maiji: Giant shumai or something like that (Project LHIA)
Alt text for images below the cut. [READ-MORE][images: 1) Photo of open sketchbook page, pen drawing coloured roughly in pencil crayon with lots of handwritten notes. It reads: "Project LHIA - the cabin is filling up with stuff (still no roof, door, bed)." 3.65 cm Claude is hefting a strange large white object with a hole in it and staring at it with a lot of question marks, guessing what it's supposed to be - an exploded pumpkin? a giant shumai? 4cm Dias stands next two him holding two bundles of firewood. A label near Claude says "The artist sucks at working in clay. (It was supposed to be a bucket.)" Around them are more labels and objects: Test (and failed) carpets; piles of practice stoves and chimneys; lots of eggs, potatoes, plants.... unpainted. A label at the bottom reads "Mini item creation by maiji". 2) Photo of the 1:48 scale log cabin to date. Dias and Claude are standing up against the main house structure; a little pile of two pillows is visible ont eh second floor. In the foreground is the base/ground floor showing a welcome mat, a cane chair next to a trestle table on top of a dark blue carpet with white starburst patterns, a marked off cobbled stone area with a white clay stove and a bundle of firewood, and a small round clay item with a large handdrawn arrow and text reading "giant shu mai" pointing at it. On the opposite side of the base is a small covered paper arc, a piece of some other in-progress thing.] [/READ-MORE]More progress!! A lot to cover, but the doodle above is a pretty good summary of where I've netted out at this time. The moral of the story is, I can do a lot with paper and paint and drawing tools, but I'm terrible with clay. Anyways, maybe after I paint it I can turn it into a basket and put eggs and potatoes in it, or leave it on the porch or something.The following is totally not in sequential order since I often jumped around while working on things, e.g., while waiting for something to dry, or switching gears to avoid getting too frustrated with things not progressing/experiments failing in one area. I grouped them mostly based on the photos I took and also some fun alliteration.Plates and potatoes[READ-MORE][Photo of a hand holding a small soy sauce try filled with what appear to be tiny plates, skewers, and random blobby clay shapes.]
Figured out a technique for making 1:48 plates to my satisfaction! Basically hole-punched ordinary print/copy paper. I actually didn't even have to punch any paper; my hole punch already had some pieces inside from paper I punched a million years ago so I just used that.
The method is sticking two pieces together (to make the plate less flimsy, depending on the paper I punched), coating it in my PVA/white/bookbinder's glue+water sealing solution and, while it's still soaked and wet, shaping it by holding it on a finger and twisting the bottom of a wedge-shaped end of a dowel against in circles, creating a flat bottom with up-turning edges. It makes a believable tiny plate-like shape. You can play with the thinner (single layer) ones and/or twist them a bit more to make something more like a bowl, but I've found the two-layers round plate the most effective-looking so far. As you can see above, I tried making a tray too but I didn't like it that much.
I let them dry, painted with Poscas and coat it again. I did one ivory (in an attempt at simulating bone china, but now I don't know if I like it that much) and another two classic white. I'm trying to decide if I want to paint the rest other colours with my actual acrylic paints (light blue plates maybe?), create more medieval-ish wood or pewter like effects or patterns, etc.
I also tried to make some tiny foods for Dias and Claude. And by food I mean tiny rolled or mushed-up shapes that could arguably be perceived as food if you squint. I tried to make their favourite foods (a steak with veggie accompaniments for Claude; pieces for yakitori for Dias). Then I made a lot of eggs and potatoes since they were easy. They are now waiting in the soy sauce tray so that I don't lose them before the paint job that will hopefully transform them into somewhat believable foods. We'll see...[/READ-MORE]
Firewood and furniture and flooring[READ-MORE][Photo of a finger pointing at a tiny bundle of tied firewood lying on the end of a pale green bone folder. In the background is a plastic ruler, well-used wax paper, scrap papers, etc.]
I made some cute bundles of firewood using some of the tiny off-cuts from making other things, and some leftover thread from my mending projects that is too short for threading and sewing with. It was white so I dyed it with Cacao du Bresil ink. I stained them with a bunch of different woody ink colours I've been using (probably Cacao du Bresil and Papier Plume Sepia).
In between the custom things I also made some kit items: a trestle table and a one of the two cane chairs!
The trestle table was easy-peasy, so no progress photos. I stained it with Platinum Carbon Sepia, one coat and seal, and then I changed my mind and coated it and sealed it again to be darker. It actually matches the Ochiguriiro I used for the floors (and spilled most of) pretty nicely (doesn't go as dark as the Ochiguriiro, but close enough for the tones I want/the way I was trying to use the Ochiguriiro).
The cane chair was a struggle. Not as bad as the stool I made for my shop, but close.
[2x2 grid of photos showing a hand interacting with a tiny chair. 1) About to pick it up off the cutting board. The crossbars for the chair legs are strewn around the rest of the board. 2) Front view showing a finger pointing at the chair. 3) Holding the chair up as the crossbars are being glued into place. 4) The chair facing down against the cutting board, with the hand holding a pair of tweezers and pressing against the back of the front crossbar against the legs.]
I actually snapped the bar of the chair legs at the front by accident. But I was able to glue it together and then carefully hold it in place, and later gently press it to try to make it more straight (that's what I'm doing in the bottom right photo with the tweezers). I stained it Papier Plume Sepia, two coats and then the sealer.
I'll make the second chair later. 4cm Dias and 3.65cm Claude can share a chair for now.
[Overhead photo of the base of the cabin resting on a textured box. You can see the welcome mat, a small area separated by raised wood forming a cobbled stone area for the stove, a small bundle of firewood resting on it. Around the base are the trestle table, the cane chair, and the actual cabin next to the box peeking in from the edge of the photo.]
Several of the houses in Arlia (like Westa's and Bossman's) have little stone areas where the stoves are, so I took some inspiration from that and used some of the leftover stones I had made when working on my doujin tea and snacks shop.
If I were doing this again, I'd probably make the base of the platform the actual stove will sit on a bit thicker with a second layer to make it more visible under the stove (see second photo at the very top of this post), but I can't be bothered now.[/READ-MORE]
Stove adventures[READ-MORE]Okay, the long awaited stove!! Very important, since I can't paint and assemble the roof until this is all done.As you may have noticed from the last Project LHIA post, I was already trying to work out how to make the stove, hood and chimney in my sketchbook.
My original goal was to make it with air-dry clay, but it was too difficult for me to shape them the way I wanted...
After I while, I realized it wasn't working for me, so I detoured and made the food I mentioned earlier and then stored the rest of the clay away (spritzed it with a bit of water, rolled it into a ball, plastic wrapped, stuck into ziplock bags and then into an airtight plastic container for good measure).
I then did some paper folding and worked out some patterms to make the pieces out of thick handmade card stock.
[Scan of sketchbook spread showing a lot of drawings of patterns and measurements for pieces of the stove/hood/chimney, and a few sketches for ideas of things to attempt in clay, mostly buckets and pots and vases.]
The above is actually a fairly cleaned up version of what I was figuring out; I did them in stages. I'd start with one piece - the stove - do a few messy(er than the above) sketches, make it, adjust it, do more sketches, make it again etc.
My first attempt was the stove. I was overly confident and didn't make a mockup and just went straight to drawing on and cutting from the actual cover stock, referencing 3.65cm Claude only for scale.
It seemed to work well enough, but when I stuck it into the cabin and took a photo to see how it looks...
[Photo of a shot of the ground floor of the cabin, lit from the side so that light falls through the tiny door and windows to highlight the etched planks of the floor and it has a rather real vibe from the lighting. You can see a tiny welcome mat at the door, the stove in the back corner on a small platform, and the ladder to the second floor.]... it looked way too tall. So I tried again.[Photo of two paper stoves of different heights next to Claude and Dias and the base of the cabin.]...And again, because I then realized I could build it so that the line of the parts connecting is not at the front where it's visible, but at the sides and the back where it will attach to the wall, so it's less obtrusive. I also realized on reflection I could cut it out as one piece of paper instead of two separate pieces of paper, but who cares, it's done now.[Photo of a row of paper stoves and range hoods sitting on a shelf with various things in back - small trays with more pieces of miniature crafting progress; rocks and minerals; fanart and official art of Claude; a figure of Claude.]
Then I made more stoves. For some reason my measurements were always a bit off. I ended up liking the third one I made the best. (third from the left in the above photo)
I also figured out how to wrangle a range hood shape from one piece of paper and holding the parts in place with washi tape while the glue dried. This time I was also smart and made a prototype from scrap paper first before using the nice cover stock.
I also did tests and actuals for the chimney stack and the exterior chimney, but didn't take photos.
Later I decided I still wanted the clay material on the surface for that "authentic medieval clay stove vibe" (in my mind), so I ended up covering the pieces I decided were successful with a layer of air-dry clay, smoothing the surfaces out by rubbing the clay layer against a wet sheet of plastic. You can see it in the second photo at the very top of the post. Really, going paper mache would work too, same kind of idea.
The paper base helped make the air-dry clay-work a lot easier, which caused me to regain my confidence and attempt to make the bucket that turned into the exploding pumpkin/giant shumai so never mind.
The stove/hood/chimney pieces are not done yet as I still need to paint them and add the little bricks (which I've drawn on coverstock and will glue and seal them on... is the plan anyways). I'm waiting to do a bunch of acrylic painting together since I'm paranoid and want to vent the room as much as possible, so I might open the window during our Canadian winter in addition to having my air purifier going.[/READ-MORE]
Carpeting [READ-MORE]Back to paper, my beloved dependable material!!
I have a tiny pad of thin, semi-translucent Chamil Garden (Taiwanese stationery designer) patterned paper (intended for journalling collage) that I've never done anything with, and some of them have cute small patterns that look fabric-like. So I had this idea of cutting them to size, gluing them on a base of paper and then cutting a fringe to make it a carpet.
My first test was a bit too thick/stiff, and then I hit on the idea of using the same soft inner mask material I've been using for curtains and pillows.
I had the cutest green pattern picked out, and stained the mask material pale green too, and made a really cute carpet with fringe... and then accidentally peeled most of the pattern off at the end after flattening it under plastic after applying the sealer coating. Oops. RIP carpet. So yeah, don't apply glue+water coating on thin semi-translucent paper and then put plastic against it when flattening it.
[Two photos of a 1:48 carpet with a green and white pattern. 1) Almost finished carpet lying on the cutting board with a pencil, craft knife and various small pieces of board around it. It looks like it has fringe at the top and bottom. 2) The carpet having been peeled off of a piece of plastic. Much of the pattern is stuck in a thin layer on the plastic, so now the carpet looks terribly faded.]
I tried again with another pattern and Noodler's Fox Red ink, but it did not look very good, and also I realized the darker inks are coming off everywhere and this made me very hesitant to dye the mask material and place it against the cabin surface.
So I rummaged through my washi (Japanese handmade papers) and found one with a small enough pattern that could work for a tiny carpet, and actually it's quite nice because it is a dark star theme - star ocean! and the dark blue seems to work well for Dias and Claude too, seems like an aesthetic they would appreciate. So tiny dark carpet with white unpainted fringe!
You can see all my test and failed carpets below. And another combo I was considering before I went to the washi.
[Photo of a bunch of different tiny carpets lying on a board. Clockwise from top left: 1) Coloured stripes on a red base being flattened inside a plastic bag; the red looks very bloody and rough. 2) Two small squares of text carpet with a pale grey-grey grid pattern. One is on thicker paper; the other is on the mask material. 3) Small rectangle of Japanese paper with the dark blue and white starburst pattern. This one was cut too small to fit the table and chair over it. 4) Thea ctual final carpet with the dark blue and white starburst pattern and white trim. 5) The failed green carpet. 6) Another combo I had been considering - a small sheet of paper with the same pattern as the green carpet, but in purple and white, on top of a piece of mask material dyed in a pale tan.][/READ-MORE]In other news, I noticed Petworth Miniatures updated their site, so if you're interesting in getting some tiny Dias and Claude-inspired swords for yourself, they're available for $5 CAD plus shipping and tax! (See the swords at the very end of the furniture catalog hahah.) Warning: you may emerge with a new obsession for 1:48 miniatures!
maiji
Also, random rpg treasure chest jokes.
