Yeah, I can, but should I?

Pinterest posting and subsequent "Fail"

We have all been there. We see something fabulous, gorgeous, a must have. The whimsy takes us and we really absolutely need to have "it" because, well ...

We are all ready to get out our wallet at whatever kiosk we have just seen the Best. Thing. Ever., when some joker pipes up "you can make that, you know." *

When you hear that phrase, you should be thinking of this guy...
 

Custer, just before someone said to him "you know, I betcha anything you can win..."

 Yes, of course we "can". The question is...should we? Granted, I fall into this trap more often than I would care to admit. I see something totally amazing, but listen to that blasted voice tell me I should try to make it, I totally could.  In some ways, it is because it is a challenge, plus it has always been my fall back position  - I grew up learning one was never to buy something expensive when a cheaper alternative was available (I didn't have a Rubik's Cube, for example - I had a "Puzzle cube"  - Budgets and imaginations can be stretched to fit any alternative if you are determined enough, plus the puzzle cube was just as unsolvable as the real thing so no loss there). One thing, however, that you have to remember about that voice when it whispers sweet encouragement into your shell-like ear, and this is the important thing that will save you much tears in the long run... THAT INDIVIDUAL WON'T BE TRYING IT THEMSELVES, and have nothing really to lose by talking you out of "the thing". Over the years I have come to resist people talking me out of that wonderful one of a kind treasure because a) I do find I can't make it myself. I can only make a reasonable facsimile - I can't exactly reproduce someone's art, I can't find that exact path that led to "the thing" that made me run up to a vendor at a show and say "TAKE MY MONEY!" in the first place. There are forgers in the world, brilliant forgers, who can come close to reproducing "the thing", but there is always some tell, some hint that it isn't the real deal - for example, think just how many "new" Stradivarius violins there are, and you will see what I mean. The not quite perfect note of a copy just isn't going to cut it.

Secondly, and more importantly b) the person telling me to make it myself is assuming that I have mastery over the craft ( flattering (or perhaps an example of cluelessness about the process, but I will be kind and assume the former), but I probably don't, as it is an established fact that it takes 10,000 hours to master something,  and Sunday afternoons are never that long, even in the summer), and that it will somehow be cheaper to make it myself (never is, you end up buying enough supplies to make two dozen after spending an entire day shopping every store in town, when you only ever really wanted one and you don't have a desire to make another, and it is more stuff to find a place to store). No matter how talented we are, there are things we simply can't do, and it saves just a little sanity in the long run to admit it.  So I resist that temptation and "buy the thing" when I can afford it.

*also, you shouldn't say this in ear shot of any artist about their art, because it is actually quite rude.

Now, for something completely different - This week I got cool stuff in the mail! A few years ago a fellow Whovian and I purchased dutch baby house cabinets. If you are unfamiliar, they look like this...

These are called "Baby Houses" because they were houses that were an exact copy of a real working house - not children's toys. They were something that let young girls get a feel for what an adult working house would be like, and what you would need to stock such a house - I think that is a grand idea, actually, had I had that option growing up, I might not have made the choices  I did - thinkin' about you again, ex-husband!  Anyway, these houses are gaining popularity amongst the "go smaller or go home" crowd, working in the 1:120 scale (or thereabouts, there is quite a debate about what is the true scale for  these types of projects - I won't say which one is right of course, because these people know how to find me and it wouldn't be safe to leave my house - these are serious serious debates, people!).

Anyway, a few weeks ago we received an email from the person we originally bought the houses from, and she was able to score for us an entire houseful of  furniture and supplies for our baby houses! My package arrived this week, oh joy, oh rapture! Sadly it is in the queue right now of "things I really want to do", but I will get there. 

This weekend, however, I worked on my wine cellar in 1:48 scale. As you recall, I want it to look not unlike this: 

 I am still working on the "bones", if you will. I am making headway, however. 

 Building the insert that goes into one of the wine rack shelves. 

 The side wine rack and frame. 

 The front view of the left hand side wine rack/wall with insert. 

 Since this project is relying heavily on cardstock, I have been building supports to keep things from sagging, bending, and bowing. 

 I built this door thinking it would be good for the main room, but as I looked at the stairway to no where, I felt that I really needed to add an "escape" - again also , there is always some joker in the house that will look past your exquisite work and say "but how do the people get in and out?" and then we have to look at them like they are a simpleton,  we tell them off and they cry, and its a total mess from there.

 Depending on how much room I have, and how I feel about it all, I might make a second door as well, because I do kind of like the door opening into the great room as well.

 Quarter inch wide  strips, painted. I made my tile floor out of these, cutting the strips into further quarter inch lengths, gluing the little blocks down, and then "modpodging" the whole floor to give it a shine. 

 It looks a little wonky right now, but that is because it isn't glued down. I am starting to look like my inspiration picture, however! 

 I went off script here. My inserts weren't "exactly" cut perfectly, so they didn't fit exactly right in the cut outs. I decided I would add some depth to my inserts with some clay, and clay covers all...nice, clean...cleansing clay. 

 I wanted to make a little wall sconce.  This is not something you will find in any how to apparently anywhere on the web - a tragic oversight, in my opinion. With a little experimenting, I came up with something rather workable - the back is a bent scrap booking finding, with a "decorative" grommet from my stash glued to the front.  The "Candle" is a length of toothpick (cocktail stick, if you will) that has been glued in and then "drizzled" with a little bit of craft paint. I have also finished the stone work in the stairwell here. 

 The clay all applied, now to add a few bricks...

 And where I finished today. It was an enforced finish - I was ready to finish the stone work but I do have to wait for the clay to dry. Sadly, it all comes down to that, waiting for things to dry - dear deities, will the 1st world problems never end! Not too shabby with the progress, though. 

To Wrap Things Up, I found this little video in which the artist shows you how to make some lovely summer fruits - they aren't bad for realism  (and in fact making me sneeze for some reason). Enjoy! 

Until we meet again, my little children of summer!

Nanaimo Harbour, Vancouver Island BC