This week saw the actual completion of one of the rooms in my 3-D Clue board. I give you…. (drum roll…)
The Study! The thing about such a project, it’s never really finished – finished. Like a book, you might think it’s done today, but the next time you walk past it, you will see something that can be tweaked or added.
For example, I decided the floor of this study needed a little rug. Did I mention I’m working in a 1:24 scale? That’s ½ the size of a typical dollhouse. It’s got to be this small so the board can fit on a small table. The scale was determined by the size of the wooden base I had on hand. So a typical dollhouse rug won’t fit. That’s when I found this cute little bookmark just sitting in a drawer. It’s made out of ribbon. It’s a little too long for the scale, so I’ve tweaked it a little with an iron, a fold, and some glue.
And voila! Everything a study needs… until I think of something else. (Oh yeah! A desk lamp! And what’s up with those books? Looks like the killer ransacked the place.) It’s a learning curve for me. I began with a little $15 kit of wood and paper bits that you have to assemble to make it begin to resemble the picture on the box. The person who created the kit for photography is masterful. Hats off to you! After assembly of the first piece, I quickly realized that mine probably won’t look exactly like the picture on the box. Rather, it looks more like the picture in my mind’s eye with eyes squinty and blurred.
The kit came with the wooden pieces for the chair, the desk, and a free-standing bookshelf. Well, the shelf went kind of wonky and the chair and desk didn’t match in color. So I broke out some black and green paint, then just kind of went off the rails with this very sweet, well-intentioned kit. I made a “built-in” bookshelf out of old tissue boxes, and that wonky wooden shelf? It’s the hutch on top of the desk.
I think that will be my strategy moving forward – start out following the rules, then just throw the confetti into the air and enjoy the two-seconds of wonder as it falls to the ground. I’ve tried your cute little kit and ended up with my fingers all glued together. How am I supposed to type with gluey fingers?
I’m on round 3 edits of the WIP this week, tweaking each line, re-checking continuity, consistency, etc. I think the rule is if you still like the scene after you’ve written it, re-written it twice, re-read it multiple times, and edited it 3+ times, it might be okay. Next week, I will, hopefully, be ready for the first printing. Yes, I will use a ream of paper to print out the whole manuscript. For whatever reason, it’s a different experience reading the manuscript in its physical (rather than electronic) form.
Maybe the same is true of building these minuscule, teeny tiny bits that look roughly like the picture on the box. It’s finished… only not. I’m sure I’ll think of something I can add just when I think it’s all done.
And next week? It was done in the HALL using a Candlestick by Mrs. White… I start the next room in my 3-D Clue board! (and I begin round four of edits – reading the printed copy of the manuscript.)
Until then, enjoy fall, y’all. Make some art. Read a book.
