good morning...

yes...another project...and, yes...i'm really enjoying being retired and having the time to devote to my hobby...

here's a link to the page with a history of the "hacienda" category...and where i found the picture of the inspiration house...

you'll have to scroll down the page until you find "HACIENDAS" The Fourth Period: 1935-WWII

http://www.cardboardchristmas.com/papat ... enage.html

it's going to be fun duplicating the stucco finish with all the colors...note...my version is probably smaller than the original...

my very best regards...howard...

good afternoon...

i made some progress today on the hacienda, base and fence...the primer, stucco and colors are next...

the primer and stucco are pretty straight forward...it's the application of bright colors i'll have to experiment with...

the base measures approximately 4 3/4" x 6 3/4" x 3/4" thick...total height (including base) is about 4 1/2"...

my very best regards...howard...

good afternoon to all...

making progress...the house and base still need a couple more coats of white...these will level out the texture somewhat...

i've made the window panels...they've all been test fitted...the door is a "PWD-1"...

the two luffah bushes are finished...i'll shorten the mounting stems when i glue in place...

probably have to do some "pruning" of the green to get a good fit...

the blue painter's tape you see on the base will be removed when the house is glued in place...

i think there will be a vintage look santa figurine on the front walk...my fingers are crossed...

i consulted our friend, tom hull, regarding the stucco finish and coloring technique...i thank him for the help...

my very best regards...howard...

Looking very good. Love the luffas, too.

This looks wonderful!! I have to agree you do a great job making your luffa trees. How do you make your stucco? I used Martha Stewart’s stucco, it comes in a jar ready to use. I used this on my Irish cottage. Today I was playing around with mixing paint with rice flour. This mixture looks like it may be good for snow, but neither of these looks like yours. I can’t wait to see how you paint this beauty! Thanks

I am enjoying your retirement as well, Howard. Your ability to get projects completed is amazing. How did you ever find time for work?

Here's a wild thought, hopefully appropriate for the board. Wonder if any of your local schools could offer you a few sessions with art students so that they might learn from your creativity? I think most school kids now have never seen a putz house. Showing them originals, recreations, and in-progress structures could give them different insight into how things are created. And even for those who don't necessarily care for little cardboard houses, additional perspectives are always valuable. Very valuable.

good afternoon...

here's the 1 1/2" tall Father Christmas figurine i was fortunate enough to obtain a while back...i did do a little gentle sculpting to accentuate a few of the details like mittens, sleeves, etc...i still have to do a little touch up painting...and will probably add a very subtle glaze to age him a little...and then spray on a clear satin finish...

my very best regards...howard...

Howard, I second DCrowe's "wild thought" paragraph. Giving some young folks exposure to your "little glitter houses" is a terrific idea!!!!!!

Good evening…

Here are two pix of the finished "hacienda"…it’s not an exact copy of the vintage house I used for inspiration…but it is close…

The colors were done with “watercolor pencils”…not how the originals were done I‘m sure…but this way worked for me…here is a link to the technique…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRVkG6Hh ... ata_player

When and if I make another "hacienda" there will be less texture to the finish and I’ll probably paint the entire house and fence with a very light off-white/cream/ivory…

I did add a very thin brown glaze wash to “age” the figurine…plus a coat of clear sealer…

My very best regards…

Howard…

Wow!!, Awesome again!!