Davree has a house!

Davree has a house! Still needs the scalloped roof shingles and lots of detailing but things have come together! Here is Jan with the house, looks like a scowl but he's really sweet, that hubby of mine. Want to have a peek in the house?

Here is a peek through one end, from the top eyebrow shaped window. You can see the beams and on the left the top of the red door. The roof was not in the correct position, will be adjusted tomorrow and we will probably have some crown molding.

Now looking down you see the incredible fireplace and hearth that Jan made and painted. This is exciting! I can hardly wait to put in the rug, mantel items, pictures, lights, Christmas tree, and tea time scene. Davree, the Build A Bear monkey, will be in her pretty new dress serving her great uncle Douggles tea and cookies. You can see them in earlier blog entries.

This photo was taken from the front eyebrow window in the roof, just the right height for adults to look in.

And this view is from the front window. There will be a fire in the fireplace, a very safe fire. The windows will have diamond panes, they will look like a very quaint cottage.

Coming Soon!

Visit Davree's Cottage Christmas Scene 

Bring your children and their teddy bears or favorite animals and take photos with them visiting 

Davree's Cottage.

Location in Fresno and evening hours to be posted by Friday evening, November 29.

November 30 till December 31, 2013

Fresno, California

For more information Call Donna at 559 355-3080

Eyebrow Window and Duck Brand Duct Tape

This is the charming Casanova restaurant in Carmel, California. Billed as the most romantic restaurant in Carmel we have loved it since discovering it years ago. We have returned many times to have their wonderful food. The decor has been copied by many a decorator. This is the type of eyebrow window I've wanted on Davree's cottage.

 Here is a painting Jan did as a gift for my sister and her husband. He changed the brown beams to green, it has all the charm of the original.

Lorn at Fresno Roofing was very helpful with advice for scalloped shingles. He gave us a few strips to experiment. Lorn suggested scoring the back with a box cutter style knife. Jan tried his Stanley knife but that wasn't working too well. I pulled out an inexpensive upholstery pair of Fiskar scissors and they worked just fine! 

While Jan was working on walls I cut a few scallops to see how they will look. I like them, but not sure what color we will use.

 

Look, we have a house! It is finally coming together. Will we make it for Thanksgiving weekend? Not sure. With juggling my real estate work, orders from our Etsy shops and routine life there is not a lot of time but the detailing part will be fun. I wanted the door in the teardrop shape like the fairy doors Jan has painted for our Etsy shop, link is at top, Shop Paris Cabinet. The door will have diamond window panes, the same as the big window.

 

Then there was the problem of making an eyebrow window. On YouTube I found a video on measuring and creating drawings for a full size home, it was way too detailed. I want the eyebrow window like the one on the restaurant.

Enter, Duck brand duct tape. Our eyebrow window has to be towards the front for an adult to view the interior and we were in a rush to put this together. The roof sheathing is 1/8 inch thick mahogany plywood, has to be thin to be flexible for the curve in the roof line. Even with that thin of plywood it would not bend that much for the eyebrow window. Remembering how an old style roll top desk is slats glued on canvas I thought why not make it that way but with duct tape. So Jan cut the piece into strips and Duck brand tape came to the rescue. It is not in place permanently yet but you see the effect.

Jan painted the hearth, here it is, still in progress.

Coming Soon

Visit Davree's Cottage Christmas Scene

Location and evening hours to be posted soon.

Thanksgiving weekend till December 31, 2013

Fresno, California

For more information
Call Donna at 559 355-3080

Davree's Cottage and Grumpy Hubby

This morning I have wife's remorse. What a big job I asked my hubby to do and it has been very difficult for him. He's always made simple projects but then I ask for something so complicated. It's also been hard for him because he's building my vision not his. He's such a good sport, I am truly blessed to have such a supportive husband.

Yesterday I was able to work with him and painted the floor and a couple of walls. I helped hold the flexible roof sheathing in place for him to nail down. It now looks like a cottage!

I asked for a photo to post with the roof sheathing in place. When I looked at the photo on the computer screen I saw a grumpy looking guy with his eyes pinched together.

Retake photo, now he doesn't look tortured! The cottage still needs outside walls, windows, door, back walls, eyebrow window, roof shingles and trims.

 

Jan has been an architectural illustrator since 1986 and is amazing at making a 2 dimensional painting look 3-dimensional so he thinks more 2-dimensional. I, on the other hand, have always worked in 3 dimensions and I think that way.

Working together Sunday and today has been easier. Here is the start of the eyebrow window that will be in the roof. Here is the front frame taped in place to calculate the supporting bracing.

Here you can see the rug and fireplace in place just to see how they look. Cute! The fireplace still needs a hearth and the back chimney.

Late at night I work on little projects that will go inside, like Davree's fairy friend that has her own door to enter at any time. The little fairy is coming along, she's got glitz. Stay tuned for progress and more photos.