It's been a busy spring! I was tied up with Miss Kitty's school, so minis took a back seat. BUT, as I am not one to take on too many projects at once (cue the laugh track), I decided to start this years Charity Build! It's not needed until April 2019, but I like to plan ahead.
Last years Ikea house was a lot of work. While I love 1:12 scale, it ends up being large and time consuming. So, I went hunting for a kit to save me time and space. After all, not everyone wants to bid on a large dollhouse, so something smaller has mass appeal.
On Ebay, the "caravan kit" aka a camper/trailer depending on where you live in the world, isn't quite 1:24, definitely isn't 1:12, so its more like 1:16 scale. What is important to know, is that Calico Critters (aka Sylvanian Family) can fit!
The shell of the trailer is pre-built, which I was not expecting! The best part of this deal is that its made really, really well for a $60 CDN kit (direct from China with free shipping). It's solid wood and all the pieces fit if you just chose to use it as is. Could I leave it as is? No. That minty sorbet green was a bit much and didn't have mass appeal.
I went to my trusty CIL melamine kitchen cabinet paint. The body is a soft grey and the trim is my go to off white. I stayed away from bold and gendered colours as it allows it blend into a family home and ensures any child would like to play with it.
I used Krylon's stainless steel finish paint on all the window and door trim. I then painted and applied the corrugated paper to the exterior. The floor is a thick, textured faux wood paper that I applied with wallpaper paste and sealed with matte Mod Podge.
I started the interior and have mostly finished the furniture. Working smaller is a bit of a pain in the ass with all the little bits to fiddle with!
The plan is to mount it on a board covered in grass and have an outdoor scene to go along with the trailer. It does come with wheels and a hitch for the exterior. The electrical it came with is a bit sketchy to say the least, so I think I will wire it myself with LEDs and build a "storage" box on the outside the trailer to hide the wires and battery pack.
And In Other News.....
I have also restarted my mid century build. Recall me mentioning the peeling Houseworks wood floor sheets? Well, here it is! (see below). It was glued down, and all that was applied was a thin layer of satin varnish. It was fine for a while, but slowly started to give. I attempted to pry and glue the problem areas, but it was too tough. I just flipped it over and started again (&%*#$!!!! floor).
Anyhoo, I now have it glued down and have started painting the walls, paper, etc. to move ahead when the trailer is done.
