Toys in the attic

I was the lucky winner of Andrea’s recent giveaway, and I chose her Farm Animals Funny Cubes in miniature for grandma’s attic…so vintage, so cute!!!  Aw, look at the cute Piggie!

Each cube measures 1/4″ and each side has part of one of six animals.  Kitty…

Doggie…

Foxy fox…

Cow…

And, a Bunny.  Andrea made the tiny race car, too.  The lamb is from eBay, and the suitcases are by Fran.

Lyssa attempted to scare the bejesus out of me by sending a clown in the mail. But, I am fearless!!! So there….

Yeah, kinda creepy.  Ok, moving on….  BAH!  He moved!

Thanks so much Andrea and Lyssa!!! You are the best!

Categories: Miniatures
April 19, 2013 | 0 comments

Artist paper pads

I found images of actual covers online and printed them with black rectangles on the binding edges. I always print two of each hoping to end up with one of each. :D

I cut white mat board to use as filler. I glued the covers onto one side of the mat board, leaving the black portion long and unglued.

I glued thin cardboard to the back of the mat board.

I folded the black portion over the edge and cut it to fit. Once glued in place over the cardboard, it gives the illusion of a bound edge. :]

I’ve also seen them with a white backer, so if you don’t have thin cardboard you can skip that step.

I’ll make a number of other artist materials, but these are a good start.

Into the crate they go. Lyssa makes the best paper towel rolls. :D

Categories: Miniatures, The Artist's Studio
March 24, 2013 | 0 comments

Swap with Jane of MiniFanaticus

I’ve loved Jane’s minis since she first started blogging about them.  She makes wonderful minis from clay, especially food.  All of the dishes are mine, and Jane was kind enough to leave everything loose so I could play…er…arrange as I pleased.

Look at these tiny gumdrops and mints!!!

Can’t you just taste the granulated sugar?  Feel the refreshing tingle of mint?

Her sweets are so detailed and realistic.

Each layer has just the right color, translucence, texture and sheen.  Look how perfect that tiny cherry is!  Even its little stem.

I’m seriously going to have to take a trip to the local bakery if I keep staring at these.

And, let’s not forget the donuts!!!  :O  Mini sugar buzz.

These ornaments will find a home in grandma’s attic until next Christmas.  :]  I borrowed the milk crate from The Aero Squadron Lounge to keep them from rolling off the table.

I don’t want to post what I’ve sent her in return — I want her to be surprised, though she did give me an idea of what she needed for her builds.  Thanks so much, Jane!!!

Categories: Miniatures
March 20, 2013 | 0 comments

Vintage suitcases

Stacks of vintage suitcases are all over the design blogs and Pinterest. They combine nostalgia and beauty. I knew I wanted a set for grandma’s attic, and there is no better artisan to turn to than Fran at FranMadeMinis. I sent her some of my favorite pictures of vintage suitcases, and she knocked it out of the park once again!

They have the most delightful tactile sensation and the perfect weight.

She added wonderful hardware and aged detailing.

Here’s a penny to show the scale.

They look perfect in the nook by the chimney, though I need to finish the rest of the rafters and beams to do them and the other recent acquisitions justice.  :D

Thank you, Fran, for adding some wonderful nostalgia and realism to grandma’s attic!

You can see her wonderful vintage umbrellas in the Heritage entryway.

Categories: Miniatures
March 15, 2013 | 0 comments

1908 Miniature Underwood Typewriter

I received a nice bonus this year, so I decided to spoil myself a little.  For some time now, I’ve had my eye on this 1908 Miniature Underwood Typewriter by Ken Byers of Shaker Works West.

It fits wonderfully in grandma’s attic for now, though I foresee this piece making the rounds in my various builds just as Mary’s afghans tend to do.

Lots of wonderful minis are making their way to grandma’s attic.

From the left, there is a mouse from Sussex Crafts next to Tony‘s catacombs case clock. The wood and brass train is from a vintage lot of miniatures I bought on craigslist. The Christmas box is from M Carmen for Caterina’s holiday swap. I purchased the two snowmen. The sewing machine box is from Four Little Walls. It’s sitting on a crate with some random books I made in front.  :]

In black and white, it looks even more vintage!

There’s an interesting story about the taller snowman. A week ago, I noticed he was facing backwards. I thought this was odd of me to do, but I just shrugged and turned him around. When I set up this scene, he was facing backwards again!!!!  :O  Haunted attic indeed! I was seriously disturbed by this because I knew I had turned him around days earlier. Later that day, I was using the scroll saw and something fell out of the Heritage (the saw is attached to the same table). After picking up the wayward mini, I checked the attic and sure enough, that snowman had walked forward! Mystery solved…or was it?  Hmm….

And, have you seen this baby from Uncommon Goods? Nothing like blending vintage and modern!  :D

Categories: Miniatures, The Haunted Heritage
March 11, 2013 | 0 comments