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 :) .

Tea at Rebecca Feedlebaum's

Hello Friends :)

Looks like the vote is in on the next tutorial. I will show you how to make

a vintage style kitchen scale. I will try to get to this next week.

Meanwhile....

Miss Rebecca Feedlebaum has just returned from the strawberry patch and would like to invite you in for 'a cuppa' and a nibble.

Hmmm...who put the tea way up there?

We are still building and decorating but she was so eager, I couldn't tell her no.

I started this project last weekend.

The whole family joined in the fun :)

We started with foam core board and the hot glue gun. I'd been envisioning a tree stump home for about 12 years now and have finally taken the leap.

The process is fairly simple, really.

I first cut three 'floors' from the foam core board, each being the same shape but smaller in diameter.

Next, we scored more foam core in order to be able to conform it to the curves of the 'floors'. 

Once this was accomplished, we cut windows and doors and added insulation foam to the outside to imitate the outside of the tree.  Windows were made from the plastic from various recycled packaging. The 'leading' was done using slick, dimensional tee shirt paint.  We added papier mache to the outside....still waiting for that to dry so we can paint and add greenery and flower boxes!

I created fireplaces from the insulation foam and the floor is grunge paper from Tim Holtz. Cardstock would probably work or paper egg cartons.

The stove was made from a heavy cardboard tube from gift wrap, along with wood doweling, a wooden flower pot and a wooden candle cup and other scrap wood shapes.

Dreaming of French Dollhouses

Hello Dear Readers!

This is our new friend :) Well, actually two new friends, this little fellow has a brother that looks very much like him. They are both very sweet but have different personalities. We need to name them. Name suggestions??

We took them both so one wouldn't end up in the pound.

I've been working on the Vermont Farmhouse... Still a work in progress. I've been playing with the French Brocante look but it really doesn't suit this house. I love this style though and will eventually have to build my dream house. I will probably change most of this out but for now, I am having fun!

I made another little chair and received my lovely desk and side table from Minis De Eva. Thank you! I love them.

The little book was made by Cockerina, it is so lovely!

I also made this little sofa a la Christine Lea Frisoni's pattern and instructions. I am going to try one in wood with sculpted legs and arm rests.

The outside of the house is farther along than this but I didn't get pictures of it yet. The windows and door are installed and the gable is finished. I think I am going to leave out the stairs and plug up the hole in the second floor - only because I want the extra space! Maybe not, haven't decided yet.

The swap gift for Cockerina's Swap is finished. I hope she likes it! It's so hard not to post photos until the appointed time ;)

A Brownie in the Kitchen...

Hello Friends.

Welcome to my new followers! I can't believe there are over 30 of you already. Thank you thank you! As promised, I will be posting a giveaway this evening. I have to get busy on the prize. I had NO idea I reach 25 followers this soon so please, bear with me.

Meanwhile, I have been busy busy...and look what I found in Nana's kitchen! A house Brownie! I suppose she showed up because I've left so many things unfinished ;)

She has been created from polymer clay. I hope to improve my sculpting skills. :)