Image Description: A pastel purple background. Black font that says “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” By Ronald Reagan
Reporting back about the progress of the tiny art library and there is tons of good stuff to share!
In finding an old cabinet off of Facebook Marketplace to use as the main body of the tiny art library, all that was left to build was a roof. So! I set off to The Free Fernie page on facebook to see what kind of roofing materials the community had kicking around and man did they deliver!
I had offers for free roofing supplies from roofing companies, some community members with personal roofing leftovers that they offered to donate, and also one person who offered to hand cut cedar shingles into the exact shape, look, and dimensions that I wanted! 😍
It was pretty hard to deny the offer of hand-cut cedar shingles, so I took a drive to visit the kind stranger and man oh man was this person ever a sweetheart. This person was out on their front deck, using a handsaw and hatchet to hand split and cut every single tiny shingle to fill up a box for me to take home (see below!)
Image Description: White plastic box filled with small cedar shingles sitting on a pink foldout table.
After a lovely conversation about the value of community and doing small acts of love, I was on my way with a box full of custom cedar shingles and a big smile.
In times of financial insecurity where everything is so so expensive and capitalism seems to seep its way into every tiny thing, its so refreshing to meet folks who move still move forward with community in mind.
https://unsplash.com/photos/four-person-holding-each-others-waist-at-daytime-0aMMMUjiiEQ
Image Description: Seen is the backs of four people with their arms holding one another. On the left the person is wearing a long pastel pink coat with a camera slung off their right shoulder. To the right of that person is someone wearing a burnt orange jacket with fringe on the back and blue jeans. To the right of that person is someone wearing a fuzzy bubblegum colored jacket, and lastly, to the right of that person is someone wearing a long hooded, purple jacket.
It took quite a while to get the hang of how to install the shingles (I still don’t really understand how to install them when they’re not tapered), but I tried my best, and with the help and moral support of my partner, we managed to create a wonky little roof, complete with Tyvek wrap to keep it weather-proof!
Image Description: Three story tiny wooden cabinet with a small wooden peaked roof. The front door is a wood frame with glass in the center and a small silver handle.
Image Description: Three story tiny wooden cabinet with a small wooden peaked roof with some Tyvek wrap on the roof.
Image Description: Process image of the cedar shingles being nailed to the roof.
Image Description: Complete roof with uneven cedar shingles nailed down to create a wonky, uneven look.
I later heard back from my ‘cedar shingles dealer’ (the person called themselves this) with ideas for the ridge cap that would cover the peak of the roof to keep the elements from penetrating the top of the roof. They offered providing a handmade birch ridge cap to go along with the hobbit-looking roof! This human is not only kind and supportive, but also super creative!!
I have yet to make any decisions about a ridge cap, but I have begun the painting process which is exciting! I’ve decided to make it fun and stripey, using pink, purple, sage, and yellow.
Image Description: Just the body of the tiny cabinet, with the roof and door taken off. The body of the cabinet has painters tape in stripes, diagonally. Where there is no painters tape, the cabinet is painted alternating pastel pink and a pastel purple. The cabinet is sitting on a table with a black potted sunflower. There are two cans of pink and purple spray paint sitting beside the cabinet.