This little cottage looks a lot better than these pictures indicate. I was having problems with the light on the day I took them.

This little half-cottage is half-inch scale, where one foot equals twenty-four inches. It was made in a Bill Lankford catch-up workshop at The Little Shoppe in Lubbock, TX. At the time, most of the people in Norma's tiny workroom (she has since moved to a different location) were working on different things. As he helped us, Bill was also working that day on a prototype for a Southwest church facade. It was an invaluable experience, because not only did he show me what to do to make my cottage, I was also able to watch the others working on various things, and, most importantly, observe his creative process, and I loved it.

The wooden cottage shell was already glued to the base; chimney, windows, door, wood stripping, bricks for steps and landscaping materials were provided.

The thatching was made of patching compound, or spackle, from a big bucket. He showed me how to use a putty knife to glop it in place and distribute it, making sure to have a natural look at the overhang. Then I literally combed it with one of those cheapie large-toothed combs, like those found at the Dollar stores.

This was the stage of construction at the end of the day. In this photo it is still lacking the color washes to give it an aged, natural look, as well as the door, front steps, etc..

This is the left side of the cottage. It looks uneven because it didn't fit exactly on I the turntable I was using to rotate it for picture-taking.

In retrospect, I wish I hadn't added the dried materials because a few have faded somewhat and I might have used other flowers instead. However, he provided the materials and offered some valuable suggestions about landscaping, and I can always add or remove things later. I will deal with that after I've established a color scheme for the interior and furnished it.

This is the interior. Notice I got some "thatch" on the base; will need to clean that up later, as well as touch up the other wood. I'd like to remove that flat piece and make a loft upstairs. The chimney needs more done to it, too.

We smoothed on more spackle to make the stucco walls. We took the long strips of stained wood and just held them up against the wall, eyeballed them for fit, and cut them with a heavy-duty scissors. We pressed them into place in the stucco, being sure that they were even at the top and that they were imbedded slightly for a natural look. Bill pointed out that any irregularities at the bottom would be taken care of when we applied the floors and baseboards.

The door hasn't been added yet, nor have the brick stoop and steps. Some smears of "thatch" on the wall will have to be dealt with, too.

Notice how the little cottage is placed; aesthetically it is more pleasing to place an object at an angle on its base, rather than lined up straight with the edges.

This was unfinished because for a long time I still hadn't figured out who lives there.

Now I know who lives in that little cottage; it's Mother Goose. And I already have written the story about my visit to have tea with her on one of her Court Days (See Mother Goose Holds Court, coming soon in Fantasy pages).

Oh, you didn't realize she held Court? Well, somebody has to keep control of things in The State of High Dudgeon....

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