Everything is Better in the Miniature

Sunday has become my favorite day. No matter what the hustle and bustle of the week entails, it seems like Sunday is a glorious day week after week. This week was no exception.

After my train wreck of a Saturday night, I awoke this morning for cinnamon buns and coffee with the roomies. I think this is becoming our new tradition, and I am fully supportive of that. Then we ventured off to Georgetown. I justified this procrastination of my homework by knitting two little bathmats for my bathroom model on the metro:
I introduced the ladies to Paper Source, a spectacular store that carries all things paper related and is a perfect (and perfectly dangerous) spot for craftsers like us.

Hi Vara!
Then we hit up Stitch DC where I found some yarn to make my Ireland scarf. Um, it's 50 there right now. That's their summertime. I froze my tush off on the last Europe trip (even having to stoop to buying a cheap, acrylic, UGLY scarf in a train station just for warmth) and am not planning on a repeat experience. So I found some lovely organic cotton in 4 shades of neutrals (ivory to taupe) that will become something between a scarf and a shawl.
Finishing it up with a stop by La Madeline - a fun little French cafeteria with the most amazing chicken friande.
Then it was work time. Everything is being constructed for a 1/2" scale model of the bathroom I am designing for my class.

I started building the floor. I took small rocks and arranged them from dark to light, then packed grout onto the bottom of them and mushed it down in around the rocks. I let it dry for two hours, then flipped it over and grouted it like normal.
Then I built a sink. Balsa wood for the base:
Then some sculpy and paint for the sink and fixtures. Complete with a little hot glue for the water effects.
Sculpy for the shower head and knobs, toilet, bath tub, and bath faucet/spout. Then I "tiled" one of the walls (ugh, 2 more to go...). I painted the foamcore grey for my grout color, then used painters tape in 1/16" to mark out the tiles.
I used a texture + mixed in some acrylics to create my stone tiles and painted that on top of the tape. When it dried I ripped off the tape to complete my tiling job.

Next I cut matte board to create my steps and whittled/painted a piece of balsa wood that will become a spiral staircase.

It's hard to believe that this is about 10 hours of work and I still have so much more to do! Clockwise from the top left: stone tiled wall, bathtub (simulating a boulder carved into a tub - they actually make these!), bath faucet, bath mat, sink, stone floor, center rod and stairs for the staircase, shower head and hot/cold fixtures, shower mat, and a wall-papered column to help support my lofted bathtub area.



I'm looking forward to going back to work tomorrow with my hands returned to their studio-fabulous state with grout, paint, and other assorted elements that won't come off. Happy Monday to all - cheers!

Sending some love out the the west coast - Happy Birthday, Stephen! (he started a blog)