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    I'm FINALLY MOOving My Grass for Z00 U 13

    «1
    WrathofCathWrathofCath Posts: 4,419 Member
    in The Sims 3 Builders
    Whew! I finally managed to get a start on my homework for class with about three days to spare!

    I wasn't able to attend the first class, live... Bummer. BUT, I have read through the first lesson at least twice and have been referring back whenever I feel like I'm stuck.

    I had so much trouble trying to decide on a house to build this time. I just couldn't seem to find anything that looked like it would work.

    When I read that Taryn builds hers on a whim, I was soooo envious! :evil: She said she just plays around with how she would like the front of her home to look. Once she gets it as pretty as she can, she moves onto the rest of the house. :shock: :shock: :shock: :?: :!:

    I have to have SOME kind of a picture or something for inspiration! Anyway, I finally found something that I thought might work. I just have a picture of the front of the house. I've had to improvise on adding the garage and figuring out what to do with the back and sides.

    So here we go!

    Bare Bones:

    Screenshot_zps66622d27.jpg"width=640"

    Now do you see that area near the street where I sprayed on the shale? I wasn't sure if I liked it that way or if I should add some more rocks and plants.

    Screenshot-2_zpse75b1cd6.jpg"width=640"

    Here it is with the rocks and flowers added in and I still don't think I'm happy with it yet... I will have to play around with it some more.

    Screenshot-5_zpsae82fab1.jpg"width=640"

    I put a stream running down the side and ended it with this pond. The waterfall actually looks prettier in game.

    Screenshot-6_zpsd6ecf875.jpg"width=640"

    Screenshot-7_zps146693e7.jpg"width=640"

    The Garage side of the house:

    Screenshot-10_zps4ef96a23.jpg"width=640"

    The other side near the stream. I still have lots of landscaping to do on both sides of the stream. And OH! I do NOT like the top of the fireplace! Plus the whole thing needs to be pushed into the roof a little more.

    Screenshot-8_zps6f767e3a.jpg"width=640"

    And finally, the back of the home. I left TONS of room for Taryn's Special MOOing Surprise! Oooo I can't wait to find out what it is!!! :?: :!: 8)

    Screenshot-9_zpsadd5fbfe.jpg"width=640"

    So that's it for now. I have a long way to go. However I love how seeing the pictures lets you find out what needs to be changed. Pretty cool.

    I really hope I will be able to make it for the live class this week. :wink: I just can't wait for that Special Surprise! :mrgreen:

    Comments

    • Options
      TarynTempestwindTarynTempestwind Posts: 4,438 Member
      edited May 2014
      Beautiful! Totally beautiful! You've done an amazing job already Cath. I can't wait to see what you come up with when you see my "MOOing Surprise" because you are such a creative MOOer yourself. Your terrain painting looks beautiful too. It adds so much!
    • Options
      rosemowrosemow Posts: 163,597 Member
      edited May 2014
      Your WIP looks very nice! :) Very nice exterior of the house! It looks very nice how you have done the stairs and the waterfall going in to the pond! The way you have done the flowers, plants and rocks looks very nice! I will look forward to seeing updates of your build :)
      oJ08oe8.jpg
      http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/817478/hello-come-and-introduce-yourself
      http://tinyurl.com/OneRoomOneWeek
      http://tinyurl.com/rosemow
      My Showcase thread https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/948861/rosemow-s-rooms-showcase
    • Options
      GypsyWynd1GypsyWynd1 Posts: 154 Member
      edited May 2014
      I love your house and garden it is beautiful. :) The waterfall looks pretty. I need to learn how to make waterfalls. For some reason, I always forget about them and have never tried to make one. Great job! :D
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      suepeasuepea Posts: 1,832 Member
      edited May 2014
      Your build is coming along so nicely, Cath! I hope you are pleased with it!

      I am looking forward to some MOO magic from Taryn as well. I'm a little bit stuck on my landscaping. I think I'm going to post a few new pictures and ask for some input.

      Looking forward to seeing more of your WIP.
      h2xmsbl]
    • Options
      TarynTempestwindTarynTempestwind Posts: 4,438 Member
      edited May 2014
      Someday Cath, I will post my wacky way I build a house. You will probably cringe...that or commit me to the Loony Bin.
    • Options
      follyfootfollyfoot Posts: 3,450 Member
      edited May 2014
      Gorgeous Cath :D I love the tiered staircase down the side of the house. :D :thumbup:
    • Options
      ZooProfessor3ZooProfessor3 Posts: 9,847 Member
      edited May 2014
      I love the tiered landscaping and your waterfalls are perfect! The house is lovely, too, but you already know that I love everything you build. The chimney on this one is just gorgeous, I plan to steal this shape, just sayin'!

      By the way, did you notice the Taryn torment with her SECRET?? She really is askin' for it! :lol:
      oow785m
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      HidehiHidehi Posts: 1,109 Member
      edited May 2014
      Absolutely A W E S O M E Cath!!!! :shock: :shock: :shock:

      Love everything you've done so far!!!! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: x



      bnypocdi3ps2.png[https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/994388/disney-magic-kingdom-collaboration-new-builds-available#latest]
    • Options
      jenny0786jenny0786 Posts: 1,165 Member
      edited May 2014
      Oh my Cath, I LOVE THIS!!!!!! You have done an amazing job sweety! <3<3<3<3<3<3<3
    • Options
      GreenCatsGreenCats Posts: 9,318 Member
      edited May 2014
      It's looking stunning :mrgreen:
      You can still find me on my old My page (http://mypage.thesims3.com/mypage/GreenCats), and see more of my game-play pictures and CC-free uploads at gcsims.com
    • Options
      WrathofCathWrathofCath Posts: 4,419 Member
      edited May 2014
      Taryn, thanks teach! I am so excited about the "special surprise"! *hopping around clapping hands*. Seriously though Taryn, I would really appreciate any constructive criticism on the terrain. The more I look at it, the more I want to change it. I will save the lot as is and then go in and try taking a whole new direction out front to see if I can come up with something different.

      I would love to see your "wacky way" as you put it, of building! Whatever you call it, it certainly works for you. I am fascinated to see how you can build without any picture or plan.

      I love each and every home you have in Lesson one. Watching you work on them in the lessons is like watching one of those artists painting on tv. It's totally mesmerizing. I could watch all day!

      Hi Rose! Thank you for your kind comments! Lots and lots of work has to be done here, lol! Hugs xx

      GypsyWynd, how nice to meet you! Love your name, those are my favorite types of breezes!
      Thank you for your kind comments! You Should try making some waterfalls. They're really fun to do. :D

      Hi Suepea, thank you for your lovely comments! Like you, I am kind of stuck with my landscaping. Maybe T's "special surprise" will completely motivate us into some new ideas!

      Hi Folly, thank you! I'm so excited to be able to find out new ways of landscaping. It's definitely a work in progress! Hugs xx

      Zoo Lou! Taryn really does Love to Torture us, doesn't she? I hope she tells her secret straight away in Lesson two or there's bound to be an uprising, lol! :lol:
      Did you really like those pieces on the top of the fireplace? I'm not sure how I feel about them. They do hide the "smoking" top of the fireplace nicely though. Maybe if I try recoloring them I will like them better.

      Aw Hidehi, thank you!! Are you going to make a homework thread? I really hope you do! I would love to see what you come up with!

      Hi Jenny! Thank you so much! :P I hope you and your girls are feeling better :D

      Hi GC, thank you! I gotta tell ya, terrain work can be really difficult! I am so indecisive with what I should do! I hope something clicks sometime soon, lol!
    • Options
      ZooProfessor3ZooProfessor3 Posts: 9,847 Member
      edited May 2014
      WrathofCath wrote:

      Zoo Lou! Taryn really does Love to Torture us, doesn't she? I hope she tells her secret straight away in Lesson two or there's bound to be an uprising, lol! :lol:
      Did you really like those pieces on the top of the fireplace? I'm not sure how I feel about them. They do hide the "smoking" top of the fireplace nicely though. Maybe if I try recoloring them I will like them better.



      I do like them up there. I have seen chimneys with a similar shape in real life.
      oow785m
    • Options
      TarynTempestwindTarynTempestwind Posts: 4,438 Member
      edited May 2014
      Cath, I have constructive critism for you, but not in your terrain work or landscaping. I think you have done an absolutely beautiful job! Nothing is standing out to me at all to offer any ideas on yet, and I know you are not done.

      I am with you, on the fence, about the chimeny. I think it is to bulky....is that the right word? The idea is terrific, but the size and scale of the pieces I think are too big. if the roof pieces were alf the size, I'd say keep them. There s another roof piece that is smaller. It can be MOOed up there. I do nt have my game open, but it is just a rectangular piece of molding and it could be the right scale, I think

      What I am seeing that I have an idea for is the garage. Here is what I think.... If you pulled out the garage 2 tiles out into your drive, you could connect the deck on top of it. What catches my eye is that the room above the garage is such an overhang and doesn't have support. I am such a safety girl, with an insurance agent for a mother-in-law, that the unsupported house is standing out to me. Plus, I like the idea of the connecting deck, so that you could fully utilize it. Garages need to be so big, pulling it out will give you more basement room, if you have living space downstairs. It would mean changing the rockery you have on the left, but I think it would really make sense and add the support I keep looking for. If you love it though, keep it. That's only one Fairy Taryn's opinion.

      My MOOing surprise will come at you fairly early in the lesson. Don't worry. You can most definitely make it work for this home so save some space. You can come and watch me build, like Prisca did, and then shake your head and say...."You're driving me crazy building like that!" I really do start with my front wall facade, and work my way around the side a little, then figure out my rooms, even placing furniture to gauge space, and then keep working around toward the back. You do not want to know how many times i fuss over the roofs, because i love to roof! The houses in my tutorials are just glorified boxes. I am not sure what rooms would go where and it there is space for rooms!

      I do love your landscaping thus far however. Nothing jumps out to me as anything I could suggest. You have such a good eye for style.
    • Options
      samj6samj6 Posts: 750 Member
      edited May 2014
      Hi Cath :D The architecture of your house looks great :D The landscaping, terrain work and the waterfall all look amazing, I love it :D
    • Options
      yanti68yanti68 Posts: 19,017 Member
      edited May 2014
      WOWZA Cath! :shock: Your house is looking phenomenal! :D Absolutely stunning! Can't stop drooling all over the photos! :mrgreen: Great architecture, love the height of the build and the MOO work. This will be going in my favourites. :thumbup: :thumbup:
    • Options
      CoreyCanadianCoreyCanadian Posts: 5,701 Member
      edited May 2014
      That house is STUNNING! I love everything, literally no complaints!

      Mona Lisa better move aside darling, because this is art :mrgreen:
    • Options
      WrathofCathWrathofCath Posts: 4,419 Member
      edited May 2014
      ZooProfessor3 wrote:
      I do like them up there. I have seen chimneys with a similar shape in real life.

      Me too Zoo. The pic I'm using for inspiration actually has something similar, which is what gave me the idea.
      TarynTempestwind wrote:
      Cath, I have constructive critism for you, but not in your terrain work or landscaping. I think you have done an absolutely beautiful job! Nothing is standing out to me at all to offer any ideas on yet, and I know you are not done.

      I am with you, on the fence, about the chimeny. I think it is to bulky....is that the right word? The idea is terrific, but the size and scale of the pieces I think are too big. if the roof pieces were alf the size, I'd say keep them. There s another roof piece that is smaller. It can be MOOed up there. I do nt have my game open, but it is just a rectangular piece of molding and it could be the right scale, I think

      What I am seeing that I have an idea for is the garage. Here is what I think.... If you pulled out the garage 2 tiles out into your drive, you could connect the deck on top of it. What catches my eye is that the room above the garage is such an overhang and doesn't have support. I am such a safety girl, with an insurance agent for a mother-in-law, that the unsupported house is standing out to me. Plus, I like the idea of the connecting deck, so that you could fully utilize it. Garages need to be so big, pulling it out will give you more basement room, if you have living space downstairs. It would mean changing the rockery you have on the left, but I think it would really make sense and add the support I keep looking for. If you love it though, keep it. That's only one Fairy Taryn's opinion.

      My MOOing surprise will come at you fairly early in the lesson. Don't worry. You can most definitely make it work for this home so save some space. You can come and watch me build, like Prisca did, and then shake your head and say...."You're driving me crazy building like that!" I really do start with my front wall facade, and work my way around the side a little, then figure out my rooms, even placing furniture to gauge space, and then keep working around toward the back. You do not want to know how many times i fuss over the roofs, because i love to roof! The houses in my tutorials are just glorified boxes. I am not sure what rooms would go where and it there is space for rooms!

      I do love your landscaping thus far however. Nothing jumps out to me as anything I could suggest. You have such a good eye for style.


      Thank you Taryn! I did feel kind of funny about the overhang, but I wasn't quite sure what to do. Your idea for pulling the garage forward and adding the deck around worked beautifully. Of course it did, cause you're a Genius! I decided to continue the deck all the way around the back, because I wasn't quite happy with how that looked. Now I think it looks much better.

      Regarding the chimney top, I changed out the color and I think I like it now. It doesn't look quite as ostentatious. I do think I know which pieces you were talking about, but I had tried those originally and they don't hide the "real" chimney piece, if you know what I mean.

      Thank you for your very kind comments on my landscaping! Much appreciated!

      I would Love to come watch you build! I worry way too much about how the floor plan will work out. Even in this house, before I did any actual landscaping, I had to make sure that the layout would work. But I have to tell you that this is about as "free" a build (meaning not really using any kind of plan) I have ever done. I added bump outs here and there, and I think I really like it! (I mean altering the original plans some). Anyway, I have you to thank for that too!
      samj6 wrote:
      Hi Cath :D The architecture of your house looks great :D The landscaping, terrain work and the waterfall all look amazing, I love it :D

      Hi Sam! Thank you for your lovely comments! :D
      yanti68 wrote:
      WOWZA Cath! :shock: Your house is looking phenomenal! :D Absolutely stunning! Can't stop drooling all over the photos! :mrgreen: Great architecture, love the height of the build and the MOO work. This will be going in my favourites. :thumbup: :thumbup:

      Yanti!! Thank you so much!!! Best compliment! Big hugs xxx
      CoreyCanadian wrote:
      That house is STUNNING! I love everything, literally no complaints!

      Mona Lisa better move aside darling, because this is art :mrgreen:


      :oops: :oops: Gah! Corey! :oops: :oops: Thank you! Thank you for your wonderful compliments! :D
    • Options
      WrathofCathWrathofCath Posts: 4,419 Member
      edited May 2014
      Okay. So I went back in game and changed the garage and deck. Taryn suggested adding the deck out front of the bump out and of course she was right! It looks so much better now! I also worked a little more on the landscaping out front and on the sides. I am saving my back yard for Taryn's "Special MOOing Surprise"! Ooooh I can't wait!

      So here is the "fixed garage and deck"

      Do I need to add any columns for support Taryn, or is it okay cause it's only a one or two tile overhang?

      Screenshot-6_zps5abd72b3.jpg

      I liked the way the new "joined" deck above the garage looked so much, that I decide to continue it around the back. Now there is a nice wrap around deck.

      Screenshot-7_zps2474552d.jpg

      Screenshot-8_zpsaab835ec.jpg

      Here's a picture of the front. I messed around with the landscaping a bit. I added some more blues and took away a bunch of the larger rocks near the bottom. I'm much happier with how it looks now. Well, maybe a few more blues down near the bottom? Lol, this will never get finished!

      Screenshot-5_zps03abc4e0.jpg

      Fixed up that waterfall too. There were a couple of oddly placed rocks, so I moved them around and changed them a bit. It's so cool what pictures will show you! I should really be taking them as I build ALL the time, so I can see what needs to be changed.

      Screenshot-12_zps8277d74b.jpg


      A side shot showing that re-colored chimney top. What do you think Taryn? I think it looks better now that it has some of the stone color in there too.

      Screenshot-15_zps00530d35.jpg

      So that's it for now. Sunday.... yes Sunday, we will learn something FABULOUS!!! I can't wait!




    • Options
      LittleLeotaLittleLeota Posts: 680 Member
      edited May 2014
      Cath, your house is beautiful! I'm not being over solicitous when I tell you that it reminds me of some houses I've seen in very upscale neighborhoods; it's that gorgeous!

      One of my favorite things in the world is waterfalls, and yours is stunning and perfect for your house. :)

      I would live there in a happy heartbeat!

      I'm also super excited for Taryn's secret!

      And yes, she does remind me of those painters on t.v. that make it look oh-so-easy! That's one reason we love her so much, tho'. :)
    • Options
      TarynTempestwindTarynTempestwind Posts: 4,438 Member
      edited May 2014
      Everything looks wonderful, Cath! Yes, the chimeny looks so much better with its new colors!

      The garage and deck above it looks great now, and there is wonderful flow to the big back deck. That is wonderful! Every homeowner should be so lucky to have a nice deck like that. I think it looks nicely supported now I won't worry about insurance claims now! :mrgreen: You have given it enough weight and support underneath now and it looks so much more balanced! I think it really improved the overall look, especially with the big back deck!

      Yes, I'd add one more clump of blues at the bottom front, somewhere near the waterfall. I can just picture it there. It's the rule of "odd numbers," which we will discuss in the next class.

      I like the less is more approach you took with your rocks out front too. Your waterfalls are perfection! It's just such a pretty, upscale home for today! Love the little pathway between the garage and back yard! Cute!!!

      As for being like a painter on tv...lol! I love to watch the painters on tv! Gosh, i used to watch them as a kid during summer break. My grandma loved to watch too. They are amazing....you see the blank canvas....some goofy stuff in the middle, and then at the end...it alll comes together! It's amazing! the goofy stuff in the middle became clouds, misty shadows, trees....mountains. Thank you! That brings back good memories of my artistic and spicy lil grandma!

      I do kind of talk in my head as I am building for class. I don't ever have a real plan, just building away, everything is original for the class..thinking bout what I'll later write, then take screen shots as i build what i think is a "step". Then I crop and edit, upload to photobucket.....then.....I have to remember what I was thinking as I built! :lol: I have to remember my own commentary! I have to remember my chain of thought from a week prior or so! I do all the building for all the segments first, so it is about a week later before i write. Sometimes I wonder "what the heck is that screen shot for." or "what were you even thinking there" ? :lol: I am such a corn dog...
    • Options
      priscapuppriscapup Posts: 1,670 Member
      edited May 2014
      Cath, this is just so gorgeous!

      Yes, I have watched the Master at work, and it doesn't bother her to take that sledgehammer tool and just clear out tons of stuff and start again... Stuff that I wish I could build in the first place! :shock:

      Funny thing is the two of us building at the same time. Quiet as a mouse... We both talk to ourselves, just quietly building, happy as can be. :mrgreen:

      OH! And then she comes over, and takes a look at what you are doing and says: you know, if you took this and this, and put them together here like this, you could have this and it would be so cute. :shock: and OMGosh, it is the perfect thing, and you just sit there with your mouth hanging open, then you close it and start to recolor. And try to learn some more tricks. :D
    • Options
      DolphineQDolphineQ Posts: 1,799 Member
      edited May 2014
      I am speechless...
      Cath, what an absolutely breathaking job you have done with that house. Wow. Just wow!
      I love everything about it. Please say you'll upload it, even if you don't finish off the interiors? Pretty please, I'll even bribe you with cookies! ;)
      Please share and support me in my work with rescue cats! https://www.gofundme.com/DolphineQCats

      2rgmmvq.jpg
    • Options
      rosemowrosemow Posts: 163,597 Member
      edited May 2014
      Your WIP is looking very nice.! :) The wraparound deck looks nice. The waterfall looks very nice! It looks very lovely how you have done the flowers and plants at the front of the home! It looks great and I will look forward to seeing your next update. :)
      oJ08oe8.jpg
      http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/817478/hello-come-and-introduce-yourself
      http://tinyurl.com/OneRoomOneWeek
      http://tinyurl.com/rosemow
      My Showcase thread https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/948861/rosemow-s-rooms-showcase
    • Options
      WrathofCathWrathofCath Posts: 4,419 Member
      edited May 2014
      LittleLeota, thank you so much for your very kind comments! I really appreciate them. Can't wait to see what we learn tomorrow!!! :P

      Taryn, I'm very happy to hear that I won't be facing any law suits from some angry sims, now that I've supported my home properly, lol :lol:

      Heeheehee about the blue flowers! They're already added in and it looks much more balanced now. I am so with you about odd numbers. Pretty much my rule of thumb. I guess we could say, Odd is Better? Lol!

      Yup, we always watched those painters too. I loved that guy that used to kind of talk to himself while he was painting! Probably because I'm always talking to myself while I build. My girls tease me about it all the time. I just pretend I'm talking to the dogs, lol.

      Prisca, thank you! I'm so jealous that you got to watch our Taryn in person!

      Hah! See? You Ladies talk to yourselves too! I swear it helps you think!

      Dolphine, thank you for that lovely comment! Heeheehee about the cookies! I'll take them!

      I promise I will upload this house, and I am planning on furnishing it. My type A personality wouldn't allow otherwise, lol. :lol: In fact, I've already started in the living room.

      So tomorrow we will FINALLY find out what our surprise is!!! Yay! I will feel like a kid on Christmas morning, lol! :mrgreen:
    • Options
      WrathofCathWrathofCath Posts: 4,419 Member
      edited May 2014
      Hi Rose! We must have been posting at the same time. Thank you for your thoughtful comments! I hope you are enjoying your weekend! Hugs :D
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