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teddy_radiatorYes, apparently it's World Tarot day, and to celebrate, you can give yourself a tarot name - whatever the hell that is. I am ostensibly The Princess of Hidden Forests - who are you??
In other news, we've started moving stuff back into the SteamLib gradually. I don't know why exactly it's taking us so long, but we seem to be going at a snail's pace. The drapery hardware is done, the curtain is washed and ironed, the coffee bean sack has been washed, ironed and trimmed of excess junk. The Victrola and both desks are in there, as well as two of the light fixtures. TheHubs™ says it looks like a turn of the century doctor's office. He's right.
One of the finds the other day when TheHubs™ went looking around in Dad's old shed was an old fasioned train case. It must be at least 50 or 60 years old - it's decrepit but has a certain bashed-about charm. The inside was just little more than dust and some old glue holding it together. I peeled all the old paper lining out and vacuumed it. But the outside was pretty much done for. I had some old 'hotel' decals (I think I must have got them from Past Times in the UK, so that tells you how long I've been dragging them around), so we decided to plaster this little case with the decals. It looked greate, except for the fact that they looked new, and nothing is going to make this case look new again except burning it down and rebuilding with the insurance money.
So we diluted some stain and brushed it on - it did pretty well. Here are the before and after pics. I wanted to put more stain on the sides, but TheHubs™ vetoed it. Probably a good thing, too; this case is predominantely cardboard sewn together with a couple of clasps and hinges holding the entire thing in shape. Getting it any wetter would probably cause it to disentigrate.
I'm trying to line the inside with some old leather-look vinyl I have but I'm not doing a very good job of it. Oh, well, you can't do everything well.
More query letters went out today. :::sigh::: I haven't heard anything since the first two rejection letters. No news is good news, right? No, it isn't. No news is no, full stop. Throws confetti - go me! :::bigger sigh:::
We're having a heckuva thunderstorm here this evening. The wind's really chucking the trees around; I think it's finally calmed down, but it was a long time coming. It was one of those storms you wake up knowing you're going to have.
In other news, we've started moving stuff back into the SteamLib gradually. I don't know why exactly it's taking us so long, but we seem to be going at a snail's pace. The drapery hardware is done, the curtain is washed and ironed, the coffee bean sack has been washed, ironed and trimmed of excess junk. The Victrola and both desks are in there, as well as two of the light fixtures. TheHubs™ says it looks like a turn of the century doctor's office. He's right.
One of the finds the other day when TheHubs™ went looking around in Dad's old shed was an old fasioned train case. It must be at least 50 or 60 years old - it's decrepit but has a certain bashed-about charm. The inside was just little more than dust and some old glue holding it together. I peeled all the old paper lining out and vacuumed it. But the outside was pretty much done for. I had some old 'hotel' decals (I think I must have got them from Past Times in the UK, so that tells you how long I've been dragging them around), so we decided to plaster this little case with the decals. It looked greate, except for the fact that they looked new, and nothing is going to make this case look new again except burning it down and rebuilding with the insurance money.
So we diluted some stain and brushed it on - it did pretty well. Here are the before and after pics. I wanted to put more stain on the sides, but TheHubs™ vetoed it. Probably a good thing, too; this case is predominantely cardboard sewn together with a couple of clasps and hinges holding the entire thing in shape. Getting it any wetter would probably cause it to disentigrate.
I'm trying to line the inside with some old leather-look vinyl I have but I'm not doing a very good job of it. Oh, well, you can't do everything well.
More query letters went out today. :::sigh::: I haven't heard anything since the first two rejection letters. No news is good news, right? No, it isn't. No news is no, full stop. Throws confetti - go me! :::bigger sigh:::
We're having a heckuva thunderstorm here this evening. The wind's really chucking the trees around; I think it's finally calmed down, but it was a long time coming. It was one of those storms you wake up knowing you're going to have.
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no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 01:31 am (UTC)The case looks good! Definitely looks better stained. You could try sealing it with some matte finish like Mod Podge if you are worried about it getting damaged; it might protect it a little.
no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 01:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 01:48 am (UTC)The Queen of Frozen Waters.
A lot of those things you won't hear from for weeks to months, so don't despair *hugs*
I love that trunk. I'd love to get an old steamer trunj and make something HP geeky from it.
no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 01:57 am (UTC)Our local thrift store had two huge trunks the other day - they were displayed outside on the sidewalk. This store tends to overcharge, though, so I can't say how much they would have charged. We found a doozy in the UK and redid it. I am very vexed we didn't bit the bullet and bring it with us.
no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 02:34 am (UTC)I don't know about the query letters. Is there a approximate amout of time it typically takes to hear back? Do you always hear either way, or is no news really bad news? Maybe you don't even know the answers to these things if you are new at this. I just know it will happen for you, but it is most frustrating playing the waiting game! Hang in there *said in remembrance of the poster of the cat hanging from a branch that graced the pages of every scholastic book pamphlet of my youth*
no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 03:17 am (UTC)There was a lady at con who redid old luggage in HP ways. You'd have loved it. I'll dig up her shop for you - it might give even more inspiration! Your thing is so nice.
no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 03:29 am (UTC)Don't fret too much about the lack of response, remember, even well know, published authors have been down this road. Persistence and not giving up (or letting despair overcome you for long) is the key to this one. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
*hugs*
no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 07:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 09:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 11:18 am (UTC)I have a really old steamer trunk that was used by a turn of the last century actress with the last name of "Mortlock" from The Billy the Kid Theater. She used to live in the house next door, and somehow my mom ended up with the trunk. If it wasn't so large and heavy, I'd send it off to you, but shipping fees would be stratospheric, it is so heavy. I have a smaller one of her trunks that I use as a coffee table/storage chest in my computer room. But the large one is even too big for a coffee table. I keep it on our enclosed porch, because I just don't know what to do with it; I'm trying to find it a good home.
--the Queen of Lost Waters
no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 01:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 01:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 01:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 01:21 pm (UTC)To be honest, as far as TheHubs™ is concerned, visiting you would be a great weekend road trip. You never know - I've been dying to visit, and this trunk may be just the impetus we need to come up to Manderley and spend a day or two with you.
no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 01:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 01:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-29 09:20 pm (UTC)