Christmas in July!

So weeks upon weeks ago I mentioned that I was super excited about my plans for my friends for their Birithmas (Birthday and Christmas gifts combined).  (First Blog Mention of Friends' Birithmas Gifts)  I finally got certified to operate the laser cutter and was able to print out my designs!  So not only will my friends get their gifts, but I am making one of each for myself, AND later on this summer they will be available for sale in my store (Happily Ever After)!

I grabbed a pile of plywood and threw it in the van...

And after a morning at the laser cutter machine I left with my pile of cut wood:

So I had both roomboxes for my friends cut.  Now to assemble and decorate them!

My Texas friend is getting a New York Shop Window Roombox decorated for Christmas (based off of photos she took while on vacation in NY City last year with her mother).

Inspiration for one friend's gift: a New York Shop window decorated for Xmas

But, as is typical with me, I dream big.  Why settle for just one shop window when there are so many cool shops in New York?!?!  Hence the New York Shop Windows Roombox was born!  I designed it to have 3 sides of shop windows and the 4th flat side can be left against the wall while it is on display or you can attach it to a turn table and finish the 4th side off.  Here's how the roombox will be available for sale:

Left Side

Right Side

Here's how I finished off the various sides for my friend:

Large Shop Windows

 The two large shop windows on either side I just sprayed with textured stone fleck spray paint.  The interior dimensions are 6" deep by 12" wide by super high (14" tall I think it was).

In a Tiffany's Style Motif

Some Lawbre and Unique Miniature Appliques added interest and elegance to this blue and white painted shop.  I also think this side would look neat decorated for a Gucci shop or Coach hand bags!  Cakes or chocolates would work in those little windows too! The window openings are approximately 2" x 3" for the smaller side windows and the center window is 4" x 4-1/4".

Flat back wall

I bricked the flat back wall with the textured brick paper by World Miniatures distributed by Miniature Corner and I added broadway posters to the flat 4th wall side; you could also add graffiti or a clothes line or a faux door into a non-existent shop, etc.  I don't like all that blank space above the poster (yes, there is that decorative brick strip up there but overall it looks empty).  So I am thinking about adding a framed banner above the posters about 2" high by 8" wide that says "Now Playing On Broadway" just to fill up some of that space.  We'll see how much time and energy I have over the next few months!

I created the poster frames so that the broadway posters could be removeable/changed out because I picked random plays that I would be interested in, but my friend might have some "favorites" she'd rather display.  So if she ever wants to change them out she just pushes the plexi and poster up through the slot in the top of each poster frame:

Here's a video of the overall view of the roombox as I am finishing it for my friend: Video of Roombox.  It still needs it's electrical installed and I am finishing one of the large window shops to have the red velvet walls to match the photo that inspired it all.  Then Verde and some gold sparkle lions will go in that red velvet showcase.  My friend has silver knights and we've contacted Tish of Versailles Dolls to make us a doll similar to the one in the real life shop window.  I'll slowly decorate that shop window over the next few weeks when/if I have any time.  Maybe once the kids go back to school....

Now for my second friend!  She lives in Michigan and she is not a shopper (unless it's for minis or candy!).  So I didn't think she'd get excited by NYC shop windows.  She is a unique, spunky gal and I wanted something that would reflect her personality.  And when I saw these photos while surfing around the internet, I knew I had found my inspiration:

Main Inspiration for Other Friend's Gift

Works as a restaurant too!  Wonder if they serve sushi...

Love the coral reef out the windows

So I designed a "shark tank" roombox for her!  Since I started finishing the NYC roombox first, I have not had time to decorate the Shark Tank yet.  I only have it dry fitted together.  I will start playing, er, I mean, working on it in August!

Dry Fitted together

I was so excited about the "bubble" supports that I played with my own shark in the tank:

Swimming overhead

Passing by the large picture window at the end of the room

I don't know if my friend will turn this into a bedroom, a restaurant, or an underwater poker game room/bar.  But this design would also work as a room looking out onto a lunar landscape (or out onto any planet's or solar system landscape) or as an igloo room to stare at the northern lights like they have in Finland:

Go ahead and google "Finland hotel to view Northern Lights"!  It's pretty cool!

I am so excited about these roomboxes!  I hope you are too!