He's Got a New Drill! Scalloped Shingles

What a busy day, had work to do in the morning then we took off to mail orders and run errands. We had to hurry to get back and work on the shingles while the sun was warm, got to 73 degrees today. We used a roof adhesive to lay the cut strips of scalloped shingles and got one side of the roof done in about an hour.

We'll do the front side, with the eyebrow window tomorrow before we go to the family Thanksgiving dinner.

 One of the errands was to buy an early Christmas present, and here he is with his new drill! He also got a set of countersink bits.

We sure have a lot to do before Davree's Cottage is finished, only three days and tomorrow is Thanksgiving! Yikes!!!

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

Hubby Needs a Drill

Davree's Cottage is taking much longer than expected! What a great hubby to build this for me. This evening I'm hearing all the struggles about having only one old drill.

He has to keep changing bits, first to drill a hole for a screw, then a smaller hole farther in with a smaller bit for the entry threads, then change to countersink bit, then change to the Phillip's head screw bit and back again a couple of screws at a time to line up. The worst part is the Mikita drill is very old with the old style chuck key. Can we say "guilt?" I think he deserves a drill for Christmas, he's almost done with the building part of this project so it's too late now. This evening he tells me his drilling struggles! We've been to Home Depot a few times and no mention then, what a trouper!

Jan started early this morning after breakfast and then I went out to start the scalloped shingles for the roof about 11. We worked till about 4 p.m. in the warm sun and totally forgot to have lunch.

Here is my method for making the scalloped shingles. The red chalk pen worked great marking the back of the asphalt sheeting. I used a pair of Fiskar upholstery scissors and used a 3 1/4 inch template to make the scallops. You can see the pink chalk marks on the back and scraps.

 Here are 7 rows lined up on the table and now I have a good blister but my biggest complaint was.......

  My newly manicured hands were dirty......

and my nails a mess with black marks but surprisingly it all washed off and no chipped nails, happy me.

 Here is Davree's Cottage, still not looking like it's much farther along but it really is. All the window frames are done, just tacked in place till the exterior and window trims are painted. The plexiglass windows will have diamond window panes, so quaint, can hardly wait.

We end with an interior item I made this week, Davree's little friend, a fairy who will be flying near the rafters. She needs a name, any suggestions?

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

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