I tried to do a video of the unboxing of Elania’s Vacation House kit, but it was a dismal failure, so here are photos instead.
There is a ton of stuff in this box. The walls, base, roof, and floors, plus stone and clapboard siding, plexiglass windows, logs (if you do the log version), shingles, landscaping materials, stairs, trim, windows (casings and frames), wallpaper, and the full built-in kitchen.
So many little pieces! The first step was to clean off the laser burn with a bleach wash, something I haven’t done before. I usually sand or wipe of the burn, but I have to say the bleach did the job. A little in a jar, swish the pieces around, and then weight them while they dry.
I am now staining and painting all the stairs, doors, windows, floors, ceilings, etc. Once I have all that done, I can begin the actual building.
I’ll be doing the “Aspen retreat” (I’m calling it the Mountain Retreat), which is the one with stone facing and green siding. Don’t know if I’ll do the snow or just landscaping. Summer or winter–I haven’t decided!
I’ve been living about a month and a half in our mountain retreat, and after gathering supplies, was able to do a couple of small projects (micro scale).
I had to start from scratch, so I bought the table, lamp and supplies, and my husband put together the little shelf unit for me as a surprise. I put together the table myself, but it was pretty easy. Very simple and sturdy, perfect for this space.
First project I did was this mini suitcase with a scene inside. Part of the Betterleys “Secret Suitcase” kit club. Real traveling is difficult, but imaginary traveling can be fun, right?
This on is “At the Opera” and has mixed quarter inch and one inch scales.
There is one suitcase for each month. I am way behind–I’ve only put together two. I signed up for this club late last year–I don’t think they are selling these on the website.
Next project was this one–a microscale shop called Lavender Lane (another Betterley kit). The structure only took me a few days to put together (it would probably take most people a day, but I can only snatch time here and there). I have the kit for the interior, which looks adorable, and I looking forward to finishing the whole thing.
The ground floor will be a shop and the second floor a bedroom.
I’m particularly fond of Lavender Lane because in 2019, when I was in Rome, I got an email saying that this kit was on pre-order (the latest of the Watercolors shops). I love the shops to much that I jumped on the pre-order. Now, I was in ROME! A beautiful, beautiful exciting city, and my priority at that moment was ordering this kit! This is my devotion to miniatures. (I did enjoy Rome too and dream of the day I can go back.)
I have another month and a half to go in our retreat from the heat, and I’ve decided do something bigger than more tiny kits. I had some stocked a few full house kits, but of course I left them at our other abode.
In an issue of American Miniaturist, I saw an ad for Hart’s Desire Miniatures on Etsy, so I went to her site and purchased a 1/4″ scale house kit. The kit arrived two days after I ordered it!
This is the one I chose–you have options to make either a stone house, or a log cabin style house or a mix. The kit includes everything, even the kitchen.
In my next post I’ll show you what’s in the kit and my thoughts on getting started. I will be doing the stone mountain retreat to celebrate my own mountain retreat (though we are living in a small wood-sided townhouse, not a lovely villa like this one!)
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