Blog 7 – Greenleaf Pierce part 2

Well, it’s been an interesting few days!  I was involved in an online interview with Darren Scala from D.Thomas Fine Miniatures the other day – it was slightly freaky but surprisingly fun as well. 

My shoulder has been pretty bad so I haven’t accomplished a great deal miniature-wise this week although I did finally get the electrical done!  So let’s have another look back at my Greenleaf Pierce build instead.

Because I worked on this so long ago, I’m having to look back at photos to remember the processes I went through.  All were major learning curves and challenges – yet mostly huge fun at the same time.

Norm had to have a study – if you remember, he’s a retired historian.  My aim was to create the quintessential formal study.  I found various buttons etc that looked like awards which I attached to the study wall along with his certificates.  I made a large bookshelf and bought or made books to go on it.  I made his desk from a kit – was probably the very first miniature furniture kit I ever built! 

The fleur de lis wallpaper is a nod to my 8 years as a Scout leader, and I had to ensure there was a stamp collection book on the round table for my very dear Uncle who passed early 2020.  I love that you can hide pieces of yourself – what makes you, you, inside miniature scenes. 

As I live in New Zealand I also added a Maori feather cloak onto Norm’s study wall – a piece of NZ history.

I created the inside shutters from card – a very tricky process however I was happy with how they turned out.  I would do them completely differently now though.  I also had to include the stag head – albeit a stylized version as opposed to a taxidermy one.  There are also, of course, stacks of books and old maps scattered here and there, as well as files on Norm’s desk.  If you were to look closely at the files you would see that they are confidential and marked ‘Property of St Mary’s’.  If you have read Jodi Taylor’s books you’ll know what I mean! 😉

Onto the bathroom!  The flooring is a vinyl tile that I think worked pretty darn well.  I made the cabinets – the tall shelves hold plastic 3d printed drawers which I created with an ancient 3D printer we bought for the kid's many moons ago.  I bought the toilet and bath – however, I painted the bath copper to go along with the other copper items in the room.  I had made the copper ‘life’s journey’ sign while into scrapbooking and felt that it looked perfect above the bath.  The dragonflies are brads and the bath tap I made of beads glued and sprayed copper.

The bedroom is fairly self-explanatory.  I made the rather clunky lights – for some reason I plugged the ceiling lights in the Pierce into power-points on the ceiling!!!  Oh well…..I guess they all work!

I had fun making the blinds and curtains for the bedroom and I’m happy with how they turned out.  I did make a spiral staircase as well from the bedroom to the attic.

With the arrival of two grandchildren, a children’s room and play area were created in the attic of the Pierce.  I decided that making two in-built beds would be the best use of the minimal room.  I also extended the room by adding another level onto the tower although I have yet to make the roof for this.  I also cut three new windows along the hallway in the attic and new skylights in the main part of the attic.  It seems quite a normal thing these days to make the most of the attic space found in old houses.

The main attic room became Val’s studio and apothecary nook.  Yes – I was interested in apothecaries all the way back then and before!  I have collected crystals since about the age of 10 and so Val also needed a crystal collection which I displayed in her tower space.  For Val’s crafty space I made the table, chair and triangle shelf.  I had these tiny plastic suitcases which I filled with craft supplies: wool, material, scrapbooking items etc.  I made a sewing machine out of polymer clay and I made a jar full of buttons from polymer as well.  Never again - they were so frustrating to make!  

That’s about it for the Pierce!  The outside is still a work in progress – hopefully, I’ll get it finished within the next couple of years!  I have to say, it’s been fun looking back over the Pierce.  I handmade most of what went into the house and thoroughly loved the process – even though there is so much I would do differently today. I think that’s the point though – as we complete projects, in any field, we gain knowledge and experience so that we can go on and create bigger and better items.

I hope to find that spark of enthusiasm again for my GL Pierce – it’s a lovely house and deserves to be finished.  Val and Norm have been exceptionally patient with me!

Do you have a project or projects stopped before completion?  How did you find the spark – do you even want to find that spark again for that particular endeavour?  I’d love to hear about your ups and downs with demanding miniature buildings.  In the meantime, back to my Finnish cottage. 

Cheers all! xxxx