Sweeney roof and having fun with the Conservatory

Been busy busy busy! All this snow and not getting out, i should have got to work on the minis but with the children at home, I decided to get out the decorating things full size and the aim was to do a feature wall in the dining room.........but it turned into doing all the walls, moving 2 bookcases, putting up a day bed in there etc etc!! Then with the DIY bug in me, sent poor john off to Homebase to get paint for the kitchen and bathroom, so they were next on the list. However, all that going up and down ladders quite exhauseted me and I woke up with aching legs, so decided with kiddies back at school, that the minis could come out!

Well I havnt got round to completing anything properly for a while so I sat down and got to doing the Sweeney roof with a whole stack of cardboard pieces! Just like Julie of Bella Belle Dolls, who is making a splendid new dollshouse and recently did her brickwork, I thought I could do the roof by eye, but soon discovered i needed to draw lines for where the tiles should sit as they started to slant slightly as i got tired! Took a while, lots of PVA, but it is strangely fun and addictive once you start! Still have to do the dormer part.

Then I just have to paint it in shades of grey and add some mucky and mouldy bits here and there. I have bought in the house from the freezing shed and it is now in the dining room on a small table on wheels which is perfect for working on houses! Ready for the walls all to be pinned and glued together. Julie has spurred me on to get it done and get a move on, as she is completing hers so enthusiastically and quickly it puts me to shame!

I also had a rummage in my boxes to see what goodies could go in the conservatory. Thanks to Nikki for looking up a link for a table, I may still use it, but I was lucky enough to find a great new table complete with food for the Grand Hall, so the table in there was going begging and i tried it out for size in the conservatory. I also have 2 other potting benches so I just put them all in to try and decide whether to keep it all in, or maybe just a couple and add some plants in posts climbing up the ceilings.

Heres a few pics of things I have found. I have alot of Nikki's wonderful mandrakes, plants, pots etc, and found some other bits and pieces. im going to add a small surround to the table and stain it to match, and then add earth to the table to put all the pots in.

On the ground under the table will be lots of various plants and ingredients for Herbology potion class, dragon eggs, unicorn horns , scales etc. And can you see Debbies fabulous man eating cabbages, they have been put into the conservtory and look just perfect!

Nothing is in its place, its just to show you the things we have to work with, and still lots to do, plants to be made etc. I have never made plants and havnt a clue how to make leaves, out of fimo, paper?? No idea, but I have some large plant pots, lots of tea bags which I hear are good for earth. and some wire to start the plant climbers. Just need any advice , making leaves if anyone has any please????!! I read on another blog you can use paper, but how to get them to furl, and do you paint them to get the variation in colour. Or should I invest in some fake leaves from the garden centre and cut them up? Never done a plant before and although it will be a fantasy one so I dont have to be true to colours or shapes, any advice would be most welcome thankyou!

As you can see Violeta is feeling right at home. I already have a man eating plant there for her, and some pumpkins.

Also outside keeping guard ,my new Dragon pair, Mum and baby made for me by Delores who Michelle kindly gave me the Etsy link for. The first dragons arrived completly broken up in the post, the postmen had not been kind to my poor parcel, so Delores very kindly made another for me and they are the cutest little dragons, we love them, and they fit perfectly in the conservaory keeping guard!

Will post a better pic of them and the troll that I ordered also. Not sure where he will go, as I think he is a little large for 1 12th scale for the house, and I really really am lusting after one of Jain's fabulous house elfs, so I may make him a little home all of his own!!