Progress

Well, here is the latest on my courtyard room box.  A big thanks to my brother for helping me cut the wood and assemble it!  Here it is with the bricks installed and a start on the walls.  Still a long ways to go yet.... It's starting to come together though!

Mondo di Favola giveaway

Elena from Mondo di Favola is having her first giveaway! Enter at  http://mondodifavola.blogspot.com/

Thrift -Store Finds

I always love a good bargain! :)  Yesterday I made a stop at the local second hand store and found these...

These fabric samples cost 25 cents for the whole bunch- I'm thinking they'll be good for upholstery.  

Shell necklace- 50 cents.  

Chenille hair for hairing dolls. -- 25 cents

Cute little speckled eggs - 37 cents.

I'm pretty happy with my purchases, seeing as it all came to $1.37.  I have tons of project ideas floating around in my head now, but not enough time to do them.  I dismantled the necklace and put the shells and eggs in a drawer in my shelf organizer thingy.  Hopefully they will be useful and not just sit there forever! ;)  I am working on a few projects at the moment, so I'll post them soon hopefully!

Thank you!

A big thank you to my new followers! 

Marlene, at http://somersethouseaproject.blogspot.com/
Lataina
Anna, at http://miniannalee.blogspot.com/
Núria, at http://mininuris.blogspot.com/
Nina (another one!), at http://minimumm.blogspot.com/
Lara, at http://larasminiatureworld.blogspot.com/

It's so exciting to be able to connect and be inspired by miniaturists and bloggers from around the world! 

I don't paint....

Okay, so I know I said I don't paint, but somehow I accidentally-on-purpose started painting two 1" scale paintings *gasp*.  lol I know, I try to stick with 1/2", but I wasn't ready to try it that small yet!  I have this idea in mind to make a 1:12 scale French restaurant, modeled after the one I visited when I was in Paris.  The paintings I just did are more Spanish or Italian in style, but they have a hint of French impressionism too, so maybe I'll include them in the cafe.  It was an extremely eclectic restaurant after all! ;)  I'm getting way ahead of myself here, seeing as I still need to finish my courtyard roombox, but I can't help but get a little excited.  I'm a dreamer after all...

Anyhoo, here are the paintings I did... still need to make some frames.  I know they are poor offerings, but I must post something, so here they are. Just think impressionism... and remember they are small  ;) lol sorry for the excuses!

Garden Courtyard..

I have been working on making a kind of courtyard garden roombox... I've had the idea floating around in my head for a while, and it's starting to come together little by little.  Here is the start of one of my first experiments with cardboard bricks (out of eggcarton).  This stage is what has taken the most time- I counted over 300 bricks to be individually glued to the surface!  This will eventually be the floor- I just need to grout and seal it.  I'm planning on making stone walls using a similar technique.

First stage:  sponging on the first layer of terra cotta paint

Next: adding other colours- orange, brown, red, white...

Finished product!  Just awaiting grout.  (sorry the colours aren't quite right on my camera- it's a little more red than brown)

Today, I made a bench to be part of the scene.  Materials used are craft sticks, toothpicks, and paper painted to resemble wrought iron.  I'm noticing now that the black paint needs to be touched up a little- amazing the flaws that cameras point out! ;)  Here it is, as well as a barrel I made out of toothpicks the other day.

Past Projects

A few things I've made in the past...  I mostly create in 1:24 scale, seeing as space is limited.  I'm pretty happy with most of them- seeing as they are all first attempts.  The abacus was quite the fiddly job.  I still don't quite have the courage to try to get rid of the wires poking out of the sides. ;-)  The chalk board is simply a piece of cardboard painted black on a tripod stand made of toothpicks.  I'm quite happy with the embroidered cushion (it's only about 1/4" square).  The peaches are made out of homemade bread clay, dusted with red pastel for the blush.  And the knitting basket is woven out of white embroidery thread; the balls of yarn are thread wrapped around beads; and the little knitted piece is attached to two little knitting needles made of thin wire.

Introducing... me, myself, and I.

Well... Hello there!  I'm new to blogging in general, and miniature blogging in particular, but after viewing some amazing blogs I feel both inspired (and a little daunted too) to create my own.  I'll try to update as often as possible, but I apologize in advance for any lapses, since I am a full-time student, and only a sporadic miniaturist.  I'm just learning and experimenting with the whole miniature-making thing, but I love creating things... unfortunately I also have a chronic habit of leaving things unfinished.


Now that I've made myself sound really bad, I'd better post something a little more interesting. ;)

So, onward we go!