Behind the Scene

2/19/2020

Just a few photos of recent photo set-ups.....

First, outside the Bake Shop, looking in....

...and the Castle interior....

Audrey K

2/19/2020 04:03:46 pm

Always a wonderful experience to see, and read, your blog!

Martha

2/20/2020 07:12:46 am

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoy it.

Jay

2/19/2020 07:12:35 pm

I really love seeing these, Martha. I like to do indoor photo setups as well. Are the back "walls" something Jan constructed? And did you paint the castle interior to look like stone? I'm guessing Jan made the "window" for the bakery. Is it braced or does it stand on its own because of the angles? Sorry for all the questions. The props you've made and gathered are amazing!!! Love the fireplace.

Martha

2/20/2020 07:25:53 am

The back walls in both scenes are pairs of full sheets of foam core hinged to a half sheet, so they stand on their own. The only problem with foam core is that it warps when you paint it, so you have to paint the back as well to help straighten it.

The walls in the first photo were made for the Victorian rooms, and are papered with scrapbooking papers.

The castle walls were under-painted with a darker gray, then stamped with different sizes of sponges dipped in a mix of different colours of paint to create the 'stonework'. The three pillars are styrofoam with skulls on top. They are halloween decorations I picked up at the thrift shop. I painted them to match the walls, and placed them with the skulls facing away for inside the castle.

The 'window' wall was made from an old folding screen with a paper backing we picked up at the thrift shop. Jan cut off a section, removed the backing, and built it into a wooden 'wall'. It has a thin acrylic 'glass', and triangular supports at the bottom of both ends. You can see them if you look closer. It's rather heavy, and only finished on one side, so needs to be turned around if it's going to show inside the 'room'.

Jan made the fireplace a couple of years ago. He did the wood work and I painted it. It works well as part of many different settings.

Jay

2/22/2020 11:03:19 pm

Thanks so much for explaining all that! You have such an amazing eye, a great builder with Jan, and a fantastic imagination for re-inventing things. Plus, you must have killer thrift stores! I rarely find anything good in mine.

Martha

2/23/2020 07:32:52 am

We only go to the one Value Village in our town once week on Senior's Day, and occasionally the one in the next town over, and almost always come out with something. One could easily stock an entire booth at a doll show with all the items I see there, but mostly pass on.

Donna

2/20/2020 10:57:39 am

Your "Behind the Scenes" photos are as fascinating as the stories you create with them! Thanks for sharing what goes into the pictures we all enjoy so much.

Dorothy

2/23/2020 10:29:04 pm

I am smiling ear-to-ear! Thanks for sharing these "how-I-did-it photos."
I always love seeing them.

designdreamer

8/21/2022 10:01:30 pm

I also appreciate the behind the scenes looks, and the "how-to" and agree with Jay that you must have Killer thrift stores. I get all excited to go to local ones, and am always disappointed once I get there. As I've mentioned in a comment previously, there IS a couple of Value Villages on the other side of the valley (Phoenix) that I want to check out, so we'll see. I'm fascinated that you seem to find the gorgeous saris that you do. Are there a lot of Indian people in Toronto?

Martha

8/22/2022 07:05:30 am

I don't find something every time. We make a point of going only once a week - to ONE Value Village. And yes, there are a lot of Indian people in our area. There's almost always saris of some kind, and I'm learning to ignore them, knowing I'll never get around to making anything out of them.

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