Seasons Greetings!

                    From all the boys at Merriman Park! 

"Thank you kindly for stopping by!  Y'all come back, now,  y'hear?"

Putzing Around

Dante et Virgil by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

The Drawing Room is reaching that critical point when I can start fastening walls, floors and ceilings down for good.  Unfortunately, I need three pairs of sconces installed first, and I only have one set.  I'm also planning on changing out the chandelier for something a little grander, but these installations will have to wait til X-mas!  That is, if Santy Claus brings me what I asked for!  (Dawn Davenport:  "I asked, for cha-cha heels and I better get!")

So I have been keeping busy by making artwork...here is a painting I found in an ad I received in the mail for the GLBT Review.  Though I did not subscribe to their publication, I did purloin this image for my burgeoning gallery!

In order for the frame to accommodate the size of the painting, I had to join two matching frames together.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I often purchase things in pairs, so fortunately I had a set on hand.  I cut the frames in two using a miniature miter box, and making the cuts at a 45  degree angle.  Then I just glued the frames back together, making a longer frame!  (The two smaller, left-over pieces I also glued together to create another smaller frame for future use.  Then I filled the small cracks with gesso and sanded, and painted.  I like to use a reddish primer coat for gilt frames.  (As a framer in a previous existence, this is how its done).  Back in the day, they called this base-coat Venetian Red, or Pompeii Red.  When that has dried, I dab on the acrylic metallic gold paint, leaving the background color to come through here and there.  A sprinkle of gold pigment powder for added sparkle completes the frame.

Of course I over-painted my artwork with clear gel-medium and then lacquered it, a la Ray Witledge.  This technique will make your works of art appear very realistic!  Try it!

  

 

Painting the Drawing Room

I've always been fond of this grey-green hue.  Muddy colors in general appeal to me because they are so complicated and change color with the varying light.  We have the Pantone catalog of colors at the department store where I work in Display, so I spent my lunch hour perusing the thousands of thumbnail swatches and gradually whittled my selection down.

Then it was off to Home Depot, where they wisely started offering 8oz. sample jars of paint for just a few bucks.  Eight ounces doesn't sound like much, but it was still way more than I needed --thank god I didn't buy a whole quart!

Unfortunately, after painting a partial wall, I found the color too bright.  Back to square one, darlings!  Of course I couldn't get too upset --did you hear the Entrance Hall of Merriman Park is now ensconced in Sue Cook's Gallery?  Oh, you already knew?  My, how news travels!

Well anyway,  I decided that since the color was all wrong, instead of just shelving it until it dried up to dust, I'd try doctoring it up, myself.  A few squirts of Alizarin Crimson should do the trick.  Sho' nuff, it worked!  If you ever want to tone down a color, always use its exact opposite on the color wheel (never black)! --works like a charm and you won't get a murky mess.

I chose a velvety brown for the niches.  Mrs. Thorn used a similar scheme in one of her rooms to great effect.  I am not planning on using the bust of George Washington in the niche, but it gives you a hint of what a statue will look like (if ever I find a pair)!

Since I was kind of on a roll, I thought I'd tackle the fireplace.  I was going for a brown marble effect and even though its been ages since I faux-marbled anything, it's a little frightening how it all comes back.  You have to understand, darlings, that I had the misfortune of living through that brief, tragic moment in history when every and I mean everything was faux-painted!  I think I've already written about how my ex-best friend, Todd faux-marbled his entire dining room set: table, chairs, all of it in painstakingly wrought in shiny, black marble.  I was like, "really?  Marble Windsor-style chairs, huh?  They must be really heavy."

Anyway, here's my version, though it turned out a bit lighter than I had imagined.  But I'll live with it for a few days and we'll see if it makes the final cut.

I also managed to drill all the holes for the wiring, my Christmas present is rumored to be a chandelier and wall sconces!  So all in all, a pretty productive weekend! 

Have a great week!

I'm In Sue Cook's Gallery!

I recently learned that Sue Cook chose this photo of my Entrance Hall for her website gallery.  What an incredible honor!  I have been on Cloud Nine all the live-long day.  Even the freezing temperatures today --highs in the low teens (Fahrenheit) couldn't get me down.  "I'm in Sue Cook!" was my Mantra for the Day!  I am bubbling over in awesomeness.

Incidentally,  our very own Simon Williams has new pics posted in Sue's Gallery as well!  Congratulations, Si! 

Original sketch of Merriman Park.

I first learned of Sue Cook a couple Christmas' ago.  Merriman Park was just an idea, a twinkle in my eye if you will, simply a sketch scrawled on a napkin back then.  And for that particular Christmas, Glen presented me with a veritable stack of dollhouse books for inspiration.  Many of those books featured Sue's gorgeous fireplace mantels and other components.  How I coveted them and how thrilled I was when I googled her and found  her catalog --now I could purchase for myself all her breath-taking creations!

It is so thrilling that my very first miniature room is on Sue Cook's Gallery!  I think I just might celebrate by running down to Happy Hour --it's three-for-ones, children!  And it's Friday!  Happy Friday, all!

Wall panels, mirrors, ceiling ornamentation and a flooring surprise...

Finally, at long last, some of my long-awaited supplies started arriving this week.  My wall panels from Lawbre were well-worth the wait, (as was their ceiling medallion).  The ceiling medallion  is made up of stylized tobacco leaves, arranged in a classical pattern.  Very appropriate to a Virginia residence!  It's going to look great centered in the ceiling frame I built from stock moldings.  Speaking of moldings & supplies, I've made several jaunts to the local dollhouse shop, Little Enchantments, (Hi, Karen!) where I have become a familiar fixture. 

Unfortunately, the parquet flooring I ordered on-line turned out not to be real wood.  For fake wood, I have to admit, it is a fabulous faux;  in fact, when I unpacked it I played around with it for about ten minutes before I had the "wait a minute!" realization!  I suppose I should have just packed it right back up and sent it back whence it came, but I was so utterly desperate for a project to work on, I laid it out anyway.  It's just glued down to a backer-board so I can always toss it as my whim dictates...

I dunno, I keep going back and forth on it...I mean on one hand it's a great reproduction.  Plus my 'marble' floor in the room below is not exactly 'real' marble either so why the double-standard? 

But I had my heart set on real wood!

I'm sure there is no compare between a real wood floor and a fake one (however well-done).  I just am not experienced enough to have savored the difference...Merriman Park is, after all, my first dollhouse.  I'm just afraid that if I stick to the fake flooring someday I'll be like, "oh, hell,  no!  What was I thinking?" 

Pardon me while I rant:  when I bought this flooring there was no mention in the description that it wasn't real wood.  It was sandwiched between real wood floors, so I'm sorry --it was rather misleading.  Guess that's the risk you run from buying on-line.

Wall panels from Lawbre.  I think I figured out how to make my own...stay tuned!

My Braxton Payne mantel and mirror I made to go with my niches.

It's really not so bad...or is it?

Don't worry!  It's all just held up with wax for now:  I'll make sure everything is centered. 

My Holiday Favorites

 
Not much to report on the goings-on of Merriman Park.  Still anxiously awaiting a special delivery or two.

Oh, my long-awaited flooring finally arrived...but as much as I thought it would be real wood --it wasn't.   I guess the price should have tipped me off.  But what about truth in advertising?  Whatever, --Merry Christmas. Chalk it it up to caveat emptor --let the buyer beware!

Speaking of Christmas...there was a time, in the long ago, ye-olde, distant past, when holiday music served as a tonic to my soul.  But after toiling in the glamorous, glitter-filled world of retail display for most of my adult life, I can honestly say that most Christmas music now sounds like fingernails scratched across chalkboard.  There are, however, a few notable exceptions.  And as my Holiday Gift to you, Dear Reader, I offer the following, my personal holiday favorites:

Love, You Didn't Do Right by Me, by Rosemary Cloony.  George's aunt was a fabulous chanteuse who only improved with age.  Here, a decidedly young-ish Rosemary belts her  (broken) heart out.  Though this is not exactly a "Christmas Carol" in the traditional sense it is from the movie White Christmas, and it does contain the lyrics: "To send me a Joe, who had Winter and snow in his heart, wasn't smart..."  so it makes the list.  The gown, the gloves, the back-up dancers, the stylized choreography, all conspire to create a moment of pure Hollywood, holiday magic. 

There's Always Tomorrow, from the 1960's Christmas classic, Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  This animated gem from my childhood always aired on television right around the first of December and was nearly as eagerly anticipated as Christmas Eve, itself.  This song, again not strictly a Christmas carol per se, but one of my holiday favorites, nevertheless.

 I absolutely cringe whenever I hear the ubiquitous, over-played and decidedly played-out carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas, but this video version, The Twelve Gays of Christmas, given a well-needed injection of punk rock vigor and a revamp from some highly-talented male dancers,  never fails to slap a holiday smile on my somewhat jaded, (but still relatively youthful-looking, even in absence of major-cosmetic-surgery) face. 

Christmas would not be complete without a view of this John Waters classic from the cult hit, Female Trouble.  Silent Night was once a holiday fave carol of mine, (until the millionth hearing)...now whenever I hear it I long for the abridged version sung here....in this clip, Dawn Davenport, desperately wanting a new pair of  'cha-cha heels' for Christmas,  has a little holiday melt-down.  Ah, the true meaning of Christmas, distilled down to a two-minute clip, wrapped up with a big, red bow and presented, dear Reader, as my special gift to you.  Enjoy!

Christmas without Dolly Parton would indeed be a rather dismal prospect!  This song, Hard Candy Christmas from the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas always brings a little tear to my eye.  (Perhaps it's the 1980's hair-dos)?  Or maybe it's just a great, sentimental song from one of my favorite Country-Western divas!

Speaking of tears to the eye and continuing the Country-Western  theme, I give you this heart-warming piece from Jim Reeves, A Memory of an Old Christmas Card.  I simply adore this song, not only because you don't hear it every day at the Mall, but especially for the faux-sincere spoken passage at the middle: (1:35)  "why, I know you must have looked through THOUSANDS of cards to find that wonderful  'po-em,' that still brings a tear to my eye."

Another, 'real' Christmas Carol!  Fortunately, this festive little number, performed by The King's Singers and Dame Kiri Te Kanewa, will never make it to the Mall's playlist.  Therefore, it makes mine.  Plus, it features a harpsichord, which is forever A-OK by me!

My personal fave.  When I first saw the movie Chitty, Chitty, Bang! Bang! in the theater as a very small, tow-headed youth, I instantly glommed on to this delightful scene, featuring Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes) as a clockwork doll.  Oh, the countless hours later spent in front of the looking-glass, in a sad attempt to recreate the magic!  Again, not specifically a holiday song, yet the toy theme allows me to put it on my Christmas list.

To me, Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without copious amounts of --well, booze Cocktails!  If you're looking to expand your collection of fab holiday music, run I mean run out and pick up any of the several versions of Christmas Cocktails, must-haves for your personal collection.  Here's the inimitable Nancy Wilson singing another one of my lesser-known, holiday faves.  Ching-Ching, everyone!

Speaking of over-indulging, this is what Christmas is all about  --a well-choreographed, boozy shin-dig!  Poor Judy Garland, mixing up reindeer with rainbows, and what was that Santa had in his sleigh?  And Mel Torme  all trying to keep the well-lubricated holiday ship from altogether sinking... Christmas never looked so messy --or so much fun!

Last but certainly not least, OK, admittedly not a Christmas song in the traditional sense, The Morning After by Maureen McGovern from the sensational, monster-hit-movie, The Poseidon Adventure (the original, 1970's version, not the deplorable, more recent remake) does take place on New Year's Eve, and does feature an up-side- down Christmas tree (which I have gotten plenty of mileage from), putting it squarely within my holiday-song criteria.  'Disaster movies' were  la hauteur de la mode  as I was growing up and this campy, schlock-fest was, arguably, the genre's crowning jewel!  I will sit through this movie every time it shows up on cable if only to see Shelly Winters' belly-flop and subsequent death-scene. The aforementioned belly-flop is featured in this clip, but alas, not the must-see, heart-wrenching, death-scene dialog: ("You see, Manny,  in the water, I'm really ...a skinny lady!......Ach!...Ach! ...''  [Dies.  Scene].


I hope you enjoyed this sad, little tour through my personal, holiday favorites --what, pray, tell,  are yours? Undoubtedly, I will have something more Merriman Park -related things to post in the near future.  Til then, I wish you, dear Readers, and yours, a happy Holiday Season!

It's Official: Dollhouse Weather

This is the scene I woke to this morning,dear Readers.  The first snow!  The first snow is rather devious:  it always fools you into thinking, "oh, how pretty.  Maybe winter isn't so bad, after all..."  That's before it piles up in glacier-like proportions.  They are predicting a 'colder and snowier winter than usual,' here in Siberia I mean Minnesota.  All I have to say in response is "BRING IT!"  I have five count 'em five rooms to work on!  And Old Man Winter (and Seasonal Affect Disorder) ain't about to stop the likes of me, I'm here to tell you!

Winter-Schminter!  I laugh in the face of sub-zero temperatures!  Wind-Chill Factor?  Ha!  --Oh, I suppose you probably don't even know what the Wind-Chill Factor is, poor, deprived Reader!  The Wind-Chill Factor is, I believe, strictly a Minnesota thing (or at least a Mid-Western thing), when the thermometer actually reads thirty degrees below zero (Fahrenheit) but because of the Wind-Chill Factor it feels like fifty below!  I know!  What fun, right?

But like I said, who even has time to dwell on the weather when the empty, bare-plywood rooms of Merriman Park are staring me in the face?

So I'm plodding along with the Drawing Room...  My new fireplace mantle from Braxton Payne Miniatures arrived this week.  May I wax poetic for a moment on Braxton Payne?  If you're not familiar with him, gentle Reader, you should be!  His mantles are the most divoon creations on Earth!  Not only are they exquisitely designed, but also expertly wrought with the most superb detail.  He even signs and dates his work, which I think is such a nice touch!  But don't take my word for it:  check out his on-line catalog.  You affectionados of eighteenth-century design will undoubtedly find something to delight the eye. 

The arched frame over the mantle will hold a mirror, and mimic the corner niches.

Because there are so many moldings and panels in this room, I decided to use illustration board, cut to the rooms dimensions, as a 'backer' for everything.  This way, I can work on each wall separately and flat on my work table.  It will also conveniently hide all the wiring.  Sweet!  I stole this idea from Mulvany & Rogers.

 ...Just waiting for my cornice, flooring and ceiling ornamentation to arrive.  Hopefully, it will all come before I run out of stuff to work on!  If it doesn't arrive before then, I may end up like poor little Edie, the Sheltie:

Poor girl!  She looks positively bored to sobs!  I know exactly how she feels --I tell you, it's this weather!  Think she needs a walk, or something?