Intermediate Work - Decorating the Bamboo Bedroom Shrine, Filling the Kitchen Shelves and Decorating the Kitchen

June 4th - 5th 2012

I decided to take a break and use some of the objects that had been arriving over the last few weeks to decorate the kitchen and the shrine in the bedroom.  I had been surfing the web and managed to find a few sites with some nice objects which, if displayed properly, would work out fine in the 1:20 dollhouse even if the objects are mostly 1:12.

I purchased some bowls and such from I Love Miniatures site and used one for the shrine (to contain water) and the rest I put in the kitchen hutch. There are two hutches to store things so one I have put the bowls and a bento box and the other I put some copper pots.  I purchased those and some measuring cups that, once hung on the wall, just look like normal pots for cooking.  I also purchased a wok and wok utensil from the same site - I just trimmed the handle on the utensil, hung a hook in the house then distressed the wok so it looked used.  My free gift from this seller was a page of kitchy 50/60's Japanese prints including a calandar.  So that went on the wall too.

Wok and fish being prepared.

 I purchased a series of fruit and veg plus some fish on a platter from the Superminiatures site.  This one was the fastest purchase to arrive.  Less than two weeks altho one or two objects had been switched out.  I am still wondering where my pears and knives are.  Oh well, they gave me other stuff by mistake so not like I was robbed or anything.  I made some wood crates from leftover wood and filled them with the veg.  The wooden shelving was then filled with the crates.  I used my “Mini-Hold” waxlike holding substance to fix everything.  Also this I found at a discount on the Love Miniatures site.  It works perfectly and since it’s not glue, you can easily remove the objects even if the stuff really does hold well.  I updated my butcher’s block by sticking a knife in it and sticking a fish ready to be filleted. 

Bamboo bedroom, just few more things to add.

I added some oranges, a “ceramic bell” (really a mortar and pestle) to ring to start the chanting, and a plant.  I’m just missing an incense dish.  I attached the lights for this room and the kitchen and I think they look very nice.  The kitchen light I printed off a lampshade and glued it to the ceiling to tone down the intensity of the light.  Very effective I must say.

I made a small kitchen table from scraps and aged it a bit.  I think I am going to have to make a few stools now to go with it.  Slowly, things will be added but I think that there are quite a few objects which look good even if the scale is not perfect.

Table and basket of apples. Just missing an ice box...

UPDATE :  Superminiatures already contacted me and they are sending my missing items! I so recommend this site!

Intermediate Work - Butcher’s Block and Knives

April 21 - 25th 2012

I had been looking on the net for a butcher’s block but, as I am discovering, the scale was a problem.  I can find some nice ones in 1:12 and some tiny ones in 1:24 but nothing in between.  Before I spent money on one that really wasn’t right in terms of scale, I looked into the actual dimensions of this block to see if I could make one.

One day walking with the dog I came across a small block of wood.  Seemed pretty good in size and upon checking it was.  Since I don’t have access to any real wood cutting tools (just a small handsaw) I figured it was fate that I had found this little block of wood.  So, I went to working on the dimensions and sizing.

I squared it off and cut some legs for it and went to work making the bottom shelving.  That I did just cutting some extra scraps of cane and some coffee sticks.  Fitting it and gluing it in place was a breeze actually (more so than spacing it - my hands are not so steady anymore). 

The most difficult part was finding away to simulate the different colored woods in the block.  I had to resort to some colored pencils and very tiny brush detail.  The wood was quite porous still so some areas were not quite as even in coloring as I liked but it’ll do.  I diluted some brown wash and gave it an overall aged look.  Also diluted some gloss varnish as I didn’t want it to be glossy - more matte in finish.

Simple instructions...tiny knives.

The knives I actually took from the house kit which includes lots of handy tips and instructions for some added details for the house.  I used the top of a soup can and transferred the knife forms onto the tin can lid.  Cutting was a bit difficult since I really didn’t have a pair of tin scissors but with a little patience and care, I managed nearly all of them (only the smallest was too small for me to cut).  I used a bamboo skewer for the handles and some regular masking tape to finish the top of the handles (so they wouldn’t slide down thru the knife holder).  The instruction says to paint the blades black with a white line along the cutting edge but when I did that, I really didn’t like it.  So I repainted them in a gun metal grey and glossed them to shine. 

Tiny Knives

 The knife holder was also a simple suggestion in the house kit - just a piece of cardboard cut into strips to make a holder.  Instead of attaching this to a wall, I attached it to the butcher’s block where I think it looks more realistic. 

Cardboard knife holder

I still have in mind to purchase some knives (even if they are larger scale) to be used on the block (like those giant butcher’s knives you see sometimes that chefs have for cutting large pieces of meat) along with some kind of food that will be put on the block for “quartering”. 

Original inspiration for the block

My butcher's block "finished"- 3.7cm x 3.7cm

Considering there was zero monetary investment in this piece, I’m pretty damn pleased.