Friday, September 14, 2012

Round the Houses.

Whilst surfing around bloggland I came across Marina's doll site and saw her posting about minature houses. She has an old printers drawer that she is slowly filling up with little houses made from paperclay and painted with acrylics. Marina asked if anyone would like to exchange/make houses with her. Well you know me by now I will turn my hand to anything and when Marina said she liked the colours of Italian houses  that clinched  it so I quickly fired off an email and went into the real estate business!!
So first off draw your plans and then start building( I decided on an Italian tower based on a real house in Florence and a water front house on the canals in Venice).

A quick covering of torn up serviettes and pva glue and then popped into the airing cupboard to dry ovenight.
Then I nearly had a heart attack as Marina's dinky little houses (aren't they cute) arrived in the post. I can do small but not that small  as my design required a lot of fidly cutting and sticking. I had been given measurements of 1" x 1" x no more than 4" high which I was working to but a quick email back to Marina with a photo of my houses reassured me all  would be fine. 
This is my interpretation of a Tower in Florence. Piazza S. Croce.
A really narrow waterfront house on the canals in Venice.  Entry to the house would have been by the double doors which you stepped up to from  a boat arriving via the canal.

The intricate freize around the top of the house would have been painted on but I found a tiny scrap of design paper which I cut down to size. The colours are authentic buildng colours and the decayed effect of crumbling mortar was achieved using crackle glaze.
I had such a lot of fun designing and making these little houses up from scraps of paper and cardboard and have just heard  that they are now safely in America.
Am entering into Pixies Work shop: Challenge.#37
Also the following challenges:
The Crafty Pad Designs: It's Scraptastic.
Tip Top Tuesday: Recycle it. (Cutdown Cat food Cardboard box/loo roll)
Use it Tuesdays: Anything  Goes.
Simply Create Too: Anything Goes.
Penn'ys paper-crafty: Pink & Brown. (Walls/roof of Piazza S. Croce)

25 comments:

Margreet said...

I'm speachless, Mrs. A....what a fab houses...I've ever been in Florence and your houses look so real...enjoy your weekend!
xxx Margreet

Art From The heart said...

What a fun project and sooooooooo adorable !
Hugs

Sarn said...

Well you HAVE had a lot of practice with the Snippets Playground Treehouse of course!

These are just delightful. What a fun project and such a good idea for a swap.

Have a lovely weekend.

Hugs
Sarn xxx

Dr Sonia S V said...

Oh what an awesome project...my admiration for you keeps increasing day by day..you share such a diverse variety of crafts...amazing!!

Doreen said...

Wow what fabulous building,very clever.xxx

Linda Wescott said...

What a wonderfully exciting project, I love anything minature. Your houses are just fabulous, and the swaps you received are so cute too. Hugs Lin

Sandra H said...

l have to agree with Margreet .........Speechless totally stunning Mrs A these are brilliant you have done an amazing job they are wonderful another string to your bow! well done you!! will we see more?! :) x

Liz McGuire, said...

Wow, love these. And the twinchie cube. Have a great weekend,

liz x

Crafty Mamma Mia said...

Oh my word Mrs A! These little houses are just totally wonderful and I can imagine them occupying waterfront spaces in glorious cities! The houses you received in exchange are divine too.
Thank you so much for sharing your very creative project at The Crafty Pad this week in our "Scrap-tastic" challenge.
Helen x (DT)

mags said...

Brilliant project and so life like too. Thanks for sharing with us at Penny's.
Mags
x

Zue said...

Fantastic...how brilliant are they?
xx

Hettie said...

I hope the TH is not quite as small as these or else we will never all get in!! I see no ducks!!
They are rather cute! Well done Mrs A!

Anonymous said...

Excellent building Mrs A, they look so lifelike. They will look fantastic a long line of them all together.

Have a great weekend xx

Anonymous said...

Oh wow these are Fab! they are so fun and different too!
Great to see you at Top Tip Tuesday for our Recycle It! challenge this time, hugs Samantha :0)

Faye said...

I am chewing a tree and hiding out in The Flufferie. Nuff said. I like your property empire expansion. X

Sunshine Girl said...

Wow they are absolutely fantastic bet you had lots of fun making those! think I want to have a go now!

Lisa Minckler said...

Well now that I know they are in America, it will be so much closer for me to move in!! LOL...These are just fantastic. I kept saying, "no way" then scrolled back up to their original form and then back down to the completed houses and then "no way"..LOL...OH but YES WAY...you've done an incredible recycling project here and I'm in complete awe. Nicely done!

Thank you so much for playing along with us at Top Tip Tuesday!
Remember you can enter up to 3 projects and 3 tips.
Have a great one!
Lisa xx

Di said...

Wow Mrs A - these are absolutely divine! How clever of you - I love 'em.

Just got back home - will be nipping into the playground to see just what progress has been made - and what's this about bald ducks wandering round looking all forlorn then?

Hugs, Di xx

Unknown said...

Is there nothing you can't turn your hand to? The house is delighful.

prsd4tim2 said...

Girl, you are amazing! Is there anything you can't create! I'm in awe of your little houses!

Merry said...

Oh wow...these are amazing...such detail.

Erica said...

Oh My, you were certainly up for the challenge. Such a unique project and a great job.
Thanks for playing along with us at Simply Create Too in our "Anything Goes" challenge.
Play again soon.
Erica SCT DT Member)

Sherry said...

As my niece would say they're soooooooo cute!!!!! Bet Marina loved them x

Marjolaine said...

These are adorable, well done! Thanks so much for joining us at Use It Tuesday!

Grenouille Greetings said...

I was sure I had commented on this but... WOW! A huge amount of work for something so teeny tiny and perfectly wonderful! These are amazing! Love your tower especially! Now you need to make a whole town! Hugs, Lesley