MerrieBunnie Gets a Craft Room

As I walked by  my display dome the other day, I heard a tiny voice, "Psst".  I stop and lean in and sure enough MerrieBunnie was trying to get my attention.  I lifted the dome and said , "Hi, what's up?"

Mb: "Well, that is what I wanted to ask you. Why haven't you been at your work desk much this week?"

Me:  "I'm on vacation."

Mb: "But you are here and not off somewhere?"

Me: "Well, that's because I took vacation so I could enjoy the Online House Party."

Mb: "What's an online house party? I don't see any party going on here."

Me: "No, that's because it's online.  I've been in chat all morning."

Mb: "Oh, so what are you working on lately? Anything I might like?"

Me: "Well, actually, now that you mention it, yes, there might be."

Mb: With eyes lighting up "Oh really?"

Me: "Yes, why don't you come for a look,"  picking up MerriBunnie.  "I am putting together the Thursday Night project for the HP that I purchased separately.  TNP for short."

MB: After setting her near the project, "Oh my!  I can hardly stand the thought of it!  I love it! Can I really get to live here?"

Me: "Sure.  What do you think of the wallpaper?"

MB: "They are my favorite colors."

Me: "Are you ok with that lavender window?  A fellow HP attendee said I should go with that over white."

MB:  "Oh my, yes.  I think it looks splendid with the wallpaper. Where did the wallpaper come from?"

Me: "I had it in my stash, along with the flooring and the brick paper that I used for the outside."

MB: "Wait, there is an outside too?"

Me: "Yes, see it has this nook that I am going to add a garden too."

MB: "Wow, this is a really neat project.  What goes inside the room?"

Me: "Well as a registered attendee to the HP, I received several items as souvenirs, including a desk kit, a chair, a laptop and a plant. Plus, I participated in a swap and some of those items will be included in the room as well."

MB: "What about the outside, did you get items for it as well?"

ME: "No, but I have items from previous conventions and swaps that will likely fit."

MB:  "I am so excited.  I can hardly wait until you finish it and I can move in."

Me"  "Yes, I am really enjoying this project.  Give me a few more days and it will be ready."

MB: "Tell me more about this online HP? How are you here and there too?"

ME: "Well, being online means that some things like tables are virtual.  Many other things like the sales room are real - well the dealers are real - the room is not.  As matter of fact, while I was in chat, I was also sneaking off to the dealers tables or websites. "

MB:  "This is interesting.  So what did you buy?"

Me:  "Some rabbit things, some molds to make food, and Logan helped me buy a gypsy wagon kit."

MB: "Logan, your kitty - that mean monster?  How did he buy things?"

Me: "Yes, Logan.  I understand why would call him a mean monster - he is quite large too you.  Not to mention that whole knocking things down off the counter where you were staying these past few years."

MB: "So how did he buy something for you?  He doesn't usually use your computer, right?"

ME: "Well, not that I have known of before.  But today, he put his paws on the keyboard and went to ordering things. My hubby saw.  I pointed it out to him so he would be sure to notice it. He has very nice taste."

MB:  "Ok, if you say so.  Just keep him away from me.  I don't want to get chewed on by him.  I am sure he would ruin my nice dress."

Me: "Yes, I think he would.  So I will be sure to use a case when the project is finished.  It also keeps the dust out.  However I do have to go get one - ah a trip to the hobby store."

MB: "Wait how do you chat with people if they aren't here either?"

Me: "In an online chat room - which just means you type your posts to each other.  This chat has been really fun.  People generally add their location to their id in a mini chat room.  For the costume party part of the banquet, I even changed mine to reflect my costume for a while."

MB: "What do you do at a HP?"

Me: "Browse the roundtables when they get posted for one - I didn't purchase any - maybe because Logan wasn't around to help."

MB: "Well I can see that you didn't need any roundtables you have plenty of tables set up in here to work on."

Me:  "Opps! I forgot to explain what that is - which is a small kit that's usually put together at a round table.  At an online one you just get to see the pictures and then order them from the dealers."

MB: "What else is different from an online HP and a real one?"

Me:  "Well, since I have never been to a real HP, only been to shows and Fun Day events, I can just tell what I have heard, that there are HP Helpers, Auctions, Exhibits, Centerpieces, Workshops and more.   The online HP had all those just in a different format.  The helpers, auction items, exhibits, centerpieces were all via pictures.  But there was a chance to win a centerpiece at each table.  I didn't win one though.  Workshops happened a few months ago - the ordering anyway.  But I did get a first timers gift as this was considered my first NAME HP.  Another thing a real one has is meals - at an online one we just get pictures and we travel to different places for each one - virtually of course.

Oh and I was also on the committee - Home Improvement Seminars Chair."

MB: "What is a Home Improvement Seminar?"

Me: "A presentation on how to improve the home - in this case the mini home.  Mine was on 'Organizing Swaps' which I have a lot of,"  pointing over the swap boxes stacked up.

MB: "One more thing - you said you worked on this TNP at the same time as being in the chat room - how did you do that?"

Me: "Between typing of course, but I also tend to get quiet when I work.  Although sometimes I share what I am doing with the others and have them give suggestions or inquire how they did something in theirs if they have said they had been working on it. I am about to put the desk together - want to help?"

MB:  "I would love to!"

Me: "Hold this while I get the glue…."

MerrieBunnie and I just finished putting the project together and she is just pleased as punch to have her new place to live.  Here it is

 The desk was a souvenir kit that had to be put together.  The chair, laptop and plant were also souvenirs.  In the totefavors I received the clock on the wall and the poster 'I heart minis'.

The shelf above the desk was a kit by Pam Junk I had in my swaps.  The typewriter is a metal mini that I painted.  The red poster was printed from an image on the internet.

The garden bench was signed VH, a swap from a previous online convention.  The bunny flag and hanging plant were also swaps and I don't have the name for the makers either.

More pictures can be found on my Picture Trail album here.

The TNP was a fabulous companion piece for our souvenirs.  I was really glad to have purchased it.  It was very clever in that the walls were able to be laid out in different ways.  I really liked one of the examples that had this layout and also a window so I did add a window.  I selected my window (Grandtline) and then cut the opening using a cut-off wheel in my dremel tool.
I added wood trim to the top and also around the window exterior.  

MerrieBunnie and her cousin BunnieAnn were made by Bev Corder.  In the display dome is also several other lovely characters that she made and I got at a miniature show in Atlanta.  You can see the room I made for BunnieAnn here.