So here is a project I worked on that I'm about to complete, but first some back story.
A couple of years ago my now ex-girlfriend (spoiler alert) took me to San Francisco for my birthday. We were at Fisherman's Wharf and she saw some fairy doors that she really liked and hinted to me that I should get her one. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_Doors_of_Ann_Arbor,_MI) Well me being the confident yet delusional individual that I am, I told her, "Babycakes, I can make you one, a better one too." Her response was, "You always say you can do this or that but never follow through." "Well this time it's different woman!," I replied. "Give me a week, and you'll have your fairy door!" My memory is a bit hazy but I think that's how it all went down. So a week came and went, then a couple months went by and still no door. Oh the shame, she was right!
Now it was two years later and I still had no door to give her. She never brought it up, because I think she was use to me not following through on something like this on my own. ( In my defense, I don't intentionally put things off or make promises I don't intend to keep.) I'm an artist what do you expect, I have creative A.D.D or hobbies of the week, or... Anyway fast forward two years and we have here a fancy Fairy Door. Mission accomplished right? Wrong!
I wanted to surprise her and have it ready for Valentines day. I had two weekends to work on it and although that may seem like plenty of time it really wasn't. First off, the hobby store where I was getting all my supplies from was 40 min. away, they close at 6:00 on the weekdays and I get out at 6:30 and they were only open on Saturday on the weekend. Below you will read the time and effort I put into this thing as well as the reactions to the late gift.
Start of with you basic doll house door. I bought two doors and combined them into one. I liked the top of one and the frame from the other so this is the end result. She likes the Victorian look so that's what I was going for.
Sand it all down and prep it for paint.
The Stoop:
I made this from two large pieces of foam. This was the easiest but the messiest part. I started out with two separate blocks and clued them together. After that I had to seal them and make it water proof since this is going to be an outside fairy door.
Got to make sure it all matches and looks good.
Waiting for the paint to dry. This took forever because I used oil paints. Next time use acrylics, lesson learned.
Now the door. I originally wanted the fairy door to be a mini version of her house door, but her front door is a dark green and I thought it wouldn't stand out. Also Victorian era doors are normally red with a white frame.
Some assemble required:
It's Monday night before V-Day and I'm no where near done. The brick was bought as a large sheet of plastic that I had to cut. This part was frustrating because I used a jigsaw and as I cut the plastic was melting and coming together at the other end. I also ran out of bricks and there was no time to go and buy more. After the stoop seal dried I used textured spray paint to get the effect of pebbled cement. I glued it and let it set over night.
Tuesday: It's lunch time and we are suppose to meet up after work. I have time for some final details. I sanded the brick to give it a weathered look and I added the door knob and drilled in the knocker. There is still plenty that I have to work on, but times up.
I didn't get to finish it the way I wanted it to and I knew I could make it better if I had a little more time. The plan was to give this to her and consider it a work in progress. I would take it back and finish it within two weeks. I wanted to paint the bricks and add some grout. I also wanted to add a better backing since the current one warped.
Epilogue:
Well surprise one week later we broke up and all I have to show for it is a fairy door. Was it a waste of time? No, I was very fulfilling working on it and even though I'm not done with it I'm happy with how it turned out. Only thing is now I don't know what to do with the darn thing.
Here are my options.
1. I could finish it and send it to her since it was a gift and a promise to her, but just looking at it pisses me off, and it feels like a waste to work on something that will be given to someone that doesn't appreciate it. Who knows what she'll do with it if I send it to her anyway. She might get the package and upon seeing it, just hammer it into pieces ;)
2. I could finish it and sell it, but this thing cost me a lot of time and over $100 to make. I would have to sell it at a loss. nope!
3. I could not finish it and just use it as a door stop or a book end, but then I'll have that constant reminder of a not incomplete fairy door. That and I'll be known as that weirdo that likes fairy doors. LOL.
4. Lastly I could finish it go to Las Vegas and purchase an M-80 and blow it to kingdom come. I could film it and post it on youtube as a tale of caution, but that's just not my style.
Well those are my options, and your 2 cents are welcome.
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