Cottage living room update

I knew I was behind with things but I hadn't realized how much :')
Apperently I'd started writing an update on the cottage in January but never finished that.
So without further ado, this is the progress on the cottage living room from January, mainly pictures ^^

I'd started making a comfy wing back chair back in December before we started working on Christmas miniatures. Once of these days I'll finish it (a)

I made new curtains because the first set I made was 1 cm too short.

I've put the glass stained deer from 'Glaskunst in Miniaturen' and the cute snapdragon Kim (Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo) made me, on display. Doesn't it look cosy? :)

The rod of the wall hanger Jolinda had made me, was made a bit darker to match the living room.

I made a bellows with this tutorial, using cartboard, thin leather and a metal bit I cut from jewelry.

I used the veneer slats from Bibian Angelique Miltkau for skirting boards.

I still had planned to do more furniture for the living room, but I had started to wonder if it wouldn't be too crammeded with more cabinets, a desk and chairs. So I decorated the room with the things I already had and quite liked it already :)

So, I've decided to keep it this way and only add the little decorative and personal items later on. I really like how it has turned out so far! Even though it's not as Weasley boho chic as I imagined at the start. But then, Bianca isn't Molly Weasley, is she? ;)

Next, an update on the bedroom, which I've started working on in February (a)

A little Christmas scene, part 2

Here's the next part of this years Christmas scene.

A sheet of Balsa 1,5 cm, carved with cocktail picks,
because I was lazy ;)

Painted it dark at first, hoping that would show the 'nails'
better after painting it white. 

It didn't (a)

I removed some bristles at the bottom and the wooden
stand and bend the wire to get a smaller tree.

I thought wrapping bark around the wire at the bottom of
the tree ould look more realistic. It was an annoyance
to glue them however because the bark would fall
to pieces as soon as I tried to bend it :')

Tutorial for the stand by AkameruKawaii.

I've painted the trunk to cover the excess of glue
and to fill all the gaps ^^

And of course I've painted the tree to
get rid of the 'snow'. It's still nearly
hits the invisible ceiling but it fits ;)

I used this idea by Elizabeth to make stocking.

I didn't have stickers, so I used a linoleum floor tile I had
and printed some templates.

I cut the top part and didn't glue that onto the fabric,
though I wrapped the fabric around it at first ...

... to keep the right shape.

Covering them with fabric was a meticulous job :)

Decorating them was fun though.

As was putting some decorations
in place.

Next will probably be
decorating the tree.

A little Christmas scene, part 1

 At this year's last meeting with the miniature club we wanted to do something for Christmas. It was hard to come up with something, or to be precise, choose something from all the wonderful idea's and tutorials Pinterest provides ;)

Meanwhile I unpacked my box with Christmas miniatures and was reminded how many things I had made in previous years but never displayed. So I decided to make a little diorama to display some of those miniatures ^^

This gorgeous scene inspired me. I'm not sure but I think it was made by Tatjana Sjmeleva.

Four years ago, when I'd just started at making miniatures, I had a similair idea of making a Christmas scene but never made it beyond the walls ;)

So, I went with that one. Broke half of the walls of, gave it a layer of Gesso ...

... and painted everything with a mixture of white acrylic paint, wood glue, saw dust and bird sand.

I filled one of the windowopenings and found a sturdy linoleum tile as base for the flooring.

All of this in preparation before meeting and crafting with Jolinda and Monique.
That afternoon I worked on making the panelling. Later that evening I started with a fire place from cartboard but didn't like it the next morning ;)

So, I made another one, painted it with Gesso (primer) and started adding 'cobblestones' from egg carton.

I gave it a layer of white acrylic paint, another one with gray (because the egg cart board made it still look a bit yellowish) and two more with white.

The original window had to go, and I found a nice picture to put there instead.
After which I went on with making the curtains :)

With embroidery threads that matched the fabric I made a simple rug.

I want a bigger tree in that corner and maybe make a nice chair ...

... but I love how things are coming together so far :)

The living room is decorated!

After I had finished the living room floor, all that was left to do was finishing the fire place and then I could get all the removable panels in place.

I painted the bricks on the inside with black, grey/cottage green
and white and repainted the outside and on of the walls
with chalk paint (no 2 van Het Kabinet).

I love the shade so I decided to repaint the
ceiling as well :)

Inspiration for making the fire came from this blog.
The flickering fire is a camp fire block from Nalladris. 

And then finally I could slide the ceiling with beams and
the fire place back in the room, which wasn't easy because
the chandelier and the wires from the fire place all needed
to get into place at the same time. Getting all the lights on at
the same time was the next challenge but I managed :)

To see the flickering fire - and all the walls - here's a short (and not very good :P) video:

The arm chair won't stay in the living room, but for now Penny can sit very comfortable with Blast in front of the fire, her book about toadstools next to her.

It's so exciting to have finished decorating the first room of the cottage. Can't wait to start furnishing :) I've already chosen a bookcase and a writing desk (from Julie Warren's book) I want to make and put against the back wall but I still haven't found the right furniture for the sitting area :)
And of course I still need to wax the wooden floor (a)

The fireplace for the living room

I'd given you a first glimpse of the fire place when I'd showed you the beams last week:

This fireplace is based on a combination of tutorials from JS Miniatures and Manual 'the Handyman', to which I've added my own idea's here and there :)
Like the bricks from egg carton I'd made, instead of brick like wallpaper. Underneath is a layer of grey acryl structure paint.

I worked on the back and the sides pieces at the same time,
so the rows would be level.

My ruler acted as a mason's line; a guide for setting bricks in
perfectly straight rows :)

I cut the sides that would be glued to the back at a
45-degrees angle.

Because the top part will be placed a bit downward, I did the
layers of bricks on the side parts upwards in the same angle.

Top view showing assembly

Back and side panel glued in place. Also
 remembered the wires for the campfire in time :)

In the meantime I'd  painted some thin card board (from a
pizza box ^^) with Gesso and gave it a little bit of structure
with a scourer. Once everything had dried I glued the
beams to it.

Testing if everything - ceiling, beams and
fireplace would fit.

Well, barely, and very carefully, but it did :)

Of course I should have put the wires
throught the opening in the wall first (a)

Testing the fire obviously required a chair :)

And even Harry couldn't resist it. It already
reminded him a bit of the Burrow, he told
me ;) I'm in a very happy place atm <3