I received my replacement printer from HP Wednesday morning but couldn't get to it until Thursday morning. I spent about six hours yesterday trying the new one - and the old one - with no success. Finally I sent HP a really scathing email to HP support and got yet another "fix" late last night. (You have to return the printer to HP within three days so was really panicking at this point.) I was just too tired to spend any more time on it last night.
So this morning I tried the new "fix" (believe me, it was really very convoluted and involved installing the drivers for a totally different model printer) and IT WORKED!! and I can now print on card stock. I'm not particularly happy with the way it prints photos but at least I can now print on card stock.
So repacked the replacement printer and it's on its way via UPS.
What a relief!
Tip: If you need a new printer, do NOT buy an HP Officejet Pro 8600. It has some very nice features but there are also some major problems with it. (And not just my specific machine but the inability to print on card stock is a known issue.) I want to stop by Staples (where I purchased it) and tell the salesman about this too.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Good news...and bad news
Yesterday morning my replacement printer arrived from HP. So this afternoon I have to uninstall the old one, pack it up and return to HP (and they set very strict timelines for doing that), then install the new one. Keeping my fingers crossed that the new one (model 8600A replacing 8600) will print on card stock. The problem I had printing pictures with the old one (incredibly dark) seems to have fixed itself so that's one less thing to worry about at least.
We had our final Show and Sale Committee meeting last night. Have a long list of last-minute chores to do in preparation for that. Also am working on a handbook for new members of the club and want to have that done in time for our first meeting next Tuesday.
So I think/know minis are going to have to take a backseat for the next week at least.
Tip: If you want to fill a mini waste basket by a desk and have a RL cross cut paper shredder, the shredded paper makes great office garbage.
We had our final Show and Sale Committee meeting last night. Have a long list of last-minute chores to do in preparation for that. Also am working on a handbook for new members of the club and want to have that done in time for our first meeting next Tuesday.
So I think/know minis are going to have to take a backseat for the next week at least.
Tip: If you want to fill a mini waste basket by a desk and have a RL cross cut paper shredder, the shredded paper makes great office garbage.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Finished!
The bar room is finished!
Got the foot rail on the bar. I tried making the supports from wood but that didn't work as the wood split so I cut them from mat board and drilled holes through them.
Then I stained them to match the wood.
Put a skinny skewer painted with my gold Pilot pen through the support holes and glued the supports to the bar.
There are probably a few more little things I will eventually think of to add to this but for now I'm declaring it finished. All the furniture is glued in place.
In May of last year when I finished the detective's office which is set in the 40s, my intention was to do the bar below as a friendly neighbourhood bar during the war years. Had a "Careless Talk Brings Tragedy in Wartime" poster to go above the telephone and planned on hanging a map of Europe and pictures of all my family members who served in the Armed Forces on the walls.
But if I went that route then I had to figure out how to deal with liquor rationing, etc. And the brass foot rail would have been lost to a scrap drive...so I decided against that idea.
So here's the finished set of rooms:
Pictures of the entire project from beginning to end can be seen here.
Still need to get two pieces of plexiglass to cover the fronts of the rooms.
Got the foot rail on the bar. I tried making the supports from wood but that didn't work as the wood split so I cut them from mat board and drilled holes through them.
Then I stained them to match the wood.
Put a skinny skewer painted with my gold Pilot pen through the support holes and glued the supports to the bar.
There are probably a few more little things I will eventually think of to add to this but for now I'm declaring it finished. All the furniture is glued in place.
In May of last year when I finished the detective's office which is set in the 40s, my intention was to do the bar below as a friendly neighbourhood bar during the war years. Had a "Careless Talk Brings Tragedy in Wartime" poster to go above the telephone and planned on hanging a map of Europe and pictures of all my family members who served in the Armed Forces on the walls.
But if I went that route then I had to figure out how to deal with liquor rationing, etc. And the brass foot rail would have been lost to a scrap drive...so I decided against that idea.
So here's the finished set of rooms:
Pictures of the entire project from beginning to end can be seen here.
Still need to get two pieces of plexiglass to cover the fronts of the rooms.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
We have lights!
I wanted to show off the detective's office/bar on Friday night but without additional lighting, it was hard to see the detail in the rooms.
I was pondering the problem last night when I remembered the Quik-Brite LED lights I bought at XCess Cargo a couple years ago.
From the end, the rectangular lights look like fluorescent lights so I installed two in each of the rooms. I used a cardboard template to ensure they were in the same position in each room. (The office is pretty empty as I've removed most of the accessories and the desk so I could paint the Moveable Miniatures glue on the accessories.) Much of the furniture is now glued in place with Tacky glue since MMG doesn't work on carpet.
You'll recall I was concerned that the bar stools looked too low. But I sat this doll in one of the stools and they're just right for her!
Have to glue the furniture in place.
The box didn't include the plexiglass fronts for the rooms so I have to get some cut and installed in time for the Show and Sale.
I was pondering the problem last night when I remembered the Quik-Brite LED lights I bought at XCess Cargo a couple years ago.
First I installed a spotlight to shine on the dart board.
From the end, the rectangular lights look like fluorescent lights so I installed two in each of the rooms. I used a cardboard template to ensure they were in the same position in each room. (The office is pretty empty as I've removed most of the accessories and the desk so I could paint the Moveable Miniatures glue on the accessories.) Much of the furniture is now glued in place with Tacky glue since MMG doesn't work on carpet.
You'll recall I was concerned that the bar stools looked too low. But I sat this doll in one of the stools and they're just right for her!
I still have to put the foot rail on the bar but still haven't figured out how I'm going to do that.
Have some liquor bottles to go on the shelves in the middle of the back cabinet.
I remembered the pieces from some buttons that you cover with fabric that will make ashtrays for the bar counter and the booth table.
The box didn't include the plexiglass fronts for the rooms so I have to get some cut and installed in time for the Show and Sale.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Still in thinking mode...
Got cleaned up from the work on the bar which was nice since I tend to go from job to job without cleaning up between times....BUT that's all I got done mini-wise!
Still haven't quite figured out how to put the foot rail on the bar so that's in the "thinking" process. And even though the bar heights are equivalent to RL and the bar stools are also, the bar stools look too short in relation to the bar. So tomorrow I'll try putting a doll on a bar stool and see how bad it looks then. I may have to cut the bar down some to make it look right.
That's as far as I got as my DS Shirley and DBIL Grahame brought over chinese takeout and Mom joined us here for a dinner to celebrate her 89th birthday. Wonderful evening!
Still haven't quite figured out how to put the foot rail on the bar so that's in the "thinking" process. And even though the bar heights are equivalent to RL and the bar stools are also, the bar stools look too short in relation to the bar. So tomorrow I'll try putting a doll on a bar stool and see how bad it looks then. I may have to cut the bar down some to make it look right.
That's as far as I got as my DS Shirley and DBIL Grahame brought over chinese takeout and Mom joined us here for a dinner to celebrate her 89th birthday. Wonderful evening!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Bar room just about finished...
What a productive day!
First I dry-fitted the pieces for the bar counter:
Then I stained everything and gave both counters a couple coats of gloss varnish:
Here's the bar put together before the counters went on:
Then I got on a roll (and forgot to take pictures). You can see from the top counter than I can actually do mitred corners when I put my mind to it LOL.
Was in quite a panic when I couldn't find the pumps but they finally appeared (where they were supposed to be) and I added some silver and red trim.
In place on the counter.
Over a year ago !!! I started work on the bar stools. And curved the wood to make the backs. Today I made a template and cut out the backs and stained them.
Here I've glued the back to the first stool. Then I covered the seats of the other two and attached the backs.
The detective's office above the bar:
Both rooms:
Now I'm off to bed...
First I dry-fitted the pieces for the bar counter:
I still have to put a footrail on the bar and add some accessories but the end is in sight!
The detective's office above the bar:
Both rooms:
Now I'm off to bed...
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Getting started...
On Tuesday nights, some of the ladies in our building meet in the craft room to knit, crochet, or just visit. I've not been going as Tuesday night is usually mini night but last night I decided to take my wood, knife and measurements and start work on the bar counter for the bar room.
I had gone online and found RL bar measurements and sketched out an idea of what I wanted.
Tomorrow I'll dry fit it and see if it bears any resemblance to the vision in my head. LOL
Hopefully it will and I can begin staining and gluing.
I had gone online and found RL bar measurements and sketched out an idea of what I wanted.
Tomorrow I'll dry fit it and see if it bears any resemblance to the vision in my head. LOL
Hopefully it will and I can begin staining and gluing.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
What's next?
When I started this blog in April 2011, I posted the following list of UFOs:
1. The art gallery that I started at Camp Mini Ha Ha 2009
2. My Christmas shop (have a good start on that one)
3. Victorian style parlour
4. Lady’s bedroom
5. 1940s detective's office above a bar
6. A Secret Garden
7. Travel trailer – still in the box
8. Wire my Bombay house
9. Oriental room
10. Log cabin (I’d give up on this one but I’ve got too many things to go in it!)
11. My English dollhouse – just needs a few repairs and furnishing but there are design problems with it.
12. The wharf and beach that should be the base for my Serendipity Shop(another Camp Mini Ha Ha project - 2008).
Just realized there's one UFO missing - (13) my Three Bears' House in the Russian bread box.
The Art Gallery is now finished (although in a different room than originally planned. The Victorian-style Parlour is complete. The Detective's Office is complete but the bar room still needs a bar and the bar stools need to be finished.
The Bombay house is wired! and almost completely renovated. Still need to build the window seat off the office, re-do the kitchen and add a patio.
In addition, I've made the Art Studio, the scrapbooking room, a couple Trash to Treasure challenges and three stalls for The Little Fair on the Prairie.
Numbers 9 through 13 are staying on the back burner for now although the Oriental Room is starting to take shape in my mind.
There are a number of us in the club who have the travel trailer kit. We've been talking about forming a sub-group to work on it so we'll see how the year shapes up.
So that leaves the Christmas Shop, the Lady's Bedroom, the Bar and the Secret Garden.
With the Show and Sale less than a month away, the bar would be the logical thing to finish first as there's the least needing to be done.
The Lady's Bedroom needs the closet built and the bed dressed. Have more than enough furniture and accessories for it but haven't wallpapered or carpeted and haven't decided on lighting.
Have WAY too much stuff for the Christmas Shop so it's going to be tough to decide how to set it up.
The Secret Garden is sort of coming together in my head but still haven't bought the builder's foam for the walls...and it might be a nice project to work on in the dead of winter.
Have most of what I need/want for the Three Bears' House so that's another possibility for a quick build.
Really need to make a decision soon!!!
Dinning room table
I hated the tablecloth! And I really like the look of a table set without one so I took it off and dressed the table. I used my Moveable Miniatures Glue on each and every piece on the table so it was very time-consuming to do as you apply the glue to each bottom surface then leave it to dry for an hour. (I usually end up doing that twice so there's a lot of waiting time involved.) Still need to dig out my devilled eggs (and make room for them VBG) and add table napkins.
NO. This pictures is not upside down! I turned the table upside down so you could see how well the Moveable Glue holds. Yet each piece can be picked up and moved.
I buy mine locally from Luba Barnes in Spruce Grove. She is selling at our Show and Sale in September and has assured me she will have some there. Miniland in Victoria has it on their website and although I didn't see it on the other Canadian online shops I checked, I'm sure they can get it for you. (I've not seen it on Alex's tables at our September Show and Sale in the past but I'm sure if you e-mailed him he would bring some to the sale.)
No room left on the table so I put some other items on the tea cart.
And here's the dining room in the Bombay house with the table and tea cart.
NO. This pictures is not upside down! I turned the table upside down so you could see how well the Moveable Glue holds. Yet each piece can be picked up and moved.
I buy mine locally from Luba Barnes in Spruce Grove. She is selling at our Show and Sale in September and has assured me she will have some there. Miniland in Victoria has it on their website and although I didn't see it on the other Canadian online shops I checked, I'm sure they can get it for you. (I've not seen it on Alex's tables at our September Show and Sale in the past but I'm sure if you e-mailed him he would bring some to the sale.)
No room left on the table so I put some other items on the tea cart.
And here's the dining room in the Bombay house with the table and tea cart.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Cleaning Day!!
Today was the day I've been avoiding for far too long...
But even with the heat, it was very successful. Every room is cleaned except the pantry and the workroom - and actually the workroom is well on its way to being done.
One of the long-neglected things sticking out like a sore thumb was a tray in front of the Bombay house with all of the dishes and cutlery, etc., that belonged on the dining room table.
So I started by taking that tray of dishes, turning them upside down and applying the first coat of Moveable Miniatures Glue.
In order to apply the MMG to the cutlery, I stretched a strip of adhesive tape adhesive side up and placed the cutlery upside down on it then applied the MMG to the backs of each piece of the cutlery.
This is the dining room table. The top of it is 3 3/8" x 5 3/4".
I want the tablecloth to have an overhang of 12" so I cut a piece of aluminum foil 5 3/8" x 7 3/4".
I had this piece of netting that I thought would work for a tablecloth so I set it over the foil
Set a couple books over the netting to hold it in place over the foil. I need new blades on my rolling cutters so they didn't work properly ARGHH and had to cut with scissors.
Then I folded the aluminium foil in place over the table to protect it.
First I sprayed the lace with spray starch and tried to clip the corners in place as they would drape. It didn't work the way I had hoped so I rinsed the fabric and soaked it in a mixture of Tacky glue and water (about the consistency of milk). Then I draped that over the foil and used small binder clips to hold the corner drapes of the cloth.
So here is the tablecloth after it has been peeled away from the aluminium foil:
Put it back on the table. Need to let all the glue dry.
Quite frankly I'm not happy about this. I would have preferred to put everything on a bare table.But we'll see how it looks in the morning and decide what to do then.
But even with the heat, it was very successful. Every room is cleaned except the pantry and the workroom - and actually the workroom is well on its way to being done.
One of the long-neglected things sticking out like a sore thumb was a tray in front of the Bombay house with all of the dishes and cutlery, etc., that belonged on the dining room table.
So I started by taking that tray of dishes, turning them upside down and applying the first coat of Moveable Miniatures Glue.
In order to apply the MMG to the cutlery, I stretched a strip of adhesive tape adhesive side up and placed the cutlery upside down on it then applied the MMG to the backs of each piece of the cutlery.
This is the dining room table. The top of it is 3 3/8" x 5 3/4".
I want the tablecloth to have an overhang of 12" so I cut a piece of aluminum foil 5 3/8" x 7 3/4".
I had this piece of netting that I thought would work for a tablecloth so I set it over the foil
Set a couple books over the netting to hold it in place over the foil. I need new blades on my rolling cutters so they didn't work properly ARGHH and had to cut with scissors.
Then I folded the aluminium foil in place over the table to protect it.
First I sprayed the lace with spray starch and tried to clip the corners in place as they would drape. It didn't work the way I had hoped so I rinsed the fabric and soaked it in a mixture of Tacky glue and water (about the consistency of milk). Then I draped that over the foil and used small binder clips to hold the corner drapes of the cloth.
So here is the tablecloth after it has been peeled away from the aluminium foil:
I took the tablecloth off and \hemmed' it with a mixture of Tacky glue and white paint.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Art Gallery counter, Penthouse changes
Ann asked for a better picture of the counter in the Art Gallery. I've opened the back doors so you can see the contents without the reflection in the mirrors on the doors.
You may recall when I decided not to use the red starburst pin wall hanging in the Art Gallery but instead to hang it in the Penthouse.
At the same time, I decided that the agate slice table would look perfect in the Penthouse (without the red glass sculpture).
With the old table:
Now with the agate slice table:
The entire living room:
Friday, August 17, 2012
Miniature Enthusiasts of Edmonton Show and Sale
MINIATURE ENTHUSIASTS OF EDMONTON CLUB invites you to
take part in their
16th ANNUAL FALL SHOW &
SALE
Sunday, September 16, 2012
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Executive Royal Inn
10010 – 178 Street
Edmonton, Alberta
T5S 1T3
So far, this is our dealer list:
DEALER LIST 2012
Another World Miniatures (Linda
Maddaford, Bev Perret)
1:12 scale fine
furniture, glass, silver, Goebel figurines, fabric, ribbon and accessories
Bits by Barb (Barb Striethorst)
Plant kits, plants,
slippers, bonsai, basket kits, landscape supplies
New Bob Francis Miniatures
Magazines and
Assorted 1:12 and 1:48 scale miniatures
New Connie Stitt
Plant and flower accessories
in 1:12 and 1:24 scale
Hummingbird Miniatures (Kathy Barbier)
Hand-painted garden
accessories
Janice Crawley, IGMA Fellow
Ceramic dishes, tiny
porcelain dolls (dressed and undressed)
Judy Mitchell
Various items in 1:12
and 1:48 scales
New Just Imagine Miniatures (Marianne Yates)
Miscellaneous
accessories, no furniture
Brigitte’s Minis and Kristina Bears
(Brigitte and Kristine Simon)
Floral minis, food
and miniature bears
Luba Barnes
Miscellaneous
miniature items
New Sue Magnan
Roomboxes, magazines,
dolls, Christmas decorations, miscellaneous
Furniture, pictures, wallpaper
MiniLAND
Full line of
roomboxes, furniture and accessories
Ms Mini (Sherrill Bedu)
1:12 and 1:48 dolls,
furniture, accessories, kits, etc.
New Marija and Dennis Dreher
Metal miniatures
Back again after a long absence! Montacute Miniatures (Debbie Burville)
Handpainted porcelain miniatures in 1:12 scale
http://members.shaw.ca/montacute/index.htm
NEW! Mustard Seed Miniatures (Lori Ann Potts)
Handcrafted miniature
doll house collectables
N.A.M.E.
(National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts)
Needleart Treasures by Rosalle
Crocheted accessories
for the mini home
Nigh’s Pottery (Linda Austin)
Miniature hand thrown
(on a wheel) pottery, every piece is one of a kind
New Patricia Makarowski
Furniture and accessories in 1:12 scale, some
1:48 scale
Reenie’s Teenies (Reenie Desarker)
1:12 miniatures and
supplies
Sue Lefebvre
1:12 scale handbags
Tiny Treasures (Louise Zawada)
1:12 miniatures and
supplies
Val’s Creations (Val Corraini)
Assortment of
miniatures and show cases
New Valley Doll Museum & Gifts
Accessories,
roomboxes, dollhouse kits
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Something different
My mother, bless her heart, turns 89 next week. She says, "If I can't eat it, wear it or smear it on me, don't give it to me."
Fortunately for my sisters and me, she loves to wear brooches AND she loves bargains and loves it when we find her gifts at garage sales, etc..
In the boxes of jewellery findings, etc., at the MEE garage sale of Joyce's things, I found a little bow brooch that has a little hook below the knot of the bow.
So tonight I went through my bead boxes and found several beads that match pieces of her clothing. I put the beads on head pins and looped the ends.
Fortunately for my sisters and me, she loves to wear brooches AND she loves bargains and loves it when we find her gifts at garage sales, etc..
In the boxes of jewellery findings, etc., at the MEE garage sale of Joyce's things, I found a little bow brooch that has a little hook below the knot of the bow.
So tonight I went through my bead boxes and found several beads that match pieces of her clothing. I put the beads on head pins and looped the ends.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Art Gallery finished!
Well, the framing didn't go well. I did frame the print of Louisburg but just finished the other pieces with ink frames.
Then I had to decide which pictures to use where.
I cut pieces of paper the size of the side walls and laid out pictures on them. And picked other pieces to go on either side of the counter.
Left side:
Left back:
Right back:
Right side:
All artwork is in place with poster velcro from Lee Valley so positions can be changed and/or pieces can be borrowed as I make new roomboxes.
Left side artwork in place:
Right side artwork in place:
The completed art gallery:
What I didn't use! VBG
Now to clean up :-(
Then I had to decide which pictures to use where.
I cut pieces of paper the size of the side walls and laid out pictures on them. And picked other pieces to go on either side of the counter.
Left side:
Left back:
Right back:
Right side:
All artwork is in place with poster velcro from Lee Valley so positions can be changed and/or pieces can be borrowed as I make new roomboxes.
Left side artwork in place:
Right side artwork in place:
The completed art gallery:
What I didn't use! VBG
Now to clean up :-(
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