Making good progress...

A wall,  and I'm reminded of the song by Pink Floyd: Just another brick in the wall.   This is the side wall of the small cottage, now painted, and now in need of some serious distressing.   I'm using the same brick mask as the one I used on Cemetery Cottage.  I achieved the colour with a mix of terracotta and brandy cream,  just kept on dabbing on each and then mixing them up on the 'wall'.  

I'm very happy that I got the brick masks,  they've saved me a lot of time, and the end results have been excellent.  I'm not even sure I would have achieved a similar result if I'd tried to create a brick wall using filler and a scribing tool.    I will have to invest in a few more of the brick masks,  I'm very interested in the quions and arches, they'd bring some nice finishing touches.

So from a wall to a fireplace,  ah, but the fireplace now has a shelf!   I made one from a small ice lolly stick,  just cut the ends off, a dab of paint and it was done.   You can buy whole packs of mini ice lolly sticks in good hobby/model stores, so no need to pile on the calories!  

At the end of play on Tuesday this is how far I'd got with the cottages.   I'd painted both,  fitted the windows to the large cottage, and finally attached the pavement to the front.   Then I had to leave it to dry overnight.  

So to Wednesday.  And after a very sluggish start to the day, not helped by the rain and grey skies.  I fitted the windows and door to the small cottage,  oh and the door for the large cottage.  Then I rolled out some paperclay and made myself a pavement using the pavement mold.  

I also gave the roof a coat of PVA on both sides to get it ready for its thatched roof.   While that was all drying I read the chapter on how to create a thatched roof over a nice cuppa. 


No pics of today's work.  I have however managed to 'thatch' the rear section of the roof.   I shall explain how tomorrow. 

Today was quite a change from the rain from yesterday,  largely blue sky and sunshine,  but a bit colder.  I had another sluggish start,  just did not want to leave my nice warm bed!    Once I was up I couldn't find Harvey,  then I opened the curtains in the living room, and there he was, sat on the radiator shelf, sunning himself.   I got a loud miaow,  for that read:  I need breakfast!   After filling his tum he went out for his morning walk, then returned to bug me for the next hour or so.   I am no good in the mornings, I had hoped Harvey would have realised this by now, but nope, he is full of beans and I am at the opposite end of the scale.  I just don't DO mornings!   

All for tonight,  back tomorrow with more pics of the thatched roof and painted pavement.  Night all.