Sugarplum Cottage to Monarch Cottage 02

 The main body of the cottage has been glued, and a bay window and chimney have been added to either end. 

The chimney is just a flat piece of wood added to one end. The two little slots near the top are where parts of the main roof will attach.

The bay window is on the other end piece. The base of the bay is glued. The roof is fitted but not glued. Another step has to happen before it is attached.

The kit comes with white cardboard "timbers". I had in mind to paint them a dark brown and fill the background with brick and/or stucco made from Spackle. I got to thinking that the paint may cause warping and would look tacky without a lot of detailing, so I went with Plan B.

I ordered a roll of weathered wood Contact paper from Amazon. Not only will it give the illusion of vintage timbers, but it will also strengthen the cardboard cutouts. 

These are the "timbers". They are punched out and ready to be laminated with the Contact Paper.

This is a sample of the distressed wood Contact Paper. 

While I wait for the Contact Paper to arrive, I will think about how to fill in the spaces between the timbers. Some near the top may be plain stucco painted white, while some near the middle may be brick, and the foundation area may be stone made from cardboard egg cartons. 

(Yes, I brought a stash of empty egg cartons with me when I moved. One never knows what one may need when a new project is launched.)

Using all three finishes may be a bit fussy for this tiny cottage. One advantage of working small is that the design can be modified or scrapped completely without a lot of effort.

I am also thinking about the roof. What do the kit and the butterflies want -- the shingles that came with the kit? Simply paint it or maybe use some sage green felt that came with me as packing material to resemble the green roof of an Irish cottage? Or work out some kind of thatching? This is the point where I hope the cottage will talk to me. I need to know what it wants.