The Second Shop

Have you ever had all these plans that completely go bust, just when you look out the window?  Our plans for this day was the first barbeque of the season with family.  But then I opened the curtains at the patio door.  Yes this is snow, and it's May 3rd, but it's Newfoundland!!  Don't know where Newfoundland is located, look it up on the internet.  An island in the north Atlantic Ocean, with temperatures that rarely get colder than -5 Celsius, but also never get hotter than 20 degrees.

 

 

 

So what does one do when it snows in May, will we work on more miniatures!!!  I have started working on the second shop interior in the street scene.  I found a picture of a shop interior, which kind of looked vintage and second hand, and I printed it on an 8.5 x 11 page and glued it to the back wall of the shop.

 

 

I lowered the floor of the window display, and now you will see the items in the window better.  Here's a shot with a few window props and the backdrop can be seen behind the props.   I'm please with how it's turning out, but space is pretty tight in the window, and I want to add a few more props around it.  I like the natural covering that came on the unfinished Bespaq chair.  It's the same chair I'm using in the castle room, I purchased a set of four several years ago at Ron's Dollhouse Shop in Orlando, Florida.  I still have to stain the wood, which I am planning to do to match the mannequin.  The mannequin was purchased in Barcelona two years ago.  It's a mass produced piece, but I think it looks great.

The interior shop showing the floor lowered and the back of the props.

 

 I removed all the fabric pieces from the chair, you can see them lying on the painting sheet behind the chair.  Sorry I should have turned off the flash for this shot.

 

Then I gave it a coat of stain.  It looks a little blotchy right now, but I will sand and retry once it is dried.

 

 

I have to tell you about this new stain I found at Michaels.  It's a non drip stain that you can squeeze out just a small drop.  I love it, it's very thick, and it rubs in nicely to the wood.

 

 

 Even better, if you squeeze out too much, you can brush it back into the tube!

 

I did a little work for the Book Store as well.  As you know I have called it Ephriam's, who was my Great Great Grandfather, who was born in 1885 and died 1936.  I have one picture of him shown below.  I took an old Chrysnbon frame and used a bit of the same stain I used above and rubbed into the frame.  I reduced several pictures until I found the ideal size to fit the frame.

 

And here is the finished picture.  Ready for hanging in the book store.  I love it!

 

 

I'm on the road travelling for work starting tomorrow, so I may not get any miniature work done in the week.  I plan to take one of my needlework projects on the road with me, it may be my only miniature accomplishment for the coming week.

 

Hope you've enjoyed my work today.  Thanks to everyone who left such kind remarks, it is so motivating.

 

Until the next time.....

Wanda