Return of the Market Stall

 With Christmas over, decorations down and housework all caught up with, I am now getting back to working on my market stall I had started in the fall.  When last you saw it I had the basic building done, the inside floor was done and a few shelves were in.  Since then I have had few opportunities to work on it but here's what has been done up to now:

I made a base for the market stall to sit on (in case I would need someplace to hide batteries, of course!), added a few shelves to the back and one on the side, and built some doors.  After finally settling on a name for the little shop I made a sign using a piece of acrylic for the background and some wooden letters I painted to look like metal.  By adding spacers between the acrylic and the building the sign stands out better and provides some shadows behind the letters. Then I started adding chunks of foam around the sides to provide support for snow hills, since the setting for this market stall is meant to be at Christmas time.

I continued to add chunks of foam, then I mixed up some plaster-of-paris and water, soaked strips of paper towel in the mixture and draped them over the chunks of foam to make snow hills.

I made a flat roof to look like it was made from metal with a large skylight in the middle to allow more light into the stall, laid a textured paper on the base at the front of the stall to look and feel like cobblestones, then I mixed paint and white glue 50/50, painted over the "snow" mounds and sprinkled them lightly with white glitter.

Now I have to turn my attention to things to put inside the little shop.  I've started a couple of projects for some slightly larger items for inside.  I made these wooden trees that I plan on hanging ornaments inside.  Here is one finished one and the others don't yet have the ornaments added.

I also had an idea to replicate those sparkly sheer Christmas presents with lights inside that people buy to put outside their front door when decorating for the season.  You know the ones I mean???  Anyway, I made three box frames: 1.5" square, 1" square and 3/4" square.  I painted the wooden frames then wrapped them with sheer ribbon.  Then I put gold sparkly ribbon around them.  I have the two larger ones finished and will cover the little one tomorrow.  Then I have to decide where I want to put them and try to see if I can get some tiny lights inside.  I might put them outside the open doors, or perhaps in the back corner inside which would have the added benefit of providing extra light inside.

   

So, I will finish these two store inventory items and put my thinking cap on for other items I would like to have in the shop - household goods like linens and decorative accessories, plants, Christmas ornaments - who knows where my mind will go?  I look forward to seeing how it will end up - I'm usually the last one to figure it out!!

So, Once again, Bruce's contribution to my blog is to supply another cat image.  This one made me laugh out load as, in our house, and with the number of cats we have had over the years, it is a very familiar event.

So, until my next post, I hope you are all happy, healthy and safe and are geared up for a great year of mini projects!!!  TTFN!!! - Marilyn