POW!!!!!

That is me exploding. I can not work on this adobe for a while-I am burned out. I got the whole floor-132 tiles-glued down. Now I have issues about what to do under the front door. I will give it a few days. Probably get back to it next week.
Kate

This Tile Goes on FOREVER!!!

More tile and an unfinished kiva. I glazed the tile to circle the front of the kive dark blue like the edges.
Kate
http://www.katescats.com/

A New Tile Day-Yea!!

I have kept plugging away and am getting a little more done every day. On the left is the kiva.

I have started coating it with the sanded thinset. I have to do a little at a time to keep it smooth and even.

The middle picture shows the adobe with the first midnight blue tile down and the lights on the walls. There will be a hurrican lamp on the kiva mantel and a wire to electrify the fire place (which I don't know if I will do-but the wire will be there).

The picture on the right is the midnight blue tile with the clear glazed tile-I am short 70 clear glaze tile. Hopefully I can do that tomorrow.

Bye,

Kate

www.katescats.com

Bad Tile Day

First, let me state I am very grumpy today. I got the tiles I was going to lay in the SW room out of the kiln and discovered I put the wrong glaze on about 40 tiles. They are terrible. But being one who makes lemonade out of lemons, I am going to use them on the porch part of the room. The tiles look a little purple, which works out, because I painted a bird cage I am putting on the porch pale purple-ment to be. I recovered the outside of a wall with thinset, because it look terrible. Today I white washed the side. I put more sanded thinset on the kiva. This is slow going. Every surface and edge must be perfect-so I do a little bit and let it dry. At the rate I am going it will take two weeks. I am going to wire the fireplace to light. I don't know if I am going to light it or not, but I want the wire in there anyway. I am tired of making tile. I have 200 more to make-I'm happy to do that, because it is for a friend.
Kate

PROGRESS!!!!

It seems like magic to have gotten this far. I am not posting any pictures because I am toooo lazy. I have filled in all the crackes and skewer holes on the SW house. Now all I have to do is "whitewash" the fill spots. I have to make 120 tile for just the inside of the house-so I am busy pouring tile. I am putting a navy blue color around the room and will have to continue that pattern in front of the fireplace. Tonight, I started stuccoing the fire place. That is going to take a while, as I have to let parts dry so I don't mess up the finish. Hopefully I will have the inside of the room done by this weekend. I am pouring a friend a floor-so I have to get busy on that.
Kate
www.katescats.com

Fourth Wall

Ta Da, the fourth wall is up. It seems very sturdy. I am going to put it aside till the end of next week to let the glue really dry.

Kate

Raisen the Walls

I am so excited to get three walls up. I was thinking I would not put the forth wall up but now I think I will. If you look very closely at the right side of the box in the right picture, you will see little holes. That is where I put the skewers in-short ones, about 2 in. with Grrrip glue on them. I will post again when I have the fourth wall up.

Kate

White Wash

Today I started white washing my SW room walls. I mixed 3 parts eggshell white paint with 1 part water. I took a 1/2" flat stiff bristle brush and slathered it on. I am now waiting for it to dry and it looks great. I hope to paint the back side tonight, and let it dry really well. I also hope to put the building together tomorrow. Will send more pictures after it is together.

Kate

The Door is Almost Done

Well, if I sound stupid today it is because I have the head cold from heck. I have, however been working on my SW room and have finished stuccoing the front of the front door. If I do say so myself, it came out pretty good. I hope to stucco the back tonight and put the room together tomorrow-that is the test. Then I can clean up the kitchen table some. Next step is white washing the walls, then doing the floor tile. I can not wait to do the kiva and all the tile that goes on it. Well, I am off to the art room to work on mini terra cotta pots.

Kate

Starting The Door and The Gate

Well, I feel I have to get this SW room done ASAP, so I am going to work on it everyday. The picture on the right is a picture of the big door and the gate drying. The middle picture is the handles for the door and the gate. I have painted them black and put so rust patina on all the metal pieces-I don't see that it has made a difference. Later on I will paint a faux rust patina on the metal pieces. The picture on the left is the gate with one hinge and a cross I am going to put on it. Well, back to work.
Kate

Door Wall

The center arched piece of wood is the door that came with the SW room kit. I decided to make a mock door to recess in the door opening of the wall. It will add to the stability of the wall.

This is the faux door with a jam. I am going to make a half cut out where the door is. I also cut the bottom of the door, so the tile can go under it. The jam is going to be glued to the wall and then have the thinset put around it. I am going to put faux strap hinges on the door and put some detail on it. I can not decide which is the front or the back of the door.

I guess the wall on the left will be the inside and the flip side of the same wall (that the faux door/jam fit in) will be turned to the outside. My brain is tired, so I may not work on this any more tonight. My brain is fuzzy as to what to do next.

Thanks for looking,

Kate

Doug Helps

Well, the base of my adobe house warped because I glued felt on the bottom of it to keep the skewers in to impale the walls on. My husband screwed the 1/4th inch plywood to some 3/4" inch plywood. Now all I have to do is white wash the walls and impale and glue them down. I think I will put the back wall in first, after it is white washed, as it has lights in it. I am putting a fountain on that wall in the patio-I may have to finish the fountain and glue it to the wall before putting it up. I have two projects for tomorrow-yea. Like I have nothing else to do. Well, I should have pictures tomorrow.

Kate

More Fountain

Well, I am working on the fountain. I thinned the Mortar Mix I got from HBS- www.miniatures.com , and brushed it on the fountain with a stiff 1/2" flat brush. I think it looks cool. It has to dry-may work on it tomorrow. I have a list of things to do and I really should not be doing things that are not on the list-oh well!!! More later.
Kate
www.katescats.com

Disecting a Fountain

Well, this is the fountain I plan to use on the back wall of the SW room. The bottom hole is for the light and the hole in the mouth is for the "running" water. Tomorrow I am going to paint it with diluted gray morter. Should be a nice contrast against the white walls.

Kate

Slow Going

Well, I finally got more tile mastic to finish the walls. They changed labels and the clerk at Lowe's assured me it was the same stuff-I really hope so. I got hinges for the doors and a fountain for the porch. I am going to put Saran wrap in the lion's mouth and pour plastic water down it. I am doing something else today or I would pour the tile.

Kate

www.katescats.com

Well, here are some more prep pictures of the SW room. Right now I am tired of messing with it. I decided to light the back part of the wall-even though the room is small. I saw another SW room the same size and it was lighted on its back wall-looked good. My daughter, who knows nothing about miniatures, call me and said I should antique the shiny light fixtures. I was astonished that she made such a suggestion. Someone in my family was interested in my minis-I may just faint. I will probably get started again tonight.

Thanks,

Kate

www.katescats.com

SW Room Layout

Well, I have laid out the room furnishings. Next I am going to drill holes and put 3" dowels w/points where the walls are to go to hold them. I am then going to thinset the walls and kiva. I cut the shelf for the kiva TOO BIG, so I have got to cut it down to size. After the walls go up, I am going to tile the floor and the kiva. I have bought alot of SW dishes-can't wait to put them in the cabinets.

Kate

www.katescats.com

The SW Room Begins

Well, the top picture is the "new" kiva. I was not going to change anything in this room kit, but
I could not help myself. I tore the kiva I was given all apart and am redoing the whole thing. It took about $7 worth of Styrofoam to change it. I plan to tile the inside of the fire place and the wood hole underneath. I have till Sept. 1 to finish-I better get busy. The bottom picture is of the poles that go across the top of the building. I want to distress them to look really gray and worn.
Kate

More Southwest Creations

This is the chair I just reupholstered. It is a Bespaq chair. There are little tacks on the side bottom seat of the chair. For sale at my web site: http://www.katescats.com/.

These are large pots I made. The top two are 2" high and the bottom two are 2.5" high. They are very rough-like real Mexican pottery.

New Pots of Cactus

Well, this is what I did today. Cactus, cactus, cactus. Some with feathers and some with red coral chips. Tomorrow, I am going to make little scenes in pots. That should be alot of fun.

The cactus in pots are 1/12th scale.

Kate

My SW Chair is Finished

Well, I put the hide on the chair. This is a Bespaq chair I recovered the back and stool top with the faux cowhide I made. I can't wait to put it in the room. Next week I am going to reupholster the chairs I will put up for sale.

Thanks for looking,

Kate

www.katescats.com

Cattle Roundup

Well I am making/painting miniature cowhide. It took forever just to do this small bit-6" x 8" and the background is not as yellow as this. I can not wait to upholster the chairs and sofas with this faux cowhide. At the rate I am going it is going to take a week-and it is sooooooo tedious. As soon as I have enough faux, I am going to cover a chair-should be up next week.

Kate
www.katescats.com

The BIRDS

Well, I am gathering Southwest stuff a little at a time-parrots, now. I have poured all the pots-now all I have to do is fire the white ones and decorate the white and the terra cotta ones. I am making SW mirrors and faux cow hide to cover a few chairs I have. I am not going to have alot of stuff to sell. I am doing the faux cow hide tomorrow-I think. I have had sinus and allergies and am tired all the time-I have to push myself. Everyone where I live is suffering from allergies. Well, I should be posting soon.

Kate

http://www.katescats.com/

The Beginning Thoughts

The mini club I belong to is hosting the SAM birthday party next Febuary with a SW themed room. I love Southwest-the main living part of my house I live in is SW. I am making alot of SW things to sell and some terra cotta pots to donate to my club to sell to help finance the SW room they are providing to the Birthday party. (run on sentence if I have ever seen one) I don't have any pictures right now-but will next week.



I have become very organized lately. I put all the supplies for the SW projects in one box. I will be able to find everything.



The pots I am making are from a terra cotta slip that has really stained the molds. I have had to make more molds to pour the white ceramic slip. I have two more molds to make-which translates into 4 molds.



Can't wait to post again-I will have "art". I will post finished SW items for sale on my web site.



Kate

http://www.katescats.com/