The Artist's Studio | Dry Fit & Initial Alterations

So this week I finally had some more time to work on the Creatin' Contest 2016 build. I've already decided I want this to be an art studio, but I am not set on any specific details just yet. The kit is super cute right out of the box, but my gut was telling me to make some changes. One of those changes was the front porch.

I don't want to worry with electricity with this build... I actually have never put lighting in a house- to be honest it seems SUPER intimidating. The front porch gets a bit dark depending on where in our apartment I sit the building- so I decided to cut it off. First thing to go was the beam at the peak of the house. Then I cut the roof.

To cut the roof without an electric saw I just used my x-acto knife and a ruler and made LOTS of firm cuts. Firm, but not too hard because I didn't want to risk the blade breaking. Or worse.

Once I got a decent groove made I used it as a guide for my hand saw. Then I used this side of the roof to trace onto the other side so that they are the same length.

This is what I was left with, but the porch is a bit awkward. Plus- it it too big for the base I will be making. Luckily my dad had a jig-saw that I didn't even know about! (Thanks, dad!)

MUCH. EASIER. I think I'll keep this for a while.

After the major changes to the front of the structure were done it was time to move on to the back. Do you remember that triangle piece that was at the top of the front porch? Well, I decided to use it on the back of my building, like in the picture below.

I'm also making a removable piece for the back wall. If you guys haven't noticed I like having full access to the inside of my builds. You never know what you'll want to photograph, you know! After I did all the major alterations to the building that I wanted, it was time to make my base.

My base was actually SUPER easy to make. All I did was take an old canvas apart and cut a piece of pegboard to fit it!

 I used glue and nails to hold it all together and that's it!

I bought a huge pack of these canvases a few years ago on sale and I'm glad to finally use some of them. I've also had the pegboard for years and its just been taking up space in my closet. Now I have more storage AND a nifty base for my build!

Remember that beam at the peak of the house? Well I took the part I cut off and cut it into 4 equal pieces. These pieces are now the supports beneath the house! This added almost two inches beneath the house so I will have plenty of height for the foundation.

I nailed/glued the supports to the base and then nailed/glued the floor of the house to the supports!

The final change I want to make for now is to the porch. Since I am having to work with a small base I had to set the stairs into the porch a little over an inch. You'll see what I mean in a minute...

As for the stairs- I got SUPER lucky. These steps were leftover from another kit. They were EXACTLY twice at tall as I needed and half as wide as I needed. Sound confusing? It did for me, too. To be honest I just went with my gut and it worked out in the end.

Cut 'em in half.

Glue the halves together.

Hold with tape.

And that's it! The stairs fit into the space I cut out earlier and I have a tiny bit of the base shown so I can do something with the landscaping! I'll be back in a few days to share more! I am working on the walls next, followed by the foundation!

X - Blake

P.S. If these pictures look a bit weird its because they are actually stills from the video I am taking of the process. I will eventually post everything to my YouTube channel as well, but I don't have time to edit it all right now. I will have more time in May, once this semester is over!

P.P.S. If you want to join my Mini Mail list, hop on over to theminiaturebazaar.com - there I will be sending out updates at LEAST every other week. These updates include progress on my builds, new lines of miniatures, shop sales, and more!

P.P.P.S. I love you guys and every time I scroll through my blog feed I drool over all the wonderful little worlds you guys are making!

The Artist's Studio / Creatin' Contest 2016

Say hello to the Backyard Bungalow! Though it won't be that for long... As some of you might already know, Hobby Builders Supply (miniatures.com) hosts an annual contest called the Creatin' Contest.

Each year they create a new kit for us to decorate and bash and go crazy with! The Backyard Bungalow is the contest kit this year. It's small enough to be a manageable size, but large enough to still have plenty of options. Oh and guess what?! This year they sent me a kit in exchange to share my progress with you guys!

I love the character of the windows and the doors, and although I'm not crazy about the front porch the shapes are basic enough to have limitless possibilities. The interior will be a challenge for me, but I have a few ideas in mind.

Are you joining the fun this year? It's an awesome challenge and a really creative project to take on! If you want to read more about the contest, click HERE to check out the info on miniatures.com.

OH AND ONE MORE THING. I still REALLY wanted to to enter the contest, so I purchased a second kit that I will work on throughout the year in secret. :)  (You can only enter by purchasing a kit, so I can't enter with the kit I was given. That's only fair, right?!)

I'll be back soon! I have some video editing to do and then I will be back with more information about what's coming to The Miniature Bazaar!

X

New Projects // 1:12 Scale Miniatures

Well... I have made a lot of progress on my entry for the 2015 HBS Creatin' Contest but I can't share any of that! I guess I just mention it to tease you! Haha! But I DO have a few other things to share! It's been on my (seemingly) never-ending todo list for a while now to make some sort of animal in miniature. I think I put it off for so long because I knew it would be tedious... and man, was I right! Not only do you have to be able to sculpt the animal, you have to have the patience to carefully add fur (or feathers) to it in itty bitty patches! That being said, I already love the process. It's meditative and really easy to get lost in. Here is a picture of my first animal! A little raccoon!

Its 1:12 scale and made from polymer clay, then detailed with a bamboo/silk blend fiber. The only detail left for it is the eyes. I want them to pop a little more but I don't know how just yet. I also have a couple cats and a hedgehog that I have sculpted and I will happily share those once I have some fur on them!

Besides the animals, this weekend I put together The Painted Lady kit. All the pieces were there! Thank goodness. I was a little worried because the box has been opened for about a year now and we had to move it around a little so I wouldn't have been surprised if something had gone missing. Here it is dry fitted together. There is also a third floor, and a tower room/attic, but the MDF is so heavy the tape wouldn't hold all those crazy pieces together.

The houses tower room is probably the most exciting part for me right now. I imagine it to be the attic, with all the forgotten treasures. The shape will also be a challenge that I am very much looking forward to! I don't know where this build is going to go, but I have bits and pieces I am putting together. I did manage to start painting the outside walls in dark browns. I will be giving the outside of the house a slight crackled effect, so I want the wood to be darker in the cracks.

That's all for now! I am off to clothe these naked animals.

x - Blake

HBS Creatin' Contest 2015 // Kit Dry Fit

I hope you had a great weekend! Mine started off with a trip to a couple malls in Charlotte, NC. There we ate at The Cheesecake Factory and shopped around at all the wonderful places in the mall that we don't have around here. I didn't get much, except for a few small plastic boxes at The Container Store. There were so many things I could have purchased but... hello, budget!

The real excitement was when I came home to the Creatin' Contest kit waiting for me! I wasn't expecting it until later this week, so to see it here so early was a pleasant surprise! I did a dry fit to make sure I had all the pieces and to see what the kit looks like as-is. As you can see I'm also filling orders for Twintrees and currently confined to this small computer desk. Excuse the mess...

I had a little confusion with some pieces but, as you can see, I got it together! Now... the plans for my contest submission will be under wraps from here on out! I plan on sharing some sneak-peeks every so often, but to make up for it I have also started plans for "The Painted Lady" kit that I mentioned in the last post. THAT build will be shared from start to finish! I am hoping that my newly-found motivation will be the kick in the butt to post more often and work more often.

Is anyone else entering the Creatin' Contest? I feel like I have a late start on things, but there is PLENTY of time left.

Until next time! xoxo

-Blake