I used good sized balsa wood for the supports and glued the foamcore together. Always remember to paint the foam edges before you primer. The primer will eat the foam if you don't.
Next I will drybrush the bottom half of the house. It
is some sort of material that is bumpy and stone looking that I found at
work. I measured it and glued it on. I will use greys again. Plus I will
drybrush the wood trim somewhat and paint the upper walls white.
I tried the thatch look using some bristles from a small
broom. I am NOT happy with it. I didn't want to take the time to cut out
shingles. It was an experiment and I won't try it again.