I was researching the different ways old Tudor houses trimmed out the roof edges and ran into something called bargeboards. I would never have guessed looking at that word what they were. Bargeboards reminds me of canals and mules and flat bottomed boats. Not quite what they are. Here are some examples: Since I had a bunch of my knotwork board trim I decided to use that and tie the whole house together with it. And to make the cute corbel/center posts I cut down some newel posts, added a bead and the end of a spindle. I used Minwax Ebony on the knotwork and the Dark Walnut on the rest of the boards so they'd match the trim on the bay window and the oriel window on the tower. My glue was still drying in these pics but here's one where I was able to take the painter's tape off. I like how they look, just a bit more finished. And when I do my slate roof it will come just over the edge of the boards and look even better. Before I did that I added more trim to the dormer on the removable roof. Not a lot, just around the window and some inside the gable. I think it looks pretty good at this point. I added more magnets to hold the roof on since with the dormer it has a bit more weight to it. I didn't attach the tower to the cottage this weekend, though I do need to do that soon. I'm thinking of messing with the tower walls on the edges to see if I can create an illusion of thicker walls rather than the thin oatmeal containers. I might be able to do it with some strips of balsa wood if I angled the balsa wood edges so they look like thin triangles and sandwiched the walls of the tower end between them. Have to see. But in the meantime I've been working on things for the stillroom/laboratory. I did take the clamps and rubber band off the loom so here's a look at it all finished. Since I was still thinking about the tower walls I decided I'd get some things ready for the stillroom/laboratory. I painted up some of my Shapeways purchases and with the help of a tutorial I purchased from Patricia Paul Studio on Etsy I made some magical items. I used jewelry wire and hot glue in some cases, and beads for bubbles in others. Gesso to prime the wire and hot glue and then paint and in some cases glitter nail polish, and then the triple thick glaze to make everything look shiny like liquid. I'm pretty pleased with how things turned out. I made a potion bottle with a floating cork. (Oh, I also added some shelves to the chimney for more storage.) That's one of my glass bottles that I primed with the gesso and painted. An in progress shot of my bubbling cauldron with the floating spoon. I painted the magic potion green. This is before the glaze to make it liquid looking. And I made a nearly bubbling over cauldron to go over the fire in the fireplace. So I added 'magic' to it with some sparkles and the glaze. You'd already seen the kettle with the purple potion pouring into the cauldron. I decided I wanted to use one of my potion bottles so I had some blue potion pouring into the same cauldron from a different direction. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. The still got it's lip added to the bottom container and I got everything primed and painted. It has a slightly metallic look. Most of the items on the mantle have been glued down. I had to glue the carafe of wine pouring into the goblet or it wouldn't have stayed up. The floating spoon cauldron isn't glued down because it's heavy enough to stay upright. I might leave it in that spot or move it elsewhere. I'm thinking about it. Next weekend I might have to work part of the day Saturday and the same with the weekend after that depending on how well our progress goes with the new accounting program. This is not something I'm thrilled with when I think of how much I have left to do on the dollhouse. Hopefully it'll only be half days. But I need to start adding scrolls and books and equipment to the table and shelves in the stillroom. And get the wool and supplies Keli sent me in the workroom. Same with the kitchen and the bedroom. Food and bedding respectively. And I'd like to get the tower attached to the cottage. I think I've figured out how to make the 'hallways' look so that's something. Attaching the tower means I need to get the whole cottage onto the base, so build up the base a bit, make sure all my wires are long enough to come out the back and then get everything situated. And the list grows and grows. I hear that Nancy is recovering from her surgery nicely and is home and subject to cat supervision (whether she likes it or not) so that's some really good news. How are the rest of you doing? A saltbox (Keli) Lantern (make) Clogs (Keli) & (Anna if she gets time) A still (might be able to do this with Kris's 'paper pottery') Wool cards (make) Sausages on a string Dyed wool drying (Keli) Wool bundles (Keli) Woven cloth (go through fabric stash) Drill & Route out channels for lighting wires. Finish shutters & interior trim for all windows on main cottage. First Floor Second Floor Build Fireplaces & chimneys First Floor Second Floor Cut bricks and stone for outside of lower walls and tower. (Test Magic Brik) - in progress Add brick/stone to fireplaces. First Floor Second Floor Age fireplaces First Floor Second Floor Build base for house Get cottage on base Attach Tower to Main Cottage Doorway Finishes Hall Stone? Floors. Bedroom mantle Plaster upper walls and third floor of tower. Add timber to upper walls and third floor of tower. (testing) Paint stone. Add grout to stone and brick. Ceiling beams on first floor. Ceiling beams and roof support for lofted ceiling on second floor. Dormer ceiling supports Second floor Ceiling finish? Ceiling beams and roof support for the tower. Stain purchased furniture Bedroom Kitchen Stillroom Weaving/workroom Build furniture: Make sink Make curved table for tower room Make loom Adjust tables for lab Make stool Make telescope 1/2 done Make orrey 1/4 done Make tapestry Make rush mats Make bedding Make books & scrolls Make paper pottery Stillroom paraphernalia Potions? (some bottles made) Cage with spider Cage with mice Cauldron - floating spoon? (testing) Furniture in place finalize lights. Make sconce Make candelabras Standing Candelabra 2 small Candelabras Remove candles from extra and add to stillroom table. Add flooring Plaster inside walls Create 'slate' roof Bargeboards/trim for roof gables. Create front garden Make tree? Make stream? Make lake/river to go alongside house Make stone wall to go around garden Iron front gate.