English Cottage

Rik Pierce Class - Day 6

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Homework Homework 2 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Variations Finishing Up

We started the day by painting our twisted vines (fabric covered florist wire) with acrylic paint thickened with cornstarch. The paint is the texture of heavy pancake batter and clings to the twisted wire.

Before we get too much farther with our vines, it is time to prepare the roof. The balsa wood is very soft and fairly easy to carve. We use a utility knife rounded off the the very top ridge and then softened the other corners. I choose to smooth out the bottoms of the blocked pattern as well.

Once the corners are smoothed we use our saws-all hand tool to "chew up" the the wood to match the texture of the rest of the "thatch". Then we use a "dirty water" wash of Black and Dark Burnt Umber to blend in the exposed balsa wood.

Here are the supplies we will use to tie-down the "thatch" on the roof. We take 1/16 inch strip wood (sanded down to look like stripped willow branches, then stained with Dark Burnt Umber) and from 28 gauge flexible wire make u-shaped pins that can be pushed or gently hammered into the soft balsa wood.

Here is the a vine being draped onto the other side of the house.

Also take a close look at the roof of the bay window to see the tie-downs of the raised block ridge of thatch.

Here's Boris busy planting the new vines.

Basically a hole was drilled through the paperclay and into the foamcore insulation underneath. A little carpenters glue and the new vine is in place. The vines were held into place (it clung naturally because the florist wire stayed flexible even after being painted and could be twisted to hug the curves of the house) with the same small u-shaped wires that was used for the thatch tie-downs.

Here is a picture of what we used to put on the foliage on the vines. I recommend the Hob-E-Tac glue - it works like rubber cement but quite a bit more heavy duty. (It is also extremely sticky and we used thinner to get it off of our hands). I used Woodland Scenic's Medium Green Clump Foliage for my leaves on the vines.

The second floor has been put in! The installation was very unique - the floor was cut down the middle lengthwise and put in one piece at a time. You don't even see the seam once it is installed. Pictured is the glue used for this part of the process. Next we will put in the "supporting" beams flush underneath the second floor.

Boris puts on the finishing touches on the chimney. Class is over, Boris' job is done - but the house has a lot more work to get to completion!! (Many thanks to Shellie of Shellie's Miniature Mania for lending me her handyman for the duration of the class!)

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Homework Homework 2 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Variations Finishing Up

Mini Home

Laura Isabella laura@sylvan.com San Jose, CA
Last updated 9/1/2002

	We started the day by painting our twisted vines (fabric covered florist wire) with acrylic paint thickened with cornstarch. The paint is the texture of heavy pancake batter and clings to the twisted wire.
	Before we get too much farther with our vines, it is time to prepare the roof. The balsa wood is very soft and fairly easy to carve. We use a utility knife rounded off the the very top ridge and then softened the other corners. I choose to smooth out the bottoms of the blocked pattern as well. Once the corners are smoothed we use our saws-all hand tool to "chew up" the the wood to match the texture of the rest of the "thatch". Then we use a "dirty water" wash of Black and Dark Burnt Umber to blend in the exposed balsa wood.
	Here are the supplies we will use to tie-down the "thatch" on the roof. We take 1/16 inch strip wood (sanded down to look like stripped willow branches, then stained with Dark Burnt Umber) and from 28 gauge flexible wire make u-shaped pins that can be pushed or gently hammered into the soft balsa wood.
	Here is the a vine being draped onto the other side of the house. Also take a close look at the roof of the bay window to see the tie-downs of the raised block ridge of thatch.
	Here's Boris busy planting the new vines. Basically a hole was drilled through the paperclay and into the foamcore insulation underneath. A little carpenters glue and the new vine is in place. The vines were held into place (it clung naturally because the florist wire stayed flexible even after being painted and could be twisted to hug the curves of the house) with the same small u-shaped wires that was used for the thatch tie-downs.
	Here is a picture of what we used to put on the foliage on the vines. I recommend the Hob-E-Tac glue - it works like rubber cement but quite a bit more heavy duty. (It is also extremely sticky and we used thinner to get it off of our hands). I used Woodland Scenic's Medium Green Clump Foliage for my leaves on the vines.
	The second floor has been put in! The installation was very unique - the floor was cut down the middle lengthwise and put in one piece at a time. You don't even see the seam once it is installed. Pictured is the glue used for this part of the process. Next we will put in the "supporting" beams flush underneath the second floor.
	Boris puts on the finishing touches on the chimney. Class is over, Boris' job is done - but the house has a lot more work to get to completion!! (Many thanks to Shellie of Shellie's Miniature Mania for lending me her handyman for the duration of the class!)