Quick (like bunny) trip to Bishop 2012

Mr. Rabbit is from K. Kuti Designs.

I am not a doll person, but I love animal characters. He was in the main display case for dolls away from the vendor’s table, so I had to wait until the last hour of the show to pick him up! I don’t usually go to the last day of the Bishop Show for the sake of my budget and my tired feet, but he was worth the trip! :D

Categories: Animals and birds, Miniature Shows and Shops
April 22, 2012 | 0 comments

IMA and 3 Blind Mice shows – 2012

I went to the IMA show first and then back to 3 Blind Mice in the afternoon.  I might go to the Bishop show again tomorrow.  There are fewer items here, because some of them I can’t show you just yet.  :D

Lighting Bug – love these bare bulb fixtures!  These are for the Heritage attic.

The Kennedys – I brought home the smallest piggy I’ve ever seen!  :D  I’ll attach this to a shelf somewhere and hope he doesn’t get the notion to wander off.

These beautiful pottery items are from the IMA show, but there was no vendor information on my receipt. I think they may be by Jason Feltrope.

Celtic Juju – a lovely birdhouse and two aged copper handmade pieces.  Hmm…the next sneak peek for the Spring Fling comes in the form of these three pieces.  ;]

Categories: Miniature Shows and Shops
April 21, 2012 | 0 comments

Bishop and 3 Blind Mice shows – 2012

I went to two of the three shows today and bought a lot!  :O  While I love it all and would like nothing better than to share it all…this post would be overwhelming.  :D  Here are just a few highlights.

Ray Storey Lighting – love his work, and he is a wonderful person to chat with.

Heidi Ott lighting – I saw these online but thought by measurement they seemed large.  But, in person, they are beautifully detailed and the clear glass makes them much more graceful than I had expected.  These might end up on either side of the bed in the Heritage.

Spencer’s Nook – this is a small key and leather fob.  Fantastic detail!  This will be for the Brownstone.

Paulette Svec – love this cat!  :D  It’s a beautifully made fabric stuffed cat with a bow.  I made something so similar in real life when I was young and instantly loved this!  She had many wonderful dolls and stuffed animals.

Sir Thomas Thumb – though I have a number of his tools and such, this time I ended up with a beautiful butterfly.  :D  I’ve put it on a hydrangea I already had.

Ulus Miniaturas – I have drooled over the beautiful miniatures José makes ever since I first stumbled onto his work.  The detail and realism are amazing.  If my mini budget were larger, there would be more of his things in my builds.  I brought home a vintage hand-crank can opener.  I use one of these in real life, not necessarily to be green but it saves counter space compared to an electric one and it’s something I’ve had so long I am just used to it.  :D

Taller Targioni – these are for the Heritage…a beautiful pair of opera glasses…

…and toys for grandma’s attic: a pair of too cute for words piggy and giraffe!

Jane Graber – a beautifully made and whimsical squirrel bottle and a lovely vase.

Patricia M. Wehmeier Miniatures – she has a wonderful collection of vintage and unusual items.  I bought a cane for the Heritage.  This complements Fran’s umbrellas beautifully!

And, a vintage toaster for the Heritage.  :D  Love this thing!

And, these candlesticks and elephant are for the Brownstone.

Alex Meiklejohn pottery – I have many of his pieces, but today I found this whimsical jack o’ lantern.

And, speaking of pumpkins…this isn’t from the shows, but it arrived in the mail today, so it gets grouped in.  :D  It’s a wonderful pumpkin birdhouse by WhimsyCottageMinis.  I’ve been picking up Halloween items for the Heritage since grandma really does it up for the holiday.  She does have the best haunted house on the block, after all.  ;]

Categories: Miniature Shows and Shops
April 20, 2012 | 0 comments

What a fun day at the Bishop Show!

I had my two classes today, and I not only learned a lot but had a great time!  :D First up was the brass and copper Arts & Crafts firescreen in a class by Bill Studebaker.  This class started out with a bang…well three of us banging ball pein hammers on copper metal sheets on metal anvils on a wooden table.  Just a little loud!  :O  When every person taking other classes in the room stopped and stared, we decided we should move outside for that part.  :D  Good thing it was a nice day out.

It was great to work with metal and learn soldering, both of which I had never done before.  Our class ran long, and we didn’t get to finish our screens, but I am nearly there.

As a reminder, here is the class photo showing the finished item.

I need to blacken the finish and add the actual screen.  I’m very pleased with the results considering I am a complete novice with these materials and methods.  I plan to buy a soldering tool soon.  This has really opened up a lot of possibilities to me.

For size reference, here it is in the Heritage, though it isn’t meant for this house.

Right after class, Keli and I had a nice dinner at the hotel and then we both took a class on using a jeweler’s saw taught by Diane Almeyda.  This, too, was a great class.  I learned a lot and again will definitely be using these techniques in the future.  Diane offered the tool set for sale in the class, too…very convenient

My cuts got better as the night went on, but I had to quit early because I was just too sore and tired to go on.  :D  Sawing takes a lot out of you, even in mini!  But, I came home with patterns and other materials to try.

Here are my pieces; we started with copper sheet.  The order goes from right to left, and as you can see my cuts did become cleaner with practice.  Sharp angles are my favorite, but I need more practice on curves.

Categories: Miniature Shows and Shops
April 19, 2012 | 0 comments

3 Blind Mice show – January 2012

I am lucky to live in an area that has a mini show of some sort every few months as well as the larger Bishop International Show in April every year.  This weekend, I attended the 3 Blind Mice show.  :]

I met Carol of True 2 Scale.  It was fun putting a face to a name.  :D  You may recall I made her milk carton flower kit for the Heritage.  I picked up two of her glitter house kits – the Haunted House and the Barn.  She has amazing kits, so be sure to check out her website!  I already have her florist boxes and a cake box kit, though I haven’t worked with those just yet.

I picked up a small round side table for the Heritage parlor.  I was going to make something for this space, but the color and style work well for the setting.

I like that it coordinates but doesn’t necessarily match the style of the coffee table.  Grandma has eclectic taste like me!  And, this one is the right color to start.  A good buy, I must say!

The Chrysolite table lamp I bought previously fits perfectly!

I hadn’t planned to buy much since I have most of what I need for my current project, but I did pick up an online order from Missy at Green Gables Dollhouse.  I figured it was just as easy to pick it up in person at the show as to have her ship it, and we got to meet in person after talking online and on the phone a number of times.  :D  You’ll see those items in future posts.

Categories: Miniature Shows and Shops, The Haunted Heritage
January 14, 2012 | 0 comments