I Am Covered in Paint, Stain and Varnish....

...but like a pig in a mud puddle, I couldn't be happier than when I have worked hard and made a mess. ;)
Do you like the new look for the blog? Let me know your thoughts, I don't want to make anything hard to read or hard to find, etc.

Here are some things I have been working on this week, some are up in my etsy shop.

I couldn't really capture the grandiosity of this armoire. It is really striking in person.

I'm not entirely sure of the official name of this dresser? Anyone know?
**EDIT** It is called an 'Empire Chest'. I Googled "dresser with columns" ;)

I've been making corsets and stockings. Fun!

I am still working on the tutorials for you! Would you like a tutorial for the stockings?  I've seen lots of tutorials for the corsets but never for the stockings (not saying there aren't any but I couldn't find any).  Hope you've all had a wonderful week and here is to hoping you have an even better weekend!

XO
Daphne

Another Bombe

I can't get enough of these. One day I will find one for my 1:1 scale home but till then...

This is the first time I've attempted faux marble. It was fun to do. I would like to try a black base with white veining next.

This piece is for sale in my Etsy shop.

I'd also like to invite you to visit my web shop. www.courtofgypsies.com
There you will find many DIY miniature items. I am still stocking the shop, there is lots more to come, it's just very time consuming.  I will have furnishings from JBM, HanaMini and many others. Lots of accessories and building/decorating items as well.  I will announce sales and specials and new items here on the blog. :)  Please feel free to contact me with any requests. The shopping cart is not currently set up to accept international orders but you may certainly contact me and make arrangements for shipment outside the USA.

Have a wonderful day!

~Daphne

Typography on Furniture

Hello Friends,
I've been busy. Still having fun with furniture makeovers. Have you noticed the trend of typography being transferred to furnishings? I think it's been around a while but I really like it.
The sideboard above has had an antique french advertisement applied to the drawer fronts. The whole piece was repainted and distressed and then sealed with satin varnish.  I'd like one of these, please, in 1:1 scale.

The little pouf ottoman in the pic with the sofa was made using the cardboard tube from a roll of ribbon.  Easy peasey!

Hope you are having a wonderful week!
~Daphne

Shabby French Rococo Lady's Work Table and Chair Finished

Hello friends,
Finally found time to finish up these two Bespaq pieces. Please excuse the silly little room box scene in the photos...it is in pretty poor shape but I liked the light play through the window. It's one of those DIY box kits from China. ;)

I had purchased some smaller artist brushes for the paintings on the furniture but I still think I need even smaller ones. :/ I'd like the little roses to be a bit more delicate and petite.

Kris, suggested I should try painting on fabric for the upholstery. Thank you so much , Kris! I was hesitant but it worked out well, I used textile medium mixed with acrylics for the muslin on the chair back.

This set is available; if anyone is interested, please drop me an email at daphne at courtofgypsies dot com.  I am planning on listing this in my Etsy shop but wanted to offer it here first.

I am thoroughly enjoying painting these little pieces and just got a huge shipment of miniatures to put in my shop. Just have to get the technical things worked out...bleh.

I hope I don't sound like a big advertisement here, that is not my intention but I had some questions and would really appreciate your input if you have the time.
I want to stock my web shop (not Etsy) with miniatures that are things you have been looking for or that are hard to find. Please let me know if there is something you would like to see in the shop.  My suppliers have thousands of items and I realized that there is no way I can stock or even have the time to list all of the available items - so, I was hoping you all could give me some feedback on your most desired items?  I want to be able to offer them at reasonable prices as well as offer specials and discount sales etc.
 My suppliers offer furnishings, glassware, dollhouse figures...everything, just about anything you can imagine as well as supplies for building and making minis.

Hug!
Daphne

On My Work Table...

...waiting to be finished. :)  Two Bespaq pieces.  The legs on these are so delicate.
Please be sure to visit my new website - www.courtofgypsies.com 
I have placed my first order with my supplier and will have some lovely things listed soon. I'm very excited as this has been a dream of mine for a long time. Someday, I would love to open a brick and mortar dollhouse shop but for now, it will have to be online.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

I've been absent.

Hello friends!
If you are still there, I want to apologize for being away so long. I've missed creating and sharing minis so very much. It seems like there is just never enough time for all the things that interest me.
Edit: You can thank Norma of Make Mine Mini for re-igniting my fire :) She reminded me of the wonderful friends and things I had been missing. Thank you Norma, I hope we can meet some day so I can hug you up.

I've decided to make some changes and to focus on my miniature business.
I will be opening a new online shop selling my dressed miniatures as well as ready mades.

Hopefully, I will have more tutorials to share in the near future. :)  I'm playing catch up with all my favorite blogs, I've missed your wonderful inspirations!

For now, here is something I've been working on for some customers of mine. I am working on three room boxes, in both 1:6 and 1:12 scales.
This little box is 1:6. The little doll is a Secret Person doll. The larger doll is a Blythe doll, she is about the size of Barbie with a very over-sized head. ;)

I've enlisted the help of my wonderful neighbor, Art. He has the most wonderful wood working shop and does beautiful work. He has helped me to engineer these little room boxes so that the walls are reversible and they are easily assembled and disassembled for shipping and storage.

Something else I have run across in my wanderings....Chalk Paint. Have you heard of this?  Not ChalkBOARD paint, but chalk paint.  I'm probably late to the party but I had always wondered what people used to paint real life vintage furniture that gave such nice coverage. 

What's so special about chalk paint and why would a miniaturist be interested in that?  It works beautifully for mass produced doll furniture. No primer needed. You can cover up that gawd awful red or orange lacquer that is used on so many of the factory pieces. The paint must be sealed with waxing or poly but it is worth it.  I will post more on this later with some examples for you.  If you are interested, you can make your own chalk paint, just Google 'chalk paint recipes' and you will find a wealth of information out there. Chalk paint can also be purchased from some retailers that have their own special formulae but it is rather pricey and the colors are limited...I prefer to make my own :) .

So, You Probably, Maybe Didn't Know This About Me

but.... I absolutely ADORE Mid Century Modern and Danish Modern style. I am, in fact looking for our RL dream home...believe it or not, Mid Century Moderns do exist here in farm country!

We won't be buying for a little while but if I find the ONE, I will be pressuring hubs, leasebound or not! :)

It's something I've been interested in for a long time but really had only dipped my toes into those miniature waters.

I just won this on evilbay, and probably overpaid for it but I am so in love with the whole set!

Dig that room divider!!!

I am slowly building my stash of MCM furnishings and odds and ends and bits and bobs so I can build some scenes to photograph...for my own pure, unadulterated pleasure :D

I've done few Mod scenes with my Blythe dolls but never any 1:12th scale.

There are so many wonderful and inspiring Mini Modern bloggers out there...thank you all for sharing in the blogosphere!

Here are just a few, there are more and you can probably find them in my sidebar:

http://minimodern.blogspot.com - a truly devout miniature modernist and collector with exquisite tastes.

http://call-small.blogspot.com/ - Brilliant Miniaturist who never ceases to amaze me.

http://raumfuerraum.blogspot.com/ -What can I say? This dear woman keeps me gobsmacked with her brilliant use of the everyday object.

http://minimodpod.blogspot.com - Another brilliant miniaturist with lots of mod eye candy.

http://amazingminiatures.com/blog/ - Fantaculous MCM furnishings and a sweet and sharing nature.

Hope you will visit some of these fabulous bloggers!

Not that I am giving up on any of the other styles that I love so much... I still enjoy making all things shabby and chic as well as cottage-y and storybook-ish. It's a wide and wondrous world that we can recreate in miniature, no?

Hi Friends, hope you are doing well!

All finished :)

Made from Birch plywood. Shelf and desk are scratch made from bits and pieces of strip wood. The little light is battery operated. I love making roomboxes!

A New Face on Things or The Blogger Rage Epidemic

Seems everyone in blogland is pretty upset with this new interface. Thought I would take a look and see if I dislike it as much as everyone else.

It does seem to be a POS....

Just now, I typed a paragraph and then wanted a photo beneath, so typed paragraph and clicked little pic icon up top...hmmmm pic went above paragraph. DOH

Now, I have worked in graphic design and web development for a number of years...I can fix this, but, honestly...I don't have the flipping time to fool with this...Blogger, stop mucking around, will you?

First, you take our "Friends Connect" followers and fling the non-blogger ones out into the void...now yer messing with posting.

WordPress is looking rather fetching at the moment...

Ahem, the photo above is a little roombox I am working on. It is not 1:12 scale but closer to 1:8 scale. Somewhere between 1:6 and 1:12. For Lati Yellow and or Blythe but a bit shy height-wise for Blythe.

It is further along towards finishing now but I haven't taken pics. I have the window 'glass' cut and in place and all the trim on the inside finished as well as the furnishings.

Hmmm, okay so I WAS able to drag the photo around to wherever I like on the page...I won't lie and say I don't like that...but see, I haven't clicked preview or publish yet...let's see what happens....

Oh, I just noticed a little gear over there on the right...says 'Options'\

I'm thinking this may be a very important clue as to why so many are struggling...take a look at that...the last radio button choice there says "Use <br> tag or "Press "Enter" for line breaks"

One Down, On To The Next!

Good Day Mini Friends! Hope you had a lovely Easter and are having a wonderful week.

The Tree Stump House is finished :) She is going up in my etsy shop today. Will be sold un-furnished. Shipping won't be expensive as this house is very lightweight!

I am currently working on a new project for the Greenleaf Dollhouses Annual Spring Fling Contest. I won't be able to share much with you about the project but I will offer up tidbits and sneak peeks once in a while :D

This is a floor...I added each little floorboard. I like it :)

I will post the tutorial for the vintage scales on Tuesday of next week. I haven't had a chance to do that for you this week.

XO