The back wall of the Sea House Leadlights design studio is about utility and remembrance. There’s a water spigot and old brick patio remnant for transplanting yucca and succulents. A faded advertising poster from nearby attractions survives on the wall, as does a longhorn cow skull from ranch days.
(Details: Brick wall grouted with tinted spackling paste and aged with muddy gray acrylic wash. Garden tools by Sir Thomas Thumb. Terra cotta pot by Braxton Payne. Basswood siding stained with Minwax Classic Gray. Foundation made from styrofoam, detailed here. Cow skull is resin, aged with Winsor & Newton Promarkers. Boulders sculpted from air dry clay painted in several acrylic washes and sealed with ultra matte varnish. All succulents, yucca and other plants hand colored with W&N Promarkers. Many are prototypes; some available as kits at Modern Miniature Succulents + Sundries.)
A vintage collection of gnomic being fèves populates the succulent understory. I tried to match their colors with the foliage, as they prefer to blend in. This guy is far more camouflaged in the final build, rest assured.
(Details: I find my fèves here.)
And, no. Never say never, and never ever compromise your instincts. This is my younger granddaughter Ruby, when somebody told her NO. She is two years old, approaching three. Know your truth.
nancyland.com 
The joining of your surfaces fascinates me. Stone to wood to wood to brick to wood to wood to stone. Beautiful.
Thank you, Keli. I was thinking about geometries of texture and where edges meet. The stories our chosen decor tells. You know.
I’ll admit I don’t enjoy hearing the word No anymore than she does.
I really love how gnome’s head matches the flowers so perfectly.
Sheila, right?! Her expression so universally captures the outrage and resistance :)
As for the gnomes — mushroom related, I think — it seemed only right to offer them considerate cover. Some are still a wee bit exposed, but know that now I’ve got some post-deadline breathing room, I’ll custom-color and construct shrubbery straight away.
I always love all of your little extra touches. The spigot outside is cute and of course all the succulents and little gnome add to the authentic look of the scene.
And your granddaughter – what what isn’t cute about her? She’s adorable.
Thanks, Bennie! I’m totally partial, of course :)
My New Years resolution: Work on improving skills up to the level of Nancy.
Well. I never even thought about being a level. Only: what’s in my head and heart and what is the best way to articulate it? During this last build I did have a side thought about stylistic expression, about how we choose *how* to make things, and that personal expression is what is appealing or distinctive, much like a painter or illustrator… and some other stuff I have to think more about.
But, thank you Sherrill! Is a tremendous boost to hear that you’re inspired by what I’ve done. I look forward to the continued conversation.
Agree totally about articulating what is in ones head and heart, choosing how and personal expression.
Love the realistic, partially decorative and partially utilitarian look! I know how the gnomes feel. Just let me sit back and observe.
You can already see the wheels engaging behind Ruby’s eyes. Soon she’ll trade that indignant reaction for carefully crafted arguments. The smart ones teach us all sorts of things.
Thanks, Jodi. Life is like that —partly decorative, partly utilitarian, right? (If we are fortunate :)
As for the gnomes, I have to go back and look at the description, but I think they’re mushroom people. This guy is morel-related :)
And as for Ruby… well let’s just say she was fortunately born into the right family.