Ready for a mini excursion

I had the pleasure of meeting Fran in person during the miniature shows in April. We had been chatting online for a few years, and I had bought some of her lovely items in the past including some vintage suitcases and well-loved umbrellas. We had pizza and chatted and shared some laughs. :D

I’ve added a few more of her items to my collection. Here’s a lovely suitcase and travel bag. These two umbrellas are brand spanking new and ready for the rain. Love the dots and the red!

There’s a blanket roll, all ready for camping or a picnic. I’d love to have one of these bags in real life. Of course, I’d be terrified to get a thing on it. Maybe I would just put it on a shelf and look at it. haaaaa!

She doesn’t have anything listed right now, but be sure to favorite her etsy shop FranMadeMinis so you can be in the loop when she returns. :]

Categories: Miniatures
May 16, 2016 | 0 comments

Mom’s Kitchen

I made mom a gift for Mother’s Day, though I was late in the offering.  :D  I got the idea from a local mini group where they made a little kitchen setting in a jar.

I went to Hobby Lobby and bought a well-made, locking jar. It was pricey for a plain glass jar, but I had my 40% off coupon.  :D

I had scraps of wood flooring, so I cut a piece to fit the bottom. I lined it with black foam core board for stability. It is held in place with glue dots.

But, the jar had a bump in the bottom that made the flooring unstable. After some brainstorming, I decided to add a coil of rope in the recess to level the base. It goes well with the country kitchen theme and disguises the foam core circle.

The hutch base is made from a House of Miniatures Hutch Cabinet that was missing the drawer pieces. I made a new false drawer front but left the doors off so I could display more minis. I built the hutch top from strip wood along with some laser cut brackets to add some interest. Mom likes blue, so I chose Folk Art French Blue. I added a towel bar from ELF Miniatures and jewelry finding hardware.

The plates, canning jars, vase and cooking set are Hobby Lobby purchased miniatures.

I printed a new cover to make a Betty Crocker Cooky Book, some recipe cards and a wall calendar to add a date to the project.

I printed a wine label for a bottle blank and made chocolate chip cookies from a tutorial by Sugar Charm Shop. I must admit, they do look like the real deal. nom nom nom!  :D

I searched my minis stash for other items to add – cow pitcher from The Dolls House Emporium, tea pot, rolling pin from Honey and Bee, clock from The Dolls House Mall, and copper pot. I also added one of my flour sacks and made Bonnie Lavish wildflowers for the vase.

Everything is glued in place.

Since the glass glares a bit, here is a photo of the full setup outside of the jar.

I love how it turned out.

And, so did mom!  :D

I needed this small project to get my juices flowing again.  :D

Categories: Roomboxes and Mini Scenes
May 13, 2016 | 0 comments

The Miniature Show – debut

This was the first year of The Miniature Show, so we headed there in the morning. The main part of the ballroom had a large center where the show organizer, Swan House Miniatures, displayed wares from various artists, each labeled with a name card. Around the outer walls, there were individual vendors, some first timers.

I finally got to meet Jennifer of Looking Glass Miniatures after having known her from the Greenleaf Dollhouses forum for years. :D She sells old letters, boxes, books, kits and Harry Potter related items. All excellent quality.

Tiny Ceramics — gorgeous designs, thin tiles in perfect scale. I bought two bunny tiles and two plain white tiles to make a plant stand topper.

Just Miniature Scale. I’ve bought from her online store before. She had a lot of Halloween and Christmas items, and I couldn’t pass up this wonderful snowman.

St. Leger — they had the most amazing working automata as well as vintage tools and house accessories.  I bought a mop bucket, something I’ve been seeking for awhile now.

A successful round of shows again this year.

Categories: Miniature Shows and Shops
April 16, 2016 | 0 comments

Bishop Show 2016 – Preview Day 1

Went to the Bishop Show today.  My main mission was to buy a lucky bamboo from Lamis Minis.   Mission accomplished!  :D

64tnt Miniatures.  She had so many wonderful veggies, pumpkins, potion jars and candles with these adorable faces.

Art Forge – beautiful bronze and silver pieces.  Here are the kingfisher and horse bust.

Miniature Atelier 2CV.  Wonderful hardware.

Jane Graber pottery.  Her booth is always mobbed but well worth the wait.  :D

Véronique Lux — super cute storybook bunny on a log bench

Red Dragon Pottery — a wide variety of finishes, textures, shapes and sizes.  Simply stunning pottery.

Tiny Ter Miniatures.  Cookies…enough said.  :D

Categories: Miniature Shows and Shops
April 15, 2016 | 0 comments

3 Blind Mice – 2016

I made the rounds at the 3 Blind Mice Show this evening and found a good selection of minis and supplies.  First stop was Greg’s table All About Miniatures, featuring a vast display of JBM Miniatures and many supplies for landscaping, building and finishing.  He has a huge display of wallpapers and trims right now, so I grabbed some railings for my stash.

I met Alex from the Greenleaf Forum.  Her shop Botiny Miniatures has a lovely range of fine plants.  I picked up an olaxis plant and a venus fly trap.  Now I need 1:12 scale flies.  :D  The piggy bank was from the front hall table, but there was no name on the receipt.

Hartland Miniatures.  Always a ton of goodies here!  First, a stoneware platter and bowl.

Candy dish and bowl of nuts (well, they called it a birdfeeder…but it looks like a bowl of nuts to me).

Mini Decorators.  They have great fabrics and great selection of random minis.

Designs by Janet.  I keep building houses, so I keep needing new welcome mats.

Categories: Miniature Shows and Shops
April 14, 2016 | 0 comments