The making of Main Street

	The making of Main Street Once I had made these three large buildings, it occurred to me that they were taking up space just sitting around while I made new ones. It was time to stop making new ones and display the ones I already had. So I hauled out a six foot folding table from my basement, figuring the buildings would sit on it in my spare room. Well no way would all three of them fit. Not even a little bit. It quickly became obvious that the first house was way too big, so it wasn't going on the table. The other two fit, but not very well. it looked like the duplex and the shop/apartment building were going to need to be across the street from each other. But not on the same table! So up from the basement came another six foot table. I placed the tables side by side, put the shop/apartment building on one and the duplex on the other, facing each other. The space between them would be room for a road and sidewalks! Finally a layout that worked. I decided I needed a little diner of some sort if I was creating a whole street scene (since all that food would be fun to make), so Cheap Joe's Diner was born. I placed it right across the street from his duplex. I put down a foamcore sidewalk on both sides of the street, and a blacktop road down the middle. (The edge of the road in front of the duplex is where the two tables meet.) This was a good start, but it looked pretty boring. The street needed more stuff.

The making of Main Street

Once I had made these three large buildings, it occurred to me that they were taking up space just sitting around while I made new ones. It was time to stop making new ones and display the ones I already had. So I hauled out a six foot folding table from my basement, figuring the buildings would sit on it in my spare room. Well no way would all three of them fit. Not even a little bit. It quickly became obvious that the first house was way too big, so it wasn't going on the table. The other two fit, but not very well. it looked like the duplex and the shop/apartment building were going to need to be across the street from each other. But not on the same table!

So up from the basement came another six foot table. I placed the tables side by side, put the shop/apartment building on one and the duplex on the other, facing each other. The space between them would be room for a road and sidewalks! Finally a layout that worked. I decided I needed a little diner of some sort if I was creating a whole street scene (since all that food would be fun to make), so Cheap Joe's Diner was born. I placed it right across the street from his duplex.

I put down a foamcore sidewalk on both sides of the street, and a blacktop road down the middle. (The edge of the road in front of the duplex is where the two tables meet.) This was a good start, but it looked pretty boring. The street needed more stuff.

	The street needs something There was a big open space on half of the table that held the duplex. I debated about putting another building there, but decided it would be too hard to see the front of the shops/apartment if I did. Also, the wall at the ends of the tables needed something.

	A few trees helped a little I took the two big trees I made and put them in the big space. It helped a little, but still needed more. I added park benches and a little newstand. Better, but not right yet. I decided it was the blank wall at the end of the tables that was really bugging me. It stayed like this for several weeks.

	More buildings! After trying small trees, a fence, and even continuing the road in a faux painting up the wall, I realized I needed tall buildings to completely block the blank wall. There wasn't a lot of room to put a bunch of buildings, so I had to get creative. I quickly whipped up several tall narrow buildings of varying heights and widths to fill the space. This will work! They covered the whole wall, the entire width of both table ends. I finished the outsides of each, loaded up their display windows and they were ready to go in the little town. This was suddenly becoming a little town instead of just a street.

More buildings!

After trying small trees, a fence, and even continuing the road in a faux painting up the wall, I realized I needed tall buildings to completely block the blank wall. There wasn't a lot of room to put a bunch of buildings, so I had to get creative. I quickly whipped up several tall narrow buildings of varying heights and widths to fill the space. This will work! They covered the whole wall, the entire width of both table ends. I finished the outsides of each, loaded up their display windows and they were ready to go in the little town. This was suddenly becoming a little town instead of just a street.

	The perfect cover for the back wall These new buildings were just what the whole scene needed! They made it look more finished. Each of these new buildings were only two or three inches deep. Just fake building fronts actually, but that's all I needed.

	The office building and post office The office building was mostly hidden by the shop/apartment building, but it would hide the wall in photos even if it wasn't visible all the time. I made the mailbox to go in front of the post office too.

	The pet store is next Next to the office building, I made a little pet shop. Knowing I don't like making kittens and puppies, the store was named Fins & Scales so all I had to make was reptiles and fish. A light shining from the back makes it look like the shop is open for business.

	The kids looking in The pet shop window looked like it needed some people looking at the display, so I made a few little kids to be peeking inside.

	Upscale dress shop comes to town The next building I made into a ladies clothing shop, Lady Jane's on Main. I put mannequins in the window and loaded them up with silly clothing and accessories.

	The little bakery Finally I made a tiny bakery with the last faux building. It's small, but big enough for a window to display some yummy creations. This is the bakery Luigi works in. Some of the faux buildings ended up getting little building insides made separately, like roomboxes, so I'd have them for photos. Like the photos of Luigi with his shelves of bakery behind him.

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