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DIY Project #11, Part 2

5 Feb

I did not know what to expect from DIY project number 11 as it was different from all the others that I have completed. The set was smaller, and the materials different. Although I had a good momentum working on it in the early stages, it got stalled because I veered off to do gardening.

Eventually, I completed the set in under two weeks, an achievement of sorts given the circumstances. Towards the end, I customized a lot of things, deviating from what the box showed.

The thing that I am most proud of is the little BBQ grill pit. I gave it a more sturdy set of legs, a handle to hang the tongs, and a side tray. To add more realism, I added two fat chorizos and a baked potato on the grill! It was fun working on this piece.

Other items that had makeovers were the chair, table, and kettle. The chair was accidental because I cut the wrong wires to make the legs. As I did not want to waste the material, I improvised the chair. So it ended up looking like this instead.

What they should be and what they ended up being

I changed the table shape and material from the original, and this worked out well. I even changed the items on it, replacing the lantern with a tall glass of lemonade. The kettle had a minor change in the materials used.

In the end, I simplified the roof rack and put all the bags on there, and I chose not to install the lights in the camper van because I did not think it was necessary. So far, all the other completed DIY sets sitting in the Ikea display cabinet have yet to see any lighting action.

Sewing the curtain ends and making crease lines with an etching roller

I also did not install the plastic pieces on all the window panes and added hinges on the door. Having learned from my first DIY project number one, the bungalow, I decided to leave the plastic out. I had all the itty-bitties done up so painstakingly, only to have transparent plastic block a clear view of them when I tried to photograph the insides of the bungalow. So this time, the camper van interior is photographed better.

Details of the camper
The hinges are silver stickers

I felt putting hinges on the door was a good idea to open and close the door instead of having the door stuck in one position. It’s fun to play with this!

Overall, I am happy with the outcome of DIY project number 11. And with its completion, project number 12 is next to work on!

The Camper Van
My version of the Camper Van

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DIY Project #11

1 Feb

DIY project number 11 started right after number ten was completed. This set is very different from the others that I have done. It is a camper van! A very cute one too.

Project number 11, a camper van

The set is also different in terms of materials used. Typically, the DIY projects that I have worked on use wood, fabrics, wires, and paper. This one combines the usual and cardboard! The cardboard comes in two variations – an 800 gm (or thereabouts) white-based board and a 300 gm brown-based cardboard. Interesting.

Top: the various paper materials, bottom: comparing the thickness of the brown and white cardboards

So far, the project is coming along well. I decided to customize this set too. The main thing that received a makeover is the color of the van. The original pink color is now a turquoise blue. I think it looks fab. I am sure I will change a few more things along the way.

But the wiring work. Oh my goodness! So intricate and looks dreadful. I hope I can overcome this trepidation and get it right. We shall see.

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DIY Project #10, Part 2

25 Jan
Project #10

Last week, DIY project number ten was somewhat complete. But one cannot tell the difference if I did not say anything. In terms of decoration, I left some accessories out, and I did not glue everything down.

I like the idea of moving the furniture pieces around. There’s interaction involved rather than merely admiring the craftsmanship. I also did not complete a couple of canvases because I wanted to customize using my painting and art collection instead of the art pieces provided.

Canvases were intentionally left blank
These itty bitty art pieces were left out

However, with the MCO in place, customizing was out of the question. There was insufficient time to print (at the office) the pictures that I wanted to include as the home printer ran out of ink. That’s why I left the canvases blank. Well, when the opportunity presents itself, I will complete this final step.

Soon after I finished the set, I started on project number 11 the next day. And two days later, the latest online DIY purchases arrived! With so many DIY projects waiting for me, being restricted under the MCO is not that bad after all.

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Giddy Again, Part 2

22 Jan

Before I could finish DIY project number ten, I had a sudden itch to acquire more DIY sets. The stash of three unopened sets does not seem enough for me!

So what did I buy from my favorite online site? Well, I bought not one but two sets this time – an Oriental restaurant and a bookstore.

I certainly enjoy working on these types of DIY sets more compared to bedroom studios or house sets because there are fewer fabrics to deal with. Fabrics are not so fun to handle, at least for me.

Both parcels arrived yesterday, and I’m giddy again. So many sets to work on!

My latest purchases!

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MCO 2.0

15 Jan

We were all expecting it, another lockdown. True enough, on Monday, the announcement came that MCO (Movement Control Order) 2.0 will be enforced from January 13 to 16, 2021. However, not the whole nation will be under MCO, only states with a high number of positive Covid cases. And where I live, we are affected, and thus, we have to follow the MCO rules. States that are faring better will be under either the CMCO or RMCO phases.

This lockdown is inevitable as the public healthcare sector cannot cope already with the surge of positive cases in four-digits for several days now. During this MCO phase, SOPs are more strict going out and being out in public areas. If possible, don’t go out.

So for the next two weeks, golf outings are out of the question. Maybe this is for the best. I can rest and focus on DIY project number ten that has stalled.

Design work in the office picked up a little during the last two weeks. As such, I couldn’t devote too much of my time to my whimsical project because I was tired-out when I got home. But now, with this forced break and no golf, I can focus on it. Perhaps I can complete DIY project number ten before the two weeks are up? We shall see.

Coming along swell!

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DIY Project #10

11 Jan

With the dawn of the new year, DIY project number ten kicked in. It’s been 11 days already that I have been working on it, albeit slowly. After the big disappointment of project number nine, this was a welcome change. I am taking my time on this project because I want to customize certain things.

Project #10

I learned from my Facebook DIY group about customizing miniatures. These die-hard fans changed colors, materials, and props in all the projects that they did. Spurred by their creativity, I experimented on project number eight. But it was only a color change on the wall, nothing too elaborate or drastic. That was as far as I went, and no other changes or additions in terms of materials and props.

So this time, I want to push further to see how much I can customize. We shall see as I progress along for DIY project number ten!

Slowly but surely coming along!

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Problematic DIY Project #9

8 Jan

DIY project number nine was a big disappointment and not worth gushing about it. The instructions were incomplete and vague at times, and the text prints were so small, with no color contrast for readability when placed over a picture. It was a struggle to figure out what to do. I went through the motion to get it done and completed the project on the last day of the eventful 2020 year.

Project #9. Tiny red text over brown pictures is horrid.
Quite a challenge to align and glue at 90 degrees

I customized certain things and did not bother fixing up the lights because I felt so let down after the high of completing project number eight. Looking back, I’m glad I finished it quickly and took a few days off doing miniatures before starting on project number ten.

Model is different on box and instructions!
The completed project #9

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The Year That Wasn’t

1 Jan

Goodbye Year 2020! What a year it turned out to be. I felt that it was a year that wasn’t – in other words, we were, firstly, short-changed for nine months in our lives and secondly, didn’t turn out so great as many envisioned it would be.

Before reaching this nice number, people, myself included, thought it would be a spectacular year. But alas, how wrong we all were. The Covid-19 pandemic created so much havoc in the world. And everything is never the same again.

Gone are the closeness and freedom that we took for granted with our movement with friends, society in general, and places we visit; in place, it is now constant caution, fear to a certain degree, and restriction.

For me, I felt my 2020 was just three months only, the first quarter of the year. After we went into lockdown in March, the next nine months, day-in, day-out felt like deja-vu. A new routine was born, and old habits had to give way because we had to learn to adjust to the new normal. Thank goodness we didn’t go crazy with cabin fever, and instead, discovered ourselves in many other aspects.

I learned to appreciate my friends, the home, and family more. Although work at the office took a beating to practically zero design work in March and April, it did not dampen our spirits. M2 came back from Ireland and had an extended six-month summer break. M1 stayed put, and we talked every morning to keep her company.

The new normal made both of us manage our time better to be more productive in other things. Hubby learned to bake, an unthinkable endeavor in all the years that I have known him, and I brushed up my cooking skills to widen the variety in our meals because eating out was not an option.

I also picked up a new hobby to keep myself busy after my Meranti wood supply for carving depleted by May. From June onwards, I started working on DIY miniature sets, and have completed nine DIY sets thus far in a spate of six months.

Another good thing that came out of this situation was my golf game, which improved tremendously. With downtime in the office, I was playing more golf than ever. After the lockdown eased, and golf was allowed because it is an outdoor activity, I was golfing up to four times a week! So maybe the year wasn’t that bad after all on the personal front despite being in deja-vu mode.

As 2020 is behind us now, it does not mean the pandemic is over. Far from it, in fact. We should remain vigilant, put on our masks whenever we are in public areas, and keep a one-meter distance apart to be safe.

A toast to a better year ahead – may 2021 bring better fortune and goodness for everyone. Happy New Year, and stay safe wherever you are!

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The Biggest DIY Set, Part 2

29 Dec

The IKEA display cabinet, the enormous DIY set, was finally set up on Christmas morning. It was a messy affair, far worse than Christmas present papers strewn all over the floor upon unwrapping. Thank goodness the living room floor space is large, and even then, the torn boxes covered the floor space.

We had to rip the box to get the things out

I must say the cabinet looks good with all my DIY projects proudly on display. Unfortunately, the space is limited, and I had to place some miniature sets back-to-back. And at the rate that I am making all these miniatures, one display cabinet is not enough!

I may have to buy another cabinet because project number five is left sitting on top, and I am currently working on project number nine. The display cabinet has no more space to fit anymore inside.

All my small DIYs inside the big DIY piece

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An Excellent Piece

28 Dec

DIY project number eight is a wrap! I must say it is an excellent piece in terms of looks, quality, and enjoyment level. I completed the project on Christmas Eve morning.

The chandelier piece stalled me towards the end of the project. From piecing it together and then installing it, it was an unexpected problem.

At the start, I kept checking the lights and wiring to ensure all the lights and connections were working. I decided to bypass two steps because an elaborate chandelier is never easy. I did not use the rubber hose for the center light. Instead, I used a black Sharpie to camouflage the white and yellow wires. I also did not clamp the three lights to the center light, leaving them protruding outwards more. I thought it looked better.

However, after gluing the chandelier to the ceiling, one of the lights did not work. I was horrified and almost in tears! All that hard work and effort to make sure the lighting and wires were okay, this happened – a day before Christmas Eve.

Painfully, I had no choice but to rip out the chandelier to trace where the problem was. Thankfully I found it. One of the connections of the light inside the rubber hose was loose!

I managed to resolve the issue and brought DIY project number eight to the Christmas Eve dinner for a proud Show and Tell session.

The very impressive DIY project #8

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