Saturday, July 7, 2012

Another day

Another day has come and gone and seemed to be spent doing bits and pieces. I had all these things that I wanted to do. Oh well. How was your day? I feel so bad for all the people that don't have electricity. And in this heat.
I must clean up my workspace. I can't start a new project with it such a mess. I have so many ideas. I have been forcing myself to do the necessary work.  Getting my files in order. Making a few graphics that I will need for this new house. Now it is time to go to bed and do the thinking before I go to sleep. I plan my projects in this time. Do any of you do that? I lay there and think of colors, dimension's, structure, putting things together and making a process simpler.


My eyes are closing. It is time. I'll see you tomorrow.
Take care

Barbara

 PS:
The grass is gone. Now I have to learn to format.


  •   The Garden Shed

 The Miss Mouse Tea Pot House

Friday, July 6, 2012

Being happy!



 A beautiful day.


Today I spent searching the web for inspiration for my new project. I found some great things. Now, the hardest thing is you can't use these ideas. You have to just be inspired by them. I started designing the new house  this morning. This one is going to be different. I am going to be using more materials such as Fimo, possibly some other mediums.
I have a possible name for this house.   The Sugar Shack. It will be like a kit but the materials will be printed out.
I want to thank the people who joined my Blog. Thank you so much. I am still trying to figure out how to set this up and get the grass to go away. I took a look at your Blogs and I have to say you all do beautiful work in miniature. I also admire the way you have set up your Blogs. So pretty. Beats mine all to pieces. lol
I am going to try to fit in a new freeby for all of you. I bought some beautiful graphics today and I think I will use them on it.
 I have been making doll houses since I was four. I used shoe boxes and Paper Dolls. Later I made doll houses out of cardboard boxes and pieces of cardboard. I guess I am doing pretty much the same thing now.  For a while I as sick but I prayed and God listened to me. I am still here and the Mouse House is finished and I have even finished the Cottage and I am about to start another project. I have watched my twin grandsons grow to be eight years old.
I am happy. So happy. I want to make my little houses and sell them on Etsy. I want to do this Blog and talk to people, meet people and make little freebys for them. I love to work on my computer. I hope I can put some tutorials up on my Blog.

I hope I can make people happy.
Goodnight all you wonderful mini people.
Take care, Barbara






Thursday, July 5, 2012

Hi from Printie land.


 Hi, My name is Barbara Del Duco and I have decided to start a Blog. I have been making Printies for about ten years. I LOVE to do this. Printies are printable graphics that you print out, usually on card stock and glue to different kind of card boards, foam core board, mat board or just use the card stock.
After they are glued and cut out, they are assembled into dollhouses, and items for dollhouses.

Some of you may already know of my Miss Mouse Tea Pot House. I have been selling it on my website for a while now.  http://www.homestead.printies.com.
  here
  I have a few other things too and am working on more. I just finished The Enchanted Cottage. See picture of it below.
My boyfriend set up the picture. Didn't he do a great job. This project took me a year and a half to finish. It looks like it is very hard to make but it isn't at all. See below for pictures of how it is put together.

 The back roof of the house can be glued down but if you want to put lights in it, leave it so it opens. I am going to be working on a Printie Lighting Kit soon. With this kit and the purchase of some led lights you can put lights in your cottage. You can see the inserts at the top of the second floor. They make small roofs at the peak of the roof. That is where the batteries and wires will be. Lights will come down from the ceiling.
The chimney will hold more wires and there will be beams on the bottom floor ceiling to hold the wires and lights. Now let's hope I can do this. LOL

In this illustration you can see how the printed pieces of the walls floors and roof are laid out and glued to foam core board. You cut the pieces out with an e-xacto knife. You will be surprised at how sturdy the foam core board is. All the printed pieces are sprayed with acrylic spray so they are water resistant and have a pretty tough surface.

Here you can see how to decorate the cut out pieces. Each piece is illustrated to show how to do this. You will be using card stock and balsa wood strips. The wallpaper is already there, unless you want to change it. You can print some free dollhouse wallpaper out and glue it on top of the print that is already there.
The stucco is a secret but I will tell you that it is Easy Easy Easy. LOL

Cut out and assemble the other pieces. Shown below is the dormer. Quite easy to make.


Now I am very excited about my next projects. The lighting for the cottage and finishing up the furniture which can be used in The Enchanted Cottage or The Mouse House. Also I will be making another doll house. Something a bit different this time. A sort of fantasy house.
I have the first inklings of it in my head but I need a name. It will be Shabby Chic. and will have a few furnishings in it.
Can anyone think of a name. It will be Victorian cottage, lots of pinks and blues and roses. It will be a little house that any one of us would love to live in.
I would Love your ideas. Tell me what you want. Well that's it for today. I will be back tomorrow.
PS: Could someone tell me how to get the "grass" on my title page to go away lol
Barbara