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Saturday

Defeated, Deflated, Relieved and Revivied

After several months of fiddling, putting up wallpaper, removing wallpaper, remodelling the rooms in the tree stump and finally realising no matter what I do, it's not working out to my satisfaction, I have finally given up!

I have always believed that I am not a quitter, but I am so overcome with frustration that I have given up on the idea of ever completing this project. I'm afraid my natural abilities do not extend this far, I just don't have the patience or skills of Giac or Sam. From now on, I'll leave the miniature mansions and dolls houses up to them.

You may ask, where are my little elves going to live . . . well they have found a nice comfy greenhouse, just down the road from the biscuit barrel and not far from the gingerbread house. I think it may have fallen off an Ikea truck!

All kidding aside, this little greenhouse from Ikea is perfect for them, it was a reasonable price (just $19.95) and has a metal floor, which gives the Real Pukis little tootsy magnets a firm foot hold. I have tested the magnet grip through a sheet of paper and it's quite good, which means I can easily use a piece of timber look scrapbook paper for the floor.

The walls are straight and all relevant angles square (apart from the roofline) so we should have no problems in doing the same with the back and side walls.

Also being rectangular, (very much to my relief), it should make it so easy and much more fun to arrange the furniture in this house. :)



16 comments:

  1. I'm sorry to hear you've had a bit trouble with the mansion Xanadu, but glad you were able to find an alternative solution. That greenhouse looks really nice. I can't wait to see your realpuki dolls in it.

    I don't believe we have an Ikea all the way up here so I've never been to one. I keep hearing though that they have miniature furniture that can be used for dolls....

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    1. Not to worry Alasse, it was never meant to be.

      Oh you would love Ikea, it's one of those places where you go in for one thing and come out with half a dozen!! I have a set of the furniture you are thinking of and it's a perfect size for the PukiFees. But I love it for me too! We used Ikea to furnish our renovated bathrooms and my doll room. If you ever get a chance to visit one, you will be amazed at the inspiration you will find there for renovating or decorating a home. Oh dear, you can't half tell how much I love Ikea from all my waffle. :)

      Hugs,
      X

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  2. I'm sad to hear you have been through such a hard project. But I believe if something doesn't work out the first time, you can really learn from it afterwards. Or see from a new angle and got an idea from there. : D
    I think the pukis will love your little greenhouse! <3 Have fun decorating~

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    1. Oh thank you Uraru, I have learnt something from this project . . . stick to things you are good at!! LOL!!

      I am now looking forward to decorating the greenhouse.
      Hugs,
      X

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  3. Oh Xanadu,
    When I first read that you are giving up on your tree stump I let out an audible "oh no!" as I wanted to see it finished. Don't give up. Sometimes we just need to leave projects for a while and come back later. My real life home is filled with MANY unfinished dollhouses (my poor husband and kids are angels for putting up with me!). But then again, there are times when we have learned all we can from a project and it is okay to put it aside as a learning experience.
    I am curiously wondering, why were you putting wallpaper in a tree stump anyway? I imagine the inside of a tree stump to be kind of cave-like with uneven wall texture. Maybe you could paper mache the walls and just paint them?
    I say when the going gets too hard, add twigs/icy pole sticks painted brown as timber (Tudor style) and fill in the middle with spackle/polyfiller, or torn up tissues. Then add pieces of plastic plants/moss and other organic material to make it look fairy/elven like. It is fantasy you are looking for, not a perfect house (otherwise you would have built a dollhouse). You can still do it. You are extremely talented, don't be so hard on yourself.
    The Ikea greenhouse is a very cute little structure and I have had my eye on it as well. I think you can make it look good. (Please consider finishing the tree stump one day down the road.)
    Thank you for your compliment. I am still very much a beginner and I am working by trial and error. I couldn't believe that you mentioned me in the same sentence as Giac. He is a master builder! I am blown away by his creativity and expertise, and I look to him as a mentor. We are like the odd couple - He does precision work whereas I do "good enough - it's about right" kind of work.
    Hugs to you,
    Sam

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    1. Thank you Sam, it is kind of you to say I'm talented, but really I think my talents lay in another direction.

      When I began work on the tree stump I had the idea of making the rooms like the inside of English country cottages (Beatrix Potter style), which made them too dark for photographing. Then I tried lighter colours, which was better and may have been acceptable until I tried fitting the furniture in the round rooms . . . this was not at all successful.

      I have tried putting it aside and coming back to it several times. Unfortunately, that didn't work either and it was not making me at all happy, so I made the inevitable decision to KISS and stick to what I know and do best.

      Yours and Giac's finished projects differ considerably I know, his being a fine English Mansion and yours being a fun dolls house, but you both show such determination and patience I cannot help but admire you both.

      Warmest hugs,
      X

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  4. That is a great find, I'm sure it will end up looking lovely. Sometimes it's okay to say "stop" to something for a while. It's not really giving up as long as you do as you can, and you clearly do! :D

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    1. Thanks Alejandra. I have been playing with the greenhouse this afternoon, it's not finished yet, but it's getting there. :)
      Hugs,
      X

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  5. Hi Xanadu,

    You are so right. There are so many types of miniaturists I have been planning on doing a post about that for some time now. It will be coming up in the next few months. There is only on Giac and one Sam and of course one You!

    Looking forward to whatever you decide to do next!

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    1. Hi Grandmommy!

      Oh yes there are many types of miniaturists and I will look forward to seeing your post on them.

      Hugs,
      X

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  6. Oh, no! That's disappointing, but at least you have an alternative! I love those Ikea houses, but unfortunately they're just a bit small for Pukifees...

    M x

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    1. Hi M!
      Yeah well you know how the story goes. Hey it's been a long time between posts lately. Yes, maybe too small for Pukifee, but you could always get a RealPuki or two. LOL!
      Hugs,
      X

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  7. Hello Sandy,
    I am sorry to hear you have had so much trouble. I always think we should make what we can make to our satisfaction and purchase anything we cant. I'm sure you are being hard on yourself (that old artist perfectionism) and I always try to encourage my friends to keep on persevering, but if you are not having fun and enjoying yourself, I think going a different route was a smart thing.That being said, the Ikea box you chose is fantastic. It offers so many possibilities and I think it is perfect for the real pukies. Here's to having fun when we work ;)
    Big hug,
    Giac

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    1. Hello Giac,
      I can see by your comments you understand my need to abandon my original project and go to plan B. A hobby should always be fun and something we enjoy doing, not a chore to be constantly put aside. I think the greenhouse will work out fine, but I am thinking it could be even better if I could just figure out a way to add a mezzanine. :)
      Big Hugs,
      X

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  8. Oooh, I hope you enjoy the greenhouse! I love mine!

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    1. Thanks Heather, I'm sure I will. I would love to see yours sometime. :)
      Hugs,
      X

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