Tuesday 12 January 2010

Can't decide........

Very busy day today but have successfully completed 75% of the Thame workshop preparation so I'm well pleased.

Thanks for all the doll shop suggestions and keep them coming. Much of my prep today was fairly mindless and repetitive (try plaiting about a mile of waxed cotton thread and see if your mind doesn't wander) so I've been musing on the little doll shop and what to do with it.

I'm leaning towards pastel shades for the exterior........sort of French looking. Shabby chic-ish.
However for some insane reason lost in the mists of time, I painted it black. And not just any old black. Black gloss enamel.

Just how I am going to cover it up successfully is a conundrum. I'll need to sand it down first, to take the gloss sheen off.

That's a horrible job.

Then I'll need to give it at least a couple of coats of a good quality undercoat, before having a go with any top coat. Perhaps instead of bricking under the windows I could tile. Somewhere I have a book of nursery rhymes which feature tiled murals which could possibly be shrunk down. Or maybe patterned tiles which tie in with the main colour would be better.

Then there's the colour of the internal display shelves to consider. Again, something light and pastel which will show up the posh dolls. Pink perhaps. Or blue. Maybe pale green. Or a neutral cream.

Decisions, decisions.

I really, REALLY wish I hadn't painted it black. Cutting in around the 'glass' in the windows and door will be a nightmare, and I'll never be able to get right into the channels. Which means that I'll have to add some sort of very fine wooden mouldings around the windows so that the channels can't be seen.

The interior is not too bad. The wooden floor is fine and because the shelves cover 95% of the wall space, I don't really need to change the wallpaper, as it won't be seen. The bay windows are a bit on the skimpy side and don't offer much in the way of display potential, so I may need to finagle something to add more space.

Not sure what though.

I think I'm in danger of encountering the law of diminishing returns.

6 comments:

Debbie said...

Sandra I also have the same Shop. I have a clear piece of perspex in one window with bits stuck on it for display. If I can find a picture I'll email it to you or take another picture for you..x

Sandra Morris said...

That'd be great Debbie, thanks.

Might also give me some ideas for exterior finishes....

You still snowed in?

Tabitha Corsica said...

Other than the fact that it is gloss, black isn't a bad base-coat color for a lot of finishes. Of course, as you, you could cover it all up with brick or some other sort of siding. Good luck!

Tabs

Sandra Morris said...

Thanks Tabitha,
I just need to make a decision on what I'm going to do and get on with it!

Deep Squeaker said...

I really, really like that Lolcat.

x

Irene said...

A Shabby Chic exterior would look good - there's a fair bit of that around at the moment. I like the very pale green idea too. I'm keen to see how you go with this one.