Restoration

Last week the Dragon's Maiden looked like this.  The window had come off the front roof section, both front pieces no longer sat in position well; they had a tendency to fall off if you so much as looked at them.  The original roof tiles had all slid off and been replaced with a rather ghastly tile look paper.  Now all those problems have been fixed and the Tower restored to it's original glory.

The same vinyl tile that was originally on the roof has been used to restore the roof.  The first time I didn't put any glue under the tile, just relied on the self adhesive nature of the tile to stick them on.  Big mistake.  Every hot day a few more of the tiles would come sliding off the roof as the adhesive warmed up and lot it's grip.  Having learned that lesson, this time the tiles have a good strong glue holding them in place.

The moulding around the top of the walls makes hinging the front difficult as it leaves no room for it to swing open.  So instead I've screwed a magnetic catch in place to hopefully hold the front more securely.

The felled tree has been restored to it's proper place and the tower now looks much as it originally did.

 Next task was to fix up this shop box.  It was originally a magic/fantasy shop, but over the years I had stripped quite literally everything out of it to use for other projects.  I as I didn't want to spend a lot of time on it, I needed to think of something for the shop to sell that I could make with what I already had on hand.  The answer was perfume, sold in bottles made of beads.

I bought this shop very early in my miniatures adventures, long before I discovered how very much I hate top access only rooms/scenes.  Sadly, the front is glued in place too securely to remove it and hinge it to create a front opening room, so top opening it has to remain.

The jewelled plant in the front window is actually an item original to the magic shop.  I'd removed it to try it in another project, decided it wasn't right for that, but never put it back where it came from.  It is now restored to it's original place and surrounded by sparkly perfume bottles on trays.

The left side wall is decorated with some marbled brackets displaying a range of bottles, jewellery on black eva foam panels and the clock taken from the Regency room below.

I was fortunate enough to find this slightly damaged counter at the local Doll, Bear and Miniature fair held over the weekend.  Again, it has been filled with bead perfume bottles, jewellery displays and some other odds and ends that were on hand.

In the centre of the shop is a display case made from a Reutter porcelain container and some pre turned legs.

 On the right side wall is a large mirror in a scrapbooking frame and a seat that I started ages ago for another project before deciding it wasn't going to work in that space.

On the back wall is a large shelf unit filled with assorted perfume bottles.  Silver paper lines the back of the shelves to create a more delicate, feminine look.

You saw the start of the changes to this Regency room last week.  It has now been finished off with a new Reutter porcelain clock and vase set on the mantelpiece and the previously naked lady being dressed in a simple lavender gown.

And finally, there is this room.  This is the roombox that originally held the painted bedroom set I started last week's post off with.  I couldn't just leave and empty box sitting around so basically just filled it with whatever I had on hand.  The secretary desk in the back corner was bought for Preston House but was actually taller than the very low ceilings in the house so couldn't be used.

The sewing machine you will remember from a few weeks ago was something of an impulse bargain buy.  The window is a cut out from a miniatures magazine with white eva foam strips to give the impression of a window.  The curtains are brocade.  Apparently brocade doesn't do the pleat and starch thing very well and so the curtains are very second rate.

 The Chesterfield chair and sofa are made from kits that were included in the freebies I received from Lorraine at Fairy Meadow Miniatures last year.  They are covered in faux leatherette in burgundy.  At some point in the future I will probably come back and do something more inspiring with this room but for now it is going back on the shelf while I work on some new projects.

These two 48th (1/4") scale kits are made by Petite Properties in the UK.  I've been wanting to try some more in 48th scale and the moment I saw "La Petit Palais" I knew I had to have it.  I was designed to be done in Shabby Chic style, but I will be using it to create a chatteu of the 1700's (I hope).  The "Old Rectory" I am hoping to make into a medieval or Tudor hall.  I am also hoping to embark upon my long planned 24th scale steampunk airship.  At this point I'm not sure which of these ideas scares me the most!