Belated Christmas Greetings

Merry Christmas to all my friends, although it's a little late. Christmas was hectic and I'm relieved we're on to a New Year. Our first project is the smallest kitchen in the "Red Room," as Brittany calls it. It will be exciting to have it completed for our guests. Then there's taking down and storing all the wonderful Christmas decorations... Next - Valentines? What do you think to Party or not?

Christkindlmarket

New Look

Having a river at the base of the hill is a blessing for putting in road base and parking lots. River rock though irregular form a solid foundation after it is pounded in. Bob like a little boy enjoys the excavation of the new parking lot which will house guests at the castle.

How lucky to live when excavators, tractors, dump trailers and all the modern tools make work so much easier for one single man.

Can you see Abby on the lawn between crenelations?

Autumn Games

Fall is such a magical time! The leaf color the skyline in brilliant shades of autumn. These are some of my favorite palettes to take color schemes from, for clothing as well as room designs.

Always look to nature for a clue of what colors work so perfectly together.

Bob has finished the spiral stairway in the west turret. Yippee!

We will have Castle games for Halloween Oct 29th from 12 noon to 4 PM for children (must be accompanied by an adult). Come shoot arrows at targets, the trebuchets at the castle, spear a lance through rings, Walk a beam, for the Princess play croquette or badminton... then glue together masks and add your own details. One dollar per ticket per game! Tours of the castle, only $5 per person for this special holiday with children.

Cut Rock Stucco

Brittany is admiring the finished work!

It does make it look so much better. When mixing this stucco product make it like a very firm frosting consistency, then when you apply it with the trowel start at the top of the surface you're working on but move the trowel from below to upwards, then smooth it and fill spaces. Before dry add veining. and smooth keeping the trowel almost flat against the surface. This creates a very realistic vein.

Persevere

Destiny and JC's wedding today! I believe this will get easier the more we do each wedding, especially when the building process (at least of this building) is finished.
There is a strain I think we all feel that work hard. It is,will we get it done? The point is to persevere each and every day. To do just a little and from that little comes a larger work. A work we can look back on and say, wow, with the help of the Lord, we were able to do that!. So good luck in all your small endeavors, which add up to a larger whole.

Stucco Finish

Little by little we are getting the stucco finished on the castle, the back side of the arches is now complete as well as the side walls and dormers. The back turret is almost complete with just 3 more dormers to complete, then on to the back wall.

After applying this fibrous stucco and smoothing it, just before it dries, there is a narrow window in which you can put on the veining. Then you must smear and blend it in to a look of real rock.

It dries quickly so you must work very fast, 2 bags takes a little less than 2 hours to put on for 2 people. Don't be too picky and remember rocks have varying textures and veins.