Where I've Been

So clearly, it's been a long time since I've posted.

Things have, in the so-called "real world," been rather busy.  Sometimes in a good way, and sometimes in a very bad way.  We had a death in the family, and some illness.  I, myself, have been very ill but am recovering now.  My husband and son are doing well.  My son is now walking and talking and doing all kinds of exciting things.  We moved!  I downsized my craft area, out of necessity, and so learned an entirely new miniature skill set.  Or, rather, am learning.

 

My son in his new chair!

Where we were.

Where we are now.

My craft supplies have a smaller, more organized home now...

Copyright: My Two Cents

One of my favorite cases in law school involved the "Dead Dog" tee: the eponymous cafe's iconic "Black Dog" turned upside down.  You know, dead.  They sued, and Marblehead's own U.S. District Chief Judge Joseph Tauro dismissed the case.  Not only does he hail from my hometown, Judge Tauro (who also ruled, in 2010, that the federal ban on equal marriage was unconstitutional) has a sense of humor!  He wrote a little poem about "black dogs, dead dogs and dead hogs," using it to illustrate the legally salient point: people weren't apt to confuse "Dead Dog" with "Black Dog."  Parodies are legal.

The issue is one of intent: are you trying, in essence, to benefit from someone else's hard work?  The Black Dog Cafe became famous through its owners' hard work (and, like Marblehead's Stowaway Sweets, through some minor presidential intervention).  Admire them all you want, but you can't--legally, anyway--ride on their coattails.  Which, really, is where the legal gray area lies and the attempts to define "parody" begin.  Peter Hall wasn't trying to steal market share from the Black Dog Tavern; his tees were geared toward a different market entirely.  And as someone who lives in a tourist trap, myself, trust me: there's plenty of us who'd like some "anti-tourist" memorabilia.

But to the extent that parody is legal, outright imitation most certainly is not.  Parody is only legal to the extent that it's obviously not imitation.  Once you've ranged out of the patently absurd and into the dark forest of "if"--where you're even courting the possibility that someone could mistake your work for theirs--you're breaking the law.  Depending on what, exactly, you're doing you could be charged with a variety of civil penalties--and crimes.  If you're making use of someone else's work (or name, or reputation) for financial gain, then, depending on the facts of the case and your particular jurisdiction, it could be fraud.  And fraud, believe me, is very serious.

I was really disappointed to see that Brae, an artisan and blogger I admire greatly, is suffering from an apparently really egregious case of plagiarism.  Whoever said "imitation is the highest form of flattery" never got ripped off.  There's nothing flattering about discovering that someone's stolen your work.  It's a violation.

I've dealt with my own copyright issues; I mention one miniatures-related experience in my "FAQ" section and, recently, someone I thought was my friend sold some revealing pictures of me.  They were from my wedding album (which covered everything from "getting ready" to "finally leaving"), digital files she had access to because, at the time, I thought she'd earned my trust.  Particularly sad was the fact that the unsuspecting third party thought they were purchasing legally licensed ad copy.  Had we chosen to make more of an issue of it than we did (I was just happy to see the photographs gone), they--despite their ignorance--might have been in some trouble.

It's not cool to steal from people.  Even if nobody can prove anything, even if you skate off, scott free, into the sunset, you're still a loser.  Reputation is everything.  I'm all for forgiving and forgetting, but I saw some things in law school that changed my opinion of certain people forever.  I might get a beer with them, but I'd never risk recommending them to a potential client.

Anyway, I'm getting off my soapbox now.  As you might have guessed, the fact that I talk for a living isn't always a good thing.  But anyway, since this does touch directly on what I do all day--and, gods forbid, by way of stating the obvious this is not legal advice--I really felt like I had to say something.  I try (and fail) not to editorialize overmuch, but dishonesty is one of those things that gets me really angry.  And I can hardly complain about the fact that it happens if I don't speak out against it once in awhile, now can I?

What You May Not Know

I've been really gratified by the nice comments I've received on this blog, and, in general, with the kind, generous, thoughtful and talented people I've met while roaming around the interwebz.  You've all been far, far nicer than I deserve!  In particular, recently, one tutorial of mine has gotten a little bit of notice: How To Make A Really Authentic Dollhouse Miniature Thatched Roof.  And I would like you all to know that, initially, I got so much negative feedback that I almost took it down entirely.

I remember back when I was 15, I was so ridiculously proud of myself because I was exhibiting a painting in my first real (as real as it's apt to get when you're 15) art show.  Sure, I was all pompous and self important about it but, underneath it all, I was just so excited.  A local artist who'd had some modest success came over to me and told me that I shouldn't sell my piece; I should keep it as a souvenir of that time in my life when I thought I had it in me to become a professional artist.  I could look back on it, he said, and laugh at how deluded I'd been.

Yeah, well.  Happiness is the best revenge, right?  It wasn't until years later that I realized, wow, for him--for a grown man--to be talking to a kid that way, he must have some really serious issues of his own.

After I first wrote this tutorial, which was initially created for a miniatures magazine, I received quite a long email from a comparatively well known miniaturist.  He absolutely lambasted me, going into--in gruesome detail--everything that was wrong with my technique.  Principally, he seemed very worried that this wasn't how real thatched roofs were made.  To which my response was kind of like, um, yeah, very little about dollhouses resembles real life building.  The walls of my house aren't made of MDF, either.

But, basically, he wanted to make very sure that I understood what a rotten miniaturist I was, and requested that I withdraw my article from publication lest I lead other miniaturists astray.  He then went on to, rather tiresomely--and predictably--extoll the virtues of his own carefully honed technique.  Which, he assured me, was far superior and I'd serve myself better by coping him rather than coming up with ridiculous, bad plans of my own.

The then-editor of the magazine informed me--having also been aware of the article's apparent deficiencies--that I shouldn't feel bad, their magazine published how-to articles of all types, even those more suited to remedial miniaturists.

Luckily, I have a healthy artist's ego!

Listen, I'm no one's motivational speaker--I usually offend people when I try--but the moral of this story is, it's YOUR project, YOUR hobby, YOUR investment, and YOUR imagination.  Do what you want.  Some people may not like it, but some people don't like much of anything and they're not living your life, anyway.

What I've Learned From My Mistakes

Don't spray paint in the rain.  Or in the almost-rain.  Or in 99% humidity.  Your metallics will be dull and blotchy, your stoves will fog over.  Although, as we've seen, sometimes mistakes are a blessing in disguise.  In fact, I'm pretty sure this is true in almost every area of life...

The same day I did the blue cook stove, I also sprayed some copper pots.  Which, well, came out looking like something one of my neighbors might dig up out of his root cellar and sell the tourists as an "antique."  So with a little creative craft paint ("Americana" brand craft paint in burnt sienna and lamp black), I went with the "old and gross" theme.

USE MULTIPLE FINE COATS!!!  I thought I already knew this advice.  I mean, duh.  Most of us have been at this for years, and "fine coats" seems like really Mickey Mouse advice.  DO NOT BE FOOLED.  When it comes to spray enamels, flat colors are very forgiving.  Gloss colors are not.  And, I've discovered, the lighter the color, the worse the coverage.  My first few tries with the Testors light ivory were disasters; my paint came out gloppy, or obscured the detail.  I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong.  Then, after wasting about 20 bucks worth of paint, talking it over with some of my hobbyist friends, and visiting a hobby forum, I learned the following rules:

1.  Shake the can for at least 5 minutes.  I'm not kidding.  Shake that baby like there's no tomorrow, then shake it some more.  And start with a new can.  If you've got a can that's, like, half gone and you haven't been mixing things up, well, um, it won't ever mix properly.
2. MIST COATS, dude.  This shouldn't take you two coats, it should take you more like ten.  The finer and more frequent the coats, the happier you'll be with the results.
3. DO NOT SPRAY ON HUMID DAYS.

Face it, sometimes you just need to use spray paint.  Like, take the pot belly stove, for example.  The sprayed-on enamel more closely resembles enameled cast iron, so you're going to get a better result.  Comparing these two pot belly stoves, I think the ivory one looks a lot more realistic than the green one.

The hair-thin black edges and slightly pebbly texture add realism.

Even with a spray coat over it (Testors "glosscote"), it just doesn't look quite as good.

Oh, yeah, and it's counter-intuitive, but glossy varnish looks better than matte varnish.  It also contrasts much more nicely with the flat black.  Or, at least, I think so.

If you don't want your finish to look pebbly, well, there's a sanding sponge for that and I'll talk about it (if anyone's interested) when I do the parlor stove.  Also known as The Kit From Hell, but that's another story.  Anyway, moving on...

Speaking of which, some mistakes are liberating but some are just depressing.  If it's become a stone around your neck, don't be demoralized; throw it out.  I've thrown out quite a few kits, but I can't really say my money or time was wasted.  I learned a lot.  If every project you try comes out perfect, then you're not stretching yourself and you'll never get better.  Don't be afraid to waste materials, screw up, and look like an idiot.  Within reason, of course; I don't think this stove would make much of a hat.  Or work well as underpants.

Think outside the box, color-wise.  This is your house, do what you want with it.  Just because the folks at Dee's Delights who now produce Chrysnbon made it out of black polystyrene, doesn't mean it has to be black.  Back in the day, people were, I think, a lot more creative with color.  Some of this had to do with the fact that, sans electric light, duller colors were really just lost.  The reason why all that wallpaper was virulently red, black, etc was so it'd show up in gaslight.  And people weren't afraid to go all out, either.  Why can't your pot belly stove be purple?  I've seen antique examples that were aqua, blue, every color under the rainbow.  And even if nobody ever painted it that color before, who cares?

Sometimes gluing two already-painted pieces together causes an ugly colored blob to ooze out.  You can get rid of it by dipping a small angled brush into thinner, then carefully brushing out the seam.  Quickly brush off any excess thinner, to prevent it from eating the surrounding paint.  Repeat the process until it's all gone--and, if all else fails, remember that you can always sand it out and repaint it if you have to.

Wet sanding is key.

Don't spray paint outside.  Even if you're not near a tree--and I can't tell you how many little tree parts I've found embedded in my projects--you're still not safe.  Dude, a bird pooped on the red cook stove.  Invest in a hood, if you can afford it, otherwise try to spray somewhere that's well-ventilated but at least somewhat covered.

One trick I used, when I had to spray outside, was to, as soon as I finished spraying, immediately put a piece of cardboard over my spray box.  Gloss paints stay tacky a LOT longer than flat paints, so keep this in mind.

Stay organized.  All those little bits and pieces can take over your work area, room, and house really quickly.  My family's really tolerant but, um, still.  In college, one of my roommates painted Warhammer figurines and everyone was always stepping on something.  I got out of the shower, put my foot on the mat and got a spear through the webbing between my toes; he was furious that I'd ruined his guy.  What I wanted to know was, why was it in the bathroom in the first place?

Ruminating About Safety

It's amazing, how parenthood changes your perspective on things.  I care about things for my child that I've never cared about for myself--and, in realizing that, I've also realized a few other things.  For example, I never really ate a healthy diet.  Sure, I made a stab at it now and then, but just having, you know, healthy arteries for me never seemed that important.  I know, right?  But, after I found out I was pregnant, I became fanatical about my diet.  It wasn't just about me anymore; I knew my son would be eating everything I did, and I didn't want him eating pesticides, heavy metals, saturated fat-laden, processed "foods," etc.  

And, since he's been born, I've pretty much kept up with the healthier diet.  Because, well, forcing myself to view the issue in those terms--to view it honestly--also forced me to have a growth experience.  He's not even four months old, and already my son has taught me a lot.

As artists, artisans and craftspeople, most of us don't tend to think about our safety overmuch.  Sure, we might occasionally pop on some safety goggles, and I'm pretty sure nobody out there is intentionally drinking turpentine.  But what about the smaller stuff?  Even "non-toxic" paint, to some degree, emits toxic fumes; enamels, like I've been using on the Chrysnbon kits, most definitely emit fumes.  Will they kill you overnight?  No.  But inhaling them can cause all kinds of problems in the long term.

And what about dust?  Not just plastic dust, but sawdust?  Inhaling that's no treat, either--and, let's be real, most of that wood's been treated with something.  Don't believe me?  Visit a sawmill sometime.  Maine has had problems for years with sawmills and toxic dumping.  And don't even get me started on what goes into paper.

Yes, paper.  Drink a couple cups of the liquid expelled during a commercial paper-creation process, and it'll kill you.

Lead can't absorb through the skin, but you can breathe in micro-particles of it easily.

Many glues give off fumes, some of which are highly toxic.

Ever wondered why solvent-based paint is toxic when wet, but perfectly safe when dry?  What the drying process actually is--and this is why it's so dramatically affected by humidity--is the solvents in the paint (which include carcinogens like toluene) evaporating.  So long as it's smelly, it's dangerous.  And yet so many of us are used to these smells.  They bring out happy associations.  We like them.

I have a fine art background, and was told for years to ventilate my studio, not mix paints with my fingers, only use spray fix under a hood, etc etc etc.  Obviously, I never listened.  I met a guy who developed an aggressive skin cancer on his fingertips from years of fine art woodworking without the proper safety precautions and, for some reason, this didn't move me.

But looking at my son did.  I realized that, if I could smell it--however faintly, including on my own clothes, etc--then so could he.  And the thought absolutely terrified me.  I couldn't sleep for days, worrying about it.  He's such a perfect little person--what if, inadvertently, I'd harmed him somehow?  These fumes made me lightheaded, and I'm not 15--20 pounds and 25" long.

Enter: the hobby model spray booth.  I bought mine on Amazon.  Somehow, the almost 500.00 (including filters) price tag didn't seem so bad, when viewed in the context of my child's brain function.  Either I was going to be a selfish, terrible parent, or I was going to be responsible.  And, as my husband pointed out, it'd probably save my little gray cells, too.  You don't have to spend half a grand, either; little measures--like letting things dry outside, or placing them near a window and pointing a fan at them so the fumes vent away from the house--can make a big difference.  And, face it, spray primer smells just awful.

Fanning the horrible fumes out from the screen porch; don't point your fan upwind, as this will utterly defeat the purpose of the exercise.

What Happened To My Studio?

I'll post pictures, once I have everything more or less back together.

Right now, I'm still trying to restock things.  Having lost my studio and all its accumulated detritus, I've been forced to really think about what I need--which has been a good thing.  Surprisingly, I need more than I thought!  I'd hoped to keep things relatively minimalist from now on, so as to focus on specific current projects.  And, ultimately, I think that'll still happen.  We'll see.

For my (not quite a) Lincoln Home, I intend to make as much, myself, as possible.  In my spare moments, I've been daydreaming about various woodworking plans for fireplaces, wainscoting, etc.  But, nobody ever goes it alone, and I've also been--in preparation for actually getting going--purchasing from the following vendors: Sue Cook Miniatures, Les Chinoiseries, Houseworks (for strip wood) and Chrysnbon.  I'll have a better sense of what wood I'll need for the molding, once my design is finalized.

I also have a few future purchases planned, especially for tile--but I'm still working out what I'll need.

I'm also looking for design inspiration--especially for furniture--as my budget doesn't permit some of the pieces I really want.  So, instead, I'm going to learn how to make these things, myself.  And hopefully, if I succeed, sharing my newly found techniques.

Who are your favorite suppliers?

Anyway, on to my story.  As you already know, it was an eventful winter.  One of the issues we dealt with was rain.  And flooding.  And, at the end of last year, discovering that our foundation needed some pretty extreme repairs.  So much for the home inspector!  Anyway, as a result of this combination, we got lots of water--and wild animals, some very large--in our basement.  Cue destruction of property.

Ultimately, I gave up and admitted the sad truth, that it was a total loss.

After several months of (unrelated) misery, and a renewed conviction--on both mine and my husband's part--that we deserved to enjoy our lives, we set to work repairing it.  And, being mindful of creating a studio for this specific space, rather than trying to cram everything I already had, in my much, much larger studio (at our old house) into a Hobbit hole (which would be our new house), I taught myself a few organizational tips:

• Label everything.  Having lots of bins, organizers, etc only works if you can actually find what's inside.  One survivor was my storage cabinet.  It's a great idea in theory, but not so much in practice...unless you label each drawer.  Now I finally know what I have in there.  I also labeled my storage boxes.  One HUGE loss was my collection of Al Chandronnait barrels, bins and boxes, many of which aren't made anymore.  I'm still really sad about that.
• A place for everything, and everything in its place.  If there isn't room for it, you don't need it!  I have a 3-drawer Rubbermaid wheeling cart, which I LOVE, because the drawers are large enough to hold a standard-size sheet of dollhouse flooring or wallpaper.  I can lay everything out nice and flat, and keep my piles of goodies protected from dust, cats, etc.  The other drawers have been devoted to kits.
• DON'T accumulate!  It's all gone now, but I can't tell you how many hundreds of dollars I wasted on wood strips, trims, etc I never used.  I bought it thinking, this is pretty, I'll use it somewhere.  Uh huh.  So unless it's truly unique, or limited edition, stay away!  Having one of every kind of trim under the sun does not, contrary to popular belief, make completing your project easier.  Half the time, I swear, pawing through my disorganized piles slowed me down and confused me so badly that I ended up buying duplicates, anyway.
• Throw out your scraps.  You don't need them and will never use them.
• Don't try to do too many projects at the same time.
• Invest in a cork board.  You can pin your inspirational pictures, design sketches, etc on there.
• Always make room for your books.  Knowing how to create something in polymer clay is more important than having a huge pile of polymer clay handy, just in case you decide to do that project you've actually already forgotten how to do, because the class was last year and you've long ago lost your handout.
• Keep your handouts, etc organized in a binder.
• Don't ever let it get to the point where you're tripping over a sad morass of sawdust, scraps and howling cats as the printables rain down on you like snow.

And I'm Back!

Hello!

It's been almost a year, hasn't it?  You've all probably forgotten about me.  For those of you who maintain blogs, I haven't forgotten about you!  I've been keeping up with your projects, and greatly enjoying the progress.

So where have I been? 

In the past (give or take) ten months, I've...

• had an extended hospital stay (but am now well on the way to recovery),
• given birth to our lovely son, who is perfect,
• lost my great aunt, with whom I was very close,
• helped my husband through his own health issues,
• and suffered the loss of my little "studio", if you can call it that.  Which, especially in light of everything else, has been very difficult.  No miniatures to help me relax, or take my mind off things!

 As things have gotten back onto more of an even keel, my husband and I have been able to start rebuilding my little workspace.  Of course, you're all aware, tools and supplies are very expensive so it's been slow going.  But the way I look at it is, now I'm free of all the old bits and bobs I'd kept, hoping to use some day but, secretly, knowing would always be junk.  We are, as it were, starting afresh.

This tabula rasa has given me the opportunity to really focus on what, precisely, I want to build.  I won't be finishing my old projects, as they've been lost.  HOWEVER, I WILL be starting a couple of new projects!  I'm really quite excited and, already, have started collecting a few supplies.  My beautiful Les Chinoiseries wallpaper arrived yesterday, which was quite thrilling.  My husband, of course, obediently looked at all of it with me.

Over the next few days (weeks?), I'll hopefully be describing these projects, and getting everyone--including myself--back up to date.  

I hope all's well with you, out there in internet land.

How You're Finding Me

If you're finding me via Google, the top ten search terms that've led you here are...

1. Bag End
2. Glorious Twelfth
3. Newel Posts
4. "Bagend" 
5. Miniature Gypsy Wagon Kit
6. Glorious Twelfth Dollhouse Blog
7. Half Timber Dollhouse
8. Bag End Photos
9. Michelle's Miniatures
10. Dollhouse Gypsy Caravan

I really need to keep working on my gypsy caravan!

And, I've been thinking about a Bag End room box...

What would you like to read more about, or see more pictures of?

Creatin' Contest Update

So...I have good news!

The first piece of good news is, I'm (believe it or not) almost done with my Creatin' Contest entry for this year.  Of course, the bad news is, I won't be able to show you any pictures until  around Thanksgiving.  But hey, at least it's coming along!  My biggest challenge right now is figuring out which four pictures to submit.  There's a strict limit, otherwise I'd probably send a few extra...

The second piece of good news is, pretty soon I'll be back to work on the Tudor Bakery.  I'm excited to try out some new techniques...and to create those windows!  I'm going to use the smallest window for my stained glass window tutorial.

And, finally, I've changed some of the blog's static content...I'd love your feedback.

Where I've Been

Hello!

Yes, it's been awhile since my last post.  I've been dealing with some health issues, as well as some career transitions.  I've had a lot on my plate, and there hasn't been much time for miniatures.  However, hopefully that's about to change.

I actually took a "mental health day" today, to work on a project I've been neglecting.

How's everyone else?

I Need A New Camera--Any Suggestions?

There's a lot of great things about my current camera, but one area where it doesn't excel is in up-close shots of my miniatures.  Everything comes out warped!  I need a camera that can take good detail shots, that isn't so prone to the curse of fisheye.

Any suggestions?

Michael Mortimer, And A Quick Editorial Note

I love all things medieval and tudor, and I have a small but growing collection of work by one of the titans in that field, Michael Mortimer.  Honestly, Mr. Mortimer's stuff has to be seen, up close and personal, to be believed.  A lot of dollhouse furniture has character, and a lot of dollhouse furniture showcases skill.  It's very rare to find a piece that exemplifies both qualities.  Mr. Mortimer's work is some of my favorite; I purchased these pieces from Miniature Scene, York, one of the nicest dollhouse shops around.

I'm actually in the process of collecting furniture for a larger tudor house that I haven't built yet.  I'm also in the process of designing fireplace surrounds, etc.  Once I have a good collection of items, I'll design and build a suitable house around them.  Although my heart lies with smaller scenes, and roomboxes, I do lust after the occasional grander scale home.  I'll keep you updated on my progress!

This cupboard bed is based on a real piece of furniture.

I'm currently hunting for suitable fabric to make a curtain.

The level of detail in Mr. Mortimer's pieces has to be seen to be believed.

A privy!

The concept of privacy (as we know it) was brand new in tudor times.  The first "modern" privy was, essentially, invented by a Frenchman who insisted that his servants carry a green silk tent around with them; he would have it erected over his portable privy, to give himself some respite.  He was considered quite missish.  Many medieval privies were simply niches set into walls, with the necessary equipment--and thus he who used it--out there for all to see.

These are just wonderful hinges.

A bathtub.

Time for the weekly bath, eh?

Finally, a note on historical accuracy: one of my readers emailed me, concerned that I was misrepresenting my work as historically accurate.  Specifically, I used the term "historically accurate" in the title of my last tutorial.  Am I, in fact, misleading you, my readership, as to what is, and is not, correct?

Well, I certainly hope not.  As I've said before, while I'm certainly inspired by medieval and tudor--as well as American colonial, and other--influences, my work belongs to, primarily, the realm of fantasy.  Minis are, for me as, I imagine, for others, an escape from reality--a chance to create my own little world.  I've been making and collecting minis since I was seven, but my first serious foray into the world of "adult" miniatures was during my teenage years.  I absolutely fell in love with an historic home in my home town.  I couldn't live there, so, as they say, I brought the mountain to Mohammed.  I endeavored to recreate my favorite place in miniature.  And, well, I've been at it ever since.

These days, the "favorite place" I create is one of simplicity, tranquility, and wonder.  I'm most inspired by the elusive realm of fantasy, for what the very concept of fantasy represents in my own life--in all our lives.  It's nice to remember, once in awhile, that dreams are possible--and our efforts are sufficient to realize them.

No, I'm not building museum models; my work isn't mean to be a history lesson.  No, the thatched roof tutorial doesn't represent how a thatched roof was actually made.  Nobody really used fur, or Quick Grip, or varnish.  My goal wasn't to give you a history lesson, but to help you create something that, when done, would look good.

Real medieval and tudor houses weren't made out of plywood, or MDF, either; nobody used craft glue.  Landscape elements weren't made out of styrofoam and Woodland Scenics products.  Moreover, medieval England wasn't coursing with wizards.  Sadly, these things exist only in our heads--and insomuch as our hands can give them life.  I'm inclined, honestly, to believe there's enough "reality" in the world already.

I write this blog, and sell my miniatures, and contribute the occasional magazine tutorial, because I love all things mini, and want to share my joy with you.  And, truly, I feel very privileged for the opportunity to do so.  I hope you enjoy minis--in all their many multitudes of forms--as much as I do.

Read My Tutorials In AIM!

If you haven't yet, you really need to start reading the Artisans In Miniature iMag.  It's by far the best miniatures magazine available, and you can download it in PDF form for free!  All you need is a (free) Scribd account, and directions for how to get one are on the site.  The AIM iMag comes out monthly, and is absolutely packed with interesting features.  March's issue has a Tudor theme, which is, of course, particularly interesting to me--and I'm sure to some of you as well.

Some of my favorite features in this month's magazine are several incredible features about dolls--including a realization of one family's genealogy in miniature, and an absolutely fabulous depiction of Henry VIII and his wives--and "Tudor Estate Agents", a selection of beautiful miniature properties.

As I told my husband yesterday, after I first read it, the fact of my inclusion in this magazine is highly complimentary to me.  I am, truly, the least imaginative, and the least talented member of a fabulous group. That I'm included at all helps me to take my own work more seriously, and encourages me to improve.  It's a tremendous blessing, keeping company with such excellent artisans.

There are several excellent free projects--not just by me--this month, including petit point cushions, a "pottage" recipe, printables, and directions for knitting your own (mini) monmouth cap.  And, of course, you can see my tudor brick making tutorial, and Part I of my thatched roof tutorial.  I highly recommend checking them all out!

And, speaking of which, I worked for hours--to absolutely no avail--on my thatched roof tutorial yesterday, producing quite a bit of mess and no decent results.  I really do know what I'm doing...sort of...but part of creating, sometimes, is mistaking.  I had a "brilliant" new idea that didn't pan out so wonderfully, so we're back at square one...with a beard trimmer...this morning.  

Don't despair, though...a viable tutorial really is on its way!  Stay tuned!  And now, back to work...

How I Spent My School Vacation

Since Wednesday, the start of my "mini vacation", I've put 36 hours of work into the mystery project and I'm really pleased with the results so far.  As soon as I finish waking up--it's still rather tender hours, here--I'll head to the store, to purchase a few missing items.  Have you ever had that incredibly frustrating experience of thinking, "oh good, I have everything I need", and finding that to be basically true...except you're one piece short?  One piece!  

Ever since the warp incident, I put a foot on everything; as it turns out, I'm just shy of the pieces I need to fit out this rather enormous base.

I'm not normally quite so industrious; in this case, my astonishing work ethic is due to missing my husband.  The good news is, he's coming home on Sunday.  By all accounts, he's really enjoying his golf trip (he's off to warmer climes with his dad and brother).  Having nothing standing in the way of making minis is both the good news and the bad news!  

Yesterday, the remaining ingredients for the thatched roof finally arrived, so expect that last segment of the thatched roof tutorial to arrive soon.  I'm really excited!!!  It's thrilling both to take one more step toward completing the Wizard's Eyrie, and finally have figured out a way to create a realistic thatched roof.  I love thatched roofs, but have been so unhappy with how generally unrealistic they look that I haven't used them in my work at all.  I guess...expect a glut on thatched roofs now?

In the meantime, here's a preview of coming attractions...

My "mystery project", covered by towels.  Why towels, you may ask?  Am I expecting eager copyists to peer in through the windows?  Our younger gentleman, Henry, loves to chew wood.  So far, the only solution we've discovered is to put it somewhere he can't get at it: in a different room with the door closed, on a very high shelf he can't reach (such as the mantelpiece), or covered with something he doesn't care for, like a towel.  Otherwise, poor Henry can't withstand the temptation.

Me, with my charming and delightful better half.

Component I of the soon-to-be thatched roof.

Component II of the soon-to-be thatched roof.  Yes, really.  Confused, yet...?

Cheers for now!  I hope everyone's week has gone well.  My thoughts and prayers go out to those with relatives in New Zealand.  I truly, truly hope that everyone's families and friends are well.  My own family--even those whose vocations have taken them to dangerous parts of the world--are, thankfully, all well and happy.

The Hobby Builders Supply 18th Annual Creatin' Contest

Hobby Builders Supply has been my go-to place for basic dollhouse parts since I started making minis, and their annual "Creatin' Contest" has always inspired me.  Essentially, this contest is an exercise in kit bashing.  Ever year, the folks at Hobby Builders Supply pick a reasonably simple, inexpensive kit, and entrants turn it into something fabulous.  The most fabulous entry wins.  You can read all about it here.

I like contests, but rarely ever enter due to either time or money constraints.  This year, however, I was determined to enter.  I've placed my order for the "Fascination Station", this year's contest kit, and it should be arriving today!

Seeing as how this is a contest and all, I'll be keeping my pictures to myself...for now.  Once I've entered my design, though, expect to see a HUGE "how to" series, covering every aspect of its creation from beginning to end.  I'm really excited!

Have you ever entered any miniatures-related contests?  Did you enjoy the experience?  Are there any you wished you'd entered?

Visit Our Etsy Store!!!

We now have an Etsy store!

You can now purchase our items, including our new 1:24 scale colonial saltbox, with the safety and security of Etsy.

We're thrilled to have joined such a vibrant, talented community.

Hooray For Miniature Needlepoint!

Just a quick note to say, we've added a new section under "Shopping List".  We now list artisans offering miniature needlepoint kits.  If we've forgotten anyone, let us know!  Glorious Twelfth is, as always, a work in progress.

Cheers!

Coming soon...