Diorama Decisions (long post)

If you’ve read my blog in the past you’ll know the Friday Monologues are a way of keeping my hand in the photostory hobby despite having to give up more space & area what with getting the house prepped for market etc.

The whole concept behind the FMs was that I was going to do photostories only using that roomset.  A tall order when you consider that the room is pretty small (as they go for 1:6). Buuuuuuuut that’s not what’s really giving me a hard time.

What is?

It’s the constraints that I feel are placed on me by using it.

I feel limited. Trapped, maybe.  Stymied. 

Don’t get me wrong–The Friday Monologues are good. When I do them I learn something about all my characters that I didn’t know before.  The problem is that I’m getting bored of the same roomset, the same props & the one person only deal that goes along with them.  The thing is I don’t find shooting in the livingroom set all that interesting.  I can only do so many interviews & then what? I can’t really see many photostories that I can revolve around it (with my cast & their personalities).

I know, I know.  I shouldn’t be so fussy. So needy.

What do I want?

I want to make the cafe/coffee shop that I’ve put on hold for the last 4 years. Oh, no, I won’t be making the Mocha Loca cafe (that really will be a special set and I’m not going to do it just to have to leave it behind). But I want to make a coffee shop/ cafe where I can have just about everybody & anybody from my cast come in and have stuff going on.  Because thinking about it — that’s one of the things I really like is when there’s more in the scene than just the main characters. “bustling” or “alive” backgrounds.

(this isn’t a good example, but you sort of can see what I mean–the idea that there’s more going on than just what’s up with the main character)

Neve in the old Cafe roomset

But another roomset?

The house needs the space more than my roomsets do….

Does it? Does it realllllllly? :getlost:

I was thinking about this a lot this week and I don’t think so.

The fact is my mental health is more important.  If it comes to it, at least a new roomset (which really just means 4 walls, nothing more) won’t be taking up any extra room. Hell, I have the supplies for it in the hallway and with a little tweaking some of the orphaned walls could be cut down and used. Everything (furniture-wise) for a new roomset could fit into 2 of the paper boxes.

So I’m going to do this. And I’m going to do it fast.

How?

• I’m going to use whatever furniture I have on hand. While it may not be the best or exactly what I’d like to use/have it’s here. No additional cost to it. (cheap is best!!) It’s times like this that I’m glad I tend to hoard my doll stuff. Yea I might never use it—but in instances like this it pays off!
  • I have enough of the barbie table & chair sets put aside to use for this. They all need to be primed & painted.
  • The counters will come from some of my spare Sindy furniture. After all, I think one retro-esque kitchen (the green one) is more than enough.  It will make for good donor bases. The other counter part is from Re-ment.
  • Part of the front counter will be from barbie furniture. I’ll need to build a flip-top to one side of it (so staff can get in and out from the counter area) but that’s not going to be too hard. I also need to cover all of it & thenn give it (and the sindy stuff) paint. I want to do faux wood so we’ll see.
• Cannibalize “orphan” walls/set parts. Primarily the “two doorway” wall that was originally made to use for the student lounge set.  I don’t forsee doing anything with it otherwise, and it can provide me with 2 door frames.
  • That means 2 doors need to be made. The one leading to the backroom/kitchen area will be bare bones basic & the “front” entrance door will be as simple as possible without causing me too much fuss about outside scenery issues.
  • re-use the arched doorway frame from the retro kitchen set (nice that it’s removable) and use it for a bathroom doorway.
  • this will fit on the same set base that August’s, Yseult’s living-rooms & Imogen’s bedroom fit on.
• Beg, plead & poke Mark to help me by making the doors & window.

Anyway, I’m not talking about anything complicated.

I want this done, up and running within a two week period. (I figure I’ll give myself the extra time since the weather may or may not be good for spray painting & painting the roomset walls).

To see if my idea (and the furniture on hand) would work:

EDIT: ok, since I wrote this last night Mark’s agreed to do the window & doors! But HE but thought the  set looked dull & said there should be some wall alcoves…. :w00t:  So I’m ok with that! We agreed that we’d put them on the side (and I’d stick a payphone in one & a business phone in the other). There’ll be a cutout in the back wall also, which is going to hold an inset shelf.) So much for keeping it freakin simple. But whatever!

The only thing I left off of it in the photos is the fact that I will need to make a partial sidewalk/outside area for when characters are stepping in and out of the cafe. That should be simple enough.

This is vaguely how it’ll look (vaguely. I can’t wrap my head completley around this program)

So… there you have it. Not the ideal Coffee shop /Cafe set up but I think it’ll work. And for the bathroom hallway I’m going to hang a curtain behind it. I mean how often will I need to show anyone in there? Going there–yea, but in it? nah. 

I’ll update as I work on it & whatnot.  I’m already looking forward to using it for some photostories! :silly: