Random Aspects

Welcoming Ella

2011-02-27T08:34:00.000-05:00

Last year I went to a local doll show and found some great miniature furniture. While there I saw some adorable Pixie dolls by Birgitte Frigast. I'm not usually that into having dolls in my houses, but these little ones spoke to me. Sadly, I didn't have enough $ to take one home with me then. But yesterday I did. ;-)
I chose Ella and my head is full of ideas for a home for her.

The seller that I got her from is very nice and has a website in case anyone else finds her as irresistible as I do. It's http://www.scanportonline.com/index.php?pr=4_Pixies

I plan to order another from her sometime this year, as Ella will certainly need friends.

I'm thinking of using the Aster Cottage kit by Corona Concepts http://shop.greenleafdollhouses.com/All-Wood-Aster-Cottage-Dollhouse-Kit.html
It just seems like the perfect place for her. Of course, I am already overrun with unfinished projects and kits, so am trying to talk myself into using a kit that I already have, but fear that it will never be "just right". Maybe I will finish one for her temporarily and work on her furnishings until I break down and buy an Aster. We'll see. In the mean time, I am loving this rush of ideas and creative energy that she has brought. It's such great feeling!

I'll be sure to post updates as Ella and I make progress on her home.

Make a great day!

Downsizing?

2011-02-24T08:21:00.000-05:00

Is anyone else torn by which scale is their favorite?
I have lifetimes of 1/12 scale kits and items waiting to be built/finished and know I will never have space for all of them. So..... 1/24 (half inch) scale seems to be a solution. I can display so many more projects this way!

I have done a few 1/24 projects and love them, but what to do with all of my 1/12 items? Get rid of them? Build and donate them to charities? Maybe split the craft room into sides - 1/12 on one side and 1/24 on the other? But what about when I move on to 1/48?
Guess I'll worry about it when it happens. In the mean time, I am having fun!

Here's my latest. A 1/24 scale teapot. It is shown first on my as-yet-unfinished NAME Day hutch, also in half inch scale.

I'm still working on some other designs. Hopefully they will be finished and posted this weekend.

Until then, Make a Great Day!

Not Much of a Blogger.....

2011-01-17T18:26:00.000-05:00

Obviously, I am not very good at this blogging thing. I want to write and write regularly, but it never seems to happen. Lately, I do have a good excuse (went back to work outside the home) but even before, I didn't post often.

So, what's the point of this?
Not sure, but maybe starting here with "something" will get me going in the right direction.

Well, first, I love my new job! Except for the erratic schedule, but that should change next month. The first thing I thought when I was told that I would have set days to work instead of floating around was, "I can have my life back!" The second thing was that I can't wait to get back to my minis. This is quite a change for me, as most of the last 2 years have been pretty rough, and minis were the furthest thing from my heart most of the time.

Anyway, the new year is going well. Even the few rough patches can be seen as learning and growing experiences, and I am starting to feel inspired again. I hope to be around more often and keep up with all of your blogs as well.

Make a great day!

1/12 Produce Scale Tutorial

2010-03-08T19:46:00.022-05:00

I have been working on a project lately for our local mini club. Last year, we each made a peddler's cart and this year we are sharing projects to fill the carts. I couldn't think of anything to share that I already knew how to make, so I decided to come up with something original. I thought a produce scale would be a great addition. It took a bit of trial and error, but I finally have a finished scale that I am happy with. I apologize for some of the blurry pictures. I am obviously not much of a photographer. ;-)

To make a scale, I use:
6 small jump rings - I think I used 4mm, the smallest they had at Michael's (picture below is missing one and only shows 5)
small link silver chain - each scale uses 3 pieces of chain with 11 links each, which I cut with wire cutters (not sure of the size of links or chain, but each length is cut to approx. 2.5 cm for this project)
2 pairs of small pliers for opening and closing the jump rings
tweezers
2 medium i-top Brad Daddies, 2 fronts and 2 backs - (picture of package below)
E6000 glue
1/16 inch hole punch
Liquid Embossing
Scale face found on google images, resized to about 2 cm and printed onto cardstock. Coat with sealer to protect the ink.

First cut the prongs off of the brad backs. Try to cut them close so that they don't leave too big of a bump.

Using the hole punch, punch 3 evenly spaced holes around the edges of one of the brad covers (the bowl shaped piece). These 3 holes are for the chains that the "basket" hangs from. On the other brad cover, punch one hole in the edge at what will be the "top", and 2 holes close together at the "bottom" edge. The single hole will be for the hanger at the top of the scale face holder, and the 2 holes at the bottom will be for a jump ring which will hold the chains. The jump ring will go through both holes at the bottom. Sorry it's difficult to get a good picture of where the holes go.

This picture is the best shot I could get of 2 of the 3 evenly spaced holes for the "basket". The third hole is at the bottom of the picture.

This picture is of the piece that will hold the scale face, with one hole at the top edge (on the right of the picture) and 2 holes at the bottom edge (the left side of the picture).

Take one of the jump rings and using the 2 pairs of pliers, twist it into an "s" shape. Close one end into a loop. This will be the hook at the top of the scale face.

Put this hook into the hole at the top of the scale face holder and use E6000 to secure it on the inside. Set aside to let the glue dry and make sure loop at the top is positioned how you want it.

Take one of the flat back pieces of the brads - the piece with the prongs removed - and use E6000 to glue the cardstock scale face to the brad back. Glue this piece to the other brad back to make it thicker. It will sit better in the holder this way. Glue them back to back so that the raised curved parts are to the outsides.

Attach the chain pieces to the 3 holes in the "basket" using one jump ring for each chain. The best way to open and close a jump ring is to hold it on either side of the opening with 2 pairs of pliers. Move the sides away from each other - one forward and the other back - if you pull them apart sideways, you will lost the shape of the ring and have a hard time matching the ends back up again.

Use a jump ring to connect the 3 chain pieces together at the top.

Once the glue holding the hook to the scale face holder is dry, open the jump ring connecting the chains a little bit and insert it through the 2 holes at the bottom of the scale face holder.

Once the glue is dry on the scale face, glue it into the scale face holder keeping the hook at the top and the chains attached to the bottom.

Once all of the glue is dry, lay the scale face up on a flat surface. If it doesn't stay level, prop it up on toothpicks or something to get a level surface. Use the Liquid Embossing gel to put a "cover" on the face. When using the Liquid Embossing, squirt some out onto a scrap of paper first to get the air out. Squirt it out slowly over the center of the face and let it spread out to the edges of the cardstock circle. It will flatten a little as it dries and hopefully still have a little dome to it when dry. If it dries with a dip in the middle, you can add a little more later, but it probably won't be that noticeable.

Please feel free to ask any questions. I haven't written many tutorials before and never one this long, so I may not have been clear about all of the steps. I will be happy to clarify the best I can.

Back Again

2010-02-19T14:22:00.006-05:00

Been meaning to post for days, again! I did pick up the front opening house. It's wonderful! It is a Hofco Colonial Farmhouse. It came with the porch posts, doors, windows, bricks, furniture, etc. The lady selling it is so nice and I promised to take great care of it! You know I will.

I have also been busy with my pup Lola. She has another UTI, so we did all of the bloodwork needed to make sure she doesn't have some other immune compromising problem that allows her to keep getting these infections. Luckily, no Cushing's or Diabetes, etc. But we did find out that she also has Lyme disease. Hopefully we caught it early enough, and the antibiotics will keep her from developing any symptoms. I also gave her a much needed bath and a little face trim and she looks so CUTE! She still smells "doggy" according to the family, but I don't find it bad (which is good, since she sleeps next to my pillow).

More later. I do have projects that I am working on, but no pictures, yet.
Hope everyone has a great day!

Such dedication!

2010-02-10T17:29:00.004-05:00

I am so proud of all of the furbabies - Lola (pictured above), Blossom, Hope, Grace and Kiki. Despite the bad weather, they have somehow managed to maintain their regular schedules. That's dedication! Great job guys! It would be so hard to catch up on all of their sleep once they get behind.
It's a good thing, too. After the additional 4 inches this morning, the forecast is now calling for some sort of snow again on Saturday and Monday! I know this is nothing compared to some areas north of us right now, but for us, it is unheard of!

In good news, I am supposed to meet a lady tomorrow to pick up a new dollhouse rehab project. Can't wait! It's a front opening house, which is perfect with the nosy cats we have.

Hope everyone is warm and safe!

Greek Island House

2010-02-09T14:50:00.008-05:00

People over at the Greenleaf forums have been anticipating the next Spring Fling contest. This has had me thinking about my entry from last year, which turned out to be one of my favorite projects. It is a dream of mine to visit Greece someday, and this house is a way to make that dream a little more tangible. It is made from the Loganberry Mill kit which I changed around to suit my idea.

More Snow!

2010-02-07T10:31:00.011-05:00

Where I live, we get very little, if any, snow each year. I LOVE snow! Or, I used to love snow. Now, I'm not so sure. I still think it is magical and beautiful. I love the silence, sense of peace and feeling of cleansing that it brings. But.... this is a bit much.
We had 14 inches on December 19, which took about 3 weeks to melt. We had 13 inches on January 29, and we just got another 8 inches this past Friday, February 5. And they are talking about more to come on Tuesday! I am very grateful that I have a schedule that allows me to choose whether or not the kids and I go out. We can postpone our group classes and other activities if needed, and are well stocked to be snowed in for a while. But, I do worry about DH and others who don't have the choice, and must get to work. Snow or not.
If we lived up north or somewhere where the community was used to this type of weather, it would be different. But here! Well, lets just say that we don't get much practice with ice and snow and it shows. ;-)
Anyway, I will just focus on the parts I do love, and remain grateful that we are warm, safe and together. And that we still have power! I can sit in the dark or use the fireplace for warmth, but don't take away the internet! Credit for the pics goes to DH. Thanks honey!

New Washer! Yay!

2010-02-06T22:15:00.002-05:00

Finally replaced our old slowly dying washer with a lovely front loader that I love! It's so quiet! Hope is the only one in the house who is unsure.

She is so brave!

More Welcomes!

2009-06-28T07:43:00.002-04:00

Wow, I had been away for a while! Belated welcomes to Rosarita, Jessie, CasitaMini, Erika, Jen and Susan! Thanks for reading!

An Award!

2009-06-27T19:20:00.004-04:00

Monica sent this wonderful award a while back and I am just getting around to thanking her. Sorry it took so long, and thank you! Thanks also for the kick I needed to get back to the blog.
It has been a relatively rough year over all - the dogs have been sick again, which is sooooo stressful. Between the extra time tending to them, the unbelievable vet bills, and the worrying, everything else seems to take a back seat. Also, homeschooling got a little stressful for a while, in addition to some other things. But, I finally feel like we are all making recoveries and are ready to make a fresh start with positive attitudes.
It feels really good to see that light again, and this award is a nice reminder of that. Thanks Monica!

Here are the rules for this award:
Right click and save the image award.1. To complete the following phrase; I AM A LIGHT AND WANT TO ILLUMINATE. . .
2. Link the blog from where the award came from and leave a message informing that person it has been received.
3. Link and pass the award to five blogs that, in your opinion, are blogs of light.

I AM A LIGHT AND WANT TO ILLUMINATE THE PEACE THAT LIVES IN EACH OF US, SO THAT WE MAY SEE MORE CLEARLY ALL THAT WE SHARE INSTEAD OF OUR DIFFERENCES.

And I would like to pass this award to:

Jean Day Miniatures
KathieB's Minis
New England Miniatures Blog
Christel Jensen
Confessions of a Mini Addict

Welcome!

2009-04-26T11:16:00.002-04:00

Welcome to Susan and Moti! Sorry there's not much to read yet, but I will try to get a real post up soon. Life just keeps getting in the way! Today is helping DD study for a photography test and work on driver's ed.

Welcome

2009-04-17T19:27:00.002-04:00

Welcome to Roberta and thefabulousfarmhouse! Thanks for being here!

Welcome!

2009-04-15T19:41:00.003-04:00

It has been a crazy week, and I haven't time to write much, but I want to welcome De, Eva and Meli! Thanks for following! I'll definitely have time to blog this weekend!

People read this?

2009-04-13T15:19:00.002-04:00

Wow, I have people following my blog! I'm sure to most of you, this is a silly thing to get excited about. I mean, so people click a button, and say "sure, I'll take a look". But, to me, it's so cool. I love reading other people's blogs, and to think that someone is reading mine, well, COOL! Now I have to think of something to write.... Oh, the responsibility of it all!
Welcome and thanks to Taenia, Jean, loshcosh, Debbie, Vicky, Minna, tarapiglet, Karin, Kim and MiniKat!

Greenleaf Spring Fling 08

2009-04-12T14:25:00.007-04:00

My main project right now is an entry in the Greenleaf Spring Fling contest. I can't show my progress on that yet, but thought I would show my entry from last year. Last year the kit was a small shed type building, and I made mine into an "antique" Noah's Ark toy. I ran out of time before I finished, but was still pleased with the result. Didn't win anything of course, the Greenleaf bunch is uber-talented! But, I had so much fun, that I'm trying again this year! Here is a link to the winners from last year - Spring Fling 2008.

And here are some pics of my Noah's Ark

I used the shed part for the top, and built the bottom with a foamcore base, covered with Greenleaf siding strips. It has lights inside, hidden behind a beam, to illuminate the stalls. A dear friend loaned me her toy animal collection for these pics. Someday, I may commission a Noah figure and find some nice wooden animals. We'll see.
Thanks for looking!

It's been a long time!

2009-04-12T11:05:00.004-04:00

Once again I seem to have forgotten that I made a blog! I have been working on more projects recently, and will be trying to get them posted over the next few weeks. Being so inspired by other mini blogs out there, I figure I should throw mine into the mix a little more. Not that my work can compare, but everyone starts somewhere, and here I am!
Make a Happy Day!

M.E. House Finished

2008-12-27T18:54:00.010-05:00

Well, I finished the M.E. house a while back, but forgot I had a blog about it.

Here it is

And here is the interior

It was a lot of fun to finish, but I do think rehabs are more difficult than just starting with a kit and building it the way I would like it from the beginning. In any case, I have many of both waiting here to be built/finished.

Here are some closer shots of the interior. I made the chair and curtains in the living room. I was happy with the results for a first try, but can see ways to improve in the future.

Progress on ME House

2008-02-28T16:08:00.000-05:00

This is a Dura-Craft Sweetheart dollhouse that I found at a yardsale a few years ago. I am finally almost finished with rehabbing it. I have decorated it in a style inspired by Mary Engelbreit.

This is it so far. It still needs a doorknob and front step. I am also going to make curtains and some furniture. I am really enjoying it now. I think it has come a long way!

Something New

2008-02-28T16:02:00.000-05:00

Never blogged before, but why not? I like to read other blogs. I like the idea of creating a place for pics of my projects, and to organize my thoughts, or at least get them out. Right now I am finishing up a rehab of a Dura-Craft Sweetheart dollhouse that I found at a yard sale. I have used Mary Engelbreit inspired colors and patterns. Still to be finished - the door, the window boxes, and strangely, I am short one shingle. I am sure this says something about me, that I would stop with one shingle left. In any case, this house makes me smile when I look at it, and that's why I love my houses.