Tuesday, January 10, 2012

New Gnome House / Mabey Smurf House

Hi everyone, 
This is my most recent project I have completed this weekend.  My Gnome House or possible Smurf Type House, not sure yet!  I'm excited, I have been working towards having a model that I can make a mold from so I can mass produce at least 50.  So I can start a side business selling them at Miniature Shows or on my Blog and see if people would like to buy them as they would a Doll House.  But mine would be made out of 100% Paper, and be able to fit virtually anywhere, since they are not to small and not to large. 
I wish I could create each house different, but it takes me about 5 hours to make a cardboard frame for the shape of the house, and about 2 hours to add all the paper and carvings.  Not to mention the long drying time of a couple of days.  I'm hoping if i make a plaster mold of one house that it would only be an hour to press in the paper for the house, which should dry quicker within the plaster, which I could place directly into the oven to dry for a couple of hours or all day to dry.  Then pull the house out of the mold and make another.  My goal is to make a line of different houses with a limited number of each house.  Now the scary part next weekend is trying to figure out how to make a very large plaster mold of this house, and build a would box large than this house to pour the plaster into.  I have no idea what to do, but ill experiment until i figure it out.  Once the mold is made, then I will complete this house if I don't destroy it when I make a mold from it.  I hope you like! 
I'll post more pictures soon with progress as I go. 
Let me know what you think, I can handle any critizism, I think. :)
Have a Wonderful Week Everyone!
Stan


While the paper was wet I cut a line through the house.  This will be where the house is hinged to open, for easy access.


Ya its starting to dry!   I let it dry for over 1 day before I could pull out the bolt nuts that made the window openings.  It was still very wet.



Just finished pulling out more bolt nuts.


At this point I felt really proud of what I had accomplished, and really liked the look of the house so far.  I remember thinking how much it looked like a Smurf house, but in my own creative style.  I grew up watching the Smurfs, and remember how fascinated I was with the thought of miniature things living in the woods.


This is right after I added all the paper to the outside of the cardboard frame. 

I had to end up cutting open the house after a day so it could start drying, since the cardboard frame keeps all the moisture and doesn't let it dry properly.


A closer look at the inside of the cardboard frame.


This is after I used a knife to cut open the house to dry.  As you can see, the plastic grocery bags i used to make the shape of the house.


Up close look at the bolts nuts that I hot glued on to make the shapes for the windows and door.





It took me a couple of hours to figure out what to do to make window openings, so I don't have to cut into the harden paper later on.  So I hot glued on bolt nuts from the garage to give a basic shape I was looking for, for the windows and door.




The main cardboard base I made out of cardboard and duct tape and painting tape and plastic grocery bags.  This way I can get a basic shape I was looking for.

8 comments:

  1. I love it, I absolutely love it! I grew up with the smurfs too and to see their house brings back a lot of memories. :)

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  2. It's a wonderful little Smurf Home and a wonderful design! I love the windows idea! lol

    Looks like you have some work ahead of you regarding the mould making etc. Your work is so unique and as you say they would fit anywhere!

    Michelle :o)

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  3. Awesome! I too grew up watching the Smurfs. This little dwelling could be for gnomes, fairies, little animals. I think you have the start of something wonderful here. Good Luck making your mold.

    Victoria

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  4. This is Awesome! Your method with the windows is Inspired! VERY Clever! I think this will be very sweet when done!

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  5. Who knew that cardboard and duct tape and bolts could look so wonderful?!!!
    Very creative!
    Love it!

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  6. Love it...what fun it would be to fill one of these little cuties...

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  7. Certainly this will be another fantastic job!
    Hugs

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  8. I can picture it perfectly with the orange roof and white spots! Loved the Smurfs as a kid

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