Cardboard Christmas

good morning...

i've used this classic putz design and pattern before...but always with glitter and mica...it's one of my favorite little houses...3 1/2" x 5 1/2" x 3/4" thick base...4 1/2" tall including base...i'm stuck in the primary color mode right now...but hope to recover soon...i'm starting to think i may make a brick "printie" version soon...but more about that later...

here's what i have learned about making coconut...

1. it is work...it creates a lot of dust...it is work...it creates a lot of dust...

2. my chop and sift is still way too coarse...

3. my "white" is "soft white"...not a "snow white"...

4. dyeing is an art and a science...matching colors (like pete does) is even more of an art and science...plus a little magic...

5. it is work...it creates a lot of dust...it is work...it creates a lot of dust...

my very best regards...howard...

AWESOME first outing with the coco finish! It looks warm and fuzzy which is my favorite part of coco. Your white looks GREAT in the photo. I still believe we need to find the perfect chopper....if such thing exists... Looks like your blue came out pretty good too!

Nice

BrianB wrote:AWESOME first outing with the coco finish! It looks warm and fuzzy which is my favorite part of coco. Your white looks GREAT in the photo. I still believe we need to find the perfect chopper....if such thing exists... Looks like your blue came out pretty good too!

brian...

regarding the "white" coconut...i did paint the base and snow details on the porch and roof with valspar brand "ultra-white paint"...it's the brightest white paint you have ever seen...

regarding the "perfect chopper"...oh, i'm sure there is one...probably something commercial grade...but i suspect it would cost quite a bit...i'm going to have to stick with the ninja i bought...but am looking to replace my coffee bean grinder with a larger capacity blender...i have also been thinking there has got to be a way to keep the whirl wind of straw closer to the blades in the blender...some sort of simple closed end cylinder that's attached to the lid of the blender...

howard

I have used Valspar before for rooms in my house, will have to check out their white.

That's an interesting idea about keeping the whirlwind straw closer to the blades. My blender has a hole in the lid that I could attach something to....might have to go get inventive here....

Hope you're having a great Sunday!
-Brian

Looks great! I agree with Brian about the "warm and fuzzy" look. Did you also prepaint the building where the other colors would go? They look very solid and consistent.

paulrace wrote:Looks great! I agree with Brian about the "warm and fuzzy" look. Did you also prepaint the building where the other colors would go? They look very solid and consistent.

paul...i followed a tip brian posted a while back...the painted color under the coconut is lighter than the color of the coconut...such a simple thing to do...i like the way it works, too...

howard...

Hi Howard,

This is such a sweet little house and your coconut came out really nice!! I love how the blue coconut matches the blue in the door. Can I send you a swifter duster?

Howard wrote:

paulrace wrote:Looks great! I agree with Brian about the "warm and fuzzy" look. Did you also prepaint the building where the other colors would go? They look very solid and consistent.

paul...i followed a tip brian posted a while back...the painted color under the coconut is lighter than the color of the coconut...such a simple thing to do...i like the way it works, too...

howard...

Painting the background of the coconut a lighter shade (often MUCH lighter) is authentic too as that is what the Japanese did. Obviously for a reason. tkh