Friday, November 30, 2012

How to Make a Dollhouse-Size Mac


I’ve been having intermittent computer issues which have prevented me from posting updates in any semblance of regularity. In fact, I’m taking a chance by even trying to write this entry. However, that’s what MacJournal is for. 

Before I begin my tale of creation, I need to mention that this little Apple miniature took forever to complete.  Hence, it should also be known as the “Waiting for Glue to Dry” project.

I’m sure my little replica isn’t a 100% accurate version of a real Mac, but hey, I did my best with what I had on hand which is pretty much the guideline for the entire project.  I found these little computer cutouts meant for scrap booking and figured out they might be useful for my project. It was one of those instances where you didn’t know you needed something until you saw it. 




The big challenge is that when you fold it down the middle to make it a 3d object, it creates a strange angle that you have to correct. I secured the fold with library glue which is like Elmer’s glue but with a lot more flexibility. This part took quite awhile because to stabilize the fold I had to keep adding more and more library glue. 



Since the cutout wasn’t really meant to be folded and glued, even with the library glue it still had a strange divot in it (for lack of a better term). It’s like when a sidewalk settles and one part of it is lower than the other parts and you wind up tripping over it. I attempted to even out the divot with magnet sheeting. I totally tried my best to cut out the magnet in the shape of the computer but last night when it was finally time to start gluin’ the shape of the magnet wasn’t the shape of the computer. Now I’m trying to figure out how to correct it. 








To really transform this little scrapbooking computer into a Mac is to add the familiar Apple logo. I tried looking online with no luck. Apple seems to keep their logo under lock and key so I did it the old fashioned way--through cut and paste. I took the larger silver Apple from the boxes of IPhones and IPods.  The smaller black ones are from the pages of software instructions. I tried tracing the logo onto a sheet of overhead transparency but it requires a relatively steady hand. If you want to try it, go for it. For me, it was like trying to do pinstriping. 








(sotto voce) Mmm....taffy.

I’m in the home stretch on these little tee-vee typewriters. I glued silver tissue paper over the white areas on the back. At any given time, I have about two packages of silver and gold tissue paper. It’s my favorite background for pictures in frames and for projects like this. I also like to use old maps and I have a mess ‘o maps in my craft room.  Guess what I’m waiting to do?? Yep....I’m waiting for the glue i used to adhere the tissue paper to dry.  






I decided that the finishing touch on this project---especially since now that they're glued to that small piece of wood that keeps the computer from falling over, there's a strange area where something needs to go. I decided to make a mouse out of a pooka shell and I made a wrist pad. The first try, I used cut out latex "tentacles" from one of those bouncy balls that Walgreens carries. I tried using rubber cement to secure them and it made them into a big mushy gushy mess. Instead, I used slices of museum wax.  





So, there you have it! Obviously, I made two. One Mac is in the house office. The second Mac is in one of the bedrooms that I'm turning into the room of a 17 yr-old. To perfect THAT room, I need to figure out how to construct dollhouse size crumpled fast food wrappers and Big Gulp cups.. That being said, this 17 yr-old is going to be super-cool because I made two Jack Kerouac framed photos and a Velvet Underground poster. 

The time invested was worth it, especially since I have nothing but time these days. Any questions will be welcomed. 

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Don't threaten me with a good time


I heard this quote today on television. It was one of those reality shows full of the hunting of wild animals and it shall remain nameless because....well....it's embarrassing to admit it. 

Its usage would be something like this:

 "I'm never taking you to another employee softball game. Ever."

"Don't threaten me with a good time." 

I've spent many hours today trying to correct structural damage, not to mention sagging floors. 

What did Barbie do when she bought this house? Maybe it's like the way she's portrayed in those cartoon movies in a floaty pink peignoir singing "I'm Wishing" from the Snow White soundtrack. 

I've already dealt with reinforcing the floors because her subflooring was completely gone. I mean...who doesn't notice a thing like that? I've had to deal with foundation problems. I've been using shims and a small wedge and that works, or seems to work, however, when I examine it, it still seems to be sagging. It sags on one side and I insert a few shims. Then I look at it from another angle and it looks like it's sagging on the OTHER side. It's like the Sneetches with their Star Off machine.

I knew this wasn't going to be a quick project. I used to tell my students who hurried through writing projects announcing to me "I'm finished!" after 5 or 10 minutes. I always said, "When you think you're done, you've only just begun."

On a final note, I need some more real estate. I wanted to have a backyard but the house takes up the whole table. Perhaps I can employ a small telephone table or something similar where I can display my gazebo. 

The face of grandiose delusion is slapped by the cold fish of reality

This is proving to be more difficult than I thought. The scale of the furniture to the size of the rooms is all discombobulated. Also, this dollouse really is a conversation piece. The thing is massive!  

(Oh, and the title of this post is a little tribute to Edward Gorey. )