Tuesday 15 June 2021

Shepherd's hut coming along

 I had a rather slow week this week but I did make a little progress on my little shepherd's hut.  But first, I want to show you my lovely vase of peonies.  My DH and I have been gardening for about 45 years and it was only a few years ago when I finally learned the secret of having beautiful cut peony blooms in the house without the danger of having a house full of ants!

I learned that you need to cut the flowers BEFORE they open.  When they are still in tight little balls, but with the colour of the petals showing at the end of the bud, it is easy to swipe away the few ants on the flower at this point.  Then, when you have removed the ants which are clearly visible (no place for them to hide since the buds are still quite tightly closed), you put the blossoms into a vase with lukewarm water (I actually slit the bottom 1" or so of stem to allow for better water absorption), and wait for the beauty to unfold.  It only takes 24 to 48 hours for them to be in full bloom.  Here is my vase just after I cut the buds:


They were fully opened 48 hours later and here are a couple of pictures of them another 2 days after.  I am so enjoying my peonies now that I can have some in the house too!



Now on to the shepherd's hut.  Last week I showed you the way I finished the interior.  With the limited time I had this week I worked on the exterior.  I cut 1/4 inch strips of Bristol board and applied it as siding around all four sides, including using some as trims where the siding met at each corner.  I used a watered-down black paint lightly on the "siding", then dry brushed with grey and a creamy colour called "putty" to make the siding look weathered and aged.  Then I painted and glued on the undercarriage, tow bar, and the axles and wheels.  I did find my wire cutters made a perfect support as the peaked roof fit in between the handles so I could keep the hut upside down for a couple of days to make sure the glue on the wheels was well cured.  I was happy with the end result.


I got busy with other things and didn't return to it for a couple of days but, when I did, I started on the roof.  I had already painted the inside of it and installed the small roof trusses.  I found a small-scale corrugated cardboard piece in my stash and cut it to fit the two roof pieces.  I was going to use a small round dowel as a "ridge piece" but my DH suggested I use another piece of "corrugated metal" instead.  I actually quite liked the look it gave. 




 Once the glue dried on that I again used the runny black paint, followed by dry brushing of "Quaker Grey", then Metallic Silver, then Burnt Umber.  I ended by painting a few places with Leprechaun Green" to look like bits of moss was starting to grow.  I followed that up with placing some glue in some of the green painted spots and sprinkling on some fine green landscaping material to show actual moss.  Again - I am happy with how it turned out.



So, that leaves the hut itself almost finished.  I just have to glue on the steps which I will do when I have the landscaping done so I can get them to fit properly.



As you can see I am trying out positions of the hut and the walls on the landscaping platform to see how I want to position it.  So, next week's post should have the landscaping, and the whole project. completed.  If I were a more dedicated miniaturist it would not have taken me a month to finish this wonderful, tiny little project.  

In closing, I would be remiss if I didn't provide you with Bruce's latest contribution to my blog - another crazy cat lady commentary on the wonderful creatures that are cats!


Have a good week everyone and keep safe!  TTFN!!! - Marilyn

17 comments:

  1. It looks wonderful! Delightfully aged to perfection.

    I love the cat cartoon.

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    1. Thank you, Sheila. I hope the landscaping goes as easily as the little hut did. I would pass your comments along to my DH but it will only encourage him. Truth be told - the cat he got me for Christmas two years ago is definitely his cat, not mine! She sleeps tightly against him. She lets him pick her up. She plays with him She comes to me for food. *sigh* She's such a cat! - Marilyn

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  2. Your peonies are gorgeous!
    I love your shepherds' hut on wheels. The corrugated card roof is perfectly in style with the hut.
    Hugs, Drora

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    1. I'm quite pleased so far, Drora. I have really enjoyed this first project I have attempted in 1:48 scale. I'm sure it won't be the last!

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  3. Hi Marilyn, I forgot to say how pleased I am that you are much better now. Your peonies are gorgeous, I only have three on my plant, it didn't do very well last year. Your shepherd's hut is definitely a little gem.

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    1. Thank you for thinking of me, Polly. That's very sweet of you. I am about to get my 2nd shot and am very nervous, given how bad my reaction was with the 1st one. Fingers crossed! We had a perfect spring for peonies this year. My plants are full of blooms and so beautiful. I am sure yours will come as it gets older. I am loving the little shepherd's hut. Almost done - then back to finish the Postal Service! So many projects, so little time! - Marilyn

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  4. Good idea for the shepherd's huts roof. It looks fantastic. I wanna be like you when I grow up (that's assuming I will grow up). I miss my mini-ing like crazy. I am living through you at the moment. You do such beautiful work.

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    1. Nooooo, Weezie! We'll never grow up! We'll grow old but never up! Out maybe (although I'm not sure I can go any further out - let's not test that theory!) but never up! We'll get you settled in your new place and be back to mini-ing in no time! Hugs! - Marilyn

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  5. Las peonías son preciosas y la cabaña me encanta !!!!!

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    1. Gracias, Eloisa. Estoy feliz de cómo va todo y aún más feliz de que pronto terminaré al menos un proyecto. ¡Qué tengas un lindo día! - Marilyn

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  6. Peonies are my most favorite flowers, Marilyn, so by the years I knew the trick of how to put them indoors in a vase, without ants in your house, so this trick is helpful for others to know ;).
    While we now have extreme hig temperatures, mine were bloomed out in no time, but yours are blooming exceptional, so enjoy them to the fullest!!
    As for the roof your DH was right, the roof looks amazing, the whole hut is! By the way, I had to found out what you meant with the letters "DH"...? But after re-reading the text, the context of the sentence made it clear to me that DH was a person, your dear husband, hehehe, sorry, but English is not my mother's tongue ;O).
    Back to the shepherd's hut: I love seeing the addition of the weathered colors and the green moss, and I can't wait to see some of the landscaping. Will there be a shepherd and sheeps too..?
    Loved reading Bruce's latest contribution to your blog!!
    Keep safe and have a lovely weekend, dear Marilyn.
    Hug, Ilona

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    1. It's hard to say what my favourite flowers are - I love so many! Yes, I wish I had learned the trick to bring peonies in much earlier but I am enjoying then now. As for the abbreviations, it took me longer than you to figure out what other bloggers were meaning by them I finally had to ask one of them. Once I was told the first few, the rest were easy to figure out, like Dear Daughter-in-law (DDL); Dear Husband (DH), Dear Son (DS), etc. Texting is even worse - it really taxes my little brain! As for the shepherd's hut theme - there is unlikely to be a shepherd in view but I am thinking I need a couple of teeny sheep. I am going to see if I can find any that small or figure how to make something that can be recognizable as sheep. Have a great day! - Marilyn

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  7. ¡Qué bonitas peonias!
    Has hecho un buen trabajo con el tejado.

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    1. Gracias Isabel. Me encantan las peonías. ¡Espero tener la pequeña cabaña terminada pronto!
      Ten un excelente fin de semana. - Marilyn

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  8. Sometimes it's the simple things bringing the biggest joy - and I must say it put a broad grin on my face to learn you have a paint called "Leprechaun Green" in your stash! Da*n, why do German colors have such boring names like "moss green" or "forest green"??? *LOL*

    I really loved to see how your shephard's hut developed and using the corrugated paper even for the roof's joint was a great idea, it looks so well and even more realistic. I also like the result of your mixed colour washing and I'm looking forward to see the hut in its final position situated in a lovely landscape.

    Your peonies are beautiful - but you should have asked about the ant problem. *LOL* Sadly mine have somehow exploded from the heat we've had here lately (the same heatwave as Ilona's *grin*) so no chance of cutting some for the vase this year. The more I've enjoyed your photos.

    Hugs
    Birgit

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    1. Ha ha ha Birgit. Perhaps we need to get you some "Oktoberfest Orange"? Or maybe "Muenchen Maroon"? Maybe "Lederhosen Lilac"? Wouldn't it be funny if the colours were called something different for each of us? That's hilarious and I never even thought about my favourite green colour being so closely aligned with my ethnic background.
      Yes, I should have asked about the peonies many years ago. So many years of just enjoying them in the garden - years when I could have enjoyed their beauty in the house as well. *sigh* Even after all these years on this planet I am still such a "work in progress". Hopefully I will finish the shepherd's hut this weekend. Happy father's day to all! - Marilyn D.

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  9. Hi Marilyn! This is soooo late but just had to say I love the rusty bottom and the aging effect on the roof!

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