Revisiting the Sherwoods

 My husband and I wandered through an antique shop today on our way home from his doctor appointment. He found a new slide rule to add to his collection (he is a physicist) and I found a new jewelry box for Mrs. Sherwood. It is a pretty little pill box.

I had some time once we got home to play. I found a blog of vintage paper dolls. She had a printie of some accessories for one of the sets she was featuring and it had a record player. I adjusted the size and then added beads and bits for the arm and knobs. I weighted the base with heavy cardboard to keep it upright. I'm pleased with the results. I'm not certain it will stay in the master bedroom but that works for now. :-)

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends!

EDIT: The record player was given a few improvements - the hardware and handle that make it portable and a few albums and 45s. I also shortened the base a bit.

Finished, huh? Yeah...right!

OK so maybe I wasn't finished. I added three more hanging plants. They were quick and easy because I used some mini holly roping for the ivy and bits of 1:1 plastic plants to make the fern and the big plant. Now it feels more like a real conservatory might feel. If you have a space dedicated to plants wouldn't you want to fill it up? At any rate, I think I've used up all the available space for plants so all that's left is putting mini me in place on the bench.

 My free range chickens were desperately trying to "help" or more likely looking for treats, so I had to snap the photos quickly. I apologize if the quality isn't the best. The "girls" are very curious and really wanted to get closer.

 There are still some glue areas that aren't dry - not that I'm impatient or anything, lol.

It's hard to tell in the photos but now it looks complete. There really isn't any room for more plants anyway if mini me wants to be able to move around in there. ;-)

It's finished...

...unless, of course, I find something that needs to be added, taken away, or changed. ;-) You all know how mini projects go and I seem to have more trouble than most with calling a project finished.

 Besides the hanging spider plant and philodendron, I added a caladium and an ivy heart topiary.

 Some of you may have noticed a slight change to the tree stump stools. When I made them several years ago I didn't have any woodsie circles so I made the seats our of polymer clay. Since the set was in a child's room, I made the seats small. Now I have circles and the conservatory is more an adult place so the stools got a nice wood seat upgrade.

 I had the gray bird in my stash. This monarch and the butterfly on the other end came from a recent printies sheet in American Miniaturist.

 The calico cat, made by my friend Brenda, was stolen from the back porch. They don't need both a cat and a dog, right? The conservatory just seems like a place a cat would curl up and nap in.

I added some more shading to the palm tree and painted a hint of a leaf vein down the center of each leaf.

Don't you love how you sometimes put off a project because you just aren't sure what you want to do and then, suddenly, inspiration strikes and the whole project comes together? That's how this went. Once I decided what to do with the floor I was off and running. It's been a stressful week at work so it's been great to come home and de-stress in the mini conservatory.

One thing I do plan to add is a resin figure. I think this one
looks a bit like me. :-)

Sometimes it is easy being green

 The plants are multiplying in the conservatory. I added several this afternoon made from printie leaves. I'm really happy with how they are turning out. I figured out how to do the two hanging plants and got a start on the philodendren. No pics yet. The Chinese Evergreen and the fern are sitting on small stands made from chess pieces. The pots are wood beads. One of the plants by the palm is planted it a cap from one of hubby's inhalers and the other is in a rubber tip from something. Paint is a wonderful unifier.

 I even added a small gazing type ball. It isn't mirrored so I guess it's more of an art piece but the marble looks pretty on the chess piece anyway. :-)

The different plant printies I've found have given me a lovely variety of plants. Once I finish the hanging plants I will reevaluate to decide if I am finished or need a few more.

I hope to have more to show you tomorrow.

It's starting to look like a conservatory

 A bonsai made of twisted covered floral wire, foam grass, and paper flowers planted in an old computer keyboard key. I didn't have a tutorial. I just looked at photos of real bonsai and played.

 A tiny succulent planted in a shallow bowl, in sand.

 A Dieffenbachia on a marble post. The leaves are printies I found online. The pot is a combination of lids and the marble column is a heavy duty cardboard tube my son brought from the trash at the grocery store he works in. The natural spiral of the tube determined the direction of my marble veins.

The palm tree is planted in a Dollar Tree plastic trophy cup. The trunks are sticks from my yard with some painted details. The leaves are cut from cardstock. The leaves look more natural in real life. The shading doesn't show well with the flash.

This is definitely a lady's conservatory with all the pink and the floral upholstery. I'm liking the balance between rustic and elegant. I have several more plant varieties to cut out and pot. I'm planning to have philodendron and spider plants hanging from the center beam also.

By the time I finish this project I am going to want a sun room of my own, LOL. Have a blessed and happy day, my friends!

Teacher In Service Day...

...is a lovely thing when you are an instructional assistant rather than a teacher. I got the day off so I conquered some of the household chores and spent time making the inside of the Westville look lived in. I know, I know, I said I'd work on the exterior today. There were just too many other fun things demanding my attention so the fun things won. ;-)

Pie from my friend, Brenda, recipes from pinterest, and I made the recipe box.

I made the lamps last night. Today I made books and the alarm clock. The drinking glass part of a pencil from the dollar store.

A closer view of the alarm clock - made from a hearing aid battery and a scrap of  wood.

 The living room looks a bit more lived in, too.

 Until I can find just the right cat, the scotty dog will fill the spot on the television.

 Looks like it's game night at the Sherwoods. No wonder Davy is so excited to see Dad. The Monopoly game came from a printie I found on Pinterest.The Lone Ranger game was made from a photo of the vintage game. It doesn't open.

I found some of the things I'd purchased for Davy's room. The cowboy boots are buttons. The little blue house is from a Monopoly game. The fishing pole has been in my stash forever. The baseball, glove and bat were purchased for this project. I used permanent markers to spruce up the car and cannon game pieces. I still want to make a shelf for this room.

There is still room for more things to make this house look lived in but I'm running out of excuses to get started on the exterior. Hmmm, maybe I'll make that shelf now...