Lazy, Cloudy Sunday...

This morning I decided it was time to clean out my mini files on the computer... I was surprised and saddened by the number of mini sites that were no longer there.

I ran across a few sites that have not been updated in a long time.  I am afraid that they will no longer be there the next time I look.

While I was cleaning them out, I decided that I would share some of my favorites that are still around.

This will keep you busy until tomorrow when I go back to work on minis.

I do have help this morning.  Tessie and Zar are busy trying to select the next project.

Widget is walking back and forth in front of the computer screen.  Once in a while he takes a turn at stomping on the keyboard, so if there is anything strange here it's his fault.

OK back to the list.  Jim's Printables was one of the first mini sites that I found years ago.  He hasn't added to it for a year or two now, but there are lots of neat things to print out from here.
http://www.printmini.com/printables/p1.shtml 

Miss Shelly's is another old one.  Lots of great tutorials.  http://mishellyszoo.homestead.com/diyprojects.html

Dragonfly International is an on line store that I have ordered from several times.  I usually buy from Deb at our local show.  The reason that I included this one is she carries bunka with silk ribbon to match. 
http://dragonflyintl.com/

Les Minis de Pitou is a French site.  If you read French, so much the better.  If not, just go stab a couple of the links.  This one has tutorials from all over the world!  All kinds, shapes and sizes.
http://minipitou.free.fr/  I have recommended this one before, but it needs to be repeated for new people once in a while.

Next is Sherree, also a repeat.  You name it, she's got it.  This is where I go when I need food packaging especially.  That category is down towards the bottom of the page.  Just poke the button for the kind of thing you are looking for.  Lots of selections right at your fingertips.
https://picasaweb.google.com/sherree2

Cloe is especially good if you like old books and illustrations.  I used some of hers in Buttercup books. https://picasaweb.google.com/cloe19th

Last but not least is Esther.  Her site has lots of mini magazines and books, domestic and foreign. https://picasaweb.google.com/revisvenus1  Wonderful stuff!

Now. if you run out of things to read or do before tomorrow, just let me know.  There are other sites to send you to....Yes....I have more...

See you tomorrow.

Extra! Extra!

I got a gift in the mail yesterday and had to do a special edition of the blog to show you!

Neen, over at Universe in Miniature http://universe-in-miniature.blogspot.com/ had a drawing a couple of weeks ago.  When it came time to draw, she decided that everybody that entered should win.

This is what I received.  I am going to have to do some more modern.  The little wire chairs are perfect.  Zar has already latched onto the three bottles of blood wine and Tessie grabbed the big bottles of bug beer. 

Between the chair is a battery operated light.  It works, but it was difficult to get a good photo with it turned on.  You will have to take my word for it...

Anyway, thanks bunches Neen!!!  They are really cool and I will put them all to good use.

If you like modern minis,make a visit to Universe in Miniature!

Stay tuned for regularly scheduled blog entry later today.

See you then.

The Day Off.....

Good day. Tessie and I decided to take the day off from minis. This doesn't mean that you have to.

I am going to send you on a tour of The Thorne Rooms.... Go here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0frWc-KtWA&feature=related This U tube is great. You can widen it to full screen and pause it to look at each room as long as you wish. I love to just study each room. Miniature perfection.

This one also leads to a lot of other ones, including Queen Mary's Dollhouse in England. Be prepared with snacks and drinks before you start.

I will think of you while I attempt to do a bit more workroom cleaning this afternoon.

Have fun. See you tomorrow.

Out of the Bag.....

It wasn't easy, getting Tessie to come out. I had forgotten that I lined that particular bag with puce silk.....We all know what puce does to Tessie......

Zar plied her with something pink and fizzy in a martini glass. That didn't do it. Here we thought that we were torturing her.....She thought that we were being really nice.

Today is Wednesday and I have a mini meeting to get ready for, so as usual, I am going to ramble on about a number of things and get nothing accomplished.

First I wanted to show you a find from Walmart. These mini clothespins were in the office supplies section. Not only are they cute, but they work as mini clamps where the larger, real ones won't fit. Twelve in a package for less than two dollars.

Unfortunately, they are easy enough for Tessie to open, so somebody's gonna get pinched!

Next is a book that I ordered from Amazon last week.

This is a must for anyone doing a Victorian house. I can't begin to tell you all of the information in it. I gives one many, many ideas for accessorizing a Victorian house. Love it.

Zar and Tessie got a hold of it and now they both want lots of new things that they found inside. I have an out. It's neither Steampunk or 60s. I am safe for now.

The last thing for today is a website that you are going to love.....Hang onto your pocketbooks!


http://www.wholelottawhimsy.com/wo/content/shopping/catalog
This website is for jewelry making, but it has a whole lotta stuff that can be used in mini making.

Under the tool section, you will find the embossing stamps that I used to make the pitcher and box the other day and lots of other neat embossing tools. Also under the tool section, there is a selection of mini punches. Lots of leaves that are just the right size for our work. After you finish wandering around in those, there are so many other things that would work for us. Have fun.

I am off to do some more cleaning in the workroom and then to minis.

See you tomorrow.

Missing In Action.....

I knew that I shouldn't let Tessie wander off by herself. She is still not back..... I was starting to worry until her dragon flew in and dropped a rock, with a note attached, onto my head about fifteen minutes ago. It says, and I quote, "I am having too much fun with the rest of the witches. I am not leaving until about midnight. Don't worry. I should be home by the time that you get up in the morning. I expect the teashop to be in order when I get back. You are working on it, aren't you?" And it was signed,"Tessie The Terrible!".

I showed her! I haven't done a lick of work on the tea shop all day. I did some yard work and then I started deep cleaning the kitchen. I found stuff in the back of cupboards that I suspect Tessie bought and stored away. I certainly don't remember buying pickled bat ears! It was a very tiny can, so it had to be hers.

Anyway, since I don't have any work to show you, I will do the best I can with a couple of photos of old work and several websites to keep you busy.

First the photos. This is a 1/4" scale adobe house that I scaled down from a half inch pattern in Nutshell News years ago. The whole building is about 5 1/2" square(including the front patio) and 2 1/2" high.

It is constructed from 3/8" foam core and the beams are very thin barbecue skewers. The windows are made of plastic canvas painted black.

I made all of the furniture and accessories inside.



This last photo is of the wicker chair that sits on the front porch. It is made of sewing thread and #32 jeweler's wire. It is between 1/2" and 3/4" high. Sorry about the fuzzy photo. I didn't have time to drag out the tripod.

Now about the websites....

http://www.frillsandfancyezine.com/ This one is a wonderful doll magazine with all kinds of useful information in the back issues. A lot of them are either for mini dolls or can be adapted.

http://home.mindspring.com/~byrachelle/id9.html This one is a tutorial on how do do a nightgown that looks like it is smocked.

http://mishellyszoo.homestead.com/diyprojects.html Miss Shelly has been around for years, but her project page should be checked out every once in a while. She does put new things on and they are always fun to play with.

I am now going to go ignore the teashop and do some more kitchen cupboard cleaning.

See you tomorrow. Hopefully Tessie will have returned..... Oops! I mean Tessie The Terrible!

Not Really Off The Subject.....

Well, it is and it isn't....This morning I changed the background for the blog and started surfing. I found a couple of new websites that I thought that you might be interested in browsing through for ideas. For those of you that like "Shabby Chic" style, this site is all inspiration. http://picasaweb.google.nl/Gerrie45 There are hundreds of photos of interiors and accessories. There are some sections that are all antique photography and cards. I have yet to get through this one. The second one is similar, but different..... http://picasaweb.google.nl/paspopje I don't have time to go through all of the sections right this minute, but rest assured that I will be doing it soon. Both of them are outstanding. Each of the thumbnails that you see on the main page leads to many more. Have fun poking them!

And in the news today, Tessie is packing furiously. We are going up to Scottsdale for a couple of days this weekend. She has been informed that, if she is on her best behavior, she may go along for the ride. The first thing she asked was,"You are going to be bringing the laptop and the camera, aren't you? This will be my first trip abroad and I want it recorded for posterity!" Then, "Don't forget the batteries! I assume that we will be going shopping. This means that I can replace these stiff old things that you have me dressed in now. Is ScottsdaleFashion Square reallymiles and miles long? Can I bring my own bed? Will I need towels?" On and on she went.

After she ran out of breath, I told her to go look for material and I would "have some new clothes made for her" while we were there.....I just didn't say that I was going to be the seamstress....Please don't tell her.

She is now happily stuffing suitcases, sacks and various other containers with potential new clothes. She must think that we are going to be there for at least a month, judging from what she packed.

Zar just showed up and said, "Here's your hat. Have fun!"

I think that he is looking forward to a few days of blissful quiet. Maybe he will work on the Clockwork Cottage.....I can dream, can't I?

Have fun looking at all of the pretty pictures. See you tomorrow.

I Want That.....

And that, and that, and one of those and two of those.......The list went on and on this morning. Tessie was incessant in her "I wants". I knew that the peace and quiet couldn't last 24 hours after the outing to the Mini Time Machine.

I found her having Zar help with getting her from place to place on the net, picking things out. First she went to Pat and Noel Thomas' website to pick out a house. She liked the last one, but I think it's a little out of her price range. If you want to see the house, go to http://www.thomasopenhouse.com/about.html

Next thing I knew she had found John Davenport's book on furniture making. She couldn't find a website with his pieces.....She announced that I could make some of that.....Dream on Tessie, my girl. If you want to look, here's where she found that. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Miniature-Furniture-John-Davenport/dp/0713483105/

The last thing that Zar helped her with was Aquisto Silver Co. http://www.acquistosilver.com/ She zeroed in on his magnificent silver chandelier.

That was all I could stand of her shopping for one day. I was afraid that her next step was to learn how to use my credit card.....Remind me to hide it in a safe place when I go to bed at night.

She was hanging over the top of the computer, gazing at the chandelier and Zar tried to get her down. When he couldn't, I succeeded and told him to deal with her.......He did.......

As they left the room I heard, "Watch the hands, buddy! Put me down!!! This is outrageous!!!" I am now quietly leaving the computer room and dead-bolting the doorto keep Tessie out.

See you tomorrow.

Getting Ideas.......

Yesterday I ordered a kit from Greenleaf. Their annual "Spring Fling" contest has just started. Everybody is off and running!

The deal is, you buy the discounted kit(14.95) and turn it into something fantastic by May 25th(Memorial Day) 2009. Then you shoot some photos and send the best three to Greenleaf.http://shop.greenleafdollhouses.com/Miniature-Bungalow.html

This year there is more incentive to enter. First prize is a $500.00 gift certificate from Greenleaf for purchasing their products. The second place winner gets a $250.00 gift certificate. Third is one for 125.00.

I probably shouldn't be telling you about this.Everyone is going to want to join in the fun and there will be more entries. How can you lose? Even if you don't win you will have a finished -------(Fill in the blank with a building of your own choosing). The nice thing is there really aren't any rules about what you can do to it. You can bash it. You can put two together. Just use your imagination!

They have a photo section on the site of entries from last year. I didn't enter that one. The building was too small for me. There were some really nice entries. Go look. You might just get a few ideas. http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/index.php?autocom=gallery&req=sc&cat=55

This year the building is 15"w X16"h X8" deep. Not a bad size to play with. The shape is so different that I got suckered into it.

I started making a list of ideas. Then I went on the Greenleaf Spring Fling Chatter page. http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=20050 I found that every idea on my list was there somewhere as a suggestion for things to make. For that reason I am back to square one.

I have been searching in books and online for more ideas. Thus, no mini work today. Instead, I am hoping to talk you into joining the fun. Everyone is very hush, hush about what they are doing, but more than willing to give others the ideas that they aren't doing.

No, I don't own stock in Greenleaf. I just like their kits. They seem to get my imagination going. Speaking of which, I am now going back to make another list of ideas. I hope that you will join me!


See you tomorrow.

What Do You Mean Half a Door???

Hey Tessie, it's better than no door at all! I managed to make the bottom half of a Dutch door this morning. Tessie approves so far. She says that will be a good place for pies to cool. She has a terrific recipe for blackbird pie. The only trouble is the birds keep flying away before she can serve it.

The reason that I only have half a door built is that darned Glencroft under the bed. It keeps me awake at night. Last evening I started going through websites looking for ideas. I found some wonderful ones. It seems that there are people out there that are gung ho on turning their own computers, furniture and other possessions into Steampunk(Techno Victorian) There are people that are actually building laptops that look like something out of a Jules Verne novel. I want one!

Please go look at this one. http://datamancer.net/steampunklaptop/steampunklaptop.htm The man that did this is a true artist! And yes, it does work!

Anyway, the more that I get into it, the more I want to do this with the Glencroft. There are a couple of websites that I found that are directed at people that want to do their homes in this style. I was surprised at how much of the stuff that you see every day could be considered this genre. I am looking at things around me and seeing them in a whole new light.
If you are interested in the witchy kind of things, this style is closely related and you can get a lot of ideas from these websites. Here are the two that I liked the best. They are by pretty normal people so don't be afraid to go look. Each of them have links to other related sites. It can be addicting.... The first site is called The Steampunk Home. http://thesteampunkhome.blogspot.com/ I find this site almost normal. Lots of neat decorating ideas here and there. The other one is Dark Style. http://darkstyleblog.blogspot.com/ It's a very modern view of Victorian. In the older posts there is a huge library that I could move into and live for a while. Really neat.

I did a rough sketch of a desk with computer and lamp in the style. It will probably change a lot by the time I do the real thing.....The head in the corner is roughly what I want the guy that lives in the Glencroft to look like.

I am going to go finish Tessie's door so that I can start on something else. I promise the finished cottage will be here tomorrow!

See you then!

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night......

The skies opened up and rain poured down about 3:30 this morning. It has been dark, cloudy and dismal ever since. This is going to be a short one.

I am working on the roof of the cottage and have finished shingling the front .

Someone is going to have to work on the roof of our real house. My husband discovered a large bulge in the roofline over our bathroom just about an hour ago. We knew that it was about time to have the roof replaced......I am afraid that it is going to have to be sooner, rather than later.

I'm sorry to make this so short. Here are a couple of websites for you to make up for it. The first one is Imagination Mall. It is one of the first miniature websites I stumbled onto when we got the computer. It is way bigger now than it was back then. They just keep adding links. http://www.imaginationmall.com/ The second one is The Miniature Collector's club. It has some neat projects on site. http://www.geocities.com/miniaturecollectorsclub/

I will be back tomorrow if the roof doesn't fall on my head first.

See you then.

Get Me Down From Here!!!!!

Yes! That is Tessie yelling at the top of her lungs! She has learned her lesson.

We went to the gem show again today and when we returned I heard an awful ruckus. It seems that Tessie got impatient and decided to finish the roof by herself........The magic hammer got out of control and nailed her skirt to the roof. Being magic, she couldn't undo the nails and was stuck there until I came home. I was very tempted to leave her there to stew. I couldn't though. The whinging(one of my English friends taught me that word. It is ever-so-much better than just plain whining.) and wailing was too annoying to put up with more than a few minutes. I got her loose and returned the Magic Hammer to the Witches' Warehouse. If you look closely, you still won't see it. It is hidden behind the canned Witch's Brew by the front counter. She doesn't approve of the canned kind. Tessie makes her own. I figure that she would never look there.

Yes, I know that the warehouse is dusty. No. I am not going to dust it. The witches like it that way. They get really upset every time I threaten it with a cleaning. If you want neat and tidier photos go look at the old ones in the list to the left. The last time I threatened to clean, Esmirelda threatened right back with a vile curse!

I just noticed that the hat stand in the front window is empty.......I suspect that the pointy hat is somewhere in Tessie's stash. She tends to "borrow" rather than buy. I can only hope that Tessie actually paid for it and the cash in Esmirelda's hand is proof of purchase.

Anyway, I am kind of shortchanging you today. So I will send you off to see a couple other sites to keep you occupied. This first one is a printies and tutorial site that I sent a long time ago. I think that it needs repeating. http://minipitou.free.fr/ It's French, but easily navigated and understood. Just keep pushing buttons. You are sure to find something to your liking.

This second site is a company that builds bird houses. Yes. That's what I said. They have no business building houses this nice for birds. What bird needs a gorgeous half timber house(dollhouse sized) to cover with droppings? These are amazing! Some even have furnishings inside!http://www.ecmodelworks.com/ecm_035.htm Go see!

That should hold you for a while. See you tomorrow!

A new Look....

Today is Wednesday and we all know what that means. I am not willing to start something, only to stop in the middle and go to the mini witches' meeting. Soooooo. I decided to do some revamping of the blog. Had I known it was so easy to do, I would have had a new background a while ago. I am not sure if this is the one that I am going to keep, but it looks better than just plain teal. I was getting bored with that.

It took me about two hours to do what I did and that was not a lot. I added some more links to mini blog sites as well as some for "regular people". Some of them are French. Don't let that put you off. I read very little French, but I can manage to navigate around the pages and most have beautiful photos of what they are doing. Please go look around. I will be adding more, but that is all I had time for this morning.

I decided to do some close ups of Eskiaga and his home to give you something to look at today. For those of you that don't know, Eskiaga was a real Apache scout for the army here in Arizona before the turn of the last century. I found a photo of him in an old book and thought that he would make a wonderful little person. He won best in his class at the Tucson Mini show the year that I made him. After that he retired to a room box that I had made a couple of years before. He deserved it.

Most of the time he sits in the living room with his cat. They have a love/hate relationship. The cat, as most cats do, loves to annoy him and Eskiaga hates to think that the cat might be going after his tacos if he turns his back. So there they sit.

There is a photo of the room box elsewhere in the blog. If I have time, I will go look for the page before I leave....If not, good luck finding it. I know it's here somewhere.

The room box itself was a wooden packing crate that my husband brought home from work a long time ago. I designed the room to fit the crate. The interior walls and loft area are made of 1/2" foamcore. All of the walls, inside and out, are covered with Spackle. I hand carved the beams and all of the furniture copying real life Mexican antiques. OK. I know that Eskiaga isn't Mexican, but he is very happy living here after spending years out in the desert in tents.

There is a cross stitched bedspread that I designed and made......Don't tell anyone but the design on that piece was based on some cross stitch from Transylvania! No. That doesn't make Eskiaga a vampire. And no, he doesn't have bats in his belfry as far as I know. The throw on the sofa is also a Transylvania design.

The cupboard in the next photo is a copy of one in an Artes Des Mexico furniture catalog from around 1940. That was a copy of an antique in the catalog so I think it still qualifies as a copy of a copy of an antique. It's all handpainted. The original had handpainted tiles. I simply did it on the wood inserts.

The wrought iron railings are scraps of plastic and fleur de lis plastic toothpicks.

In this photo you can also get a better view of the beams. I started with some Houseworks baseboard and carved the diamond pattern into it. Much easier than starting from scratch.

I did start from scratch on the front door. It is simply a false door, but all of the carving is the same as would be done on a real one.

The silver disk that you see above the door is an Aztec calendar.(It's really an advertizing coaster from a shipping company.) The two chairs are "Take a Seat" resin ones that I added a couple of years ago.

OK. This is all I have time to do. Please feel free to stay around and look at all of the pretty new sites.

See you tomorrow.

Oh! The Excitement!

I can hardly stand it. I spent the morning putting two coats of gesso on the interior of the cottage. I found out one thing. Watching gesso dry is equally exciting as watching paint dry! Oh well. It had to be done. Needless to say, I don't have a lot to show you. This is it.

So......I guess I owe you a trip to a few wonderful places in mini land.

I went through my list and found a few things that I thought you might like.

This first site is the site of Judee Williamson and Nicole Walton Marble. I took two classes from Judee when I first started. I took one of her early bed classes and one on making wing chairs. They were both invaluable to me. After a while she teamed up with Nicole, who is a wonderful wooden furniture builder. Nicole builds and Judee does the upholstery and bedding. They work well together. Go look at all the photos in their gallery and drool.

http://www.miniature-shops.com/wwm/miniature-beds-custom-orders/custom_order_bed

Next is Whitledge-Burgess. They make wonderful room boxes. My friend Pat has a couple of them. They are more drooling material......By the time you finish with today's sites I guarantee that you will have to mop up your keyboard.

http://whitledge-burgess.com/

This last one I just now ran across. His name is Paul Wells. He's from the UK. I can't say that I was familiar with him before today. His buildings are outstanding! His work is the kind that makes you want to throw your own out and start over. I love his half timber buildings. He does them the way they should be done, from the ground up! http://www.pwmodels.co.uk/

I am going to go now and stare at my half timber until it starts looking like one of his.......I may be a while. I think it's called the "Power of Positive Thinking".......See you tomorrow when I finish staring.

A Cop Out.....

Actually, it's a Santa Claus out. I didn't get to mini at all today. So you get to see tiny Santa on the porch and then you have to go. Don't worry. You will have fun where I am sending you.

I know it's not nice to kick you out so soon, but I have to. I still have work to do.

Here are some websites for you to go look at for the rest of the day. The first one is Linda Young's glass greenhouses. These are done just like stained glass lamps etc. are built. Amazing. http://ladyjane.com/index.html

Next we have 3 sites that are beautifully done architecture in miniature. In fact, one of them was a full sized architect and changed to mini. No. I don't mean that he was full sized and changed to mini. His work was.

http://www.markturpin.com/ Architect

http://www.goliathminiatures.com/index.html As far as I know these people have always been mini.....makers.

http://community.webshots.com/user/bungalowbythebay Karin Corbin has a Webshots site showing her unusual miniature houses. I love the Acorn Cottage.

http://www.moureyminiatures.com/ Last, but never least, is this French site. Pierre Mourey does some of the most incredible antique French furniture that I have ever seen. Again, I can't read French, but I can appreciate the work.

OK. It's back to work for me. I hope that you enjoy the tour.

See you tomorrow.

Not So Bah Humbug......

I'm all better now. Yesterday was a day to forget. After I stopped writing here, I went to bake spritz cookies. I didn't drop eggs or pour batter over my head. I did however, find that half of the little cookie press thingies for making shaped cookies were missing. So we only have flower and snowflake shaped cookies. No other shapes were found. I told you something would be messed up.

By the time that my husband got home I was laughing at it all. He finally went to Walgreens and bought new lights. That solved the problem, but by then it was too late to do the tree.

I spent 3 1/2 hours decorating the tree this morning. Now for the rest of the house.........It doesn't look like there will be any mini-ing today either. I have to get this mess cleaned up!

I did get batteries for the miniature Victorian buildings that I showed you yesterday. Now I can see inside. I had forgotten how detailed they are. Mind you, these were pretty inexpensive and from Wal Mart of all places.

There are a couple of people inside the first floor of the furniture store and a bunch of furniture that the lady is evidently thinking of buying.

In the drugstore, the pharmacist is mixing up some kind of potion for a customer. They are perfect in every detail.

It was just a fluke that I got these. I bought all three at once. Splurged. I think that they were about 12.oo a piece. The next day I went back and they were all gone.


Here's the decorated tree. Does anyone know how I can shrink this by 1/12? This is what I want my mini tree to look like. After all the trouble yesterday, I am very pleased with the way it turned out. My only complaint now is.....No presents underneath! I WANT PRESENTS!!!

I think I will go see what's in the boxes that my husband has hidden in the garage. I will very carefully un-tape them and when I am done he will never know that I did it.......On second thought, what's the fun of knowing what everything is before you get it on Christmas morning?

When I was little we got to open everything on Christmas eve. That was kind of fun because you could make plans for what you were going to do on Christmas day. Then I got married.......So much for Christmas eve! Now I have to wait 12 hours extra! I want my presents! I am quickly going back to Bah Humbug mode.

Here's something that cheered me up no end. Katie of Katie's Clay Corner sent me this site this morning. These are really meant for Christmas ornaments, but I am thinking that one in miniature would be wonderful sitting on the mini Christmas table. Go look!
http://www.sosornaments.com/gingerbread_houses.htm One of the first mini classes I took back in the early 80s was a mini gingerbread house made of fimo. It was just a simple square house and the lady that taught the class had all of the candy made so we really didn't learn much. How much more fun would one of these be to make? It's just what I need. Another project before Christmas. Hmmmmmm.........I can squeeze it in between knitting the right and the left sock for my daughter. Yup. That will work.

See you tomorrow.

Who's Laughing Now?

No more Ho Ho Ho! This morning I started trying to decorate the house for Christmas. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. I am in a very Bah Humbug mood. One layer of the pre-lit Christmas tree won't light. Two of the strands that I usually use on top of that are only half working. Our whole house looks like my workroom. I have big green bins all over the living room and family room. I broke the foot off of one of those light up candy canes that you stick in the ground. I bought a "Christmas quilt" this morning and when I got it home I found that it did not fit the bed. That's what I get for trying to dress up the bedroom. That plan is a wash. Now I have to take that back to the store.

The cats are having a great time playing hide and go seek in the mess. They are hiding and chewing on greenery. I am seeking and yelling at them to stop. Are you getting the picture? I hope so.

This seems to be the only thing that is working right this morning. It is one of three little storefront type buildings that I bought a few years ago. As you can see, the led lights in it are shining brightly. That probably won't last long. It is filled with last year's batteries. How do I know that they won't last long?

Here's the whole set. See? How's your day going so far?

I am going back to work to try and conquer the Christmas mess. I was going to bake spritz cookies this afternoon. The way it is going right now I may wind up covered with batter and dropping eggs on the floor. Things can only get better.....I hope!

Before I leave, I want to give you this site that will keep you busy until the middle of next week. I have never seen so many U Tubes related to miniatures. I still haven't gotten back to the beginning of this blog. In case you don't know, hit Older Posts at the bottom of each page to see more. It is wonderful! http://creatingdollhouseminiatures.blogspot.com/

See you tomorrow after I conquer the mess.

There Will Be a Slight Pause......

I went to bed last night with an upset stomach. I don't think that it was something I ate. I think that it was something that my husband brought back from Utah. The last day that he was there, he came down with an upset stomach.....He thought it was food poisoning.....I don't think so. I think that it was a stomach flu. The gift that keeps on giving. Anyway, I am still feeling really bad this morning. I am going to take the day off and hide under the covers without a good book or chocolates. That's how sick I am!


For those of you looking for something to do, I suggest that you go to the left side of the page and wander around in the blogs and websites listed there.

Hopefully I will be back to work tomorrow. See you then.

Not Like Christmas.......

I was feeling fine when I got up this morning, so I went to the TMS Show and Sale. This was the extent of my purchases.

No, I didn't purchase the cat. I got a real bargain on the Miniature Collector magazines. They were 50 cents a piece. I got 20. One of these has some of my wicker furniture in it and one has a couple of my dolls that are in Pat's fairy castle. I bought 5 of the old small sized Nutshell News @ 1.00 a piece. One of them has my castle in it. There was a book on Chippendale and a miniature book from 1977 that I never bought back then because a friend had it and we traded books back and fourth all the time. Now I have it.

I also bought 3 small plastic skeletons to make earrings. Nope. I don't have three ears. I double checked right there at the table. They came three to the bag. I am going to have to figure out what to do with the spare. Maybe a 1/4" Halloween scene? I got a 5 x 7 self healing cutting mat with ruler marks on it and 4 rusty tin planters. That was the extent of the stuff that I brought home to live with me for a while.

I just plain couldn't find anything that hit my fancy. Usually I have no problem spending money at the show. This time some of my favorite dealers weren't there. I heard that some of them aren't going to as many shows because of the extra expense of traveling by car or by plane these days. Then when they get to the shows the people aren't buying as much as they used to. It is really too bad when the economy effects our shows like this. I don't know what the solution would be. It is fun to go and look. All year we wait, save our pennies and anticipate the annual show. It's almost as good as Christmas. Not this year......... OK. I am climbing down off of the soapbox now.

I may have to spend some money on line to make up for it. I found this site this morning. Their kits sound like a great deal. The shell is already built for you all you have to do is the finishing.

http://www.hansonminis.com/index.html This site has some wonderful 1/4" houses for sale. If you look around, there are also lots of great ideas. I love the way that they build the shell of the house so that the rooms can be taken out and worked on. You don't have to squeeze your big old hands into tiny spaces that way. Some of them are even stackable boxes to make a house.

Tomorrow I promise to seriously try to finish the bookshop. We will have the Grand Opening soon. I want to move on to something else. Stupid books.....

See you tomorrow.

Down for the Count.....

I am taking the day off because of stomach flu. Trust me. That's as much as you want to know. Just picture me laying about on one of my beds eating bon bons and watching TV.

I am going to keep up the tradition of entertaining you with websites since I won't be mini-ing myself.

Here you go. http://swallowhill-miniatures.com/shop/ Joy Parker is a long time doll maker she has instructions on making silk roses, ribbon bows and poly clay buttons. Take a look around. She makes some really nice dolls.

This one is a little hard to navigate. It is a European site and has several wonderful mini boxes. It's worth the trouble just for the Venetian mask shop.
http://www.butterflydazzel.moonfruit.com/#/miniatureprojects/4514656556

Karen Cary has a nice beginning tutorial for a wicker chair. There is also a page of helpful hints. http://karencary.com/projects.htm

I am sure that I will be back at it tomorrow. I have to be. Tomorrow is the start of the annual Tucson Miniature Society show and sale. I will have a report for you.

See you then.

So Close and Yet So Far.......

That's where I am on the bookshop. I had to go to a mini meeting today so that kind of used all of the time that I had to work on Buttercup. I did get a few more rows of roof done.

I mentioned Pat's method of doing the shingles on the tape yesterday. I found that I could do the cutting the shingles in quarters a lot faster that way too. What was I thinking? Why didn't I give in sooner. I can zip right down the center of each row while they are still on the tape. Then I cut each of those pieces in half vertically through said tape. Then all I have to do is peel the dreaded blue tape off of the back and I'm set to go. That part was kind of fun, but I still dislike the tape......Now if I could just come up with a way that the shingles could just float into place on the roof......Oh well.....Back to the drawing board on that one.

As usual on Wednesday, I have a few websites for you to play with. These three are all for building or buying cottages to go in your real garden. I have been wanting to do this for a while. Maybe soon. Even if you don't want to build or buy them for outside there area a lot of interesting ideas on these sites. I know that people have whole model railroads in their back yards here in AZ. I don't know why you couldn't have a whole village of enchanted cottages. Some people are building them of builders foam, covered with spackle. I want to try it. I noticed that the fairy doors seem to be catching on all over the place. I want one! They would be easy to duplicate and faster than building a whole cottage.

This first one has all kinds of cottages and doors.

http://www.miniature-gardens.com/cottage-garden.html Enchanted Gardens

These are supposed to be for fairies.
http://www.thefairysgarden.com/fairy_wares/index.html The Fairy's Garden

The third bunch is really wild. They're built of sticks and stones.
http://www.fairywoodland.com/page.php?About_Us&page=2 Fairy Woodland

I won't lie to you. I am not going back to shingling tonight. I am way later than usual and I am going to finish that second sock tonight. All I have left is the toe.

See you tomorrow.