Beginning the Walls!

Wow! It has been a very long time since my last post, but I have a good reason. Work! Schoolwork, miniature work, tutoring jobs, and more have kept me very busy. Just because I haven't blogged, however, doesn't mean I haven't made some great progress on my chateau. For this post I've decided to write about the paneling on the fireplace wall, first floor.

As I researched (googled imaged rococo detailing for hours on end) I kept thinking that I would never be able to find a trim from a store that would truly be rococo. This was made even more clear when I found some antique findings at a jewelry show that would fit perfectly on the walls. So, I decided to carve my very own trims for the paneling in the room! A little crazy, yes, but worth it, completely. The first thing I did was draw up some sketches that would tie in nicely with the findings.
After I found a design I liked, I began to block out the basic shapes in balsa wood with an Exacto knife. After that I started to sand, smooth, and add detail to the wood with my dremel (which I LOVE by the way!)

As for steps, that's pretty much it, but don't be tricked into thinking this is easy stuff. The carving takes a lot of patience at this small of a scale. My first trim took me about 4 hours, mostly because I was being very cautious and everything was new. Once I got used to the design and tools, however, I was finishing up trims in an hour!

• Here are all my trims! I am soooo proud of them, especially since they all look the same!

• This is what the panel will look like, plus some gold leafing of course.

So it turns out I was right, hand carved trims ended up looking absolutely amazing. If I had bought store bought trims it just wouldn't have been right. Plus, now that I know I can carve my own detailing, I think I'll start carving as much as I can!