windows were a complete balls up. Excuse my French. I could not for the life of me get the small top windows to fit except for the, what I have now discovered is the, wrong way!
    By the time I realised I could sand the plastic to make the windows fit I had already put in the eternal mouldings. I am hoping to cover my error with plants etc.

    I like the Cooke kits but you do have to add quite a lot of bits for yourself. Julia did a much better job of the interior mouldings than me with her toyshop.

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  14. Hi Wendie.
    I am combining Birmingham with a uni open day for my youngest but would love to meet up at some time during the day.
    I am sure we will be heading for the same stands!

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  15. Hi Kate, I have learnt a lot from putting this kit together that I hope will help me once I start putting Diagon Alley together.

    No List for Miniatura. I need so much that I am going to use it a a reccie. I want to have a good look at all the building stuff. I was interested to read you have used the compounds. Any good?

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  16. ¡Uf! Cuanto trabajo y el resultado es espectacular.
    Me encanta.
    Besos Clara

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  17. The windows sound like a bloody nightmare and I bet you were sick of them! :o( I hope I don't encounter the same problem with the Silver Jubilee! Yes, grow lots of greenery around the windows, besides it's only where the light hits the windows can you see the glazing.

    I will keep a eye out for the tape. It was the lumpy outside walls that I loved the most, it looks like lumpy plaster.

    Have a great time in Miniatura and we want a full update on your buys of the day! ;o))

    Michelle xxx

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  18. Hello Kate!

    I like this kind of blue decoration ! Th color is deep and fresh a thje same time .

    I am new in Dollshouses and miniatures and now I am about finishing my first 4-store building. I enjoy following your blogs and got many useful things from communicating in the blogspace. Buy I really need to see something with my eyes – do your understand what I mean ? Oh, my poor English ! So I’d like to ask this question all experienced persons…

    What do you think about Dollshouse show in Anhem (Holland) in October ?
    Is it worth the effort to go there for me – I need to fly 3 hours to Moscow and then ? hours to Netherlands!

    I have never been to such events(I mean Dollsshow).
    Is it a big show - the same as KDF in London?
    What are the prices at the shows – the same as usual, lower or higher ?
    What is better – first or last days? Or maybe better to spend all 3 days serfing around ?
    So many questions and I’ll be glad to get any of your advice here or to my e-mail : forestomsk@nm.ru.

    Thanking your in advance,
    Elena
    Omsk Russia

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  19. It's looking wonderful and I love the colours you've used inside and outside. Sid Cooke kits used to be great, but since having a change of ownership the quality is not so great, but you have done great to fit and adapt the windows. I have just had a Sid Cooke shop and there is loads missing from the kit! Have a fab time in Miniatura, I wish we could be there too, we could say hello then :0) I look forward to seeing all your wonderfull purchases for your magnificant emporiumn
    Julia xxx

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  20. Hi Elena,

    Thank you for checking out my blog and your English seems very good to me.

    I have never been any of the European Shows only those held in the UK. The journey sounds horrendous to me and a lot of effort for a show.

    If you look at lots of blog sites you will collect a lot of information about lots of really fabulous artisans who have websites or Etsy shops and you can buy on the internet. Why not try this first.

    Regards,
    Janice

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  21. Hi Julia, looking forward to Miniatura but I want to take my time this time and not behave like an alcoholic in brewery!

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  22. Janice I hated the compounds, just couldnt get the hang of them at all but its just me as Julia and Hywel do them beautifully! I did my house like this one in brick compound and hate the result hence why its taken me so long to put together. Ill be showing off the interior but not the exterior once its finished I think, the bricks just merged together however think I made the compound! !!! Kate xx

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